Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) leads off first base against Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) during the ninth inning of game four of the ALDS round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The MLB regular season is less than two weeks away, and teams and players across the league are just about geared up and ready, whether they’re fine-tuning in Arizona or Florida or letting it fly in the World Baseball Classic. Thanks to the WBC, relevant baseball is already here, and not a week after the tournament concludes will we have Opening Night between the Yankees and Giants to greet us.
With the season about to kick off, we asked Yankees fans who they thought was the Yankees’ primary foe entering the year:
Unsurprisingly, the reigning AL champs won this poll in a landslide. The Blue Jays tied with the Yankees for the most wins in the American League last season before handling the Bombers in the ALDS en route to the pennant. Though they fell just short in the World Series, Toronto moved aggressively in the offseason to bolster their chances at a repeat run through the AL, landing Dylan Cease on a seven-year deal, while also adding NPB star Kazuma Okamoto and pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers. To wit, most projections have the Yankees and the Blue Jays neck-and-neck at the top of the AL East.
The Red Sox come in second here above the Mariners, in part perhaps because Boston is obviously a direct (and hated) division rival, while Seattle feels like a far-off threat. But the Mariners, in the grand scheme of things, might be strongest AL team the Yankees have to deal with this year. Those projections that have the Yankees and Jays locked at the top of the AL East? They also have the Mariners projected to lead the AL in wins. The M’s didn’t have a super flashy offseason, but made a couple solid moves to augment a roster that came achingly close to the pennant last year, re-signing Josh Naylor and then adding Brendan Donovan in a trade with the Cardinals. If Seattle’s typically strong rotation bounces back from an iffy 2025, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Now, on to the cellar of the Junior Circuit:
This is Chicago’s crown to lose, though the Angels are pushing them in the race to the bottom. The White Sox “rebounded” from their historically poor 2024, looking more like a normal, terrible team rather than a mind-bendingly bad one. A few young talents, like Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, and Shane Smith provided bright spots, though unfortunately Teel is already down after injuring his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic. The White Sox also added Munetaka Murakami to the mix, the kind of risky but high-upside play that it feels like the Pale Hose should be making.
If you squint, it’s possible to see the White Sox rebuild moving in a positive direction. The Angels, though, seem stuck in purgatory, aimlessly wandering through the desert. Their roster is close to barren beyond Zack Neto, Yusei Kikuchi, and the still-fighting Mike Trout, and their farm system looks unlikely to provide much help any time soon. Dark times indeed in Anaheim.
These next two are MLB-wide polls:
PED’s are unfortunately in the headlines right now, with Jurickson Profar getting suspended for the entire 2026 season after a second positive test, while Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas received an 80-game suspension after his first positive test. Profar has fully torpedoed what was once a great story, one of a former top prospect finally making good after a decade-long journey through the majors. Instead, he will likely always be remembered for his two PED suspensions.
Less than half of fans feel that PED’s aren’t a major problem, and it’s easy to argue that recency bias is suppressing that number bit. As disappointing as it was to see two big leaguers popped in the span of a week, from 2023 to 2025, just five players were suspended under the league’s doping policy. Unless MLB is simply failing at detecting juicers, there just haven’t been many guys turning to PED’s in recent years, with the exception of the couple of cases that just came down.
Fans are rather split on whether the league’s current punishments are harsh enough. Currently, a first positive test nets an 80-game suspension, a second yields a season-long suspension, and a third leads to a lifetime ban. These punishments, which have been in effect for 12 years now, are notably harsher than previous PED policies, which had much shorter suspensions for first- and second-time offenders. That those harsher policies have coincided with a pretty low number of positive tests would suggest that players are being sufficiently deterred from turning to drugs, but it stands to reason that unless the league adopts a literal zero-tolerance policy, some fans will be left feeling that the rules aren’t stringent enough.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 04: A detailed view of the Rawlings baseball gloves used by Casey Schmitt #10 of the San Francisco Giants is seen in the dugout prior to the start of the game against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park on June 04, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants will be at home for the two games this weekend.
First up, they will play the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 p.m. PDT on Saturday, which will have broadcasts on NBC Sports Bay Area for local fans and MLB Network for out-of-market fans. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR.
Sunday, they will play the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:05 p.m. and this game will have radio coverage available on KNBR.
While we wait, I thought we’d watch another fun video from the Giants social media team. Earlier this week, I shared a video from their YouTube channel of Ron Washington running first base drills with Jerar Encarnación. They recently put out another in that same series, with Washington working with Luis Arraez. So I thought we could watch that this morning.
More than 750 players have appeared in a Rockies game — but only about 200 have ever started on Opening Day.
As spring training is in full swing and Opening Day is approaching quickly (seriously… how is it March 14th already?!), there are still plenty of roster battles playing out. The Colorado Rockies will open the season in Miami on March 27, and the lineup is undecided to say the least.
With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look back over previous Opening Day lineups in Rockies history. And I’m glad I did.
This exercise won’t suddenly explain how the Rockies can become competitive, but it does reveal some interesting — and occasionally funny — takeaways.
Roster Churn
Turnover from year to year is very real. According to Baseball-Reference Opening Day lineup records, not once since 1993 have the Rockies opened a season with the same lineup as the year before. Given injuries, roster churn, and offseason changes, that result isn’t surprising.
The most consistent stretch came from 2016 through 2018, when seven starters carried over year to year, including Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Gerardo Parra, Charlie Blackmon, and Carlos González. Not coincidentally, that stability helped produce back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Jon Gray started Opening Day in both 2017 and 2018, providing rare stability on the pitching side as well.
The Stable Positions
First base, shortstop, and right field have historically been the most stable spots in the Rockies’ Opening Day lineup.
Todd Helton is the model of consistency, having started at first base in a club-record 16 consecutive Opening Day lineups. Few players in franchise history have come close to that level of stability, and Helton’s mark feels safe for the foreseeable future.
Shortstop was anchored for 15 seasons by Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story. Tulowitzki started nine Opening Days at the position, with Story adding six more.
Right field also saw extended stability. Hall of Famer Larry Walker started seven Opening Days there while Brad Hawpe and Charlie Blackmon each started five.
Blackmon ranks second in franchise history in Opening Day starts, and his appearances came at multiple positions — center field (5), right field (5), and DH (1).
Left field, meanwhile, has been anything but stable. If Jake McCarthy gets the nod this year, he would become the eighth different Opening Day left fielder in the past eight seasons, making LF arguably the Rockies’ most inconsistent position over the past decade.
On the Mound
The franchise leader in Opening Day starts is Kyle Freeland. The Denver native has made four Opening Day starts and appears likely to make his fifth this season.
Germán Márquez is next with three starts. Others include familiar names like Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Jennings, and Aaron Cook — along with surprises like Kyle Kendrick, Kip Wells, and Joe Kennedy.
Opening Day Oddities
There are also some strange historical oddities buried in these lineups.
After trading Nolan Arenado, who had started seven consecutive Opening Days, the Rockies replaced him at third base for Opening Day 2021 with… his cousin, Josh Fuentes.
It was the first Opening Day after the trade, and the family connection made for one of the stranger trivia notes in franchise history.
Kris Bryant’s lack of availability has been unfortunate. Seeing him on the field in a Rockies uniform sometimes feels about as rare as spotting a puffin, yet he has somehow appeared in the last four Opening Day lineups — starting at left field, right field, first base, and DH.
Another fun tidbit involves Chris Iannetta, who holds the franchise record for Opening Day starts at catcher with six. Those starts came across two separate stints with the Rockies.
Iannetta made his fourth Opening Day start with Colorado on April 1, 2011, then didn’t make another until March 29, 2018 — a seven-year gap between Opening Day starts with the same franchise.
To me, the strangest Opening Day lineups came in 2004 and 2005. Those were years when the Rockies were cycling through veterans, short-term roster fixes, and rebuilding pieces before the club eventually turned the corner toward the 2007 pennant.
Those lineups featured names like Kit Pellow, JD Closser, Jeromy Burnitz, Dustan Mohr, and Shawn Estes — a group that reads today like a particularly deep baseball trivia question.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to 2026, several players are hoping to make their first Opening Day lineup, while a few newcomers are vying for their first Opening Day start with the Rockies.
Dominic Minchella highlights why the Rockies are hopeful that Chase Dollander could become a key piece of the team’s future rotation. The article acknowledges Dollander hasn’t yet found consistent success in the majors and that Coors Field presents a uniquely difficult environment for young pitchers. Still, learning how to pitch effectively at Coors is part of the challenge— and part of what could define Dollander’s development this season.
In this article from MLB.com, Thomas Harding looks at Jordan Beck’s continued development as he tries to take another step forward. The piece notes that Beck reached the majors after a relatively short time in the minor leagues, which means he’s still learning and adjusting at the big-league level. If that growth continues, the Rockies believe Beck has the tools to become an important piece of their outfield.
In this 18-and-a-half-minute video from Mile High Sports, Drew Creasman breaks down the Rockies’ unsettled first base battle as spring training winds down. He looks at several candidates — including T.J. Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Charlie Condon — and weighs their chances of claiming the job.
Jun 30, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Good morning Birdland,
MLB’s regular season is inching ever closer. The World Baseball Classic will wrap up in just a few days. The Grapefruit League enters its final week. And the Orioles have named an Opening Day starter.
Team USA is still alive in the WBC, although the road has not been as easy as they probably expected it to be. They had to sweat out the final game of Pool play in order to squeak into the quarterfinals. That set the stage for a matchup with Canada on Friday night. That was a game they ultimately won 5-3, and now they will face a very impressive Dominican Republic squad on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Even if you aren’t a WBC fan overall, that is a game worth checking out. Will USA skipper Mark DeRosa come to his senses and put Gunnar Henderson (5-for-10, home run) in the lineup ahead of Alex Bregman (2-for-11, five walks)? Don’t count on it.
One week from today, the Orioles will play their final game in Florida. After that, they are due to head north for a home-and-home pair of exhibition games with the nearby Nationals. Those will be the last tune ups before Opening Day on March 26. It’s practically right around the corner!
And we now know who will be pitching for the Orioles on March 26. The team announced on Friday that Trevor Rogers will take the hill as the unofficial “ace” of the staff. On one hand, it’s no surprise to give a veteran coming off of a Cy Young-contending season the Opening Day start. But on the other, Kyle Bradish is far more established within Baltimore, and still felt like the favorite to a degree coming into camp. Instead it looks like he will get to work in Game 2 of the year.
In the meantime, there is still plenty of baseball to watch. In the WBC, Puerto Rico and Italy will play at 3 p.m. ET, while Venezuela and Japan meet up at 9 p.m. ET. The Orioles will head to Bradenton for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch against the Pirates. Rogers will be on the bump.
Links
Gunnar Henderson, underrated? WBC treatment is puzzling for Orioles star | The Capital Gazette Bregman is still a good player, but he is years past his prime. Meanwhile, Henderson might still be ascending. There is no question about who is the better player right now. The only arguments for Bregman being in the lineup is that he has more experience, has won big tournaments (World Series), and he plays third base everyday. And I will say that those are not without merit. Would I still pick Henderson? Yes, but I am openly biased.
How the Orioles built a potentially special draft class of pitchers in 2023 | The Baltimore Banner The Mike Elias era of Orioles baseball is not without its pitching success stories. Bradish was plucked from the Angels when many saw him as a relief pitcher long term. Rogers has found a new level in Baltimore. Dean Kremer has been far more productive than many expected when he was a prospect. But the team has not really built a player from draft pick up to impact big leaguer yet. Maybe that changes soon.
Trying to learn more about Albernaz’s leadoff plans, Jackson on playing second base, teammates happy about Rogers’ Opening Day start | Roch Kubatko The lead off consideration is interesting. The team probably still wants Jackson Holliday to be that guy at some point, but he’s hurt and still needs to prove some things at the big league level. Given the current state of the team, I would probably go with Henderson. It feels like a waste for his power potential, but he does so many things well on offense. For me, he is the best choice to set the table ahead of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso.
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Welcome to Inside the Suns, your weekly deep down analysis of the current Phoenix Suns team. Each week the Fantable — a round table of Bright Siders — give their takes on the Suns’ latest issues and news.
Fantable Questions of the Week
Q1: This offseason, the Suns will have the option to go forward in either of two directions. They can shed some salary to stay under the luxury tax level or keep the team largely intact, which probably pushes them over the 1st tax apron. Which option do you think is likely the best one for the team?
GuarGuar: I think we will probably try to go under the first apron, but I really don’t want to split this group up. They are a really good team when healthy and can compete with anyone. I’d love to see what another year of continuity could accomplish. Ishbia is an owner willing to spend, so I can see us keeping almost everyone this offseason.
Diamondhacks: I let Mat Ishbia navigate NBA aprons. Perhaps more central to how the Suns best position themselves for sustained excellence may be Ott and Gregory’s demonstrated ability to identify and assimilate surprisingly useful contributors, at least so far, at reasonable cost.
This ability dovetails with my generic belief that standing pat, primarily to “hold onto” older players deemed mission critical, is most often a suboptimal long-term strategy.
Ashton: What a great team. Right, Suns fans?
You really do not want to mess with the gears that turn into what almost every national pundit describes as a “surprising Suns team”. I know I am surprised. That should be enough to support going into the luxury tax. Our very own Rod Argent had a comment that nothing really prohibits the Suns from going into this area.
But, in Brian Gregory we trust, and if he can continue to find talent in a pool of scrubs, then let’s avoid the luxury repeater tax and the first apron. This season has been defined, on an almost weekly basis, of the next upcoming players by commentators and writers alike. You pick a player favorite on recent bias. And then another favorite emerges.
I hate to say it all, but to accomplish these goals, some bait must be cut for the betterment of the Sun’s organization. So, my contrarian view is to stay under the luxury tax and first round and try to find the next NBA potential player hungry enough to stay and play the position.
OldAz: I probably have some of my facts wrong on this one, and Rod will mock me terribly as this is in his wheelhouse, but here goes. As I understand it, the 1st Apron should be about $210 million next season, and the Suns currently have 12 players under contract for about $161.5 million and another $23.2 million in dead cap money.
The three players from this year’s team NOT already signed for next season are Gillespie, Williams, and Goodwin. My best guess on those contracts would be about $14 million for Gillespie, $12-15 million for Williams, and $4-5 million for Goodwin, which would put them about $5-10 million over the 1st tax to keep it all together. However, as Fleming develops, Brooks gets healthy, and Dunn finds his footing, I think there is a path to basically doing both by trading Royce O’Neale (and his $10M salary) and taking back as little in salary as possible.
Getting under the tax for a second year would be huge, as it would completely reset any potential repeater penalties for the next few seasons. Unless my numbers are off (likely) and until we see more of how Green fits in with this current group, this would be my strategy going into the off-season.
Rod: Staying under the 1st tax apron won’t be a big problem next year, but staying under the luxury tax line could be. Contrary to what some may believe, the luxury tax line and the 1st tax apron are not the same thing. The luxury tax line is at $201.7 million, the 1st TA starts at $210.3 million. The combined salary for 11 players under contract next year, plus the dead money on the cap sheet, leaves the Suns only about $16.7 million under the luxury tax line. That would cover re-signing Collin Gillespie to the max amount he can be paid, but there wouldn’t be enough left after that to sign a single player to a vet minimum contract without going over the luxury tax line.
Basically, the Suns can’t avoid paying luxury taxes next year without moving some contracts to clear some room on their cap sheet. They can certainly do that, but the question is whether they can do that without the team taking a step (or two) backwards quality-wise. While that might be possible, taking a step forward while cutting salaries would likely be difficult without some of the younger guys on the roster taking big leaps in their level of play.
I could see the Suns dipping their toes into the 1st tax apron waters to start next season, but not diving in headfirst. If they decide that they could lose too much by staying below it, they could cross that line to begin the season and then make some moves to drop back below it before the trade deadline if things don’t pan out. Where teams start the season regarding the tax line and the TAs doesn’t matter nearly as much as where they finish. If they finish it below the tax line, it still counts as a season under it and the repeater tax penalties are wiped from their slate. To me, this would seem to be the best option for them this offseason.
Q2: How much of a factor do you think Mark Williams’ injury will play in his possible return to the Suns after this season and the size of his future contract offer(s)?
GuarGuar: Mark’s got a long injury history. I mean, we spent the whole summer just trying to get his body ready to play basketball. He didn’t practice most of training camp. He looked pretty durable so far, but this recent injury, hopefully, is just a little speed bump and doesn’t linger. I can’t see us giving him a contract with many years on it; that would be pretty risky. I can see a short amount of years, but a high annual salary average for those years.
Diamondhacks: Both Mark’s performance and financial projections likely hinge on the nature of the injury. Better if it’s a one-off, perceived as something he can put behind him. Worse if it’s deemed chronic or pre-existing.
Ashton: Again, I am so impressed that he lasted this long off the injury list (Lakers, you all need better medical evaluators). This should be enough to justify increased interest and a pay bump by other interested NBA teams. The Suns should let him walk or try to trade him for a late first in 2026) as per Q1 requirement. MW did his job with the Suns organization with the opportunity that he had. Like Sam Darnold in the NFL (Seattle), a player can come to the Valley as a reclamation project in the NBA and prove themselves worthy. Not so sure about the Cards organization, though.
The Suns will have to rely on Oso and KM (please stop with the Man Man references), and they are doing quite well with that duo. Fleming is blowing up to be someone who can man (man) the PF position beside Brooks (unless he blows his career up in smoke).
And with the 47th pick, the Suns need to take a serious look at Tobe Awaka, 100 miles down south. This guy powers through everything in the front court for the offensive rebound and is smart enough to pass the ball out or just go up again to draw the foul.
Enjoy the March Madness, all! Remember, these players are the foundation of what the NBA is built upon.
OldAz: The center position has been marginalized in the modern NBA unless you are someone like Jokic or Wemby. However, the center position is also one that is prone to injury while still being able to draw massive contracts (Anthony Davis? Joel Embiid?). I actually think this season really helps him in this case, because he has played more games and been effective. This is assuming he comes back healthy and contributes in the playoffs, however.
What works against him the most is that he is still young and has yet to establish how dominant he can be at the position. Average starting centers are making $15 million -$20 million in the NBA, and center-needy teams would love to add someone like Williams, who hustles and plays the way Williams can. Heck, every time DA has a bad game in LA, their fans go back to lamenting that they could have had Williams, whose motor runs so much hotter. I suspect that Williams will get a deal somewhere between $12-$15 million per year on this next contract, and if he can replicate the number of games played from this season throughout that contract while also building on his skill set, then he could be in line for a Miles Turner-type deal the next time around. However, I don’t see any team going over that this time around simply because of his injury history.
Rod: As a restricted free agent, it’s definitely going to have other teams leery of giving him an offer sheet…or at least offer him a big one. Depending on how he finishes this season, I could even see him back with the Suns next year playing for the QO ($8.8 mil) before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2027-28. While that would be bad for him, it might be the best thing for the Suns considering how Khaman has progressed. I’d like to keep him on the team but I think Khaman and Oso are the Suns’ long-term tag team at center and wouldn’t risk a high salary contract on Williams with the admittedly limited info I have on his present injury.
Q3: In the long run, who do you believe will develop into the better player overall, Ryan Dunn or Rasheer Fleming?
GuarGuar: Fleming is better right now, and I think he will continue to be the better of the two. Fleming’s a better athlete, scorer, shooter, and rebounder than Dunn. They are neck and neck on defense, and I’ve seen more improvement from Fleming in this single season than Dunn has in his year and a half so far. Dunn’s offensive limitations will hold him back as long as he has them. My bet is on Sheer to be the better player going forward 100%.
Diamondhacks: Ryan Dunn can continue to improve, but after 2500 NBA minutes, he still looks like he’s mostly trying to fit in and not screw up too much. Rasheer Fleming, at 350 mins, is starting to call for the ball. And his mates are looking for him. I believe it’s less a cocky thing than a mutual learned confidence that he can knock down a shot, take his man to the paint, or even rifle a one-handed dime on the run to an open teammate at the arc. Not all the time, certainly, or even most of the time. But my early general impression is that, for such an inexperienced player, his teammates already like sharing the court with him.
Ashton: I stated last week that “Sheer” was my most overlooked player on Inside the Suns. So, I must stand by that statement, even if I was the only one out of the Fantable to make that statement. Look, I make statements that age like milk, but in this case, this is more like fine cheese or wine. Fleming is the easy answer. Dunn is maybe Done.
Again, I am looking forward to hungry NBA players who want to make a name for themselves in a very competitive market. I just do not see Dunn there with recency bias or as a long-term solution.
OldAz: This is still way too early to tell. Fleming is such a physical specimen that it is tempting to just go with him, but in reality, NBA history is littered with freakish talent that only ever showed out in spurts or had some other issue derail an otherwise promising career.
Dunn, on the other hand, is suffering through a rougher sophomore season and is struggling to find his footing on a team that could use a bigger wing at either forward position. Additionally, while the Suns are certainly leaning into better practices when it comes to developing young players, Dunn was not drafted by the current leadership and has not found the same level of success as Oso this year.
Who ends up being the better player long term will entirely depend on their desire and continued effort over the next 5+ years. Growth is not linear, and it takes perseverance and a strong mental makeup to overcome the struggles that will inevitably come. For now, if I had to bet, it would probably be on Fleming, but only because his size puts him at such an advantage to get playing time on the current “7 dwarfs” roster construction the Suns have and because his outside shot has found a whole lot more consistency compared to Dunn’s (so far).
Rod: The sample size for Fleming is still pretty small, but he already just looks more comfortable on an NBA court than Dunn, who is in his second year and has over 6 times the total game time minutes of Rasheer. This isn’t meant to be a knock on Dunn. Dunn is a good player and should have a good NBA career, but he often seems to be playing outside his comfort zone when on offense. I don’t see that in Rasheer. In fact, he seems more and more comfortable on an NBA court the more he plays, and he’s largely effective on both ends of the court. Neither one may ever approach the “star” level of play in the NBA, but at this moment, I believe Rasheer has the higher ceiling.
As always, many thanks to our Fantable members for all their extra effort this week!
Quotes of the Week
“I ain’t gonna lie, I’m just playing right now…staying in the moment.” – Rasheer Fleming
“We went again with no true 5, really opens up the floor for him (Jalen Green), specifically. That’s been the solution the last two nights (vs Bucks and Pacers). Doesn’t mean it will be tomorrow night.” – Jordan Ott
“His energy is on 24/7.” – Jordan Ott on Jordan Goodwin
“That’s two buckets getters doing what they do best.” – Ryan Dunn on Booker and Green combining for 79 points vs the Pacers
“You never can anticipate everything that’s going to happen in the game, but once situations come up that we haven’t covered or come up yet this season, we try to address it right then and there. Talk through it. Those lines of communication are growing. We need to speed it up. Practice time is limited this time of the year.” – Jordan Ott
Suns Trivia/History
Random Suns stats (from Stat Defender/Twitter):
Phoenix Suns — 14.3 Offensive Rebounds Per Game Post All-Star Break – Tied for 2nd best in the NBA Phoenix Suns — 18.2 Fouls committed Per Game Post All-Star Break – Tied for 5th fewest in the NBA Phoenix Suns — 19.1 Points Scored Per Game Off Turnovers Post All-Star Break – 9th best in the NBA Phoenix Suns — 1.08 Points Per Possession Given Up In Transition For The Regular Season – Tied for 2nd fewest in the NBA 5th Best EFG% On ISOs For The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season – Devin Booker (53.8% EFG%)
In Thursday’s game against the Pacers, Devin Booker’s 43 pts and Jaylen Green’s 36 pts marked the first time a Suns duo scored 40+ and 35+ in the same regular season game since Amare Stoudemire (41 pts) and Steve Nash (36 pts) did it on 3/31/08 against Denver in a 132-117 Suns win.
On March 15, 2009, on the second night of a back-to-back, the SSOL Phoenix Suns scored the most fast-break points ever in a game (56) during a 154-130 win on the road against the Golden State Warriors. This game is also tied for the 4th-highest scoring output by the Suns in team history. The game it is tied with was played almost exactly 20 years earlier on March 23, 1989 and was also on the second night of a back-to-back on the road at Golden State. The Suns won that one 154-124.
On March 19, 1969, NBA Commissioner Walter Kennedy flipped a coin, Phoenix called ‘heads,’ and it turned up ‘tails. Thus, Milwaukee chose first in the NBA Draft, eventually selecting Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) while Phoenix picked Neal Walk with the 2nd pick.
On March 22, 2000, the Suns lost Jason Kidd for the remainder of the regular season after he broke his ankle during a 114-93 win over Sacramento at America West Arena. The following day, the Suns announced that Kevin Johnson was coming out of retirement to help his former team in its time of need. Johnson, 34, whose career average of 9.2 apg ranks fourth in NBA history, had not played since the 1997-98 season.
This Eeek’s Game Schedule
Monday, March 16 – Suns @ Boston Celtics (4:30 pm) Tuesday, March 17 – Suns @ Minnesota Timberwolves (5:00 pm) Thursday, March 19 – Suns @ San Antonio Spurs (5:00 pm)
This Week’s Valley Suns Game Schedule
Saturday, March 14 – Valley Suns @ Windy City Bulls (5:00 pm) Tuesday, March 17 – Valley Suns vs Stockton Kings (7:00 pm) ESPN+ Thursday, March 19 – Valley Suns @ San Diego Clippers (4:00 pm)
Important Future Dates
March 28 – NBA G League Regular Season ends March 31 – 2026 NBA G League Playoffs begin April 12 – Regular season ends (All 30 teams play) April 13 – Rosters set for NBA Playoffs 2026 (3 p.m. ET) April 14-17 – SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament April 18 – NBA Playoffs begin
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 12: Derrick White #9, Jayson Tatum #0 and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics look on during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 12, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jaylen Brown and moving goal posts
Jaylen Brown has spent a fair bit of time this season talking about the rules of the game, or more specifically, the enforcement of them.
I think he’s got a point.
But I also think that getting yourself tossed from a game because you lose your cool in a major way is a bad way of going about it. At the same time, let’s take a look at why Jaylen was tossed…
The pool report from the officials after the game in San Antonio says that he was ejected for using profanity, being aggressive, and pointing.
This is sort of the problem with NBA rules in general.
In the NBA you are permitted incidental contact with opponents.
But what is incidental contact? Sure, it’s defined in the rule book, but what about the application of that definition?
That varies from official to official.
According to the rules, contact stops being ‘incidental’ when it interferes with an offensive player’s “speed, quickness, balance and/or rhythm”—a definition that seems to perfectly match the play that set Brown off—yet it wasn’t called. And why wasn’t it called? Not because the contact was incidental, but because the official thought it was. There’s a judgment call there, and that judgment call varies from official to official, and even from moment to moment.
In the same context, players swear at officials all the time. They point when addressing officials all the time, and sometimes they get aggressive when expressing their grievances.
So what is the definition of ‘too much’ profanity, or aggression, or pointing? When do these things stop being ‘incidental’, so to speak?
That also varies from official to official.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – FEBRUARY 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics talks with referee Marat Kogut during the first half at the TD Garden on February 27, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All Brown is asking for, and it seems perfectly reasonable to me, is for more consistency among officials.
In doing this, Jaylen is doing what he’s always done. He’s making his own path, and he’s being clear about what he wants to see and what he thinks about the games that are played around the game itself. He’s not afraid, as Bill Sy put it, to say the quiet part out loud.
His insistence on forging his own path, defining himself and setting his own priorities has probably come with a cost.
Where the conventional path for a player of his talent would have been to try to force his way into a situation where he could put his individual skills on display, Jaylen Brown stuck with Boston, following advice given to him by Tracy McGrady, as revealed on the Cousins podcast earlier this week. Had Jaylen done what so many players before him have done, he might’ve ended up someplace where his skills would put him in the MVP conversation. After all, there aren’t that many guys who can put up 30 points a night while guarding the other team’s best player.
But that’s not the lot that Brown chose for himself. He didn’t follow conventions, and that’s put him on the outside looking in when it comes to conventional awards.
Brown is a smart guy, and I think he was smart enough to have been something of an outsider as a teen. He probably knows what it’s like to find yourself out of the in-crowd, and I think he’s absolutely correct that the MVP conversation is very much about a group of players that are ‘in’ and a group of players that are ‘out,’ and Brown, as an outsider, is probably incapable of doing anything that will get him ‘in’ the MVP conversation.
Brown is having a season that should net him serious MVP consideration, but it’s not going to happen.
As Brown expressed it on the Cousins podcast, the MVP trendsetters keep moving the goal posts on him, and I think that’s a fair assessment. He’s just not “MVP material,” in their view, and he never will be, whatever the heck that means. Even with some fans, I get the sense that he’ll never be good enough for them.
Brown’s always been something of a square peg, and honestly, more power to him for that. I don’t think he likes the hoopla that surrounds the game, and he clearly has been sacrificing his offensive game for years to win with Tatum. He’s not your ordinary everyday superstar, and the Celtics are that much better because he isn’t. I’m sure he’ll retire with multiple rings, and eventually view this year’s MVP snub as being of no greater concern than losing a high school popularity contest.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 10: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 10, 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
An unfinished symphony
One of the more impressive things, at least initially, about Beethoven’s Ninth is that he wrote the symphony after he was completely deaf.
But you see, the thing is, most composers right up until the advent of modern notation software, were more or less deaf when they wrote their orchestral works. They had to imagine how the instruments would sound together without actually hearing the piece as a whole, and often the first time the composer heard the piece performed in its entirety and in earnest was at its premiere.
The Celtics have been kind of like that orchestral work-in-progress this season. We’ve had to use our imaginations to fill in the gaps. Even with Tatum back, the team is still missing Vucevic.
This week, the C’s faced two tough tests—road matchups against San Antonio and Oklahoma City.
They essentially turned into rehearsals. As Grant Burfeind called them, these were information gathering performances. Data points were collected as the Celtics, minus key players in both games, fought valiantly to keep things close (especially close against the Thunder), but eventually dropped each matchup.
Yet, even as the C’s collected data points, the Spurs and Thunder were denied those opportunities, as the Celtics were less than full strength. The Spurs haven’t really seen how the Celtics matchup with Pritchard, Brown and Tatum in the lineup, and the Thunder don’t know how the Celtics will matchup against them either. That might not be important this year, but then again it might be.
The bottom line is that the Celtics are still very much an unfinished symphony—whether it eventually turns out to be a masterpiece remains to be seen.
MIAMI, FL – MARCH 10: A photo of the Jumbotron showing Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat scoring 83 points in a game breaking Kobe Bryant's Record of 81 points after the game against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Putting some records in perspective
Boston’s game against the Thunder was also noteworthy as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive games scoring 20 or more points.
I’m not going to say that SGA’s accomplishment is trivial. It plainly is not. Other stars before him have not come close to that number. After SGA, Wilt holds the next two records at 126 and 92 consecutive games. Fourth place, held by Oscar Robertson is 79 games. SGA just set a record that is 48 games longer than any other player besides Wilt.
But…
Those Wilt records need some context. First off, SGA set his record over the course of 127 consecutive games played. Wilt set his record over 126 games, period. He didn’t miss a single game during the course of setting that record. Wilt also holds the record for most consecutive 30 point games (65), the top three spots for most consecutive games with 40 or more points (14), the top four spots for most consecutive games with 50 or more points (7), and he is the only player to record multiple 60 point games in a row (4).
Additionally, Wilt’s 126 game 20 point streak was ended when he was ejected in his 127th game. He came back and immediately started another streak. This one was 92 games in length.
Wilt was a one man demolition squad in his prime.
Mind you, the game was easier back then. Most centers had come up under the instruction that leaving your feet to defend was a mortal sin, so it was relatively easy for a guy who was already taller than practically the whole rest of the league to shoot over the top of guys who were scared to death to defend him by jumping.
But the game was also harder. There was a level of physicality that would not be fathomable to players today. There were fewer teams too. This actually makes things harder not easier, because the best of college basketball’s talent was crammed into just eight teams when Chamberlain was in his prime. He also played every single game in three consecutive seasons. This during an era when transport was mostly by train, which isn’t as bad as it seems—unless you’re trying to sleep in a bunk that’s designed for a much much shorter person—and a time when sports medicine was little more than good intentions and an Ace bandage.
It was a period that suited Chamberlian to a T.
Of course, Chamberlain came up in the news on Wednesday night as well, when Bam Adebayo tallied 83 points against the hapless Washington Wizards
It’s too bad Wilt’s not here, because he would’ve been impressed by Adebayo’s free throw attempts in that 83 point game. Bam was sent to the line 43 times—an astonishing 26 of the Wizards’ 34 personal fouls were committed against Bam. The number of fouls called was also significantly higher than the Wizards’ season average, which is only 21.3 per game.
Was Bam getting a friendly whistle? Or was he just benefiting from the confusion of a bad defense trying to stop him at all costs?
In any event, the Miami Heat took to fouling Wizard players intentionally in order to prolong the game and give Adebayo more chances to score.
I’m not going to say that this cheapens the accomplishment of scoring 83 points, except that it kind of does.
I don’t think there should be an asterisk next to Adebayo’s name, but I think a bit of context for future fans is in order—a note that even though Bam got to second place within the rules of the game, those rules were bent a bit to give him as many chances to score as possible.
Kawhi Leonard averages 28.3 points per game this season [Getty Images]
Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points to equal a franchise record as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Chicago Bulls 119-108 in the NBA.
Leonard scored at least 20 points for the 44th consecutive game to match Bob McAdoo's single-season mark in 1974-75, when the Clippers were based in Buffalo.
Bennedict Mathurin contributed 26 points at Intuit Dome as the Clippers improved to 7-1 in March and took their season record to 34-32.
They are eighth in the Western Conference, while the Bulls, who suffered a second defeat in two nights in LA after losing to the Lakers on Thursday, are 12th in the East.
Kevin Durant scored 32 points as the Houston Rockets survived a late scare to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-105 at home.
Houston, without All-Star center Alperen Sengun because of a back injury, led throughout but a 12-1 run from the Pelicans helped them take a 104-100 lead with 31 seconds remaining.
Forward Jabari Smith Jr hit a three-pointer to swing the tide back in the Rockets' favour before two critical turnovers in the final stages secured victory.
Anthony Edwards scored 42 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves end a three-game losing streak with a 127-117 win over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.
Jrue Holiday recorded 25 points and eight assists as the Portland Trail Blazers completed a four-game series sweep of the Utah Jazz with a 124-114 win at home.
Max Verstappen condemned his Red Bull’s performance as having reduced his efforts to a matter of “survival” in merely trying to complete a lap in Shanghai.
From the off the four-time champion had not been happy in the buildup to Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, dismissing his car on Friday as undriveable and saying: “We have never had anything this bad.”
But that did not sit well with Matthews’ agent, Judd Muldaver, who issued a statement on the suspension to multiple reporters, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and five games is laughable and preposterous,” Muldaver continued. “While the process is set in our CBA, that this was the discipline is reckless and ridiculous. This decision results in a further loss of confidence in the disciplinary process for all players. Players and fans deserve better. The Player Safety Department should be suspended”.
Hours earlier, the Leafs announced that Matthews suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and a quad contusion. Although the star forward will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the Leafs announced that Matthews’ 2025-26 regular season is over.
Asked Auston Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver about his response to the ruling.
Here is his reply:
“In light of the obvious severity of the play, I am disappointed and shocked the league would allow such a ruling. A phone hearing and 5 games is laughable and preposterous.
There is no doubt that the NHL DOPS has come under a lot of scrutiny from Leafs fans in particular for how they hand out discipline, but for an agent of a player to be so vocal about a particular suspension is a rare occurrence, particularly for Muldaver. Late in the second period of Toronto’s 6-4 win against Anaheim on Thursday, Gudas extended his knee and hit Matthews square in the knee, forcing the Leafs star to leave the game.
Immediately, the focus switched to Toronto’s lack of immediate response to the hit, with no players coming to the defense of Matthews by going after Gudas. In the third period, Leafs players responded physically, but head coach Craig Berube did point out that there should have been “four guys” after Gudas immediately after the hit.
The Maple Leafs are set to hold a full morning skate at KeyBank Center on Saturday ahead of their game against the Buffalo Sabres, where the Leafs will unveil what their lines without their captain look like.
After missing out on Maxim Shabanov in the summer, the Philadelphia Flyers could dip right back into the KHL free agent pool this coming offseason.
It goes without saying, at this point, that center is the weakest position for the Flyers at the NHL level. If they play their cards right, they can add a rather large pivot from Belarus in the coming months.
The top KHL free agent heading into this offseason is none other than center Vitali Pinchuk, who has exploded for 31 goals, 33 assists, and 64 points in 62 KHL games for Dinamo Minsk this season.
Pinchuk, 24, is a powerful 6-foot-3 center who's shown positive progression offensively each year since his KHL debut back in 2020-21.
The size alone should make him more appealing to the Flyers than Maxim Shabanov was, and it helps that he's only gotten better with time.
Pinchuk's first full KHL season came back in 2022-23, when he scored eight goals, six assists, and 14 points in 61 games. In 2023-24, those totals improved to nine goals, 13 assists, and 22 points in 43 games.
Signing Vitali Pinchuk will be a smart move for whichever #NHL team wins the race. 24 year old has 31G and 64P in 62GP in the KHL. Has been maybe the most electric forward in the league this season. pic.twitter.com/N01Y6cHN7v
Last year was the first major step forward for the undrafted center, as he racked up 25 goals, 18 assists, and 43 points in 66 games.
Another factor worth considering for the Flyers, too, is that Pinchuk has 15 points in 20 career Gagarin Cup playoff games. They need young, big-game players for when they make their playoff pushes in the future, and Pinchuk fits the bill.
When it comes to landing the Belarusian buzzsaw, the Flyers have plenty of connections available to them to help make it happen.
Somewhat uncommon for Russian and Belarusian players, Pinchuk actually spent a season -- 2019-20 -- in the OHL, playing for the Kingston Frontenacs. One of his teammates on that Kingston team was Flyers prospect Zayde Wisdom, who is still with the organization on an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
At the professional, and perhaps more significantly, the Flyers have Belarusian goalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov, who came up with Pinchuk through the Belarus youth system in U18s and U20s, and played with him on Dinamo Minsk before leaving for the Flyers.
After a rocky start, Kolosov has adjusted well to life in North America primarily playing in Allentown with the Phantoms, and perhaps there is nobody better to recruit Pinchuk and pitch the organization than him.
Kolosov's taken a major step forward this season and has an outside shot at an NHL future with the Flyers, and perhaps adding an old pal to the fold would benefit all parties involved.
Mar 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws against Great Britain in the first inning at the American Family Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
After asking fans to round out the Opening Day roster last week, we followed that up with a question about who should be Milwaukee’s Opening Day starter this week.
Brandon Woodruff seems like the obvious choice, but after recent news that he may not be quite ready for an Opening Day outing, it’s an open door. Beyond Woodruff, the next two options are a pair of guys coming off solid rookie campaigns in Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick. Other potential choices include Aaron Ashby, Robert Gasser, DL Hall, and Kyle Harrison.
Here’s what the results showed:
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Miz got the bulk of the vote, coming in at 50%. Woodruff netted 28% of the vote, followed by Patrick at 11% and the “Other” category at 10%.
Among the three named options, Patrick has struggled the most this spring, though he’s also pitched the most with five total innings (5.40 ERA with seven strikeouts). Misiorowski went 3 1/3 frames with one run allowed in his lone appearance, though he also went two innings with one run allowed in Milwaukee’s exhibition against Great Britain. Across those 5 1/3 innings, he’s totaled 11 strikeouts but allowed six walks and four hits.
Woodruff made his spring debut on March 7 against the Angels, working two scoreless innings with two hits allowed, a walk, and a hit batter with three strikeouts on 32 pitches. At the rate he’s going, I wouldn’t expect him to be able to pitch more than 75 or 80-ish pitches come Opening Day, which makes the case for Misiorowski or someone else a bit clearer.
Mar 7, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Andrew Painter’s start yesterday had some good and some bad to it. It’s important to remember that he’s still just in that third start of the spring and that he’s likely working on some things right now. Still, he’s getting outs and that’s what matters.
More than half the Spring Training games are in the books. The Cardinals have played to a winning record, showed off some top prospects, and avoided catastrophic injuries. This is the first year that all spring games have been Statcast tracked, giving us plenty of data to keep an eye on while we wait for the real games to begin. Today I’m checking in on a few early Statcast indicators to see which Cardinals might be showing real underlying changes. As always, small-sample-size, spring training caveats apply to every word of this article!
Starting Pitchers
Counter to most of our offseason discussions, Oli Marmol has repeatedly mentioned that he sees the pitching as the strength of the Cardinals. Early spring Statcast numbers offer at least a little support for that optimism.
Velocity
As has been widely discussed, Dustin May and Richard Fitts rolled into camp ready to rip the fastball as both are averaging above 97 MPH on their four-seam fastballs at 97.7 and 97.4, respectively. Matthew Liberatore’s velocity has hovered around 94 MPH on both his fastball and his sinker, but his stuff has looked great overall (more on that shortly). Kyle Leahy’s velocity is down about 1.5 MPH as he ramps up and moves from the bullpen to the rotation. Andre Pallante started off the spring in the low 90s, but was up to 94 MPH in his last outing, so probably nothing to be concerned about there. Michael McGreevy’s fastball is down almost 2 MPH and it has actually gone down each of his last two starts. This has probably reached the keep an eye on it stage as he does not have the fastball shape to get away with too much of a velocity drop. On the prospect side, Quinn Mathews has maintained his regained velocity sitting in the 94-95 MPH range in each of his appearances.
Swing and Miss
Matthew Liberatore has quietly put together a dominating spring training with a 14/1 K/BB rate across 10 innings. Yesterday, Eno Sarris tweeted the Stuff+ pitching leaders among starting pitchers this spring.
Spring Training Starting Pitcher Stuff+ leaders includes two young Yankees and two young Cardinals pic.twitter.com/fM5x2Tnqlt
If these improvements for Liberatore and Fitts hold, this would be a huge development for the staff. The Cardinals haven’t had a starting pitcher register above a 107 since the inception of the statistic in 2020. For Liberatore, this improvement in stuff is backed up by the numbers as he is generating the second-lowest contact rate in baseball this spring, behind only Chase Burns, as batters are making contact on only 60% of their swings against him (min 60 swings against). Liberatore isn’t the only lefty that has proved tough to square up. Brycen Mautz ranks 4th in all of baseball so far this spring, generating swing and miss with a 61% contact rate. He had good success with his fastball (65% contact rate), but his slider was absolutely devastating, generating a swing and miss almost half the time. Mathews has missed a ton of bats too with 66% contact rate in aggregate. Here are the contact rates against so far for the starting pitchers.
As a point of reference, the league-wide contact rate against is 77%. For starting pitchers, 70% is elite, potential Cy Young votes territory. Small-sample-size caveats abound here, but you can start to see the outline of a staff that can miss some bats here. Leahy’s contact against will be worth watching as we get into the season. He has never been great at missing bats, despite having stuff that grades out well, so seeing him start off slow in this department is not ideal.
Speaking of Contact Rates
On the hitting side, Joshua Baez and Nolan Gorman have largely had their careers defined by power and ability, or lack thereof, to make contact. Both have had good springs offensively, but in very different ways.
Baez did not disappoint in his Spring Training cameo as he blasted three home runs and slashed .333/.417/.762 in 24 plate appearances. Baez hit four out of 15 balls in excess of 100 MPH and showed off his ability to drive the ball in the air, which is crucial to get to in-game power. While his strikeout rate was acceptable at 25%, his underlying numbers were concerning as he ran only a 59% contact rate. As a point of reference, the lowest contact rate among qualified major leaguers last season was 67.6% by Aaron Judge. Christopher Morel has a career contact rate of 65.5%. 24 plate appearances is nowhere near the number needed for this statistic to stabilize, but this will be one of the key numbers that I will be watching for Baez as he moves up to Memphis. If you can take anything away from a spring training performance, Baez confirmed why he is one of the more polarizing prospects in baseball. If you are high on him, you can look at his results and see a player that will be ready to hit in the middle of a big-league lineup by this summer. If you are a non-believer, you can see the unplayable contact rate that plagued Baez for his first four professional seasons. My prediction: if Baez can keep his contact rate from Double-A in the mid-70s, he will be a star.
Nolan Gorman, plagued by a career strikeout rate of 34%, has fanned in only 12.9% of his trips to the plate this spring. Is this small sample-size noise, or has Gorman made a real adjustment? Looking at Gorman’s seven-game rolling average K% for his entire career, you can see he hasn’t touched a stretch like this in over two years.
I am not sure what to make of this, but given where Gorman has been over the last two seasons, I will take this as an encouraging sign that he has made an adjustment of some kind. If the improved contact ability is real, it will allow Gorman to access more in-game power and perhaps give the Cardinals the home run pop the lineup is currently missing.
In this Instagram installment of the behind-the-scenes Spurs interviews, they pull the curtain back on which teammate they’d choose to be their coach. The results are telling about their game and personality.
Victor Wembanyama chose Luke Kornet. As an elder statesman, Kornet has earned the respect of the next great face of the NBA.
Devin Vassell chose Victor because of how intensely Wembanyama takes the game, even considering how young the burgeoning superstar is.
Carter Bryant stated that Harrison Barnes “makes the game sound so simple” by dissecting it. A young mind gaining knowledge from seasoned vet is a definite win.
Julian Champagnie went with Jordan McLaughlin sharing that his choice is “underrated.” As fans, we don’t witness much of McLaughlin’s game. Curious to see what stands out for Champagnie and how he has been influenced thus far.
Speaking of McLaughlin, he also went with Harrison Barnes becaise he understands how the game “is supposed to be played.”
For Bismack Biyombo, the “obvious” choise is D’Aaron Fox. As a point guard, Fox perceives the game from a different vantage point and the Congolese center believes that knowledge is important.
In my opinion, Luke Kornet gave the most introspective response. He went with Devin Vassell as the coach he’d “want,” but then added that Stephon Castle is the coach he’d “need.” There is an important distinction when considering one’s growth and development.
What do you think, Pounders? Who’d make a good Spurs coach? Any surprises in the responses? Anyone not acknowledged that you believe should be listed?
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