PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 05: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hugs Martin Perez #33 of the Atlanta Braves after the end of the third inning at Chase Field on April 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off a series win against the New York Mets, the Atlanta Braves head back to Truist Park for a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Braves enter the series with 73 wins and are 7-3 in their last 10. The D-Backs have a less impressive record with 64 wins and going .500 over their last 10 games.
The Braves have yet to announce their starters for the weekend series, while Arizona is sending out Brandon Pfaadt, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Michael Soroka. The series gets underway tonight at 7:15 ET.
More Braves News:
Walt Weiss spoke with the media on Thursday, providing updates on Robert Suarez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver.
Herick Hernandez recorded 11 strikeouts in Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Tony Gonsolin #26 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Dodger Tony Gonsolin has found a new home, as the right-hander signed with the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, per a team announcement. The financial details have yet to be disclosed, notes Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors, but Gonsolin is signed through the rest of the 2026 season and has a club option for the 2027 season. He has been placed on the 15-day injured list, and his status is unknown.
We have signed RHP Tony Gonsolin to a Major League contract for 2026 with a club option for 2027. Tony has been placed on the 15-day Injured List.
RHP Eli Morgan has been designated for assignment.
Gonsolin pitched in parts of six seasons spanning from 2019-2025, helping the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series and making the National League All-Star team in 2022, finishing that season with a 16-1 record. Gonsolin made just seven starts in 2025 once he returned from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3-2 record with a 5.00 ERA over 36 innings before elbow discomfort and an internal brace surgery ended his season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment in November before he elected free agency.
The Dodgers shored up their catching depth, as they signed Chadwick Tromp to a minor league deal on Thursday. Oklahoma City Comets announcer Alex Freedman was the first to report the signing.
Tromp has played in parts of seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles since debuting in 2020, and he has appeared in 21 big league games with both Atlanta and Baltimore. Tromp has slashed .163/.160/.184 with a double and four RBI across 51 plate appearances in the big leagues this year, while he is slashing .200/.280/.347 with three home runs and 12 RBI across 30 Triple-A games.
Shohei Ohtani continues to trend in the right direction with his throwing program, as he was able to throw from a 200-foot distance. Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports that the next step for Ohtani would be a bullpen session off a mound, although there are no set dates for said sessions yet. Chen notes that while the Dodgers have taken their time with Ohtani’s progression, they are still eager to see him return to his two-way status.
“I still feel just his health is kind of the main thing anyway,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Regardless of having Skubal or not, or having Snell back, you still have to treat him individually as what is best for him. It is additive, given he’s a two-way player, to get those innings, for sure.”
Eric Lauer gave the Dodgers much-needed length on Wednesday against Kansas City, going 6 1/3 innings while tossing 112 pitches in a 4-2 win. Looking ahead to the postseason, his status as a rotation member will be jeopardized once more reinforcements make their returns, and Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times delves into which current starters will be the odd men out of the playoff rotation.
Roch Cholowsky may be No. 11 to MiLB, but he’s No. 1 in the Chicago system. | (Winston-Salem Dash/Instagram)
MiLB published its first Top 100 rankings since the 2026 MLB Draft, and fan favorite Roch Cholowsky is already in conversation with today’s elite minor league prospects.
Chicago’s No. 1 overall pick came in at No. 11 with an expected MLB debut date of 2027. This comes as no surprise, as Cholowsky was initially assigned to High-A instead of Single-A or even Rookie level. His strong college track record and four-plus tools put him ahead of Detroit’s 2023 No. 3 overall pick, Max Clark, currently ranked No. 13, as well as Minnesota’s 2026 No. 3 overall pick, Vahn Lackey. On all fronts — skills, developmental maturity and baseball IQ — Cholowsky is starting his baseball career at a point where many high school players are coming into their own as minor leaguers, except for one.
Tampa Bay’s No. 2 overall pick, Grady Emerson, sits above Cholowsky in the MiLB rankings as the only player from the 2026 draft to crack the Top 10. There’s certainly an argument to be made that Cholowsky deserves the higher spot. While Emerson brings a similar four-tool arsenal, Cholowsky entered professional baseball with a much more extensive track record against advanced competition, and the White Sox thought he had enough polish to send him directly to High-A. Emerson, meanwhile, is beginning his professional career at the rookie level.
Cholowsky’s first six games shouldn’t move the needle much in either direction. He has just five hits and a home run in 30 plate appearances, but that sample is far too small to draw any meaningful conclusions. The more compelling case for ranking Cholowsky ahead of Emerson is where the two players are developmentally right now, not what either has done in his first few weeks as a professional.
The Golden Spikes Award finalist and this year’s Big Ten Conference Player of the Year joins middle infielder Caleb Bonemer and shortstop Billy Carlson as the White Sox’s representatives on MiLB’s Top-100 leaderboard. Bonemer has punched above his tool grades in Single-A, High-A, and Double-A since being drafted in the second round in 2024, while Carlson’s injury has kept him from advancing beyond Single-A. Though May and June looked promising for him, Carlson’s non-displaced fracture of the tip of his left thumb has set him back and put his development miles behind Cholowsky and Bonemer.
At first glance, Chicago’s future infield looks more crowded than the Eisenhower Expressway during rush hour. But Chris Getz and the Sox front office are forming a clear path for Cholowsky to claim a starting infield spot next year.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 30: Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants during the MLB game at Chase Field on June 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We knew that Matt Chapman’s season was almost certainly over. But now it’s really official. During Thursday’s off day, the San Francisco Giants quietly moved Chapman from the 10-Day IL to the 60-Day IL with an abdominal strain. It had already been revealed that Chapman would undergo surgery for his sports hernia.
The Giants have yet to announce the news, it just showed up on their transaction log, along with the promotion of AAA outfielder Turner Hill. Both moves should be formally announced before Friday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies. The Giants had to make a move to clear a space on the 40-man roster for Hill, and moving Chapman to the 60-Day IL accomplished exactly that. They can do the same with Harrison Bader and Casey Schmitt, should they need to open up any additional spots in the 40-man roster.
With that, Chapman’s 10th — and worst — MLB season comes to an end. It’s the first time in his career that he’s ended the season with a below average wRC+ (95) or single-digit home runs (7). His fWAR (1.3) is the second-lowest of his career, trailing only the 1.1 mark he posted in 2020, when he was limited to 37 games in the pandemic-shortened season.
Some of that may have been generic struggles or regression, but it’s also fair to assume that he spent much of the season playing through his core muscle injury, and had his performance negatively impacted. Hopefully he can get fully healthy over the offseason, and be back to his All-Star level talent come 2027.
Members of the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies walk out of a corn field Aug. 13, 2026 at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Good morning.
The Phillies beat the Twins 7-1 as MLB returned to Dyersville, Iowa at the new Field of Dreams stadium.
Heston Kjerstad hit a game-tying homer in the fifth, but the Tides dropped this one in 11 innings. Enrique Bradfield Jr. was thrown out at the plate in the tenth, and Anthony Nunez allowed the designated runner to score on a two-out single in the top of the 11th.
Norfolk starter Juaron Watts-Brown gave up two earned on seven hits over four innings. Watts-Brown struck out six and did not walk a batter. The bullpen posted six zeros before Nunez let one slip. Yaqui Rivera struck out four over two perfect innings.
Kjerstad began the game on the bench but entered when Reed Trimble exited with an injury. MASN’s Roch Kubatko reported that Trimble left the game with right hamstring discomfort. Trimble doubled in his only at bat. Kjerstad finished 2-for-3 with the long ball and a sacrifice bunt.
Anderson De Los Santos trimmed the lead to two with a two-run shot in the ninth, but Reading held on to secure the win. Chesapeake out hit the Fightin Phils 9-8, but Reading took control by scoring in five consecutive innings.
Baysox starter Patrick Reilly struck out seven in only four innings but also walked four batters. He surrendered three hits and allowed two runs to score.
Wehiwa Aloy finished 2-for-5 with a double, and Thomas Sosa went 2-for-4 with a two-bagger and a walk. Dom Keegan got the Baysox on the board with a solo shot in the fourth, and Aaron Estrada came off the bench to deliver a base hit and a sacrifice fly. Griff O’Ferrall and Brandon Butterworth both reached base twice with singles and walks.
Butterworth is set to be promoted to Triple-A today.
High-A: Frederick Keys 5, Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) 4 F/10
Bowling Green scored two in the 10th, but Frederick walked it off with three runs in the bottom half. Randal Diaz tied the game with a two-run double, and Yasmil Bucce worked the count full with the bases loaded before taking a game-winning walk. Bucce finished 2-for-4 with a double.
Vance Honeycutt finished 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts. DJ Layton eventually entered for Honeycutt and scored two of Frederick’s five runs.
Evan Yates finished one-out shy of a quality start. Yates allowed two earned runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out five.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Salem RidgeYaks (Red Sox)
Delmarva took control of this one early with a five-run first. The Shorebirds tacked on two more in the second and coasted to the finish line.
Jaiden Lo Re led the charge with a 3-for-4 day that included a two-run triple. Jhomnardo Reyes added another run-scoring triple in the first, and Miguel Rodríguez drove him in with a two-run homer.
Starter Holden deJong allowed a pair of runs over four innings. Jake Dykhoff earned the win with four innings of bulk relief.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Kendry Chourio #34 of the Kansas City Royals looks on in the clubhouse prior to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
MLB Pipeline updated their top 100 list and there are now 3 Royals on it:
A year ago, we added a dozen members of the Draft Class of 2025 to the Top 100, the same number that was added in 2024. This time around, we’re being a bit more stingy with spots, putting just 10 from the most recent class on the Top 100, though two of them are debuting higher than anyone from last year’s Draft crop did.
So, if the Royals had picked either of the players who went after them (Booth, Burress), they’d have 4 Top 100 prospects today instead of 3. I get that where they end up is much more important than where they are today. But early returns are less than ideal.
I’m definitely no prospect guy. There are people on this site good at that. I’m not. So maybe this is a really stupid read of it all. But it doesn’t look great, using my non-expert eyes.
Rose was picked under slot and ranked accordingly. It’s not like he’s 101st on the new top 100 either, as David Shields and Blake Mitchell ranked higher than him in the Royals system and I doubt Mitchell, in particular, was close to the top 100. But most of that underslot money went to the #89th ranked guy (Slightom). They picked him at 56th, and gave him more than $1M over slot and he only slides in at 12th. Wait, so you picked a guy well below his ranking /and/ had to give him a bunch over slot? Yikes. They had enough left over to give Camden Johnson over slot and he comes in at 23rd. But because they had to give Slightom so much, they didn’t have enough to sign their other potential overslot, 19th-rounder Hudson DeVaughan.
But, hey, that’s just one ranking system. And rankings are finnicky. Let’s see where Baseball America has the Royals in their newest rankings:
(scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll)
Kansas City Royals Royals Top 30 Prospects Preseason Ranking: 21 Midseason Ranking: 19
Current Top 100 Prospects: RHP Kendry Chourio (No. 33), OF Angeibel Gomez (No. 47), SS Josh Hammond (No. 55)
Key 2026 Graduations: C Carter Jensen, RHP Mason Black, RHP Beck Way, RHP Luinder Avila
2026 Prospects Traded Away: None
Key 2026 Additions: Gomez, OF Zion Rose, RHP Taylor Rabe, RHP Jack Slighton, RHP Maxx Yehl, RHP Lucas Braun, LHP Carter Holton
The Skinny: The Royals have a trio of top 60 prospects for the first time in a while, but the group of players right behind them need to take a step forward.
So you’re saying that having a draft that isn’t highly regarded and then holding onto all of your players at the deadline despite being 20-odd games below .500 is not great for your rankings? The most disheartening thing to me was that they had been creeping up the charts over the last year or so. But it feels like they gave a lot of it back.
This year, he’s been dominant. Chourio has a 2.06 ERA across two levels, first posting a 1.88 ERA in 11 starts for Single-A before a promotion to High-A in June. In Quad Cities, he has a 2.35 ERA, with 35 strikeouts and just five walks in 30 2/3 innings. MLB Pipeline’s No. 65 prospect, he pitched in the Futures Game during All-Star festivities this year. At a career-high 78 2/3 innings, Chourio hasn’t pitched since July 25, but will get back on the mound as early as this week, part of a long-term workload plan.
The only 18-year-old to pitch for a High-A affiliate this year, Chourio is clearly talented, armed with a 94-98 mph fastball and a curveball, changeup and slider. His pitchability is advanced already and something he’s continuously improving.
“The goal is to not throw hard, it’s to have pitchability,” Chourio said. “With all [my] pitches, to have a motive behind every single one of them. Whether it’s a fastball, making sure the location of the pitch is good. Making sure you get the curveball in the zone, and executing the changeup, throwing it in or out of the zone.”
At The Star, Jaylon Thompson profiles Randy Dobnak. Just a reminder that minor league players make next to nothing and have to moonlight as Uber drivers to pay the bills.
Long before Randy Dobnak became a shooting star in a lost galaxy that is the Kansas City Royals 2026 campaign, he was scrolling through available rides on his local Uber app.
It was a source of income. And for Dobnak, a chance to nurture a lifelong dream that hadn’t begun to bear fruit.
“I’d drive around Pittsburgh for a little bit just to see how it was,” Dobnak said. “Make some extra money because we didn’t make much at all in the minor leagues.”
Here’s a couple of stories from The Athletic ($) that aren’t specifically about the Royals but do talk about Royals players.
Eric Hosmer writes about the “3 best leaders” he played with:
Raul Ibanez, Royals outfielder
…In 2014, he gave a speech to us. We were playing against the White Sox, and we were in the crappy clubhouse they have on the visiting side.
He basically talked to us about what opposing teams thought of us: Did we realize how good we were? Did we realize other teams fear us?
For us to hear that was so important. We were all young on that team, and Raul had just gotten done hitting ninth-inning homers for the Yankees a couple of years before.
It just clicked for all of us: This guy’s a legend so if people really do think of us like that, maybe we’re really good and we should play with some confidence.
John Buck, a former major-league catcher, told me an even weirder story. Buck played in the big leagues for 11 seasons. But one year he suffered a concussion, and as he tried to recover, he started overthinking. When he returned to the field, he struggled throwing the ball back to the pitcher, a real-life example of Rube Baker, the young catcher with the yips in the film “Major League II.”
When the game was live, Buck could throw a dime to second base to cut down a base stealer. But when it came to softly tossing the ball back to the pitcher, he felt paralyzed.
“If there was a foul ball and the ball was dead, I was very conscious and I would have to whip that s— back at the pitcher like I was throwing it to second,” Buck told me. “How weird is that?”
This is probably where I’d have written about the Field of Dreams game. Like, for instance, it was a giant Hall of Fame festival with 26 members in attendance:
This was the largest such gathering at a ballpark, not including the annual ceremonies at the Hall of Fame in upstate New York, since the All-Star Game in 2008 that feted the final season at old Yankee Stadium.
Of course, I couldn’t see it as it was on Netflix. But, hey, MLB got an extra couple million bucks for it over showing it on Fox where anyone with a TV could see it.
(There’s also a rumor that the Royals will be playing the Red Sox for the Field of Dreams game next season, but it’s not confirmed.)
Speaking of which, NBC now has the rights to the Wild Card round. On the positive side, two games per day will be broadcast on NBC. On the negative, the other two will either be on NBCSN or Peacock.
Since there’s not much Royals news, how about one more story from around the league, concerning another AL Central team, the Tigers. Ben Clemens asks whether the Tigers would have been better off if they had kept Tarik Skubal, et al:
The Detroit Tigers are one of the hottest teams in baseball. Since the calendar flipped to August, they’ve gone 7-3, scoring more than six runs per game in the process. In a muddled American League, that puts them right in the thick of the AL Central and Wild Card races. That, in turn, means they’re back in the hunt for a World Series ring. This burst of activity has them about as likely to make the playoffs (and win a ring) as they’ve been in the last few months, in fact; they’re back above 30% to reach October after dropping as low as 18% the day they traded Tarik Skubal.
That feels weird! Less than two weeks ago, the Tigers traded their best player, perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, for three prospects. They followed that up by trading Casey Mize, who had briefly inherited the title of top Tigers pitcher. It was a classic deadline sale – not a thread-the-needle plan with some additions and some subtractions, but a declaration that the plan was to get ‘em next year, and the years after that…
…Next, I got even more theoretical. I took some distributional studies that got left on the cutting room floor when I updated prospect valuations and worked out, more or less, the odds that prospects of the caliber traded for Skubal and Mize would turn into average regulars or better, plus the average WAR per year delivered in those outcomes. I also looked at the last six years of Tigers teams to figure out how many extra wins adding players like that to replace weak links would be worth (limiting those weak links to the rotation and the outfield, to match the prospects). I worked out that the guys traded to the Tigers project to boost their average projected wins by around 1.2 per year.
At this point, I’ll stop and point out that I’m doing a lot of approximating, so the error bars are large here. But with that caveat, we can do the math. Say that the Tigers bounce around between 78 and 90 projected wins for the next six years, and take the average of those World Series-odds-per-win sensitivities. Multiply that by the 1.2 wins per year I think the extra prospects are “worth.” Multiply that by six years of team control. You get an added 3.3 percentage points of World Series odds, comfortably more than the boost they’d receive from having Skubal and Mize the rest of the way this year. That might understate it, too. If the Tigers didn’t sell, they likely would have bought, but probably only on the margin, considering where they were in the standings and their underperformance over the first four months of the season. The risk of going all-in would have been too high. While we don’t know the counterfactual there, it’s reasonable to think that it would’ve made their future teams even a little worse, for small present benefit, amplifying the effect I’ve already measured here.
It’s weird to think that the high-level prospects only increase their chances by 1.2 wins per year. Then again, new players don’t just take an empty spot on the field, they replace an existing player who might be good or bad. I’m not entirely sure I buy it – as Clemens says, he does “a lot of approximating”. I only gave you the beginning and the end above – go read the rest, if you’re curious. It’s an interesting thought exercise.
But, hey, we’re reached the “Onion is clowning your team” stage of a lost season:
My scorecard of choice when I’m at the ballpark is the Eephus League Halfliner. I use a Blackwing 602 pencil. I told you…I’m deadly serious about keeping score. I never use a pen. My penmanship is terrible, so I’m often dissatisfied with how something goes on the paper so I use the eraser for a re-do quite often. I also make plenty of mistakes.
For tonight’s exercise, I’m scoring on an iPad using a file from Lou Spirito’s THIRTY81 Project. I’m enough of a sicko that I’ll keep score at home sometimes and I use his printed PDFs when I do. This is my first time scoring on an iPad, so we’ll see how it goes! There is a high level of confidence that it will not replace my pencil and paper.
I used to take score at every game I went to. However, once MLB went to its draconian bag policies in most stadiums, I gave it up because it became such a hassle 🙁
At Royals Keep, Cory Moen looks at “Royals Prospects Who Could Make Their Debut In August Or September”. He suggests Lucas Braun, Gavin Cross, and Hunter Patteson, adding “Other MLB debuts that are possible include IF Jacob Berry, catchers Luca Tresh and Elih Marrero, and RHP Ben Sears.” Wait? Gavin Cross is already 25?
Unfortunately, no long, crazy OT today. I’m already over 2500 words. Also, I just can’t quite nail down a couple of OTs that I’ve been working on. They’re each just missing something, so they’ll have to wait a couple of weeks. Also, I’m out next week.
But I do have a couple of updates on old OTs. And we’re also doing an (abbreviated) old-school Song of the Day!
* * * * *
Last week, we fell down an internet rabbit hole, trying to figure out the stats for the water rides at Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. At the end, I wrote: “Not perfect, but not bad. I think I’ll try to email Six Flags and see how I did (if they respond).” I did email them last week, and they have yet to respond. Bummer. I’m sure there’s some crazy old guy who knows all this stuff because he was there when it happened. Sadly, the email never made it to his desk.
* * * * *
I’ve done a coupleof OTs about buying tickets for the LA28 Olympics.
If you’re bored of this (I can believe it), just skip ahead to SotD. I’m an awful judge of what people want to read about. I can see how this is as exciting as reading about someone else’s Fantasy Football league or someone’s weekly sports betting wins and losses. However, for me, personally – it’s been a fun mental exercise and a bit of an emotional ride, so I’ve just been letting it out in Rumblings.
When last we left ticketing, the Visa presale had just wrapped up ahead of the Phase 2 drop (Drop 2? I’m not entirely sure what the official terminology is). In Phase 1, there was a locals presale and then no ticket restock ahead of the proper Phase 1. Conventional wisdom was that Phase 2 would be the same with no restock following the Visa presale.
If you remember (you probably don’t and have long since lost interest), I estimated that 30-40% of the tickets were gone in Phase 1 and another smaller (10-20%) disappeared in the Visa Presale. There was also a small drop for former Olympic athletes, but I have to think that’s a very small number of tickets. That said, I think we’re well past half the tickets gone, and the drops are going to get smaller and smaller with what’s available.
I have been on the LA28 mailing list since January 2023 and have yet to be selected for any lottery. C’mon, guys!
In Phase 1, my wife got the last possible spot. Not much was left, and we only picked one set of tickets. This time, she was selected for the first slot at 10am PT on August 10th. If there was a restock, I’d have a chance at some great and/or cheap tickets. If not, we’d probably just wait until next time.
With that in mind, I went back to work on the spreadsheet. We still have nothing for Sunday, Monday, or Wednesday, and there are a couple of other gaps on the schedule. I made large lists of events to consider, but we already had most of our big anchor events. In retrospect, I didn’t narrow things down enough.
On Monday, I took everything I had learned from the last drops and logged in as fast as I could. I still had to wait 20 minutes in the second queue, but I was in faster than most. Then the big moment: they had restocked!
But things were going fast. I checked Opening Ceremony first as that’s the only real “dream” item left. There were tickets, but they started at over $1000. I just can’t do that. After striking out on the baseball finals last time, I checked those. There were sub-$300 tickets and I tried to add them. No luck. Someone else (many someones?) was quicker and sniped them before I did. The next highest category went fast, while I was still deciding how high I was willing to go. At that point, the cheapest ticket was $500+. I had to let that dream die.
My wife was hoping for women’s gymnastics. Since I spent my first precious moments searching for Opening Ceremonies and the baseball finals, any gymnastics finals seats were “long” gone. Maybe there were $1000+ seats, but that’s as good as “gone” in my book. The prelims were into the $400+ range. If I had to do it over again, I would have gone there first and probably could have snagged some for half that or even less, and it would have been our anchor event on Sunday.
Wednesday the 19th is a wild card in our schedule. I had been holding it open for the baseball finals, but that’s looking increasingly unlikely. Maybe we’ll just fly out a day earlier than planned and save some money. Well, there was one “backup” event that my wife was really wanting and I was also excited for. When I saw reasonable tickets available, I quickly added them to my cart. I guess we’re not flying out early. We’re going to end our Olympic experience at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, watching the Women’s Street Skateboard Finals. That’s going to be awesome!
Once tickets are added to your cart, you have 30 minutes to check out. We’ve had the pre-Opening Ceremony Wednesday (12th) and Thursday (13th) planned for a while and have 3 of the 4 tickets already. The last thing I was missing was Wednesday morning Water Polo in Long Beach. There were some of those elusive $28 tickets. Yes, please.
I started looking at some more $28 tickets. However, I noticed I only had about 3 minutes left in my cart. What? I had added tickets less than 5 minutes before. I should still have 25 minutes. Apparently it glitched – maybe it was when I tried to add the baseball tickets. This meant I had to quickly check out or risk losing the skateboarding and cheap water polo tickets. I put in the payment information just in the nick of time.
Here’s what our schedule looks like now (have bolded; parens are TBD):
TUE JUL 11 FLY IN – NO EVENTS
WED JUL 12 Long Beach prelims: AM Water Polo, PM Handball
THU JUL 13 Carson: AM Field Hockey prelim; PM Rugby quarters
FRI JUL 14 AM Rest; (Opening Ceremony/Party)
SAT JUL 15 DTLA: AM Men’s Gymnastics prelim; PM Track medal: w 100, m 10000, w shot put; lots of qualifying PM
WED JUL 19 (AM ???); PM Women’s Street Skateboard Finals
THU JUL 20 FLY OUT
Once I checked out, the system kicked me out, and I had to go back into the queue. That 20 minutes cost me chances at a lot of what I had been considering. There were still a lot of awesome tickets left. But I’m down to just a couple of days’ worth of schedule: Sunday and Monday. However, I was too slow and indecisive and I watched tickets evaporate. If I could go back in time, I know a couple of things I’d jump on, particularly as this is probably the best drop time we’ll get in these ticket sales. But I can’t. Besides, we’ve already had much better luck than I could have hoped for. We’re still under budget and with a lot of events we’re happy with. Even if we don’t add any more tickets before the games begin, I’m more than happy. The efficiency part of my engineering brain is annoyed that I was inefficient. But there’s no way I could possibly be disappointed with what we have.
If you’re curious what the ticket market looked like as each day passed and why lottery slot was really important. Here’s a couple of Reddit threads from Monday night, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You can see how tickets are bought up and sports become unavailable. Or pick a sport with lots of inexpensive tickets to start and how they just become more expensive by the day.
In theory, this is the last ticket Phase of 2026. No one is really sure if there’s going to be one more lottery Phase in 2027. If not, the last large tranche of tickets will probably be part of a first come/first served free-for-all, possibly with dynamic pricing. Also, the resale market opens in 2027.
As I mentioned above, we’re going to do an old school (albeit slightly abbreviated) Song of the Day!
I was never good at skateboarding. I was a tall, lanky, and awkward kid – that is not the body type for skateboarding safely. But today’s SotD game is from a legendary name in the sport and an iconic series in video game history. Today’s featured game is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater for the PlayStation.
As I get older, I absolutely love the “You look like an old ‘Tony Hawk’” phenomenon that follows the skateboarding legend around. Also, I love the fact that his son married Kurt Cobain’s daughter and a kid who can’t possibly live up to that legacy as the coolest human being to ever walk the earth. Then again: who knows? Maybe he’ll be so awesome as to save the entire planet Wyld Stallyns-style. We could use that.
Much like my forays into real-life skateboarding, I was never great at this series. But I could appreciate the novel approach to gameplay that Neversoft built the franchise on. I also feel like it’s been a little lost to time, though it did get a remake a few years ago.
I know I’m featuring a video from the first game, but the second and third are two of the most critically acclaimed games of all time (quotes from Wiki):
“According to Metacritic, it holds a score of 98/100, making it one of the highest rated video games of all time across all consoles and platforms. Pro Skater 2 along with Soulcalibur, and Grand Theft Auto IV are ranked second behind The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. ”
“Similarly, the PS2 version of Pro Skater 3 earned a rare perfect 10 score from GameSpot, one of only eleven games to ever receive said score. It was also awarded the best sports game award at E3 2001. IGN rated the game 9.7/10, stating that the game “should go down in history as one of the best twitch-fests on PS2”. The game is currently the top rated PS2 game on the review aggregate website Metacritic, with an average score of 97/100, tying with Grand Theft Auto III.“
Here’s an entire full game playthrough. For those unfamiliar, it’s got that polygonal fifth-generation look that, well, has aged the worst of any generation in the history of video games. But the gameplay underneath was something revolutionary.
Colorado Rockies performance dietitian Sam Hawkins talks with players this season. | Credit: Kyle Cooper | Colorado Rockies
Whether it’s the physical demands on the body of playing at altitude or the grind of adjusting back and forth from a mile high to sea level, attracting talent to join the Colorado Rockies has always been a challenge.
For Sam Hawkins, it’s the exact challenge she was looking for.
The Rockies new performance dietitian, who also happens to be the first woman with that title in MLB, came to Colorado specifically for the obstacles the Rocky Mountains presented.
“I believe that MLB is behind the eight ball when it comes to nutrition,” Hawkins told Purple Row. “My goal as a human is to help as many humans as I can and to be the most well-rounded dietitian I can be.”
She’s off to a great start, revolutionizing the program by looking at everything from bloodwork and performance to rehabilitation from injuries and oxygen flow in order to optimize how each Rockies player’s body functions. For example, if a player’s glycine is low, it’s usually connected to low collagen. The solution? Could be a supplement, bone broth, chicken with the skin on or even an oyster.
“What fascinates me is how nutrients can affect the body. So, there’s some specialty blood work that the guys are able to do, and that I did a lot when I was in the NFL,” said Hawkins, who was the team dietitian for the Washington Commanders before coming to the Rockies. “That can show exactly what’s going on from every amino acid, every fatty acid in your body. … All of that just fascinates me — the nitty-gritty of it. How one small change to your diet can completely change how your body functions.”
Nutrition has always been Hawkins’ passion, but her path to the Rockies is as unique as the trail she is blazing for women in the profession.
Calling her shot
It all started when Hawkins was in high school in Mississippi. One day, she called her shot.
“At the age of 16, I told everybody in my class that I was going to be head of sports nutrition for the Dallas Cowboys,” Hawkins said. “They laughed at me. … I’m very headstrong. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.”
From then on, Hawkins decided to seize every opportunity she could until she landed in the NFL, where she did indeed land. Just trade the Cowboys for the Commanders.
In between, she did her undergraduate at Mississippi State, specifically so she could work in SEC athletics. She helped with baseball, football, men’s and women’s basketball and track and field. She continued to work with a variety of athletes in internships at Louisiana State University, the University of North Carolina and Southeastern Louisiana before getting her first full-time gig at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Earning the credentials and experience to master her craft, Hawkins started to make name for herself in the performance nutrition world. So when the University of Memphis asked if she would build their football nutrition program, she answered the call.
“I built that program from the ground up for two and a half years,” said Hawkins, who also earned a master’s degree in exercise nutrition while she was working at Memphis.
After success with the Tigers, the dream set out by her 16-year-old self came true — if not in location, in title as Hawkins became one of the youngest dietitians in the NFL when she took a job with Washington. She not only achieved her dream, but she also did so with some world-class athletes like linebacker Bobby Wagner, tight end Zach Ertz, and quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“I enjoyed it. Washington called it a recalibration. So I came in with the new regime with the new coaching staff, new front office, new owner, all of those things,” Hawkins said. “I did what I could do there, and I got to a point where I wanted something a little bit different. I got the NFL experience, and it was great, but I wanted something more. And if I kept going down that path at 28 years old of just football, that was going to be my life, and I felt like I was meant for more.”
Recalibrating again
Hawkins always loved baseball and knew taking her talents to MLB could bring something the sport sorely needed.
Enter Keith Dugger, the head athletic trainer and director of medical operations for the Colorado Rockies. When Hawkins talked with Dugger about coming to Colorado, Hawkins felt like she had found her next step.
“We hit it off, and they were also we were in the process of recalibrating, if you will,” Hawkins said. “So, we talked about working on building out a program here. I was really passionate about coming out here specifically because of the altitude.”
One of the items she was most excited to add to the menu in Colorado to help with the elevation is beets.
“I’m a big believer in beets, in beet powder, beet juice, beets. It’s great whether you get it in a supplement or you get it in a juice,“ Hawkins said. ”It’s a dietary nitrate, so it helps the blood flow, and so the more blood flow you get, the more oxygen you can uptake, so you’re gonna feel a little bit better at altitude.“
One thing that has surprised Hawkins is how the altitude has affected her own body. Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, altitude presented a new world for Hawkins. Now, she’s learning she also has to practice what she preaches to combat the elevation changes.
“I’ve learned that I struggle to go back to altitude, probably more than they do. … So I have a habit, and I think all dietitians have this to an extent of like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna educate, educate, educate on this,’ and I’m so focused on making sure that the guys are in the right spot that I forget that I also need to do that as well,” Hawkins said. “I didn’t think I was going to feel much because I’m not an athlete, but it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who you are.”
Going through the changes herself, Hawkins is also using her own body as a laboratory to find out what helps her feel better. Understanding what players are going through, and being able to connect with them and build trusting relationships, is the strength she prides herself in even more than her vast nutrition knowledge. She laughingly admits she talks a lot and could talk to a brick wall, so she can work well with outgoing personalities like Troy Johnston or more reserved players like Ezequiel Tovar.
She’s also in a continuous education loop to bring in new information, learn each player’s needs, find innovative ways to deliver that information to the players, stay aware of trendy nutrition fads on TikTok, be prepared to fend off misinformation and to do it all over the grind of a 162-game season.
Hawkins also said she works hand-in-hand with the training staff as well, especially when guys are injured and then rehabbing. When a player might be amping up their physical activity, Hawkins will make sure they up their caloric intake to help their bodies adjust to those changes. With an office that is one door down from the Rockies clubhouse, the location encourages easy access and ongoing communication.
Passion over glamour
For Hawkins, one of her favorite parts of the gig is planning what the fuel will be pre- and post-game for the players. In football, that only happened once a week. In baseball, it’s nearly every day, and Hawkins loves it. Even then, it changes, say for a starting pitcher or one that could be called upon to pitch in long relief like Tanner Gordon. She’s worked with him when he was starting and developing plans for how everything changes out of the bullpen.
“My favorite part of my job is the small wins. We look at what we’re doing, and we kind of critique that,” Hawkins said. “To watch him be as successful as he is, and for that plan that we put in place to be properly executed and working, those are my favorite.“
It can be harder on the road when certain foods, especially when she is trying to cater to the cultural diversity of the Rockies locker room, are hard to find. But she’s making it work.
When asked what she would want fans to know about her job, Hawkins gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her work.
“I think the biggest thing is nutrition is not glamorous. When people think, ‘Oh, I’m working for this professional sports team,’ I’m in the back making shakes. I’m literally asking guys about their bowel movements,” Hawkins said. “You have to love what you do to do this, and if you don’t, you’re not going to be happy. I want the fans to know is that it’s not glamorous, but whatever you’re passionate about, go for it because I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the passion for it.”
A four-run third inning was enough to sink the Isotopes on Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Braxton Fulford hit a solo homer, walked and scored another run, Nic Kent doubled, singled and drove in a run, Conner Capel went 2-for-4 and scored a run and Drew Avans added a sac grounder. Keegan Thompson took the loss, giving up five runs on four hits, three of which were homers, with two walks and one strikeout in 2.2 innings.
The Seawolves scored two runs in the second, neither of which was earned due to a fielding error, and that turned out to be enough to beat the Yard Goats. Hartford actually out-hit Erie 9-6, but went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base. The Yard Goats scored their lone run when Jared Thomas hit an RBI single to score Tevin Tucker in the seventh inning, but it was too little, too late. Jack O’Dowd had a big night at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, while Thomas added three hits. Stu Flesland III was saddled with the loss, despite giving up no earned runs (two total) on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.
Spokane was held to one run on six hits, while the AquaSox posted 10 hits, six of which came with runners in scoring position to put up a win on Thursday night. Tanner Thach singled on a line drive to score Ethan Hedges in the sixth inning for the Indians lone run. Thach and Hedges each recorded two hits on the night. Everett Catlett dropped to 5-8 on the season after surrendering five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and four walks in six innings.
The Grizzlies actually saw their first two batters reach base when Ashly Andujar led off the game with a single and Landyn Vidourek walked, but a double play ended the threat and Fresno only saw five more base runners for the entire game in Thursday’s loss. The closest the Grizzlies got to scoring was when Sebastian Blanco led off the eighth with a double and advanced to third on a one-out wild pitch, but the Giants were able to escape unscathed. Juan Martinez added two singles for Fresno. The Grizzlies were held to five hits and committed two errors, leading to one unearned San Jose run.
While the Rockies were off on Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins took the state in MLB’s annual Field of Dreams game. The pregame festivities including honoring a handful of Hall of Famers, including former Rockie Larry Walker. Check it out on Netflix if you didn’t see it. In this article, Purple Row’s Skyler Timmins reflects on the power of baseball and its connection to memories.
Renee Dechert continues Purple Row’sseries exploring how Spanish-speaking players learn about English and American culture while working their way through the Colorado Rockies system. In the latest addition, she interviewed Francis Rivera. The 25-year-old ight-handed pitcher for the High-A Spokane Indians signed with the Rockies in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic. Hailing from a baseball family, Rivera has a passion for the game that’s carried him through injuries as he’s climbing through the Rockies farm system.
Troy Renck explores how the possible lockout next season and timing could complicate callups and long-term rookie statuses for prospects, but especially for slugging outfielder Charlie Condon. Renck argues the Rockies might as well go for it and call him up now.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 20: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the game during Game Two of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 20, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s hard for an NBA rivalry to stand the test of time. Superstars change teams, coaches get fired, and especially in the second apron era, it’s harder than ever to maintain roster continuity year-after-year.
The best rivalry in the NBA felt like the Golden State Warriors vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers for a while after the teams met in four straight NBA Finals matchups. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green remain with the Warriors, but at this point no one is circling that game on the calendar. Unlike in football, it feels like the NBA’s best rivalries change every few years, with a couple of notable exceptions.
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at New York on Nov. 27, at Miami on Dec. 12, at New York on Jan. 14
The Knicks and Heat played in the playoffs four straight years from 1997-2000, and produced an iconic moment when Jeff Van Gundy swung from Alonzo Mourning’s leg during a brawl. The rivalry renewed in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, with the No. 8 seed Heat winning in six games on their way to the NBA Finals. Pat Riley is still going strong in Miami at 81 years old, and he keeps the connection between these two franchises alive after coaching the Knicks for four seasons during their ‘90s heyday before bolting to the Heat. While I don’t expect Miami to push the reigning champion Knicks at the top of the East this season, the Heat do have a tendency to overachieve, and will have a chance to build a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo in the coming years. Read our full history of the Knicks-Heat rivalry here.
9. Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Houston on Nov. 11, at Golden State on Dec. 30, at Houston on March 1, at Golden State on March 7
Just say “7-for-44” around an NBA fan, and they will immediately know you’re talking about the Rockets’ shooting performance in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals against the Warriors. It was one of the most memorable playoff series in recent league history, and it’s just a shame Chris Paul couldn’t stay healthy the entire way through. The Rockets and Warriors also met in the playoffs in 2015, 2016, and 2019, then played a tough seven-game series in the first-round of the 2025 playoffs, with Golden State advancing. This rivalry is probably on its last legs these days with the Warriors declining around Curry and Green, but these games still seem to mean a little bit more to Houston, so it stays on the list.
8. Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Dallas on Feb. 28, at Los Angeles Lakers on March 21, at Los Angeles Lakers on April 6
Mavs fans might never get over the Luka Doncic trade, and it’s hard to blame them. Dallas rebounded about as well as possible by cashing in on long-shot odds to win the lottery for Cooper Flagg in the following draft, but until Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz build a sustainable contender, the biggest game on the schedule will be the ones against Luka’s Lakers. As Flagg enters his second season, he should have a chance to begin approaching Luka’s level of greatness in the coming years if he can live up to the hype.
7. Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Boston on Dec. 25, at Miami on March 27, at Boston on April 2
This has been the defining rivalry of the Eastern Conference for the 2020s. The teams played in the Eastern Conference Finals three times in this decade in 2020, 2022, and 2023, and faced off in the first round in 2024. The Heat and Celtics also played a legendary 2012 Eastern Conference Finals series that included one of LeBron’s best playoff performances ever with 45 points in Game 6. It was ultimately the last hurrah for the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen version of the Celtics. This rivalry has some new juice this year before Boston came in second to Miami in the bidding for Giannis Antetokounmpo. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Boston and Miami play another first-round series again this year.
6. New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Indiana on Nov. 13, at New York on Nov. 22, at Indiana on April 11
Tyrese Haliburton hit an unbelievable buzzer-beater against the Knicks in Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, and then poured salt on the wound by immediately doing the Reggie Miller choking taunt. Miller’s dramatics — eight points in 8.9 seconds — during the 1995 conference semifinals will be replayed for as long as the NBA exists, and Haliburton brought it into the modern era by ripping New York’s heart out again. The fact that the Knicks immediately succeeded the Pacers as Eastern Conference champions and won the championship as soon as Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles only makes the stakes higher going into this year. All of these games are going to be must-see.
5. Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Los Angeles on Jan. 7, at Boston on Feb. 2
This is the biggest rivalry in NBA history, and I just can’t have it any lower than this even in what could be something of a down period. Even after these teams lost Jaylen Brown and LeBron James respectively to the 76ers over the offseason, I still had Boston at No. 6 overall and the Lakers at No. 7 overall in my updated power rankings. Both would qualify as dark horse contenders this season, and that’s not a bad place to be at in the parity era. These two teams have met a whopping 12 games in the NBA Finals. The league might be constantly changing, but the Lakers and Celtics always remain a focal point.
4. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Philadelphia on Nov. 10, at Boston on Jan. 21, at Philadelphia on Feb. 7, at Boston on March 7
The Celtics and Sixers are both going to feel like they have so much to prove when they play each other this year. The Jaylen Brown trade was truly an event horizon for the NBA’s relationship with analytics, and it feels like nothing will be the same now that it’s complete. Brown will want to show Boston they made a mistake by choosing Jayson Tatum over him. Boston will want to prove its front office made the right move, and that this team never needed Brown to win big. Word on the street is that LeBron James hates the Celtics, and I’m sure the feeling is mutual. There’s not an NBA rivalry this year with better off-court storylines, and the on-court product should be pretty great, too.
3. Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at Denver on Dec. 28, at Minnesota on Dec. 31, at Minnesota on Jan. 27, at Denver on March 7
Nikola Jokic will be remembered as the best player of his generation, and it will be impossible to tell his story without mentioning the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets went through the Wolves in the first-round in 2023 as Jokic led the franchise to its first ever NBA championship, but since then Minnesota has kept Denver away from a second round. The Wolves shocked the Nuggets in the second round of the 2024 playoffs by erasing a 20-point deficit to end Denver’s back-to-back bid. After Minnesota upset the Nuggets in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, many are wondering whether Denver is done competing for championships around Jokic. The Wolves only got better over the offseason by landing LaMelo Ball, and Denver still has a lot up in the air as Peyton Watson continues to linger in restricted free agency. Lead executive Tim Connelly left Denver for Minnesota, and knew exactly how to beat his former team. It feels like these franchises are trending in opposite directions, but it’s never smart to completely count out Jokic.
2. New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at New York on Dec. 25, at San Antonio on March 7
Not every NBA Finals matchup would warrant inclusion in a list of the league’s best rivalries the following year, but Knicks-Spurs was special. From Victor Wembanyama growing into a villain to the Knicks’ ridiculous last second comebacks to New Yorkers jumping Spurs fans on the street, the 2026 Finals matchup feels like it’s going to be a gift that keeps on giving for the NBA. These teams don’t meet again until Christmas, but both matchups this season are going to be awesome theater, and there’s a real chance we have a repeat come June 2027.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs
Matchups on 2026-27 schedule: at San Antonio on Oct. 20, at OKC on Feb. 11, at OKC on March 14
It felt like the Thunder could be on the precipice of a dynasty until Victor Wembanyama rose to power a little quicker than anyone expected. The Spurs knocked off the Thunder in Game 7 of the 2026 Western Conference Finals, and in the process ignited a rivalry that should define the next decade in the NBA. The Thunder might believe they could have went back-to-back if Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were healthy for the playoffs, and this season will put that theory to the test. Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enter the season as the league’s leading MVP candidates, but it’s the rivalry between Wemby and Chet Holmgren always takes the spotlight in this matchup. Holmgren looked like a top-10 player in the world before Wembanyama ruined his confidence in the Western Conference Finals. Can Chet punch back? Will Wemby destroy his psyche forever? Just simulate to the 2027 Western Conference Finals right now. Any other matchup would be a massive upset.
The May hiring seemingly came out of nowhere and a recent piece by The Athletic supports the notion of spontaneity. That said, there were underlying motivating factors, the right people in the right places and excellent timing that played big parts in May’s favorable response to the Mavericks.
The spontaneous ask
Mavericks’ GM, Mike Schmitz — himself a new hire in the organization overhaul — has a history with Dusty May, so it was not at all unusual for him to dial the coach’s phone on the morning of May 24. The purpose of the call was to inquire about the various Michigan players who would be available in the NBA Draft taking place just a month from when the call took place – one of whom, Morez Johnson, Jr., was of course selected by Dallas with their 9th pick. During that call, Schmitz took his shot. He asked May if he would be interested in the coaching vacancy in Dallas. May suggested he always had the desire to coach in the NBA, but fully anticipated he would pick up where he left off as the Michigan head coach next season. Then things changed.
What moved the needle for May?
Fresh off the NCAA spring meetings at the time of Schmitz’s call, May recognized there were certain things about the college game that are here to stay, for better or worse. May cited a frustration with the NCAA requiring coaches to partake in fundraising and other non-coaching obligations.
“I just spent so much more of my time doing everything but coaching,”
This notion speaks volumes. May, a well-regarded, well paid NCAA coach at the very top of the game, still found some measure of dissatisfaction with his situation. Why? He was being distracted from what he wanted to do most – coach.
This is extremely good news for Mavericks’ fans who are about to embark on the adventure of a youth movement. May is a player’s coach. One who desires to mentor and develop young players, which the Mavericks are rife with.
May further realized he may not get another opportunity like he could have with Dallas. Coaching Cooper Flagg and teaming up with a longtime friend in Schmitz were major boons, as was the leadership of new team President Masai Ujiri.
“You have to really believe and trust in who’s deciding the team for you.”
May seemingly enjoyed building his own team in Michigan – effectively serving as de facto GM. That scenario would not be a viable option in Dallas. However, with Schmitz and Ujiri running the decision-making show for the team, May was confident he would have the team he needed despite not having final say on the roster.
Once again, this is reason for Mavericks’ fans to feel good. Think what you will of Ujiri and Schmitz at this point, but their names alone build confidence in the world of basketball. May had an inherent trust in the pair – one because of a shared history and the other because of a successful resume. The Mavericks have two legitimate basketball professionals running the organization, something they haven’t had in nearly three decades.
Don’t ask, don’t get
The subtext of how all of this played out is intriguing, and in some ways, ironic. Just a few years ago, Mark Cuban thought wise to hire Nico Harrison largely based on his relationship with players. On the surface, it wasn’t necessary the worst approach, despite now knowing the colossal failure it quickly became. Now, without the glitz and glam of a former Nike executive, Dallas has a President and GM working in tandem, using their own relationships to make moves.
To be clear, this story is not about Nico Harrison, the tumultuous recent past or anything of that era. However, juxtaposing that with the current state of affairs is important. The fact that the unassuming Schmitz and Ujiri have contacts of their own, longstanding basketball pedigree and the ability to close a deal that gets the Mavericks the top college coach for their young team, are important factors in what the front office is capable of doing. Schmitz made a call with a single purpose and ended up getting the Mavericks a new head coach simply by asking the question and letting his relationships and history do the rest.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
Bangladesh has furthered the pressure on Australia in the Top End Test in Darwin with a superb batting display and will seek to complete a massive upset over world’s top ranked Test team over the next three days in the Northern Territory capital.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics talks to the media after the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Three of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
To some, the NBA regular season schedule release isn’t very notable. Everyone plays everyone and we just find out when they play. However, I love it and wanted to give some takeaways to it.
1. Jaylen Brown’s return
I was surprised that Jaylen Brown’s return to Boston was not on Christmas and I was even more surprised that it was just on a random Thursday that will be televised on Amazon Prime on the 2nd night of a back-to-back for the Celtics. Clearly, the NBA just did not value that game as much as Celtics fans and a lot of other people who follow the NBA thought they would.
It doesn’t change how emotional that night is going to be for Celtics fans though. Jaylen Brown is a Celtics legend who many thought would retire a Celtic. Instead, he now plays for one of Boston’s biggest rivals and will be out for blood trying to prove that Boston made a bad decision.
2. A lot of back-to-backs
It is not entirely clear on how many back-to-backs the Celtics will play this year.
I count 16 back-to-backs for the Celtics next season.
For what it is worth, my count was 16, which would be tied for the most in the league and, as Daniel Donabedian noted, the most back-to-backs the Celtics have had since 2016-17.
As Sean Grande notes, the Celtics might have a few guys who don’t play in back to backs this season. New center Mitchell Robinson is one example, as he did not play in such games for the Knicks last season.
3. A lot of national TV games in February and early March
From February 2nd to March 14th, the Celtics will play 19 games, 12 of those games will be on national TV.
Boston will play in 27 national TV games this season, meaning 15 of the remaining 63 games are scheduled to be nationally televised. If you take out the first two Celtics games, 13 of 61 games will be on national TV.
Yes, the Celtics are tied for 8th in the league in that category. However, almost half of the games come over a 19-game stretch (which makes sense as the NBA loads up on national TV games between the end of football and beginning of March Madness).
4. A long homestand followedby a long road tripthen another homestand
On December 14th, the Celtics tip off a 7-game, 15-day homestand against the Washington Wizards that caps off against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Then, on December 30th they start a 6-game, 11-day west coast road trip that starts in Chicago against the Bulls and ends in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
After they come home, Boston will play 9 out of 10 games at TD Garden with only a trip to the nation’s capital as their lone road game over that stretch to play against the Wizards.
This is all after a November in which they play 12 of 16 games on the road.
It is a weird scheduling quirk and one that we haven’t seen a lot over the past fews years for Boston. One thing is clear: there are a lot of long road trips and long homestands for the Celtics this season.
5. Atough close to the season
Of the Celtics final 7 games of the season, 4 will come against teams that were in the playoffs last season (that doesn’t include games against the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, who are widely expected to return to the playoffs after missing them last season). Five of the 7 games will also come on the road.
Over their last 7 games, Boston will play at the Pacers, at the Cavs, home against the Heat on a back-to-back, at the Knicks, at the Magic, at the Hawks and they close the regular season home against the Bucks.
If the Celtics are in a tight playoff race as the regular season comes to an end, it will be a grind for them to get the highest seed possible. On the other hand, this could represent a good test for Boston as they get ready for the playoffs.
Australia’s batters have a massive rescue mission ahead of them as their Bangladesh counterparts dominated on a historic day two of the first Test in Darwin.
SAN ANTONIO - MARCH 19: Gregg Popovich, Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs talks with Don Nelson, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors prior to the game on March 19, 2010 at the AT&T 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 2010 NBAE (Photo by D. Clarke Evans/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This post is going to be short and sweet. Here’s the video of Gregg Popovich speaking at Don Nelson’s funeral on Thursday in Dallas. It speaks for itself:
Pop looks and sounds as if he continues to progress in his recovery. Really great words. It was 100% Pop, classic, and still classy given the the depth of the event.
Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.
Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.
