WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 21: Waka Flocka Flame performs during the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards on October 21, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards are 1-0. We are looking forward to seeing the team go 2-0 tonight against the Toronto Raptors. But in the meantime, this home opener’s atmosphere was solid. While there wasn’t a sold out crowd, it was close and Anthony Davis was pleased.
But there’s more to opening night than game intros and the basketball. What about the halftime show?
Rapper Waka Flocka performed at halftime for the crowd. You can watch some of the highlights below.
In past years, the Wizards had their Concert Series which has often been a positive experience for fans though these concerts are typically held after the game. Hopefully we’ll have more of those (and halftime concerts) as the Wizards’ 2026-27 season continues.
The Chicago Blackhawks (3-6-0) are finally going to be back in game action following their six days away. During that time, they practiced hard and had some rest, as there is a lot of the season- nearly 90%- in front of them.
The Montreal Canadiens (4-3-2) are in town for their one trip to the United Center. They have a better record than the Blackhawks, but they would tell you that they are off to a lackluster start. After making it to the Eastern Conference Final in the spring, they have high expectations.
Scouting Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens will be without their captain, Nick Suzuki, for 2-4 weeks, starting with their match in Chicago. This ends his Ironman streak of 546 consecutive games. With Suzuki missing, this is how their lineup is projected to look:
Slafkovsky – Kapanen – Caufield
Anderson – Newhook – Kreider
Bolduc – Danault – Texier
Dach – Evans – Beck
Hutson – Dobson
Carrier - Guhle
Xhekaj – Engstrom
Fowler
Dobes
This projected lineup is good, but there is a massive hole at center without Suzuki in the mix. They are also without winger Ivan Demidov, who has been missing for most of the season so far. Chicago fans who enjoy the draft know Demidov well, as he was an option for the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Draft, but they opted for defenseman Artyom Levshunov.
Even without those two, guys up front like Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield can carry the weight. They aren’t as dynamic a team without Suzuki and Demidov, but they are trying to push through with what they have.
It’s a good group on defense, but Lane Hutson is a budding superstar in this league. He has the offensive tools that may allow him to win a Norris Trophy or two in the future. His partner, Noah Dobson, is also a very good two-way defender. Dobson makes it easy for Hutson to play his game without worry.
If the Blackhawks are going to win, they must exploit Montreal’s weakness down the middle, make life hard on the top pair of Hutson-Dobson, and get traffic in front of whichever goalie gets the start.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks are as healthy at forward as they’ve been all season. They have the full group available to them for this game. That includes Andrew Mangiapane, who skated in a regular-contact sweater during practice on Thursday, but he is expected to be a healthy scratch.
On defense, Bowen Byram has been missing for a few games with what the team is calling an upper-body injury. They have recently said that he is trending in the right direction.
Kantserov-Bedard-Kane
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Teravainen
Moore-Nazar-Donato
Smith-Greene-Greenway
Vlasic-Cole
Kaiser-Levshunov
Del Mastro-Rinzel
Knight
You can expect Ethan Del Mastro to continue skating in Byram's spot on defense. He won’t be on the top pair like Byram, but he would be the guy to dress. Kevin Korchinski, who can’t seem to buy ice time in games that count, would be the healthy scratch.
Up front, Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and Ryan Greene are getting the reps at center. Although Roman Kantserov and Oliver Moore are more than capable of playing the position, Jeff Blashill enjoys having them on the wing. Only time will tell if that’s actually the best course of action.
Speaking of Kantserov, his line with Connor Bedard and Patrick Kane has been good. Even against the Dallas Stars, who shut down the Hawks all game, the Bedard line had a great chance or two.
Overall, Montreal isn’t Dallas, but that’s especially true as they navigate through injuries. Weaknesses are there to be exposed, and the Blackhawks have shown they can do it to the non-elite teams. Against middle-of-the-pack squads, they have a chance. Montreal is likely better than that, but they haven’t started the season playing like an elite team, and the Blackhawks are trying to take advantage.
Spencer Knight will start in goal for Chicago. This will be his 5th straight start and 8th start over the first 10 games. The break between games 9 and 10 play a role in that, but they rely heavily on their number one goalie.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, you can watch it on NHL Network. The puck will drop shortly after 7:00 PM CT.
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The vibes inside Madison Square Garden were immaculate on ring night, with the first banner in 53 years going up to the rafters, the sudden appearance of an NBA Cup 2025 championship banner, Jalen Brunson getting his deserved love, OG Anunoby getting the second-loudest ovation (historic tip-ins will do that), and the crowd barking at coach Mike Brown (who has an odd love for the song "Who Let the Dogs Out"). Even a loss to the 76ers didn't spoil the mood much.
But owner James Dolan is trying to. Dolan still hasn't sprung for the rings for the Knicks assistant coaches, who received empty ring boxes during the ceremony and didn't open them, a story broken by Joe Varden at The Athletic. It's also unclear whether head coach Mike Brown got his ring.
Seven league sources, all speaking on condition of anonymity so they could talk freely about a sensitive matter, said the Knicks assistant coaches did not get rings on banner night. Two of those sources told The Athletic that the assistants learned earlier Tuesday that they would not be getting their rings that evening, which came as no surprise because they had not yet been fitted for one and that boxes without their rings were a late addition to the ceremony.
Those coaches are at various levels of pissed off — and they have every right to be. It's also worth noting that assistant coaches don't always get their rings on ring night — the Thunder assistants didn't last year. However, for most teams, they get their rings that night, but at least they'll get them. Someday.
Tradition with championship teams is that a number of the teams' staff also get rings — faces you know, like the broadcast team, but also the people who do the hard work on the business side of the operation as well. Usually, deeper in the team staff, those rings don't have all 80+ diamonds and all the baubles, but they get real, meaningful rings.
Not in New York. With the Knicks, those people not only didn't get rings — they got a phishing scam about the rings.
Those Madison Square Garden employees got their hopes up at the end of September when the Knicks sent an email to a long list of employees, which gave recipients a first glimpse at their would-be championship rings. Atop the email, a copy of which The Athletic has obtained, was a graphic of two differently styled rings...
But the email was a fake-out, a phishing test Madison Square Garden sent to see if those employees would click, multiple team sources said.
Clicking the link in the phishing scam meant those employees got to go to a cybersecurity class. Congratulations!
Viewers of the ring night ceremony on NBC and Peacock may also have noticed that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who usually addresses the crowd and shakes players' hands as they get their rings, did neither. That's just the latest installment of the long-running feud between Dolan and Silver.
Ring night in New York was still special, but only Dolan could find a way to take a little shine off the event to save a few bucks.
MILWAUKEE — Brandon Woodruff's two-month sprint to return for the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series run paid off in the biggest way.
Woodruff, the Milwaukee Brewers' senior member of the pitching staff, was included on the 26-man roster submitted to Major League Baseball hours before Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, Oct. 23, a significant surprise since he hasn't pitched since July 4 due to a shoulder capsule injury.
Woodruff replaces right-handed reliever Chad Patrick on the roster.
Woodruff, 33, initially believed the injury would require surgery. But he and medical professionals determined in August that he could rehab the injury and avoid surgery, and began a throwing program knowing the Brewers were playoff locks.
Yet rostering Woodruff does not come without risk for the Brewers: While injured players can be replaced mid-series, they must remain on the roster if the injury was, essentially, a pre-existing condition.
That concept came up Thursday evening when Woodruff talked with manager Pat Murphy and club president Matt Arnold. And he stressed that he wouldn't be doing this if he couldn't help them win the World Series.
"I didn’t want this to be a charity pick," Woodruff said a few hours before Game 1 Friday. "I wanted to be on the roster so I could help win. I was very straightforward about that. I just wanted to help win and give innings as much as possible.
"That was the message."
Woodruff pitched a live batting practice session this week and Murphy said Thursday that Woodruff impressed hitters. Just as Woodruff impressed the Brewers in his comeback attempt.
"It's almost incredible that the kid has worked his way back," Murphy said Thursday, noting roster deliberations were going to be challenging. "His mind was on this. He was very quiet about it, but his mind was on this.
"It's kind of incredible, and he threw the ball really well."
Woodruff has pitched nine seasons with the Brewers, sitting out the 2024 season due to shoulder injury. He last pitched July 4 but posted a 2.98 ERA in his nine starts.
As he prepared for surgery, noted orthopedist Keith Meiser viewed Woodruff's charts and his progress and had a different message in late August: Start throwing.
"As we started getting later and things started playing out, that became a conversation," Woodruff says of the World Series. "Just dangling that carrot in front of your face. I know it’s in front of me.
"There’s risk there. But that’s something I was willing to take."
One of the most important matters of business for the Yankees this offseason is on the way to being taken care of.
Pitching coach Matt Blake and the team are in the midst of negotiating a new contract and moving toward a deal, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported Friday, which would ensure that the Yankees hang on to one of the best at his job in the game.
Blake, who was working on an expiring deal this season, oversaw a pitching staff that led the majors with a 3.24 ERA despite dealing with key injuries to their rotation and a largely no-name bullpen.
That was the strength of the Yankees all season, and while it still culminated in an ALDS ouster against the Rays, retaining Blake was an essential move for Aaron Boone, who is also coming back for a 10th season as manager next year.
New York Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake, right, conducts a mound visit to talk to shortstop George Lombard Jr. (96), starting pitcher Cam Schlittler, left, and catcher Austin Wells. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
The Yankees originally hired Blake in 2020 with no major league experience, but he quickly squashed any concerns about that and earned the respect of his pitchers with his knowledge and easygoing demeanor. While they have plenty of well-paid pitchers in their rotation, the Yankees almost annually take relievers off the scrap heap and turn them into important contributors, largely a credit to Blake and the pitching group (this year made up of assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, bullpen coach Preston Claiborne and director of pitching Sam Briend).
“I think he’s pretty damn good at his job,” Will Warren said of Blake late this season.
This year, which was Blake’s seventh on the job, the Yankees withstood injuries to Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Ryan Weathers in their rotation, in large part due to the emergence of ace and soon-to-be AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler.
In the bullpen, closer David Bednar was the only established reliever (aside from Camilo Doval, who was traded at the deadline as a rare exception of an arm the Yankees could not fix), but the unit still finished second in the majors with a 3.13 ERA.
Matt Blake of the New York Yankees celebrates defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series. Getty Images
“I would say if you told me the way the injuries were going to play out and maybe who the names were [in the bullpen], I’m not sure I would have guessed we would have led the league in ERA and be in the top three or four of a lot of the main peripherals,” Blake said during the ALDS. “But it’s not totally surprising when you see we got the best out of a lot of them and they picked each other up and we had a great culture in the group this year. It felt rewarding to show up to the field every day. I feel like they were invigorated in a lot of ways. The starters rallied around each other, the bullpen had a great dynamic, so it did feel like we had a strong, core group that carried us for the year.”
Los Angeles, CA - California - September 04: Pitcher Edwin Diaz, center, speaks with pitching coach Mark Prior of the Los Angeles Dodgers as bullpen catcher Hamlet Marte, left, along with first base coach/infield coach Chris Woodward, right, looks on during a simulated batting practice prior to a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Shohei Ohtani also plans to pitch in 2027, and the Dodgers very much want him to do so. But it’s fair to wonder just how many starts on the mound they can expect from someone pulling double duty, and coming off a season in which injuries ground his production to a halt by mid-August.
Keep in mind also that Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have an injury history that requires taking a seat before reading in full. That duo combined for 29 regular season starts in 2025, and only 22 in 2026. If we add in Ohtani to make a trio, that’s 43 starts in 2025 and 36 in 2026. Depth will obviously be needed here.
In theory, Christian Zazueta or Jackson Ferris could pitch their way into relevance here, whether or not they are added to the 40-man roster in November.
Right-handed relievers (10)
Edwin Díaz Edgardo Henriquez Brock Stewart (arbitration eligible) Will Klein (coming off elbow surgery) Kyle Hurt Ben Casparius (last 5+ months of season on IL with shoulder inflammation) Seth Halvorsen Paul Gervase Bobby Miller Jake Cousins (arbitration eligible, on IL all year after June 2025 Tommy John surgery)
Left-handed relievers (3)
Tanner Scott Jack Dreyer Ronan Kopp
Looking at it another way, only nine of these pitchers were active for the Dodgers during this postseason. Jack Dreyer’s exclusion in October was notable because he was used so regularly during each of his first two major league seasons, and was active during the entire 2026 postseason as a rookie.
More moves will be made this offseason regarding Dodgers pitching. But today’s question is this — What is one pitching roster move you’d most want the Dodgers to make before the 2027 season?
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had some strong words for his players on Thursday night.
His comments came shortly after Florida’s 4-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
It was the Panthers second lopsided defeat in as many days, following a 5-1 drubbing the night before in Ottawa.
“I don’t know if it’s (that) we’re on the spectrum of arrogance and softness that I’ve allowed to creep into our game,” Maurice said after the game. “I’m going to find that out here in a couple days.”
Florida had been riding high before hitting the road, winners of three straight games by a combined score of 18-8.
Something changed between an 8-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, a game that saw the Panthers record a pair of hat tricks (by Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett), and Wednesday’s rough outing against the Senators.
Still, the Panthers are a team that has been incredibly resilient over the past several seasons, rarely getting into lasting funks while often playing themselves back into form by relying on the systems they run.
This week, however, it seems something sinister has crept into the team’s efforts.
With a great opportunity on Thursday night to bounce back after the spanking by the Senators, and having the extra motivation of playing in front of a young goaltender making his NHL debut, the Panthers once again floundered.
“It’s very difficult to win in hockey games in this league when your team scores zero in front of you and gets what it deserves,” Maurice said after praising Cooper Black’s efforts in his first taste of national league action.
So what went wrong that has the team suddenly so out of whack?
“I’ve got to sort that out,” Maurice said. “I’ve got to figure out where it’s coming from. I think it’s coming from me, so I’ve got a good 48 hours to grind on that and come up with an answer.”
The Panthers were back on the road Friday, making the short trip from Pittsburgh to Chicago where they’ll face the Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon.
Florida has a practice scheduled for Saturday at the Blackhawks’ training facility, and it should be an interesting one.
“I just need to get their attention,” Maurice said.
Photo caption: Oct 22, 2026;Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Cooper Black (31) and defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) defend a shot byPittsburghPenguinscenter Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
Veteran left-hander Garrett Cleavinger is on after he was omitted from their American League Championship Series roster, replacing rookie right-hander Brody Hopkins, who did not pitch in the ALCS.
Rays World Series roster
PITCHERS (12): RHP Bryan Baker, LHP Cam Booser, LHP Garrett Cleavinger, RHP Griffin Jax, RHP Kevin Kelly, RHP Nick Martinez, LHP Steven Matz, RHP Freddy Peralta, RHP Drew Rasmussen, LHP Ian Seymour, RHP Cole Sulser, RHP Tyler Wells
CATCHERS (2): Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks
INFIELDERS (7): Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jorge Mateo, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, Ben Williamson
OUTFIELDERS (5): Jonny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, Ryan Vilade
World Series schedule
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 25: Nate Pearson #61 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Peter Sarellas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Baseball is a game about second chances. And third chances. And fourth chances.
Back in the 2017 MLB Draft, with the 28th pick of the first round, the Toronto Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson.
It was easy to see why. After leaving Florida International for the College of Central Florida, Pearson burst into the draft scene. According to Baseball America’s draft report on him, “[h]is fastball shows late running or sinking movement and he made tremendous growth with his command. His changeup now projects as a plus pitch, showing late fade when he locates it down in the zone. He throws both a slider and a curveball, and scouts see his slider as a more prominent part of his future. The pitch shows slurvy shape and sits in the low 80s. Pearson’s athleticism and rapid growth could lead him to come off the board as high as the back of the first round.”
He peaked as the Blue Jays No. 1 prospect in 2020 while ranking No. 2 in both 2021 and 2022. In 2020, Baseball America ranked him as the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball.
Debuting in that strange season of 2020, he started four games while appearing in another. That’s the most starts he’s made in a season in his career. Since, he’s started only two other games, pitching primarily as a reliever as he’s bounced between the Blue Jays, Cubs, Astros, and Royals.
Why?
Why else: injuries. He’s battled multiple elbow injuries while also suffering groin, shoulder, and lat injuries, as well as illness. It’s why, despite his tantalizing stuff, he’s bounced around four different clubs since 2024.
He began 2026 with the Astros. After 16 appearances with decent results, Houston designated him for assignment on July 19. Three days later, the Royals traded for him. He made his first appearance as a Royal on July 26.
Focus for a minute on Pearson’s first 20 outings for the Royals. It tells the story of a reliever who could very well help anchor the Royals bullpen in 2027:
21 innings pitched, 20 strikeouts, 7 walks, 11 hits (zero of which left the yard), 0.43 ERA, 2.62 FIP, .212 batting average on balls in play, 3 saves, 1 blown save, 11 holds, 4 doubles allowed.
Pearson became ineffective starting around September 13. Over his final six appearances, his numbers cratered – 5 innings pitched, 5 strikeouts, 7 walks, 10 hits (including 1 home run), 21.60 ERA (!), 9.10 FIP (!!), .474 batting average on balls in play, 0 saves, 1 blown save, 0 holds, 3 doubles allowed. By then, the Royals were out of it, but his spiral meant one less reliable option in a bullpen that didn’t have many reliable options with which to begin.
PIT – Rafael Flores Jr. 2-run HR (10) ⚡ Go-ahead HR ⚡
📏 426 ft | 💨 110.2 mph | 📐 29° ⚾️ 89.7 mph slider (KC – RHP Nate Pearson) 🏟️ Out in 30/30 parks 💣
Pearson remains arbitration-eligible for one more season. Will the Royals bring him back or non-tender him? He’s due for a raise from the $1.35 million he signed for last offseason with the Astros.
I wouldn’t mind bringing him back. There’s still something so intriguing about him, especially when considering his first 20 appearances with the Royals.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 6: Dalton Knecht #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on March 6, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks’ failed attempt at an extension being public, Miles McBride struggling as he enters a contract year, and Josh Hart and Tyler Kolek also not being extended, fans have speculated on potential roster moves.
And the fans got one today—just not the one most people were necessarily expecting.
Former Lakers forward Dalton Knecht has agreed to sign with the New York Knicks on a two-way NBA contract, his agents at Excel Sports Management tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/1gePugMy3Z
On Friday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that New York had signed former Tennessee Volunteer and Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht to a two-way NBA contract. To make space for the third-year wing, the Knicks are waiving Kevin McCullar Jr.
The Knicks weren’t the only team interested either. On Thursday night, rumors indicated that both the Timberwolves and Raptors were also looking at Knecht.
The former 17th overall pick averaged 9.8PPG and 2.8RPG while shooting 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from three during his rookie season. For spurts, it looked like he could develop into a solid rotation piece for a Lakers team that was still trying to contend with LeBron James at the helm and became a fan favorite after a 37-point explosion in the NBA Cup.
Midway through the season, though, Knecht was involved in a trade that would have sent him to the Hornets in exchange for center Mark Williams. After Williams failed his physical and the trade was rescinded, Knecht was forced to return to the Lakers.
Knecht, contrary to belief, finished out the season on a solid note, averaging 8.5PPG while shooting 40.8% from three. Things did take a turn for the worse last season, though. After appearing in 78 games and averaging 19.2MPG in his first season, he averaged just 10.2MPG in just 54 games during the 2025-26 campaign. As many young players do, he struggled with the decreased minutes and inconsistent playing time, leading to a cycle of worse play and even fewer minutes.
The third-year man can still impact the Knicks. He’s just 25 years old and is an above-average shooter with size. In his final year in college, he averaged 21.7PPG on 45.8% shooting from the field and 39.7% shooting from three. It’s not every day you can find that kind of shooting at his height on the waiver wire. But there are plenty of reasons why he saw his minutes dwindle and why he eventually was waived.
Despite being 6’6”, Knecht isn’t much of a defender. He can get lost defensively, and even if he manages to be in the right spots at the right times, he just does not possess the athleticism to be much of a factor on that end. Offensively, he’s shown flashes of being able to utilize his shot to get to other spots on the floor. When a part of the rotation, he was making nice reads off the ball and routinely had nice timely cuts to get easy looks at the rim. But at the end of the day, he’s still best utilized as a spot-up shooter and only a spot-up shooter. He can’t create for himself due to a lack of a reliable handle and certainly doesn’t create for others.
There are also examples of Knecht not knowing the team’s plays and schemes, which would surely frustrate Mike Brown, who is a very detail- and execution-oriented coach.
Knecht is just 25 years old and has room to grow. If the Knicks, their coaches, and their culture get him right, the shooting and size likely give him more upside than McCullar. But don’t expect him to be a significant contributor. New York likely signed him as a project piece and a deep depth piece. It would take a whole lot for Knecht to not only enter the rotation but to stay there. And in such a circumstance, the Knicks would likely have a lot more than Knecht’s play to worry about.
That being said, it’s still an intriguing low-risk move for a player who may just have needed a change of scenery. It is unfortunate, though, to see McCullar gone given the memorable moments he’s had with this club, regardless of how infrequent they may have been.
Both the Pistons and the Heat enter this game on opposite-outcomes on Opening Night. For the Pistons, they overcame a 22-point second half deficit against the Boston Celtics to pull off a thrilling win. For the Heat, it was a 25-point loss against the Timberwolves in which they were pretty much only in the game in the first quarter.
The Timberwolves seem like a very bad matchup for the Heat with their high-level guard play that the Heat have to counter with a couple of star bigs, but not necessarily the perimeter playmakers that they need. The Pistons are seemingly a little bit better of a matchup for them with a lot more inside play.
The thing about Opening Night is that is can cause a lot of over-the-top reactions over one game. You are already hearing it for the Heat about how their bold acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo is destined to fail and they are just last year’s Milwaukee Bucks team.
This game should be a very good matchup between two teams that many expect to be near the top of the standings in the East.
Game Vitals
Where: Kaseya Center in Miami, FL When: Friday, October 23 at 8 pm EST Watch: TV 20 Detroit or DAZN Streaming Odds: Pistons (-1.5)
Analysis
In case you were living under a rock during the offseason, the Miami Heat now have Giannis Antetokounmpo and with it the task of assembling a competitive roster around one of the best players in the league. In the process of acquiring Giannis, the Heat were forced to part with a slew of depth players that kept them in the Play-In Tournament range the last couple of seasons, but obviously their goal is to rise above that now.
The only problem is that they are forced to fill out their roster with a bit of bargain bin shopping, which means they are overly reliant on players like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Klay Thompson to provide a lot of the spacing Giannis and Bam Adebayo need to work. I am not too concerned about the fit with Giannis and Bam, but it is the depth players around that that leave a little bit to be desired.
On paper, this is a pretty even matchup for the Pistons on defense since they have defenders to throw at Giannis Antetokounmpo, but it will depend on Ausar Thompson’s ability to handle a bigger player, which is probably his only weakness on defense. John Collins has the size to deal with Giannis, but he struggled to keep up with Paul George and Jayson Tatum on Opening Day and likely has the same struggles trying to keep up with Giannis. He is at least less of a threat from the perimeter, so that helps a little bit.
Bam Adebayo having the ability to stretch the floor a bit could cause problems for Jalen Duren, who does struggle to guard the perimeter. But, I wouldn’t call Bam a full-blown stretch big, as he is still going to do a lot of his damage attacking the basket. That means this is still a matchup that Jalen Duren should be able to handle.
Outside of those two, there really are not a ton of players on the Heat that I view as problematic for the Pistons. Players like Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins are solid, but as long as they don’t get hot from the perimeter, the Pistons shouldn’t have too many issues handling them. Klay Thompson can still shoot it from outside, but he is now a shell of his former self and not nearly as big of a threat to get hot and hit 9 or 10 threes like he was at his peak.
One player I would watch for just because he always seemed to have really good games against the Pistons is Bobby Portis. He has made his way to Miami in the Giannis trade and provides a solid backup big option for their Big Two, but he was also a huge Piston-killer when he was on the Bucks.
The Pistons shot 40 threes against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, which they only did seven times total last season. It will be interesting to see if that is a trend for this season or something that just happened because guys like Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green got hot from the perimeter. The Pistons’ offseason acquisitions point towards an increased emphasis on perimeter shooting, but with so many guys that can dominate the paint on the roster as well, it will be interesting to see if they continue to put up shots from the perimeter if they are not falling.
Both of these teams should be some of the better defensive teams in the league and also have guys that can dominate inside, so this game probably comes down to who can hit more shots from the perimeter.
Lineups
Detroit Pistons (1-0): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Jalen Duren
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 25: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns talks with referee Tyler Ford #39 during the second half in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 25, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Thunder defeated the Suns 121-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NBA coverage outlets have spent the last few months getting you ready for the season, focusing on additions, rotations, and who needs to step up. A majority of the attention focuses on the players, as it should. Here at Bright Side of the Sun, we like to take it to the next level. To that end, this article examines a tool for analyzing referee effects that can provide you, the viewer, a new dimension of understanding ahead of a game.
Per the NBA, official crew assignments are made around 9 am Eastern Time the day of the game. There are three roles, including a crew chief. Assignments are shown at this link:
nbastuffer.com tracks statistics about the crew members and by season, including those in process while it’s ongoing. Note, they show playoff statistics first, and sample sizes are small there, so I suggest viewing the regular season figures further down the page.
Among the more interesting are:
total points per game (an indicator of pace allowed)
total called fouls per game (level of quick whistle and foul-baiting allowance)
the mix of fouls called against the road versus home teams (bias toward or against home teams/fans)
Let’s say it’s the day of a Suns home game, and the crew is announced as Zach Zarba, Simone Jelks, and Ray Acosta. Collectively, these three call 51.4% of the fouls on the home team and 48.6% on the road team. That’s 2.8% MORE on the home team! A typical crew calls 1% more on the road team. Netting this out, that crew of three above would call almost 4% more fouls on the Suns than a typical game. That’s three more calls than typical and could make a difference when many games are close.
While the crew above averaged 39.5 fouls per game (a typical level), looking at this also gives you an idea if it’s likely to be one of those nights when foul trouble is more likely. This could be of interest, particularly if one of our two primary centers is out. Is it a night when coaches and players need to be mindful of overaggressive defense if foul totals will likely be up?
Suns fans always knew it was likely to be a problematic night if Scott Foster was refereeing a game when we had Chris Paul. Typically, we have no idea. Hopefully, this equips you with a way to get that viewing (or wagering) edge.
I trust you have been reading my series on the 17 (!) 2026 Cubs who are either free agents or who have various forms of contract options, either club or player or mutual. That series will continue through next week.
After that, during the first week of November I’ll begin my usual series on free agents who the Cubs might target. That’ll be right about when the World Series ends, and the free-agent period begins five days later.
The incoming free-agent class features scant stardom beyond [Tarik] Skubal. San Diego Padres starter Michael King and Boston Red Sox veteran Sonny Gray could also strike it big. Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena headlines a group of hitters that includes Milwaukee Brewers postseason hero Jake Bauers, two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki. At 28, Padres lefty Adrián Morejón tops the relief market. The incoming class from Nippon Professional Baseball features pitcher Hiromi Itoh, third baseman Teruaki Sato and pitcher Kaima Taira.
All might find a home before the lockout, or face a lengthy wait for the sport to resume operations. The prospect of a market compressed by a deadline is far from the union’s ideal — but the landscape beyond this winter is even harder to predict.
“I think there’s going to be more urgency,” one executive said. “And I think it could be a fun month of November, if we treat Dec. 1 like, ‘This is a deadline. So let’s get some s— done.”
The article hints that some free agents — and teams, too — might want to get some sort of deals and cost certainty before a new CBA that could put some limits on both. For example, in addition to the owners’ proposed salary cap, there’s another proposal on the table that could limit the maximum length of a contract:
In June, MLB proposed for the 2027 season a maximum contract of five years and $202 million for a free agent joining a new team. The player could sign with his current team for six years and $265 million. Compare that to what Skubal might command this winter: One executive floated a 10-year, $400 million deal as a hypothetical.
“Major League Baseball can’t stop that right now,” the executive said. “But after the lockout’s over and the settlement, it might not be possible for that guy to get that contract.”
Any deals signed before Dec. 1, under the current CBA, seem likely to be grandfathered if the payroll system has a major revamp done. That would also apply to current deals such as the 15-year, $765 million deal signed by Juan Soto with the Mets prior to the 2025 season, and any other long-term deals that go far beyond this year. Even if some sort of salary cap/floor system is agreed to — and who knows? — it will take a while to unwind all those large deals. There will have to be cap exceptions, to use an NBA term, for those sorts of contracts.
There was a feeding frenzy of sorts like this five years ago when the last CBA was up:
On Dec. 1, 2021, hours before the CBA expired, the Texas Rangers introduced their $500 middle-infield duo of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Teams were handing out nine-figure contracts across the sport: Max Scherzer received $130 million from the New York Mets. The Detroit Tigers flung $140 million at Javier Baez. Robbie Ray got $115 million from the Seattle Mariners and Kevin Gausman agreed to a $110 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
You will likely remember that the Cubs signed Marcus Stroman to a three-year, $71 million deal at that time. The deal came with two opt-outs. Stroman was pretty good the first year, not so much in 2023, then he opted out and signed with the Yankees.
Could the Cubs be part of this sort of free-agent circus, if such a thing comes to pass? You’d like to think so, at the very least to retain Seiya Suzuki, who might be the best hitter available this winter.
One thing’s for sure. There is going to be a lockout. No one from MLB has specifically said that yet, but all signs point to the sport being shut down after the deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET (10:59 p.m. CT) on Dec. 1. After that — well, as always, we await developments.
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 03: Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a second inning two-run single against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 3, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week, I wrote about the things the Colorado Rockies were doing well to follow the “Moneyball-like’ ways of the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays based on the keys to success laid out by The Athletic’s Eno Sarris. I compared the Rockies improved stolen base rate and decreased strikeout rate as evidence of the ways Colorado did better in 2026.
This week, I wanted to look at some of Sarris’ other points and see how the Rockies measure up. This time, pitching is the focus, specifically with Colorado’s use of technology and creative pitching strategies.
Everyone knows the Rockies have been late to the game in the research and development department. However, based on this framework, there is both promising news and worrisome news.
“Rays and Brewers were both early on using tech and data”
Sarris points to several innovative technology tools that capture data that have helped Milwaukee and Tampa Bay be more informed. Both organizations have been using them for several years, even a decade in some cases. The good news is that the Rockies have upped their data and tech game in the last few seasons, some of which Purple Row has covered, but they are still playing catch-up behind the Rays and Brewers.
The first tech Sarris mentions is KinaTrax, which captures biomechanics without markers. The Rays started using KinaTrax in 2015. The Rockies have only been using it since 2023 and only really optimising the data with the opening of the performance lab in 2024. Implementing systems like this throughout the farm system and at the Major-League level is a monumental undertaking. The organization has to give it time to work. Plus, having a front office and manager that didn’t embrace analytics as much as current president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and manager Warren Schaeffer do now likely delayed the maximum effectiveness of the data.
The same goes for the other technologies innovative teams are using to get the best out of their pitching staffs. The Rockies are using Edgertronic (high-speed cameras that better capture ball release out of the pitcher’s hand), Catapult, which helps with fatigue monitoring, and virtual reality to prep for games.
As Purple Row’s Renee Dechert wrote in September, the Rockies pitching coaches are using Catapult now, but the organization was one of the last teams to adopt it. Using it and learning how to use it to improve will also take time.
When it comes to virtual reality work, the Rockies should have been pioneers with the tech, considering it was developed by Chris O’Dowd, the son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd. But the tech-resistant ideology persisted long after other teams were benefiting from wearing VR. Even the performance lab was behind the timeline of most other teams. While the Rockies opened theirs in 2024, the Brewers have been utilizing theirs since 2019.
It takes the tech and the people who believe in it and know how to use it for a team to truly thrive in the analytics department. As Sarris says, “It takes great communicators to turn all that data into insights that the best coaches can use to improve their players.”
The Rockies are getting there, but they are tardy. Time will tell if the data, the communication, the coaches and the players can align and improve.
“Rays were early on using the opener and other out-of-the-box pitcher-use strategies”
Creativity is a mixed bag in MLB. As Sarris writes, the Rays have always been on the cutting edge in this area. It’s a high-risk, high-reward endeavor that can label an organization as an innovative trailblazer or as a ridiculous flop.
The Rockies found this out in 2012-13 when they embarked on the four-man rotation with 75-pitch limits. It didn’t work out so well, but neither has any kind of pitching on a consistent basis. In this way, the Rockies don’t have much to lose and, therefore, have more wiggle room to try new approaches.
In 2026, the Rockies experimented with nine openers or bullpen days. This can be hard to classify with some Colorado pitchers — like Chase Dollander, Tanner Gordon and Ryan Feltner — going back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen. The Rockies went 1-7 in those games, but it wasn’t necessarily due to pitching. The Rockies scored two or fewer runs in seven of those games, including two shutouts.
As Sarris notes, one feature teams like the Rays sometimes use is having a follower, a pitcher who enters the game after the opener and can eat up innings in the middle of the game. Some teams are finding success with using a follower on bullpen days or opener games and finding success.
The Rockies did this with Dollander early in the season. Dollander was a follower five times, pitching at least four innings in each of those appearances when he was the second arm to enter the game. As a follower, Dollander posted a 3.20 ERA in 25.1 innings. It was better than the 4.82 ERA he posted in the 18.2 innings when he wasn’t a follower or starter.
That being said, Dollander was one of the Rockies best pitchers this year before suffering his season-ending injury on May 15. So it probably wouldn’t matter when Dollander pitched because he would have been significantly better than the combined Rockies ERA of 5.59.
Conclusions
In my opinion, the Rockies don’t seem opposed to thinking outside of the box. They just don’t have the depth to do it. Whether it’s injuries or ineffectiveness, the Rockies are usually forced into pulling up prospects or signing sub-par free agents, often aging veterans who aren’t as good as they used to be. Since the Rockies already struggle so much with pitching at altitude and transitioning to and from lower elevations, they also aren’t able to attract high-level talent. This is where the failure in development is so devastating.
Perhaps if the technology and data implementations take hold, combined with the new front office and coaching regime, the Rockies recent draft picks and newer prospects will be better prepared to succeed. That could allow the organization more freedom to be creative and find ways to win in Colorado.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 29: Jonah Heim #20 of the Atlanta Braves takes the field before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Veteran backstop Jonah Heim’s stay in Atlanta was brief, but he helped the Braves temporarily bridge the gap between the team’s starting catcher and his injured handcuff.
How Acquired
The Atlanta Braves signed Heim to a big league contract on February 10, 2026, after he’d lingered on the free agent market and Sean Murphy’s recovery from late-season surgery in 2025 looked like it was going to prevent him from being ready for the start of the 2026 regular season.
What were the expectations?
Heim, who was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2023, was coming into Atlanta to be the (initial) primary back-up to reigning Rookie of the Year winner, Drake Baldwin. Heim had been a regular starter with the Texas Rangers, having played in 124 or more games for four consecutive season. His 2024 and 2025 campaigns saw his production crater: after 2.7 fWAR in 2022 and a career-high 4.0 in 2023, Heim posted marks of 0.0 and -0.4 the following two years. The decline was across the board: he both hit worse (from a 103 wRC+ in 2022-2023 to a 71 wRC+ in 2024-2025), and his once-vaunted defense fell into “truly abysmal” territory.
Projection systems ahead of the 2026 season were still splitting the difference, figuring he was something like a below-average regular, with a well-below average bat balanced by still being able to play catcher fairly well.
The Braves didn’t need him to do much else; they just needed him to hold down the fort for a while.
2026 results
Heim started 12 games behind the plate for Atlanta, giving the team a .231/.311/.410 slash line. In some ways, that was better than expected… but really, it was just the result of outhitting his xwOBA in a 45-PA sample. His .277 xwOBA as a Brave was basically the same as his .279 xwOBA in 2024-2025. While a tiny sample, he continued his trend of being rated poorly by defensive metrics, with no recovery whatsoever from the depths he started to plumb after 2023 in that regard.
Heim started intermittently for the first six weeks of the year, while Sean Muprhy was out. In a bittersweet twist of fate, he had his best game as a Brave on May 3, hitting a homer (his only homer as a Brave) and a double against the Rockies on May 3. However, Murphy was activated, and Heim ended up designated for assignment and subsequently traded to the West Sacramento Athletics for cash.
For the Braves, that ended up being fairly awkward, as Murphy ended up with another lengthy injury stint a week later, and the Braves had to make do with options that were even worse than Heim. It got even more dire when Baldwin also hit the shelf, and the catcher situation started to look like the 2021 Kevan Smith et al. disaster.
For Heim, though, things ended up similarly unfortunate, but in a more circuitous way. Heim was a semi-regular for the Athletics, logging 345 PAs in 93 games. He finished with -0.6 fWAR, a new career low, in large part due to a continued, and worsening inability to actually play the catcher position all that well. But, the way he got there was particularly painful, as he was actually hitting fairly well for his new team (105 wRC+) through the end of June, until once again falling apart down the stretch. Basically, Heim finished at a 66 wRC+, which involved a 103 wRC+ through June, and a 44 wRC+ from July-afterwards. The Braves didn’t miss aggregate-production-in-2026 Heim, but they did miss May-and-June Heim… not that it really works that way.
What went right?
Heim did manage to become an unexpected regular with the Athletics, something that probably wasn’t in the cards for him after how bad he was in 2024-2025.
His aforementioned final game with the Braves was great, and not in the stat-padding way. His homer turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, and then he added a lead-extending sacrifice fly and a two-run double, both of which came in fairly close games.
While these didn’t come with the Braves, Heim also had two epic games for his new team in the span of 11 days. On June 8, he was a big part of a barnburner against the Brewers, hitting a game-tying pinch-hit homer in the tenth (an inning the Athletics started down four runs). Then, he did it again against the Angels, this time a two-run shot in the ninth that set up a walkoff walk victory an inning later.
Another thing went right for Heim — perhaps one unexpected given his defensive issues. No one in baseball was better at gaining value via ABS: Heim’s 4.3 runs above average led MLB.
What went wrong?
Heim, a switch hitter, hit much better from the right-side in 2026 — so much so that he faced a few right-handed pitchers as a right-handed hitter. He simply couldn’t hit righties, though, which was an issue given how much playing time he got. Overall, his 2026 season was his third straight year with a drop in production. Outside of a few categories like chase rate, Heim rated poorly, bottom third or worse, in most offensive, defensive and base-running metrics according to Baseball Savant.
The real issue, though was his defense: you can tolerate a platoon-ish catcher even if he has a weak bat against right-handed pitchers. What you probably can’t tolerate is a guy who gives away runs in all three of framing, throwing, and blocking — even if he gets some of those back through his mastery of the challenge system.
Only two catchers were definitively worse at blocking than Heim in 2026. Combine that with below-average performance in framing and throwing out baserunners, and it’s a recipe for bleeding value.
Heim didn’t have a particularly bad game as a Brave: his worst WPA performance before he was sent west was an 0-for-2 against Tarik Skubal in a game the Braves won (one of his outs was a double play ball). He had many grislier performances down the stretch, but we won’t dwell on those.
2027 outlook
Heim, who will start the 2027 season at age 31, is likely in his full-time back-up portion of his career, and even that might be optimistic. Maybe his ability to hits righties rebounds… or maybe his defense does, but neither has shown any inclination of happening. He’ll likely land a job somewhere in 2027, pending the occurrence of an actual season, but if he gets an MLB deal this time, it might be the last one he gets. He’ll still be projected for above-replacement, well-below average performance, but even that seems like a tough sell given how poorly he’s played for three seasons now. Never-say-never on a return to Atlanta, but that seems doubtful.
