The search for a new head of hockey operations for the Toronto Maple Leafs continues, and word has surfaced that a franchise legend might be in the mix. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Mats Sundin is currently in Toronto to meet with the club regarding a potential role within the team’s new management structure.
Mats Sundin is in Toronto to meet with the #leafs about a potential role in the new management structure, per sources
This is not the first time Sundin has been linked to a possible increased role with the organization. The Hockey Hall of Famer attended the Leafs’ training camp in 2024, where he spent nearly a week engaging in activities that went far beyond typical alumni appearances. During that time, he traveled with the roster to an exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Following Brendan Shanahan’s departure in 2025, many believed his position might be replaced by a role that is not as involved in day-to-day roster decisions as a general manager would be. This shift comes after MLSE CEO Keith Pelley parted ways with GM Brad Treliving on March 30, 2025, following a disappointing season where the Leafs went 32-36-14 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
While Sundin typically prefers a quiet life in Sweden, he was asked about a potential return to the game when the club visited Stockholm for the 2023 Global Series. At that time, he notably did not dismiss the idea as he had in the past. Sundin’s return would bring significant goodwill to a franchise currently struggling to find its identity. Over his 18-season NHL career with the Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks, he amassed 564 goals and 785 assists across 1,346 games.
The Knicks' playoff run begins on Saturday night when they open the first round against the hot Atlanta Hawks.
Game 1 will be a feel-out process for both teams, but the Knicks will need to take care of the glass and defend the three-point line well to take early control of the series.
New York’s All-Star tandem of Brunson and Towns is a lethal one-two punch. Both are capable of carrying New York’s offense for long stretches on their own. But as we’ve learned, there is power in teamwork.
One of the largest criticisms at times is the lack of synergy they have in playing together. As this season wore on, we saw both players build chemistry and unite. Down the stretch of New York’s wins against the Hawks and the Boston Celtics last week, the Brunson and Towns two-man game hummed.
Towns has a massive physical advantage in this series. The Hawks are guarding him with center Onyeka Okongwu and beyond the 6-10 starter, there’s not many other viable defenders for Atlanta to use. They could go to Jalen Johnson or one of their wings, but Towns and the Knicks should be able to handle any defensive strategy from the Hawks.
After establishing a pick-and-roll offense that works with Brunson and Towns, it would be less than ideal to go backwards now. New York should lean into their two stars more during this run.
Control the boards
The Knicks were seventh in offensive rebound rate this season. They owe that top-10 finish almost entirely to Mitchell Robinson.
In the seven-footer’s 1,175 minutes, the Knicks collected 39.5 percent of their misses, per NBA Stats, a figure that would lead the NBA. In 2,776 minutes with Robinson on the bench, that number dropped to 29.8 percent, a more pedestrian 17th in the league.
Against this smaller Hawks lineup, the Knicks should increase Robinson’s playing time after he averaged just 19.6 minutes in 60 games.
Dec 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) grabs a rebound in the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Head coach Mike Brown might need Robinson to crack 25 minutes, a number he reached just seven times all season. That could mean more double big lineups with Robinson and Towns.
In New York’s win last week against Atlanta, the Hawks had 19 offensive caroms. So it’s not a guarantee that the Knicks will automatically outrebound the Hawks. Controlling the glass on both ends will be important to controlling the pace and slowing down Atlanta’s up-tempo offensive attack.
Contain Hawks' three-point shooters
The Knicks did not defend the three-pointer well this season, giving up the fifth-most three-point attempts to opponents per 100 possessions, and allowing teams to shoot 36.2 percent from three, 20th in the NBA.
The Hawks are dangerous on the perimeter, finishing fifth in three-point shooting percentage (37.1 percent) in the NBA this season. They have several players on the roster capable of going off.
Specifically, containing Nickeil Alexander-Walker should be a top priority for the Knicks. The Most Improved Player of the Year candidate erupted for 36 points in New York’s last game against Atlanta, knocking down seven trifectas.
Okongwu has evolved into a stretch-five. He made 37.6 percent of his threes this season. Veteran CJ McCollum is a career 37.5 percent shooter from deep, and Johnson shot a respectable 35.2 percent from behind the arc.
Most of Atlanta’s core rotation can do damage from deep. And if they knock down shots from outside, they all are capable of putting the ball on the floor and driving to the rim. With the Hawks looking to run, they will be searching for transition three-point attempts.
New York’s wing trio of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart will be relied upon to defend the perimeter better and get out to shooters to secure the win.
Boston, MA - January 26: Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday and Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown greet each other before the game. The Boston Celtics played the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden on January 26, 2026. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
BOSTON — Jrue Holiday’s two-year tenure in Boston technically ended in May. After he was traded from the Celtics to the Trail Blazers, Jrue and his wife, Lauren, packed up their family and moved to Portland, where the two-time NBA champion would join a younger, up-and-coming squad hoping to punch their first ticket to the playoffs since 2021 (spoiler alert: on Tuesday, they did just that).
But, though they physically left the city last summer, the Holidays’ off-court impact in Boston hasn’t waned. In fact, their philanthropic collaboration with Jaylen Brown — which started a year and a half ago — is only growing.
How Jrue Holiday impacted Boston in two years
Holiday only spent two years in Boston, but it’s hard to describe his stint as anything other than a massive success. After earning All-Defensive honors and shooting a career-high 42.9% from three in the Celtics’ title year, he served as a pivotal part of the dominant 2024 championship run, responsible for key steals and defensive stops.
But off the court, his impact in the city extended even deeper than his on-court play, though much of his philanthropic involvement flew under the radar. Just a few months after the successful title run, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Lauren Holiday together launched the Boston Creator Accelerator, an incubator aimed at supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in the Greater Boston Area.
The Accelerator provided 10 creators with monetary grants totaling $1 million — as well as mentorship, resources, and direct access to Brown and the Holidays.
Year 1 of the partnership was an undeniable success. The Boston Creator Accelerator invested in ten startups, including the: Future Master Chess Academy, a chess academy for underserved communities that focuses on lifelong skills; Little Cocoa Bean Company, a cafe that creates culturally diverse and nutritious food for toddlers and kids; PYNRS, a streetwear-inspired performance running apparel company, and Everybody Gotta Eat, a food culture and catering company, among others.
Brown, who launched Boston XChange last season in hopes of supporting entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities, was thrilled to collaborate with the Holidays.
“Sometimes, you’re asking other guys, they’ve been advised not to be involved because of whatever reason, I don’t know,” Brown said last season. “But Jrue and Lauren Holiday are great people. They’ve been doing this everywhere they go.”
It’s true: The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Foundation has operated in five cities since its launch in 2020: Los Angeles (Jrue’s hometown), Indianapolis (Lauren’s hometown), New Orleans (where Jrue played for seven years), Milwaukee (where Jrue won his first NBA title), and, now, in Boston.
In its first four years, the fund awarded grants of $25,000 to $50,000 to more than 150 Black-owned businesses and charities, while providing mentorship and resources that oftentimes far exceeded the financial support. Since launching, the monetary investment and hands-on support have continued to grow.
Though Jrue Holiday now lives in Portland, he’s investing in yet another Boston Accelerator Fund co-hort
For Lawyer Times, a lifelong chess player and instructor who had doubled as a post office worker for more than 40 years, the financial investment allowed him to retire from his day job and go all-in on the Future Masters Chess Academy. Lawyer’s wife, Angela, credits Brown and the Holidays for their unwavering belief in the vision.
“The Holidays have such a giving spirit,” Angela Times said. “They just want to create community and bring people together.”
Since joining the Boston Creator Accelerator, the Academy’s annual revenue increased from $50,000 to $300,000, said Renee King, who helps lead the Jrue and Lauren Holiday Fund.
“They all attribute it to the training the village that was wrapped around them, with the resources from all of the partners,” King said.
The initial cohort’s success has compelled Brown and the Holidays to bring in an additional cohort for Year 2. With the playoffs around the corner, they’re together investing another $1 million into ten businesses, with applications closing on April 21st.
Urina Harrell, the CEO of Vox Pop Branding, has long worked on the marketing side of the JLH Fund.
“This is a true partnership between the JLH Fund and the Boston XChange,” she said.
King said that Jrue and Lauren never considered ending their investment in the Boston community just because he was traded.
“Their ethos has always been any city that we are, that we’ve inducted into the JLH, we’re still locked into those cities, regardless of if they’re there to play,” King said. “They’re just used to the fact of like, this is what they were put here for, right? They come in, they touch lives, and then they go; they get pulled to another place, to do the same. We were still going to be locked in on Boston.”
Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown have influenced lawmakers on Capitol Hill
The Boston Creator Accelerator could have ramifications that extend far beyond the city; the start-up has also helped inform a new piece of legislation that is pending in Congress, the SPARK Act to Supercharge Minority Entrepreneurship Nationwide. The bill, introduced in February, is meant to spur entrepreneurship and increase access to capital and resources for underserved entrepreneurs nationwide.
“Yes, this is a great pilot. But, the work that’s being done here is being used to shape policy, and we know once we shape policy, then that’s the bigger ripple effect, right?” King said. “Like, we can help more people, because that’s the goal. The goal is to have more people coming together to help more businesses that are creating solutions that all of our entire world needs.”
For now, Boston will continue to benefit from the athletes’ private investment. And, King said it’s been a wonderful city to work in, in large part because of how collaborative the partners that Brown and the Holidays have brought in have been. That list includes
“You have so many folks who are just willing to work together, from government, private institutions, the athletes — it was a very good ethos,” King said. “It was a great place for this pilot to launch, to grow it, because you had so many things within that space that you could pull together. And the energy from everyone, the community around pulling it together was really great.”
Applications close on April 21st, and interested entrepreneurs can apply here.
“We’re looking forward to adding more people to the family,” King said.
The Trail Blazers’ playoff run begins on Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs. As the team’s fourth-leading scorer, Holiday will be a crucial part of the team’s upset chances. Across the country, the Celtics begin their playoff run the very same day.
But Jrue Holiday and the city of Boston will forever be linked — even if the Hall of Fame guard never again dons Celtics green.
“Once you’re in the family, you’re always in the family,” King said. “That’s literally the ethos.”
Opening round series can often be duds in the NBA Playoffs. This Round 1 pairing of the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers can be something better.
Game 1 of what should be a very tight series tips off in Cleveland on Saturday, and I’ve got a same-game parlay that draws options from interesting situations and circumstances for both teams.
Here are my best Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks on April 18.
Our best Raptors vs Cavaliers SGP for Game 1
The Cleveland Cavaliers draw first blood at home against a Toronto Raptors team that has been cursed in the opening contest of the playoff series. The Raptors are 4-12 SU in Game 1 outings since 2014. Cleveland has the inside-out scoring and tightens the bolts on defense when it has to.
Not all fans may be familiar with the Cavaliers’ Dean Wade. However, the 6-foot-9 forward plays an important role in how Cleveland will defend Toronto. He’s expected to jump into the starting lineup and log more minutes than his standard 21 per game.
When Wade gets 25+ minutes of floor time, his rebounding rate soars over five boards per game.
Scottie Barnes will draw plenty of touches for Toronto, especially if point guard Immanuel Quickley is limited (questionable). When he went down in March, Barnes became the Raptors’ primary ball handler, and his assist production spiked.
He’s dished out seven or more dimes in eight of his past dozen outings.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
It’s a jam-packed 15-game slate across the majors today, and I’ve dug deep to find the top MLB player props. I’ll include CJ Abrams, Andy Pages, and Yordan Alvarez.
CJ Abrams is off to a red-hot start this season. He’s hitting .371 in 18 games with six home runs and 19 RBI, which ranks second in the big leagues.
The youngster has collected an RBI in three of his last five contests, and the Washington Nationals will face San Francisco Giants righty Logan Webb tonight.
Webb has struggled out of the gates, posting a 5.25 ERA so far. While Abrams is just 2-for-14 lifetime against Webb, he’s driven in two runs.
Webb gave up four earned runs last time out, and Abrams is the engine of this Nats offense. Eight of his RBI have come at home as well.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSBA, Nationals.TV
Andy Pages 1+ runs (-110)
Andy Pages has been one of the biggest surprises of this young season so far. He leads the MLB in batting average, hits, and RBI.
The Cuban-born outfielder has been coming across the plate himself a lot more lately, however, recording a run in two of his last three games. Pages has five hits across his last five appearances as well.
He’s putting himself in a great position to let his teammates do their thing and drive him in. Pages and the Los Angeles Dodgers are at Coors Field tonight taking on the Colorado Rockies. L.A. is hitting .283 with RISP.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNLA, Rockies.TV
Yordan Alvarez 1+ runs (-150)
A healthy Yordan Alvarez is simply good for the game. The slugger is a force to be reckoned with offensively, and he’s doing it all right now. He’s hitting .328 with seven homers, 18 RBI, and 16 runs.
Alvarez has come across the plate four times over the last three games. The Cuban also has four hits during that span, and he’s up against Kyle Leahy of the St. Louis Cardinals tonight. Alvarez is 2-for-2 lifetime vs. Leahy with two hits.
The Astros are also batting .264 with RISP.
Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Cardinals.TV, SCHN
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Andre Drummond #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers grabs the rebound during the game against the Orlando Magic during the SoFi Play-In Tournament on April 15, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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
Before their matchup with Orlando, I had wondered who the unsung hero of the game would be for the Sixers if they pulled this one out. I would’ve not guessed Andre Drummond, who, to be frank, infuriated me throughout the season whenever he was on the court. That wasn’t the case at all on Wednesday.
Joel Embiid was sidelined and Adem Bona got the nod as starting center, but Drummond played 31 minutes, totaling 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and three steals. He stuffed the box score! The 32-year-old Drummond brought a level of physicality that the Sixers desperately needed against an opponent like Orlando. The Sixers don’t win that game without him delivering that level of performance.
The two threes he made during the game that made the Sixers faithful erupt at the arena? Those were the highlights of the evening.
Tyrese Maxey debuted his new signature New Balance sneakers in the win
Maxey, donning the Sixers’ black throwback uniforms on Wednesday, had the perfect sneakers to match with his new New Balances:
My wife would kick me out of the house if I bought another pair of sneakers, but these look like perfect summer footwear for bopping around the city.
Per GQ, the sneakers will release later this year for $130.
Paul George needs to hit another gear, but I’m not sure he still has one
Paul George, who would turn 36 the day of a potential Sixers-Celtics Game 7, was 6-of-16 from the field and 1-of-6 from deep on Wednesday. The Play-In was his 11th game since returning from a 25-game anti-drug policy suspension. He needs to be better than that if the Sixers are to have even a puncher’s chance against Boston, particularly with Embiid’s timeline to getting back unknown as he recovers from surgery for appendicitis.
I always thought the “Playoff P” nickname was a bit of a misnomer for a guy, in the middle of his 16th pro season, who’s never reached the NBA Finals, but if he was ever going to live up that billing in its true form, it needs to be now.
‘We want Boston!’
As the Sixers inched closer to victory over Orlando, “We want Boston!” chants broke out at Xfinity Mobile Arena:
Famous last words? I respect the energy from our fan base even though I’m sure people online will clown us in the event that the Celtics make quick work of the Sixers over the next week-plus.
A Sixers-Celtics prediction…
Celtics in five, sadly. Am I a coward for not at least tricking myself into hoping and dreaming of an unprecedented upset given the talent disparity and the specific opponent? Maybe! I’ll still be rooting like hell either way.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 4: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks to drive against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter at Ball Arena on April 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA playoffs are finally upon us, and that means one thing: it’s time to place every team in arbitrary tiers made by yours truly.
First, we need to reiterate one thing. In any given year, only a handful of teams have legitimate shots at the title, as history’s shown that teams need a player good enough to go down as a top-35(ish) all-time great, along with an All-NBA level sidekick. This year, only three squads meet those thresholds: the Thunder, Spurs, and Nuggets.
However, since all of those juggernauts play in the West, we also need to factor in the path to the title for every team. That’s why the East’s best, Boston, are lumped in as a title contender, while the Wolves are in a tier with some lesser teams.
As usual, let’s start at the top.
The favorite: Thunder
OKC was going to be the favorite no matter what, and the only question that remained was who they needed to beat to repeat as champs. Well, after the Spurs’ loss to Denver in the final regular season game, the Thunder officially have a Mickey Mouse path to the Conference Finals, as they’ll only need to go through a poor play-in team and either the Burnergate Rockets or a hobbled Luka-led Lakers.
Given their bye to the semis, I think the title is essentially a coin toss between the Thunder and the entire field. OKC remains the deepest team in the league with arguably the best player too, and they went 64-18 while prioritizing health for 2/3 of the season. All the underlying metrics point to the Thunder being a historically great team, with a +11.9 net rating on the back of a ludicrous 107.3 DRTG, and they could’ve flirted with 70 wins if the regular season was a priority. OKC’s potential flaw is the lack of a second offensive option, as JDub has been injured all year and has not played at the level he did last postseason. I’d bet on the Thunder winning if JDub is at 90% of his usual level, but if that can’t happen, then the title race could be more open than expected.
Legitimate title contenders: Spurs, Nuggets, Celtics
The Spurs could’ve had the same Mickey Mouse path to the Conference Finals that the Thunder do had they taken care of business against Denver last week. Instead, they’re now facing a potential gauntlet with the Nuggets on their side of the bracket and OKC waiting in the third round, if they even make it that far. I was seriously contemplating picking San Antonio to win it all had they beaten Denver’s C-team, and they’re still talented enough to do it, but a more realistic scenario is a competitive loss to the Nuggets or Thunder before heading into next year as one of the favorites — similar to OKC in 2024.
Denver, meanwhile, was my preseason title pick, and their ceiling remains high enough for that to happen. The Nuggets’ 122.5 ORTG is the best ever, and that number exceeds 130 when both Jokic and Murray play. However, their 117.5 DRTG is also 21st in the league, and Peyton Watson is still recovering from a calf strain. Denver’s recipe to the finals is rediscovering their early-season form, especially on defense. The Nuggets were a top 5 defensive team for roughly the first 20 games of the year, and while a lot of that was due to shooting luck, they passed the eye test with flying colors. If they can get back to that level and keep Aaron Gordon healthy, Denver is on par with OKC, but they’ll also need to beat the Spurs first to reach the defending champs.
Boston, meanwhile, isn’t in the same realm as the other teams, but they have a much easier path to the finals. Neither of the Jays are on the level of a Shai, Wemby, or Jokic, and yet, the Celtics’ championship DNA and coaching means that they’ve got a shot at beating any of those teams — especially if the West’s representative is beat up from the wars they’ll wage.
Finals contenders: Knicks, Pistons
Even though Boston is listed in a tier above, I wouldn’t pick them over the entire East field. Both the Knicks and Pistons have the talent to make it to the finals, with the only difference being that neither team seem capable of beating any of the West’s juggernauts. Still, New York and Detroit are two of just six teams with both a top-10 offense and defense, and credit should be given to their respective bigs.
KAT has improved his defense drastically in the last third of the season and shouldn’t be considered a liability if he keeps up his current play. On the other end, Jalen Duren averaged 23/10 when Cade was out with his collapsed lung, giving the Pistons a potential second scoring option good enough to get through the East.
I still expect Boston to get to the finals, but both the Knicks and Pistons can make things very interesting.
The fraud: Cavaliers
If you still believe in the Cavs, I really don’t know what to say. They’ve turned into Clippers East and will inevitably flame out as usual.
Since the Harden trade, Cleveland has the fourth-best offense (121.4) but the 13th-ranked net rating (+4.5) and 18th-ranked defense (116.9). They went 21-9 with an extremely easy schedule and had trouble blowing out tankers due to their defense. If the Cavs don’t get upset by Toronto in the first round, then they’ll be out-toughed by the Pistons in the second. Just look at how their 2023 series against the Knicks went.
I truly wish Cavs fans the best of luck, but don’t be surprised when Mitchell gets banged up, the team gets outrebounded by 100, and Harden goes 2/11 in another elimination game.
As back-to-back Western Finalists, the Wolves deserve a better fate than this. Unfortunately, their path to the finals includes facing the Nuggets in round 1, and potentially the Spurs and Thunder in rounds 2 and 3. Moreover, this is a team that has a negative net rating since February, and Ant and McDaniels are just returning from injury. I would be shocked if they took Denver to a game 7, let alone win.
Atlanta has been one of the five best teams for almost two months now, and they will be a difficult test for the Knicks. Yes, they had a cupcake schedule during their winning streak, but the Hawks continued dominating until the end of the season, finishing the year 16-5 with a +12 net rating, good for third in the league during that span.
The Hornets, meanwhile, still need to beat the “PB no J” Magic, and assuming they do, have a real shot at upsetting Detroit too. This Charlotte team is a 50-win team hiding in plain sight, as they have one of the five best records in the league since the new year (33-16) with the second-best net rating at +11.2 — three points better than Detroit.
Lastly, Toronto’s placement here says as much about the Cavs as it does the Raptors, but they also had a better net rating (+6.0) than Cleveland since the Harden trade, while placing top 10 in both offense and defense during that span. Even if they beat the Cavs, I expect a relatively uncompetitive series against Detroit/Charlotte in round 2.
Thunder fodder: Lakers, Rockets
Do we even need to elaborate? The Lakers virtually have no shot against Houston with Luka still sidelined, and Houston was the team everyone wanted to play due to their anemic offense and shocking chemistry issues with getoffmy KD. Moreover, the winner will face a rested OKC team that’ll likely sweep their first-round matchup with Shai sitting every fourth quarter.
There’s always next year, though! I heard a certain Kalshi ambassador might be available.
Truly the circle of sadness, none of these teams have a shot at winning any first-round series. Still, many of them will be worth watching for the entertainment value. I’d love to see some Steph magic (sorry Phoenix) for perhaps the final time in the playoffs, and Portland could give the Spurs some trouble with their physicality and size against Wemby.
In the East, Philly vs Boston is a classic rivalry, and Embiid hasn’t been ruled out of the series yet. As for Orlando, well, can their season just end already? The Hornets are a much more entertaining team, anyway.
Finals prediction: Thunder over Celtics in 6
Interestingly, I chose this matchup last season too, and only half of that came true. I’m not as confident this year due to the wildcards in the East, and it hinges heavily on how large a load Tatum can handle. In 16 games, The Plagiarizer averaged 21.8/10/5.3 on 41/33/82 splits, looking like 85% of his usual self. More importantly, Tatum ramped his minutes up to 36.2 over five games in April, scoring over 20 points in every contest. It remains to be seen if he’s able to guard opposing bigs again, but regardless, the Celtics have the best combination of toughness, playoff pedigree, and matchup versatility in the East.
OKC’s path has already been laid out. It’ll be shocking if they dropped more than two games in the opening two rounds, and could meet an extremely banged-up Spurs/Nuggets team coming off a 7-game war. With that said, San Antonio has a unique matchup advantage over the Thunder, and if Denver gets past them, it could be a sign that they’ve regained their early-season form. OKC will be challenged and pushed to the brink, but I’m still confident in their ability to be the first back-to-back champs since the dynastic Warriors.
Players who may have served a minimal support role during the regular season can suddenly become pillars of NBA Playoffs strategy. It can take our Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions to strange and unknown places, like Cleveland forward Dean Wade.
My NBA picks like Wade to get after it on the glass in Game 1 on Saturday, April 18. This one tips off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 1 prediction
Who will win Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 1?
Cavaliers: The Cleveland Cavaliers are sizable home favorites for Game 1 on Saturday. Cleveland has great inside-out scoring and finished the season among the better offenses. Defense has been the biggest blemish for the Cavs. That said, the team seems to find another gear on that end of the floor against top-tier offenses and will be able to lock up a limited Toronto Raptors attack.
Raptors vs Cavaliers best bet: Dean Wade Over 3.5 rebounds (-125)
According to what team analysts believe, Atkinson will go with size as his best option, rolling out 6-foot-9 forward Dean Wade alongside Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. This gives Cleveland a long and interchangeable defense-first lineup, with Wade able to counter Ingram’s perimeter play.
Not only is Wade a great defender, but he’s also counted on to clean the glass. He’s averaged 4.3 rebounds since the All-Star break with 8.6 rebounding chances per contest. He’s collected at least four boards in 15 of his last 24 outings.
Wade averaged around 21 minutes per game but was limited at the end of the year after injuring his ankle. With time to heal and an increased role, his rebound rate will soar on Saturday.
Wade has logged 25 or more minutes in just 24 of his 59 games. But when he draws that floor time, he averages more than five rebounds and has snatched up four or more boards in 18 of those 24 showings.
The rebounding chances will be there, considering the Cavaliers can put this Toronto transition attack in sand and force the Raptors to play a half-court game. Cleveland gives up the sixth-lowest points per play to transition offenses and doesn’t budge for easy looks inside, with the fifth-lowest points in the paint allowed.
Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 1 same-game parlay
The Cavaliers slow down the Raptors' attack and force them into a half-court contest, plugging up the interior with their defensive length. Toronto isn’t a great perimeter team and will struggle to counter the triples from James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.
Scottie Barnes carries the weight for this Toronto team, especially if point guard Immanuel Quickley is limited. He missed time with foot and hamstring ailments, leaving Barnes as the primary ball handler and sparking a surge in his assists. Quickley is questionable, and Barnes will have plenty of touches in Game 1.
Raptors vs Cavaliers SGP
Cleveland moneyline
Dean Wade Over 3.5 rebounds
Scottie Barnes Over 6.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Deep thoughts
With the Cavs defense pushing Toronto to the perimeter, Ingram is forced to take and make triples to keep pace with Cleveland’s combo of Harden and Mitchell. Both sharpshooters are projected for at least three triples in Game 1.
Raptors vs Cavaliers SGP
Cavaliers -8
Brandon Ingram Over 1.5 made threes
James Harden Over 2.5 made threes
Donovan Mitchell Over 2.5 made threes
Raptors vs Cavaliers odds for Game 1
Spread: Raptors +8 | Cavaliers -8
Moneyline: Raptors +290 | Cavaliers -370
Over/Under: Over 221 | Under 221
Raptors vs Cavaliers betting trend to know
The Raptors are 4-12 SU and ATS in Game 1 of a playoff series going back to the 2014 postseason. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Cavaliers.
How to watch Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 1
Location
Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Tip-off
1:00 p.m. ET
TV
Prime Video, TSN4
Raptors vs Cavaliers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 14: Jaden McDaniels #3, Anthony Edwards #5, and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves look on during the game against the Golden State Warriors during Round 2 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on May 14, 2025 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After an 82-game grind that at various points felt like a thriller, a slog, a dark comedy, and a group therapy exercise for everyone invested in Minnesota basketball, the Timberwolves have arrived exactly where they finished a year ago: the Western Conference’s sixth seed. On paper, that sounds almost boring. Same slot, same franchise trying to push through the same door for a third straight spring. But anyone who has watched this team closely knows there is nothing copy-and-paste about the situation the Timberwolves are walking into now.
Last year, the sixth seed felt a little like a gift basket. The Wolves drew a Los Angeles Lakers team that was trying to figure itself out, wrestling with new pieces, lacking real depth, and most importantly, vulnerable to the exact kind of physical, frontcourt-heavy pressure Minnesota wanted to apply. This time around, there is no such soft landing. There is no confused opponent trying to assemble the plane while already in the air. Instead, waiting on the other side is Nikola Jokic, the best player on the planet, and a Denver Nuggets team that looks more stable, deeper, and frankly nastier than the version Minnesota regular-season swept a year ago.
This formidable first-round matchup is the fitting punishment for a team that failed to meet the lofty expectations thrust upon them this season. Minnesota flirted with being a top-tier Western Conference team. They briefly put a hand on the three seed. They spent stretches looking like they might finally seize control of their own destiny. And then, like they did far too many times this season, they let go of the rope.
Now, to be fair, the Wolves did not exactly limp into the postseason in disgrace. They had injuries. They had guys rotating in and out. They had Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels miss time. They had all the usual wear and tear that comes when you’ve gone to the Western Conference Finals two years in a row and are trying to keep a veteran-heavy, expectation-heavy team alive through another 82-game marathon. But they also had too many nights where the problem wasn’t health or fatigue or roster construction. The problem was that they just didn’t show up with enough seriousness.
That is the tension hanging over this series.
Because if you are looking for reasons to believe in Minnesota, there are plenty. This team has been to back-to-back Western Conference Finals. It has playoff scar tissue. It has a real star in Edwards. It has size. It has defensive versatility. It has a deeper roster than this franchise has almost ever had. And perhaps most importantly, it has actual lived experience against Denver. They know what Jokić looks like over a seven-game series. They know what the Denver crowd feels like when things start rolling downhill. They know the physical toll, the emotional swings, and the pressure that comes with a series this massive.
They also know they can beat Denver.
That matters.
There are only a handful of teams in the league that can say that with a straight face. Minnesota is one of them. They went toe-to-toe with Denver before. They took them seven and lived to tell the tale. They’ve matched up well historically. Even in a season where the Wolves never quite found the same down-the-stretch cohesion they had a year ago, there remains a real belief that this is not some impossible draw. Difficult? Absolutely. Brutal? Without question. But impossible? No.
Still, belief and reality are not always on speaking terms in April.
The reality is that the Nuggets did not spend the past few months standing still. After taking a step back from their 2023 title peak and bowing out in the semifinal round in consecutive postseasons, Denver responded the way smart, motivated contenders usually do: they got sharper. The front office instability and the Mike Malone firing might have created a little drama, but it also pushed the organization to recalibrate. They brought in Cam Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas. They brought back Bruce Brown. This is not a team waiting to be exposed. This is a team that looks like it spent the year quietly taking notes.
That is why the Wolves cannot treat this like 2024’s sequel.
It is not enough to show up and expect that the old script will still work. This is not a series they can win by playing B-plus basketball and hoping Denver blinks first. Minnesota is going to have to be at or near its best. That phrase gets thrown around too loosely in sports writing, but here it actually applies. If the Wolves are going to move on past the first round for a third straight year, and only the fourth time in franchise history, they are going to need the best possible version of themselves. Not the version that sleepwalks through random regular-season Tuesdays. Not the version that gives away fourth quarters like unwanted coupons. Not the version that thinks it can flip the switch in the final five minutes and survive. The real version. The dangerous version. The one that has spent the last two postseasons convincing everyone this franchise is not just a cute story anymore.
And maybe, if you want to search for a silver lining, there is one.
For all the frustration of the final few weeks, for all the injuries and lineup juggling and weird late-season sputtering, the Wolves should be walking into this series relatively fresh. Edwards, Randle, McDaniels, and Gobert have all effectively been on reduced mileage programs over the past two weeks. They are not entering this series like a team that has been redlining into the finish line. Against Denver, where the series is likely to be a bar fight stretched across two weeks, freshness matters. They need their apex Timberwolves.
That is really what this series comes down to. This team has title aspirations, or at least it has been carrying itself like a team that wants to pretend it does. And title aspirations are not just about surviving the first round. They are about proving that beating Denver is not some one-off act of defiance from two years ago, not some piece of franchise folklore that gets dragged out every April like an old VHS tape. It is about showing that the Wolves can still play with championship pressure on their shoulders and not flinch. It is about getting back to the Western Conference Finals and, for the first time in franchise history, pushing beyond it.
That is the challenge. That is the opportunity. And that is why this series feels so massive.
Because if you strip away the standings drama, the regular-season wobbling, the what-if games they donated over the winter, and the endless debates over seeding, this is where the season was always headed. Toward a real opponent, a real test, and a real answer. Can the Wolves finally take all of that talent, all of that postseason experience, all of that maddeningly inconsistent regular-season potential, and turn it into four wins against the best player in basketball and a team built to maximize him?
And with that in mind, here is what has to happen for the Timberwolves’ core players if Minnesota is going to survive this first-round war and keep the bigger dream alive.
Anthony Edwards: The Series Has to Bend to Him
If the Timberwolves are going to beat Denver, it starts with Anthony Edwards playing like the best player in the series.
That is a huge ask when Nikola Jokic exists. It is also the reality.
Hopefully this week off has done for Ant what it looked like it desperately needed to do, which is get his body right, get his legs back under him, and get him back to looking like the version of himself that can tilt an entire playoff series with force, shot-making, and swagger. But, and this is the key part, it cannot be empty-calorie hero ball.
That is the trap with Ant sometimes, and it is a trap that feels especially tempting in a series like this, where the stakes are high, the opponent is elite, and your star naturally wants to grab the game by the throat. There will absolutely be moments where that is needed. Late clock. Final two minutes. Series swinging in the balance. Of course you want Anthony Edwards taking those shots. He has proven over and over again that he can hit the dagger, that he can rise into a jumper with two defenders draped all over him and somehow make it feel inevitable. Those moments are his. That is part of what makes him special.
But for the other 47 minutes and 30 seconds, this has to be a series where Ant operates within the flow of the offense and uses his gravity like the superpower that it is. Denver is going to load up on him. They are going to try to wall off driving lanes and force him into difficult, high-degree-of-difficulty jumpers. The counter to that is not just to take even harder shots and try to out-alpha the problem. The counter is to weaponize everything, the three ball, the mid-range, and the downhill attacks. But also the playmaking. He needs to be the guy who doesn’t just score 32, but who creates six or seven other baskets because Denver is so terrified of him getting to his spots.
It has been joked about for years now that Anthony Edwards is secretly Michael Jordan’s son. Cute joke. Fun meme. But if there is ever a time to lean fully into the MJ mythology, the killer instinct, the refusal to blink, the sense that the moment belongs to you because you said so, this is it.
The Wolves do not need Ant to impersonate Jordan stylistically. They need him to channel that mentality, that ruthless understanding that great teams do not advance because their best player had a nice statistical series. They advance because their best player imposed his will on everything around him.
That is the bar.
Julius Randle
There may not be a more polarizing player on this roster than Julius Randle, and honestly, that is pretty understandable. When you are the main incoming piece in the trade that shipped out Karl-Anthony Towns, a franchise pillar and beloved player, you are never walking into a neutral room.
The tricky part with Randle is that his game almost invites that emotional volatility. When he is bad, he is loudly bad. The ball sticks. The offense bogs down. He dribbles the air out of the possession, lowers his shoulder into traffic, and suddenly you are staring at a forced miss or a live-ball turnover while everyone else stands around watching. Defensively, he can drift. He can have possessions where he looks fully engaged followed by possessions where he appears to be operating under the assumption that someone else will handle it.
That is the frustrating version. The one that makes you yell at your television and start fantasizing about alternate trade constructions.
But when Julius is right, when he is locked in and forceful and fully engaged, he becomes one of the most valuable players on the team because he gives Minnesota something very few guys on the roster can: self-created offense with real force behind it.
Against Denver, there is real value in having a player who can bully his way into the paint, who can create a decent look out of a broken possession, and who can absorb contact and still finish. The Wolves are going to need that bruising version of Julius. Because this is not a finesse series. This is not a spread-you-out-and-jack-40-threes series. This is a weight-bearing series. A leverage series. A series where size and force have to matter.
Even that is not the full version of what Minnesota needs. Because the best playoff Julius is not just the bully-ball Julius. It is also the facilitator Julius.
It is the version who draws two defenders into the lane, keeps his head up, and sprays the ball out to open shooters instead of forcing some impossible interior contortion act. The Wolves need him reading the floor, finding cutters, kicking out to Ant, Dante, Jaden, and everybody else when the defense loads up. When Randle is doing that, both scoring and orchestrating, the offense takes on a completely different shape.
Minnesota also needs him to be credible from three. When he takes those shots, they need to matter. They need to go in often enough to punish Denver for cheating off him. They need to keep the spacing real. If Randle is bricking wide-open threes and drifting through defensive possessions, this gets ugly. If he is knocking them down efficiently and playing engaged basketball on both ends, this gets a whole lot more manageable.
We have already seen what playoff Julius can look like when everything is aligned. Last year against the Lakers and Warriors, he was a player who didn’t just support the stars but occasionally looked like one himself. That version changed the geometry of the floor.
The Wolves need that guy again.
Rudy Gobert
No player on the Wolves has drawn a more difficult, more essential, or more exhausting first-round assignment than Rudy Gobert.
Rudy is the center of gravity here because Jokic is the center of gravity over there. That is the matchup. That is the series. Everything else branches off from that central problem.
Gobert is the only player on Minnesota’s roster with the size, discipline, and defensive instincts to take the first punch from Jokic and keep getting back up. That does not mean he will stop him. Nobody stops him. Rudy’s purpose is to make every decision harder, every pass a beat slower, every look a little more annoying, every rebound a little more physical.
We saw these two go to war in the 2024 semifinals, and yes, Gobert did not do it alone. He had Karl-Anthony Towns. He had Naz Reid. He had wave after wave of bodies helping wear Jokic down. That will be true again here. This is going to take all three of Minnesota’s bigs, maybe even more if foul trouble becomes a thing. But Rudy is still the center of the strategy.
To do that, Gobert has to be both aggressive and smart. The Wolves cannot afford foul-trouble Rudy. They cannot afford the version that gets baited into cheap whistles or overcommits on a possession and suddenly finds himself on the bench while Jokic takes a breather from the hardest part of his night. Rudy has to pick his spots. He has to stay disciplined.
He also has to dominate the glass.
Denver cannot be allowed to feast on second chances. The Wolves cannot survive a series where they defend for 18 or 20 solid seconds and then let Jokic or Valanciunas or some cutting wing grab the rebound and restart the torture chamber. Gobert has to be there cleaning everything up, ending possessions, denying extra life, and making Minnesota’s defense feel finished rather than unfinished.
Then there is the offensive side, which matters more than people like to admit.
The Wolves need high-efficiency Rudy. They need the version who catches lobs cleanly, who has ready hands in traffic, who puts back misses, who punishes Denver when they rotate too aggressively toward Ant or Randle. Against a team as smart as Denver, wasted easy points become haunting points. Gobert has to make Denver pay when they concede space behind the play.
When Rudy is truly locked in, he is not just a rim deterrent. He is a possession finisher. He keeps the defense anchored and the offense moving. He makes the Wolves feel bigger, meaner, more stable. We saw it in Game 5 against the Lakers last year, when he more or less reached into that series and pulled the Lakers’ soul out through their rib cage. The Wolves need that version of him now more than ever.
Jaden McDaniels
Defensively, McDaniels’ assignment is about as serious as it gets. He’s going to spend long stretches chasing Jamal Murray and trying to disrupt the rhythm of one of the most dangerous playoff guards in basketball. He’ll also have his hands full at times with players like Cam Johnson and Bruce Brown.
But here’s the part that matters just as much: offense.
The Wolves don’t need Corner-Spectator McDaniels. They need the aggressive version, the one who attacks closeouts, gets downhill, and lives in that deadly mid-range/paint area where he’s quietly one of the most efficient players on the roster. When McDaniels is scoring 15–18 points on high-percentage looks, the offense unlocks.
This has to be a two-way series for Jaden. If he brings both ends, the defensive menace and the opportunistic scorer, he becomes the kind of player Denver has to account for on every possession. That’s when things start to tilt.
Donte DiVincenzo
You already know what you’re getting from Donte in terms of effort. That’s not the question. He’s going to dive on the floor, chase loose balls, and generally play like a guy who thinks every possession is a schoolyard brawl. That part is locked in.
What isn’t always locked in, and what will define his impact in this series, is the shooting.
This Wolves team, for better or worse, is still heavily tied to the three-point line. When the shots fall, they look borderline unstoppable. When they don’t, things fall apart…. quickly. Donte sits right in the middle of that equation. He’s one of the purest shooters on the roster, but he’s also prone to the kind of streakiness that can swing a game, or a series, in either direction.
Minnesota doesn’t need him to go nuclear every night, but they do need consistency. If Donte can hit at a high clip, punish rotations, and make Denver pay for helping off him, he becomes the kind of connective piece that keeps the offense humming. If he goes cold for long stretches, it puts even more pressure on Ant and Randle to manufacture everything.
Ayo Dosunmu
The Wolves spent most of the season trying to solve their point guard situation like it was a puzzle missing two or three pieces. Then Tim Connelly swooped in at the deadline and brought in Ayo Dosunmu, giving the team something it had been lacking: juice.
Ayo changes the tempo. He gets the Wolves out of half-court mud and into transition opportunities where things are simpler and cleaner. His ability to speed things up is incredibly valuable.
And then there’s the sneaky part: the shooting. He’s not a volume bomber, but he’s absurdly efficient when he does let it fly. If Ayo is knocking down open threes, he becomes a real problem because now you have to guard him honestly, and once that happens, his driving lanes open up, his playmaking improves, and suddenly he’s dictating possessions instead of just participating in them.
He doesn’t have to be the star of the series. But if he consistently tilts the pace and hits timely shots, he would instantly put his name in the running for the best trade deadline acquisition of the season.
Naz Reid
Naz Reid is the definition of a “what version are we getting tonight?” player, and in a series like this, that unpredictability can either be a problem or a weapon.
At his best, Naz is a nightmare matchup. He stretches the floor. He can score inside and out. He brings energy off the bench that changes the feel of the game. And most importantly, he gives the Wolves a third big body to throw at Jokic, which is absolutely essential over the course of a seven-game series.
At his worst, especially when the shoulder has been bothering him, he can look a step slow, a little out of rhythm, and not quite the same offensive spark.
Minnesota needs the good version. The one who is nailing threes, who’s finishing through contact, and who’s spacing the floor and forcing Denver’s bigs to make decisions.
Bones Hyland
Every playoff series has a moment, or two, or three, where things get weird. Shots aren’t falling. The offense stalls. Nobody can generate anything clean. And that’s when a guy like Bones Hyland becomes incredibly valuable.
He can come in, hit three shots in 90 seconds, and completely flip the energy of a game. He can attack the rim, pull up from deep, and play with the kind of fearless aggression that doesn’t always make sense but sometimes is exactly what you need. He’s not going to be consistent every night. That’s not his role. But if he gives you two or three explosive scoring bursts over the course of this series, that could absolutely swing a game.
In a matchup this tight, one stolen game can change everything.
Mike Conley
Two years ago, Mike Conley was the steady hand guiding this team through one of the most emotional series in franchise history. This time around, his role is going to be much smaller, maybe even sporadic.
That doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.
If Conley sees the floor, it’s because the Wolves need calm. They need organization. They need someone to slow things down and make sure the offense doesn’t spiral into chaos. Even if he doesn’t play much, his presence still matters. Leadership in the playoffs isn’t always about minutes. Sometimes it’s about making sure the guys who are playing don’t lose the plot.
Terrence Shannon Jr.
If there was one guy who used the final week of the regular season to bang on the door and demand attention, it was Terrence Shannon Jr.
Thirty-three against Orlando. Another 20+ against Houston. Suddenly, the flashes we’d been waiting for all season started to look a lot more real. Shannon brings something this team doesn’t have a ton of: straight-line speed, downhill pressure, and a willingness to attack the rim without overthinking it.
Will he have a big role in this series? Maybe not.
But if foul trouble hits, or if the Wolves need a jolt of energy, or if someone simply isn’t bringing it, Shannon has at least put himself in the conversation as a guy who can step in and give you real minutes.
Jaylen Clark
All season long, Jaylen’s role has fluctuated, but what Clark brings is something you can’t really manufacture: instinctive, disruptive, borderline annoying defense. He’s the kind of guy who can come in cold and immediately pick up full court, blow up a dribble handoff, or turn a routine possession into a fast-break in the other direction.
And in a series against a player like Jamal Murray, having a defensive wildcard matters.
Clark may not be part of the primary rotation, but don’t be surprised if there are moments where Murray strings together a few buckets, the Wolves need a different look, and Finch reaches down the bench and says, “Go bother him for a few minutes.” That’s Clark’s lane. He’s not there to score 15. He’s there to disrupt, to inject energy, and to give Minnesota a defensive gear they don’t otherwise have.
Joan Beringer
Every playoff series has that moment where your depth gets tested in a way you didn’t plan for. A couple quick fouls, someone tweaks something mid-game, and suddenly you’re looking down the bench…
That’s where Joan Beringer comes in.
He’s not expected to play meaningful minutes in a perfect-world scenario. But against a team like Denver, where Nikola Jokic has a habit of dragging bigs into foul trouble and physically wearing teams down, having another capable body matters more than you’d think.
Beringer gives you size. He can soak up a few minutes, contest a couple shots, grab a rebound or two, and just… survive a stretch. Think of him as the “break glass in case of emergency” option. You don’t plan around him, but if the moment calls for it, having that extra layer of depth could quietly save you in a game that hangs in the balance.
Chris Finch
Now it’s time for a little Chris Finch discourse.
On one hand, it’s fair to say this team underachieved relative to its talent. You don’t go to back-to-back Western Conference Finals and expect finishing sixth to feel like a clean success. There were too many nights where the effort wasn’t there. Too many games where they played with their food. Too many collapses that turned wins into head-scratching losses.
Some of that is on the players. Some of that is on the coach.
But zoom out for a second. Finch is still, by basically every meaningful measure, the best coach this franchise has ever had. He’s taken them further, more consistently, than anyone before him. That matters.
Now comes the part where he has to level up again.
Playoff coaching is different. It’s about adjustments. It’s about recognizing when things are slipping and calling that timeout before the avalanche hits. It’s about rotations, matchups, counters, and making sure your team doesn’t fall back into the bad habits that haunted them in January and February.
Finch has the pieces. Now he has to put them together in a way that gets the absolute best version of this team onto the floor for as many of these next seven games as possible.
That’s a long list of names. A long list of expectations. And honestly, when you step back and look at it, you can make a pretty strong case that this is the deepest, most versatile roster this franchise has ever rolled into a playoff series with. Top to bottom, in terms of guys who can swing a game on a given night? This might be the one.
And that’s what makes this whole thing so fascinating… and, if we’re being honest, so maddening.
Because we’ve seen it. Over 82 games, we’ve seen the version of this team that looks like a legitimate contender, the one that locks in defensively, moves the ball, hits threes at a respectable clip, and suddenly turns into a serious problem for the team in the opposing jerseys. We’ve also seen the other version. The one that sleepwalks through a Tuesday night, blows a fourth-quarter lead, or spends three possessions in a row dribbling into bad shots like they’re trying to speedrun a collapse.
That’s the push and pull of this entire season. The reason it’s felt like a roller coaster instead of a coronation.
But here’s the thing: none of that matters anymore.
This is the part of the season where reputations get made or rewritten. Where you either prove what you are… or you don’t.
There are no more dress rehearsals. No more “we’ll figure it out.” No more blaming the schedule, or injuries, or chemistry, or whatever excuse you want to reach for. This is it. This is the moment this team has been building toward since they walked off the floor in Oklahoma City last May.
The opponent isn’t exactly a soft landing.
Denver brings the best player on the planet, a team with championship pedigree, and a roster that’s been sharpened specifically for this kind of fight. There’s no easing into this postseason. It’s straight into the deep end.
But here’s the flip side, and it’s the part that should give Wolves fans just enough irrational confidence to talk themselves into this thing: Minnesota knows this team. They’ve been here before. They’ve stood toe-to-toe with this group and survived. They’ve proven that they can beat this opponent in a playoff setting.
So now it comes down to something simple, even if it’s not easy: Can they be the best version of themselves, four times in seven games? Can they string together the defensive intensity, the offensive flow, the composure, the shot-making, all the things we’ve seen in flashes, and actually sustain it when it matters most?
They have to lean into what they are at their peak. They have to become what they’ve teased all season long.
Apex predators.
Not the team that shows up for three quarters. Not the team that waits for someone else to close. Not the team that plays with its food.
The one that hunts. The one that finishes. The one that leaves no doubt.
Because the potential is there. We’ve all seen it.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 16: Starter Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 16, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s no lie to say that, even among a sea of flame-throwing MLB starters, Shane Baz’s talent stands out. He brings a four-pitch mix (technically, five, but he’s thrown the sinker exactly once this year, so I don’t quite believe in it) featuring a four-seam fastball that averages, even post-Tommy John, 97 mph, 84th percentile in the league. This is the same pitch that Baseball America awarded the best-in-organization grade for three years running in the Rays system, and his scouting reports long reflected that fact, plus the sheer talent.
Drafted 12th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017, Baz was packaged—somewhat infamously—as the PTBNL in the trade that sent Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows to Tampa Bay for Chris Archer. It is widely considered one of the worst deals in, at least, Pirates history. He was soon Tampa Bay’s No. 1 prospect, striking out a ridiculous 113 hitters in 78.2 innings as a Rays farmhand. Seems that the nickname “Wizard of Baz,” which has followed him since high school, was not unearned.
At the MLB level, his numbers never hit those levels of hype. His 2021 debut lasted all of three games, and his 2022 season was also marred by injuries, including surgery with Dr. Keith Meister (who’s also operated on Kyle Bradish and Zach Eflin). Tommy John cost Baz all of 2023, an oblique injury derailed his 2024 return, and only in 2025 did Baz finally make a full season’s worth of starts. The numbers weren’t the gaudiest: he made 31 starts for Tampa Bay in 2025, registering a 10-12 record and 4.87 ERA with 176 strikeouts.
His Statcast peripherals were, though, and those totals were enough to send the Orioles scavenging through their farm system cupboard to fund the biggest pitching acquisition of the Mike Elias era. Baltimore sent four prospects—outfielder Slater de Brun (their No. 6 prospect), catcher Caden Bodine (No. 10), right-hander Michael Forret (No. 11), and outfielder Austin Overn (No. 30)—along with the 33rd overall pick in the 2026 draft to pry Baz away from a division rival. Toing the party line at the start of the seaseon, new Orioles manager Craig Albernaz declared that Shane Baz’s upside is “Cy Young award winner,” an enviable ceiling. The sides then finalized a five-year, $68 million extension just before Opening Day: the richest contract the Orioles have ever given to a pitcher.
So far in 2026, the results have been mixed (which is an affectionate way of saying they’ve been messy). Through his first four starts, Baz is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, with 19 strikeouts in 22 innings. He’s failed to complete six innings in three of four outings. He has allowed at least three earned runs in three of four starts, and the one strong one—5.2 one-run innings against the Pirates—has been bookended by clunkers against better teams.
The peripheral numbers are more encouraging, although not without their own concerns. The hopeful signs are in is the significant gap between his actual results and his expected ones: his xwOBA of .318 is considerably better than his actual wOBA of .393, suggesting some bad luck on balls in play. His knuckle-curve is generating a 28% whiff rate in early usage, and his cutter is holding hitters to a .182 average . The velocity remains intact—his spring training fastball maxed out at 98.6 mph. The strikeout upside is clearly still there.
On the other hand, Baz shows an average exit velocity of 89.2 mph (high for him) and a barrel rate of 9.8%, the latter sitting in an uncomfortable range. Opponents expected average of .252 is the highest of his career. His fastball run value of -4 is the lowest it’s been.
The recurring concern, as it has been throughout his career, is command: his four-seamer has been hit hard, surrendering four doubles among its first seven hits allowed. His offspeed stuff (changeup, cutter, the knuckle-curve) are all showing slightly reduced spin this season.
How does this compare to Baz’s best moments? His 2021 debut remains the benchmark, when his strikeout-to-walk ratio was exceptional and his stuff looked genuinely electric in a very small sample. Over 48 career starts since his return from Tommy John surgery, he has an 8.9 SO9 rate and a 3.3 walk rate, with a FIP of 4.23—numbers that speak of a solid mid-rotation arm rather than an ace, though the underlying metrics hint at more.
But his 2025 xERA of 3.88 and SIERA of 3.95 (skill-intensive ERA; it’s a Fangraphs thing) point to a pitcher whose ERA significantly overstates his struggles, particularly—and I find this pretty important—given the havoc wrought by Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ season-long Triple-A park last year while the Trop endured storm-related repairs.
Baz’s offspeed pitches seem to need some tuning up, but overall, the stuff does not appear degraded. What has fluctuated instead is his command and, in particular, his ability to suppress the home run ball against right-handed hitters. (I am told that, post-TJ, sometimes this happens.)
Four starts in, the early returns on Shane Baz as an Oriole are neither alarming nor reassuring—they’re more inconclusive. The gap between his actual results and his expected metrics suggests the ERA will come down. Patterns are already emerging that suggest he is leaning more heavily into his curve and cutter, a mix that appears to be working well. Camden Yards is a more forgiving environment than Steinbrenner Field, and Baz has shown in flashes (including five games of nine or more strikeouts in 2025) that the potential is real. The Orioles gave up a great deal to acquire him, well before he’d thrown a pitch in orange and black, and they gave up a lot to keep him here long-term. There are legitimate reasons to believe the best of Shane Baz is still ahead of him. We’re still watching, and what we see is enough to stay interested.
The Phillies have plenty of early season problems, but perhaps one of the most concerning ones is the performance of Jesús Luzardo.
Four starts into the season after signing a five year, $135M extension, Luzardo sports a 7.94 ERA in 22.2 innings. He’s allowed five or more runs in three of those starts, with the most recent edition being his 9 runs on 12 hits in just 5.1 IP shellacking at the hands of the Cubs. His struggles are reminiscent to the tipping pitches situation from last summer, but he insists that’s not the case now.
So, what is the problem then? One of the first things to look at when a pitcher is struggling is the stuff. In this case, Luzardo’s stuff looks good and, in some cases, looks better than last year. He’s averaging 97.3 MPH on his fastball, a slight increase from 2025, his sweeper has a 49% whiff rate on 140 pitches, and his changeup has a 46.3% whiff rate on 77 pitches thrown so far. There’s nothing under the hood to suggest that Luzardo’s stuff has regressed, in fact there’s more evidence to show it’s slightly improved.
Luzardo suggested in his post-game interview that some of the problem could be pitch usage and sequencing. Here we can see a noticeable change, at least in the small sample size of four starts. He’s greatly increased the usage of his sinker, up to 19.1% from 10.8% last year at the expense of his four-seam fastball. The four seamer has fallen from his most used pitch at 33.3% to 24.1%, being overtaken by the sweeper for most used. Last season, Luzardo used the fastball and sweeper at similar rates, 33.3% and 32.1% respectively. So far in 2026, he’s tried to incorporate the sinker more into that mix at the expense of his regular fastball.
Elsewhere, his problems with runners on base have once again reared their ugly head. Opposing hitters are hitting .441 with five extra base hits including three home runs against Luzardo with runners on base. When the bases are empty, opposing hitters are hitting .220 with three doubles and 20 strikeouts to 3 walks. He’s also struggled mightily the second and third time through the order. Opponents are hitting .171 with a .394 OPS and 12 strikeouts to one walk against Luzardo the first time through a lineup. But the second time through, those numbers jump to a .281 AVG and .861 OPS. They soar even higher the third time through, with Luzardo getting pulverized to the tune of a .500 AVG and 1.231 OPS in a sample of 26 batters faced.
At least part of the explanation to this poor start for Luzardo is bad luck. He’s sitting on a league worst .417 BABIP (Cristopher Sánchez is second with .411), well above his .324 mark from last year and way above the league average of .288 so far in 2026. That suggests that Luzardo is due for at least some positive batted ball regression. There was some soft contact that found grass in his latest start, but there were also some hard-hit rockets among the balls in play he surrendered, including four balls at over 100 MPH in exit velocity. Nevertheless, his 86.2 MPH average exit velocity for the season so far is right in line with his 88.5 mark from 2025.
It is still early, and Luzardo was able to rebound from a string of poor starts last year. His batted ball luck should normalize as the season goes on, but his struggles with runners on base is a trend that dates back to last season and was thought to have been fixed. So, is it time to worry about JesúsLuzardo? Or are you confident that he’ll be able to right the ship again?
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 13: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers is congratulated by teammates after he hit his second home run of the game against the Athletics in the third inning at Sutter Health Park on April 13, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Columbus Clippers Travis Bazzana (12) throws the ball to first base during home opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Columbus made a valiant effort to battle back in this one after falling behind 5-0, but the Clippers fell one run shy in extra innings Thursday.
Travis Bazzana had a spectacular game, going 3-for-6 with two doubles. He’s currently riding a six-game hitting streak with four multi-hit games in his last five. Don’t look now, but he’s really starting to figure it out at Triple-A.
3-hit, 2-XBH day at the plate for Travis Bazzana!
The former 1st overall pick is batting .282 with an .829 OPS to start out the 2026 season.
C.J. Kayfus also had a three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with a double and a walk. Stuart Fairchild went 2-for-5 with a double and a hit by pitch while Kody Huff went 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Dayan Frias hit his first home run of the season while Milan Tolentino had a two-run double.
Starting pitcher Ryan Webb was tagged for seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with four walks and just one strikeout in 5.0 innings of work.
Will Dion was solid in relief, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings.
Daniel Espino gave up his first run of the season, a solo home run, but he also topped 100 mph with his fastball three times. His slider was over 94 mph and his changeup was over 93. His stuff is getting filthier every time we see him and I’m legitimately getting excited for what he’s going to be able to do as long as he continues to stay healthy.
Steven Perez pitched a scoreless ninth inning, giving Columbus the chance to send the game to extra innings — which it did — but then he was hammered for three runs in the top of the 10th. Columbus managed to score two back, but the rally fell just short.
Akron continues to get excellent pitching and timely hitting as the RubberDucks own their third straight game. This time, it was starting pitcher Josh Hartle who had himself a game.
Hartle tossed 5.1 shutout two-hit innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. The performance lowered his season ERA to 2.45.
Jay Driver completed the final 1.2 innings of the shutout in a rain-shortened game.
On offense, Angel Genao had a terrific game, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Christian Knapczyk went 1-for-3 with a walk and Jake Fox went 3-for-4.
Alfonsin Rosario went 1-for-4, but his one hit was a huge one, a three-run home run in the seventh inning to help Akron seal the win. It was his fifth home run of the season.
You wouldn’t think it from the final score, but this was by far the best start of pitching prospect Jackson Humphries’ young career.
An eighth round draft pick out of high school in 2022, Humphries has historically struggled to throw strikes, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday. He pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts and 0 walks. Still just 21 years old, he’s yet another arm in a loaded Guardians system that’s worth keeping an eye on.
Unfortunately, the bullpen didn’t have Humphries’ back on Thursday. Sean Matson gave up two runs in 1.2 innings, Cam Schuelke gave up another run in his 1.1 innings and Logan McGuire was absolutely blistered for four runs in his lone inning of work to remove the Captains from contention.
Offensively, the Captains scored all of their runs on solo shots. Jaison Chourio had a strong game, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk. He’s now up to a rock solid season slashline of .273/.389/.523 through 11 games. If he keeps this up, he’ll be right back on track as a top outfield prospect in the loaded Guardians system.
Esteban Gonzalez also had a great game, going 3-for-4 with a home run. Dean Curley went 1-for-3 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a stolen base and Nolan Schubart went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk. Luke Hill went 1-for-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.
Hill City went absolutely ballistic this game, scoring 14 runs on a whopping 17 hits with seven walks. This is going to be fun to break down, especially the top of the batting order, who all had downright disgusting games.
Juneiker Caceres had an absolute monster game, going 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and a walk. After a slow start to the season, he now sports a solid .872 OPS.
Guardians 18 year old prospect Juneiker Caceres is heating up after a slow first week. One of the prettiest swings in the entire system with legit plus raw power. He will be a consensus top 100 prospect very soon. pic.twitter.com/W2jitf5C8Y
Leadoff hitter Dauri Fernandez also was elite, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and a stolen base. Top teenage outfield prospect Robert Arias was moved up to No. 2 in the batting order and he responded by going 3-for-6 with a double, raising his season batting average to .308 in the process.
Anthony Martinez reached base safely three times, going 1-for-4 with two walks. Yelferth Castillo went 2-for-6 with a double and catcher Ty Howard walked three times and scored a pair of runs.
Jhorvic Abreus went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and Yaikel Mijares went 2-for-5.
The incredible offensive eruption buried the lede of some tremendous pitching performances from Hill City.
Top pitching prospect Joey Oakie had his best start of the 2026 season thus far, throwing 4.0 shutout innings of three-hit ball with seven strikeouts and just one walk.
Jervis Alfaro followed with 5.0 innings, allowing one run (zero earned) on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks to earn the win.
Mike Schmidt rounds third after hitting the first of his four home runs on April 17, 1976 | | Bettmann Archive
EDITOR’S NOTE: A version of this article appeared here on the 42nd anniversary of this event, eight years ago. Since it’s now been exactly half a century since Mike Schmidt’s four-homer game at Wrigley Field, I thought you might like to read about that day again. Here’s a lightly edited version of the 2018 article.
Fifty years ago today, it was 84 degrees at game time for a contest between the Cubs and Phillies at Wrigley Field with a wind blowing out at 20 miles per hour.
As you might imagine, that sent quite a few baseballs heading toward the Wrigley Field bleachers that Saturday afternoon, April 17, 1976.
The Cubs used that wind to produce an 11-run lead. My friends, that lead did not last.
The Cubs hit three home runs by the fourth inning: two by Rick Monday and one by Steve Swisher. Two of the three homers were off future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, who didn’t make it out of the second inning, allowing seven hits, two walks and seven runs.
All of that gave the Cubs a 13-2 lead after four innings. A no-brainer fun win, right?
Well, no. These were the 1976 Cubs, who would bottom out at 19 games under .500 (39-58) on July 26, before playing a bit better the rest of the way (36-29, perhaps presaging a good start the following year. From July 27, 1976 through June 28, 1977 the Cubs were 83-51, one of the best long stretches in franchise history).
Anyway, most of what happened the rest of that long-ago afternoon was courtesy of another future Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt.
Cubs starter Rick Reuschel actually retired Schmidt in his first at-bat, in the second inning. (Amazingly, Schmidt batted sixth in that Phillies lineup.) Schmidt singled in the fourth and was forced out, but the Phillies scored their first run.
He came up again with a runner on and two out in the fifth and homered. That made the score 13-4.
It was still 13-4 in the top of the seventh. The Phillies had already scored twice when Schmidt batted with two out and no one on base. He homered again, cutting the Cubs’ lead to six.
A six-run lead heading to the bottom of the seventh. What could possibly go wrong? (You likely already know the answer to that question.)
In the top of the eighth, Dick Allen singled in two runs with the bases loaded to make it 13-9. By this time Mike Garman had replaced Reuschel. It mattered not. Schmidt smashed his third homer of the game, this one a three-run shot, and suddenly it’s a one-run game, 13-12.
Darold Knowles relieved Garman. Knowles, famed for his work in the 1973 World Series for the Athletics, did not have a good outing on this windy day. Another homer — this one by Bob Boone — tied the game, and Knowles allowed two more runs in the inning, so the Cubs now trailed 15-13.
The Cubs weren’t done, though. With two out and runners on second and third in the ninth, Swisher singled in both and the game headed to extra innings tied 15-15.
Schmidt’s fourth homer of the game — and remember, he didn’t hit his first until the fifth inning — was off Rick Reuschel’s brother Paul, and the Phillies scored once more to make it 18-15. (That’s the WGN radio call on the video, with Vince Lloyd and Lou Boudreau.)
This game — which eventually ran three hours, 41 minutes — wasn’t quite done. With two out in the last of the 10th, Bill Madlock doubled in Mike Adams — the only run Adams scored as a Cub — and Jerry Morales stepped to the plate as the potential tying run.
Phillies manager Danny Ozark called on Jim Lonborg, normally a starter. Lonborg got Morales to ground out, and posted one of just four saves he had in his big-league career. Here’s how Tribune writer Richard Dozer recapped this game:
The combined delights of hitting behind a 20 mile-an-hour wind in Wrigley Field against a Cub pitching staff that only a foe could love thrust Mike Schmidt, the National League home run champion, full force into the big league record book Saturday.
Schmidt smashed four consecutive home runs to set a modern National League record. With them, he drove across eight runs and dragged the Philadelphia Phillies off the floor to an incredible 18-16 victory in 10 innings before 28,287 shellshocked spectators.
Unbelievably defeated in this one, the staggered Cubs actually were ahead at one stage by a 13-2 score. But while Philadelphia pitchers were knocking down Cub hitters to gain a measure of respect Cub hurlers rarely attain, the whipped Chicagoans were overtaken in a three-run Philadelphia ninth.
The Cubs thus lost a game they’d led by 11 runs — and by six going into the eighth! — by that 18-16 score.
Half a century later, the 11-run blown lead still stands as the biggest in National League history. (There have been a couple of AL games where a 12-run lead was blown.)
It all happened 50 years ago today, Saturday, April 17, 1976.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Dylan Dodd #46 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park on April 12, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s no real way to answer this, but give me your take anyway. I think this is kind of a funny situation.
The Braves have the guys they think are the Good Relievers: Tyler Kinley, Dylan Lee, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias. Maybe Aaron Bummer is in that group, maybe not, I’m not sure yet. But then there’s everyone else, who largely exists to throw mop-up and get shuttled off the roster for a fresh mop-up arm. That creates a bit of a situation, because by virtue of throwing mop-up and getting shuttled off the roster, it’s hard to prove to the team that you should be getting higher-leverage work. The only way to “fall into” higher leverage work is to enter a blowout, have the offense get the Braves back in it, but then stick around and keep pitching in a closer game.
So, without going into all the considerations: do you think any pitcher in the organization breaks into the quartet/quintet of Good Relievers Used Accordingly this season?
CJ Abrams
Andy Pages
Yordan Alvarez
