Please win one for Bibee.
Here’s the Red Sox lineup:
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
GAME THREAD: Red Sox at Guardians, game 61 of 162
Game 58: Red Sox @ Guardians
Happy Sunday, Red Sox Nation! We’ve got another series finale on deck today after splitting the first two games against the Cleveland Guardians. Willson Contreras gets a maintenance day, and Ceddanne Rafaela was scratched, so we’ve got an interesting lineup. All three catchers are in there, somehow. I flew a little too close to the sun last night at a wedding, and should probably also be scratched, but we’re powering through. Congrats to the Andersons.
1:40 PM first pitch on NESN and WEEI
Lineups
Game 60: Twins at Pirates
First Chuck: 12:35 PM (new anthem each week!)
The Tube: Twins.TV
The Dial: Treasure Island Baseball Network
Spies ‘R Us: Bucs Dugout
When I was gallivanting around Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago, I saw that Ted Turner & Bobby Cox had passed away. I wanted to comment on that, as those two fellows had a surprising impact on my “baseball upbringing”, if you will.
Let’s start with Ted Turner. Perhaps best known for starting CNN (a 24/7 news channel? No one will ever get into that), Turner also created the TBS (Turner Broadcasting System) cable TV channel, which was included in cable packages across the nation. Why was this important to baseball fans? Well, alongside James Bond movie marathons & WCW professional wrestling, TBS became the broadcast home of the Atlanta Braves (which Turner also owned). As far as I know, this was the first time an MLB team could be routinely followed out-of-market by a mass audience.
(Side note: Billionaire Ted also established TCM—Turner Classic Movies—and bought out old studio back catalogs simply to fill air time. Without that endeavor, a film like It’s A Wonderful Life would never have been re-discovered and now-revered).
How did this have an impact on me living in northwest Minnesota? You have to remember that I started following MLB—in 1996—when the Minnesota Twins were the joke of the league. In a sense, it is truly amazing I stuck with it at all. But I fell hard for baseball and the Braves were the class of the league in the late-1990s. Granted, I was usually rooting against them and for the underdog (what a world!) New York Mets of Mike Piazza, Al Leiter, & Benny Agbayani vintage. Either way, it allowed me to watch highly-competitive baseball from time to time as opposed to the Twins slogging through their doldrum late-90s.
The manager of those ATL squads? Why, Bobby Cox of course! Excluding the never-concluded 1994 campaign, Cox presided over a mind-boggling run of 14 consecutive division titles for the Braves (1991-1993, 1995-2005). Over 29 skipper seasons with Atlanta & the Toronto Blue Jays, Cox compiled a 2504-2001 record (.556 WP), one World Series title (though not two), four other NL pennants, and a plaque in Cooperstown.
I don’t care how much he leaned on his “Big Three” SP of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, & John Smoltz—a track record like the one he put together speaks for itself. He was also a Gardenhire-esque source of entertainment in that he set the all-time MLB record for manager ejections—even surpassing the notoriously wicked John McGraw in terms of getting the ‘ol heave-ho from the Men in Blue!
A final thought to mull over here as the Twins are set to clash with the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon: in the span of the 1991 to the present—not all that long in the grand scheme of things—cable TV went from nascent curiosity to in 90% of TV-watching homes to the most hated enterprise in business to almost obsolete (we are currently here) to being pined for in an uber-fragmented TV landscape (we are also here). Remarkable—Ted Turner and his irascible-but-brilliant manager were right in the middle of all of it.
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Washington Nationals vs San Diego Padres Game Thread
After yesterday’s comeback win, the Nats have a chance to win yet another series this afternoon. With a win today, they will end May with a record above .500. That would be a huge accomplishment for a group that did not come into the season with high expectations at all.
Initially, Dylan Crews was in this lineup, but he was a late scratch. I would assume that has something to do with the hit by pitch that caught him in the hand yesterday. That means the outfield will be Daylen Lile in left, Jacob Young in center and James Wood in right. Curtis Mead will be back at third base and Jorbit Vivas will slide to second. Keibert Ruiz will do the catching for this game. Zack Littell looks to put a bow on what has been a very strong May for him.
The Padres have made several changes to their lineup. Fernando Tatis Jr. will move to right field after playing second base the first two games. Rookie Sung-Mun Song will play second base today. Gavin Sheets will move to DH and veteran Nick Castellanos will be in left field. Freddy Fermin is back behind the plate for the series finale. Griffin Canning has struggled this season, but he posted a quality start last time out and will look to build off of that today.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 1:35 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Getting a series win would be a great way to close out a successful month of May. The crowds have been outstanding this weekend, and the team is on a roll. Yesterday was an amazing win, and hopefully they can build on that. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
OG Anunoby is Knicks' X-factor for 2026 NBA Finals vs. Spurs
Four wins stand in the way of the first championship in half a century for the Knicks. The San Antonio Spurs and phenom center Victor Wembanyama will be the toughest opponent New York has faced in these playoffs.
To get over the hump, the Knicks will need great two-way play from wing OG Anunoby. He’s the X-Factor for New York in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Anunoby is playing at the highest level of his career during these playoffs. In 12 games, the forward is averaging 19.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. Despite missing two games due to a hamstring injury, Anunoby returned for all four games of the conference finals sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. By the end of the series, he looked more like himself after shaking off the rust.
The wing is shooting a blistering 48.3 percent from the three-point line during the playoffs. Anunoby’s also been an off-ball threat. He’s averaging 1.53 points per possession on cuts in the postseason per NBA Stats. It’s the fifth-best mark in the NBA.
Anunoby’s combination of shooting, off-ball movement and scoring has been a great complement to New York’s stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Through the first three rounds, New York is a plus-21.3 points per 100 possessions in 406 minutes with Anunoby on the floor, according to NBA Stats.
Defensive domination
Anunoby has been a versatile defender for the Knicks. Named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team this season, he’s taken on primary defensive assignments in big men like Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu and Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen throughout the postseason. He’s also guarded the likes of Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson and Philadelphia 76ers wing Paul George.
San Antonio has multiple perimeter offensive shot creators like Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, so the Knicks will need Anunoby to guard multiple positions. There’s also the potential for Anunoby to defend the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama. Towns and the currently injured Mitchell Robinson are expected to have the primary assignment to defend San Antonio’s alien superstar.
But Anunoby should also spend some time on Wembanyama. New York had Anunoby guard Wembanyama on numerous possessions in New York’s three matchups with the Spurs in the regular season and the NBA Cup.
Despite the significant height difference, Anunoby has proven to be a physical defender. He can prevent Wembanyama from getting to his comfort zones in the post and he should at least be able to disrupt the seven-footer’s rhythm. According to Caitlin Cooper, of 20 players who have defended Wembanyama for at least 100 half-court matchups during his three-year career, Anunoby has allowed the fewest player points per 100 matchups as the primary defender.
How much Anunoby guards Wembanyama will depend on the lineups San Antonio goes to. If the Spurs have Harrison Barnes or Keldon Johnson on the floor for significant minutes, the Knicks can have Towns defend either of those two players. But if the Spurs feature lineups with high volume three-point shooters Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie on the floor together, it makes sense for the Knicks to have Towns defend Wembanyama. Regardless, Anunoby will have an impact either as a primary defender or protecting the rim as a backline help defender.
For the Knicks to win a championship, they will need a good series from Anunoby. He’s arguably been the most consistent player on the Knicks during this sprint to the Finals. And that should continue in this final test for the Knicks.
Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds Game Thread: May 31
The Atlanta Braves can conclude their second consecutive 19-win month if they close out May with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Follow along here as the Braves look to complete a 5-1 road trip in the Queen City at 1:40 p.m. EDT on BravesVision.
Game Info
Western Conference Finals Game 7 showcase Kentucky’s NBA dominance
Kentucky Basketball has sent a lot of players to the NBA over the last decade plus, and more than a few former Wildcats showed up and showed out Saturday night with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. Oklahoma City was searching for a second consecutive NBA Finals appearance, led by NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. San Antonio was seeking to upend what many thought would become a dynasty.
Game 7 had all the makings of a history-making event, and it didn’t disappoint. In front of one of the loudest crowds in the NBA in Oklahoma City, the Spurs took down the defending champion Thunder to advance to the NBA Finals.
Former Wildcats shine in NBA Western Conference Finals
Despite falling short, the Thunder were led by former Cats SGA and Cason Wallace. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 35 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds. Wallace would be 2nd in scoring on the night for OKC, finishing the night with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.
San Antonio was, of course, led by the emerging superstar Victor Wembenyama, who finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds. But it was a pair of Cats who helped shut the door in the 4th quarter. Keldon Johnson, who is fresh off being named 6th man of the year, had 11 points in 16 minutes. De’Aaron Fox finished with 15 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
Altogether, Kentucky players accounted for 78 points, 14 rebounds, 19 assists, and 9 steals in the Western Conference Finals.
Now, Fox and Johnson will meet up with another former Cat, Karl-Anthony Towns, in the NBA Finals, which kick off on Wednesday.
Another year and another Cat is guaranteed to be hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the air after winning a championship.
Who are you pulling for, the Spurs or the Knicks?
Vegas Golden Knights vs Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup Final Odds, Picks & Series Preview
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The puck drops in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night in Carolina.
The Carolina Hurricanes are favored to win it all for the first time since 2006, while the Vegas Golden Knights look to win their second Cup in five years.
I agree with the market, and will break down why with my NHL picks for the final series of the season.
All odds courtesy of Bet99.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes picks
| Pick |  |
|---|---|
 Hurricanes to win series 4-2 | +450 |
| Over 5.5 games | -190 |
| Jackson Blake to lead series in scoring | +1900 |
| Hurricanes to win the series | -155 |
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes series odds
| Market | ||
|---|---|---|
 +125 | To win | -155 |
| +1.5 (-150) | Handicap | -1.5 (+120) |
| Over 5.5 (-190) | Total games | Under 5.5 (+150) |
The Carolina Hurricanes enter the series as -155 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, and carry +120 odds to beat the Vegas Golden Knights by multiple games.
The Hurricanes won 14 more games during the regular season, posted better underlying metrics, and have home ice advantage, so it is easy to see why they are considered clear frontrunners in this matchup.
The total is heavily juiced to the Over of 5.5 games, so a competitive series is expected here, which would be refreshing after two lopsided matchups in the Conference Finals.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes series preview
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes statistical breakdown
The Golden Knights and Hurricanes clashed twice in the regular season, and things didn't go so well for the Stanley Cup favorites.
The Hurricanes dropped both games and were out-scored 10-4 while controlling just over 33% of the expected goals, which is very abnormal.
Context is key. Jaccob Slavin missed both games for Carolina, while K'Andre Miller was also sidelined for one. Those are Carolina's two leaders in playoff ice time, so their absences were certainly noteworthy.
We're also talking about a two-game sample. The Canes graded out better than the Knights in shot share, chance share, expected goal share, and goal share over the course of the entire season.
They were especially dominant at home, where they controlled a league-leading 58.06% of the expected goals and ranked first in points percentage.
Vegas posted strong numbers under the hood — certainly better than you'd expect from a 39-win team — but Carolina is a clear step up.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes series props
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes correct score odds
| Team | Win 4-0 | Win 4-1 | Win 4-2 | Win 4-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Knights | +1900 | +900 | +550 | +550 |
| Hurricanes | +1000 | +450 | +450 | +425 |
Pick: Hurricanes win 4-2 (+450 at Bet99)
The Hurricanes have only dropped one game through three rounds, but they played Ottawa and Philadelphia teams that lacked high-end firepower, and a fatigued Montreal side coming off back-to-back grueling seven-game series against divisional opponents.
They deserve full marks for taking advantage, but the table was set about as well as it could have been in the Eastern Conference bracket.
Vegas has a combination of elite talent and a strong underlying process that none of Carolina's previous opponents did, which better equips them to test Carolina.
I think the Hurricanes are the better team, and they have home ice, but this series should be legitimately competitive. Playable to +440.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes total game odds
Pick: Over 5.5 (-190 at Bet99)
Eight of the last 11 Stanley Cups have gone at least six games, and one of the exceptions came during a COVID-altered season with full division realignment. That was a strange year where Tampa Bay and Montreal — two Atlantic Division foes — faced off in the Final.
We generally don't see short series in the Stanley Cup, which is to be expected in battles between the cream of the crop.
One thing that should help this series is both teams will have full tanks. The Hurricanes are well-rested from having only one series go more than four games, while the Golden Knights are coming off a sweep and get a full week off between games.
Vegas also last played on the road on May 22, meaning they've had next to no travel.
Expect this series to last, and bet the Over to -200.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes top goalscorer
Pick: Jackson Blake (+1900 at Bet99)
Nobody in the playoffs has recorded more expected goals or high-danger scoring chances than Jackson Blake at 5-on-5, and he's just one back in terms of rebounds created.
He is starting a higher percentage of his shifts in the offensive zone than anybody on the Hurricanes and, clearly, taking advantage of that deployment.
Carter Hart has played well in the playoffs, but Adin Hill was the only goaltender in the NHL with a worse high-danger save percentage in the regular season. If those warts resurface, Blake profiles as a likely candidate to take advantage.
Betable to +1700.
Golden Knights vs Hurricanes series best bet
Pick: Hurricanes to win (-155 at Bet99)
This price implies Carolina has a ~60% chance of winning the series, but I think those odds undersell the Hurricanes a little bit and have a fair price close to -170.
The Hurricanes and Golden Knights have posted similar outputs in high-danger chance generation, but the former has been much better at suppressing them.
I don't see the Hurricanes giving up much at 5-on-5, especially when able to control matchups at home, and their penalty kill has been elite for 95 games. Their team defense should be the difference.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Cubs vs Cardinals Prop Picks for Sunday Night Baseball
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The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals play the rubber game of their three-game weekend series on Sunday Night Baseball.
Despite earning a split in the first two games, the series has been rough on the Cardinals’ bullpen, and they need a big night from starter Matthew Liberatore. For the Cubs, PCA and Michael Busch will look to continue their hot streaks.
Check out my full Cubs vs. Cardinals predictions and MLB picks below.
Cubs vs Cardinals props for May 31
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
 Matthew Liberatore Over 15.5 outs | -110 |
 Michael Busch Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBI | +210 |
| Pete Crow-Armstrong to hit a home run | +710 |
Cubs vs Cardinals player prop picks
Matthew Liberatore Over 15.5 outs (-110)
This is less an endorsement of Matthew Liberatore and more an indication of the rough state of this St. Louis Cardinals bullpen. The last two starters have lasted a total of 7 1/3 innings, leaving eight St. Louis relievers to pitch 10 2/3 innings, throwing 164 pitches and giving up six runs.
Even if Liberatore is struggling, he’ll probably have to wear it and pitch into the sixth just to give the pen a rest. He’s done it twice this month and four times this season, and Liberatore is coming off a 101-pitch effort where he struck out a career-high 10. He’s ready for the workhorse role.
Michael Busch Over 2.5 hits + runs + RBI (+210)
Michael Busch has been the best-hitting first baseman in MLB for May and will add to his totals on the month’s final day. He’s hitting 73% better than the league average for the month and has a .955 OPS.
He has six runs, nine hits, and eight RBI over the last week, and he has four hits and four RBI in the first two games of the series. Busch homered and had a two-hit game in his only previous time facing Liberatore.
Pete Crow-Armstrong to hit a home run (+700)
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a big game on Saturday, going 4-for-5, homering, and keeping up a running taunting dialogue with the St. Louis fans. Once he’s fired up, he generally stays that way. Of his 48 career home runs, 12 have come within a day of a previous blast.
PCA has a five-game hitting streak and is hitting .364 with a .917 OPS over that stretch. His seven homers against the Cardinals are the most against any team, and his three homers at Busch match his highest in any visiting park.
How to watch Cubs vs Cardinals and game info
| Location | Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO |
| Date | Sunday, May 31, 2026 |
| First pitch | 7:20 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
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.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.
Dodgers on Deck: Monday, June 1 at Diamondbacks
After a productive six-game homestand, the Dodgers hit the road for a single series, playing the Arizona Diamondbacks for four games at Chase Field in Phoenix in the second meeting of the year between these two National League West rivals.
The Dodgers swept their opening series of the season from March 26-28 at Dodger Stadium. Arizona has been playing much better of late, winning 10 of 11 games before a hiccup this weekend in Seattle, putting themselves squarely in wild card contention.
Emmet Sheehan starts on Monday for the Dodgers, making his first career start at Chase Field. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez on the mound for the home team.
The Diamondbacks are 18-10 at home, and have won eight of their last nine games in Phoeni. The Dodgers have won their last four road series.
Monday game info
- Teams: Dodgers at D-backs
- Ballpark: Chase Field, Phoenix
- Time: 6:40 p.m.
- TV: SportsNet LA
- Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
Game #60: Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, May 31, 2026, 1:35 p.m. ET
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet
Pitching Matchup: Zebby Matthews (1-2, 2.37 ERA) vs. Braxton Ashcraft (4-2, 2.75 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today against the Minnesota Twins looking to grab a win.
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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
Game 58: San Diego Padres at Washington Nationals
San Diego Padres (32-25) at Washington Nationals (30-29), May 31, 2026, 10:35 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Nationals Park – Washington, DC
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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Jonah Cox gets the call as Ryan Borucki is DFA’d
This site’s manager is Brady Klopfer who also does all the minor league reporting, and upon seeing the news posted by Susan Slusser that the San Francisco Giants would be calling up outfielder Jonah Cox, he posted in our work chat: “I’m sorry WHAT,” which suggests to me that we should all treat this news with a lot of surprise.
The 24-year old is hitting .400/.453/.644 with 11 doubles, 5 triples, and 6 home runs for Double-A Richmond this season. He also sports a very interesting 2:1 strikeouts to walk ratio (31:16), which is well within the zone of where minor leaguers start projecting as serviceable major leaguers. But it’s that .400 batting average that will make him famous in the organization, we know that in our bones. The batting average fetishization is strong and .400 is .400. But he’s also quite fast and a proficient base stealer, a skill set the Giants have been sorely missing (they have just 14 stolen bases on the season). If you’re interested in hearing Cox speak, former site contributor Roger Munter interviewed him a few weeks ago for his There R Giants podcast — check it out!
Prior to the season, the McCovey Chronicles community did not include him in the community’s prospect rankings list. As Brady wrote, Cox “was unable to take notable strides on offense,” hitting just .257/.333/.398 in 597 PA last season at Eugene. Slusser had a follow-up post saying that she didn’t think Cox would be in the lineup today, but would be around and available for this finale at Coors Field. Brady’s writeup a couple of days ago explains why he was the next minor leaguer to get the call to the big leagues:
Yet another strong game for right fielder Jonah Cox, who has officially graduated from “hot start” to “leveled up.” It’s been nearly 50 games and 200 plate appearances for the new-look Cox, whose swing has undergone changes that have resulted in dramatic improvements in both the stat sheet and the underlying metrics.
He was back to his old tricks on Thursday, though, as he hit 3-5 with a pair of infield singles and a stolen base, while also knocking a double.
Cox has, stunningly, hit safely in 40 out of 43 games this season, which includes 16 multi-hit games. A year after posting a .731 OPS, a 103 wRC+, a 22.4% strikeout rate, and a 12.0% swinging strike rate in High-A, he has a 1.130 OPS, a 196 wRC+, a 16.9% strikeout rate, and a 10.3% swinging strike rate in AA. He’s even stealing more bases, with 27 in 43 games, after an organization-leading 58 in 126 games a year ago (easier to steal bases when you’re getting on base seemingly every at-bat!).
Just a phenomenal year, and the A’s 2023 6th-rounder is quickly becoming one of the top prospects in the system.
Here’s hoping some of this hot streak carries over to the majors. Whew. What a great pickup for Ross Stripling. Will the move work out? Who’s to say. As the estimable Baseball Jeff reminds us,
Meanwhile, the Giants designated Ryan Borucki for assignment.
Now, before you go and say, “Good riddance!” just know that in addition to being really terrible (4.94 ERA / 4.93 xFIP, -0.2 fWAR in 23.2 IP), he was actually quite good as a LOOGY, holding lefties to a line of .195/.306/.244 (.550 OPS). The problem is, the modern game has phased out the LOOGY because of the three batter rule but also — and more importantly — because of the way lineups are constructed and substituted now. Borucki would’ve been a great guy to have during Buster Posey’s playing days.
10:20am edit: Tristan Beck has also been recalled to take Borucki’s spot on the active roster while Beck will be replacing Will Brennan who has been optioned back to Triple-A.
One Or More Of These Three Prospects Could Be High-End Blackhawks Snipers
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of the best farm systems in the NHL. A lot of their top talent is already in the NHL, but there are great players in other developmental leagues around the world waiting for that chance to play in Chicago.
It is unclear if any of them will step into that “premier pure goal scorer” role that every good team likes to have, but there are a handful of candidates who possess great hockey IQ and the ability to shoot well.
Three of them in particular, Jack Pridham, Nick Lardis, and Marek Vanacker, are past or present OHL stars with the tools to be great NHL goal scorers.
In 2024-25, Lardis led the OHL with 71 goals as a member of the Brantford Bulldogs. He then turned pro in 2025-26 and continued to fill the nets. In 35 games with the Rockford IceHogs, Lardis had 18 goals. The early success earned him an NHL look when Connor Bedard got hurt, and he went on to play 41 games with 10 goals.
A 20-goal pace at the NHL level is no joke, especially for a rookie former third-round pick. Of the three snipers mentioned here, Lardis is the closest to fulfilling his destiny of being an impactful NHL sniper.
As for Vanacker and Pridham, they were the top two goal scorers in the OHL this season. Only time will tell if they follow the same path to success as a rookie pro as Lardis did. There are similar skill sets and mindsets, which allow them to find twine with regularity.
There is a wrinkle to the story concerning Pridham. If he doesn’t either sign his entry-level contract with Chicago or commit to the NCAA by June 1st, he will re-enter the draft in 2026. Chicago doesn’t want to lose him for nothing, but not everyone is going to work out when the farm is that deep.
Pridham is going to play in the Memorial Cup Final with the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday night. He will decide a major detail of his future following that big game, but it must be done in the short window before the aforementioned June 1st deadline.
Connor Bedard was touted as a sniper coming out of the WHL, but his playmaking has been incredible in the NHL as well. He is more of a well-rounded offensive player. It is also unclear what kind of players Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar will be in the offensive zone, but early signs of great playmakers are there.
Having snipers on the wing will be important for the construction of the team if they want to become a legit winner.
If the Blackhawks lose Pridham, they won't be happy about it, but it isn't a make-or-break situation either. They have a farm system filled with players who could develop into high-end snipers, and they have a lot of draft picks to work with as well.
Kyle Davidson has stayed the course throughout this process, and he will do what he can to make sure more goal-scoring talent is inserted into the lineup over the years.
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Warriors’ Best Performances of ’25-26: Al Horford eats up the Nuggets
There is a version of February 22 where the Warriors don’t even bother. Their best player Stephen Curry was out. Their All-Star acquisition Jimmy Butler III was out. Their prized trade deadline piece Kristaps Porzingis was ruled out that morning. Their future Hall-of-Famer and best defender Draymond Green got scratched before tipoff. The opponent was the dangerous Denver Nuggets and the best big man in the world Nikola Jokic was standing on the other side of the floor.
What the Dubs had left was Al Horford. As it turned out, that was enough.
Horford scored 11 points in the first quarter before most people had settled into their seats, going 4-of-5 from the field with three threes while Golden State built a lead that told Denver this was not going to be the afternoon they expected. He had 17 points and four assists in his first 14 minutes, and he did it with the particular calm of someone who has been in difficult basketball situations for two decades and stopped finding them frightening a long time ago.
The Nuggets had to account for him as a real offensive threat, which changed the geometry of everything else Golden State was trying to do, which is exactly the kind of quiet, competent damage that never shows up in highlights but wins games. This is actually why the Warriors wanted him in the first place. When Golden State brought Horford in, the bet wasn’t on the version of him that fills a stat sheet every night. It was on the version that understands how to read a game, how to make the right decision under pressure, and how to be exactly what a team needs on a given night without needing to be told what that is.
That kind of player takes time to find his footing in a new system, and the Warriors were patient with him through the stretches where it wasn’t clicking, because they understood what they were waiting for. February 22 was the receipt. When four rotation players went down and the franchise needed someone to just be a professional about the whole thing, Horford was ready because Horford is always ready; that is the only version of him that has ever existed.
He finished 8-of-11 from the field, 6-of-7 from three, with seven assists, three steals, and two blocks. His sixth three-pointer had Chase Center losing its mind for a 39-year-old role player February, which is not a sentence anyone wrote in their pregame preview.
Jokic finished with a triple-double because that is what Jokic does. The Nuggets scored 117 points because they are still the Nuggets. None of that really matters. What matters is that on a day when the Warriors lost four rotation players and most of their margin for error, the best player on the floor in a Warriors uniform was a 39-year-old center who looked completely unbothered by any of it.
Horford was BALLING, salute to him for exemplifying the Warriors mentality.