SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 8: Mike Krukow of the San Francisco Giants at the Wall of Fame ceremony at Oracle Park on August 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Godofredo Vásquez/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
My life has been in shambles for the past few months, between my day job, life, and the dumpster fire that is both reality and the San Francisco Giants 2026 season I’m just flying at the speed of light and trying to hold on.
Which is why it has taken me until now to stop and really come to terms with just how much it sucks that Mike Krukow will be retiring after this season.
Mike Krukow IS Giants baseball, to me. He and his broadcasting partner Duane Kuiper have been calling Giants games for the vast majority of my life. I literally cannot remember a time before we had their delightful banter, inside jokes, crowd observations, life observations, and excellent baseball commentary.
There’s never been a bad Giants game under their watch, because they could turn even the most dull and lifeless game into one of the most memorable broadcasts you’ve ever heard. Even if they rarely commented on the actual game in question.
Somehow, I always expected that they would retire together when the time came. And somehow, despite the fact that I know how time works, I still always assumed that that time would be at least twenty years away. When I pictured the (ever unlikely) scenario of retirement, it always included a fruity beverage on the beach with the sounds of Kruk & Kuip calling a game. They were going to call games for all of time, if I’d had my way.
But we seldom get our way in reality. So all I can do is be forever grateful for the time we’ve had with Mr. Krukow on the call, and appreciate every bit of time we’ve got left this season.
What are your favorite Mike Krukow-isms and memories?
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 6: Thomas Saggese #25 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Bullpen is not a problem long-term
I think most of you know this, but the bullpen is a 2026 specific problem. That isn’t to say that the Cardinals shouldn’t try to improve it in 2027, that isn’t to say they shouldn’t make changes. But bullpen doesn’t really work like other positions. Third base and centerfield are bad this season and thus they are a problem that needs to be figured out long-term. Bullpen is exclusively a short-term position, even when it’s good.
And there are hidden gems. I’m a believer in second half Gordon Graceffo, who has been an entirely different pitcher from the first half. He is on a speed run to have a reasonable strikeout rate by the end of the season by striking out every other hitter whenever he can. If 2nd half Graceffo is 2027 Graceffo, he is a true weapon. Luis Gastelum got off to a slow start and has had a few too many homerable pitches, but he is striking out over 30% of hitters with a reasonable walk rate. If he pitches anywhere close to his 3.03 xFIP next season, he’s another weapon.
Cade Winquest did not pitch well today at all, but it was his 6th career game. He struck out 34.8% of hitters in the minors and had an average walk rate. He also had an over 50% GB rate. The Cardinals need two of those things to translate and he’s a good reliever. (The Ks, the walks, or the groundballs). And of course, the starting pitchers. Maybe it’s Matthew Liberatore, maybe it’s Cooper Hjerpe, maybe it’s Tekoah Roby, maybe it’s Ixan Henderson, I mean I could go on. Whether it’s for innings concerns, or a true move to the bullpen, there will be starting caliber pitchers whose stuff will play up in the bullpen next season and in seasons beyond.
Bullpens are random. Consider that a good thing for the Cardinals and their future. A move or two and this could be a good bullpen next year and I’m not taking crazy pills because that’s just how baseball works.
George Soriano’s Struggles
There has been an emerging narrative that I’ve noticed that George Soriano is struggling because he is reaching career high in games pitched. He has, after all, not had a very good second half, most recently helping to blow a six-run lead to the Giants yesterday. It’s one of the easiest narratives in baseball, guy struggles because he is worn out.
I don’t buy it. I’m sorry I don’t. I think fans desperately want to believe this to be the case, because they think he’s a better pitcher than he is. I acknowledge that not all innings are created equally. I acknowledge that he has appeared in a career high amount of games pitched. I even acknowledge that sometimes high leverage innings can stress out your arm more than low leverage innings. It’s just too easy though. Let’s look at his history.
He was first moved to relief in the middle of the 2022 season. He appeared in 8 games, started 6 of them, at the AA level, but only threw 29 innings. He got promoted to AAA and pitched 47 innings in 32 games. He threw 76 innings in 40 games pitched in 2023 overall. The next season, he became a true multi-inning reliever. He pitched 17 games and threw 25.1 innings in AAA, and in 26 games at the MLB level, he threw 52 innings. Overall, he pitched in 44 games and threw 77.1 IP.
Moving onto to last season, he threw in 29 games at AAA, throwing 42.2 IP. In his MLB time, he pitched in 24 games and threw 36.2 IP. Combined, that makes it 53 games and 78.4 innings pitched. I don’t know guys, he’s not pitching in as many games, but this is about as heavy a workload as you’re going to get from a reliever in 2026. I know they weren’t high leverage, but that is a LOT of innings.
On top of that, his 1st half performance wasn’t really supported by advanced stats. He struck out 21% of batters and walked 9.6% of them, which was “good” for a 4.44 xFIP. He didn’t really allow homers (3.90 FIP) and had a .225 BABIP. Things have obviously gone in the opposite direction in the 2nd half. Before yesterday’s game, he had a 4.03 xFIP and struck out 26.7% of batters (more walks too) in the 2nd half. But he had a .346 BABIP and 6.52 FIP because the home run luck dried up.
His season BABIP is still just .275 so one could argue he’s still getting lucky on balls in play during the season as a whole. He’s been unlucky on homers, but his career rate is 16.9% and his season rate is 14.9% so based on 179 career innings, he’s going to allow a few more homers to leave the park than expected. Too small a sample size of course, but perfectly in line with his career.
He has a career 4.51 xFIP, his ERA on the season is now 4.50. I just think this is who is guys. He’s just gotten to this place in a very strange way. I just find it difficult to buy into this narrative. You could not more perfectly design a reliever more “ready” to throw a lot of innings and in a lot of games than Soriano. It’s just easy to miss that because his stat page doesn’t show the minors unless you seek it out.
Also his struggles this year are easily explainable. He can’t get right-handed hitters out. In 2026, he has a been a true reverse splits guy. Left-handed hitters hit for a .263 wOBA and strike out 26.6% of the time with an 8.4% BB rate. Right-handed hitters hit for a .386 wOBA with a 19.2 K% and 14.4 BB%. That’s season stats. Also might I remind everyone: the first batter Soriano faced yesterday, he induced a weak groundball that’s an out for probably 90% of batters but Jonah Cox has 99 percentile sprint speed, at 30.1 feet per second. He had a .090 xBA. He suddenly does his job if someone slower is batting. Unfortunately, baseball is cruel.
The Stopgap for 3B is Here, it shouldn’t be for CF
The two weakest positions this season have been third base and centerfield, both from players initially seen as a potential long-term answer. The Cardinals should move on from Nolan Gorman, but in the meantime, I actually think Thomas Saggese and Blaze Jordan showed enough in 2026 to keep the spot open for them. Obviously, they’re both right-handed so this isn’t a platoon situation, but with Saggese’s ability to play other positions, and then Blaze occasionally platooning with Alec Burleson, there’s plenty of PAs for both.
And I say this not really believing either is the answer. But that’s okay because I think the answer is in the organization. I don’t know which specific player is, but I would be surprised if there’s not a long-term answer among Saggese, Jordan, Jesus Baez, Deniel Ortiz, and even Raniel Rodriguez maybe. I don’t necessarily think any one of them is a good bet at 3B specifically, but taken collectively, you got to like the odds.
Saggese should be a good defender at 3B, and projection-wise, he should have between a 90 and 100 wRC+. His minor league history suggests there may be more there offensively. He is 25 next season. He is the perfect stopgap option. But we aren’t even completely depending on him. Jordan is 24 next season. He had a 137 wRC+ in AAA and a .317 xwOBA and displayed better than expected defense. Do I buy the defense? No, but I’m intrigued to see more. He has earned more opportunities. These are great stopgap options.
However, I have no idea what to do with centerfield. I am fully out on Nathan Church being a starting centerfielder. Obviously, his offense has been disappointing. He is good at not swinging and missing. That is the extent of his positives as a hitter, at least how he’s played in 2026. Go to his Statcast page, it is bleak. Everything but K% and whiff% is blue. He is 3rd percentile in chase%, 8th percentile in average exit velo, 20th percentile in bat speed, 12th percentile in hard-hit%.
It’s hard to see that kind of profile and see a route to becoming a good hitter. If the Cardinals plan to go into next season with him as a starter, they need to have a serious talk with him about not chasing. Of all the stats, that is the only route for optimism. He was never this extreme and he did hit the ball hard, but Alec Burleson went through this. Just hammer that home. Wait for your pitch more. In the best version of how this could go, him selectively choosing better pitches to hit improves all his batted ball metrics.
But I’m not making him the starting CF if I’m in charge. Like I said, Burleson’s Statcast page was never this bleak so it feels like I’m hanging onto a lot more hope and wishful thinking to think Church will improve to that extent. He’s still on my team next year. I tell him he has to earn back a starting spot. Not chasing is the way to do it, if results follow, you will get your job back. Outfield is one of those positions where everyone gets hurt, so he will still play.
Of course, who the hell is starting if not Church? Certainly nobody in the organization. I don’t want to go the Victor Scott route again. It seems like the Cardinals have moved on anyway. I don’t think Joshua Baez can play CF. I can read War and Peace faster than it will take Chase Davis to adjust to a new level, so I don’t think he’s the answer to our 2027 problems. In the absolute best case scenario, I suspect Josiah Ragsdale is going to have Joshua Baez’s season next year. (They slow cook him and wait until August)
My main point is that I want to attempt to compete. I’m not asking to go all-in. I feel like Saggese/Jordan is an attempt to compete. Running it back with Church is a rebuild kind of move. Just give me somebody who has an okay chance to be good. It’s not like we’re swarming with outfielders in the near term, all the backups right now are literally infielders. In the offseason, I will probably look for an answer to this question.
DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 7: Ryan Graves #27 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on December 7, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Conventional wisdom states that a player with a big salary and years of NHL experience usually sticks with the NHL roster. The Penguins have been bucking that trend lately, starting with waiving goalie Tristan Jarry and sending him to the minors in the 2024-25 season. That continued in a major way last season in 2025-26 when Danton Heinen and Ryan Graves didn’t make the NHL club out of training camp and were waived then sent to the AHL. It wasn’t that long into the season before Matt Dumba and Phil Tomasino were sent in that direction as well.
Some of these players popped back up with the NHL teams at times last year (most notably Graves), some did not. The future is uncertain and getting cut from the team doesn’t have to mean the end of the road for good, but there are clear signals that the Pens value performance and ability over strictly just the contract and statuses of players involved. Being an NHL player in the past hasn’t locked in a spot for the future.
That’s a curious concept to consider when looking at the sheer volume of players that will be in the mix during the quick 13-day training camp. Barring future injuries, some tough decisions will need to be made on a number of cases. Let’s get into some of them.
Ryan Graves – Graves enters year four of a six-year contract on as shaky footing as ever. In the past, one could squint or offer hopeful reasons for improvement like “he’ll be better in year two now that he’s acclimated to the team” or “this year could be different with a new coach and fresh start”. Few reasons for optimism remain given the caliber of play when Graves has been in the NHL lineup lately. Graves would likely have to beat out many or all of Declan Carlile, Ilya Solovyov, Caleb Jones and Owen Pickering for a spot in the lineup. The odds look long to do that based off all evidence to this point. The onus is now on Graves to change the narrative and show he’s worth keeping, as evidenced last year when he was a training camp cut, the team has no reason not to jettison him if he’s not bringing a high enough level of play to be on the roster.
Hendrix Lapierre – The Penguins gave up a third round pick to acquire Lapierre, yet it seems like he’s got some work to do to turn some heads and earn a spot with the club this fall. Lapierre’s career has been in neutral or worse for a couple of seasons now. He might not have the chops defensively to fit into the heavy lift the Pens ask of their fourth liners in terms of d-zone starts and penalty killing. A natural center, Lapierre has floundered in the middle and become more of a wing option. Does he get a look at center? Is there a way to stand out and starting finding a niche somewhere in the lineup? These are unanswerable questions at the moment but loom large in the near future.
Justin Brazeau – Brazeau scored 17 goals last season, yet only five of them over his last 40 games. At the beginning of the year he was playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha, by the end of the season Brazeau was a healthy scratch that was essentially surpassed in the lineup by newcomer Elmer Soderblom. Brazeau could be an important depth piece to have, his issue seems to be that the team keeps adding around him. Andrei Kuzmenko stands in for Mantha this year but the team has brought in wingers Soderblom, Egor Chinakhov and Nick Robertson within the last year. Not to mention younger options like Lapierre, Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and the next guy on the list below. In totality, Brazeau had a career-year and would seem to be a shoo-in for a roster spot. Yet today, that doesn’t sound like a certain proposition. Of course players can’t think in this way, but overall for Brazeau, he might be the biggest beneficiary if an NHL forward gets injured in training camp the way Bryan Rust did last year. At that point, the math could change significantly for finding room to keep Brazeau around.
Ville Koivunen – What to do with the $4 million dollar man? That will be one of the most intriguing situations to watch unfold in Pittsburgh this September. The team clearly has high hopes for what Koivunen might become, the thing is the recent past doesn’t suggest that he is very close to getting there right now. This is where the advanced cap hit offers some benefit – Koivunen could have been a candidate for a top team to pluck off waivers if he had a ‘normal’ young unestablished player cap hit. Most of those teams are completely off the board for that idea now, since they don’t have an extra $4 million in cap space to play around with. Then again, the Pens might not intend to waive Koivunen at all, given his mastery of the American league. Is he bound to be a fill-in player as a scratch? Find a spot in the opening night lineup? Get placed on waivers? Each outcome sounds about as likely as any other at this point.
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What could solve a lot of this is a great camp. Many times people think about that as a young player like Harrison Brunicke or Ben Kindel bursting on the scene and forcing their way into the team’s plans. Such situations are not just reserved for the up-and-comers trying to get on the radar. All four of highlighted players above make a decent salary and all to different degrees have been factoring into NHL lineups in the recent past. They too could be in-line to show out and grab a role at the start of the year.
The big unknown will be the opportunities at hand. Will someone like Brazeau get the chance to start training camp, say on a line with Kindel and Robertson? Or will Brazeau be placed with players more likely with immediate AHL futures? Placement could tell a lot about how the team is leaning, and a brief camp won’t allow for too many chances to explore a tremendous number of possibilities. That’s not to say fates will be sealed at all based on first glimpses – lines and roles are bound to have some amount of fluidity in the early going – but the clock on camp will be moving quickly with only so many practices and exhibition games to force the issue and make an impact.
Former Minnesota Wild forward prospect Graeme Clarke is taking his career overseas.
Frölunda HC announced Tuesday that it has signed Clarke to a one-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 season. The 25-year-old will join one of the top organizations in the Swedish Hockey League.
Clarke spent the 2024-25 season in the Wild organization after Minnesota acquired him from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Beckman in June 2024.
The right-shot forward never appeared in an NHL game for Minnesota, but played 64 games for the Iowa Wild, recording 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points.
Minnesota moved on from Clarke following that season, and he signed with the Washington Capitals organization. He began the 2025-26 campaign with the Hershey Bears, recording 15 goals and nine assists in 50 games before eventually landing with the Belleville Senators.
Clarke finished the season particularly well in Belleville, producing five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in just 15 games. Despite that strong finish, his next opportunity will come overseas.
Frölunda sporting director Fredrik Sjöström described Clarke as an offensively gifted forward with strong hands and a good shot. While Clarke has primarily played on the wing, the club also noted that he has experience at center.
Clarke said he was pursued by multiple teams in different leagues before choosing Frölunda, which will compete in the SHL, Champions Hockey League and Spengler Cup this season.
Originally selected by New Jersey with the 80th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Clarke developed into a productive AHL scorer. His best season came in 2022-23 when he registered 25 goals and 58 points in 68 games with Utica.
He eventually earned his first NHL opportunity with the Devils during the 2023-24 season, appearing in three games. Those remain the only NHL games of his career.
Clarke now heads to Sweden with an opportunity to establish himself in the SHL after parts of six seasons in the AHL.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox in action during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, the Red Sox made what I consider to be a rather significant announcement in setting up their rotation for the upcoming weekend series against Kansas City:
This matters because the Red Sox now have exactly 15 games left. That’s three perfect trips around the rotation when coupled with off days scheduled on the 14th, 21st and (if they make the playoffs) 28th. In other words, the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 starters this weekend align perfectly to be the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 starters for the Wild Card series with an off day each trip around the rotation also baked in.
So while nothing is official, the Red Sox going Gray, Suarez, and Tolle during the next three games kind of feels like them writing down their initial playoff starters in pencil. One one hand, I get it: Gray has been their most reliable starter all year, Suarez has a career 1.48 ERA in 42.2 career postseason innings, and Tolle feels like the logical remaining choice from there.
But what do you guys think? Do you worry about potentially handing the ball to such a young, inexperienced pitcher in Game 3 of the Wild Card series for the second year in a row? Does Ranger Suarez stumbling against both the Yankees in that game in New York on August 30th and against Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March make you question his ability to still automatically turn it on when the postseason starts?
Talk about this and whatever else you’d like on this well deserved Red Sox off day (they’ve played 54 times in the last 56 days), and, as always, be good to one another!
Hockey season is finally upon us, with the Philadelphia Flyers set to kick off their rookie camp and Rookie Series this week, immediately followed by the start of training camp.
On Wednesday, we got the official Flyers training camp roster, which included Andrew Perrott, an AHL signing I didn't know about; and Zayde Wisdom, who is going to get another crack at the NHL, as small as his odds may be.
Of the rest of the inclusions on the roster, I am most excited to see what kind of roster battles take place in the bottom-six.
From last year, the Flyers still have Nikita Grebenkin and Carl Grundstrom, but it will be interesting to see if formerly esteemed prospects like Nolan Foote and Danila Klimovich can outperform them.
Newcomer Zach Aston-Reese has some NHL experience, too, but his role has substantially decreased over the last four years since leaving Pittsburgh, and perhaps there is a reason for that.
Additionally, I think Devin Kaplan has the potential to occupy such a role for the Flyers in the future, but he is more than likely going to need at least one more year of development in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Simply put, the winger room is just too crowded right now, and some cards need to fall before we consider anything further.
In other (brief) prospect news, Egor Zavragin is on the board with his first win in his first start of the KHL season!
Flyers' Quinn Hughes pursuit gets a boost?
Most of you who have followed my Flyers coverage here and on social media know that I have long been of the opinion that a marriage between Quinn Hughes and the New Jersey Devils is inevitable.
Well, if you were hoping the Flyers would have a shot at Hughes, the superstar defenseman left all doors open during his media availability at the NHL Player Media Tour. The door that is open the widest is the one in Newark, but doors are open.
"This is going to be done whenever I feel like it needs to be done," Hughes said. "I don’t feel backed up against a wall. I’m very thoughtful. I want to make sure I’m taking my time on everything and make sure I’m making a decision that is going to be good for everyone. That’s kind of where my head has been at.
"It is my life. I’m not going to do anything to make someone else happy. Obviously, I like to think of myself as a thoughtful person to a point where it’s not good for me and I’m thinking too much about all these different things. I think that everyone’s got to do whatever makes them happy and where the chips fall they fall."
And now we can consider more fuel has been added to the never-ending fire. Know that the longer this drags out, the bigger a distraction it will become during the season for a Minnesota Wild team aspiring to compete for the Stanley Cup.
On Wednesday, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Anaheim Ducks and Chris Kreider had agreed to terminate the big forward’s contract and that he would be placed on unconditional waivers for contract termination. A couple of hours later, the 6-foot-3, 232-pound 35-year-old was indeed put on waivers, and once he clears, which he will, he will be free as a bird to sign with a new team.
While Kreider is no spring chicken, he still has a lot to give to a team. Last season, he put up 50 points in 75 games, and if not for the gigantic contract the Ducks were forced to give Leo Carlsson and its ripple effect, he would still be on the team. Last season, it wasn’t rare to see him play alongside top talent like Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier.
The plan now is for Kreider, a Massachusetts native, to head back to the East Coast to play on a contending team. This is where the Montreal Canadiens come in. Back in early July, we suggested that Kreider could be an interesting target for the Canadiens in the fallout of the Carlsson contract, and now that Kreider can be had for nothing more than money, he becomes an even better target.
Of course, if Kent Hughes still believes he has a shot at landing one of his “plan A” targets, such as Kirill Marchenko or Matthew Knies, he doesn’t need to pursue Kreider. Still, if those avenues or equivalent ones are shut, the veteran becomes an interesting option. While it’s clear that the Canadiens could use a second-line center, it appears they’ve decided to wait and see what they have in Michael Hage. However, they still want to acquire top-six talent to play alongside Ivan Demidov, and Kreider is, in many ways, similar to the aforementioned Marchenko and Knies. He’s big, he’s got speed, and he’s not afraid to get to the dirty areas. Last year he landed 69 hits in 73 games.
Most importantly, though, he shows up and delivers in the playoffs. Kreider is the kind of player who is made for playoff hockey and relishes playing when the stakes are high. In 135 playoff games, he has put up 83 points (0.61 PPG) and 84 penalty minutes. In the New York Rangers' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, he put up 13 points in 15 games. Yes, that was 12 years ago, but in his last three playoff years, he averaged 0.80 PPG over 35 games (28 points).
Granted, there is some history between Kreider and the Canadiens, namely that incident in the 2014 playoffs when he ran into Carey Price and caused the goaltender’s first serious knee injury. Many fans still see him as the cause of Price’s early retirement, but the fact of the matter is that Price isn’t on the team anymore, nor is anyone else who played for the Habs in 2014; Brendan Gallagher was the last survivor. This isn't like bringing Mark Scheifele in to play with Jake Evans.
If Kreider really wants to win a Stanley Cup, he should be willing to sign at a reasonable cap hit, and given his age, he shouldn’t ask for that much term either. Of course, you don’t want him to block the development of your young players, but there’s a balance to be struck. In the last playoffs, it was obvious that Oliver Kapanen lacked experience and still has plenty to learn to play that kind of hockey efficiently.
Having Kreider around for the next two years could be great for the Canadiens. He could have an important role this season and, if the young players improve enough, slide into a lesser role next season. His last contract had a $6.5 million cap hit, but by agreeing to have it terminated by the Ducks, he has proven that it’s not about the money for him anymore, and if there’s someone who can get players to sign reasonable deals, it’s the Canadiens’ GM.
This is an opportunity Hughes at least has to entertain, given that he couldn't find a trading partner this summer. Furthermore, both Jeff Gorton and Martin St-Louis know Kreider well and could speak to his character and potential fit with the team.
Will the Wizards have a deep team in 2026-27? | NBAE via Getty Images
Multiple times this summer, I’ve heard it claimed by fans, pundits, and current/former coaches, players, and front office types that the Wizards are deep. My instinctual reaction is skepticism. I delved into statistical analysis in part because so much of what I heard from the “experts” on TV when I was a kid didn’t seem accurate.
I’d watch Player X (names redacted to protect the innocent) would grab a rebound, and I’d hear the “analyst” (almost always a former player) make a claim like, “Player X is a strong rebounder.” Then The Sporting News would arrive in a couple weeks, and I’d look it up and see that Player X almost never got rebounds.
First overall pick AJ Dybantsa scored 27 points in his NBA Summer League debut. | Getty Images
I’d see highlight packages that included a volume scorer like Dominique Wilkins dishing out multiple assists — clearly assembled to create an impression that he was a generous playmaker. TSN would let me know he was averaging 2-3 assists per game. (This is in no way meant to smear Wilkins, who was a) one of my favorite players, and b) earned his Human Highlight Film moniker.)
As I’ve written before, I wasn’t alone in this observation. One time, when he maybe 12 year old, I was watching a game with my son. Well, I was tracking the Wizards’ defense, and he was working on a school project and listening to the announcers spew statistical nuggets and other factoids while I sighed and the Wizards got pummeled. Again.
Anyway, at one point then-broadcaster Steve Buckhantz intoned something like the Wizards being third in the league in total offensive rebounds over the past nine days (or something), and my son asked, “If the Wizards are so great at everything, why do they always lose?”
So, I approach this “Wizards are deep” claim with skepticism. Let’s unpack.
“Deep” in sports generally refers to the idea that a team has multiple good players at the same or multiple positions. When the San Francisco 49ers had Joe Montana and Steve Young at quarterback, they had depth. When the Washington Redskins had Joe Theisman and Tom Flick, they did not.
Here’s my current best guess at the team’s depth chart for this season:
G: Trae Young | Tre Johnson | Bub Carrington | Tre Mann
W: Bilal Coulibaly | Kyshawn George | Khris Middleton
F: AJ Dybantsa | Will Riley | Justin Champagnie
C: Alex Sarr | Anthony Davis | DeAndre Ayton | Tristan Vukcevic
Note: In my thinking, there are four NBA positions nowadays — guard, wings, forward and centers. Coaches can (and do) mix and match when making lineups. This year, I anticipate the Wizards will start games with one guard (Young), two centers (Sarr and Davis), a forward (Dybantsa) and a wing (either Coulibaly or George).
Also, if you think Johnson is more of a “traditional” shooting guard/small forward type than a shooting guard/point guard type, feel free to mentally shift him to the wing bucket.
So far, this is a bunch of names. Part of being deep is that the players have to be good. Entering the season and assuming health, the Wizards can be confident that Davis, Young, and Sarr will be good to very good. Barring a catastrophic case of Idon’tcareitis Ayton probably makes that list too.
That’s four guys we can be sure will be good. Three of them play the same position.
My next tier is the probably at least average to maybe good. In this group: Coulibaly, George, Champagnie, Middleton. The first problem here is the Wizards don’t want to play two of them major minutes (Champagnie and Middleton). Champagnie because he’d be snacking on minutes that could go to his younger and more ballyhooed teammates. Middleton because he’s old (by NBA standards) and has had multiple significant injuries the past few years.
Next up: the probably below average (or worse) group. That includes Dybantsa and Johnson. In Dybantsa’s case it’s primarily an age-based evaluation. Not many teens are even average in the NBA. Turns out, it’s a tough and competitive league, and it takes time for a kid to learn how to excel.
By the way, arguably the only elite teenage rookie will be Dybantsa’s teammate this season. Davis posted a 178 PPA in 1,846 minutes in his age 19 season with the New Orleans Hornets. The only teen to beat that score was Zion Williams for the same franchise, but Williamson managed just 668 total minutes.
Where were we? Oh yeah, the probably below average guys. My thoughts on Johnson are draped on two main hooks: he’s young, and I didn’t see the athletic tools or all-around performance it usually takes to be an above average NBA player. I could be wrong — this is best guess, and Johnson (like any young player) can do the work and become great.
That leaves the probably not too good guys: Carrington, Riley, Vukcevic, and Mann.
By my count, that makes the Wizards six deep with average(ish)-or-better (eight if you count the two guys they don’t want to play much) and two more who probably won’t be good this season but will play anyway in hopes they will become good in the relatively near future.
I could see some upwards push from guys I anticipate being below average, if they work hard and improve. Odds are, some of the team’s youngsters will get better and some won’t. One of the lessons of NBA history is that it’s not safe to assume young players will improve. Sometimes they just don’t.
So, I think the best way to talk about the Wizards and depth is to say they might be deep this season, if several players improve more than anticipated. I don’t think it’s safe to believe they have the kind of depth that will make them competitive in any consistent way. There’s too much uncertainty around the relative quality of half the roster, which is compounded by significant uncertainty about the health and reliability of others the team hopes will form a veteran foundation.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 3: Thomas Bryant #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrates during the game against the Toronto Raptors during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After waiting, and waiting, and then losing out on the LeBron James sweepstakes, the Cavs had to pivot. They already watched Keon Ellis and Dean Wade depart before James’ decision, and then had to offload Dennis Schroder and Max Strus to get a smidge of wiggle room to improve the top of the rotation. Acquiring Peyton Watson is a good gamble to make given his age, athleticism, and reasonable extension number, but the Cavs are undoubtedly more top-heavy than they already were. That is a problem.
A short bench is nothing new for the Cavs, but there are even more legitimate concerns now. The wing rotation got an infusion of juice with Watson, yet there are plenty of questions after that. Jaylon Tyson has shown promise, but he fell out of the rotation in the playoffs and often got into head coach Kenny Atkinson’s doghouse. Mario Hezonja has not played in the NBA since before COVID, and there is a reason he is on a non-guaranteed contract. There really is no way of knowing what he will be able to provide, let alone in high-leverage playoff situations.
Thomas Bryant makes his return to the frontcourt, but the Cavs should have sought out a more athletic, non-traditional backup center. Nae’Qwan Tomlin is listed as the team’s backup power forward, a scary proposition considering he was a two-way player last year. There is nothing necessarily wrong with Tomlin, but a team that wants to compete for a championship should have a better option in tow. Craig Porter is serviceable, but the Cavs are putting a lot of faith in him being the full-time backup point guard.
Whether you want to believe it or not, Cleveland needed Wade out there. The Cavs were +5.9 with Wade on the floor last season, which is +3 better than they were without him. His true value does not show up in the box score. Wade’s ability to defend the arc, disrupt passing lanes, and stay in front of guards was all vital to the Cavs’ defense. When he hits a few shots and grabs a few rebounds, Wade was nearly invaluable. The Cavs will miss that two-way ability, even if he drew the ire of the fanbase.
Once seen as the prize of the De’Andre Hunter trade, Ellis was a near non-factor in the postseason. That being said, watching him walk is certainly not ideal, given that he’s provided a burst of energy off the bench more than a few times. That woke the Cavs up more than a few times this past season, especially in the doldrums of the winter. Sam Merrill was already a difference-maker, but he will shoulder more responsibility this upcoming season.
It is hard to say the loss of Schroder is detrimental, as his on-court play was already a net negative, but the replacement, Porter, has many pitfalls as well. Tyrese Proctor is intriguing, but not reliable yet. Porter has a lot of supporters in the organization, and plenty of fans outright, but there is a reason the Cavs felt they needed to get Schroder last year in the first place.
Trading another fan-favorite like Strus was tough to see, but the Cavs had only a few levers to pull to improve the roster. Strus is a good movement shooter who would come around pin-downs and get up quick shots, and that will be tough to replace. His ability to get hot from the floor saved the Cavs more than once this past season, and his size makes him a viable defender – if not a little overrated. Then there is the leadership and locker room impact, something not quantifiable. But there is a reason the Cavs were reluctant to trade Strus, and the off-court traits are part of that calculus. Hezonja will be tasked with filling in some of those cracks, and it is entirely possible he does so admirably. But there is also a real possibility that he is unable to reach NBA-level and ends up off the roster.
The Cavs are playing for the playoffs, and bench players who possess one or two specific skills are crucial. Strus’ movement shooting, Ellis’ energy, or Wade’s defense are traits that are hard to measure individually, but add up to something important in a seven-game series. The New York Knicks got key contributions from the likes of Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart — each with a unique ability off the bench that, at some point, swung a possession or two and changed a game. The Cavs’ bench does not have that, or at least not right now.
As they have been for the past few years, Cleveland is going into the season with a top-heavy roster. While Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are talented enough to get the Cavs home court advantage in a playoff series, there should be concern for the quality of the bench. This is NBA Finals or bust for the Cavs, as they rapidly approach the edge of the cliff. The bench has been an issue for the last few years, and that may rear its ugly head again.
San Antonio TX, - October 4, 2025: Harrison Barnes #40, Carter Bryant #11 and Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs attend the 2025-26 Scrimmage on October 4, 2025 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Per a Spurs press release:
“Spurs fans are invited to the free 2026-27 Silver & Black Open Scrimmage, presented by Ticketmaster, at Frost Bank Center on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. The San Antonio Spurs will take the court for four 10-minute quarters, giving fans the chance to preview the team in action ahead of their Oct. 20 home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tickets are free and are required for entry – see details below and online at Spurs.com/OpenScrimmage.“
If you are asking “how do I obtain tickets?” there are a few requirements:
TICKET INFORMATION
The Silver & Black Open Scrimmage will be ticketed due to anticipated high demand. To be eligible to receive free tickets, fans must complete the following steps:
Head to Spurs.com/OpenScrimmage or text SCRIMMAGE to 210-444-5940 to join the Official Spurs Fan Club and enter to win
Both new and existing Fan Club members will need to enter to win through the above link
Deadline to enter is Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m.
Each fan is eligible to win up to four free tickets while supplies last
Winners will be notified by Monday, Sept. 21
Winners must claim their tickets within 24 hours of notification; if not, new winners will be selected
All tickets are General Admission seating and cannot be transferred or resold
Current season ticket members do not need to enter as they are guaranteed tickets and will receive them in their Account Manager. Spurs Give is hosting a yard sale from thge time gates upon throughout the game. Parking for the event will be free. Fans can pick up selected new Spurs gear at a 15% discount in the Spurs Fan Shop inside the arena.
Hope to see you there…and Go Spurs Go! (Spoiler alert: either way, the Spurs win.)
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MILWAUKEE, WI - SEPTEMBER 08: Luis Lara #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers salutes the crowd after defeating the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Tuesday night, the Brewers pulled together another come-from-behind victory, this one in dramatic fashion, and they then completed a sweep of the Cubs on Wednesday evening. With the sweep, the magic number to clinch the NL Central is down to five. The magic number for a postseason berth is down to four, though it is effectively lower since the two teams currently fighting for the last spot (the Diamondbacks and Padres) still have games remaining against each other. It’s just a matter of time now before those spots are clinched. While there’s still work to do, the team can also start setting themselves up for the postseason. Let’s take a look at what they can do in these next couple of weeks.
Remaining Schedule
Unlike last season, when the Brewers were playing opponents who were fighting for a playoff spot in the last week of the season, the Brewers have it a bit easier this time around. With the season series against the Cubs done, here are their remaining five series (all three-game sets):
The Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals are nearly out of the playoff race, barring a massive winning streak. The Orioles could still have a chance at an AL wild card spot, but their chances are also fading. The Phillies are the one team that will almost certainly be fighting for their postseason seed when the Brewers come to town. While there are not any easy wins, the schedule is very manageable.
This does not mean that the Brewers can take any of these series lightly. They only have a two-game lead for the top record in the NL and in all of MLB, but they do hold the tiebreaker over the second-place Dodgers. They also have a 5.5-game lead over the Braves, though that tiebreaker would come down to intradivision record since the two teams split the season series 3-3. There’s still business to take care of until that postseason seed is decided.
Prepping the Rotation
One important piece of preparation for the postseason is lining up the postseason starters so they are ready to go. The good part of this is their likely top two starters (Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson) are already in position to line up for the start of the postseason. With off days plentiful over the last couple of weeks, shifting them to a five-game schedule becomes easier, especially with some other questions developing in the rotation. Here is how they would line up if they pitched every fifth game:
Jacob Misioroski
September 15 @ Pirates
September 20 @ Orioles
September 26 vs. Cardinals
Logan Henderson
September 16 @ Pirates
September 22 @ Phillies
September 27 vs. Cardinals
This would allow both to pitch right until the start of the postseason. Both can make starts through the end of the regular season, and then be ready to pitch the opening games of a National League Division Series. It’s not set at all, though. They still need to secure a first-round bye, but for now, keeping them pitching on a regular schedule is the best way to secure that. The schedule also allows for a bit of flexibility. Misiorowski or Henderson could move up a day and still pitch on regular rest, or get extra rest and skip the last series if necessary. The Phillies series could also affect these plans if the Brewers don’t want the Phillies to get an extra look at these starters, but that is less likely because their playoff seed may not be locked in until the last series of the regular season.
The main question for the rotation is what the Brewers will do after those two starters. There’s not an easy answer here right now. The other starters in the rotation all have question marks heading into the last weeks of the regular season. Kyle Harrison has struggled badly in his last three starts and may be heading to the bullpen. Shane Drohan is hitting his innings limit and also could be in the bullpen. Dustin May had two rough starts, and while he appeared to be pitching better in his last one against the Reds, rain cut it short, and we didn’t get a full look at him. Robert Gasser has stepped up in his recent starts, but he may be more suited for short starts in the postseason. Brandon Sproat is back on the roster for now, but has been pitching shorter starts in the minors and once again struggled with his command late in Wednesday night’s win out of the bullpen. Brandon Woodruff is the wild card, still not in a position to count on in the postseason, but could become a factor later on if his throwing goes well.
What this could mean is the Brewers will deploy these starters in shorter bursts in the postseason. They could use two starters in a game and have them pitch two to three innings, not pitching through the lineup more than once. To effectively do this, they could split up Misiorowski and Henderson in the rotation. Use Misiorowski in game one and Henderson in game three, then piggyback two starters in games two and four. They can also mix openers in as well when needed. It’s not the traditional postseason rotation, but the Brewers can make it work. It would be similar to what they did last postseason, where they used openers and deployed Misiorowski as a long reliever. What the Brewers need to see in these next few weeks is where each starter is at. Each one will get a couple more starts before the postseason, at best. They have plenty to prove in those starts, especially if it’s the difference between making the postseason roster and sitting on the bench.
Resting Injured Players
It’s deep in the season, and players are dealing with the aches and pains of a long schedule. The Brewers have been dealing with their share of injuries, and making sure the team is as healthy as possible will be a major focus.
On offense, the key injury right now is to Jake Bauers. He’s been the team’s main power threat for most of the season, and they will need him for a postseason run. However, he’s been more limited while he’s been recovering from shin splints. While he played in four straight games before getting the day off on Wednesday, he only started one of them. In the other three, he entered the game later as a pinch-hitter. This is going to be one of the primary injuries to watch in the next few weeks. An IL stint could be considered, though the Brewers appear to favor workload management for now.
Brice Turang is another player to watch over these next few weeks. He has been dealing with a knee injury, though it has not kept him out of the lineup. In the last four series (going back to the Rangers series), he has started every game except one. The good news for Turang is that he’s starting to look better again. In his last six games (five starts plus a late-game replacement), he has eight hits and six walks in 25 PA. He has bounced back from a rough August and is hopefully strong again.
There are also a few relievers on the IL. Grant Anderson (right biceps inflammation) and Bryse Wilson (low back strain) are currently on the IL. Wilson is expected back in mid to late September, but Anderson’s status is still up in the air. Rob Zastryzny is also back on a rehab assignment after multiple setbacks. Zastryzny has not pitched a game for the Brewers yet this season, though he was on the active roster for a couple of days. He is another wild card for the postseason. He is not eligible to come off the 60-day IL until next week, and at best might get a week on the major league roster before the postseason. Would the Brewers put him on a postseason roster despite not pitching in the majors at all so far this season?
Conclusion
The Brewers have made it clear that they will not take anything for granted when it comes to a postseason spot. While they have something to play for, they will give their full effort and take care of business. There’s still plenty to play for in these last few weeks. While they will continue to fight for their spot, they also have enough of a lead to start thinking about the postseason. They can start looking at some adjustments to make sure they are ready when the postseason begins.
Sep 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with shortstop Trea Turner (7) after hitting a grand slam home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well, last night was certainly one of the weirdest Phillies wins of the season. It appeared at times as though both teams were actively trying to lose through the first six innings. But then as it so often happens, Kyle Schwarber put things on the right track with a monumental home run, this time a rally-capping grand slam.
It can’t possibly be weirder today. After all, the Phillies always play perfectly normal mid-week afternoon baseball games.
On to the links.
Phillies news:
Recent baserunning mistakes have once again brought a weakness of the Phillies to the forefront: losing on the margins. ($)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Coby Mayo #16 after the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
The Orioles yet linger, never quite doing enough to fully drop out of the picture and never quite doing enough to remain in the inner reaches of the race either. Wednesday’s 9-5 win over the Guardians meant the O’s got the series win against Cleveland, the team they’re chasing for the wild card. They probably needed a sweep to really, truly have much hope, but, as the cliche goes, it ain’t over til it’s over, and for now it ain’t over. Check out Tyler’s recap of the game for more of the lovely totals.
Both the Orioles and their next opponent, the Blue Jays, have the day off today. Each of these teams will resume their wild card quests in Toronto on Friday. The Orioles sit three back of the Guardians with 15 to play. The Jays are a mere one game back. There will be another series between these teams a week and a half from now. Those six games will go a long way towards determining whether one more AL East team can get into the picture.
At a minimum, the Orioles need to go 4-2 to keep their hopes alive. They might need to go 5-1. 4-2 gets them tied with the Blue Jays, and gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker against Toronto for the season. However, there’s still the Guardians to get past, and the Rangers too (1.5 games back). There’s nothing left that the Orioles can do except hope those teams lose. Texas concludes a series against the Mariners today, then heads to play the Diamondbacks. The Guardians will be playing the Twins this weekend.
Whatever the Orioles try to pull off, they’re going to have to do it without Blaze Alexander, who hit the injured list yesterday with back soreness. Alexander is not only the only .300 hitter on the team, he’s also the sole .270 hitter around. It’s also not yet certain how many days the day-to-day status for Gunnar Henderson will last. Manager Craig Albernaz said of Henderson before yesterday’s game, “He’s pretty banged up.” Disappointing though Henderson may be this season, the lineup is not improved by having Jackson Holliday at shortstop and Jeremiah Jackson at second base.
We’re running a poll this week asking how far you think the Orioles will be from the postseason when all is said and done this year. Have you voted yet? I’ll make it easy for you and embed it right here:
It is still hard to know what to make of these guys. Maybe they’ll play well enough to get close enough that each and every one of the frustrating, stupid losses that they have racked up through this year will hurt. Maybe they’ll hang around about where they are now. Maybe they’ll fall farther out. Maybe they’ll pull off the miracle. Any of the above could happen! Some seem more likely than others.
We’ll find out how the story continues on Friday night. Chris Bassitt is the scheduled starter for the Orioles in the 7:07 game. As of this writing, the Jays have not listed a starter.
Albernaz on Mayo: “Coby is the one I’m most proud of” (Steve on Baseball) What Coby Mayo is doing against lefties this year is really something. If he wants to start doing better against righties too, that would be great. He homered off a righty last night, which is certainly a nice way to do better.
What happened to Merv Rettenmund? (Baltimore Baseball) In the ongoing Orioles history series by longtime Baltimore sports scribe John Eisenberg, he considers an oft-overlooked player, Merv Rettenmund, who once seemed like he might be on a star trajectory and didn’t end up going that far.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2021-2024 pitcher Mike Baumann, 2011 outfielder Matt Angle, and 2007-09 reliever Danys Báez. Today is Báez’s 49th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: voodoo legend Marie Laveau (1801), baseball Hall of Famer George Kelly (1895), golfer Arnold Palmer (1929), actor Colin Firth (1960), baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson (1963), and ballerina Misty Copeland (1982).
On this day in history…
In 1547, English and Scottish forces numbering over 50,000 combined fought the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, a decisive English victory that proved to be the final full-scale battle between these powers before they eventually united.
In 1813, the British fleet on Lake Erie was defeated by the American navy in the Battle of Put-in Bay, which kept the lake in American control for the remainder of the War of 1812.
In 1943, Nazi forces occupied Rome after its allied Italian government entered into an armistice with the Allies days previously.
In 1977, convicted torturer and murderer Hamida Djandoubi was executed by guillotine, the final time that method of execution was employed in France.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on September 10. Have a safe Thursday.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 4-1 (7) at Rochester Red Wings — all tied up again atop the International League standings
LF Jarred Kelenic 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 SB SS Max Schuemann 1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K — Volpe was scheduled to play short before the Jazz injury news C J.C. Escarra 2-3 2B Marco Luciano 0-2, 1 BB, 1 K DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-3 3B Tyler Hardman 0-3, 2 K — inserted into the lineup after Schuemann shifted over to short 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB RF Kenedy Corona 0-3, 1 K, assist CF Duke Ellis 2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 K, 1 SB
Brendan Beck 5.1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K (win) — 2.74 ERA in 24 starts, setting up for a larger role in the majors next year Bradley Hanner 0.2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB (hold) Yerry De los Santos 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in a pasture in Alaska.. (Photo by: Edwin Remsburg/VW Pics via Getty Images)
Today’s post doesn’t merit an introduction. Just scroll down to the bottom, and you’ll find all you need.
Jalen Brunson publicly pushed back on a rumor that he, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges had reunited with former Villanova teammate Matt Kennedy by becoming clients of his wealth management practice.
Miles McBride revealed when the Knicks realized they were championship material. He also praised former coach Tom Thibodeau for laying the groundwork, saying, “Thibs did a great job; he built a great foundation.”
Mikal Bridges credited the Knicks’ postseason experience for fueling their remarkable comebacks throughout the title run.
Josh Hart says the defending champion Knicks are embracing an underdog mentality (how surprising!) despite winning the NBA title.
“I don’t think we have a big target. Because I don’t think anyone is picking us to win again. We’re using it as fuel. We’re still the hunters. We’re not satisfied with one. So we’re the hunters, and we like playing that game.”
Former Knicks guard Dink Pate is going in reverse, and I’m here for all of it.
Derrick Rose says he never stopped believing the Knicks would win the championship. “I kind of had them winning the entire time,” Rose said. He also reflected on his own legacy, acknowledging he believes future generations may eventually forget him.
Another former Knickerbocker, Danilo Gallinari, reflected on the biggest “what-if” of his career, saying injuries—not talent—kept him from reaching his full potential after being traded from New York in the Carmelo Anthony deal.
Anthony Edwards again singled out Madison Square Garden as one of the NBA’s toughest road environments. Asked about his favorite arenas, Edwards listed MSG alongside TD Garden.
Kenny Smith believes the NBA was justified in coming down hard on the Clippers over their salary-cap investigation, saying they were “vehemently cheating” and circumventing the cap.
EuroLeague owners will hold a potentially historic meeting on Oct. 5 in Lake Como that could determine the future of European basketball, with club owners expected to discuss a possible NBA proposal to acquire EuroLeague following the league’s Board of Governors meeting. Yes, as we all knew from the get-go, the NBA doesn’t just want to expand to Europe—it wants to eat it whole.
NBA star Jaylen Brown made his boxing debut in Nigeria 👀
