PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs reacts with associate head coach Sean Sweeney during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on November 26, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It seemed bound to happen, but Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney is reportedly on the verge of accepting his first (and well deserved) head coaching gig. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Sweeney and the Orlando Magic are finalizing a deal for him to replace Jamahl Mosley as head coach, who was fired after a disappointing season and has since been hired by the New Orleans Pelicans.
BREAKING: The Orlando Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 and now lands the Magic head job as a top rising candidate. pic.twitter.com/aV3Zj6l57k
Sweeney will finish the remainder of the postseason with the Spurs, including Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals tomorrow and, should they win, the Finals beginning on Wednesday, June 3.
After Mitch Johnson officially became the Spurs head coach last summer following Gregg Popovich’s retirement, he hired Sweeney away from the Dallas Mavericks as his “defensive coordinator”. Sweeney helped completely revamp the team on that side of court, and they went from a middling defense with Victor Wembanyama (and terrible without him) last season to one league’s top defenses this season. He is considered to one of the top X’s and O’s minds in the league, and it shows in the Spurs drastic improvements at all levels, from basics all the way up to their ability to shift schemes based on opponent or scenario. He no doubt played a huge role in their 28-game improvement from last season, and it will be interesting to see where the Spurs look to replace him.
The Magic will be a good launching point for his head coaching career. They are also a young, talented team with promising stars in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs and one of the top defenses in the league, but they failed to meet expectations this season in large part due to injuries and offensive struggles, finishing 8th in the East and blowing a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons in Round 1 of the playoffs. Other finalists for the position reportedly included former Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy (whose brother, Stan Van Gundy, was the Magic’s coach from 2007-12 during their peak with Dwight Howard).
Before Sweeney joined the Spurs, he was Jason Kidd’s lead assistant in Dallas for four years, which included helping lead them to the Finals in 2024 with Luka Doncic. He began his NBA career in 2011 as a video coordinator for the Nets before becoming an assistant coach in 2013. He then had stints as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-18 and Pistons from 2018-21.
Good luck to Coach Sweeney, and thanks for helping make this team what it is today!
The stars are out in Southern California as the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers host the Philadelphia Phillies tonight, with the game to be broadcast on Apple TV at 10:15 p.m. ET.
With ace Zack Wheeler on the mound and a red-hot, fully rested bullpen behind him, my Phillies vs. Dodgers predictions are backing the visitors in a low-scoring contest.
Who will win Phillies vs Dodgers tonight: Phillies (+100)
This game offers a choice between fool’s gold and pure gold.
Fool’s gold: Los Angeles Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski and his 3.07 ERA. He doesn’t make batters miss (second percentile whiff rate, fifth percentile K rate) or induce grounders (36.7%), so all that glitters ain’t.
Pure gold: Zack Wheeler, 1.67 ERA. It’s the third consecutive season his ERA is under 2.75. He limits free passes (88th percentile walk rate) and generates a 98th percentile chase rate.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been destroying southpaws (135 wRC+ in May) and face a hittable one, so I’d play it up to -105.
COVERS INTEL:With winds of 6-12 mph blowing out, Wrobleski’s high fly-ball rate (44.4%) is an issue against a Phillies lineup that makes loud contact (38% hard-hit rate against LHP this month).
Phillies vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-120)
This spot makes for an appealing Under as both bullpens are fully rested following Thursday’s off day.
Philadelphia has an unreal 2.00 SIERA and 28.9 K-BB% in relief over the last 20 days. LA holds a 2.94 FIP in that span and recently had an incredible 38-inning scoreless streak from the bullpen snapped.
The Phillies have cashed the Over just nine times in 26 away games, whereas the Dodgers have done so 11 times in 28 home games.
Interim manager Don Mattingly has changed the Phillies’ identity, and they’ve gone 2-14 O/U in the last 16 games.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 16-17, -5.33 units
Over/Under bets: 26-9, +16.54 units
Phillies vs Dodgers odds
Moneyline: Phillies +105 | Dodgers -116
Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-205) | Dodgers -1.5 (+177)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-120) | Under 7.5 (+100)
Phillies vs Dodgers trend
The Phillies have hit the Under in six consecutive games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Dodgers.
How to watch Phillies vs Dodgers and game info
Location
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
Date
Friday, May 29, 2026
First pitch
10:15 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler (4-0, 1.67 ERA)
Dodgers starting pitcher
Justin Wrobleski (6-2, 3.07 ERA)
Phillies vs Dodgers latest injuries
Phillies vs Dodgers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
If the St. Louis Blues are looking to maximize skill at pick No. 11, look no further than forward Wyatt Cullen.
Cullen is a dynamic offensive forward who is one of the most interesting players in the 2026 NHL draft class.
Cullen is the son of former NHL player Matt Cullen, and while that alone is interesting, the most intriguing element of his game is his recent growth spurt. In the past year or two, Cullen has grown several inches, and although wherever you read might post a different height, the upcoming NHL combine will soon confirm his height.
At the moment, Cullen is listed between six feet and 6-foot-2.
But outside of the shocking growth spurt, Cullen is an outstanding playmaker.
Playing with the USNDTP this season, Cullen posted 16 goals and 45 points in 40 games, and in USHL action with NTDP, Cullen posted six goals and 16 points in 15 games. At the U-18s with Team USA, Cullen posted three goals and a team-leading nine points in five games. His nine points ranked third in the tournament, as two players tied with 12 points.
Cullen’s game revolves around his skating. He is fast and agile, using his edge work to create space and protect the puck. He is a dynamic playmaker, always looking to make passes into high-danger areas.
Cullen’s skating is matched by his deceptive hands, which make him a threat in transition. Blending the ability to create offense in transition and on the cycle can make Cullen a very effective NHL player. While both elements need polishing, it’s not uncommon for a player as young as Cullen.
In fact, Cullen is one of the youngest players in the draft and narrowly made the cutoff, as he was born on Sept. 8, 2008, missing it by seven days.
The final part of Cullen’s game is that a scout believes he might be best deployed as a center. According to the Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, he spoke to a scout who said, “(I was) talking to scouts that actually thought he was a center based off of how proficient he is in his own zone, how much time he spends there stealing the puck off guys to then just find out he’s actually a winger surprised a few people. That’s how good a game he has.”
The Blues are in desperate need of a highly skilled and possibly game-breaking forward. Cullen comes with less certainty than wingers like Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, but with three first-round selections, the Blues can take a gamble on Cullen’s upside.
Cullen is set to join the University of Minnesota in the NCAA for the 2027-28 season.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 24: Jorge Mateo #2 of the Atlanta Braves bats against the Washington Nationals in the eighth inning at Truist Park on May 24, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves have lost three of their last five games, and their offense has been a roller coaster. They scored seven and ten runs respectively in their last two wins, but scored zero runs twice and one run in the other game. Still, their offense ranks as second in MLB in total runs scored.
The Braves will have a chance to build on their ten run performance from yesterday when they face off against Chris Paddack who is struggling to a 6.86 ERA. His expected ERA (xERA) is much better at 4.32, but us still to a point that the Braves on paper should be able to tag him for some runs.
Mike Yastrzemski has done very well against Paddack in his career. In twenty-five at-bats he has three HRs, a .400 average, and 1.324 OPS. Ozzie Albie has been successful as well with a .364 average and 1.000 OPS in eleven at-bats.
A big question mark before the lineup card dropped was whether Dominic Smith would DH since Walt Weiss has been known thus far to not use the same lineup everyday. Smith has had a fantastic season, but has struggled to a .182 average against Paddack in eleven at-bats, but has a HR. Another lineup move that many likely had their eyes on was who was going to play SS. Jorge Mateo has been on fire by his standards this year. He has started nineteen games and has multi-hit games in eight of them. That being said, the reason he got the start yesterday was likely due to the pitcher being a lefty. Ha-Seong Kim has clearly struggled this season, but he also has not fully ramped up.
As it turns out, Smith did end up being in the starting lineup and will bat fifth. Mateo also got the start proven against the idea what Weiss may be using his as the main option for lefties moving forward. Chadwick Tromp will get the start a week after his walk-off magic in the eleventh inning.
Grant Holmes will take the mound the the Braves to face the Reds. No Reds player has faced Holmes more than seven at-bats, but most of the ones that have had success against him. Of the nine players to face him, six of them have at-least a .333 average.
TJ Friedl is the player to keep an eye on. In his four at-bats against Holmes, he has two HRs.
Interestingly, Freidl will be batting ninth against Holmes. As can be seen in the graphic above, the Reds will be wearing their city connect jerseys this evening.
The Braves look to jumpstart their offense tonight. First pitch is at 6:40 EDT
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 3: The sneakers worn by Ousmane Dieng #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the game against the Boston Celtics on April 3, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
Australian goes down 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 to Jakub Mensik
No 8 seed will rue a golden chance to advance in Paris
Alex de Minaur was blown out of the French Open just when opportunity had knocked deafeningly for all the would-be contenders.
With Jannik Sinner’s sensational exit having made everyone believe their chance could be at hand, de Minaur’s enduring dream was this time dynamited by young Czech powerhouse Jakub Mensik 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 in the third round.
Undeniably a key factor in the Phillies’ turnaround after an atrocious start to the season, a recently recovered Zack Wheeler is winning the current round of a battle against Father Time by being one of the more dominant starters in the National League since his return to a big league mound in late April. Although it is not always the case, for Wheeler in particular, the level of dominance he has presented has been enough to make the Phillies unbeatable in his starts.
The Dodgers will be the seventh team to go up against Wheeler this season, and evidently the best he has faced. Los Angeles will try to accomplish what each of the previous six failed to do, which is to beat the Phillies, who are 6-0 in Wheeler starts.
Justin Wrobleski might not have been the first pick for such a lofty task, but the southpaw carries an edge in this particular matchup. The Phillies offense is redefining the meaning of “top-heavy,” with two-thirds of their lineup carrying an OPS of .656 or lower. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh have carried this offense, all three of them lefties. Now, Harper and Schwarber are scary hitters regardless of who they’re facing, but you’d still prefer a lefty there.
This lack of anything even remotely resembling a bit of depth is why Philly enters play on Friday with the fifth-worst team wRC+ in the sport, relying primarily on their pitching to carry this team.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 18: The mascot of the Seattle Mariners, Mariner Moose, gestures during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago White Sox at T-Mobile Park on May 18, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks are the hottest team in baseball. Full stop. They have won nine of their last ten. They’ve done it with great starting pitching, better than average offense, and they’ve even mixed in some spectacular defense from time to time. Yes, it comes against two of the worst teams in baseball, but even when you’re playing bad teams, you still have to beat them, and to do so in such a stretch is both impressive and exactly what they needed to do. They’ve got to keep the momentum up against the top teams now, but this is exactly the kick start they needed.
They go from the bottom of the NL West, to the top of the AL West. The AL West is slightly less competitive than the NL West, though, so that isn’t as scary as it could be. The Mariners are currently first in their division, but that only requires a 28-29 record at the moment. They’re on a hot streak of their own, however. They just swept division rival Oakland. We’ll see which sweep of a sub-.500 team holds up more.
Game 1 — 5/29, 7:10 PM: Zac Gallen (-0.3 bWAR, 3-4, 4.80 ERA/85 ERA+, 1.43 WHIP) vs. George Kirby (1.0 bWAR, 5-4, 3.54 ERA/110 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP)
Someone should do the math on how much money each mediocre start costs Gallen. At the rate he’s going, it’s going to be a lot. His hopes of a bounce back campaign to secure the multi-year, nine figure contract is waning, and he just hasn’t done much of anything particularly of note this season. The month of May has been especially rough after a decent start to the season in April. He has given up more than four earned runs in three of his five starts so far, and gave up three in an additional start just for good measure.
George Kirby has had a solidly above average season so far, but he’s been on a bit of a downward trend lately. In seven of his first nine starts, he held opponents to two runs or less, and he did not give up more than four. He also has been consistently pitching into the sixth inning or longer. However, his last two starts against the Padres and the Royals have been out of the ordinary. HE gave up six earned runs to the Padres, and five runs, three earned, to the Royals. The Padres game he got bit by the home run ball, but the Royals it seems it was just the errors that held him back. The Diamondbacks have power, and they have the speed to force misplays, so they’ll be looking to recreate those games.
Game 2 — 5/30, 7:10 PM: Ryne Nelson (-0.3 bWAR, 2-3, 4.65 ERA/88 ERA+, 1.18 WHIP) vs. Bryan Woo (0.7 bWAR, 4-3, 3.82 ERA/102 ERA+, 1.03 WHIP)
Don’t look now, but Ryne Nelson has been actually rather successful in the month of May. He has an ERA of 2.36 for the month, with the crowning achievement being his eight innings of one run ball against the Rockies in his most recent start. The question becomes how sustainable it is. He has a FIP of 4.29 for the month, almost exactly two runs higher than his month of May ERA. The strikeouts are inconsistent, the walks are high, and he’s basically a guarantee for a home run per start. Not promising for long term success.
In 2026, Woo has had similar results to Kirby. About a month ago, Woo had back to back starts where he gave up seven and six runs repsectively, but beyond that, it’s been good starts. One thing to note, the only home runs he has given up this year came in those two previously mentioned bad starts. Other than that, he has kept the ball in the park all season long. He’s given up two walks in each of his last four starts, so he will give you those free base runners. The Diamondbacks should probably plan on building innings, not mashing home runs, for this one.
Game 3 — 5/31, 1:10 PM: Merrill Kelly (-0.1 bWAR, 5-3, 5.25 ERA/78 ERA+, 1.41 WHIP) vs. Bryce Miller (0.4 bWAR, 1-0, 2.25 ERA/176 ERA+, 1.00 WHIP)
After a very rough first four months, Merrill Kelly is starting to look much more like the Mainstay that we thought Hazen had signed this off season. In his most recent four starts, he has thrown at least six innings, twice going seven, and a complete game just for good measure. The Giants tagged him for a couple runs, three in their first start against him and two in their second, but nothing crazy. With how rough his first four starts were, it will take a while before the stats start to look better, but he’s making progress.
This will be Miller’s fourth game, but third start as his last appearance was actually out of the bullpen. Not much to go off of so far, of course, but early returns have been positive. He’s gone at least five innings in all of his appearances, including his relief outing, and he has yet to give up more than two runs.
Conclusion
We aren’t picking on the bottom of the standings anymore, so the Diamondbacks should expect the Mariners to put up a bit more of a fight. That being said, this is a division leader that is sub-.500. Still plenty of room for them to continue padding their win column. I expect them to take two out of three in fairly low scoring affairs.
Coming into the 2026 season, the Mets were seemingly blessed with an overabundance of starting pitching. They traded for Freddy Peralta, who joined Nolan McLean, Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson in the rotation. They also acquired Tobias Myers, who is capable of starting, in the Peralta trade, and they had Sean Manaea, Christian Scott, and Jonah Tong as depth.
Heading into June, the rotation has become a big question mark. While the team got good news that he doesn’t need surgery, Holmes is out for the foreseeable future with a fractured fibula. Senga is has made a pair of appearances on a rehab assignment as he recovers from lumbar spine inflammation, but there’s no guarantee he can be an effective major league pitcher when he does return.
As for the other starters, here’s how they’ve fared in the month of May:
Freddy Peralta: 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA
Nolan McLean: 1-2 with a 6.92 ERA
David Peterson: 3-1 with a 4.30 ERA
Christian Scott: 0-0 with 3.00 ERA
Myers isn’t stretched out and has been used both as an opener and a long man. He is 0-0 with one save in ten appearances in May. His ERA is 5.54 in those ten games. Jonah Tong has been fantastic since his call-up, but he has yet to start a game. In his two games, he has yet to give up an earned run in 6.2 innings.
And then there is Manaea. Overall his numbers look terrible, as he’s 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA in 34.0 innings pitched this season. And the fact that he’s coming off a 2025 season in which he struggled with both injuries and ineffectiveness isn’t exactly inspiring. In the month of May, however, he is 0-1 with a more respectable 3.75 ERA. He has been fine serving as the long man out of the bullpen when called upon.
At this point the team has nothing to lose giving Manaea a chance to start. They are in desperate need of arms, and he is capable of giving them some innings. Carlos Mendoza would not commit to giving Peterson another start after his last disastrous outing so there is an opportunity to piggyback the two. Plus in that scenario the team wouldn’t need to burn an opener like Huascar Brazobán, meaning crucial bullpen arms will be available in the later innings.
The current state of the rotation is a mess, so now is the time to get creative with the arms you do have and that means giving Manaea an opportunity to prove himself as a stater. There is still every chance that he will not succeed, but with the Mets already in last place, why not see what you have? The only way to go is up, right?
Apr 14, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Adolis Garcia (53) reacts after striking out against the Chicago Cubs in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
When Adolis Garcia came into camp after signing with the Phillies, the team had specific ideas on what they wanted him to work on in the hopes that he could recapture his past form. Garcia tweaked his batting stance and worked on improving his plate discipline to try and cut down on his high chase rate. So far, he has done exactly that, as his 28.1 % swing rate on pitches outside of the zone is the lowest it’s been since 2023, which was the best season of Garcia’s career and the last time he was an above average hitter. He’s also cut down his overall swing rate to 43.4% from 52.2%, cut his whiff rate down to 12.9% from 14.6%, and his 83.7% rate of contact on pitches inside the zone is the best of his career. Through the first two months of 2026, he’s accomplished all of the goals he and the Phillies laid out for him this spring.
Season
Swing Rate
Chase Rate
Whiff Rate
Zone Contact Rate
2025
52.2%
35.7%
14.6%
79.4%
2026
43.4%
28.1%
12.9%
83.7%
So why is he in the midst of the worst season of his career after a particularly brutal month of May where he hit .141 with a .447 OPS and 33 strikeouts in 24 games?
To attempt to understand that conundrum, we must first look at what made Garcia successful in the past. In that All-Star 2023 season, Garcia was one of the most aggressive hitters in baseball, swinging early and often as evidenced by his swing rate of 48.6%. He did not hit for a high average at just .245 overall, but his .508 slugging percentage was tenth best among all hitters with at least 600 plate appearances. Garcia still swung and chased at a high rate, but he did damage on the pitches he got to hit.
Fast forward to 2026, and Garcia’s .312 SLG is among the worst in baseball, and he has the worst barrel percentage of his career by half. His new swing and approach have resulted in the intended plate discipline improvements but have had unintended side effects.
Cutting back on his aggressiveness has limited Garcia’s ability to do damage on the increased amount of pitches he’s seen in the zone. Even in a poor 2025 season where Garcia had the worst SLG of his career to that point, his expected SLG of .427 was right around league average and his 11.6% barrel rate was above average. In 2026, those numbers are dramatically lower, with Garcia carrying a .350 xSLG and a 7.1% barrel rate that would both be his career worst for a full season. He’s especially struggling to catch up to fastballs, as his .284 actual SLG and .378 xSLG against heaters are both the worst marks of his career. He hasn’t been any better on breaking balls, with a .292 SLG and .294 xSLG that are also the worst of his career and a 39.4% whiff rate that is the second worst of his career.
Garcia is hitting more line drives at a career best 24.4% rate, but his flyball rate has plummeted ten percentage points to a career worst 36.2%. He’s also pulling the ball at a career worst rate of 37.8%, continuing a declining trend that started in 2024. His isolated power of .111 is another career worst mark and is over a 50-point dropoff from last season. Simply put, Garcia is not impacting the ball even close to the way he used to and has been worse at it than even his disappointing 2025 season.
Season
SLG
xSLG
Barrel %
ISO
2025
.394
.427
11.6
.168
2026
.312
.350
7.1
.111
Now, some of this can be contributed to the obvious factor: age. At 33-years-old coming off of two below average seasons, it’s quite likely that Garcia is in decline and will never reach his previous heights but rather will continue to get worse. But the steep drop from even his poor 2025 suggests that maybe something else is at play here. There’s not much to contribute to luck either, as Garcia’s .276 BABIP is only slightly below the league average of .287 so far.
Perhaps trying to change Garcia into a different hitter has made him worse than he already was in two disappointing seasons. A hitter trying to become more patient at the plate is not necessarily a bad thing, as it usually leads to more quality plate appearances. But that’s not the case for everybody. Some hitters thrive on being aggressive. Garcia is one of those hitters. By trying to cut back on that aggressiveness, Garcia and the Phillies have inadvertently taken away the few things he was still good at even in his worst years.
Maybe better results with the new approach will come eventually. It isn’t exactly “early” in the season anymore as we’ve passed the first unofficial checkpoint of Memorial Day, but there are still 106 games to go. That’s still plenty of time for something to click and everything to fall in place.
Or maybe the Phillies and Garcia need to accept that he is what he is at the plate and let him go back to leaning on his strengths, even if the result is another below average season. Because even below average is better than what Garcia is right now.
On the eve of Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Orlando Magic are reaching into San Antonio's bench to snag a coach.
Sean Sweeney, the Spurs' defensive coordinator, has been tapped to be the next head coach of the Orlando Magic, reports Shams Charania of ESPN, and since confirmed by other reports. Sweeney will continue with the Spurs through the remainder of their playoff run, then head to Orlando after the season.
Former Bulls coach Billy Donovan was considered the frontrunner in Orlando, but the Magic front office went younger, choosing an untested but promising coach.
Sweeney will replace Jamahl Mosley, who was let go after a disapointing 45-win season in Orlando that saw the Magic bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Pistons. After trading four first-round picks to get Desmond Bane last offseason, expectations were sky high in Orlando entering the season. While Mosley dealt with a rash of injuries, the issues with a stagnant offense and slipping defense seemed bigger than that. Mosley landed on his feet, taking over as the New Orleans Pelicans head coach a couple of weeks after being let go by the Magic.
Sweeney was at the front of the line of assistant coaches around the league who deserved a shot in the big chair. He's a smart hire for a team that built itself around a defensive identity, something that slipped this past season. That said, it's easier to design a defense with Victor Wembanyama on the back line and high-level defenders like Stephon Castle on the perimeter.
Sweeney takes over a roster with some big-name talent — Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Bane — that has never really meshed. Orlando's front office appears more interested in keeping the roster together and betting on a coaching change to make things work. An assistant coach in the NBA since 2011, Sweeney has worked with plenty of stars, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and now Wembanyama.
The Orlando Magic have concluded their search for a new head coach and are ready to usher in a new leader.
The Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as their new head coach, according to ESPN.
Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 as a video coordinator for the New Jersey Nets. From there he was promoted to his first assistant coaching gig as the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. He spent four seasons in Milwaukee as an assistant from 2014 to 2018, where he began to gain of repertoire for development after helping Giannis Antetokounmpo become an All-Star.
Following his four seasons in Milwaukee, Sweeney took another assistant position with the Detroit Pistons, where he coached under Dwane Casey for three seasons.
Sweeney then went to Dallas to reconnect with then-head coach Jason Kidd, for whom Sweeney was an assistant with the Bucks. Together they reached the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.
Sweeney, 41, has coached under the likes of Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo, in addition to Casey and Kidd. He's surrounded by the San Antonio culture and has been able to soak up knowledge and wisdom from one of the greatest coaches in NBA history in Gregg Popovich.
Sweeney replaces previous head coach Jamahl Mosley, who was fired on May 4. Mosley, who was hired by the New Orleans Pelicans as head coach on May 18, spent five seasons in Orlando and coached the team to a playoff berth in each of the past three seasons. The Magic never advanced past the first round, however, and they had a 3-1 lead against the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs before allowing the Pistons to rattle off three consecutive wins to take the series.
Sweeney will assume the Magic head coaching role following the 2026 postseason, as his Spurs are in a battle with defending NBA champion-Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the 2026 NBA Finals against the Eastern Conference champions, the New York Knicks. The Spurs-Thunder series is tied, 3-3, as a deciding Game 7 tips off on Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET.
May 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) reacts with infielder TJ Rumfield (7) after hitting a two-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Paul DePodesta made a name as one of Billy Beane’s acolytes during the Moneyball era and in 2004, at the age of 31 became the Dodgers’ GM. He was hounded by the musty old LA Times sportwriters (who called him “Google Boy) and local LA media for the two seasons he lasted in the job — one local radio host summoned all of his brain cell to coin the name ”Paul Stupid-desta.“ He landed on his feet with the Padres and then the Mets before leaving MLB altogether. In January 2016, he became the ”chief strategy officer” of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and proceeded to spend 9 years further burying the wholly irrelevant franchise while introducing the NFL to SQL.
So, when the Colorado Rockies — a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018 and has lost 629 games over the previous 7 seasons —set out to hire someone from outside the organization to run the operation, DePodesta was at the top of their list, naturally. He has similarly introduced the Rockies to Computer and it seems like it’s going… okay? They’re 20-37 as they prepare to host the loserly San Francisco Giants in Coors Field for the first time this season, and while that’s definitely not good, it’s a vast improvement over where they were a year ago. Their record through 57 games going back to 2019:
There’s bad, there’s awful, and then there’s whatever the Rockies have been. It’s not pleasant to look at and it’s only palatable when they’re losing to your favorite team. Even with the DePodesta providing his “genius” as President of Baseball Operations— and with Josh Byrnes back in the org as GM (he’d been their AGM at the turn of the century) following successful stints with the Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres, and Dodgers — they’re still the worst lineupe in the sport (81 wRC+) with the worst team ERA in the sport (5.18). Their 229 runs scored isn’t last (it’s 21st) but that’s the extent of the Coors Field effect. They still don’t hit for power (.135 ISO — 24th) or walk much (7.6 BB% — 29th) and they strike out a lot (24.3 K% — 28th). They are tied with the Giants in home runs with 49. Their team batting average of .241 is 15th, though, not too far behind the Giants’ .245 (10th).
They’re just 6-19 in May with a -70 run differential. The Giants are 9-16 with a -28.
So, while the Rockies are worse than the Giants both on paper and in reality, they’re probably a lot closer in quality than Giants fans want to admit and Rockies fans might be surprised to see.
They didn’t do much in the offseason, but their “big” acquisitions have made impacts:
INF Willi Castro (2 years, $12.8 million) hasn’t hit much (77 wRC+), but has been great on defense (+1.8 Defensive Runs Above Average)
SP Michael Lorenzen (1/$8MM) has been one of the worst starters in baseball (7.21 ERA / 5.13 FIP), but has a comically large home/road split: HOME: 10.03 ERA (2.44 WHIP), ROAD: 5.04 (1.48 WHIP).
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1/$5.1MM) has been their most consistent starter, with a 4.01 ERA (5.33 FIP) in 11 starts.
1B TJ Rumfield (acquired in trade with Yankees) has 7 home runs and a triple slash of .281/.359/.448.
Before he hit the IL, they were getting a great contribution from starter Chase Dollander, their 1st round pick of the 2023 draft. But otherwise, the modest bounceback from the demonic 2025 season seems to be the result of tinkering at the margins as DePodesta and Byrnes assess the entire organization. Not unlike how 2019 was a transition season as Farhan Zaidi took over from Bobby Evans.
But the question is if Computer will beat No Computer in the battle for Not Last Place in the NL West. The Rockies have been last place for so long that it has started to feel like they’d achieved a tenured position. But this year, the Giants might be bad enough — and dumb enough — to unseat them from the Last Place Chair.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (22-34) at Colorado Rockies (20-37) Where: Coors Field | Denver, Colorado When: Friday at 5:40pm PT, Saturday at 6:10pm PT, Sunday at 12:10pm PT National broadcasts: None.
Projected starters Friday: Logan Webb (RHP 2-4, 5.06 ERA) vs. Michael Lorenzen (RHP 2-7, 7.21 ERA) Saturday: Adrian Houser (RHP 2-4, 5.30 ERA) vs. TBD Sunday: Robbie Ray (LHP 3-6, 4.60 ERA) vs. Tanner Gordon (RHP 0-0, 5.85 ERA)
Players to watch
Rockies
Antonio Senzatela: He’s been a foil for the Giants throughout his career (5-3, 4.89 ERA) and this season might change the nature of the rivalry in that he’s transitioned from an iffy starter to a dominate reliever. In 33 IP (16 G), he has a 1.36 ERA (3.19 FIP) and allowed just 2 home runs (career 1.1 HR/9). Conventiently, Michael Baumann wrote a nice piece about Senzatela this morning for FanGraphs.
If you take “believe” to mean “think Senzatela will continue to put up Prime Dennis Eckersley numbers,” there’s reason to be skeptical. Senzatela’s running a .198 BABIP, an 87.8% strand rate, and a 5.4% HR/FB rate, which is a little over a third of what it usually is. All of those are big, honking regression indicators.
But where should we expect Senzatela to regress to? Well, his FIP is 3.19 and his xERA is 3.09. Not only are those numbers really good for a multi-inning reliever, full stop, they’re also about half of what he was running last year. That’s a huge improvement. He’s like a new pitcher.
So what’s different?
The Rockies have done some weird stuff with bullpen roles this season (pre-injury Chase Dollander’s stint as the world’s greatest bulk reliever comes to mind), and they’ve been similarly creative with Senzatela. He’s faced at least four batters in all 16 of his appearances this year, and recorded five or more outs on 14 occasions. He’s yet to pitch on back-to-back days, and he’s turned over the lineup more often (five times) than he’s pitched on just one day’s rest.
The piece goes on to highlight how he throws a great fastball and more than one fastball: a four-seamer, a sinker, and a cutter, which opponents have hit just .143 against.
This will be an interesting series because the Rockies’ formal closer, Victor Vodnik, has been on the IL since 5/20 with right ulnar nere inflammation. Dollander, who has also relieved, is on the IL. It’s not as though the Rockies had a great bullpen before, but it’s a little dinged up.
TJ Rumfield: The offseason acquisition has been day to day recently after a hit by pitch on May 25th. Prior to the injury, he was hitting .308/.400/.500 in May with 4 homers and 3 doubles, with 13 strikeouts against 9 walks. Pretty close to a Three True Outcomes player who would be one of the biggest threats in the Rockies’ lineup with Mickey Moniak on the IL. Otherwise, it’s last yaer’s All-Star and Silver slugger Hunter Goodman who is the real remaining power threat (12 HR).
Tanner Gordon: His third major league start ever came back in 2024 against a barely recognizable Giants lineup:
DH Jorge Soler RF Mike Yastrzemski CF Heliot Ramos LF Michael Conforto SS Tyler Fitzgerald 3B Matt Chapman 2B Brett Wisely 1B David Villar C Curt Casali SP Hayden Birdsong
He gave up 4 runs in 6 innings but struck out 5 and walked 0. Last season, he started 15 games for the Rockies and… it didn’t go well (6.33 ERA). His first 7 appearances this year were in relief, but his last appearance was against the Dodgers in LA. He allowed just 1 run on 6 hits in 5 innings of work, striking out 3 and walking 1.
Giants
Rafael Devers: He has 3 homers in 8 career games at Coors, making a triple slash of .229/.315/.454. His 0-for-4 in Wednesday’s game didn’t damage his hot May too much. He’s at .287/.333/.564 (.897 OPS) through the first 25 games of the month. Can he start another hot streak in these three games?
Jung Hoo Lee: He’s set to be activated off the IL today and for good reason. He has a career .911 OPS against Colorado, but in Coors Field, he’s hitting .357/.455/.539 (.990) in 33 PA. Not a robust sample size, but maybe a great way for him to step into a hot streak right off the IL.
Logan Webb: On the flip side, this is a tough place for a pitcher to come off the IL, but the Giants need Webb to get that ace-like performance going ASAP. In 10 career starts at Coors, he’s got a 4.37 ERA. The Rockies have a team groundball rate of 42%, which is 14th in MLB, so it might not be that easy for Webb to get the groundballs he needs in order to get out of long innings. On the other hand, they have just a 37.1% flyball rate, one of the worst in the sport (24th) and their HR to flyball rate of 9.5% is also nearer to the bottom third of the sport (19th). It could go either way, which only means that if Webb is right, he should be able to give the Giants a solid start.
Tony Vitello watch
His opponent in the Rockies dugout is Warren Schaeffer, who was a Rockies farmhand turned coach who wound up on the major league coaching staff in 2023 before taking over as interim manager from the deposed Bud Black. I only bring this up because in the first couple of months of the season it has seemed as though the least experienced managers still have an edge over Vitello simply by having been around the major leagues more. That doesn’t mean Vitello might never become the type of success he was in college ball, but it suggests that aura isn’t transferrable. Or, at least, there’s an exchange rate.
If you remember, Coors Field is where Buster Posey first met Tony Vitello, and it was this meeting that Andrew Baggarly remembered when coming up with a list of managerial candidates following Bob Melvin’s dismissal. Does this stadium hold a special place in Vitello’s memory or has it become a house of horrors for him as it has for the Giants over the years?
Prediction time
Last time out, I predicted that the Giants would not get swept by the Diamondbacks, so, what do I know? Also, what an embarrassment. I thought the Giants could win 1 game at home against a division rival. Oh well. Lesson learned. This time, I’ll predict that the Giants will hit at least 5 home runs in this series.
BAYONNE, NJ - MAY 25: The sun sets on the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building in New York City on May 25, 2026, as seen from Bayonne, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
June 5, 1994
Game 7. ECF. 34 and a half seconds left. Knicks down one. I’m 15, watching in the living room with my papi. My mother and sisters are elsewhere; they don’t want to deal with our stressing.
Charles Oakley inbounds to John Starks, surprisingly wide-open for the pass given all 19,763 in attendance and the millions watching at home know exactly what’s about to happen: Starks running a pick-and-roll with Patrick Ewing. Starks is as open as he is because his defender, Reggie Miller, made a business decision as he trailed Starks towards an Anthony Mason screen. Miller is alive today because he didn’t test Mase.
Starks dribbles to his right, past the pick. Antonio Davis, Ewing’s defender, hesitates for a split-second, giving Starks all the runway he’d need to take it to the cup. It’s the same action the ‘90s Knicks ran whenever they were in desperate need of a last-second bucket.
Once Ewing slammed home the rebound to put the Knicks up one, Papi and I allowed ourselves the briefest expression of joy, a “yes!” as short and sibilant as airbrakes on a truck. For the next 22.7 seconds, neither of us breathes. Instead we wait. For the other shoe to drop. Or not.
I’d never seen the Knicks advance so far. Papi saw them win two titles, but that was back in ye olden days, the 1970s. This was the mid-‘90s — too late for Hammer Time, too soon for Y2K. The Knicks were thisclose to a championship. The Rangers, too. It was a glorious time.
Not so much for a Knicks/Rangers fan living in western New York. The move from Long Island to Rochester introduced the Mirandas to garbage plates, ice storms, the highest concentration of Confederate flags north of the Mason-Dixon and a particular strain of hate for all things NYC. Western New York has this particular paranoia where many locals believe NYC gets all of the state funding without contributing enough revenue to deserve it. It’s like a small child being pissed that their parents who work 40-50 hours a week “only” give them a weekly allowance and not their whole paycheck.
After the Rangers won their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, a local sportswriter penned a column crying about how insufferable that was in and of itself, and that if the Knicks won, too, life up here in God’s Arctic armpit would suddenly be intolerable.
When we lived on Long Island, my uncle lived around the corner. He was a K9 officer in NYC. When I’d stop over to visit he’d order a whole pizza, just ‘cuz I was there. The day my friend and I were chased by two pit bulls, it was my uncle who shot his gun into the air, bringing the dogs to a stop before loudly yelling to their owners they could either come get their dogs now — alive — or wait until later, when they wouldn’t be.
Upstate cops were different. Anytime I walked around my neighborhood with a Black friend, we’d see people peeking out from their homes, behind curtains. Without fail a cop car would show up within 10 minutes, always wondering what we “were up to.” I called the police once in my entire time in Rochester, when an angry white man with a bat was threatening my Puerto Rican friend’s mother. The police came, ignored me, ignored us, spent 30 minutes talking to the man, then all the white neighbors, the ones who’d come out of their house once the police were there, all telling me, “You’re gonna get it now, spic. Gonna get what you’ve got coming.” Only after all that did the offier approach us. My friend’s mother told me in Spanish not to say anything. The cop asked if I was Puerto Rican. I said yeah. He said, “Do you have a father in the home?”
When the Knicks held on to advance to the Finals, I felt closer to them, to the city. Closer to my papi, who played at the Garden in high school and taught me everything I knew about watching and playing the game (except how to beat him one-on-one; now that he’s in his 70s, I might have a shot — maybe). I was living somewhere that was never home, never right, but I knew I wasn’t alone. Not with my family there. Not with Papi there.
And while the Mets and Jets were trash, and the Rangers had finally done the impossible, the Knicks were just four wins from what I’d waited my whole life as a fan (at that time, “my whole life as a [Knick] fan” equaled four seasons). Once they won, I’d rock my Ewing sneakers, my Knicks shorts, my Knicks T-shirt (featuring Ewing, Starks, Mason, Charles Oakley and Greg Anthony; people forget Greg was highly regarded coming out of UNLV), and the cheap giveaway Knicks hat I’d gotten at a game three years earlier. I’d strut into school, letting all the racists and bigots look upon my wardrobe with despair.
Family was forever. Justice was inevitable. The Knicks would always be there for me.
June 11, 1999
The Knicks advanced to the Finals three hours ago. I didn’t see it. I was in a bar.
I was drinking and drugging a lot. My parents’ relationship was fraying, one sister out of college, the other just started. The house had been sold. I’d set the game to tape, figuring if they won I’d re-watch, if not I wouldn’t.
I spent that night in a pool hall with some friends, where we noted on one of the televisions that the Knicks had won. One was a Laker fan, my best friend since moving upstate. Years later our friendship ended, after he started stealing from me and lying to his wife to support his drug habit. The other, a Celtic fan and fellow socialist, would remain close to me another 20-plus years, until, after buying a nice big house in a pretty suburb for his wife and two kids, he cut all ties as the Black Lives Matter movement was moving, telling me I couldn’t understand “how hard it is to be a Republican under Trump,” and that “property rights matter, too.”
I came home and slipped silently into the living room, the same room I’d seen the Knicks win the East five years prior. I rewound the tape far enough to see late in the fourth quarter. The Garden crowd chanting “JEFF VAN GUN-DY *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP CLAP CLAP!* Allan Houston hugging his coach; Latrell Sprewell waving a towel. For the first time in my life as a Knick fan, and only one of two times ever as one, I wept (the other was beating Boston last year).
Suddenly from behind, noises. A blanket being whipped off. A middle-aged man, awakened from a rough night on the living room couch. Papi. Not at all thrilled to have been woken by his 20-year-old oblivious son turning on the TV after midnight. Clearly there’d been another fight between my parents. Even on a night like this, reality wouldn’t stop being real. My drinking all night, getting high, even the Knicks: nothing put a dent in the pain. Whatever tears I’d shed from joy grew hot and fell fast, no longer sparked by wonder, but blunder.
The Knicks had no chance in the Finals; everyone knew. Ewing was out with an Achilles tear. Larry Johnson was injury-compromised. Going up against David Robinson and Tim Duncan, the Knicks’ best big, Marcus Camby, was no thicker than a Fruit Roll-Up. And the thing was, this might be as good as it was gonna get for New York.
The Ewing era was coming to a close. My family was falling apart. The century was coming to an end. The future, long a land I’d longed to live in, now seemed as likely an outcome as me pitching for the Mets.
May 25, 2026
In the city for the first time in a while. I let a few people know I’m there. All respond the same way: “Are you here for the Knicks?
I am not. My father and I have tickets to a Mets game, purchased months before the season started, before David Stearns re-invented a worser wheel by turning Pete Alonso into Jorge Polanco’s DL stay. I’m staying on 36th Street, my father on 37th.
I don’t remember the last time I saw him. Since the divorce he’s married twice, lived in Virginia, Bulgaria, rural Missouri, Puerto Rico, Cape Cod. His old man died when my dad was 19. My old man didn’t die, but by my mid-20s I got used to not seeing him for months or years at a time, the way an amputee gets used to a phantom limb.
Every time I see him, it’s too short. A girlfriend in college tore me a new one once. I had an hour lunch and worked 20 minutes away from her. So I picked up some drive-thru and drove to spend the time we could together. I couldn’t understand her at the time, telling me through tears that she’d rather not see me at all than only see me for a few minutes before I left again. I grew to understand her.
My entire adult life, seeing my father has always sparked joy and anger. Joy at this wonderful, loving, miracle of a man reminding me why I’ve always loved him so much, even when I didn’t want to. And anger over all the years lost, the conversations never shared, the things he could have taught me, the memories we’ll never share.
He’s one street away, but I don’t see him the day he arrives. He’s going to get food from the same restaurant I am, but I end up getting takeout with a friend; he doesn’t ask to eat together, neither do I. Not because I don’t love him. But because I do.
We’re going to the Met game Tuesday, before we leave town Wednesday. Tuesday, right after I finish a call with a Knick fan who runs an animation studio who’s such a lovely dude, I try to call my father. I can’t. My phone’s been suspended. I can’t call or text.
I don’t know where he is. His hotel is far enough from mine (avenues are loooong) that if I walk all the way there and he’s not there, I’ll risk missing any chance of catching the game. I email him, hoping he’ll check it even though he’s retired. I should have known better.
My father has never retired. He can’t. Whether working in education or ministry, he’s never been able to stop. He ran dozens of marathons, up until he was 60. He played high school baseball, was scouted by one or two MLB clubs, then played men’s “senior” baseball from his 30s into his 60s. Of course he checks his email. We connect and meet at an Italian place around the corner, then head to Citi Field.
The meal is delicious and delightful (vodka pie). He was in London the week before, so I’d asked him to bring me back anything relating to Manchester City. When we meet in front of the restaurant, he’s very proud to show me my “surprise.” And it is a surprise — a hat and jersey in the red of Man United. He didn’t realize he’d mixed them up. He feels terrible. I don’t. Laughing, I assure him the story of his mix-up makes the United shirt mean more to me than the City kit ever would’ve.
I tell him about the months of depression. The struggles the past few months. Years. The dreams I’ve let go. Tell him about my new plan, my new purpose. I’m going to save up for a year and move to NYC. It’s the only place I’m happy. The only place where I really ever feel alive. Where I ever really feel me.
On our way to the 7 train, we’re crossing an intersection. It is 80 degrees, the first sunny, nice day of the trip. We’re joking, happy. Everything feels right with the world. Then, without warning, for a moment, I think that I’m floating. It’s not the euphoria.
There’s a maybe two-foot deep hole in the middle of the intersection. New York bedrock being more solid than diamond, I wasn’t on the lookout for any two-foot deep holes. Suddenly I’m flying face-first toward the street. You know it’s bad when it’s 5:00 in Midtown and all the strangers around you stop and gasp as you tumble; these people wouldn’t stop to look if Abraham Lincoln passed by riding on top of Napoleon. My brain races right to chill mode. Get up. Now. Laugh it off. If you’re not bothered, it’s no big deal.
I start to stand, and am shocked to find I’m falling again. My legs are trembling. My father reaches out his hand to help me up, but before I can reach it I’m going down again. My hand lands on his knee, and for a second I let it stay there. More than a second.
I look up, now a middle-aged man myself. There is Papi. Older, grayer, thinner (far thinner than me, goddamnit). But it’s Papi. Lifting me up. Showing me love. Never there when I want him, but always there when I need him.
24 hours earlier, the Knicks clinched their first trip to the Finals since 1999. We did not watch the game together. We didn’t need to. Family is forever. Justice, while slow, is inevitable. And the Knicks will always be there for us.
The Knicks’ resiliency will be put to the test once again.
Everything has been coming up Knicks over the past few weeks, but they were dealt a pretty big blow on Thursday night, as it was revealed that Mitchell Robinson suffered a broken right pinky.
It’s still unknown exactly how/when the injury occurred, as Mike Brown said Friday afternoon that it didn’t happen during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals or at practice.
Brown and Knicks PR simply said that they weren’t going to get into specifics.
Either way, Robinson was forced to undergo surgery earlier this week, but he is pushing hard to get back out there for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Whether Robinson is ready or not come Wednesday night's tip-off, the resilient Knicks are confident that they will be able to weather the storm.
“Whatever the picture ends up being, us having those trials and tribulations where things weren’t looking good, just like in December with the 2-9 11-game stretch, it shows we have resiliency,” Karl-Anthony Towns said.
“If this playoff run has shown anything, 1 through 15 can go out there put a Knicks jersey on and get the job done, and we truly believe that -- this is a situation that we’ve garnered enough experience and trust in each other that whatever the picture ends up being we feel confident.”
Brown said the team is preparing everybody in case they need to be called upon in Robinson’s absence.
The big man has been stepping up to play key minutes off the bench through the playoffs, providing a spark with his tenacious defense and rebounding prowess.
Robinson’s averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 points across 13 postseason games.
New York certainly could use his downlow presence as the team looks to contain San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama or OKC’s front-court duo of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in the next round.
COVERS INTEL:
