PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 15: (L-R) Cristopher Sánchez #61, Aaron Nola #27, Austin Hays #9, Bryson Stott #5, Garrett Stubbs #21, and Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies react after Weston Wilson #37 of the Philadelphia Phillies hit a double for the cycle in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on August 15, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Nationals 13-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies will be a contender this year. They have assembled a talented roster that has the ability to go on a run that would ultimately lead them to lifting a trophy when the season ends.
This very fact can sometimes offend people who might believe otherwise. Does the team have some holes? Sure. Every team, yes even the Dodgers, has holes that could be filled in a different way. Yet there is every reason to think that the Phillies will be right there when the playoffs ultimately get underway.
Which makes our question of the day easy: what is the biggest reason to believe this season won’t be a waste? There has to be a part of the roster or decision making group that would make you think this season will not be a waste of time for the people that follow them. Let us know what that reason(s) is.
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 31: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on January 31, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After his 49 point outburst against Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets, Cooper Flagg followed up with another gem against the Houston Rockets, finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. He’s really taken his game to another level and it’s hard at times to remember that he’s still a teenager.
Who does this? He’s in pretty elite company.
What’s really interesting in these highlights is that he’s frequently going right at future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, and there’s not much Durant can do to stop him. You can see his frustration here as Flagg repeatedly abuses him. In fact, after one Flagg basket, Durant slaps the ball hard enough that it pops up and hits the backboard. We saw a similarly helpless reaction the other night from Joel Embiid as he threw his hands up, realizing there was simply nothing he could do to stop him.
What’s really interesting about Flagg’s development is this: remember at the beginning of the season when coach Jason Kidd said he wanted to stress Flagg by playing him at the point? At the time, Flagg struggled a bit and a lot of people thought he was overrated, but Kidd was playing a longer game.
Flagg learned and he now he’s playing the entire court. He has point guard skills and he can defend inside. He can shoot, drive, handle, and the last weak point in his game is his three point shooting, which he’ll improve dramatically by next season.
Book it.
When Dallas gets Kyrie Irving back, they’ll effectively have a second point guard. And two shooting guards. And two small forwards, and two power forwards and a guy who can help out at center too.
And all those guys are named Cooper Flagg.
And he’s just 19, still a skinny teenager.
Imagine where he’ll be when he adds power to his game.
Actually, while it may seem to soon to ask this question, what the hey: who would you rather build around? Luka Donca or Flagg?
We’re big fans of Luka here but his conditioning has always been an issue and despite his surreal brilliance, Doncic is slow.
You can build around a slow player – Boston built perhaps the best team of all time, the 1986 Celtics, around Larry Bird – but everyone else has to adapt to how that one guy plays.
Doncic also rarely exerts himself on defense, and that’s not an issue with Flagg at all.
Statistically, you’d have to take Doncic. He’s averaging 33.7 ppg, 7.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists. That’s spectacular.
But a guy to build an entire team around? Flagg probably has more upside in that sense if only because of his two-way value and his versatility.
Actually, you can ask the same question about Knueppel and you could make a reasonable argument for building around him over Doncic. Why?
Because Knueppel has dramatically changed his team’s personality. Not too long ago, everyone wanted to make trades to improve the Hornets. Get rid of LaMelo! Brandon Miller has reached his ceiling! Trade some of the other bums!
Now, Charlotte seems like a team with a brilliant future and, like Dallas with Flagg, a lot of that is down to Knueppel. Both of these guys have completely changed their teams and people are going to want to play with them because they have an old-school approach and don’t care about anything more than winning.
As great as he is, we’re not sure you can say the same thing about Doncic.
Temperatures in Toronto are below 20 degrees (-7 for those North of the border) but the forecast inside Scotiabank Arena is much warmer when the Toronto Raptors host the Utah Jazz Sunday.
Homegrown star R.J. Barrett is projected to be a source of heat for Toronto, and my Jazz vs. Raptors predictions call for Barrett to burn Utah on the scoreboard.
Jazz vs Raptors best bet: R.J. Barrett Over 17.5 points (-110)
RJ Barrett missed the middle of January with an ankle injury, and the Toronto Raptors had him on a strict minutes restriction since coming back on January 23.
His floor time topped out at 24 minutes before logging his usual workload with 31 minutes in the loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday. He finished with 16 points on 6 of 14 shooting (0-for-5 from 3-point range), but a return home will help him find his form.
Barrett has been a much better shooter inside Scotiabank Arena and gets an advantageous matchup against the Utah Jazz tonight. The Jazz play one of the fastest tempos in the NBA, but also get burned on the fastbreak and allow easy looks at the rim.
Utah ranks 30th in fastbreak points allowed and 19th in points in the paint allowed, while also giving up a league-high 28.6 points on transition attacks. Toronto thrives on transition (fourth most ppp), and Barrett leads that charge in fast-break buckets and PITP.
Sunday’s player models all sit north of 18 points for Barrett with a ceiling of 20.7. My number comes out to 19.3, which should have the Over 17.5 points priced around -135.
Jazz vs Raptors same-game parlay
The Raptors are playing with urgency after two straight losses. Our projections call for a 14-point win tonight.
Barrett has been battling on the board — even with his minutes restriction — snatching six or more rebounds in five of his last seven games.
Jazz vs Raptors SGP
Toronto Raptors -11.5
R.J. Barrett Over 17.5 points
R.J. Barrett Over 5.5 rebounds
Our "from downtown" SGP: Bring Home The Canadian Bacon
Toronto welcomes the Jazz’s up-tempo style, as the Raps are 5-2 O/U in non-conference home games.
Jazz vs Raptors SGP
Toronto Raptors -11.5
Total Over 233.5
R.J. Barrett Over 17.5 points
R.J. Barrett Over 5.5 rebounds
Jazz vs Raptors odds
Spread: Jazz +11.5 (-115) | Raptors -11.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Jazz +400 | Raptors -600
Over/Under: Over 233.5 (-115) | Under 233.5 (-105)
Jazz vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Jazz are 11-5 O/U vs. Eastern Conference opponents this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Raptors.
How to watch Jazz vs Raptors
Location
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Date
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Tip-off
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
KJZZ 14, Sportsnet
Jazz vs Raptors latest injuries
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Two teams currently residing inside the West’s play-in picture collide tonight, when the Los Angeles Clippers visit the Phoenix Suns.
With both sides ranked inside the Top 9 in scoring defense, the books might have gone a little conservative, which is why my Clippers vs. Suns predictions and NBA picks are targeting the Over.
Clippers vs Suns prediction
Clippers vs Suns best bet: Over 214 (-110)
The Phoenix Suns are trying to put the finishing touches on a five-game homestand with a fourth straight win, doing so without star Devin Booker, who will be out again on Sunday,
The Los Angeles Clippers hope to wrap their three-game road trip on a positive note, after getting crushed 122-109 in Denver. Unfortunately, they were the opponent that had to take on Nikola Jokic’s return.
Still, that’s just the fourth loss in the last 20 games for L.A., who have climbed into 10th in the West, still a distant seven games back of the seventh-seeded Suns.
Phoenix has owned this head-to-head, ripping off wins in seven of the last eight, but with Booker out and L.A. looking to bounce back, it’s hard to pick them to win outright. Instead, I’m going to target the Over, which sits at a very gettable 214.
While the Under has cashed in each of the last two meetings, L.A. and Phoenix have combined to score 215+ points in eight straight head-to-head matchups.
Clippers vs Suns same-game parlay
Dillon Brooks is coming off a 27-point effort in the win against Cleveland, and he’s scored 26+ points in each of the last four games, all without Booker. I think Brooks falls Under the total as he’ll have his hands full guarding Kawhi and James Harden.
Speaking of Harden, he’s a big-time dealer against the Suns. In eight career games against Phoenix while a member of the Clippers, Harden has recorded 10+ assists in six of them.
Clippers vs Suns SGP
Over 214
Dillon Brooks Under 23.5 points
James Harden Over 8.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Gillespie makes it rain!
Kawhi Leonard averaged 27.5 points in January, though he's scored 21 points in back-to-back games, his lowest outputs all month. I’ll take the Over simply because of his scoring prowess against the Suns: he’s scored 24+ points five times in the last eight meetings.
Collin Gillespie has been lighting it up from downtown, going a combined 9-for-17 in wins against the Cavs and Pistons, topping Sunday’s 3.5-make line on both occasions. He’s hit 4+ triples in three of six games but missed topping the total by a single make in each of those other three games.
Clippers vs Suns SGP
Over 214
Dillon Brooks Under 23.5 points
James Harden Over 8.5 assists
Kawhi Leonard Over 23.5 points
Collin Gillespie Over 3.5 threes
Clippers vs Suns odds
Spread: Clippers -1.5 (-115) | Suns +1.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Clippers -125 | Suns +105
Over/Under: Over 214.5 (-110) | Under 214.5 (-110)
Clippers vs Suns betting trend to know
The Suns have won 11 straight home games against teams with a losing record. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Suns.
How to watch Clippers vs Suns
Location
PHX Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Date
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
FDSN-SoCal, Suns+
Clippers vs Suns latest injuries
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There are just three games on the NHL schedule for Sunday, but that doesn't mean there's a shortage of valuable player props. Today's slate features the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium as part of the Stadium Series.
Read more below in my NHL picks for Sunday, February 1.
He's registered at least a point in six of the last seven games and in 10 of the last 12. Perry's averaging over a point-per-game since the New Year, and books are notably undervaluing him.
The vet posted two assists against the Philadelphia Flyers last night, and he's playing at his best point pace in a decade.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh has undoubtedly been the most improved player in the NHL this season. He has 47 points in 46 games (already a career-high), hitting the Over for shots in four straight and in seven of the last nine.
The D-man had a sizeable uptick in shot volume around mid-December, and he's tied for fifth among defensemen in shots since December 13. Raddysh faces a Bruins team that ranks 27th in shots allowed.
Taking one player prop from each game may appear to be a spiny task, but there's value in each one of them.
Anaheim Ducks leading scorer Cutter Gauthier has been a shooting machine this season, as his 202 shots trail only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
He's hit the Over in eight of the last nine games, and despite Vegas ranking third in the league in shot suppression, Gautier has eight shots in two games played against them in 2025-26. The forward also has 18 shots in his last four games.
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.
Tom Banton’s timely and stylish fifty escorts England to victory at Pallekele and secures a series win
1st over: Sri Lanka 14-0 (Nissanka 13, Mishara 0) Sri Lanka haven’t beaten England in a T20 since May 2015. England will be determined to keep it that way. Sam Curran with the first over of the day. His first ball is immaculately defended by Nissanka, who sends the next three to the boundary – through the empty slips, swept for four and uppercut just short of the rope. Fourteen from the over – which is one less than from Curran’s opening over on Friday.
I’ve just realised my email address is wrong – so apologies if it bounced back. Will change it but in the meantime the correct address is tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com.
His goal at 5:57 of the first period, which gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead in an eventual 4-3 regulation loss to the Nashville Predators, was his 15th of the season:
15th goal of the season for the 18-year old, Matthew Schaefer.
With that goal, Schaefer passed Vladimir Malakhov (14 goals in 1992-93) for the second-most in a season by an Islanders rookie defenseman. Only Denis Potvin (17 in 1973-74) has more.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - NOVEMBER 01: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning in game seven of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center on November 01, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last time Shohei Ohtani was in the World Baseball Classic, he struck out his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to give Team Japan their third title in tournament history. Three years later, fans from around the world will only get to see half of the Ohtani experience.
After a 22 month absence from pitching on a big league mound, Ohtani tossed 47 innings in the 2025 regular season to the tune of a 2.87 ERA before tallying an additional 20 1/3 innings in the Dodgers title run. With a full offseason to prepare himself on both sides of the field, the goal for Ohtani in 2026 is to have his first full season of two-way activities in a Dodger uniform, notes Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
“I wasn’t surprised. I can’t even say I was relieved,” Roberts said. “Understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then how best to prepare himself for ’26 to do both — it just seemed like the right decision.”
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After undergoing ankle surgery in November, the expectation for utility man Tommy Edman was that he’d be ready around the start of spring training. With just three weeks remaining until the Dodgers play their first cactus league game against the Angels, Edman provided an update to David Vassegh of AM 570 at DodgerFest on Saturday, stating that he is back to regular baseball activities and ready for the spring.
“I’m feeling good. I just started baseball activities again, so I’m feeling like I’m in a good spot going into the spring… I just very lightly started swinging and started throwing again this past week, and that’ll be ramping up as we get closer to spring. I’m really looking forward to being a baseball player again.”
The addition of outfielder Kyle Tucker gives the Dodgers one of the most complete and dangerous lineups in all of baseball, and Dave Roberts is starting to get a feel as to how the top half of the order will shape up for the 2026 season, per Jack Harris of the California Post.
Dave Roberts hasn’t decided exactly how the Dodgers’ batting order will look in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s signing, but he did drop some hints, saying Ohtani will still lead off, Betts will likely hit third, and Will Smith will hit fifth. That presumably leaves Kyle Tucker and Freeman for the Nos. 2 and 4 spots, in some order.
Miguel Rojas announced last week that he would be unable to participate in the World Baseball Classic because of issues obtaining insurance on his MLB contract.
And during the Dodgers’ annual Fanfest event on Saturday, the Venezuelan infielder didn’t hide his frustration with the situation.
“Definitely disappointed,” said Rojas, who has never before played in the WBC and is set to retire after this season. “I didn’t know that my chance to go represent my country for the first and only time, probably as a player, was gonna get blocked because of an insurance problem. Even though we know we have to be ready for the season and we have to play and be healthy for our contract, at the end of the day, we didn’t know all those restrictions were gonna be in place the way they are right now.”
FILE – Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas celebrates their win against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 6 of baseball’s World Series, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) AP
Indeed, Rojas is far from the only player to encounter insurance problems related to this spring’s WBC.
Team Puerto Rico has had several key players who were forced to withdraw –– including Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, José Berrios and Emilio Pagan –– leading the president of its baseball federation to publicly float the idea that the country might withdraw from the triannual tournament entirely.
Venezuela has also been significantly impacted, with José Altuve and Carlos Narvaez unable to participate due to their own insurance issues.
There are several other MLB players believed to be awaiting insurance clearance, too.
“There’s a lot of things I can say about the process, and I’ve been really vocal on social media, especially the last couple days,” Rojas said. “I don’t think people understand.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Miguel Rojas #11 and Brusdar Graterol #48 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 5 to clinch the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
Insurance requirements have long been a complication for players interested in playing in the WBC. The policies are generally necessary for MLB participants, in order to protect their big-league teams against potential injuries incurred during the event (with insurance, teams are reimbursed for any regular-season time their players miss with WBC-related injuries).
Typically, players with chronic injury histories or recent surgeries are denied coverage. Clayton Kershaw, for example, had to withdraw from the 2023 WBC for insurance reasons.
This year, however, the growing number of players who have encountered such issues has become a source of frustration –– especially, as Rojas noted, since Latin American countries have been the ones most affected.
“I don’t see that happening with the United States, or happening with Japan,” Rojas said. “And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on, or seeing what’s happening behind the scenes. But at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 31: Miguel Rojas #72 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gives an interview at Dodger Stadium on January 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) Getty Images
Rojas, who has dealt with several injuries over the past couple of years (including a hernia surgery last offseason) but didn’t spend any time on the injured list in 2025, was also caught off guard by what ESPN reported is a new provision for insurance coverage in this year’s event.
Because he will turn 37 before the start of the tournament, he said he was denied coverage based on his age alone.
“It’s really hard to not have the opportunity to put my country on my chest and to represent them and help win a World Baseball Classic –– and not have the opportunity to do it because I’m 37 years old,” he said. “That’s not right. I don’t feel it’s right. Because if I can still play in the big leagues with the Dodgers, why (can I) not go play for my team in Venezuela and represent my country?”
Eli Morgan is a Royal. Or an Omaha Storm Chaser, on a minor-league deal, according to sources. David Robertson has retired.
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Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): How Cubs’ bullpen is shaping up as camp nears. “The bullpen is where the team has turned over the most and looks different the most,” Counsell said during Cubs Convention in mid-January.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 04: Riley Greene #31 (L) and Kerry Carpenter #30 of the Detroit Tigers stand together on the field and talk during player introductions prior to the start of the Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on April 4, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the White Sox 7-4. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Friday, the Athletics of Sacramento and eventually Las Vegas, inked their young shortstop, Jacob Wilson, to a seven-year, $70 million deal that buys the club Wilson’s first two years of free agency and all of his 20’s.
The Detroit Tigers already did something like this with Colt Keith prior to promoting him to the major leagues before the 2024 season. There’s a fair chance that signing that deal was Keith’s ticket to an Opening Day major league debut rather than the Tigers potentially waiting until sometime in May to save a year of service time and give Keith more Triple-A plate appearances to get ready.
Of course, Keith signed his deal through 2029 for a very reasonable price, with the Tigers getting club options from 2030-2032. This wasn’t Scott Boras making a deal. Keith’s mother acted as his respresentative, and he was willing to take more guaranteed money over his years of team control rather than expecting to make bank in his arbitration years and then in free agency. From his perspective perhaps, he already has all the money he’s ever going to need if managed well, and now he doesn’t have to deal with the business side at all for years, potentially not until he’s 31 years old.
That’s a decent deal for Keith, and hopefully a nice bargain for the Tigers over the long haul.
It also brings up the question of which Tigers player you’d currently like to see extended the most? Tarik Skubal ain’t happening so let’s not pain ourselves any longer on that front. Should the Tigers extend Riley Greene? Or would you prefer they try to work out a bigger, but similar deal to Colt Keith’s with Kevin McGonigle or Max Clark?
Or, perhaps you don’t think extensions for either prospective 2026 rookie are a good idea just yet. Obviously the price matters a lot.
Sunday’s slate features a full lineup of NBA player props, highlighted by a showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference as the Denver Nuggets host the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here are my favorite NBA picks for February 1, led by Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Julian Champagnie.
Nikola Jokic returned to the Denver Nuggets lineup on Friday after missing a month with a knee injury, and he didn’t miss a beat. "The Joker" dropped 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while shooting nearly 73% from the field in just 25 minutes of action.
Jokic’s points O/U is set at 25.5 tonight, likely assuming the three-time MVP will play limited minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, that didn’t stop him from piling up points against the Clippers, one of the toughest defensive teams in the league.
Denver's superstar center is averaging 29.7 points per game this season, and he has surpassed 25.5 points in four of his last five outings. Jokic's only miss came on December 29, when he exited early due to injury.
L.A.'s point guard has carried the team, racking up 24 double-doubles this season — fifth-most in the NBA. Doncic comes in fresh off a triple-double on Friday and has posted a double-double in five of his last six games.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks rank eighth in the NBA in field goal attempts per game, meaning more opportunities for Doncic to crash the boards.
The San Antonio Spurs have risen towards the top of the Western Conference this season not just because of Victor Wembanyama, but also due to their offensive depth.
Julian Champagnie has emerged as one of those key offensive contributors for the Spurs, and he’s only gotten better as the season has worn on.
The forward is averaging 11.5 ppg this season, hitting 10+ points in 12 of his last 14 contests.
This line is low for Champagnie tonight, especially against an Orlando Magic team that has allowed 120+ points in each of its last two games.
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The 20-year-old was a healthy scratch for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night against the Vancouver Canucks, with William Nylander returning to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 15.
It was the 12th time this season that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has benched Cowan.
The rookie's game has dipped since having five points in eight games, from Jan. 6 to 19. In his last five games since Jan. 21, Cowan has registered only one assist and is sporting a minus-four rating.
"To me, I think he's lost a little bit of his swagger. That's a big part of his game, and I'm not seeing that right now from his game," Berube continued.
"He may be worried about making mistakes and just little things like that that probably are affecting him and getting in the way of him being successful right now."
It's not just the points and plus-minus that you notice about Cowan, though.
The young forward hasn't stood out much compared to the first half of the year, when he scored seven goals, with the last coming on Jan. 12 in a huge overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche.
At the time, he was showing glimpses of being the "big time" player, like he was with the OHL's London Knights. But his game has tapered off, likely in part due to the difficult schedule and Toronto's overall play.
Entering Saturday's game against the Canucks, the Maple Leafs had lost six consecutive games. (The last time Cowan was a healthy scratch was Dec. 27 against the Ottawa Senators.) Cowan has 17 points in 43 games this season.
"I think a young player like that, when a team is not at its best and winning and playing good hockey, it's going to affect those guys a little more," said Berube.
Whenever Cowan returns to the lineup, he should play more than 10 minutes per game.
The forward has gotten time on every line for Toronto throughout his first season in the NHL, which is a positive. However, in the same breath, Cowan hasn't played more than 13 minutes since Jan. 10 against the Canucks — 11 games ago.
If Toronto ends up becoming a seller at the trade deadline — which it sounds like they will be — Cowan should take on a larger role whenever Toronto ships out its players.
Playing in the NHL, of course, is an incredible experience for a young forward like him. He needs to play more than the ice time he's gotten recently, though.
And maybe Cowan gets a brief stint with the AHL's Toronto Marlies during the Olympic break. But whenever he's playing at the NHL level, he should be playing more than bottom-six minutes.
Throughout his first two seasons, there were often statistics showing that he had more blocks that entire teams.
Last Wednesday, Wembanyama played in his 150th NBA game. At the end, his totals evoked the first 150 games of another Spurs center, the legendary David Robinson.
Victor Wembanyama has totaled 3,440 PTS, 1,631 REB and 520 BLK in his first 150 games 📊
In his first 150 games, Victor Wembanyama racked up more points than Kevin Durant. Like Wemby, Durant was Rookie of the Year. KD averaged 20.3 points in his first season and 25.3 in his second. Durant recently surpasses Dirk Nowitzki in all-time scoring. He’s fifth and sure to move beyond Michael Jordan in the weeks to come.
Additionally, Wemby has more rebounds than Charles Barkley over his first 150 games. Barkley averaged 8.6 boards in his rookie campaign and 12.8 in his second season. He is the 20th all-time in NBA/ABA rankings with 12, 546 over his sixteen seasons.
Wemby also bested Nikola Jokic in assists. The Joker had one less, 533, compared to Victor’s 534. Jokic is currently 47th all-time. He’s currently in his second consecutive season averaging double-digit dimes. As far as big men go, Jokic is one of the best when it comes to dishing out assists.
Wemby has more steals than the great Kobe Bryant over their respective sesquicentenary starts. Kobe retired with 1,944 career steals, ranking him 19th on the all-time list.
What about blocks? Well, we know that rejecting shots is Wemby’s specialty. After 150 games, he’s tallied over 70 blocks more than Hakeem Olajuwon did in his first 150 games. “The Dream” is the all-time NBA/ABA blocks leader with 3,830. For measure, basketball-refernce.com lists Nikola Jokic as the 250th ranked NBA all-time with 561 blocks. Wemby is 42 blocks from cracking the top 250. That’s all-time NBA blocking leaders. Let that soak in.
Finally, our dear Victor Wembanyama has more three-pointers made in his inaugural campaign than Steph Curry, the greatest shooter of all time. Granted, in his first couple of seasons Curry didn’t shoot with the volume he hasover the latter half of his career, but he had the accuracy. Curry is the NBA’s all-time three-point shooter with 4,233 (as of this writing) and counting. He’s almost a thousand more than James Harden, the second highest all-time.
Any one of those on its own is impressive, but Wemby is a great player all around. And he’s still developing.
What’s next for Wemby? What will his 200th game stats look like? Will he ever get that coveted quadruple-double? It certainly seems to be within his reach.
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Corey Perry Over 0.5 points
Darren Raddysh Over 2.5 shots on goal
Cutter Gauthier Over 2.5 shots on goal
Nikola Jokic
Luka Doncic
Julian Champagnie
