DENVER, CO - AUGUST 4: Relief pitcher Nick Frasso #41 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the 11th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Coors Field on August 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Frasso is making his Major League debut. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
Nick Frasso brings velo and a weird arm angle. Positions on third base side of rubber so ball looks like it’s coming from SS. Delivery compared to longtime big leaguer Jered Weaver. Should be in big leagues soon. He is out of options. #Rockies more comfortable with that than… https://t.co/nNituCyKD2
Until that point, Frasso had spent the previous six seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays and Dodgers minor league systems after having been drafted in the fourth round in 2020. Originally thought of as a potential starting pitcher, Frasso reached as high as the number 68 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline in 2023. From that prospect ranking high, however, Frasso went on to miss the entire 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery.
Having never managed to amass more than 93 innings in a season previously, he was quickly moved to the bullpen upon his return to action in 2025.
Frasso came to the Rockies having put up great strikeout numbers (14.59 K/9) for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in 2026 paired with abysmal walk totals (6.20 BB/9). That lack of command had prevented Frasso from being able to break into the Dodgers stacked Major League roster. As a 27 year old, Frasso was running out of time to translate his raw stuff and 91st percentile extension into the sort of finished product that would lead to a notable MLB career.
After entering the Rockies organization, however, Frasso did not need to wait long before being given a shot in the big leagues. Just a week after being traded, with only five (admittedly impressive) appearances for the Albuquerque Isotopes on his résumé, Frasso was called up to the Rockies to make his Major League debut.
For his first assignment, Frasso took the ball in the 11th inning of a tie game against the Tampa Bay Rays in what manager Warren Schaeffer would later characterize as “Probably the most difficult position you can be in (for) your Major League debut.”
His first opponent, Taylor Walls, moved the extra-innings automatic-runner from second to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt. The next batter he faced was the ever-intimidating Yandy Diaz, against whom he bounced a ball in the dirt allowing the go-ahead run to score.
With what would ultimately be the winning run already scored, Frasso finished the inning after allowing another run on a couple of hits. While his first taste of the big leagues may not have gone exactly as he would have liked, Frasso managed to muddle through a full inning and look to the future.
Frasso remained on the Major League roster for the remainder of the 2026 season. His results throughout his 20 appearances for the Rockies were a mixed bag.
The chase percentage that he saw as a prospect was still present during his first stint against Major League hitters, but he was not able to translate that into the sort of strikeout numbers he had become accustomed to.
His two best stretches, encompassing a total of ten scoreless innings over nine outings, was interrupted by a brutal four game streak in early September in which he allowed nine runs in just 3.2 innings. If not for that brief swoon, Frasso’s overall line in his rookie season would look sparkling and it’s notable that he was able to course correct and throw four scoreless outings to finish off his season.
The most encouraging aspect of his final line is that his walk rate, which had been his largest problem area throughout his minor-league career, dropped from 9.4% in his debut month of August all the way down to 4.3% in September. With his combination of stuff and extension, a walk rate like he showed in September would allow him to become a high-leverage reliever for years to come.
Bob O’Farrell with the Cubs in 1922 | | Getty Images
Bob O’Farrell is one of the earliest examples of a Cubs player who was very good for the team — posting seasons of 6.0 and 4.7 bWAR in 1922 and 1923 at ages 25 and 26 — and then was traded away because the Cubs had a catcher they thought was going to do much better.
In this case, they were right. Gabby Hartnett was that new catcher and yes, he had a much better career than O’Farrell, eventually ending up in the Hall of Fame.
But the Cubs didn’t get much for O’Farrell when they traded him to the Cardinals May 23, 1925. The players in return: Howard Freigau and Mike González. Freigau was a decent player for a couple years, but by the time the Cubs won their next pennant in 1929, he was gone. González backed up Hartnett and was capable, but… if they’d kept O’Farrell, they’d have had an almost unbeatable catching tandem.
O’Farrell, a Chicago-area native (Waukegan), played 12 years for the Cubs, though as a teenager he played in only six games for the team in his first three seasons. He posted 14.5 bWAR as a Cub, and his best year was that 6.0 bWAR sason in 1922, when he batted .324/.439/.441 in 126 games. The next year he hit 12 home runs while batting .319/.408/.471 in 131 games. An injury helped the Cubs want to move on to Hartnett, as described in O’Farrell’s SABR biography:
In a game on July 22, 1924, an injury to O’Farrell knocked him out of the Cubs lineup for three weeks. Essentially, it cost him his starting job. In the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader, a foul tip off the bat of Stuffy McInnis struck O’Farrell’s catcher’s mask. The impact caused the steel support rods to jam right into O’Farrell’s forehead far enough that he suffered a concussion. He was rushed to the hospital where he would remain for two to three weeks.
“It was my own fault,” O’Farrell said to [author Lawrence] Ritter. “It was an old mask and I knew I shouldn’t have worn it. You know, a lot of times a catcher’s mask gets so much banging around it gets dented here and there. If you try to bend it back the way it’s supposed to be, it weakens it. Well, I got on an old mask that day and asked the clubhouse boy to go get me my regular one. Before he could get back with it, the ball had spun off the bat, smashed through the mask, and knocked me unconscious.”
O’Farrell was NL MVP in 1926 with the Cardinals, batting .293/.371/.433 in a career-high 147 games and throwing out 51 percent of runners trying to steal. That’s something he was really good at, and O’Farrell was the catcher who threw out Babe Ruth trying to steal second in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1926 World Series, winning that Series for St. Louis.
O’Farrell played in MLB through 1935, even returning briefly to the Cubs in 1934. After his career he returned to Waukegan, where he ran a bowling alley/billiards center. He died Feb. 20, 1988 in Waukegan, aged 91.
The Major League Baseball season's characterization as a "marathon" is more appropriate than any other professional sport.
There are plenty of ebbs and flows over the course of the 162-game season. Performances can't be defined by a single month or stretch of time.
The extensive nature of the campaign is what made the National League race for Rookie of the Year one of the most contentious contests in the MLB Award season. Over the course of six months, five candidates rose to the top in the Reds' Sal Stewart, Mets' Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt and Rockies' TJ Rumfield.
In the end, it was Stewart who was named the NL Rookie of the Year honor as the Baseball Writers Association of American announced the award on Monday night. Stewart took home the honor on the strength of his 32 home runs and 112 RBI, which led all NL rookies, along with 87 runs, a .787 OPS, 25 doubles and 15 stolen bases.
Stewart earned 20 of the 30 possible first-place votes. The Mets' Benge ended up as the runner-up with seven first-place votes, three second-place votes and 12 third-place designations.
One of those votes for Benge to receive the top honor was mine.
When the BBWAA assigned its award designations to the writers in early August, the Rookie of the Year race appeared to be a two-horse race between Stewart and Wetherholt. But over the the final two months of the season, Benge's kick provided further intrigue.
That's why the season is an endurance race. And by the completion of the 2026 season, I believe Benge had done enough in all facets of the game to warrant the top slot in the Rookie of the Year vote.
Stewart's explosive bat made him a top contender. The Reds first baseman had the second-most RBI and eighth-most home runs in the National League while he slashed .263/.330/.457. But defensively, he posted a -2 outs above average and a negative first-base receiving score.
Wetherholt, who finished third in the voting, proved he had one of the best gloves in all of baseball, boasting a +25 outs above average that trailed only Cubs MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong for the best mark in baseball. While batting atop the Cardinals' lineup, the second baseman led all rookies with 89 runs, while adding 17 home runs, 51 RBI and 14 stolen bases but posting an unassuming .242/.339/.365 slash line in 139 games.
Benge provided the best of both worlds in terms of offense and defense despite a slow start through the opening two months, which hurt his case in the early going. Benge opened with a .189 batting average and .525 OPS through the month of April. He slashed .299/.363/.457 over the final five months.
The Mets right-fielder led all rookies with 168 hits — matching the Tigers' Kevin McGonigle in the American League — and was second among NL rookies in batting average (.282) and home runs (20) and third in RBI (65) and stolen bases (22). Benge is the only NL rookie to finish in the top three in each of those key offensive categories.
Benge's 118 OPS+ bested both Stewart and Wetherholt. He had a better batting average and on-base percentage than both. And his offensive spark only told half the story.
Benge was one of the three finalists for the NL Gold Glove in right field. His 10 outfield assists were the third-most among all NL outfielders while he boasted a 7 defensive runs saved. Benge's arm value was the best in baseball, along with the fifth-highest arm strength in MLB.
Stewart might have had the best offensive season among all rookies in baseball, while Wetherholt proved to be one of the best young defensive infielders.
Benge was at the top of his class in a multitude of different categories while flashing one of the best outfield gloves in all of the National League. The Mets also saw Nolan McLean finish in fourth place and A.J. Ewing receive a fifth-place vote.
Benge might not have earned the hardware on Monday night, but his first season, and those supplied by McLean and Ewing alongside him, us enough to have Mets fans yearning for more heading into a bright future.
Offer him a salary next year greater than Kyle Tucker’s last year.
Or even Shohei Ohtani’s.
If the uncertainty over potential future economic regulations give the Dodgers reservations about signing Skubal to a long-term contract, present him with a deal that would pay him more money than any player has ever made in a single season.
Eighty million dollars.
Ninety million.
One-hundred million.
Whatever necessary.
Tarik Skubal of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. Getty Images
The Dodgers like to talk about the importance of reading and reacting to various situations, and that’s what their efforts to re-sign two-time Cy Young Award winner call for them to do.
As the baseball industry gathered Monday on the Las Vegas Strip for the general managers meetings this week, teams didn’t know the rules under which they would be playing next season, whether there will be a salary cap or some other form of cost control designed to increase franchise valuations.
The prospect of a salary cap or some other form of cost control in the next collective-bargaining agreement could make the Dodgers reluctant to sign Skubal to the kind of eight- to 10-year contract he figures to command on the open market.
As it is, the Dodgers already have a number of long-term commitments on their books. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is under contract through 2035, Ohtani and Will Smith through 2033, Mookie Betts through 2032, Tucker and Blake Snell through 2029.
While the pitch was quickly rejected by the players, it confirmed that even if extreme changes are introduced, teams will likely be granted time to make their rosters salary-cap compliant.
The Dodgers have to take advantage of that grace period.
Andrew Friedman, President of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, speaks to the media at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. Getty Images
They will have to offer Skubal enough money to forfeit the security of a longer deal.
What about $100 million to pitch for them next year? Perhaps a player option or two after that?
If nine figures for one season of baseball sounds expensive, consider the cost of not retaining Skubal.
They have an older roster, but that doesn’t mean this iteration of their team is finished. They could have another championship run in them.
The Dodgers won 100 games this year – and that was with Ohtani injured for the half of the season.
They destroyed the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS – and that was with Ohtani hitting on one leg.
Manage Ohtani better, re-sign Skubal, inject the right amount of youth into their roster, and who’s to say the Dodgers can’t win the World Series next year?
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. Getty Images
Acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Skubal quickly became a central figure in their locker room and was entrusted with being their No. 1 starter in the postseason.
“The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact he made in such a short period of time,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.
Offering Skubal a short but lucrative deal doesn’t mean he will accept it, of course.
Skubal’s market is “robust,” according to his agent, Scott Boras.
“Pitchers like him deliver what every owner covets, and that’s championships,” Boras said.
The Dodgers owe it to themselves to at least make an attempt to re-sign Skubal, however.
They have a small opening to retain a player they want without compromising their long-term stability.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 03: Adrian Morejon #50 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning in game one of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chasing starting pitching on the free agent market is often a fool’s errand. The combination of injury risk and performance variance at the position removes any ability to add certainty to your rotation. Guys with top-end potential cost an absurd amount and typically come with high risk. Seemingly safe options to fill out the back of your rotation fall apart just about as frequently, and you should be able to create that sort of arm internally anyway. To the Mets’ credit, they seem able to do this. Your best move is typically not to play.
Converting relievers into starters has emerged—or re-emerged, depending on your historical perspective—as a viable alternative path to adding starting pitch depth in the last half decade. Reynaldo Lopez, Michael King, Seth Lugo, and of course Clay Holmes have all been notable success stories in recent years. This has expanded from a niche dice roll to a league-wide trend, to the point where a pitcher like Adrián Morejón seemed likely to be one of the most sought after pitchers on this year’s market—at least until he indicated a preference for remaining a reliever.
When analyzing the Clay Holmes signing two years ago, we took a pass at defining what sort of reliever is a good conversion candidate. With Holmes now gone and the Mets seemingly gearing up for another dip into the free agent starter market, now is a good time to update that analysis and see if there are any under-the-radar finds worth pursuing.
So back to the core question: What are the actual differences between starters and relievers? After contemplating this question deeply and discussing with several well-respected baseball minds, I’d define four key dimensions that define the difference:
Arsenal Depth: Starting pitchers, even in an era where they see fewer batters and pitch fewer innings than ever before, typically face batters multiple times. They also, in general, cannot sustain max-effort, top of the line stuff quality over their full outings. This necessitates a broader, more varied pitch mix, typically featuring options with both armside and gloveside movement. Without getting into the nitty gritty of pitch-interactions, we can quantify this with a metric I call pitch mix entropy (PME)—see below for an explanation.
Arsenal Quality: Relievers typically have better raw stuff. In part this is because they’re airing it out for an inning at a time and don’t have to conserve energy. In part it’s a selection bias, because you can survive with one or two really good pitches as a reliever but not as a starter. Stuff quality also drops when going from the bullpen to the rotation for the aforementioned reasons. Conversion candidates, therefore, will likely have good enough stuff to sustain their arsenal even when accounting for the conversion penalty.
Location: Though less critical than the previous two factors, throwing strikes is more important to surviving as a starter than a reliever, due both to the underlying role / responsibilities (you need to throw more pitches and more innings) and the previously mentioned stuff penalty (you can get away with fewer strikes if you’re throwing nastier stuff).
Physical Capability: This is the hardest criteria to quantify but is nonetheless critical. Some guys simply can’t hold up to a starter’s workload, or have too checkered an injury past to make the conversion worth it. I am a firm member of the “predicting health outcomes is impossible” camp, particularly with only public information, but we can leverage some common sense to rule out select pitchers as we work through the data.
Pitch Mix Entropy was defined as the Shannon Entropy of a single player’s pitches, a metric that ranges from 0-1. As a simple example, a pitcher with a more varied arsenal like Seth Lugo will have a higher value, while someone like Kenley Jansen who throws a limited arsenal will have a lower value.A better metric would incorporate the diversity of movement profiles as well, something Baseball Prospectus’s Surprise Factor metric does in a slightly different way.
Putting aside the Physical Capability aspect of things, we can quantify the differences between starters and relievers across these three metrics:
*One-tailed T-test between 2026 qualified players
Arsenal Depth and Arsenal Quality both match our expectations; starters have deeper arsenals, relievers have nastier stuff. Location, as quantified by Zone%, is a bit trickier. The surface level difference is minimal and the statistical difference is not significant. A confounding factor here is that pitchers can succeed in different ways – a low control, high stuff profile can work as either a starter or a reliever. Other metrics such as Location+ show similar results. Maybe you fall in the “control is fake” camp, and this evidence perhaps supports that. In either case, there is certainly a limit to how bad your control can be before you run into problems (we all remember later career Óliver Pérez).
If you’re more a visual person, here’s what this looks like for starters…
…and for relievers:
Highlighted circles represent those players at least two standard deviations away from the mean Stuff+ and PME in any direction. Names omitted from some highlighted relievers for readability purposes.
Unsurprisingly, there are a lot more arms up and to the left in relief, guys who throw one or maybe two nasty pitches and nothing else. By contrast, there are a fair number more starters on the right hand side of the plot, those who survive on varied arsenals despite pedestrian stuff. Command, as previously discussed, is a bit all over the place, but does offer some useful context; guys with terrible command and weak stuff (i.e., Austin Voth) are bad. Those with nasty stuff and terrible command (i.e., Josh Hader) can be good, but may also struggle (i.e., Jefry Yan).
So we have a theoretical framework to parse the differences between starters and relievers, now let’s apply it. The best conversion candidates are likely those that:
Have sufficiently differentiated arsenals in some direction – perhaps not as stringent as our plots above, but something noticeable
Have above average stuff to survive the conversion penalty – at least one standard deviation better than mean Stuff+
Have viable arsenal depth – at worst one standard deviation worse than mean starter PME
Have viable command – at worst one standard deviation worse than starter Zone%
Some of these players are clearly too old (e.g., Aroldis Chapman) or too injury prone (e.g., Mason Montgomery) to give this a go. But there are some hits as well. There’s Adrián Morejón at the top of the list. AJ Smith-Shawver, who has at times looked like a potentially decent starter, also appears. Ditto Chase Dollander. The Rays already traded for Casey Legumina and deployed him as a starter a couple times as well.
Then there are some new names. Justin Martinez just signed an extension with the Diamondbacks and looks like the closer of the future, but he’s young enough and started recently enough that he seems ripe for conversion. Louis Varland was a failed starter in Minnesota before figuring it out in the bullpen in Toronto, and I have to wonder if it would work as a starter. Jhoan Duran hasn’t started a game since 2021 and has been so good in relief that you probably don’t mess with it, but theoretically he’s an interesting option.
The two most interesting guys to me here are Drew Sommers and Yoendrys Gómez. Sommers was awesome last year for the Tigers and has never started before, but he seems like someone where this could work. Gómez wasn’t quite as good in relief but has started more recently. I’d be kicking the tires on both of them via trade this offseason if I’m the Mets.
But what if you think stuff is control is fake? We can remove that threshold to open the aperture a bit, and some more names come through:
This doesn’t add a ton of names but does unveil Aaron Ashby, perhaps the best candidate for this beyond Morejon. Coming off his insane postseason run, Ashby still seems intent on starting, and frankly the Brewers should probably let him. Will the control hold up in the rotation? Great question, but the breadth and quality of the stuff are good enough to be worth finding out.
Edgardo Henriquez is another fascinating name here, but not one that I think will be relevant for us; the Dodgers have too many starters to make experimenting with a shut down reliever worth it, and he’s not likely to be available via trade. William Kempner is an interesting one that might be attainable. There’s nasty stuff and he started in his senior year at Gonzaga back in 2022. He’s worth checking in with the Marlins on.
There is one caveat to our analysis that we’ve left out; pitchers can add to their arsenal when moving to the rotation. Clay Holmes himself is a prime example of this. In 2024 with the the Yankees he had well below average PME, throwing two pitches (sinker and slider) exclusively. One year later with the Mets, Holmes was throwing five pitches and running an above average PME.
So it may be worth looking at arms who don’t have presently broad arsenals. We’ll still have a threshold—three standard deviations below mean PME—to ween out the extreme narrow arsenal guys, but that leaves a number of additional candidates. Note that previously highlighted players are omitted for readability:
Parsing this is harder than our previous two views. Unless you’re an actual professional coach, determining which of these relievers can add a pitch—and which pitches they should add—is likely beyond your capabilities. A decent proxy would be looking at recent starters such as Dax Fulton who seems like a prime candidate to step back into the Marlins’ rotation next season. Alex McFarlane is another NL East name who the Phillies could leverage as a starter in 2027. All of Blade Tidwell, Seth Johnson, Antwone Kelly, and Erik Tolman had some degree of recognition as prospects and started in the minors, but have struggled significantly with health or effectiveness.
There are two free agent names in Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips that pop up towards the extremes of this cluster. Both are interesting in a vacuum, but neither has a track record of starting, both are over 30, and in Phillips’ case his arm is held together by duct tape and glue. I would chalk these up as plausible but unlikely conversion candidates.
For completeness, what about those arms that don’t necessarily have high-end stuff but zone the ball well and have a broad arsenal. Here you’re mostly getting former and/or failed starters who have not narrowed their arsenal to function in the bullpen. This is not a group worth digging into, but is a decent sanity check on the analysis:
This is an imperfect framework for a number of reasons. Public facing stuff metrics are poor. Zone% is a rudimentary at best measure of control. A more sophisticated view of pitch mix diversity would be informative. And of course we’re missing the all important ability to determine physical capability of starting.
Nevertheless, we can pick out a number of candidates for whom a conversion might make sense. Most (Sommers, Kempner, Gómez, Fulton, McFarlane) would have to be acquired via trade, and the majority of the free agents that stick out (Phillips, Vesia) are likely not viable options.
Morejón, however, really does stand out as much as the free agent hype suggests. His current arsenal—buffed by pitching in releif—is most similar to Jacob Misiorowski among starters. Hitting him with a nerf similar to other players who have made the conversion puts him in the range of Payton Tolle and Eury Perez. He’s only 27, as well, meaning whoever signs him gets his physical prime. Presuming his medicals hold up, he really does seem like the best conversion candidate yet and someone the Mets should seriously pursue.
All data and filtration results can be found here.
England require back-line reshuffle after several injuries
Kevin Sinfield says collaboration with clubs will be key
England need to find a talented understudy for their injured star wing Manny Feyi-Waboso, and are poised to invite Gloucester’s Will Joseph to audition for a leading role against Japan on Saturday. The latter was a travelling reserve for last weekend’s Australia game and appears set for a Test recall four years after being given his debut by the current Brave Blossoms head coach, Eddie Jones.
The 24-year-old Joseph, whose brother Jonathan was a regular in England’s midfield for years, has been in outstanding club form and, as things stand, seems likely to feature in some capacity with injuries forcing Steve Borthwick to reconsider the backline blend that prospered against the Wallabies.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 09: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball against Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on November 09, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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
It’s hard not to feel like you’re watching a mirage during some of these games. The level of play is excellent and the bits and pieces you might be tempted to pick at are scarce. The wins are piling up. The vibes are good. Everything is going according to plan. Nothing to see here…right?
Right! Look, I’m not going to even try to play devil’s advocate here. No one wants to be the guy pointing at the Alien dropping 40 and 11 over 25 minutes and saying, “actually, this is bad.” If that’s a take you’d like to read then I can assure the internet is full of people willing to take you up on the offer. For my part, and if you’ve come to this website today, I’m assuring you, I genuinely find it hard to think of a less interesting angle to come at this from.
Victor Wembanyama is simply brilliant. He’s been brilliant, he’s brilliant now, and he only seems to be getting more brillianter as we go along. Twelve of his fifteen made shots on Monday were dunks or layups, and nine of those were dunks. Four different teammates threw him an alley-oop. The Spurs are running a dizzying array of different motions that all end up at the same destination, which is a Wembanyama dunk. The threes, instead of feeling like something he has to do to open up the lane, now just arrive in the natural rhythm of the game. He made two threes all night, a digestif tacked on at the end of a satisfying meal.
Vic even hit a Dream Shake in the middle of the 2nd quarter that left me staring off in the distance in disbelief.
I sometimes try to avoid writing about the Victor Wembanyama of it all when I do these because it feels too easy. What did we learn from the Spurs win? They still have the best player on the planet and he helps a lot. Case closed. To his credit, he goes out of his way to make ignoring him next to impossible.
The problem, if there is one, is that regular season basketball does actually seem easy for him at this point. That’s not a mirage. I have no doubt about how hard he’s worked to achieve the level he’s currently operating on, but that doesn’t change the fact that watching him dismantle the average NBA team every other night doesn’t look very challenging. He’s like Will Hunting ranting at Professor Lambeau about how easy it is to solve those supposedly impossible graph theory equations.
Victor’s ascension this season is impressive, and I want to do my best to appreciate the casual brilliance we are privy to on a regular basis, but that greatness comes at a cost, and that cost is a raised ceiling. I simply don’t care that he can drop 50 on the Mavs or 40 on the Suns. I don’t care that he can snuff out the Blazers. I’m sure there will be another jaw-dropping stat line on Wednesday when he plays the Bulls, and I’m sure it will be met with another polite nod from me.
None of this is his fault, mind you. The schedule is the schedule and the teams are the teams. He’s taking care of business, and that’s all you can really ask of him.
I guess I’ve just spent the last nine games of this winning streak telling myself I still don’t know what I’m looking at and I really believe anyone who tells you they do is lying. The ease with which they are winning these games is real. Every conclusion we draw from it…well, that’s a little more hazy. I try to grab on to things I know. “The Spurs are Good.” “The Suns are Bad.” “Wemby is Tall,” and project out from there but I end up feeling like I’m chasing the ghost of a conclusion. The idea of a resolution instead of an actual one.
This is a champagne problem at most. Like, what, I’m having a bad time because I can’t tell if the Spurs are great, really great, or generationally amazing? A few years ago we were sitting through a sixteen-game losing streak and then an eighteen-game one, on our way to the lottery again and again. Now I’m hemming and hawing because our first brush with success last spring has got me feeling antsy.
The thing I’m dancing around here is that the Finals loss is an albatross around our necks that we’re just going to have to wear. There’s no two ways about it. I’m encouraged by the things I’m seeing from this new three-guard- Hydra, but I won’t feel comfortable until I know it can outscore Jalen Brunson when he’s going Nuclear. I love that Victor seems more calm and assured in his decision making, but I still have nightmares about KAT finding a way to neutralize him. Every time we race out to a lead this season, my brain remembers the blown leads in June.
The context of the past clouds everything from the present and I don’t think there’s an easy fix for that feeling. It shouldn’t sully our enjoyment of the current moment, but it does ground the results in a certain reality.
All of this is certainly real enough, but none of it really matters.
Not yet.
Takeaways
I don’t feel qualified to talk about what Dylan Harper is doing. It’s a level of basketball that I recognize as great but have difficulty quantifying, because my analysis tends to err on the side of “oh my God, how did he do that?” Nuance exits the room when he has the ball in his hands. There is a grace and fluidity to his game that is hypnotic, whether he’s getting to the basket with relative ease or casually spinning into a midrange jumper. I don’t know how to say this as a compliment, but it’s fascinatingly boring to watch. He’s operating at breakneck speed but still in complete control, sort of like how F1 cars can look a little blah during a race until you blink and realize they’re going like 200 mph.
The caveat with Dylan is, obviously, his youth. It’s simultaneously the most exciting and frustrating thing about him. That control I just alluded to can prove elusive sometimes. Sometimes he seems almost like he’s just watching the game happen to him and forgets that he’s more than capable of grabbing the reins. He started the game last night a little bit adrift. Whether that’s a byproduct of the three-guard lineup’s growing pains or him simply sitting back and watching Wemby cook like the rest of us, he was kind of invisible, and a guy like Harper just shouldn’t be invisible. After the game, Mitch talked about calling him out specifically during a timeout in the 3rd, and that wake-up call seemed to snap him back into place. He absolutely torched the Suns in that 3rd quarter, going 6-of-8 from the field and effectively putting the game out of reach after Phoenix briefly tried to make a run. He is, without a doubt, the 2nd best player on the team from a talent perspective, and that this already kinda feels indisputable is the most shocking thing of all.
It would’ve been so easy to just write off De’Aaron Fox this season, as evidenced by that fact that so many people did, in fact, write him off. But he’s been really fun to watch so far this year. I love the way he fits into the similar but different skill sets of our guards, and he seems a little more freed up now that Harper and Castle can take on more responsibility. He’s still so fast and he still has great vision, and last night he finished with 15 points, six assists and nine rebounds. His chemistry with Wembanyama has only gotten better, with four of those six assists going to Wemby, and their propensity for lobs and oops of all types seems to have rubbed off on everyone around them. It’s kind of exactly what you would want from a veteran leader in the starting lineup. Everyone else is right though, the Spurs probably should’ve just shipped him last summer because everyone on Twitter was mad.
Are you ever going to stop having an existential crisis about the Spurs this season?
Are you kidding? My entire brand is “existential crisis about the Spurs.” What would I even write about if not that?
You could analyze the gameplay? Trending stats? Maybe break down different plays the offense runs? Talk about defensive schemes?
You sound insane right now. Completely bonkers.
I just think people come here trying to figure out what they learned from the game and you’re only even talking about the journey through the dark night of the soul you went through on a random Monday. We’re eleven games into the season! You don’t want to, like, build to that?
Shooters shoot. I’m not going to lie to the readers about the fact that I can’t sit still and watch Wembanyama dunk on dudes without stressing about the inexorable march of time or whatever.
I’m not asking you to lie, but also, like, can you not sit still and just watch Wembanyama dunk on dudes without stressing about the inexorable march of time or whatever? Like, are you incapable of doing that?
Former Vancouver Canucks General Manager Brian Burke is officially a member of the Hockey Hall-Of-Fame.
Burke — as well as fellow 2026 HHOF inductees Patrice Bergeron, Cindy Curley, Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, and Keith Tkachuk — was officially inducted Monday, November 9, after a weekend of festivities honouring this year’s entrants in Toronto.
Burke’s 30+ year career as an NHL executive began when he joined the Canucks as Director of Hockey Operations in 1987. He then went on to become the General Manager of the Hartford Whalers for one season (1992–93), before joining the league office as Director of Hockey Operations from 1993–94 to 1998–99.
From 1999–00, Burke took part in his second stint with the Canucks, this time as GM. It was during this tenure that he pulled off the ever-popular draft-day move that landed Vancouver both Daniel and Henrik Sedin with the second and third-overall picks. Both Sedins have since become cornerstones in Vancouver’s professional hockey scene and now serve in similar roles to Burke’s first with the team as the Canucks’ Presidents of Hockey Operations.
As well as his combined 10-years with the Canucks organization, Burke also served in executive roles for the Anaheim Ducks (2005–06 to 2008–09), Toronto Maple Leafs (2008–09 to 2012–13), Calgary Flames (2013–14 to 2018–19), and Pittsburgh Penguins (2020–21 to 2022–23). He also took on numerous roles internationally, at the WHL and OHL-level, and with the PWHL.
“As a GM, I think he would be categorized as a wheeler-dealer in the sense that he has never been afraid to take big swings,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said of Burke in a written article published to NHL.com. “With the Canucks, he managed to do what he had to do to get Daniel and Henrik Sedin with the No. 2 and 3 picks in the 1999 NHL Draft, which is no easy feat. [...] He’s got that level of self-confidence, not arrogance, but self-confidence that he’s not afraid to try something that most people wouldn’t dare try. Not every trade he’s made has worked out, but he’s always had the intestinal fortitude to try big things.”
Burke is the most recent former Canuck to be inducted into the HHOF. Prior to that, both Sedins, as well as former Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo, were inducted in November of 2022.
Aug 26, 2013; Arlington, VA, USA; Team USA director of player personnel Brian Burke speaks during a press conference at the start of the 2013 U.S. Men's national team camp at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 09: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets and Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets embrace during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at Toyota Center on November 09, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Rockets faced the Denver Nuggets in unfamiliar territory on Monday. The Rockets entered Monday night’s game on their first two-game losing streak of the season after their 102-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
In that game, the Rockets struggled from the field as the Suns led by double digits in the first quarter. The Rockets eventually got back in the game and even took a six-point lead at one point in the second half. Still, even a fourth-quarter resurgence from Alperen Sengun, who struggled the first three quarters, wasn’t enough to keep the Rockets from dropping their second straight game.
Pregame
The Rockets welcomed the Nuggets, who are coming off a win down in Mexico City over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets have been without Steven Adams and Clint Capela for several games and also added Oscar Tshiebwe to their injury report with an illness. That means the Rockets will be without all three of their backup centers, leaving Sengun as the only active center for Monday’s game.
Ime Udoka did mention how both Steven Adams and Clint Capela are targeting the upcoming road trip, specifically the Washington and Miami games, as possible return dates. That would be a welcome sight for a Rockets team that currently ranks 12th in rebounding after being near or at the top every season of Ime Udoka’s Rockets tenure.
Rockets vs Nuggets
The Rockets got off to a fast start, led by Durant, who made his first three shots, including one from beyond the arc. Durant was as aggressive in the first quarter as he has been in several games. The quarter was back and forth, as neither team could get much separation.
The Nuggets started to take advantage of the Rockets’ lack of depth at center as Jokic went to work once Sengun went to the bench. However, the Rockets put together a good finish to the quarter, and a Tari Eason 3-pointer put them up 32-24 at the end of the first quarter. Durant led all scorers with 11 points in the first 12 minutes.
The Rockets carried that momentum into the second quarter, scoring the first 11 points and building a lead of as much as 19. The Rockets played with much more force and composure than in their first half against the Suns. The Rockets had 13 assists out of their first 20 made baskets. The Rockets maintained the lead, taking a 54-40 lead into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Nuggets cut the lead to under double digits early as they started the quarter on fire from the field. The Rockets, meanwhile, saw their shooting fall off a cliff, starting 2-for-14 from the field as the Nuggets came back from an early 18-point deficit to tie the game at 5:02.
That’s when Marcus Smart and Tari Eason entered the game, and the Rockets’ defensive intensity immediately rose. The Rockets strung together good defensive possessions that led to easy baskets and pushed the lead back to nine at 71-62. Despite a rough start to the quarter, the Rockets led 77-68 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth quarter, both teams played at a high level for the first time. On one end, Sengun scored in the paint; on the other, Jamal Murray could not miss from mid-range. The Rockets had a slim six-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
That’s when Sengun took over: he not only scored in the paint to give the Rockets a 98-90 lead, but he also assisted on the next two baskets, helping the Rockets put the game away with a 110-100 win. The win snapped the Rockets’ first two-game losing streak of the season.
Postgame:
After the game, Ime Udoka, Kevin Durant, and Alperen Sengun spoke to the media. Udoka said the Rockets did a much better job taking care of the basketball and distributing it, and that they finished with 29 assists. SB Nation asked Durant whether it is easier to figure out the defense when he’s initiating the offense.
KD finished with a season high 8 assists I asked KD if it is easier for him sometimes to see how a defense wants to guard him.
“I'm better up there. When I am running off the pin downs I am cool to but like you said I don't know where the defense is.” pic.twitter.com/e78K9KiIb2
Sengun helped close out the Nuggets with his own great passing and running the pick-and-roll with Durant. Here are both players praising each other’s games after last night’s win.
Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun each had high praise for the other after last night's win.
KD on AlP play “To be honest I feel like everytime I have been playing with him about 95, 96 percent of the time he makes a solid decision.”
The Rockets now begin preparing for their old nemesis, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, who come to town Wednesday with an 8-3 record and have won their last eight games.
With the Dallas Mavericks down 13 points late in the first half on the second night of a back-to-back, Monday night at American Airlines Center looked very much like a schedule loss. Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving had other ideas, though, as they combined for 78 points, fueling Dallas past the Indiana Pacers in a wild finish, 125-122.
The win was the Mavericks’ third straight and moved Dallas to 7-4 on the season. It also put the Mavs three games over .500 for the first time since March 1, 2025, a date that feels a lot longer ago than it actually is for anyone who has lived through the last two years of Mavericks basketball.
Think about where this franchise was not long ago. The Luka Doncic trade. Irving’s torn ACL. A 26-56 season and back-to-back years without a playoff appearance. Oddsmakers set Dallas’ win total at 34.5 before this season, and after an opening stretch that included Houston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City, a lot of people expected the Mavs to be scrapping just to stay afloat by mid-November.
Instead, the Mavs are stacking wins, Flagg looks like an MVP candidate in year two, and Irving looks like his old self before the ACL injury happened. Most importantly, the way the Mavs are winning these games feels sustainable. Here are some of the biggest storylines from Monday night’s thriller.
Flagg Climbs Even Higher in the Teenage Record Books
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 9: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks during the first half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center on November 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Flagg was good in the first half, but he was on an entirely different level in the second.
The 19-year-old star scored 30 of his season-high 43 points after halftime, including 14 on 6-of-6 shooting in the third quarter and 16 more in the fourth. He finished 16-of-25 from the field, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and a perfect 8-of-8 at the free-throw line, adding 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block for his fourth straight double-double.
Flagg became just the second teenager in NBA history to post at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a game, joining Kevin Durant, who put up 42 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in the final game of his rookie season with Seattle in 2008. Per StatMuse, add the three steals, and Flagg is the first teenager ever with a 40-10-5-3 line.
It was also his fifth career 40-point game, as many as the next two teenagers on that list combined (LeBron James with three and Anthony Edwards with two). His 14th career 30-point game moved him into second place for the most by a player under 20, behind only James, and his seventh 35-point game tied James for the most by a teenager. And keep in mind, Flagg doesn’t turn 20 until Dec. 21.
Mavericks head coach Dusty May pointed to how complete Flagg’s scoring package has become.
“He gets to the rim,” May said in his postgame media availability. “I think him almost being a left-handed player in the paint certainly helps. He’s a great left-footed jumper, left-handed finisher. Then he’s able to square in the air from 15, 17 feet. … The last couple of games, he’s made some threes and he’s making all of his free throws. That’s how you put up the 43 points, where you do a little bit of everything.”
It’s almost unreal just how good Flagg already is, and May is just happy he’s on his roster and not having to gameplan against him.
“He affects the game in so many ways and he makes the right plays as far as passing,” May said. “Thank goodness he’s on our team. It’s unbelievable that he’s a 19-year-old doing this.”
Flagg’s deadly midrange shot, which he worked on all offseason, is paying off in a big way, especially in clutch situations, where he leads the league in clutch points.
“I think just being able to get to my spots at a higher level and being more comfortable with that has allowed me to take a little bit of load off my body,” Flagg said. “Just kind of stopping short, raising up over people. It’s taxing going downhill all the way to the rim and trying to finish over seven-footers all night, every night. … Just trusting the work, trusting the spot work that I put in all summer long.”
Through 11 games, the reigning Rookie of the Year is averaging 25.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Again, given everything Mavs fans have been through over the last 21 months, this sort of euphoric rise back to genuine happiness watching these games is hard to believe.
Irving looks sharp on night 2 of a back-to-back
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 9: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates after scoring a three point basket during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center on November 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Flagg was the closer on Monday night, but Irving was arguably the reason Dallas was still in the game in those closing moments.
Playing the second night of a back-to-back for the first time this season, a day after logging 28 minutes in a 130-93 win over Brooklyn, Irving poured in 35 points in a season-high 38 minutes. He knocked down a season-high seven 3-pointers on 10 attempts, went 3-of-3 at the line and finished a game-best plus-29.
After missing 19 months with the torn ACL he suffered in March 2025, Irving said he told his teammates in the locker room after Sunday’s win that he planned to play.
“When you’re in a combative sport such as basketball, some days are going to feel good, some days aren’t, especially coming off an injury or a long period of time,” Irving said. “So I just had to get my body back used to being in the flow of the game. … I was just feeling great, and just coming in to today.”
May, who said plus-minus is often overblown in a one-game sample, made an exception for Irving in this one.
“His plus-29 tonight was very indicative of how important he is,” May said. “When we were struggling to make shots in the first half, we thought we were generating really good looks. We just looked a little bit flat. I thought Kyrie’s shot-making just kind of righted the ship for us.”
It’s still early, but seeing Irving look this healthy and proving to be a seamless fit next to Flagg bodes well for what this team can accomplish this year. Perhaps the last two years of the basketball injury gods punishing the Mavs will result in some good injury luck the rest of this season.
A star pairing without the ego
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 9: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with teammate Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks after scoring a basket during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center on November 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The most encouraging part of all of this is just how naturally Flagg and Irving shared the scoring load against Indiana. The two combined for 26 fourth-quarter points, including Dallas’ first 13 of the period, and May said neither player blinks when the play call goes to the other.
“We’re coming out of a timeout, we may draw up a play for one of them just because the other one might have an All-League defender on him, or whatever the case, and they never roll their eyes,” May said. “They know when we’re going to one of the two, the other one’s very, very supportive because they have that much respect for each other.”
Irving, an established champion who has shared the floor with more than a few superstars over his 15-year career, is grateful that he’s able to be Flagg’s teammate, despite the two players being on different ends of their careers.
“We keep calling him a teenager, but he plays way beyond his years. We’ve got to give him his flowers,” Irving said. “Most young guys will probably move away from that contact, but it seems like this newer generation that’s coming into our league, they fear nothing. And I think he falls right in line with that. So grateful to have him on the wing with me.”
Those feelings are mutual for Flagg: “Just having [Kyrie] out there, his gravity opening the floor for everybody else, it makes my life so much easier.”
Surviving a chaotic finish
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 9: P.J. Washington #25 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates a three point basket during the second half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center on November 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It wasn’t pretty at the end, but it didn’t have to be for the Mavs to come up with another win. That’s one thing that’s been so encouraging about this fast start to the season. Dallas is finding different ways to win, whether it’s pretty or not.
Indiana’s Pascal Siakam torched Dallas for 26 first-half points on 8-of-9 shooting, but the Mavs adjusted their help defense after the break and held him to just three points on 1-of-7 shooting the rest of the way. The Pacers took a 66-56 lead into halftime and a 93-90 lead into the fourth before Flagg buried a 26-foot pull-up 3 to tie it. Irving’s 23-footer with 9:36 left put Dallas in front for good.
Leading 125-122 with a chance to put the game on ice, PJ Washington missed a pair of free throws with four seconds left, and Caleb Martin bailed everyone out by stealing Andrew Nembhard’s inbounds pass to Siakam with 0.9 seconds remaining. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was adamant that Martin fouled Siakam on that final play, but judging from the replays, it looked like Martin got all ball before ever making any contact with Siakam.
It obviously would’ve been nice for Washington to sink at least one of those free throws to avoid that last-second drama, but again, the Mavs keep finding different ways to win. How many times over the past two years have we seen a game like that end in a loss for Dallas?
Permission to dream a little?
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 9: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks goes to the basket during the first half against the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center on November 9, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As good (and fun) as the Mavs have been early on, Irving knows his team still has a long way to go to get to the level they want to be at.
“We haven’t earned anything in this league yet,” Irving said. “We consistently do it every night, and that’s how you build your identity in this league and you earn your respect. We try not to put the cart before the horse.”
With that being said, though, Mavs fans have earned the right to enjoy this start and, dare I say, dream big again. After two years of nothing but gut punches, a 7-4 start built on a generational teenager, a healthy veteran star and a team that genuinely seems to like playing together is a foundation Mavs fans have been waiting on.
Irving acknowledged the preseason doubt, saying the team heard “a lot of the noise” and chose not to let outside voices into the locker room. If he keeps playing like prime Kyrie, though, and if Flagg keeps rewriting the record books at this current pace, those voices of doubt are going to continue to get a whole lot quieter.
The Mavericks will now hit the road for a big three-game trip that will show just how real this start is, beginning Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center at 7 p.m. CT. Dallas then visits the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 14 and the Boston Celtics on Nov. 15.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 30: Jayson Tatum #0, Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Paul George #8 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 30, 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Lost in the background of the highly anticipated first matchup between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum is a return to Philadelphia for Paul George, who spent his past two seasons as a Sixer.
Both Brown and Tatum have downplayed the narrative, as hard as it is to ignore. George, who played 89 games in a Sixers uniform, is following suit.
“It’s a regular game — that’s how I’m treating it,” he said during Boston’s morning shootaround.
George said he was unsure of the reception he’d receive in his first game back to Xfinity Mobile Arena, a place where in his last appearance, he scored a series-best 23 points on 47% efficiency to go with vintage defense, forcing four Celtics turnovers and holding shooters matched up with him to 33% (5/15 FG). It played a part in Philly completing the 14th 3-1 series comeback in NBA history.
And yet, George’s brief stint in Philadelphia was defined by a core group that struggled to stay on the floor at the same time, and ran into the same second round demons they’ve yet to exorcise since the beginning of The Process.
“Had I been here 8, 9, 10 years it’d be a different story. I was there 2 years,” he said.
Interesting perspective from George on the reception he expects in Philadelphia tonight: "Not sure. In some ways, I helped land them a future piece. So with that, I'm not sure how the reception will be."
"Was there 2 years. Obviously, we didn't have the best of luck. We had a…
It’s an easy narrative to shrug off for George because, over his 17 seasons, he’s gone through this same thing before.
“He said he’s returned to four different teams before. There’s nothing new to him,” Payton Pritchard said.
George had his own contentious reunion when he played against the Indiana Pacers for the first time, followed by games against the Thunder and Clippers.
George isn’t the only Celtic currently on the roster to have experienced an anticipated reunion between a foundational player and the team that drafted him.
Mike Conley, a 12-year Grizzlies mainstay before the organization ended the Grit and Grind with a full scale rebuild, was showered with appreciation and given a hero’s welcome from the Memphis fanbase in his first game against them in 2019.
Their experiences couldn’t have been farther apart.
In the case of George, whose seven years in Indiana ended in a trade request, he first played the Pacers in Oklahoma City, struggling with foul trouble and playing just 19 minutes in an 18-point win. When he played in Indiana for the first time later that season, he was showered with boos from the moment his name was announced, and he shot just 3-of-14 for 12 points, though a late steal and two clutch free throws contributed to a 100-95 win.
“I’m happy this circus is over with. Everybody can move on,” George said after his return to Indiana.
The response was different in George’s next stop; he was given a tribute video and crowd ovation playing against the Thunder for the first time. Against the Clippers, a video tribute was also presented, but there was a mix of cheers and boos, a reaction he described as “stupid,” though he cited no ill will towards the franchise or his time spent in Los Angeles.
“The boos, I didn’t get it,” he said after his first game against the Clippers. “I still don’t get it when I go [back] to Indy, but it is what it is. It’s sports. I look forward to next year being back here and more boos.”
It’s hard to say the exact response when George’s name is called in the lineup introductions tonight. As the Celtics got rolling on their shootaround inside Xfinity Mobile Arena, the song “Why Can’t We Be Friends” by War blared from the speakers, a tongue and cheek choice to kick off what will be one of the most watched and debated rivalry games of the season.
Perhaps it’s a sign that tempers will be calm on Tuesday night. The game will be played, hands will be shaken, and hugs will be dispersed from competitor to competitor after an early November test between two Eastern Conference contenders.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 10: Nique Clifford #10 of the Sacramento Kings stands on the court during the second half of the preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 10, 2026 in San Francisco, 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. (Photo by Godofredo A. Vásquez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Sunday afternoon, the Sacramento Kings agreed to deal second-year wing Nique Clifford to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for two second-round picks. Clifford held a fairly sizable role during his rookie season, when he averaged 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.9 steals in 25.1 minutes per game.
But he’d fallen out of Sacramento’s rotation to begin 2026-27 and played just 50 minutes in eight games prior to the trade. With the Thunder ravaged by early season injuries, they opted to tap into their surplus of picks and add a reinforcement to their wing room with the hopes he might break out in a more stable organization.
Oklahoma City, however, was not the lone playoff hopeful eyeing Clifford. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that a trio of other suitors, including the Los Angeles Lakers, gauged the market for him. Ultimately, though, the Thunder emerged victorious in the Nique Clifford Sweepstakes.
“The Pacers, Nuggets and Lakers, sources say, were among the teams that registered trade interest in the 24-year-old,“ according to The Stein Line Substack, “but Oklahoma City had multiple advantages when it came to getting a deal done.”
Among the “multiple advantages” referenced there is presumably Oklahoma City’s wealth of picks. Between 2027 and 2033, it owns 15 second-round picks, one of which is Los Angeles’ 2032 second-rounder. For comparison, the Lakers own just three over that same span.
Plus, the Lakers are also already fairly well-stocked with youthful wings worth taking a swing on this season. Adou Thiero (22 years old), Cameron Carr (22) and Ziaire Williams (25) are all 25 or younger and have garnered varying levels of rotation minutes to open the year. Given the Lakers’ depleted well of draft capital, it probably didn’t make much sense to fork over two of their remaining three second-round picks through 2033 for a dude who *might* crack the rotation on certain nights.
If they’re going to move some of those picks, it should be for someone they know can be a difference-maker and mainstay in the rotation. Clifford, while still pretty young and far from a finished product in the league, certainly does not fit that billing.
ST. LOUIS – Logan Mailloux will make his season debut for the St. Louis Blues (7-8-2), who begin a stretch of seven out of 10 home games on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings (7-8-3) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (TNT, HBO MAX, ESPN 101.1-FM).
Mailloux, who was activated on Monday off injured reserve and Adam Jiricek and Theo Lindstein were assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League and Calle Rosen was recalled, was injured when he broke his right hand on Sept. 26 in a fight during a preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks before having surgery on Sept. 28.
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing again,” Mailloux said on Monday. “Obviously when you’re watching your teammates and stuff go to battle night in, night out, you want to be out there. That’s definitely something that I missed and I’m looking forward to playing again for sure.”
He will line up alongside Philip Broberg, who Mailloux had tremendous chemistry with down the stretch last season and Broberg is at the top of his game right now.
“He’s doing what he does best,” Mailloux said. “He’s a heck of a skater, both sides of the puck. He’s unbelievable. It’s been fun watching him for sure and hopefully he keeps going.”
- - -
With two teams that are on three-game losing streaks (Blues 0-2-1, Red Wings 0-3-0), there will be a sense of urgency from two teams with similar records (Detroit is 7-8-3). For the Blues, who just came off a four-game road trip going 1-2-1, with the lone win against the Red Wings, 5-4 in third-period comeback fashion, their 5-on-5 game needs more urgency more than anything.
On the trip after the Red Wings game, if you take away the four-plus minute spurt in New Jersey, they have exactly one even-strength goal after scoring 6-on-5 against the New York Rangers and one power-play goal against the Nashville Predators.
It’s something they’ve worked specifically on the past two days since returning.
“Playing faster in the O-zone,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “It’s been a slow burn so far and we need it to become a fast burn. Running our routes, knowing what we’re going to do with the puck before we get it and making sure the puck doesn’t die on our stick.
“We want to play faster in the O-zone, we want to spend more time in the O-zone, and we want to run the proper routes so that we’re retrieving rebounds so that we’re creating second- and third-chance opportunities, not only off the initial shot but also making the other team defend longer and harder.”
Montgomery said Detroit is, “A really good defensive team that makes you earn every foot of ice because they’re playing that 1-3-1 and they’re five guys connected all the time. They give up the fewest slot shots in the league, that’s their commitment to defense and really good sticks in the D-zone, so even more important that we’re patient.”
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Jonatan Berggren will re-enter the lineup after being a healthy scratch the past two games and will replace Aleksanteri Kaskimaki.
“To play with a consistent pace and purpose that he was before he was taken out,” Montgomery said. ‘I thought there was a slip and we can’t afford slips from anyone. We’re a depth team and we need our depth to come though.”
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The Blues have already faced former teammate Justin Faulk, who was traded to the Red Wings last season on March 6 at the NHL Trade Deadline, when they faced the defenseman on Oct. 31 in Detroit, but this will be Faulk’s first visit to St. Louis after spending the past nearly six seasons with the Blues after being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Blues will have a video tribute prepared for Faulk, usually after the first TV time out in the first period.
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Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Jonatan Berggren-Mason McTavish-Jake neighbours
Dalibor Dvorsky-Connor McMichael-Pavel Buchnevich
Alexey Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Ross Johnston
Philip Broberg-Logan Mailloux
Justin Barron-Colton Parayko
Cam Fowler-Brandon Carlo
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Calle Rosen. Tyler Tucker (knee) and Dillon Dube (neck) are out.
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Red Wings Projected Lineup:
Alex DeBrincat-Emmitt Finnie-Viktor Arvidsson
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard-Andrew Copp-Lucas Raymond
Michael Rasmussen-J.T. Compher-Marco Kasper
Sheldon Dries-Mason Appleton-Keegan Kolesar
Ben Chiarot-Moritz Seider
William Wallinder-Justin Faulk
Andreas Englund-Anton Johansson
Daniil Tarasov will start in goal; will be the backup.
The healthy scratch includes Carter Mazur. The Red Wings report no injuries. Dylan Larkin remains suspended.
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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr speaks to the media before a game against the Miami Heat on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, in San Francisco.
The Golden State Warriors have won eight straight games and look like one of the Western Conference’s best teams.
But it was not all smiles for Golden State after Monday’s 138-87 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, given the injury that backup point guard Brandon Williams suffered.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke about how much of a blow Williams’ injury is when speaking to the media postgame.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr speaks to the media during a pregame press conference before a game against the Miami Heat, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
“Yeah, it’s a big concern. He’s a huge part of our team, and he’s given us such a lift. And it’s a hamstring. He’s going to get an MRI, so we’ll see how bad it is,” Kerr said on Williams’ injury.
Williams has been one of the Warriors’ best surprises this season. He is averaging 10.4 points in 16.1 minutes per game for Golden State after signing a one-year, $2.6 million for them this past offseason.
Brandon Williams of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, Nov. 7, 2026. NBAE via Getty ImagesBrandon Williams (12) of the Golden State Warriors shoots a free throw against the Orlando Magic at Chase Center in San Francisco on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
It’s still too early to tell how long Williams might be sidelined for.
The good news is that thanks to new rules in the game meant to disincentivize service-time manipulation the Reds get an additional draft pick between the first and second rounds.
The not-so-good news: The price just went up on the inevitable extension talks with the hard-hitting, 22-year-old All-Star.
Four months after the Reds inked Stewart’s pal, Reds ace Chase Burns, to a $105 million, seven-year extension, the Reds and Stewart still had not engaged in talks about an extension for the 32-homer rookie slugger, sources said.
And the meter continues to run after Stewart became the franchise’s ninth player to win the National League Rookie of the Year award, with Stewart also a finalist for a prestigious Silver Slugger award. Those winners are announced next week.
The tangible upside for the team — beyond possibly earning a few more ticket sales in marketing the “award-winning” Sal — is the Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick that figures to be a top-40 overall pick between their first- and second-round picks.
That’s because of a 2022 rule that rewards teams for promoting prospects closer to the beginning of a season rather than wait long enough with their better prospects to assure an additional year of club control before free agency.
That delay of less than two weeks led to players such as Kris Bryant and Maikel Franco to file union grievances a decade ago against their teams for service-time manipulation that delayed their free agency. Bryant won a Rookie of the Year award in 2015 after being kept in the minors the first eight games of that season, which meant an additional six years before he was eligible for free agency.
How potentially valuable are the additional supplemental picks?
Stewart was selected 32nd overall in 2022 – as an additional compensation pick for the Reds for losing Nick Castellanos as a free agent.
