FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: Johan Oviedo #29 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the third inning of a game against the Minnesota Twins at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on March 23, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Only one minor league affiliate is still playing, and they were shut out on a two-hitter last night. But the show must go on!
Johan Oviedo beat the buzzer and got back on the mound in a rehab game on Thursday night. It was his first appearance at any level since March 30th (for Boston). Oviedo averaged 95.9 mph on both of his fastballs, and maxed out at 98.5 mph. He struck out four batters over 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, a walk, and one earned run, and was charged with the loss. While it might be aggressive to add him to the postseason roster, at least in round one, Oviedo was expected to be a key piece of the Red Sox rotation in 2026, acquired for Jhostynxon Garcia last offseason.
John Holobetz followed and was excellent, striking out eight over 4 1/3 shutout innings. Tyler Samaniego allowed a run in the eighth, and Noah Song threw a shutout ninth.
The Red Sox were shut down by former Cardinals great Jake Woodford, mustering just a double from Allan Castro, a single from Tomas Nido, and one walk at the plate.
With three games to go against the Bulls (TB) before the season comes to a close, Worcester is 39-31 in the second-half standings, three games out of first place, with three teams ahead of them in the standings. However, since Rochester is in first place in the second half, and also won the International League first half, Worcester is not a complete long shot to make the playoffs. If you want to look at the tiebreaker procedures in Triple-A, go nuts.
Michael Sansone (2-6, 6.55) gets the ball this evening at 6:05 for the Woo Sox. The Bulls will counter with Jesse Scholtens (3-4, 4.15).
The Woo Sox then play on Saturday at 4:05 and Sunday at 1:05. Numerous promotions remain during the final homestand, including opportunities to bring your children to play catch on the field and run the bases throughout the weekend. Get out there before summer comes to a close.
With this likely being the final Minor Lines of the year for me (Dean has you this weekend), I want to thank all of the readers at Over The Monster. It’s such a joy talking baseball with all of you. You can follow me on Twitter @BobOsgood15, and you can reach me at redseatpodcast@gmail.com throughout the postseason and offseason.
Mar 8, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks up in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
The Houston Rockets have turned the page on their 2025-26 campaign after an up-and-down season. The Rockets made the biggest move of the 2025 offseason when they traded for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, hoping he would be the missing piece in their championship hopes.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, those plans were derailed before they even started, as Fred VanVleet, the Rockets’ on- and off-court leader, had his season ended before it started when he suffered a season-ending injury during an offseason workout. The Rockets spent the entire season trying to make up for the absence as they struggled at times to build any consistency throughout the season.
Despite those struggles, the Rockets won 52 games, the same mark as the season before. Like the season before, the Rockets saw their season end in the first round—this time at the hands of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Rockets now head into season two of the Kevin Durant era and hope to do it with a fully healthy team. VanVleet wasn’t the only Rocket who missed significant time last season, as the Rockets’ best rebounder and screen setter, Steven Adams, suffered a season-ending injury in January.
That made an already short-handed Rockets bench even thinner and played a huge part in the Rockets’ early playoff exit. The Rockets didn’t make any big offseason splashes this time around, but they are banking on a healthy VanVleet, and Adams will be exactly what they need to get over the hump this season finally. That said, what three things must happen for the Rockets to have a successful season?
Three things the Rockets must do this season to take that next step
The Rockets performed well in some areas last season. They were again the NBA’s best rebounding team, as they have been for the last few seasons. They were also a top-10 defense all season. Despite those stats, the Rockets still did not finish in the top four in the Western Conference. The Rockets must improve in several areas this upcoming season. Here are the three areas the Rockets must change or improve.
Limit Kevin Durant’s Minutes
Last season, with VanVleet out, the Rockets leaned heavily on the remaining starters, especially Durant. The Rockets, of course, plan on leaning on Durant, considering that even at the age of 36 at the time, Durant is still one of the best players in the league. However, without a traditional point guard, the Rockets had to rely on Alperen Sengun and Durant to not only be their leading scorer but also their point guard at times.
That led to Durant playing not only the second most minutes on the Rockets but in the entire NBA. It was the most total minutes Durant had played since the 2013-14 season. Ime Udoka spoke for most of the season about hoping to limit the former MVP’s minutes but was not able to for obvious reasons. Now the Rockets must limit Durant’s minutes, as they need him as healthy as possible going into the playoffs, unlike last season.
More production from their bench
As mentioned earlier, the Rockets are hoping for a much improved bench this upcoming season. With VanVleet out and eventually Adams gone, players like Reed Sheppard and, at times, Tari Eason had to enter the starting lineup. That severely limited bench production, which led the Rockets to rank last in points per game by a wide margin. The Rockets averaged only 27.6 points per game from their reserves.
The Rockets hope the return of Adams and VanVleet, along with the additions of Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović, means they will not have to rely so heavily on their starters again this season.
Cut down their turnovers
One of the main reasons the Rockets brought in VanVleet was how much they struggled with turnovers. VanVleet’s first season saw the Rockets have one of their best seasons taking care of the basketball in franchise history. That wasn’t the case last season, as the Rockets ranked near the bottom of the league in turnovers.
The Rockets’ lack of ball security hurt them most late in close games, when teams pressured them full court and forced errors that cost them several games. The most egregious of those turnovers happened at the worst time in a must-win playoff game at home vs. the Lakers.
With the Rockets holding a late lead, LeBron James pressured Reed Sheppard, forcing the turnover that helped the Lakers force an improbable overtime, which the Rockets would go on to lose. That play was a microcosm of the Rockets’ ball security issues all season. To get past the first round, the Rockets must take care of the basketball, and VanVleet’s return should go a long way toward reducing turnovers.
The Rockets kick off training camp starting on the 23rd of this month and hope to lay the groundwork for a successful 2026-27 season, but they must improve in these three areas for that to happen.
Australia (win by 84 runs) 356-6; Zimbabwe 272 all out
Home side favourites to complete clean sweep on Sunday
Opening batter Travis Head smashed a 75-ball hundred as he led Australia to a series-clinching 84-run victory in the second cricket ODI against Zimbabwe on Friday.
Head’s swashbuckling 112 off 84 balls was well supported by captain Mitchell Marsh’s 53, his 21st ODI half century, and Cooper Connolly’s 78, his third successive 50-plus score in the format, in Australia’s sizeable total of 356-6.
This offseason, the Kings made monumental changes to their team. Is it enough to surpass the defending western conference champions?
Why the Kings Will Be Better
Although the Knights were the better team last season, that could change entirely this year. That is in large part due to Los Angeles being the better defensive team.
Last season, the Kings only allowed 2.9 goals per game while the Knights allowed 2.95 goals. Los Angeles also held a .899 save percentage, while Vegas had a .884 save percentage.
Defensively, the Kings should still remain competent and that could benefit from the new system. Coach Peter Laviolette is expected to elevate the Kings offense to its full potential.
If the offense of the Kings can take a step up, then that will pair tremendously with the top 10 defense from last year. Los Angeles has the better defense than Vegas, which could lead to them dethroning the West Champs this season.
Why the Knights Will Be Better
Speculation is only a part of the debate between the Kings and the Knights; the other part is results. When it comes to consistent seasons between these two teams, that heavily favors the Knights for this upcoming season.
Aside from the Knights making the Stanley Cup in 2026, they’ve had consistent playoff success. The Knights have made the second round three of the last four seasons and have won a Stanley Cup in 2023.
On the other hand, Los Angeles hasn’t made it to the second round since they won the Stanley Cup in 2014. The Kings haven’t won a playoff series in over a decade, let alone been a true title contender.
Vegas has proven to consistently be one of the best teams in the NHL while Los Angeles hasn’t. The Knights are expected to be contenders in 2027, while it’s a question if the Kings can take the next leap.
Overall Verdict
When it comes down to whom the best team will be in 2027, the clear answer is Vegas. The Knights have the more potent offense but can also step up on defense when it matters most.
During the playoffs, the Knights had a .907 save percentage and allowed 2.82 goals per game. Along with both defensive categories being improvements from the regular season, the offense was better in the playoffs too.
In the regular season, the Knights scored 3.22 goals per game, which ranked 14th in the league. During the postseason, Vegas scored 3.45 goals per game, which ranked 4th amongst playoff teams.
Regardless if it’s offense or defense, the Knights have shown to play at their best when it matters most. The Kings have not shown to play at their best in pivotal moments, hence why they brought in a new coach for better results.
Both offensively and defensively, the Knights have executed better than the Kings in crunch time. Therefore, Vegas is a more well-rounded unit and should be a better team than Los Angeles in 2027.
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is chasing a 40 homer/40 stolen base season, which would be just the seventh such year in MLB history.
With 37 steals entering Friday’s action, he’ll need three steals in the remaining nine games to get there. And if he keeps hitting home runs — he’s hit five in his last 10 games — that obviously takes away a chance to steal. (Not that anyone’s complaining about the homers!)
Those 37 steals represent a rare level in Cubs history. Hall of Famer Kiki Cuyler stole that many in 1930. He led the National League that year and it was his third straight year with at least 37.
In the 96 seasons since 1930, there have been 590 player seasons of at least 37 stolen bases across the major leagues.
Just 11 of those years have been posted by members of the Chicago Cubs, and just four of those have been in the last 30 years:
That’s it. As you can see, it took 48 years after Cuyler’s 37 in 1930 for any Cub to steal that many bases. If PCA does get to 40/40, that puts him in even rarer territory — it would be just the 10th 40-steal season by any Cubs player since 1929, when Cuyler had 43.
“You’re shaking your head in amazement sometimes,” Counsell said. “You spend your whole life in baseball and you just don’t see this happen on a baseball field. So you’re grateful to be a part of it. You’re grateful to see things like this and then you’re grateful that the fans get to see a season like this because they’re going to talk about it. They’re going to tell their kids about it, they’re going to tell their grandkids about seasons like this.”
Counsell played in over 1,600 MLB games and was a part of two World Series champions, scoring the winning run in Game 7 in 1997. He’s managed over 1,300 other games. For someone who’s been around baseball that long to say something like this is meaningful, to me at least.
We’re witnessing a Cubs player have a season that’s perhaps not only the best in Cubs history, but one of the best by any player, ever. Don’t take something like this for granted.
I looked around for a PCA highlight video to post here but there are just so many it was impossible to choose. Here’s one of my favorites — his baserunning directly leading to a win over the Blue Jays in August:
NEW YORK — Mets first baseman Jared Young was carted off the field in the sixth inning of a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia after he was knocked out when struck on the head by pitcher Nolan McLean’s knee as the two converged on Justin Crawford’s slow grounder.
New York manager Andy Green said a CT scan at a hospital was negative. Young had concussion symptoms and full use of his extremities, according to Green.
“It was a terrifying moment on a baseball field,” Green said. “Took him a while to come to. It was a really scary collision.”
With the Phillies ahead 1-0, McLean broke to first on contact and Young initially moved back toward the bag. McLean briefly paused, at which point Young reached for the ball with his right hand as he tried to keep a foot on the base.
McLean resumed running, then collided with Young’s head, tripping over the first baseman as Crawford crossed the bag. Young fell face first to the ground and was motionless.
“It was scary to sit there and just know that he wasn’t with us in that moment,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “He was just somewhere else.”
Green and an athletic trainer immediately ran out from the dugout, and a cart was summoned.
McLean put his hands on his knees and bent down as all the Mets on the field gathered near Young. Catcher Francisco Alvarez appeared to be praying and members of both teams looked on from the dugouts. Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm took a knee next to third base.
When Young came to, Green said the first baseman asked: “What happened?”
Young was immobilized on the cart and flashed a thumbs up before the cart disappeared behind the left-center field fence.
“He’s had a CT scan. Results have come back negative,” Green said. “So in that sense it’s very positive. Still experiencing real concussion symptoms right now but has full use of his extremities and feels at this point in time like we’ve avoided the scariest outcomes.”
Young, a 31-year-old in his first full big league season, has established himself as a regular first baseman by hitting .266 with nine homers and 39 RBIs in 103 games. He missed six weeks with a left knee injury.
“He’s somebody we all respect and appreciate and have love for,” Lindor said. “He’s been a big part of our team this whole year.”
McLean was shaken by the collision. He remained in the game and threw a called third strike past Garrett Stubbs, ending the inning.
“Probably should have made a better decision not even letting him get the next hitter, but he was still strong enough to do it and got back out there and did it,” Green said. “I think the humanity hit him pretty hard right there.”
McLean was removed by Green for reliever Tobias Myers at the start of the seventh. The rookie right-hander threw 82 pitches, his fewest since May 25.
“Still was willing to go back out the next inning. Didn’t feel that was in his best interest at that point in time,” Green said.
We know what Utah's backcourt of the future will look like — Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George.
That is more set in stone than ever after George and the Jazz agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million extension of his rookie contract, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon and since confirmed by other reports. NBA insider Jake Fischer says the true contract value, excluding incentives he may or may not earn, is $155 million. The deal does not kick in until the 2027-28 season (George will make $6.6 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal).
George, who had emerged as part of the future in Utah long before the lottery balls bounced its way, gets starting point guard money at more than $30 million a season. Utah locks up a player who, if he continues to grow on his current trajectory, will be a good value at this price.
George joins Victor Wembanyama and Amen Thompson as the first players from the 2023 draft class to sign rookie extensions.
George, the No. 16 pick in 2023 out of Baylor, averaged 23.6 points and 6.1 assists per game last season, while shooting 37.1% from beyond the arc in the 54 games he played on the tanking Jazz. His production has steadily improved each of his three NBA seasons, although his perimeter defense remains a serious concern. That said, George emerged as part of Utah's future long before last year's lottery.
That lottery brought in No. 2 pick Peterson, who showed his star potential at both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues.
How Peterson and George will mesh as a backcourt where both can handle the ball and create, and both can shoot, will be a work in progress this season for coach Will Hardy. But mesh that backcourt with Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey and Jaren Jackson Jr. and this could be an interesting team in Utah this season.
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 05: Cade Cavalli #24 of the Washington Nationals pitches during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, September 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last night it was reported that the Washington Nationals were closing in on a contract extension for Cade Cavalli, the staff ace. I was going to hold off on writing about this until it was official, but as more time passes, I thought it was important to give an update. Locking up Cavalli would be a strong statement of intent for both the front office and ownership.
Right-hander Cade Cavalli and the Washington Nationals are close on a contract extension, sources say. A deal is not done, but there is optimism about a new contract to keep the 28-year-old in Washington going forward.
Robert Murray was the first to report on this deal but many others, including Spencer Nusbaum have also confirmed that a deal is close. For years, Nats fans have wanted to see extensions. Locking up home grown players has not been happening very often in DC. The only time in recent history that the Nats gave out an extension was Keibert Ruiz’s 8 year deal back in 2023.
Since then, the Nats have been very hesitant to give out long term contracts. In fact, we have not seen them go past two years for any players since Ruiz. However, it looks like that will change soon with Cavalli. If/when this deal is done, it will be something that benefits both the player and the team.
For these extensions, it takes two to tango. With Cavalli, it is easy to see why he would be receptive to a deal. He had a very bumpy road back from Tommy John Surgery and many people lost faith in him. The organization always stood by him and kept him in the plans. That loyalty gave the two sides a strong relationship.
In his age 27 season, Cavalli has rewarded the faith and has emerged as one of the best starters in the National League. This season, he has a 3.12 ERA with 194 strikeouts in 164.2 innings. Cavalli should get some down ballot Cy Young votes in his first full season as a big leaguer. He has also taken his game to another level here in the second half.
Despite only making 11 career starts this season, the new regime had a ton of trust in Cavalli. We saw that when he was made the Opening Day starter. Giving that honor to such an inexperienced player is usual but it showed how much belief the team had in Cavalli.
Seeing two parties with a good working relationship come together and make a deal is a beautiful thing. Hopefully this extension is done before too long. While the deal is moving, it does seem like there still are a couple final hurdles to clear. That is what Talk Nats reported earlier this morning.
The fact this deal is public knowledge now makes me think it is very likely to happen though. Paul Toboni and the Lerner’s can’t really afford to let this slip away now that it is out in the open. Hopefully it can get done today before Cade Cavalli takes the mound tonight in St. Louis.
We still don’t know the official details of the deal. However, Mark Zuckerman did provide some insight. He said that the deal will buy out at least one of his free agent years. That means the deal will be at least four years.
The Nationals and Cade Cavalli are nearing a contract extension that would buy out at least one of his free agent years, per source. Young staff ace still has 3 years of arbitration eligibility, wouldn't be free agent until 2030. (@ByRobertMurray first to report nearing a deal.)
I would think that the sweet spot here would be a 5 or 6 year deal. At 28 years old, you don’t want to make the deal too long. However, I want to see them buy out multiple free agent years. A four year deal would just feel like window dressing to me.
Hopefully we can see the details soon. My final prediction is that this is a 5-year $80 million deal with a club option for a 6th year. That is just me looking at comparable deals and making an educated guess. When actual details come, I will keep you guys updated.
(Original Caption) New York: The N.Y. Knicks' bench is a most happy place as they build up a big lead in the second game of their playoff series against the Chicago Bulls. Coach Rick Pitino joins Patrick Ewing (L) and Mark Jackson in the laughter as the New Yorkers evened the series at a game apiece, winning 114-97.
We’re in the home stretch, folks.
September brings a bunch of things. School for many young people (it was personally August for me up in State College), the start of all forms of football, the stretch run of the MLB season, and the end of a hot summer.
For us here at P&T, all it means is that a new basketball season is right around the corner. Before you know it, training camp will commence in a matter of days, and the Knicks will take the floor for the first time as defending champs in the preseason on October 5.
It’s been an offseason of celebration, but also one of reflection. A reflection on the long journey to get here.
53 years is an extremely long time. As we count down the final weeks to the season opener on October 20, we begin a five-part series chronicling some of the dumbest games, moments, and decisions of the past 53 years that slowly made us all think this day would never come… until it did.
Part I will focus on the downfall of the 1970s dynasty that served as the organization’s standard-bearer, while poor front office decisions and injuries derailed any chance at a soft landing through the late 1980s. We’ll then gradually go through the 1990s in Part II, the dreadful 2000s in Part III, the turbulent 2010s in Part IV, and cap it off with the Leon Rose era in Part V.
With that, let’s begin.
The Downfall of the Golden Era Knicks (1974-80)
Every single championship-caliber operation has to disassemble. It’s a fact of life. Championship windows do not last forever, and teams will have to eventually say goodbye to players who shaped an entire generation.
Time and time again, teams are presented with the reality of either retaining these aging pieces into their sunsets and risking a prolonged stint at the bottom or making the difficult decisions to trade them as they exit their primes at the risk of angering everyone. This is going to happen to the very Knicks we love so much; it’s inevitable.
The reverberations of the highly successful early 1970s Knicks began not too long after that second championship.
Willis Reed, the captain and two-time Finals MVP, played just 19 games after the 1973 NBA Finals. He was only 31 years old, but a body that had slowly deteriorated over the last several years finally gave out. He played 15 of the first 22 games in 1973-74 before missing the next 56 games. The big man returned for the final four regular-season games and the postseason, but was a shell of himself due to a debilitating knee injury.
He’d refuse to undergo another procedure that June, calling it quits on his career. He’s one of many guys whose bodies failed him, and you often wonder what would’ve happened if he’d played in an era when athletes are healthier than ever because of advances in sports science.
Also retiring that offseason were Dave DeBusschere and Jerry Lucas. The former was still an All-Star and All-Defense recipient, but he hung them up ahead of his 34th birthday. Lucas was already diminished after his brilliant 1972 season and slowly fizzled out of the franchise’s plans by the end of the 1973-74 season.
Without Reed, DeBusschere, and Lucas, the Knicks finished 40-42 in 1974-75 and were swept in the first round by the Houston Rockets. They fell even further in the following seasons, failing to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons until the great Red Holzman was next out the door, stepping down in 1977.
Reed would replace him as head coach and lead the Knicks back to the playoffs in 1978, but soon into the following season, we learned why it’s never a good idea to hire franchise legends into leadership posts. The Captain was fired 14 games into the 1978-79 season and replaced with Holzman again, who’d serve another few seasons as the rest of the guard fizzled out.
A week before that 1977-78 season, Clyde Frazier was shipped to Cleveland for Jim Cleamons. A franchise icon was shipped out as his career faded for a journeyman, a move that still irks Clyde to this day. The final remnant of the Golden Era faded away in 1980, when Earl “The Pearl” Monroe retired at age 36 due to persistent knee injuries. One era of Knicks basketball was dead, but maybe it didn’t have to end that way.
Declining An Opportunity To Purchase Julius Erving’s Contract (1976)
You may recall this already being mentioned in my piece on the worst trades in Knicks history. This, of course, wasn’t a trade, but should’ve been. It’s hands-down the worst decision in franchise history.
When the Nets were among the teams chosen to join the NBA after the ABA merger in 1976, the Knicks demanded that they pay a fee of $4.8 million over 10 years for encroaching on their territorial rights, a request that was sustained by the NBA alongside their $3.2 million fee for joining the league. In total, the Nets had to come up with $8 million just to exist. That’s over $46 million combined in 2026 dollars.
That’s a lot of money for an NBA team in the 1970s, when franchises were commonly worth just seven figures, so the Nets were looking for any reason to not pay some of that cash, prompting them to make an extremely tough decision.
Dr. J made $350,000 during this time, but wanted a renegotiation. As such, the Nets were willing to offload his salary and offered him to the Knicks, then owned by the Graham Paige Corporation and ran by Eddie Donovan in the front office.
The Knicks said no. They chose a few million over a future Hall of Famer.
Philadelphia purchased Erving for $3 million, and the rest is history. The Knicks let a rival get the best incoming ABA talent available and watched him lead the Sixers to a championship in 1983 while spending over a decade as a top-five player in the game. That playoff appearance in 1978? Ended by Erving’s Sixers. As was the one in 1983.
If the Knicks make this move and look past the dollar signs, they’d suddenly pair the aging Frazier and Monroe with one of the greatest small forwards to ever play the game. They were gifted the soft landing that no aging dynasty gets, and just declined it for money.
Trading Maurice Lucas for Truck Robinson (1982)
Another one from the worst trades article, the Knicks traded the prime years of a pretty damn good player for an aging, regressing player at the same position in a one-for-one deal.
The New Jersey Nets sent them a 28-year-old Maurice Lucas as a form of compensation for signing Ray Williams in free agency in 1981. In his one year in New York, Lucas averaged 15.8 points and 11.3 rebounds while shooting 50.3% from the field. It was his best overall season since he was in Portland, but the Knicks never saw him as a long-term option, shipping him to Phoenix for Robinson one year later.
The deal made sense at the time, as he was even more productive than Lucas the season prior, but he hit a hard regression in his age-31 season in 1982-83 and only lasted two seasons in New York, flaming out by age 33. He would hear it from the fans, being nicknamed “Dump Truck” for his startling fall-off.
Meanwhile, Lucas made his fifth All-Star team in his first year in Phoenix as part of a second prime that slowly dissipated a few years later. While Lucas would only have 2-3 years of All-Star-level talent post-trade, it was a helluva lot better than Robinson.
Trading Away The Right To Pick Mark Price (1984)
This was actually something I had no idea about before researching this article, and it might be a bit nitpicky, but the Knicks missed out on a perfect point guard companion for Ewing to sign a role player in 1984.
The NBA was still in the free agent compensation era, so the Knicks had to pony up assets to sign Pat Cummings on June 27, 1984. Ultimately, it wasn’t much: just a 1985 third-round pick and a 1986 second-round pick. The way we view picks nowadays, it’s no biggie.
Except… they could’ve used one of those picks. The Knicks were bad in both of these seasons, but especially so in 1986, which handed the Mavericks the No. 25 pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, the top pick of the second round. They used that pick to select future four-time All-Star point guard Mark Price.
Price would ultimately be flipped for a 1989 2nd, which allowed him to spend the next decade as a big-time foe in the Eastern Conference with the Cavs. He had four top-10 MVP finishes, was an early 3-point innovator, and consistently dished out eight assists a game for his entire prime. Imagine if the Knicks had him at point guard alongside prime Ewing.
Cummings was no slouch for the Knicks, having his best season in New York with a young Ewing underneath him in 1984-85, but injuries cost him 80 total games over the next two seasons as he dwindled into a backup behind the franchise’s next star. Woof.
The Rise and Fall of Bernard King (1985)
Who’s the best Knick ever? I still lean toward Clyde Frazier for the two championships and the personality that he still radiates to this day, but there’s a case to be made for a few people. Patrick Ewing, Jalen Brunson, Willis Reed, etc. One name that’s mentioned as a great Knick, but never in GOAT convos, is Bernard King. What he does have a case for, however, is having the greatest peak in Knicks history.
Acquired for a damn good player in his own right (Micheal Ray Richardson), King got down-ballot MVP votes in 1983 while leading the Knicks to the playoffs in the first year under Hubie Brown. He leveled up his game in 1983-84, finishing runner-up in MVP voting to Larry Bird while single-handedly dragging the Knicks to Game 7 against the powerhouse Celtics in the second round. In 12 postseason games that year, he averaged 34.8 points per game.
He was, pound for pound, the best player in the world the following season. He’d have a few multi-week absences with minor injuries, but he entered late March 1985 averaging over 32 points a night, a mark that would lead the NBA and all of Knicks history. He was well on his way to competing for the first MVP award in franchise history, but it all came to a screeching halt when he blew out his knee against the Kansas City Kings on March 23.
Torn ACL. Torn meniscus. Thigh bone fracture. It was a gruesome injury, one that few (if any) players had ever come back from. Doctors thought his career was over, despite being in his athletic prime.
It was a gut punch for the Knicks, who were already in a horrible season with a 24-47 record when King got injured. It would result in the team drafting Ewing, the next great franchise star, but there was absolutely a world where Ewing would get to play with King, as the even lottery system likely sealed the Knicks’ fate the moment they missed the playoffs.
Bernard King was poised to be the Tommy John of ACL surgeries; however. He eventually returned two seasons later, but he didn’t look the same in six games to finish the 1986-87 season, prompting the Knicks to release him after the season. That was probably shortsighted, as he put together four really great years for the Washington Bullets immediately after.
What could’ve been…
The 1987 NBA Draft Fiasco (1986-87)
When I called Mark Price a big-time foe, it was at least partially facetious. He played on a good Cavs team for a long time, but the Knicks lagged behind the Cavs with their Ewing revival, and the two teams only squared off in the playoffs once: a Knicks sweep in 1995, as Price’s career wound down.
Scottie Pippen is an all-time Knicks foe. He might not be on the Mount Rushmore with Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, and whatever other flavor of Knick killer you like (my picks are Haliburton and Alonzo Mourning), but he’s a Hall of Famer who routinely beat the Knicks’ butt. His lone playoff series as the lead option went New York’s way in 1994, but he served as the perfect wingman to MJ’s dominance across the 90s.
He could’ve been a Knick, you know.
On November 12, 1986, the Knicks swapped their first-round picks in 1987 with the Seattle SuperSonics to get Gerald Henderson, a former Celtic and father of the best player on the worst team in NBA history. A rebuilding Knicks team appreciated his consistency over 60 games through the rest of the season, but he was waived six games into the following season, exactly 367 days later.
That pick swap was pretty ill-advised considering the team had been among the NBA’s worst for a few years now, but they believed in their young star to help make tangible progress in 1987 along with a smattering of veterans, which included Jawann Oldham, who was acquired for a 1987 Denver first-round pick just two weeks earlier.
As you might’ve guessed, the Knicks sucked again in 1987, losing 58 games and receiving the No. 5 pick in the still-young lottery format. The Denver pick they traded? No. 8. They traded two top-10 picks for Gerald Henderson and Jawann Oldham, who combined to play six games for the team after that season. Great stuff from Gordon Stirling.
Pippen was selected by the SuperSonics at No. 5 overall, but was traded on draft night to the Bulls… for the 8th pick, a 1988 2nd, and a 1989 pick swap. In a cruel fate of irony, the two teams that got their top-10 picks from the Knicks in lopsided deals for crummy veterans engineered an all-time draft night swap, even if one side feels quite resentful about only getting Olden Polynice out of it. If the Knicks had just simply passed on Oldham, they could’ve been the Bulls in this situation.
If they had kept both picks? Maybe instead of Polynice, they drafted Horace Grant (No. 10) or even… Reggie Miller (No. 11). Imagine that. You either could’ve taken the legs out of a future dynasty by taking Grant and Pippen from the Bulls or rewritten the 90s in a different way by taking Reggie.
Silver lining, they at least made a good pick with Mark Jackson at No. 18, but he was out the door by 1992.
Johnny Newman Can’t Force Game 7 (1989 Second Round)
A heartbreaking end to a game against the Bulls in the playoffs? If I had a nickel…
The Knicks won fewer than 30 games in three consecutive seasons from 1985-87, but broke through by sneaking into the postseason at 39-43 in 1988, even if it meant losing in four games to Larry Bird and the Celtics. The following year, the team leveled up even more as Ewing ascended to become one of the best players in basketball, finishing fourth in MVP voting. The Knicks won 52 games and rolled past the Charles Barkley Sixers in the first round to get their first crack at the new look Bulls.
A team they’d be very familiar with over the next decade, Chicago was still a few years off from the otherworldly dominance that made them all-time legends, but their success against the Knicks really began here. Jordan scored 34 in Game 1 to steal it at MSG, and while a big game from Ewing evened it at one game a piece, the Bulls took both at home to push the Knicks to the brink. After winning Game 5, one objective remained. Steal Game 6 in Chicago and get a chance to close it out at the Mecca.
It was dead even in the first half, but Chicago had opened up a seven-point lead after three quarters. Into the final minute, it seemed firmly in their grasp. Leading by four with nine seconds left, the Bulls just needed to play smart on defense, make free throws, and they’d win it. That didn’t go to plan, as the Knicks got a gift from the heavens when Trent Tucker buried a three with six seconds left and was fouled, tying the game on a four-point play.
On the other end, Jordan drew a foul on a mid-range jumper with four seconds left, sinking both free throws and ending his day with 40 points. On the ensuing inbound, some atrocious full-court defense from the Bulls gave Johnny Newman, a 33.8% shooter from distance (a solid mark at the time), a wide-open three in transition to win the game and force Game 7.
He missed it. Bulls win. The season is over.
As many of us know, this would only be the start of the heartbreak that the GOAT and his Bulls would inflict on the orange and blue.
Rick Pitino’s Resignation (1989)
A decade that began with the final light fading from the Golden Age of Knicks basketball ended with a light at the end of the tunnel. Ewing, Jackson, and Charles Oakley were at the forefront of the next era of basketball in New York.
And they had done it with a 37-year-old born-and-bred New Yorker at the helm. Rick Pitino made the NCAA Tournament with Boston University in the early-80s, spent two years under Hubie Brown on the Knicks’ coaching staff, and led an upstart Providence bunch to the Final Four in 1987 before landing his dream job: head coach of the New York Knicks.
His first two years represented progress and the burgeoning of a new force in the Eastern Conference. He was young, the team was young, what could go wrong?
What went wrong is that Pitino handed in his letter of resignation on May 30, 1989, just 11 days after the season ended in Chicago, to return to the college game and coach Kentucky.
A season of optimism to end a turbulent decade ended with a big question: why would Coach Pitino leave? Especially for a college team in Kentucky’s situation. Once a collegiate powerhouse, the program was in utter shambles after receiving NCAA sanctions impermissable payment to recruits and entrance exam fraud. They weren’t even postseason eligible for the next two seasons! Any rebuild would take way longer; who would sign up for this with a great NBA job?
As has unfortunately been the case all too often in franchise history, it was a case of dysfunction.
Pitino and Knicks general manager Al Bianchi hated each other. When Pitino flirted with the Kentucky job that May, something that would admittedly irk any executive, Bianchi showed no intent to keep him. Pitino would later say that the relationship had reached a boiling point, and that he would end up taking the Kentucky job because he couldn’t coexist with Bianchi.
In a twist of fate, Bianchi would be canned just two years later by Hollywood producer and new president of Paramount (who oversaw the Knicks), Stanley Jaffe, who allegedly tried to talk Pitino out of visiting Kentucky in 1989 on behalf of ownership (then Gulf and Western) by telling him, “You need to trust me”. Pitino would later say that, had he known Jaffe would be taking over the franchise shortly, he wouldn’t have taken the Kentucky job.
The delay in said move caused the disastrous tenure of Stu Jackson over the next two seasons that saw the franchise move backwards. When the house was cleaned in 1991, the Knicks ultimately came out on top by getting Pat Riley to elevate them to the next level.
But, as we’ve come to know over these past 53 years, stupid moments like having your head coach on a 52-win team go back to college for a program that got sanctioned to hell is just the tip of the iceberg.
Welcome to Waiver Wire Watch, our weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire guide. We’ll be doing things a little differently this season, with James Schiano publishing the initial waiver-wire article on Friday afternoon. Then Eric Samulski updates it every Sunday to make sure you get the most up-to-date information.
We’re doing things a little bit differently this time of year though. Rather than give a long list of players with deep analysis, there will only be a few dense player profiles for those we think currently need a bit more light shed on them. Otherwise, there will be long lists of players who can help your teams in a specific category or for this particular week.
The premise of the article is pretty straightforward. We’ll give you some recommended adds each week based on recent production or role changes. When we list a player, we’ll list the category where we think he’ll be helpful or the quick reason he’s listed. We hope this helps you determine whether the player fits your team’s needs. Not every “trending” player will be a good addition to your specific roster.
To qualify for this list, a player needs to be UNDER 40% rostered in Yahoo! formats. We understand you may say, “These players aren’t available in my league,” and we can’t help you there. These players are available in over 60% of leagues and some in 98% of leagues, so they’re available in many places, and that can hopefully satisfy readers who play in all league types.
⚾️Baseball is back on NBC: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Hitters
Jakob Marsee - OF, MIA (49% rostered)
(BATTING AVERAGE, OBP, COUNTING STATS PLAY)
Don’t let a dreadful start to the season distract you from how productive Marsee has been lately. Across nearly 200 plate appearances since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .287/.394/.482 with six home runs, 31 runs scored, and four stolen bases.Those four steals are a tad disappointing considering how often he ran last year and how often he’s gotten on base, but he’s a great source of hits and walks right now.
Victor Mesa Jr. - OF, TBR (26% rostered)
(POWER, SPEED, PLAYING TIME)
Mesa Jr. was activated off the injured list on September 1st after missing about two weeks with a hamstring strain and has gone right back to mashing. In 12 games since, he’s hitting .383 with three homers, 12 runs scored, eight RBI, and three stolen bases. He’s also sat three times, once against a right-handed pitcher (after playing consecutive days just off the IL) and twice against lefties. He’s also started against three lefties since, so he’s in a less stringent platoon than he was back in July and August. He’s been productive across the board whenever he’s played and could be reasonably relied upon in shallower leagues this week now with closer to a full-time role.
Josue De Paula - OF, LAD (12% rostered)
(HUGE PROSPECT PROMOTION, REAL POWER)
De Paula has held his own in one week of big league action with an .789 OPS across a measly 25 plate appearance sample entering play on Friday. That’s come in six starts – one of which against a left-handed pitcher – and he hit lead-off on Tuesday against a righty. He also sat in another game against a left-handed pitcher. In that small sample, we can see that he has plus bat speed to match his elite power pedigree. Also, he’s rarely chasing pitches out of the strike zone and making contact with the ones in it. He’s attempted two stolen bases too, but been caught once. This is all very encouraging after the 21-year-old left-handed slugger jumped straight from Double-A to the big leagues and may have the best offensive profile of any prospect in the minors. In 124 games this year with Tulsa, he hit 27 home runs and stole 31 bases with a .303/.401/.547 slash line. He also rarely struck out, took his walks, and can pull the ball in the air better than most other young players. Again, De Paula is as complete a hitter that we’ve seen called up to the majors recently.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 1B/3B, BAL (10% rostered)
(POWER, POST HYPE BREAKOUT?)
Encarnacion-Strand has enjoyed a late season renaissance since joining the Orioles. In 51 games, he has 10 home runs, 12 doubles, and an .846 OPS. That’s come with excellent power metrics like a 15.3% barrel rate and 73.6 mph bat speed. His hit tool and overall swing decisions remain concerning, but he’s a very legitimate power threat right now while he’s consistently putting his bat on the ball.
Leo Bernal - C, STL (3% rostered)
(PROSPECT PROMOTION, HOT STREAK)
The Cardinals promoted Bernal on September 1st when the rosters expanded and he’s started all 15 games since going 18-for-61 with three home runs, three doubles, and 15 RBI. He’s started 13 games at catcher, four at designated hitter, and one at first base over that span, so it’s clear the Cardinals are doing everything they can to get his bat in the lineup everyday. A switch-hitter with real power from each side of the plate, Bernal had 16 home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 115 wRC+ through 101 games at Triple-A this season as a 22-year-old with a strong underlying profile to match. He’s a great play in deep mixed or two-catcher leagues at the moment.
Emmanual Rodríguez - OF, MIN (2% rostered)
(PROSPECT CALL-UP, POSSIBLE POWER UPSIDE)
Rodríguez put together a solid first week in the big leagues going 5-for-23 with a home run, double, and triple. That’s come with a very high average bat speed at 77.1 mph – the same as Kyle Schwarber – but has struck out in one third of his plate appearances so far. He’s started all six games too and jumped up as high as fifth in the Twins’ order on Thursday. Rodríguez slashed .262/.414/.500 with 11 homers, 33 RBI, 36 runs scored, and seven steals across 220 Triple-A plate appearances this year, and, much like Walker Jenkins, could have been called up sooner had it not been for injuries. He rarely chases pitches out of the zone and makes plenty of hard contact, which is a combination we like. Considering he’s likely going to play a bunch and has real power, he could offer a spark this week.
Now, for big lists of players who can help you in specific categories plus, some who have good streaming schedules for the upcoming week.
Stolen Bases
Anthony Volpe - SS/2B, NYY A.J. Ewing - OF, NYM Max Clark - OF, DET Brett Bateman - OF, TOR Royce Lewis - 1B/2B/3B, MIN Tommy Edman - 2B/3B/OF, LAD
Home runs
Bryce Eldridge - 1B, SFG Jake Burger - 1B, TEX Mickey Gasper - 1B/C, BOS Carter Jensen - C, KCR Griffin Conine - 1B/OF, MIA Coby Mayo - 1B/3B, BAL
Counting Stats (Runs and RBI)
Alec Bohm - 1B/3B, PHI Konnor Griffin - SS/OF, PIT Travis Bazzana - 2B, CLE Javier Sanoja - 2B/3B/SS/OF, MIA Dustin Harris - OF, SDP Dylan Beavers - OF, BAL Nolan Arenado - 3B, ARI Tim Tawa - 1B/2B/3B/OF, ARI Connor Norby - 1B/2B/3B, COL Walker Jenkins - OF, MIN
Streamers
Henry Bolte - OF, ATH Zack Gelof - 2B/3B/OF, ATH Lawrence Butler - OF, ATH Cole Carrigg - SS/OF, COL TJ Rumfield - 1B, COL Kyle Karros - 3B, COL
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pitchers
Emmet Sheehan - SP, LAD (53% rostered)
Blake Snell was removed from his start on Wednesday after one inning with left groin tightness. So, the recently optioned Sheehan might get another chance in the Dodgers’ rotation next week. Shuttled up and down a couple times recently, Sheehan returned to the big leagues for two starts after spending most of August in Triple-A and struck out 15 batters over two starts spanning 11 2/3 innings with just one earned run. He showed a renewed confidence in his fastball and that pitch was missing bats. Again, this is more speculative as Snell’s removal from his start appeared to be at least partially precautionary, but Sheehan could start at home against the Padres next week.
Justin Wrobleski - SP/RP LAD (41% rostered)
A pitcher’s upcoming schedule can be more important than their skill this time of year and Wrobleski is scheduled to face the Rafael Devers-less Giants twice to close the season. Bailey Ober and Zebby Matthews are also streaming options against the Giants. Overall, these are not a trio of pitchers we’d be running to recommend besides for this particular matchup.
Ryan Johnson - SP/RP, LAA (22% rostered)
As the Angels have overhauled their organizational pitching structure, many of their arms have made key adjustments over the last month. Johnson is part of that group, mostly trashing his sinker starting on August 11th. Since then, he has a 2.04 ERA across 39 2/3 innings. It’s still not a great profile – he’s a sidearming righty who doesn’t miss many bats and rarely throws a pitch over 90 mph besides that sinker – but he has a strong cutter, sweeper, and splitter. He’s scheduled to close the season with outings against the Twins and Mariners as a risky streaming option with good results lately.
Andrew Alvarez - SP/RP, WSN (22% rostered)
Alvarez is coming off a gem against the Angels last Saturday with a career-high seven scoreless innings, eight strikeouts, and just one hit allowed. He also walked four batters. In that game, the Angels ran out a lineup with nine right-handed hitters against the left-handed Alvarez and he tore through them with his curveball. His best pitch, it forced 10 of his 15 total whiffs and set up his auxiliary fastball and slider to get called strikes because hitters were so keyed in on the hook. His fastball leaves plenty to be desired at 92 mph with a suboptimal shape, but his curve and slider have a uniquely symbiotic relationship. David Laurila wrote about this on FanGraphs a few months back in an interview with Alvarez. Those two pitches have practically the same velocity and spin axis while the curveball has significantly more depth making hitters struggle to decipher between the two. He’s mildly trustworthy on Saturday against the Cardinals and again against the Mets next weekend.
Jonah Tong - SP, NYM (14% rostered)
Tong turned in another solid start on Monday against the Orioles going six strong with six strikeouts, one walk, and one unearned run. He pushed up his fastball usage heavily in this outing compared to his last, jumping up from 31% to 55% as he found a little bit of extra life on it. That could’ve been weather related as there was a brisk headwind in Citi Field that night – which can help pitchers add a bit of induced vertical break on their fastballs – but it was still the out-pitch Tong had envisioned. Off that dominant fastball, he was able to sequence his changeup, cutter, and curveball more effectively than he has otherwise against major league hitters and looked good overall. He has a huge test against the Phillies this Sunday to try and keep the momentum going before facing the Nationals next week to close the season.
Anthony Molina - RP/SP, SFG (5% rostered)
After being ripped for seven runs by the Padres last week, Molina bounced back well with 5 2/3 scoreless innings and six strikeouts on Tuesday against the Cardinals. He had much better command of his fastball in that more recent outing and that’s important for Molina because while that pitch has plus velocity around 96 mph, its shape is mediocre. So, it needs to be commanded in order to be consistently effective. Otherwise, that pitch is flanked by a quality curveball that’s effective against hitters from both sides of the plate, a solid slider, and a changeup that can miss bats against lefties. He’s scheduled to face the Twins at home next week to close his season.
Now, here are some long lists of other pitchers that could help you out this week. Be aware that schedules can often change this time of year and two-start pitchers can sometimes be a dice roll.
Jared Jones (vs. STL, @DET) Sean Manaea (@TEX, @WSN) Anthony Kay (@CHW, vs. COL) Daniel Lynch IV (vs. CHW, vs. CLE) Cristian Javier (@SEA, @ATH) Bailey Ober (@SFG, vs. TEX)
Saves
Mason Montgomery - PIT Emilio Pagán - CIN Rico Garcia - BAL Kodai Senga - NYM Joel Kuhnel - SFG Ryan Zeferjahn - CHC Hogan Harris - ATH
Holds
Bryan Abreu - HOU Brent Headrick - NYY Tyler Rogers - TOR Alex Vesia - LAD Even Phillips - LAD Edgardo Henriquez - LAD Jeff Hoffman - MIN AJ Minter - MIN Nate Pearson - KCR Ryan Watson - LAA Tyler Saucedo - LAA Chase Silseth - TEX Calvin Faucher - MIA Michael Petersen - MIA
SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 3: Brent Lillibridge #39 of the New York Yankees plays during a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 3, 2013 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you look at the roster for the 2013 Yankees, it reads like a fever dream. Sure, there are the Yankees of that era that you remember, but other than Robinson Canó and Brett Gardner, most of them hardly played that season. There are also some names that you probably don’t remember playing in the big leagues at all, never mind as Yankees. Then, there’s the ones that you may remember as players, but completely forgot that they donned pinstripes.
I remember a lot of players from that roster, because I am a sicko, but it would be completely understandable if you forgot about Brent Lillibridge — who celebrates his 43rd birthday day — and his Yankees’ run.
Brent Stuart Lillibridge Born: September 18, 1983 (Everett, WA) Yankees Tenure: 2013
Born in Washington state, Lillibridge was raised in the Everett, WA area and attended Henry M. Jackson High School. From there, he earned a baseball scholarship to the University of Washington, where he starred for the Huskies for three seasons. At UW, he made the All-Pac 10 team three-straight seasons, making him one to watch in the 2005 MLB Draft. The Pirates ended up taking Lillibridge in the fourth round.
After a couple years in Pittsburgh’s system, Lillibridge was part of a January 2007 trade that sent him and Mike Gonzalez to the Braves for Adam LaRoche and Jamie Romak. By that time, Lillibridge was cracking the top 100 prospect range according to some outlets.
As he reached the upper levels of the minors, Lillibridge’s hitting stats were tailing off just a tad. However, he still got the callup to the majors in 2008, as the Braves needed an infielder to fill in as they dealt with injuries. He ended up appearing in 29 big league games for Atlanta in ‘08, putting up a .576 OPS.
That offseason, Lillibridge was on the move again. The Braves traded him to the White Sox as part of a package that sent soon to be Yankees Javier Vázquez and Boone Logan to Atlanta. In Chicago, Lillibridge became especially known for his defense. Having spent much of his early career in the infield, Lillibridge became a utility man for the White Sox, and playing a good amount in the outfield. In one 2011 game, he made a pair of impressive game-saving catches against the Yankees, including this one to win the game.
However, Lillibridge’s hitting never quite matched up to the fielding, and he became a bit of a journeyman in the years after that. In June 2012, he was part of a package that went to Boston with Kevin Youkilis going to the White Sox. However, he spent only a month in Boston before being traded to Cleveland. They released him that offseason, and Lillibridge went back to Chicago, albeit on a minor league deal with the Cubs.
In 2013, Lillibridge spent some time on the Cubs’ major league roster, but the injury-ravaged Yankees purchased him from Chicago in June. A month later, after having to put Derek Jeter on the IL in a very stop-start penultimate year for the Captain, the Yankees called up Lillibridge.
Lillibridge had been hitting well enough in the minors, and in his first couple games with the Yankees, he picked up two hits, a walk, and a couple RBI.
However, like so many others in that doomed 2013 season, his hitting fell off after that. In 11 games as a Yankee, he hit .171/.194/.200. On August 5th, the Yankees activated Alex Rodriguez after an injury and DFA’ed Lillibridge.
After that, Lillibridge returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the rest of 2013. He opted to sign a minor league deal with the Rangers for 2014, but didn’t make it back to the majors. After that season, he retired from baseball. In the years since, Lillibridge has returned to his native Washington, where he is now one of the owners of a Baseball and Softball training center.
They somehow finished 2013 with a winning record, but that season was a cursed one for the Yankees. Brent Lillibridge was one of a number of players who tried their best in that cursed year.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
It was a game the Sixers had to have. After a couple of hard-fought losses in New York to open the first-round series against the Knicks, including a controversial Game 2 loss, Philadelphia returned home with its backs against the wall.
For the most part, the first two games of the series followed a similar script. The two teams appeared to be evenly matched, but New York was winning on the margins enough to pull through in tight games. The Knicks appeared to be the hungrier team at Madison Square Garden, getting to more loose balls than the Sixers and doing a better job of creating second chances on offense. The first two quarters of Game 3 were similar in that regard. New York led by two points after the first 12 minutes and by three points at halftime. Embiid appeared to be on his way to another strong stat line, with 17 points at intermission.
But Philly’s star player had 34 points in Game 2 and 29 points in Game 1 and the Sixers fell short in both games. Sensing the gravity of the moment, Embiid raised his level in the third quarter when Game 3 resumed. In just the third quarter alone, he more than doubled his 17 points in the first half, playing all 12 minutes of the period and scoring 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the quarter and a stellar 4-of-4 from the three-point line. Suddenly a three-point halftime deficit turned into a 13-point lead at the end of the third.
Embiid was sending a message that the Sixers were not going down without a fight against one of their bitter rivals. One of his many strengths is his free-throw shooting ability which is better than most seven footers. Embiid went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and the Sixers coasted to an 11-point win and trimmed New York’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven opening round series.
The Knicks would go on to win two of the next three and close the series out in six games. But this was very much a back-and-forth series that could have gone either way. Ultimately, the narrative that New York was a little hungrier than the Sixers and willing to go the extra mile and make more hustle plays did win out. But Philly was competitive in every game of this six-game series loss and the Game 3 win for the Sixers was the only game of the six in the series that was decided by double digits.
It’s interesting to look back on this series from 2024 now that we have the additional knowledge of the Sixers getting swept in this past postseason by the Knicks. Perhaps Embiid’s stronger play in 2024 compared to 2026 against New York can simply be attributed to the fact that the 2024 series came one round earlier. Much has been made about Embiid’s body being unable to hold up into the spring for the Sixers to make a deep playoff run with him in the starting lineup.
These two series against the Knicks are a good reason as to why. Don’t forget that Embiid had been out for a good chunk of the second half of the regular season leading up to the 2024 postseason with a knee injury that he sustained in January in San Francisco in a game against the Warriors on Jan. 30. Embiid returned to game action on April 2 and appeared in five regular season games before the postseason began.
I’m not suggesting that the knee injury was a good thing for Embiid. It played a big role in a lost 2024-25 season for the big man. However, recovering from the knee injury and ramping back up for the first half of April before the postseason started, probably allowed him to be more productive against the Knicks than had he been playing 35-40 minutes a night on a regular basis in February and March.
Admittedly, in February and March of this past season, Embiid’s playing time was a bit scattered anyway, but it was clear by the time the Sixers got to the second round of the playoffs that he was running out of gas and the team still needed 12 more victories to win the NBA championship. Stamina and endurance are always going to be questions with Embiid come the spring, but it’s worth reminding you that we’re still less than three years removed from his playoff career high.
Martin Necas spent last season answering questions about whether he could become the player the Colorado Avalanche believed they were acquiring.
He answered them with 100 points.
Now comes the harder part: proving it wasn't a one-time breakthrough while dealing with everything that comes with becoming one of the NHL's most dangerous offensive players.
Nearly two months ago, The Hockey News examined the heightened pressure facing Necas as he prepared to enter his first full season with the Avalanche. At the time, the pressure centered largely around expectations. Colorado had acquired Necas to be a difference-maker, and after arriving midway through the previous season, he was finally going to have a full campaign to establish himself in an Avalanche uniform.
He did considerably more than that.
Necas delivered the best offensive season of his career, reaching the 100-point mark and establishing himself among the NHL's elite. But with that achievement comes a new reality: The target on his back has grown considerably.
The league has a way of humbling players who reach that level. One season can elevate a player into the conversation among the game's best; the next can bring an entirely different level of scrutiny. Jonathan Huberdeau is one example of how quickly circumstances can change after a career year.
For Necas, however, the challenge extends beyond simply maintaining his production. He is a dynamic offensive force with explosive speed, exceptional puckhandling ability and the creativity to make something happen whenever the puck is on his stick. But there has long been one vulnerability in his game: Necas can leave himself exposed to open-ice contact.
That tendency followed him from his days with the Carolina Hurricanes and remained an issue last season in Colorado. Last year, Necas absorbed several heavy hits, including Mikey Anderson's open-ice hit in Game 1 of the Avalanche's Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.
Now, coming off a 100-point campaign, Necas is going to command even more attention from opposing teams.
And that means the hits are coming, too.
When a player establishes himself as one of the league's most dangerous offensive threats, opponents naturally look for ways to disrupt him. For Necas, protecting himself without sacrificing the speed, creativity and aggressiveness that make him so effective could become one of the most important challenges of his next chapter.
If the footage that surfaced during the offseason is any indication, Necas appears to understand that as well.
A video showed the Avalanche forward working out alongside Calgary Flames defenseman Adam Klapka and, perhaps more notably, Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl.
Hertl is the same player who delivered a devastating hip check on Necas in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, sending him down the tunnel and leaving Colorado without one of its most important offensive weapons as the Avalanche were ultimately swept out of the series.
Perhaps that experience helped reinforce something Necas already knew: At his level, being able to withstand the physical demands of an NHL season is just as important as being able to produce offensively.
And judging by how Necas spent his summer, it appears he put an emphasis on that side of his game.
When asked at training camp about his offseason preparation, Necas said he spent the summer working on his strength and power while also trying to become faster.
“Try to work a little on my strength, on my power, and, you know, get a little faster, get a little stronger,” Necas told reporters. “Lots of work on the ice.”
That makes the footage of Necas working out alongside Klapka and Hertl all the more intriguing. At 6-foot-8, Klapka is an imposing physical presence and the kind of player who immediately stands out on the ice. He is also the same defenseman who delivered a late-season hit on Cale Makar that sent the Avalanche star into the boards and left him with an upper-body injury.
Hertl, meanwhile, has built his career around a powerful, difficult-to-defend style, making the trio an especially interesting group to see training together.
Necas isn't suddenly going to become Superman, nor is he going to turn into the next Ivan Barbashev. That's not what this is about. But adding more strength and power to an already dangerous skill set could give Necas another weapon when opposing players try to close off his space, battle him along the boards or disrupt his ability to create with the puck.
Necas also said he felt good coming into camp after what he described as a “great summer,” adding that he was excited to return and “move myself a little higher again.”
That mentality is important. Necas isn't satisfied with reaching 100 points and stopping there.
He wants to get better.
And getting better may mean more than simply finding another level offensively. After establishing himself as one of the NHL's most dangerous forwards, Necas is going to have to deal with a different level of attention every time he touches the puck.
The open ice won't be as forgiving. The hits may come a little harder. Opponents will have even more incentive to make sure Necas doesn't have the time and space to dictate a game.
The 100-point season changed his status.
Now, Necas has spent his summer preparing for what comes with it.
The next step is showing that he can handle everything that comes with being one of Colorado's most important players — including the physical price that may come with it.
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Sandro Mamukelashvili wasn’t on Lakers fans’ radar. That’s why when the Georgian big man joined the purple and gold, it was considered the team’s most out-of-the-box signing of the summer.
With Mamu in the mix, the Lakers now have a different type of offensive weapon than they’ve had in the past. Not only did they acquire a big man that truly fits with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but one who can also space the floor and allow LA to play a two-big lineup. The 27-year-old lefty adds more firepower to an already potent offense.
The 6’9” big is also coming off his best season yet in his career, where he received votes for Sixth Man of the Year. Mamu averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and shot 38.9% from 3-point range for the Raptors. He played in 80 games and started in 13 of those. It was a season that the incoming six-year forward can build on.
Given that Mamu signed a four-year, $52 million contract, the expectation for him to deliver will be considerably higher. The Lakers’ relatively thin frontcourt also puts added importance on his role.
What is his best-case scenario?
The best case for Mamu is that he becomes a dependable, key rotation player throughout the season, like LaMar Odom during the Lakers’ title runs. Obviously, Mamu is a significantly different player compared to Odom but it would be great if he can have a similar impact off the bench.
Mamu has to thrive in spacing out the Lakers’ offense, which means his shooting numbers have to remain consistent. If he can maintain his shooting percentage from last year, then that will do wonders for a team that runs a heavy pick-and-roll offense. Additionally, him continuing to finish 71% of his shots in the restricted area will be the icing on the cake.
Those numbers matter because that’s the type of production the Lakers need. He has to shoot well for the two-big lineups to be effective. Fortunately, there’s enough data to prove that Mamu can make it work, as he did last season alongside Jakob Poelt, with whom he had a +6.6 net rating in the 112 minutes.
Besides scoring, it would be ideal to see Mamu further improve his already decent ability to read defenses and make quick passes. There’s a reason why the former Raptor is highly regarded for his high basketball IQ. He can take advantage of the defenses with his playmaking through kick-out passes and backdoor bounces.
The best-case scenario for Mamu is to give the Lakers’ offense another dimension while adding a level of versatility and unpredictability that they haven’t had.
What is his worst-case scenario?
The worst-case scenario for Mamu is if he doesn’t perform as well as he did last season. That would be a tough blow for the Lakers, especially after investing in him without much insurance in the frontcourt.
It would be hard to watch Mamu constantly be a liability on defense. There have been scenarios of him being targeted on switches and he’s not exactly the best rim protector out there. The worst-case scenario would be Mamu becoming unplayable in certain situations, particularly when the Lakers need his production.
What is his most likely role on the team?
Mamu will most likely come off the bench. Besides playing alongside Kessler, Mamu will also be tasked with stepping in for him when he takes a breather. The two big men, along with Kevon Looeny, will shoulder the load in the frontcourt.
What sets Mamu apart from his frontcourt teammates is his unique skill set. How he puts it to use will ultimately determine his success in his first season as a Laker.
The Chicago Blackhawks are going to be without Connor Bedard for at least a little while longer. He is progressing well, but neither side wants to rush things and risk making it worse at any point.
For now, it seems Frank Nazar will center the top line alongside Patrick Kane and Roman Kantserov in Bedard's place. For both Nazar and Kantserov, playing with a legend like Patrick Kane is an incredible opportunity early in their careers.
As far as Patrick Kane is concerned, playing with youth is a great way for him to stay fresh as well. We've seen plenty of aging superstars keep it going for longer than they otherwise would have because they played on lines with younger players.
After the first training camp practice, Kane spoke about what he is seeing from both Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov, starting with the former:
"I think he's a competitive kid," Kane said of Nazar. "He wants to win; he wants to do well; he wants to win games in practice; he wants to do well as a line, score goals, have that presence of mind, be in the moment, especially in practice."
For Kane, playing with a centerman like Nazar will be a treat. Nazar is not afraid to backcheck or get to the dirty areas in the offensive zone, and, like Kane, he is not afraid to pass or shoot. Both of them will be hard to defend because of their unpredictability.
"[I'm] excited to play with him and develop chemistry with him," Kane said. "[We're going to] have a good year."
Although neither Kane nor Nazar is afraid to shoot, they would both be considered pass-first types, which is why Roman Kantserov is the perfect young player to put on the other side of the line. He was one of the best KHL goal scorers last year and is trying to bring that ability to the NHL in his rookie season.
"I think he's got a lot of skill," Kane said of Kantserov. "He's very smooth. He speaks very good English; he wants to communicate too. He wants to know certain things about the game, the drills we're doing, or what I'm seeing on the ice."
Patrick Kane has been on some incredible lines throughout his career. He didn't play with Jonathan Toews at even strength much (outside of one season), but he had incredible years with guys like Artemi Panarin, Brandon Saad, Brandon Hagel, Alex DeBrincat, and many others. Now, he wants that for this line.
"As a line, we got more and more chemistry as the day went on," Kane said. "Things got better and better. I'm excited to keep building with them."
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