The son of a former international has kept the flame flickering for South Australia in a monstrous run chase against Western Australia in Adelaide.
Suzuki-Less Canadiens Win A 4th Consecutive Game On The Road
The Montreal Canadiens had a chance to complete a perfect road trip with a win over the Dallas Stars in the Lone Star State on Thursday night, and they didn’t disappoint their fans. Mike Matheson missed the game with a lower-body injury the Habs said was new, so Arber Xhekaj returned to the lineup. In net, Jakub Dobes finally returned between the posts after Jacob Fowler pitched three near-perfect games.
The Stars were no easy prey, despite dealing with injuries to Matt Duchene, Esa Lindell, and Oskar Back. Glen Gulutzan’s men started the game in third place in the Central Division with 15 points in 12 games and one of the league’s best goaltenders in Jake Oettinger.
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Newhook Grabbed His Opportunity With Both Hands
After playing a key role for the Canadiens in the last playoffs and scoring both Game 7 game-winning goals, Alex Newhook fully deserved a look on the first line. In fact, if the Habs hadn't been showcasing Oliver Kapanen after Nick Suzuki’s injury, he might have gotten it earlier. That didn’t matter to him, though; he kept his head down, went to work, and answered the call when it came.
He scored a brace, and both lamplighters were impressive in their own way. Newhook has incredible speed, but when he turns on the jets to enter the zone on the power play, and the blueline is crowded, the play often dies. However, when he gets a pass at full speed and catches a defenseman flat-footed, he can easily outrun them and cut to the net, as he did to score the Habs’ second goal of the game. As for his second goal, it was a fantastic display of hand-eye coordination: he backhanded the puck in mid-air while heading to the back of the net. Right in front of a helpless Lian, Bichsel tried to kick the puck clear after losing his stick.
Ç'a l'air si facile 🔥
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 30, 2026
Made it look easy#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/ATUAlRaBak
A Recurring Issue
The Canadiens led by three in the second frame, and unsurprisingly, the Stars started to push back. These are the moments Martin St-Louis talks about when he says his players have to play a mature game and know the situation. Still, Juraj Slafkovsky once again made one of his all-too-frequent no-look backhand passes near the offensive blueline, and the hosts picked it up.
When you’re protecting a lead, you can still attack, but you need to keep defense in mind. On the offensive side of the puck, you need to evaluate the odds of your play succeeding and what failure could mean. If you make that kind of play on the power play when you can see four defenders in a box shape in front of you, it's one thing; doing it at even strength, when you don’t know where the opposing players are, is quite another.
Slafkovsky doesn’t lack defensive instincts; his forecheck proves it. He played a big role in Caufield’s second goal through his forecheck, but he needs to do the same in other situations. It took him time to understand why St-Louis wanted him to bring speed and movement on the forecheck, but he gets it now. Hopefully the same occurs with this issue. If and when the team is healthy, and the coach has more options, he could suffer the consequences of repeating the same mistake.
Dobes Bounced Back
Dobes didn’t hide it; he spoke with his mental coach this week, and it certainly showed. While he wasn’t peppered with shots, the Stars only got 19 shots on net, and he made some big saves. The Czech netminder isn't Fowler; he never will be, and that’s perfectly fine. Two goaltenders can have different styles and perform well.
Fowler is calm, collected and always well positioned. Dobes is more aggressive and loves to challenge shooters. Fowler, who’s three inches shorter and smaller in his net, has had to be technically sound; he couldn’t get away with Dobes's brand of aggressive goaltending. Those extra three inches matter when he gets in the shooter's face to cut their angle; he’s big, and it limits their options. However, that only works when he’s fully confident; if he’s tentative, it becomes risky. On Thursday night, he was in the right mindset, and it showed. It took time, but he finally got his second win of the season.
Ultimately, the Canadiens won 5-2, with Cole Caufield scoring a brace as well and Phillip Danault getting his first of the season in an empty net thanks to Jake Evans. The Habs notched their fourth consecutive road win, a feat that has only happened five times in 30 years. The team heads back to Montreal on Friday morning and will then prepare to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Halloween night at the Bell Centre.
Le très généreux Jake Evans
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 30, 2026
Unselfish Jake Evans#GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/Z0LcJqQuyJ
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A multi-year look at St. Louis Cardinals catchers
Frequent board commenter Solanus tracks an enormous amount of pitcher and catcher data, tabulating each game result by hand. Last year, he gave me enough insight into his spreadsheets where I was able to re-create much of the data he hand tabulates (I’m way too lazy for that!) and I wanted to peak at some of those data points and see what we could learn about the defensive side of their catching corps.
The data itself comes from a mix of sources. Statcast data for actual line-ups and game events (who pitched, who caught, which innings, etc.). Baseball reference.com for overall pitching lines for each game, and with Fangraphs because of course there has to be differences in how the data is constructed that doesn’t make it easy. Team ids between sites are different. Player Ids are different. Even game Ids are different, and all three have to be brewed together to knit the data into one consistent result.
I wrote the code. The methods are all Solanus. I simply copied his logic into R code and ran it. So he gets all the credit.
I chose to query both the 2025 and 2026 seasons (you will likely understand why when I go through it). Here is the raw data, and following that some of the interesting morsels I discovered and thought about some.
| 2026 | Herrera, Ivan | Pages, Pedro | Bernal, Leo | Crooks, Jimmy | 2026 Tot | 2025 | Pozo, Yohel | Herrera, Ivan | Pages, Pedro | Crooks, Jimmy | 2025 Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CatcherStarts | 52 | 61 | 15 | 34 | 162 | CatcherStarts | 35 | 13 | 102 | 12 | 162 |
| StarterSD | 27 | 30 | 6 | 13 | 76 | StarterSD | 12 | 3 | 41 | 3 | 59 |
| StarterMD | 17 | 25 | 5 | 12 | 59 | StarterMD | 19 | 5 | 42 | 7 | 73 |
| StarterND | 16 | 27 | 6 | 18 | 67 | StarterND | 8 | 8 | 34 | 5 | 55 |
| CatcherWins | 25 | 31 | 7 | 14 | 77 | CatcherWins | 12 | 5 | 57 | 4 | 78 |
| CatcherLosses | 27 | 30 | 8 | 20 | 85 | CatcherLosses | 23 | 8 | 45 | 8 | 84 |
| CatcherTotRS | 214 | 267 | 74 | 165 | 720 | CatcherTotRS | 119 | 69 | 461 | 40 | 689 |
| CatcherTotRA | 217 | 280 | 79 | 173 | 749 | CatcherTotRA | 170 | 67 | 452 | 65 | 754 |
| CatcherRSperGame | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.4 | CatcherRSperGame | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
| CatcherRAperGame | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.6 | CatcherRAperGame | 4.9 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.7 |
| StarterWPA | 1.8 | -0.1 | -0.4 | -0.6 | 0.7 | StarterWPA | -2.2 | -1.4 | -0.5 | -1.1 | -5.2 |
| RelieverWPA | -0.5 | 1.9 | -0.8 | -3.1 | -2.5 | RelieverWPA | 0.1 | -0.2 | 5.0 | -0.9 | 3.9 |
| RelieverSD | 53 | 82 | 11 | 28 | 174 | RelieverSD | 17 | 14 | 99 | 4 | 134 |
| RelieverMD | 34 | 46 | 8 | 25 | 113 | RelieverMD | 14 | 12 | 45 | 10 | 81 |
| CatcherWins2orLessRS | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 | CatcherWins2orLessRS | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| CatcherLosses2orLessRS | 14 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 41 | CatcherLosses2orLessRS | 14 | 3 | 25 | 5 | 47 |
| CatcherWins6orMoreRS | 12 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 38 | CatcherWins6orMoreRS | 8 | 3 | 30 | 1 | 42 |
| CatcherLosses6orMoreRS | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 14 | CatcherLosses6orMoreRS | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 12 |
| CatcherWins2orLessRA | 14 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 37 | CatcherWins2orLessRA | 9 | 1 | 29 | 3 | 42 |
| CatcherLosses2orLessRA | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | CatcherLosses2orLessRA | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| CatcherWins6orMoreRA | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 12 | CatcherWins6orMoreRA | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| CatcherLosses6orMoreRA | 13 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 46 | CatcherLosses6orMoreRA | 14 | 2 | 25 | 6 | 47 |
| Wpct2minusRS | 0 | 0.316 | 0.2 | 0.091 | 0.163 | Wpct2minusRS | 0.067 | 0.000 | 0.167 | 0.167 | 0.130 |
| Wpct6plusRS | 0.8 | 0.684 | 0.667 | 0.75 | 0.731 | Wpct6plusRS | 0.727 | 0.600 | 0.833 | 0.500 | 0.778 |
| Wpct2minusRA | 0.824 | 0.882 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.841 | Wpct2minusRA | 0.818 | 0.500 | 0.879 | 0.750 | 0.840 |
| Wpct6plusRA | 0.071 | 0.217 | 0.375 | 0.231 | 0.207 | Wpct6plusRA | 0.067 | 0.333 | 0.167 | 0.143 | 0.145 |
What do you see?
Here is what I picked up…
- Take a look at the line marked Reliever WPA. This is “Win Probability Added” (or subtracted) by relievers across the two seasons, distributed by which catcher they were throwing to. This is calculated by accumulating the WPA (added or subtracted) that came with each pitch said relievers threw. What I noticed is that Pedro Pages, in both years, ends up with a significantly larger gain of WPA than the other catchers combined. It would appear that across two seasons and two largely different reliever staffs, Pages is better able to coax out winning performance among the reliever set. Interesting?
- In what may be a companion stat, take a look at the rows marked RelieverMD and RelieverSD. SD and MD stand for Shutdown and Meltdown and are Fangraph proprietary calculations of reliever performance, where a relief appearance that nets > .06 WPA (ie. increases win chances by 6% or more) is an SD (Shutdown) and a Meltdown is the opposite, which is a relief appearance that decreases win chances by 6% or more. Pages has, by far, the highest ratio of SD:MD among the catchers across both years.
- Take a look at the line CatcherRApergame. RA is runs allowed. Note that the only catcher to exceed 5 RA in both seasons is Jimmy Crooks. This is a wee bit different than catcher ERA, as this stat just counts runs, not just earned runs.
- Here is an unexpected twist. Across two seasons, only one catcher was able to coax positive StarterWPA. The 2026 version of Ivan Herrera. Who had that on their pre-season predictions?
- Having nothing to do with individual catchers, but look and the StarterWPA and RelieverWPA totals across 2025 and 2026 and see how much they shifted. Reversed is really what happened. The 2025 bullpen with the 2026 rotation produces a WPA of 4.6 (instead of just below 0). That is ~85 wins right there. Wow. And I knew the bullpen was bad, but holy cow!
- Again, having nothing to do with catchers, but notice how evenly distributed the games are in both years. Almost 1/3 of the games were games where the Cardinals scored 6 or more runs and another 1/3 were games where the Cardinals scored 2 or less runs. Presumably, if my math skills persist, the remaining third falls in the range of 3 to 5 runs scored. While much ado can be made about all the close games the Cardinals played, the reality for most teams, most years is that the 3-to-5 runs cohort is going to be crapshoot, 50-50 on wins and losses, unless they have a lights out bullpen. Two major areas of improvement for the Cardinals are going to be 1) reduce the number of games they score 2 runs or less (they only won 16% of these) and 2) reduce the number of games they score 6 runs or more AND lose (they only won 73% of these games). That number needs to be nearer or above 80%.
- Here is one that probably needs a methodology tweak, but it looks to be on the right path. Solanus calcs starter WPA and assigns as SD (shutdown) or MD (meltdown) grade similar to relievers. If you look at the totals for each season, the number of starter SD and MD outcomes flipped between 2025 and 2026) in a good way. What I need to figure out is … is the .06 WPA threshold correct for starters. They pitch more innings, but lower leverage, so not sure the actual threshold is where I’d want it. More to chew on this winter.
I’m not sure if there is more to decipher from this or not. Although I think that over long periods of time Catcher ERA can be an indicator, it is pretty volatile over small samples. While I gathered two seasons of data, realize that this is only 60 starts for a guy like Herrera and only Pages exceeded 100 starts across both seasons combined. Probably too small to make definitive conclusions, but some trends (as noted above) emerge and can be hard to ignore. Some caveats include: Most of Ivan’s data set in based on 2026, and was mostly restricted to two starters – Pallante, McGreevy. Crook’s and Bernal’s sample sizes are too small to read much into.
Comparing to the Brewer’s catchers in 2026
One of the beneifts of having code instead of hand-tabulating is I can run this for any season, any team. For fun, I ran the same queries against MIL pitchers and catchers for the 2026 season. Some things I noted:
| starting.catcher.name | Sanchez, Gary | Contreras, William | Naylor, Bo | Quero, Jeferson | 2026 Tots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CatcherStarts | 38 | 121 | 2 | 1 | 162 |
| StarterSD | 24 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 87 |
| StarterMD | 8 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 52 |
| StarterND | 16 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 71 |
| CatcherWins | 23 | 79 | 0 | 1 | 103 |
| CatcherLosses | 15 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 59 |
| CatcherTotRS | 158 | 653 | 12 | 9 | 832 |
| CatcherTotRA | 135 | 457 | 19 | 7 | 618 |
| CatcherRSperGame | 4.2 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 5.14 |
| CatcherRAperGame | 3.6 | 3.8 | 9.5 | 7.0 | 3.81 |
| StarterWPA | 3.48 | 3.04 | -0.79 | -0.47 | 5.3 |
| RelieverWPA | 1.45 | 8.24 | -0.28 | 0.12 | 9.5 |
| RelieverSD | 40 | 125 | 0 | 1 | 166 |
| RelieverMD | 27 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 73 |
| CatcherWins2orLessRS | 5 | 6 | NA | NA | 11 |
| CatcherLosses2orLessRS | 4 | 25 | NA | NA | 29 |
| CatcherWins6orMoreRS | 8 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 54 |
| CatcherLosses6orMoreRS | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| CatcherWins2orLessRA | 18 | 43 | NA | NA | 61 |
| CatcherLosses2orLessRA | 0 | 2 | NA | NA | 2 |
| CatcherWins6orMoreRA | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| CatcherLosses6orMoreRA | 4 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 26 |
| Wpct2minusRS | 0.556 | 0.194 | NA | NA | 0.275 |
| Wpct6plusRS | 1.000 | 0.882 | 0 | 1 | 0.885 |
| Wpct2minusRA | 1.000 | 0.956 | NA | NA | 0.968 |
| Wpct6plusRA | 0.000 | 0.259 | 0 | 1 | 0.235 |
For fun, I ran the same queries against MIL pitchers and catchers for the 2026. Some things I noted:
- Want to know the difference between Milwaukee and St. Louis? Look at the Starter and Reliever WPA numbers. In 2026, the Cardinals starters accumulated .7 WPA and -2.5 for relievers. Milwaukee? 5.3 and 9.5 respectively. The reliever gap alone is 12.12!! Using really rough math, I figure most games started out in the area of 50-50 win probability, with a little bit more to the home team and better team. A .5 increase in WPA takes a 50-50 game and turns it into a win. 12 WPA turns into 24 wins. Right?
- Then, take a look at Catcher starts. Last I checked, William Contreras was a pretty good hitter. If Milwaukee can catch their pretty good hitter 120 games+, why are Cardinal fans in such a hurry to move Rainel Rodriguez off C?
- Another thing to gander at. The Cardinal relievers had a few more Shutdown performances, but overran the Brewers with like 40 more Meltdowns. Hmmm. That could leave scars.
- Last, look at the Brewers win PCT when the score 6 or more, or allow 2 or less. They are up around 90%. That is where the Cardinals should be, not in the mid 70’s.
Have a happy and safe Halloween, or Dia de los Muertos, whichever you prefer.
Today on Pinstripe Alley – 10/30/26
We’re fully in offseason mode now, as the Brewers’ celebration continues and the rest of the league prepares what moves they can make before the CBA expires. There were a couple of minor trades completed, both involving the Red Sox, and there were a couple of player options decided on — expect plenty more to come as teams whittle down their 40-man rosters and the free agent pool gets finalized. We’ll at least get to determine who gets qualifying offers and who elects free agency before transactions freeze, and it will be interesting to see if any extensions come in during this time period as the game’s salary structure is under the microscope.
We’ve got a couple things on the docket for you here, starting with Andres giving out the latest report card to Cody Bellinger (spoiler, he got a passing grade). Then Andrew will wish a happy birthday to Mickey Rivers, and in the afternoon Josh will reminisce on Gary Sanchez as the Kraken is now a World Series champion… well after his days in pinstripes.
Questions/Prompts:
1. With no more MLB games the rest of the year, what’s your interest level in following any of the other sports over the winter?
2. Any fun plans for Halloween weekend? Got a costume ready?
NBA MVP rankings: Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's reign may be in peril
The NBA regular season just started, but it’s not too early to look ahead to the league’s most significant individual award.
It’s clear the field for Most Valuable Player is going to be a crowded one, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s run of two consecutive awards may be in peril. It’s also clear that injuries are going to take their toll on the race for the prize.
Several significant ailments, none bigger than Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards’ knee issue, are going to complicate résumé, as players try to meet the 65-game threshold for eligibility.
It has been an intriguing start to the season, so here is the first iteration of the USA TODAY Sports' NBA Most Valuable Player rankings:
USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP Week 1 rankings
5. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
▶Stats: 22.6 points, 5.6 rebound, 7.8 assists in 5 games
Though other players may have better numbers, Cunningham is the driving force behind Detroit’s offense and the kindling for its success. No team began the season with a more difficult schedule than the Pistons, who opened with the Celtics, Heat, 76ers and Knicks. Detroit won all but the one against New York. Cunningham handles the ball, scores, creates for his teammates, rebounds and is a willing defender. And he’s doing all this without fellow All-Star Jalen Duren (hamstring).
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
▶ Stats: 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists in 5 games
Gilgeous-Alexander, in short order, should move up this list. The Thunder have already been hit with a massive rash of injuries, with three starters missing The Oct. 28 loss against the Mavericks. Jalen Williams (ankle) may miss the entire season, and Cason Wallace (torn labrum), Chet Holmgren (knee tendinitis) and Alex Caruso (ankle) appear likely to miss extended time. That will likely make Gilgeous-Alexander’s life more difficult as teams devote more defensive attention to stop him. But if he continues his statistical consistency, it also makes his MVP case stronger because the Thunder will be so shorthanded.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miami Heat
▶ Stats: 27.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists in 5 games
Miami’s start to the season was not very pretty. Bam Adebayo and the Heat’s role players have struggled to find cohesion and rhythm as Miami continues to incorporate Antetokounmpo. Yet, in the Heat’s first win of the season, Oct. 28 against the Hawks, Miami reverted to a pick-and-roll offense, which suits Antetokounmpo. The result was noteworthy; he dropped 24 points but was dominant on the glass, scooping 18 rebounds. It will take some time for this team to reach its potential, but the one evident truth early on has been Antetokounmpo’s dominance. Miami now has a game-changing threat who can attack the rim at will. He already leads the league with an absurd 19.2 points in the paint per game. Miami will need to win more games, however, for Antetokounmpo to be taken more seriously for this award.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
▶ Stats: 25.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists in 5 games
So far, his numbers, as they have been the past couple of seasons, are superb. But the thing about quantifying Wembanyama’s impact is that you need to account for the intangible. He remains the most singularly effective defensive presence in the world. Sure, he leads the league in blocks (3.8 per game), but Wembanyama forces players to rethink abandon attacks into the paint. The Spurs did start slowly with two losses to open the season but have since won three in a row. If San Antonio continues to be a primary threat out West – especially if Oklahoma City slips with all of its injuries – Wembanyama’s case will be undeniable.
1. Luka Dončić, Los Angeles Lakers
▶ Stats: 36.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists in 4 games
The back tightness bears watching, but no player has singlehandedly mattered more thus far to his team’s productivity and success than Dončić, who leads the NBA in scoring. In fact, Dončić has accounted for 28.1% of Los Angeles’ points in the games he has played; and with assists, his offensive impact is even more pronounced. With LeBron James back in the East with the 76ers, Dončić is the anchor and offensive catalyst. His defense remains a massive liability, but no player thus far has been more in control and playing at his pace and structure than Dončić.
Also under consideration: Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets; Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks; Ty Jerome, Memphis Grizzlies; Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves; Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics; Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA MVP rankings: Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's reign may be in peril
Excuses from Pirates, Bob Nutting don't hold up against Brewers World Series victory
The Milwaukee Brewers have been a better organization than the Pittsburgh Pirates for a long time.
They’ve reached the MLB postseason 10 times in the 19 seasons since 2008, something the Pirates have achieved just three times in the same span. They’ve posted 14 winning records compared to the Pirates’ five. It’s not close.
Still, Milwaukee’s lack of postseason success before this year allowed the Pirates front office the luxury of excusing the gap to a team that plays in a television market two thirds the size of Pittsburgh by casting both organizations as ultimately two unfortunate peas in the same small market pod.
Not anymore. The Brewers’ dominant, 103-win 2026 capped with a World Series victory this week shreds the narrative that Pittsburgh cannot afford to succeed in MLB’s current economic system.
One could also argue Kansas City’s 2015 World Series win did that, too. Or that Tampa Bay’s consistent competitiveness in the American League East division that’s loaded with high payroll teams demonstrated a clear path to competitiveness. Or that Cleveland’s eight playoff appearances in nine seasons in a similar market a mere two hours from Pittsburgh undercut the Pirates’ bellyaching about their economic disadvantages.
Those arguments would all be correct.
Pirates fans don’t see those American League teams up close very often, though. The Brewers amount to a much more intimate look in the proverbial mirror because of their status as a National League Central division rival.
They’ve seen the rise of Brewers stars Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio up close. They’ve charted the success of Pirates ace Paul Skenes against Milwaukee counterpart Jacob Misiorowski. They’ve witnessed countless series losses to this franchise far from the bright spotlights of October. They’ve instead stewed in the ordinary embarrassment of getting blown out by this team on plenty of random, low-profile weekdays in April, May and June.
That familiarity can only breed contempt for the fact that the Pirates were outspent by tens of millions of dollars by the Brewers this year. Spotrac puts Milwaukee at 19th in payroll at $146 million. The Pirates were 23rd at $106 million.
Holding any team to a World Series standard is often unreasonable. Championships require as much good luck as they do proper management. So it’s reductive to ask why the Brewers can win a title when the Pirates can’t.
What’s not unreasonable is asking why Pirates GM Ben Cherington appears poised to get an eighth season in 2027 despite exactly one winning record since 2020.
Even that achievement came by the slimmest possible margin, as Pittsburgh barely slipped over .500 at 82-80 this season. And yet he’ll get the opportunity to continue, even as Brewers GM Matt Arnold has won a championship and four consecutive division titles despite being hired one year after Cherington.
The most charitable explanation is that owner Bob Nutting doesn’t want to change front offices in the face of MLB’s expected push for the salary cap he has long coveted in collective bargaining negotiations this winter. That he’d rather bet on the owners breaking the players to create a more restrictive playing field on which Cherington can compete than meaningfully commit to improving his club’s situation.
It’s a purely defeatist posture that looks as ridiculous as it is now that the Brewers – and not the high-payroll Los Angeles Dodgers – are the team holding the Commissioner’s Trophy.
MLB is their sport now. They hold the same hand of cards as the Pirates, and they’ve taken the whole pot with it while Nutting and his mouthpieces have been happy to blame the dealer for being losers.
It will be as easy as ever for Pittsburgh sports fans to see through that, regardless of where the sport ends up on the other side of the labor battle to come.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Excuses from Pirates, Bob Nutting don't hold up against Brewers World Series victory
How does the NBA Cup work? 2026 schedule, format, groups and more
The NBA Cup enters its fourth year hopeful that a pair of firsts can help grow the audience for its in-season tournament.
For the first time, the defending NBA Cup champion is also the reigning NBA champion. For the first time, the event's championship game will be played outside Las Vegas. For the New York Knicks, it's an early season challenge once group-play games begin this week. They will attempt to become the first repeat winner of the NBA Cup.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 NBA Cup, including tournament format, schedule and how to watch all the games:
What is the NBA Cup?
The Emirates NBA Cup is the league's annual in-season tournament, which was started in 2023 to help drive interest in the early season schedule. The competition features group play and knockout rounds with players and teams competing for a prize pool of money that increases based on how far a team advances.
When does the NBA Cup start?
The first games of the 2026 NBA Cup will take place on Friday, Oct. 30, when group play begins. Subsequent games are scheduled every Friday through Nov. 27. There will also be NBA Cup games on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Wednesday, Nov. 25.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The league's 30 teams were separated into six groups featuring five teams in August. The NBA determined the groups using a draw system that placed each team in a pod based on their record during the 2025-26 season. The draw placed one team from each pot into each of the three groups in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.
Teams will play one game against every other opponent in their group, with two games at home and two games on the road.
What are the 2026 NBA Cup groups?
East A
- Detroit Pistons
- Toronto Raptors
- Orlando Magic
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Brooklyn Nets
East B
- New York Knicks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Miami Heat
- Indiana Pacers
East C
- Boston Celtics
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Washington Wizards
West A
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Phoenix Suns
- Dallas Mavericks
- Utah Jazz
West B
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Los Angeles Clippers
West C
- San Antonio Spurs
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Golden State Warriors
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
2026 NBA Cup schedule
- Group play games: Oct. 30-Nov. 27
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 4-5
- Semifinals: Dec. 8-9
- Championshipgame: Dec. 11
How do teams advance in the NBA Cup?
Eight teams advance to the knockout rounds of the NBA Cup. It will feature the six group winners and one wild-card team from each conference. The wild cards will be the teams with the best record in group play that finished second in its group standings. If multiple teams are tied for a wild-card spot, the NBA uses a series of tiebreakers, including point differential, to determine which team advances.
The knockout rounds are single-elimination games, beginning with the quarterfinals on Dec. 4-5.
Do NBA Cup games count toward the regular-season standings?
Yes. All NBA Cup group-play games, as well as the quarterfinals and semifinals, count toward a team's regular-season record. Each team that doesn't qualify for the knockout rounds will play two regular-season games from Dec. 9-15 that are to be determined.
Does the NBA Cup championship game count toward the regular season standings?
No. The NBA Cup championship game is the only game during the league's in-season tournament that does not count toward the regular-season standings.
Where is the NBA Cup championship game played?
The 2026 NBA Cup championship game will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Friday, Dec. 11. It had previously been held in Las Vegas.
What does the NBA Cup winner get?
The winner of the NBA Cup receives the NBA Cup trophy and the players from the winning team receive the largest allocation from the NBA Cup prize money pool.
How much prize money do NBA Cup players receive?
The NBA has a prize pool allocated for players that qualify for the knockout rounds as part of its collective bargaining agreement, with the amount of money doled out increasing depending on how far a player's team makes it in the tournament.
Each member of the winning team earned $500,000 when the NBA Cup began in 2023 and that figure had risen to $530,933 last year, according to multiple reports. Each player from the runner-up team in 2025 earned $212,373.
Watch NBA Cup games with Prime Video
How to watch NBA Cup games
Most NBA Cup games, including the knockout rounds and championship game, will stream exclusively on Prime Video. Select group-play games on Nov. 24-25 will also air nationally on NBC and ESPN, with live streaming available on Peacock, ESPN Unlimited and Fubo.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How does the NBA Cup work? 2026 schedule, format, groups and more
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Jordan Walsh understands the bigger picture with his starting role
BOSTON — Jordan Walsh got annoyed last season when the Celtics introduced him as Josh Minott before his first start at TD Garden. He used the snub as fuel and leaned into his defensive abilities to help the Celtics win 15-of-20. Ascending to the role shocked him, and as he later recounted, Joe Mazzulla quipped that Walsh’s career was dead not long before that.
Walsh had one thought after that wore off. How do I maintain it for as long as possible? What did I do to get here? How do I keep it?
While he maintained a role for the rest of last season, and earned a three-year, $15 million extension over the summer, Walsh didn’t stay in the starting lineup. Baylor Scheierman received an opportunity ahead of Jayson Tatum’s return, then Sam Hauser joined Tatum and Jaylen Brown into the playoffs. But Mazzulla didn’t forget the defensive impact Walsh produced for that quarter of the season, and tried to recreate it in the preseason by starting him again. Since then, Walsh and offseason addition Mitchell Robinson have started all four regular season games.
Walsh assumed the role with a different perspective this time, despite finding out the same way. Arriving in the locker room in Detroit and seeing his name in the pre-game notes.
“I think we have a lot of really good guys,” Walsh told CLNS Media/CelticsBlog on Monday. “A lot of guys who can step in and play that starter role, so it’s more about having the the next guy ready and supporting him through that and passing on whatever knowledge you can in the moment, because we’re all trying to get to one goal which is to win a championship. So whether I’m playing or Hugo (Gonzalez)’s playing, Baylor, Ron (Harper Jr.), whoever’s playing in that position in those minutes, we want the best for him and so everybody has a group like that, who can step in and handle those minutes. Luka (Garza), Neemy (Queta) and Mitch are all interchangeable, so I think we’re just full of a lot of talented guys who want to play as hard as possible and try to win and so plugging in different pieces, it’s just gonna help us.”
The Celtics plan to deploy a variety of lineups this year and Mazzulla stressed that starting lineups don’t mean much before the opener in Detroit. Yet Derrick White, Paul George, Walsh, Tatum and Robinson stand as Boston’s most-used combination through 36 minutes where they’ve outscored opponents by 17.6 points per 100 possessions. Their 118.9 offensive rating would rank fourth among teams and their 101.3 defensive mark would place second. And Walsh hasn’t been a passenger, ranking fourth among point of attack defenders in BBall Index’ defensive talent metric.
Jalen Brunson shot 2-for-7 against Walsh last week across nearly six minutes and Cade Cunningham finished 1-for-4 on opening night before Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle poured in 5-of-8 with Walsh in their shirts. Mazzulla saw Walsh’s on-ball defense as a tone-setter, but the Celtics also had larger schematic ambitions in starting him. They want to force more turnovers, and Walsh’s presence has allowed them to maximize Paul George’s off-ball defensive abilities.
“Defensively, I think we’re really good. PG being able to be an off-ball playmaker,” Walsh said. “Obviously he’s a really good on ball defender, but being able to be an off-ball playmaker and not worry about having to guard the best guy, I think that takes a load off of him, and he gets to play more free, he gets to play however he likes, and I think that’s my job is open that up for them and everybody else, so trying to do that to the best ability I can.”
Walsh also hoped to expand his offensive games this season and become more of a threat, with a long-term goal of becoming a player who can’t be removed from the game in any matchup or situation. So far, he’s shown mixed results, shooting 9-for-20 (45%) from the field and 4-for-10 (40%) from three with 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game (11.5/8.4/2.3 per 36 mins.). He did most of that work on Tuesday against Brooklyn, when he scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
His renewed skill set flashed immediately in the preseason with a stop-and-start move, and he revealed that he tried to contact Paul George right away after the Celtics acquired him to begin working out. On the court, George showed him ways to use his physicality while the off-court mentality of thinking more like a player, instinctually, rather than running around energetically helped Walsh most. That’ll flash when rest nights and injuries inevitably allow the team’s younger players to step into larger roles.
For now, Walsh knows he’s filling and role and wants to maximize his productivity in it.
“I mean, (offense is) obviously a focus that I want,” Walsh said. “I think at the end of the day, I’m on the court with, J.T., D. White, P.G. and Mitch a lot of the time, so my job isn’t to go score the ball, necessarily. That’s not my role, so all that extra stuff is just icing on the cake. What I’m there for and what I’m trying to provide to the team is being the best defender, being a guy that keeps us out of rotations, keeps the stress off of our other guys so that they can focus on the bigger picture, taking a stress off of them in that sense and so the offense, I want it to be better, everybody probably wants it to be better, but the main thing is always gonna be the main thing.”
Pens Points: Cooley cools down the Penguins
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the Utah Mammoth 4-3 in overtime on Thursday after Logan Cooley scored a hat trick, including one goal with one second remaining in regulation, to erase Pittsburgh’s late lead. [Recap]
Some much-needed good news for the Penguins on the injury front: the team activated forward Ben Kindel and defenseman Samuel Girard from injured reserve Thursday before the game against the Mammoth. [Sportsnet]
Defenseman Kris Letang is showing signs of improvement after a difficult couple of seasons and an uneven start to the 2026-27 campaign. Although the 39-year-old has six assists and no goals, his defensive numbers have improved since he was separated from fellow defender Trevor van Riemsdyk, suggesting the veteran may still have a valuable role as he adapts his game to his changing abilities. [PensBurgh]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Detroit Red Wings announced Thursday that star forward Dylan Larkin has been suspended without pay after informing the team he no longer wanted to play for the organization, as he still seeks a trade out of Detroit. [ESPN]
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has cleared the NHL’s return-to-play protocol following surgery for a fractured skull and is expected to resume skating within the next few days, coach John Hynes said Thursday. [TSN]
Nearly 20 NHL goaltenders across seven teams are using specialized Trac Optics goggles designed to improve puck tracking and positioning by limiting peripheral and lower vision, forcing goalies to rely more on their central vision and head movement. [NHL]
Islanders News: We’re watching a superstar
Matthew Schaefer, what can you say? Ye gods, that kid. My Bossy, our luck. His performance last night, on another high-minutes night after Ryan Pulock left early with an injury, was astounding.
Even accounting for his one(?) mistake that led to the equalizing goal, he had another dominant night on up through the OT finish that just had me shaking my head.
Overall it was really strong, gutsy effort in a tight game against a very good team. When the Wild scored on the first shift with their dominant top line, it looked like it could be a long night. In the end it was a long night, but not in that way. The Islanders made it hard on the hosts, and eventually came away with the extra point.
[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]
Islanders News
- Returning to Minnesota reminded the Islanders players of how much fun they had at the Anders Lee pond hockey game last year. They miss him. [Newsday]
- Matthew Schaefer is a cyborg who never tires. [Newsday | Post]
- Ryan Pulock left early with an injury. [Post]
Elsewhere
- Dylan Larkin is now sitting out, with ol’ pal Pat Brisson saying he’s “had enough of the situation.” The Red Wings have thus suspended him and interim GM Shawn Horcoff will field your calls. [NHL | Sportsnet]
- The Larkin situation is one of a few messes the Red Wings find themselves in. [TSN]
- Barry Trotz spoke with Alex Ovechkin on the Putin hostage prop’s last visit to Nashville. [NHL]
- Matt Rempe could be the answer to Mike Babcock’s…prayers? And various other more interesting trade rumors around the league. [Sportsnet]
- Steve Staios is shopping for scoring. [TSN]
- Man, Bill Guerin has lost the narrative on this Quinn Hughes situation. [Sportsnet]
How does the NBA Cup work? Format, groups and schedule for the 2026 tournament
How does the NBA Cup work? Format, groups and schedule for the 2026 tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Who will win the fourth edition of the Emirates NBA Cup?
Introduced in the 2023-24 campaign as an in-season tournament, the NBA Cup offers teams and players an extra shot to lift a trophy, along with cash bonuses based on performance.
The Los Angeles Lakers won the first ever edition of the event, the Milwaukee Bucks took down the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024-25 NBA Cup Final and the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Cup Final that doubled as an NBA Finals preview.
There will be new team jerseys, fresh colorful courts and a run to the final that will be played in a new location.
Here’s everything to know about how the tournament works, the schedule and how to watch.
When does the NBA Cup start?
This year’s tournament will begin on Friday, Oct. 30.
Most group stage games will be played on Fridays through Nov. 27, with additional contests on Nov. 24-25 before Thanksgiving.
The knockout rounds, starting with the quarterfinals, will begin on Dec. 4 and 5.
The semifinals and final were previously held in Las Vegas, but the league switched things up this year. Semifinals will be held at higher seeds’ home arenas and the final will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The full schedule can be found here.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The NBA Cup has a similar format to the World Cup, with group play and a knockout round.
All 30 teams will compete in group play, having been placed into six groups of five teams within their conference. Teams face each of their group opponents once for a total of four group play games, two at home and two on the road.
If two or more teams are tied within a group, the following tiebreakers are used:
- Head-to-head record in group play
- Point differential in group play
- Total points scored in group play
- Record from the 2025-26 NBA regular season
- Random drawing (in the unlikely scenario that two or more teams are still tied following the previous tiebreakers)
Eight teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds: the top team in each of the six groups and a wild-card team in each conference that’s awarded to the second-place finisher with the best overall record. Wild card tiebreakers follow the same tiebreaker sequence but begin with point differential.
Winning teams advance to the semifinals and then final.
Teams entered the season with only 80 scheduled games. The 22 teams that do not advance to the knockout round will play two regular-season games during tournament off nights on Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 9-10. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will play a regular-season game on either the Dec. 7, 9 or 10.
What are the groups for the NBA Cup?
The 30 teams were divided into six groups based on records from the 2025-26 regular season.
- Pot 1: The teams with the three best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 2: The teams with the fourth- through sixth-best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 3: The teams with the seventh- through ninth-best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 4: The teams with the 10th-through 12th-best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 5: The teams with the 13th-through 15th-best prior-season records in a conference
And here are the six groups in total, with three in each conference.
East Group A
- Brooklyn Nets
- Detroit Pistons
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors
East Group B
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
East Group C
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Washington Wizards
West Group A
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
West Group B
- LA Clippers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder
West Group C
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
Does the NBA Cup matter?
Define “matter.”
All of the games count towards the 82-game regular-season standings, with the exception of the championship game. Teams that advance to the knockout round all receive a share of the prize pool, with teams advancing the furthest getting the largest allotment.
Players on the team that wins the NBA Cup will take home an extra $604,985 each, while the runner-up will receive $241,994 each. Semifinal losers will collect $120,997 each and the quarterfinal losers get $60,499.
The tournament winner also gets bragging rights, a trophy and even celebratory hats and shirts.
The NBA will also name the Most Valuable Player of the In-Season Tournament and the All-Tournament Team.
But, other than tournament games counting towards regular-season win-loss records, the tournament has no impact on the postseason bracket.
Where is the NBA Cup held?
Group play and the knockout rounds of the in-season tournament will be played at each team’s respective home arenas.
The NBA Cup Final will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How to watch the NBA Cup games
Most NBA Cup games will air on Prime Video, NBA League Pass or local stations. Select games will air on NBC and Peacock, as well as ESPN.
How does the NBA Cup work? Format, groups and schedule for the 2026 tournament
How does the NBA Cup work? Format, groups and schedule for the 2026 tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Who will win the fourth edition of the Emirates NBA Cup?
Introduced in the 2023-24 campaign as an in-season tournament, the NBA Cup offers teams and players an extra shot to lift a trophy, along with cash bonuses based on performance.
The Los Angeles Lakers won the first ever edition of the event, the Milwaukee Bucks took down the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024-25 NBA Cup Final and the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Cup Final that doubled as an NBA Finals preview.
There will be new team jerseys, fresh colorful courts and a run to the final that will be played in a new location.
Here’s everything to know about how the tournament works, the schedule and how to watch.
When does the NBA Cup start?
This year’s tournament will begin on Friday, Oct. 30.
Most group stage games will be played on Fridays through Nov. 27, with additional contests on Nov. 24-25 before Thanksgiving.
The knockout rounds, starting with the quarterfinals, will begin on Dec. 4 and 5.
The semifinals and final were previously held in Las Vegas, but the league switched things up this year. Semifinals will be held at higher seeds’ home arenas and the final will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The full schedule can be found here.
How does the NBA Cup work?
The NBA Cup has a similar format to the World Cup, with group play and a knockout round.
All 30 teams will compete in group play, having been placed into six groups of five teams within their conference. Teams face each of their group opponents once for a total of four group play games, two at home and two on the road.
If two or more teams are tied within a group, the following tiebreakers are used:
- Head-to-head record in group play
- Point differential in group play
- Total points scored in group play
- Record from the 2025-26 NBA regular season
- Random drawing (in the unlikely scenario that two or more teams are still tied following the previous tiebreakers)
Eight teams advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds: the top team in each of the six groups and a wild-card team in each conference that’s awarded to the second-place finisher with the best overall record. Wild card tiebreakers follow the same tiebreaker sequence but begin with point differential.
Winning teams advance to the semifinals and then final.
Teams entered the season with only 80 scheduled games. The 22 teams that do not advance to the knockout round will play two regular-season games during tournament off nights on Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 9-10. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will play a regular-season game on either the Dec. 7, 9 or 10.
What are the groups for the NBA Cup?
The 30 teams were divided into six groups based on records from the 2025-26 regular season.
- Pot 1: The teams with the three best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 2: The teams with the fourth- through sixth-best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 3: The teams with the seventh- through ninth-best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 4: The teams with the 10th-through 12th-best prior-season records in a conference
- Pot 5: The teams with the 13th-through 15th-best prior-season records in a conference
And here are the six groups in total, with three in each conference.
East Group A
- Brooklyn Nets
- Detroit Pistons
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors
East Group B
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
East Group C
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Washington Wizards
West Group A
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
West Group B
- LA Clippers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder
West Group C
- Golden State Warriors
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
Does the NBA Cup matter?
Define “matter.”
All of the games count towards the 82-game regular-season standings, with the exception of the championship game. Teams that advance to the knockout round all receive a share of the prize pool, with teams advancing the furthest getting the largest allotment.
Players on the team that wins the NBA Cup will take home an extra $604,985 each, while the runner-up will receive $241,994 each. Semifinal losers will collect $120,997 each and the quarterfinal losers get $60,499.
The tournament winner also gets bragging rights, a trophy and even celebratory hats and shirts.
The NBA will also name the Most Valuable Player of the In-Season Tournament and the All-Tournament Team.
But, other than tournament games counting towards regular-season win-loss records, the tournament has no impact on the postseason bracket.
Where is the NBA Cup held?
Group play and the knockout rounds of the in-season tournament will be played at each team’s respective home arenas.
The NBA Cup Final will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How to watch the NBA Cup games
Most NBA Cup games will air on Prime Video, NBA League Pass or local stations. Select games will air on NBC and Peacock, as well as ESPN.
Four eye-popping stats that tell the story of Celtics' strong start
Four eye-popping stats that tell the story of Celtics' strong start originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
What to Know
- Hear more from Chris Forsberg in the Celtics Talk Podcast.
- Forsberg points out four stats that have defined the Celtics’ 3-1 start.
- C’s will host the Bulls for an NBA Cup matchup Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
From Paul George’s defensive chaos to Jayson Tatum’s playmaking evolution, we dug up four numbers that pop off the page through Boston’s first four games.
It’s far too early to make sweeping declarations about this team, but it’s never too early to start obsessing over the analytics. Some of these numbers are undoubtedly destined to regress, but others might be early indicators of what might drive Boston’s success over the 82-game grind.
1. Paul George is a one-man wrecking crew on defense
Remember all that talk about what a 36-year-old Paul George might have left in the tank? Well, apparently there’s still plenty of gas on both ends of the floor.
Most notably, George is averaging a league-leading six deflections per game through Boston’s first four contests.
And this isn’t simply a case of George getting his fingertips on passes. He’s been a legitimate turnover-inducing menace on the defensive end while disrupting passing lanes and simply making opposing ballhandlers think twice about passing in his direction.
George’s 3.5 steals per 100 possessions slot him in the 95th percentile at his position. His 2.3 steals per game ranks tied for 9th in the NBA overall.
The most encouraging part? George doesn’t necessarily need to be the offensive superstar of his younger days to make a positive impact on this team. His defense has changed the momentum of multiple games to start his first season in green.
What’s more, George’s defensive impact is rubbing off on teammates like Sam Hauser and Jordan Walsh, who gushed after Thursday’s practice about the chance to learn from George’s elite defensive instincts.
2. The Celtics are a completely different offensive team with Sam Hauser on the floor
Every season, there’s at least one Celtics player whose on/off number makes us rub our eyes and double check the spreadsheet. Through four games, it’s Hauser.
Boston owns a staggering plus-29.8 net rating in Hauser’s 86 minutes of floor time. When he’s on the bench, that number plummets to minus-10.1.
That number should eventually come back down to earth, but Hauser’s absurd net rating is a reflection of just how good Boston’s bench lineups have been to start the season. Hauser and Neemias Queta have the best on/off splits on the team to start the season.
Boston has produced an absurd 132.6 offensive rating with Hauser on the court through four games. Without him? Just 102.8. A 29.8 points per 100 possession swing. Hauser often gets early run alongside Jayson Tatum, which helps kick up his shot quality.
Hauser is producing 7.5 points per game off catch-and-shoot opportunities, tied for top output on the team with George. He’s connecting on 58.8 percent of 4.3 catch-and-shoot 3s per game.
Even more impressive, Hauser’s true shooting percentage sits 13.1 percentage points above league average, ranking him in the 91st percentile for his position.
3. Payton Pritchard is making a mockery of shot-quality models
Payton Pritchard hasn’t met a deep 3 that he didn’t think he was going to make. But he’s cranked up the degree of difficulty this season.
Through four games, Pritchard has connected on 47.6 percent of his attempts beyond the 3-point arc. That’s impressive enough on its own. But here’s the number that really popped: The expected 3-point percentage on those shots was just 34.4 percent.
That’s a 13.2-percentage-point difference between what the NBA’s shot-quality model anticipates and what Pritchard is actually producing, and it’s by far the best mark on the team among the limited number of qualifiers.
That differential ranks 11th best in the NBA overall, and fifth among non-centers.
Pritchard’s confidence is a weapon. His third-quarter outburst against Chicago on Monday fueled Boston’s most lopsided win of the season. He’s been relatively quiet in Boston’s other three games — at least by his own lofty standards — and he’s often eased his way into new seasons before turning on the jets.
But that sort of shotmaking is going to be vital as the Celtics figure out how to replace the overall offensive production after Jaylen Brown’s departure.
4. Jayson Tatum is turning into one of the NBA’s premier playmakers
So much of the focus on Tatum entering the new season was his need to shoulder the team’s scoring load. Instead of forcing that issue, Tatum has simply given the game what it needs, and that’s made him one of the best playmakers in the league to start the new campaign.
Through Boston’s first four games, Tatum owns a career-best 39 percent assist rate, according to Cleaning the Glass data. That number puts him in the 100th percentile at his position. For perspective, the next closest player among all wings is Dallas’ Cooper Flagg at 33.3 percent.
And when you expand the view across the entirety of the league, Tatum finds himself rubbing elbows with some of the NBA’s most gifted offensive orchestrators.
Only four players have a higher assist rate: Trae Young (40.3 percent), Nikola Jokic (39.6), Josh Giddey (39.4), and Tyrese Haliburton (39.3).
Tatum is generating 18.7 potential assists per 100 possessions, the best mark at his position. He already ranks sixth in the NBA while handing out eight assists per game, but there’s potential for that number to climb even higher if teammates maximize all the quality looks he’s creating.
For years, the conversation around Tatum has centered on whether he could become a more complete offensive player. Could he consistently make the right read at the rim? Could he punish double teams without forcing difficult shots? Could he elevate the players around him?
Early returns this season are encouraging. Tatum’s ability to score and create for others might be the most important piece of Boston’s success. And it will be that combination that will dictate where Tatum lands in the MVP conversation this season.
Back-to-backs, holding Jayson Tatum out of Game 7, and sports science
With a rash of injuries wiping out the superstar class of the NBA so early in the regular season, load management, style of play, and second guessing the length of training camp have become the center of NBA discussion.
For the Celtics, the conundrum of trying to win now over prioritizing health hit in Game #4 when they had to decide whether they’d play their more vulnerable veterans in the second game of a back-to-back. After a blowout over the Bulls in which nobody played over 27 minutes, the team opted to not rest anybody against the Nets. After 48 minutes of regulation time and an overtime, the Celtics prevailed after Jayson Tatum’s game-winner capped off 40 points in 42 minutes play — not exactly an ideal outcome, but two wins nonetheless.
After the game, Joe Mazzulla said the team would treat the win as a loss when they watched film the next day. Surely, he was talking about another game plagued by turnovers and sloppy play. But in turn, it also added more mileage to the season’s running odometer.
Seven years ago, CelticsBlog’s Chris Grenham interviewed then strength coach Bryan Doo and even back then, there was an awareness that the game was changing and that sports science and the medical staff had to change with it:
As the game continues to evolve, Doo, just like the players he works with, has needed to evolve with it. It means prioritizing certain things he may not have in the past, while using his strengths to his advantage. As B-Doo put it, “pure size and mass isn’t the big thing anymore.”
“It’s a quick game,” said Doo. “It’s a game of speed and movement patterns, and luckily, that was my strength. I feel like my strength was body mechanics and movement patterns. We would pay attention to that all year, every year with the Celtics.”
Today, it’s remarkable how deliberate Boston’s medical staff is with every second of playing time. To start overtime against Brooklyn, Mazzulla went with Baylor Scheierman and Payton Pritchard rather than veterans Derrick White and Paul George; after going scoreless and down four points after two minutes, they returned to the floor. It was a curious move not to just play his starters the entire OT, but it does suggest that every minute is weighed and charted. Remember: this is a medical staff that held out Jayson Tatum out of a Game 7 against the 76ers last spring.
“At the end of the day, it’s two-fold. We trust the sports science team that we have. We trust the competition of those guys,” Mazzulla said after the win. “At the same time, our locker room has been built on 1-through-15, 16, or 17 being able to impact winning. It’s just a combination of all those things. At the end of the day, we have to do what gives us the best chance to win and keep those guys healthy and evaluate the whole locker room and put guys in situations where they can win games for us.”
Medical teams have to account for at least 1,180,800 seconds of playing time and that’s only for the regular season. That doesn’t include those pesky overtimes, days plural spent on planes, back-to-backs, and injury timetables — all to be healthy at the playoffs. And with the game changing so much and the new collective bargaining agreement emphasizing going deep into your roster to find players, second and third string players are no longer developmental pieces for the future, but necessary contributors right away.
After playing just 13 minutes in the first two games of the season, Hugo Gonzalez mopped up 24 against the Bulls and then on the following night, seemingly inexplicably just six against the Nets. It’s been a little bit of a choppy start for the sophomore, but he understands that as a member of the Stay Ready group, he’ll get his shot when he gets his shot.
“We’ve got a lot of good players that have proven that they can play at a high level and contribute to the team at any certain point,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that are ready to go and we’re trying to use as many guys as we can so that it can be easier.”
Gonzalez is one of ten players in the rotation averaging double digits in minutes. Luka Garza just barely misses the cut at 9.3 minutes per game. Of teams over .500, only the Rockets, Lakers, Thunder, Raptors, and Grizzlies can boast that depth of rotation. It’s becoming a prerequisite if you want to contend in May, June, and July. You can almost guarantee that come the dog days of the NBA schedule in December and January, you’ll see some off days for Tatum, George, and Robinson with Ron Harper Jr. getting some run and the rookies and two-ways coming up from Maine to help shoulder some of the burden of the 82-game grind.
Bruins try to extend home win streak, face the Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks (4-9, in the Central Division) vs. Boston Bruins (9-4-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Boston; Saturday, 1 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks trying to extend a four-game home winning streak.
Boston has a 5-1-0 record at home and a 9-4-1 record overall. The Bruins have gone 1-1-1 in one-goal games.
Chicago has a 0-4-0 record on the road and a 4-9 record overall. The Blackhawks are 3-1-0 in games they score at least three goals.
Saturday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: James Hagens has five goals and five assists for the Bruins. David Pastrnak has seven goals and nine assists over the past 10 games.
Roman Kantserov has five goals and one assist for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has scored three goals and added four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.8 assists, 4.9 penalties and 12.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game.
Blackhawks: 4-6-0, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.7 assists, 3.6 penalties and 8.5 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.
INJURIES: Bruins: None listed.
Blackhawks: Ryan Ellis: out for season (back), Bowen Byram: day to day (upper-body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.