In another timeline, the discussion right now would be about whether Austin Reaves should be an All-Star in the West — that was the level he was playing at before his calf injury.
Now, the conversation is about his return, which could be as early as Friday in Washington, as he has been listed as questionable for the game.
Also questionable for that game is Luka Doncic, who injured his ankle falling off the raised court in Cleveland on Wednesday night. Doncic returned to the game after the fall, but ankles can tighten up over time and the Lakers likely want to be cautious.
Luka Doncic has gone back to the Lakers locker room after appearing to injure his foot stepping back on this shot attempt:pic.twitter.com/uakOseB1GX
"It is absolutely a safety hazard," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the raised court after his team's loss. "And I don't know why it's still like that. I don't."
Reaves averaged 26.6 points a game, shooting 36.5% from 3-point range, while dishing out 6.3 assists and grabbing 5.2 rebounds a game in the 23 games he played before the injury. The Lakers have gone 9-8 while he was out.
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 11: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets during a pre-season game on October 11, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (19-28) host the Charlotte Hornets (20-28) on Thursday night. Dallas is playing the second night of a back-to-back, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Hornets have won 4 in a row and look great as they try to surge up the standings. It’s a fun night for the Mavericks as they retire the jersey of 1981 number overall pick Mark Aguirre, a much overdue event.
Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Charlotte Hornets
WHAT: Retiring Mark Aguirre’s jersey
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
Both Cooper Flagg and Klay Thompson are playing tonight after missing the last game with variations on injury management. Brandon Williams is questionable with an ankle injury. Naji Marshall is getting the game off after not missing a game all season. Moussa Cisse is questionable as well. Grant Williams and Mason Plumlee are missing this game for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is listed as probable with a left ankle injury.
Expect a charged game for the Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki’s expected to be in the building along with Isaiah Thomas to see Aguirre’s jersey retired. It’s going to be an emotional thing for Aguirre. As for the game itself, I think Flagg and Kon go at it in a major way. The Charlotte Hornets are playing much better ball as of late and Dallas might be heading the opposite direction. Institutionally, the Mavericks are tanking, but do not tell the players that. It should be a much better game than the Wolves game where Dallas loooked nearly listless.
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 16: Josh Hart #3, Jalen Brunson #11, OG Anunoby #8 and Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks look on during the game against the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA Emirates Cup Final on December 16, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his duties after the Knicks’ unceremonious exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in May, there were a few prevailing grievances that led to the coach’s downfall.
One of them was a stubbornness to lineup construction. Thibodeau’s defense always required a rim protector, preventing him from ever considering a small-ball lineup despite the options presented. He played a tight rotation and stuck with his chosen starting lineup through thick and thin, only experimenting due to injuries or desperation.
The lineup of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns started out looking like one of the best starting five’s in the NBA, but heavily regressed after New Year’s for a myriad of reasons. The defense was sub-standard with two flat-out bad defenders and the five-out spacing that the team envisioned fell apart with Hart’s shooting struggles.
Having bad lineups happens, but when they’re played to this extent? It’s alarming. It took until Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final for a change to be finally made. The Knicks used a grand total of 13 starting lineups in 100 games.
Enter Mike Brown, who was hired, in part, for more lineup versatility. He opened the season planning to have Mitchell Robinson start over Hart, but the frequent unavailability of the load-managing big man forced some different lineups, which included Ariel Hukporti, Deuce McBride, and Landry Shamet.
Eventually, Hart, who got off to a brutal start to the season, was put back in the starting lineup when OG Anunoby went down with an injury. Instead of reverting to a lineup with Robinson or McBride, however, Hart stayed in the starting lineup for the December 5th bludgeoning of the Jazz when Anunoby returned.
It started out great. The lineup had an exceptional +21.5 net rating in 77 minutes across 10 games through mid-December. It was being used in proper doses and wasn’t being leaned on for nearly 20 minutes a night.
A big reason for the big turnaround was an elite 106.4 defensive rating. Despite two negative defenders on the court, the lineup worked and the offense was supercharged by Hart’s newfound shooting stroke.
And then, suddenly, it fell apart. Since December 20, that lineup has played 106 minutes across nine games and has a putrid -8.4 net rating. All of a sudden, that elite offense had fallen apart and opposing offenses began exploiting the defensive shortcomings of Brunson and Towns.
This, coupled with the team’s overall struggles (which may be in the rearview mirror…), has caused some discussion on whether Mike Brown should embrace a different lineup. After all, he’s already used more starting lineups (16) than Thibs used last year in half the games.
But is it so simple? There are four realistic candidates for a fifth starter around the team’s top four. Assuming no Giannis-level trade occurs before the deadline, the Knicks will have the next 2.5 months to figure out which of the four gels the best between Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson.
The case for Deuce McBride
The most criminally underpaid player in basketball, Deuce has been a reliable 3-and-D asset for the Knicks since he emerged into the rotation 25 months ago after the team traded away Immanuel Quickley. There have been some inconsistent stretches (and a few injuries), but the 25-year-old has taken another leap in his spot-up shooting and is probably the team’s best point-of-attack defender.
If you want a true five-out lineup, this is the choice. Everyone in this lineup can shoot, even if OG is struggling mightily from above-the-break. It’s a dream for Mike Brown. It also gives you someone to stick on a star guard like Tyrese Maxey or Donovan Mitchell, allowing Bridges to do what he does best off the ball.
What do the numbers say about this lineup? Well, similar to the current starters, it’s gotten significantly worse as the season has progressed:
Pre-December 20: +12.3 net (26 min) Post-December 20: -7.1 net (66 min)
What’s interesting about these lineups is that Deuce is helping the offense go into hyperspeed. Even since 12/20, when the team has looked much worse on both sides of the ball, this lineup has a blistering 130.5 offensive rating. It’s just the defense that’s the problem because, personally, I don’t think a 137.6 defensive rating is good.
As you’ll see with Shamet, it just seems to be a common trend in Brunson and Towns’ lineups. Whether it’s possible for them to be co-stars is a story for another day. If you want to maximize the offense, it’d be smart to go with a lineup that has a 127 ORtg in 92 minutes.
Deuce McBride 3pt sniper
• 46% from 3 (4th in NBA min 100 attempts) • 2nd in the NBA in above the break 3P% (min 50 attempts) • 19th in 3PM per game
It’s going to be sad when the Knicks won’t be able to retain Landry Shamet this offseason. They snagged him late in the offseason the last two years and have gotten quality bench minutes out of the journeyman wing. His spot-up shooting ability has fully returned after concerns it disappeared in Washington, as he’s shoot 41% from downtown in 72 total games as a Knick. Some of this team’s best runs have come with him on the court.
So why not give him a shot to start? He has started six games this season due to injuries, but hasn’t since he hurt his shoulder in Orlando in November. Since then, he’s had an up-and-down role as a reliable shooter who can hold his own defensively and provides needed hustle.
Wrote this in my story for tomorrow on the Knicks' improved defense, but can't understate how much Shamet's return and Brown's change in rotation has helped with the defense.
The problem is that Shamet with the starters is the worst performing of these lineups, at -5.8 on the season in 57 minutes. It’s also not a “whole team struggling” problem, as it was negative when he went down in November.
Shamet’s two most-used lineups aside from the starters have something in common: no Brunson or Towns.
McBride-Clarkson-Shamet-Anunoby-Towns: +30 net (23 min) Brunson-McBride-Shamet-Anunoby-Robinson: +59.2 net (23 min)
He plays well with McBride and Anunoby, which makes sense, but the other pieces are free-flowing. It doesn’t appear that he’s a good fit for the starters, especially considering he’s kinda like Deuce in his strengths, just slightly worse while being bigger. Still, if Deuce is ever out, it’s worth considering.
The case for Mitchell Robinson
The lineup that the Knicks came into the season hoping to use hasn’t been used nearly as much as it should, but that’s due to injuries. Mike Brown and the training staff came into 2025-26 with a clear plan to limit Robinson’s workload to maximize him for the playoffs. That means no back-to-backs, no 30+ minute games, etc.
But at some point, the Knicks will probably encounter a matchup where they just cannot take Big Mitch off the court. If he isn’t ready to play that workload, they’re crippling themselves. By that nature, it seems likely that Mitch will continue to increase his in-game workload as the season goes on.
Unlike the other three lineups, the starters with Mitch have been a significant positive, posting an elite +12.4 net rating in 51 minutes behind stellar defense.
However, once again, that number is dragged down by the team’s recent slump. The lineup has only played 16 minutes together since mid-December and has gotten eviscerated on both ends of the floor. It really just seems like a team-wide issue, as there are multiple lineups with different strengths and weaknesses, all struggling concurrently.
So, again, it’s a story for another time with the whole Brunson-Towns tandem, but what does Mitch provide that the others don’t? How about game-breaking rebounding?
In the lineup’s brief time together, they’re killing teams with a 53.3% overall rebounding share and a ludicrous 37.1% offensive rebounding rate. It’s a common theme with Robinson, whose second-most used lineup (w/Brunson/McBride/Hart/Bridges) has a near-50% offensive rebound rate.
The possession battle with the double big is a tremendous advantage, especially on days that the Knicks are making shots. That’s an unstoppable offense and should mask defensive issues. It also provides a real rim protector and should help with the team’s struggles defending the pick-and-pop and drive-and-kicks.
The case to stay with Josh Hart
If the Knicks hadn’t just won four in a row, the calls to make a drastic change would be louder. Now that they’ve stabilized, is that the best course of action?
The last four games have featured Thibs-ian levels of starter usage, with the starting five playing a staggering 58 minutes in that span. No other combination featuring the Big Four has more than two minutes. The lineup hasn’t been dominant by any stretch, but has been +2.3, the best stretch in a good bit.
The biggest problem with Hart last season was both his unwillingness to shoot and his poor efficiency when he did. This year? He’s one of 21 qualified players to be shooting 40% from deep on at least four attempts a game. Only one other Knick (Deuce) can say they’re in that club. When Josh is firing from distance, it’s going in.
Plus, this lineup provides something that the other ones can’t attest to: secondary playmaking.
Josh Hart is the Knicks’ third-best playmaker. The top two, Brunson and Kolek, are both small point guards and should rarely share the floor. Without Hart, the Knicks rely too much on Brunson initiating the action on every single play, whether it’s iso ball or finding an open shooter through a drive to the rim. Hart can alleviate some of that as a willing passer who only shoots when he knows he can make it.
There’s no perfect solution for the Knicks right now, as they try to balance an inconsistent bench and inconsistent shooting and defense. This upcoming stretch will tell them a lot about how things will go as the playoffs draw nearer, and it’s worth experimenting when you can.
“It is too expensive,” Weah was quoted as saying this month by France's Le Dauphiné. “I am just a bit disappointed by the ticket prices. Lots of real fans will miss matches.”
“First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of,” Pochettino said Thursday during a Zoom news conference from Coral Gables, Florida. “It is not his duty to evaluate the price of the ticket. And then also my job, my duty is to prepare the team, the U.S. men’s national team in the best way to perform. We are not politicians. We are sport people that only we can talk about our job and I think if FIFA does something or takes some decision, they know why, and (it) is their responsibility to explain why. But it is not about us to provide our opinion. Our responsibility is to perform, play and perform on the pitch and then the people that is in charge of the federation, maybe he can give his opinion, but I am the head coach of the federation."
The U.S. has friendlies against Belgium (March 28), Portugal (March 31), Senegal (May 31) and Germany (June 6) before their World Cup opener against Paraguay in June 12 at Inglewood, California.
Lakers guards Luka Doncic (77) and Austin Reaves have been listed as questionable to play Friday against the Wizards in Washington. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers have upgraded guard Austin Reaves (left calf strain) to questionable from out and listed guard Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness) as questionable for Friday night’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Reaves has been out since getting injured on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets, a span of 17 games.
In 23 games this season, Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2). Reaves is shooting 50.7% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range.
Doncic injured his ankle during the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night after falling off the side of Cleveland’s raised court while shooting a fadeaway three-pointer in the first quarter.
He hobbled to the Lakers’ locker room and was unable to put any weight on his leg. But Doncic did return to play and finished the game with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game and is third in assists at 8.7.
“I kind of got scared,” Doncic told reporters after the game in Cleveland. “It wasn’t a great feeling and looking back at the video, I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts obviously more now, but, just, I tried to go.”
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 21: Braves fans play catch on the field during the 2023 Braves Fest on January 21, 2023 at The Battery and Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
So here’s the forecast for Saturday (a.k.a. Braves Fest day) as of right now:
Realistic snow totals for Saturday: – A dusting to 2" max in Metro – 2-3" towards Lake Oconee and Augusta – 3-5" from Athens to the mountains pic.twitter.com/mNzCNBxNTX
Of course, this could definitely change between now and Saturday (especially considering how the Metro Atlanta area ended up dodging a bullet (for the most part) when it came to last weekend’s ice storm) but also OOF. Even if there’s no snow, it’s looking like a lock that it’ll be 27 degrees. I’m not trying to hear from folks who have real winter, that’s frigid for these parts. So yeah, if you’re going to Braves fest then you’re, well, pretty brave.
Anyways, the floor is now yours. Here’s your random clip for the night:
Ahead of what will be the final season of his MLB career, Miguel Rojas won’t represent Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic because of insurance issues, a source confirmed.
Rojas announced via Instagram on Thursday that he wouldn’t be participating in the triannual international tournament.
Miguel Rojas speaking to the crowd at the 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers World Series celebration. Getty Images
“Today I am very sad,” he wrote in Spanish, in a post accompanied by a picture of himself wearing the Venezuelan flag over his shoulders. “A true shame I can’t represent my country and put that flag on my chest.”
Rojas, 37, is one of several players who are reportedly unable to participate in this spring’s WBC because of issues getting their MLB contracts insured against potential injury in the tournament –– the same requirement that also forced Clayton Kershaw, among others, to miss the most recent WBC in 2023.
Miguel Rojas celebrates a home run during Game 7 of the 2025 MLB World Series. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Without insurance (or, in very rare cases, agreements with their MLB teams), big-league players would not have their contracts guaranteed for any time they miss during the regular season resulting from injuries sustained in the WBC.
Typically, insurance issues arise over concerns about a player’s injury history. But, while Rojas has dealt with hernia, forearm and intercostal issues over the last two years, his situation also stemmed from his age, as El Extrabase first reported and Rojas’ Instagram post itself indicated.
“On this occasion,” Rojas wrote, “age wasn’t just a number.”
A 12-year big-league veteran who has played a key role in both of the Dodgers’ recent back-to-back World Series championships, Rojas has never before played in the WBC.
Miguel Rojas high-fiving teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the World Series. Getty Images
He was originally part of Team Venezuela’s 2023 squad, but pulled out shortly before the tournament after Gavin Lux’s torn ACL during spring training that year thrust him into a starting role for the Dodgers –– who had just re-acquired the smooth-fielding utilityman in a trade from the Miami Marlins that offseason.
“It’s a decision that is not coming easy for me,” Rojas told MLB.com then. “Definitely the WBC and my country and being part of that squad has always been a priority for me and something I really value in my career. [It is] one of the best things that I could have done in my career, an experience like no other.”
Now Rojas, who re-signed with the Dodgers as a free agent this offseason and is slated to take on a player development role within the organization once he retires, won’t get the chance before his playing career ends.
With Rojas ruled out of the WBC, the Dodgers currently have only three confirmed participants: Will Smith for Team USA; and Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Team Japan.
Kershaw, who retired from the major leagues after last season, will also be on Team USA’s roster.
Nico O’Reilly gives Manchester City options, Sunderland miss Granit Xhaka’s grit and West Ham find a way
Just when Brighton supporters were hoping their side was building some momentum after a run of five games undefeated in all competitions, Saturday’s stoppage-time loss to Fulham arrived. Fabian Hürzeler’s side led at half-time, but their collapse was typical of performances on the road this season. Securing only two away wins – against Chelsea in September and Nottingham Forest in November – has undermined their challenge for Europe. Their next two games at the Amex, against Everton on Saturday and arch-rivals Crystal Palace next week, are an opportunity to make up some ground. Only seven points separate them from Chelsea in fifth place, but Brighton’s record against David Moyes’s side at home is terrible, having failed to beat them since 2019 when a late Lucas Digne own goal sealed the points for Graham Potter against an Everton team managed by Marco Silva. Ed Aarons
SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 19: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds is held back while arguing with the home plate umpire after being ejected against the San Diego Padres on June 19, 2021 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds legend and future baseball Hall of Famer Joey Votto is going to be a big part of NBC’s Major League Baseball coverage beginning this spring.
According to Front Office Sports, Votto is among a pretty impressive (on field) trio that will be joining NBC’s coverage, with fellow future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw and some guy who played for the Cubs for a while also set to headline.
What remains to be seen, though, is in just what capacity we’ll see Votto.
Will he be a featured analyst during weekly Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts? Will he be parked behind a desk in-studio for larger national coverage?
Will he dress like a mountie? Will he drive a school bus to work each day?
Will he go with a beard, since it’s now perpetually his off-season?
Regardless, we’re about to hear one of the best minds the sport has ever seen be back on television front and center, providing us with the kind of insight into the game of baseball at a level we could only dream.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 15: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns plays against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons get to face off against the Phoenix Suns for the second time in two weeks. This time, Detroit visits the Mortgage Matchup Center (yeesh, what a name) in Phoenix, Arizona. Detroit narrowly escaped with a win in the first matchup, 108-105. That game was close because Cade Cunningham was then playing his first game back after a 10-day absence because of a wrist injury and delivered one of his worst performances of the season. He shot just 3-of-16 and committed five turnovers. Conversely, the avowed enemy of Pistons fans everywhere, Grayson Allen, was torching the nets. He scored 33 points and hit 7 threes to almost will his team to victory.
Allen only has five games this season eclipsing the 20-point threshold, so hopefully he comes down to earth a little bit. Cunningham, meanwhile, seems to put the ailing wrist issues behind him. He scored 22 points in a win against the Denver Nuggets and 29 in a blowout against the Sacramento Kings, both times shooting better than 50% from the floor. Critically against the Nuggets, he had zero turnovers and dished 11 assists. That’s the Cunningham we like to see.
Game Vitals
When: 9 p.m. ET Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Odds: Pistons -4
All offseason, Dodgers officials have emphasized the importance of managing their starting rotation’s workload in 2026, after pushing that group to its physical limits during last October’s arduous World Series run.
A few weeks before the start of spring training, Blake Snell is becoming an early example.
In the aftermath of the Dodgers’ Fall Classic triumph in Toronto –– which was still not even three months ago –– Snell’s arm was “tired” and “exhausted,” he acknowledged Thursday, following five postseason starts plus a critical relief appearance in Game 7 against the Blue Jays.
Blake Snell decided to slow his offseason pitching program after his arm felt tired following the Dodgers championship run. AP
“I was happy I was able to pitch the whole time,” the left-hander told The California Post during a Dodgers charity event at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. “But it was tough.”
Thus, Snell and the team decided to have the 33-year-old slow-play his winter throwing program this offseason. The plan, Snell said, is to still be ready for Opening Day in late March. But at this point, that is not seen as a certainty within the organization.
“You want to ramp up, but I gotta take my time and get healthy,” said Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner who returned from a long-term shoulder injury last summer to play a starring role in the Dodgers’ title trek.
“I feel like I’m doing the right thing. I feel good. I’ve been throwing. It feels better. In the postseason, I gave everything I had for that. But on the front end of spring, I’ll have to be patient and let my body get to 100%.
“That’s what I’m learning talking with (the team). Don’t rush. Be patient. Make sure you’re 100%. And that’s what’s awesome about the organization. They really are focused on your health and well-being.”
In some ways, this is nothing new for the Dodgers. They’ve long erred on the side of caution when it comes to managing pitchers’ workloads. They’ve always prioritized long-term health, and October availability, above all else.
Never before, however, has that balance been so important.
The two-time Cy Young award winner returned from a shoulder injury last summer and played a key piece in their title run. AP
Beyond Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto presents the most obvious challenge this season. Not only did the right-hander lead the Dodgers in both regular-season and postseason innings last year (logging 210 combined, culminating with his back-to-back appearances in games 6 and 7 of the World Series), but he is also slated to pitch for Team Japan in this spring’s World Baseball Classic. That will require him to ramp up earlier than normal and make full-intensity outings several weeks before Opening Day.
“Yamamoto is gonna be an interesting case study,” manager Dave Roberts said, “given how much he’s pitched over the last couple years.”
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Shohei Ohtani offers another unique situation, likely to get extra between-starts rest –– as much as “six, seven, eight days off,” according to Roberts –– as he returns to full-time two-way duties for the first time in his Dodgers career. He is also on Team Japan’s WBC roster, but it’s undetermined if he will pitch in the event.
Tyler Glasnow, meanwhile, has a long history of injuries the Dodgers will have to take into account, with the 10-year veteran having never made more than 22 starts in a regular season.
There’s no hard innings limits on the Dodgers starters, but Andrew Friedman said workloads are something they “have to be mindful of.” AP
For now, the Dodgers haven’t set any hard innings limits on that group and will wait and see how each progresses during spring camp before formulating more specific plans.
Still, their workloads are “something we definitely have to be mindful of,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this winter.
“It’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here (at some point), we can do it,’” general manager Brandon Gomes echoed.
The good news for the Dodgers is that they have some depth. Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki are expected to bolster the season-opening rotation. Former top prospects River Ryan and Gavin Stone had normal offseasons after recovering from surgeries last year (with excitement around the organization particularly high in how Ryan has looked ahead of camp). Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack and Bobby Miller are all also starting options.
This coming year, the team might need almost all of them at some point.
Already, the aftereffects of last year’s World Series title are being felt.
Gordon aggravated a previous hamstring injury against the Bucks last week. That previous injury sidelined him for six weeks. Denver has held its own without Gordon — a key glue guy for them on both ends of the court — going 14-10 in the games he has missed so far. Denver has a +0.7 net rating when he is off the floor.
This is just the latest in a seemingly endless string of injuries in Denver this season. The Nuggets are currently playing without four starters in Nikola Jokic (hamstring, Christian Braun (ankle), Cameron Johnson (knee) and Gordon (hamstring). On top of all that, point guard Jamal Murray — who should be named an All-Star reserve — is day-to-day with a hamstring issue himself.
Denver has been an impressive 9-5 since Jokic went out and has held on to the No. 3 seed in the West. He is expected to be re-evaluated in the next week and is reportedly nearing a return. He has been out for a month with a bone bruise from a hyperextended left knee.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: OG Anunoby #8 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 27, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Nets, 76ers, Kings, and Raptors are not necessarily the Mount Rushmore of contenders in the NBA today. So a four-game winning streak against them alone shouldn’t, and doesn’t, overwrite the 2-9 11 game stretch the Knicks experienced not too long ago. But, if you look at the way they have played since players spoke openly about doing some soul searching, and looking themselves in the mirror, they’ve looked much better, and the numbers give fans reason to believe that their current winning streak is more than just beating up on bad opponents. That is certainly part of it, but the 76ers, despite being just 4-6 in their last 10 games, are still 25-21, and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Raptors, before losing to the Knicks last night, were just one loss behind the Knicks, and were 29-19.
Let’s start with the offense. While a lot of the pessimism surrounding the Knicks during their rough patch was rightfully around their defense, their lack of offensive outbursts, and suboptimal execution was much more confounding given the talent on the roster. They had some of the worst shooting performances of the season, all within a short period, resorted to the Jalen Brunson-centric, isolation-heavy offense, and it led to a very predictable, tough-to-watch product that often struggled to score more than 100 points.
But over their last four games, the Knicks have looked much better as a whole. Individual players have still struggled, but we’re now seeing guys step up when they do. Karl-Anthony Towns’ struggles have been well-documented. Mikal Bridges had one of his worst offensive games as a Knicks against the 76ers, OG Anunoby coughed up seven turnovers against the Kings, and the aforementioned Brunson managed to score just 13 points against the Raptors last night. But in each game, guys stepped up, and that was made possible by the increase in ball movement, pace, fluidity, intentionality, and execution.
Against the Nets, Brunson led the way with 20 points, but he was supported by Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride, who poured in 18 points and 14 points off the bench, respectively. And in a historic 54-point blowout, we saw all five members of the starting lineup record three or more assists. Days later, against the 76ers, Brunson once again led the way with 31 points, but Anunoby was the star of the show, scoring 23 points on an efficient 10-15 shooting. Against the Kings, Bridges bounced back and backed up Brunson’s 28 points with 18 points on just 13 shots. And a day later, against the Raptors, in a game where Brunson and Towns combined for a measly 21 points, Bridges led the way with an emphatic 30 points, while Anunoby scored 26 points, Hart scored 22, and Tyler Kolek dished out 10 assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
That’s led to the Knicks being fourth in offensive rating during that span, and has solidified themselves as the third-best offense behind the Nuggets and Celtics. Sure, three of those four teams are bottom five in the defensive rating over their last four games, but one of those teams, the 76ers, is 13th in defensive rating on the season, and the Raptors enter today with the sixth-best defensive rating on the season. But after seeing this team struggle offensively against even the worst teams in the league, it’s a nice change to see them look more like their early-season selves on that end of the floor.
That being said, if you truly believed in Mike Brown and the collective talent of the team, you likely also believed that the shots would start going in again, and that one way or another, they’d find a way to become a good, if not great, offensive team again. Defensively, though, they’ve really turned some heads. Again, the level of competition hasn’t been amazing, and they did get torched by Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, and Brandon Ingram to varying degrees. But as a whole, the defense looks much more active, physical, and connected than it was in a very long time.
Last Wednesday, they held Brooklyn to just 66 points. And before you convince yourself that’s because it’s the Nets, remember that the Nets scored 117 points against the Suns, 103 points against the Magic, and 96 points against the Rockets, all of whom have a higher defensive rating than the Knicks currently do. A few nights later in Philadelphia, they held Tyrese Maxey, who has historically played very well against the Knicks, to just 22 points, and held the Sixers to just 13 points in a pivotal third quarter that proved to be the difference. When they hosted Sacramento, they never gave up more than 26 points in a quarter, and held them to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, when it really mattered the most. And last night in Toronto, they managed to shut down everybody besides Ingram, holding them to just 64 points over their final three quarters without the help of two of their three best defenders, Deuce McBride and Mitchell Robinson.
Again, they haven’t gone out and slowed down the Nuggets, Celtics, Rockets, Thunder, Cavaliers, or any of the other top 10 offenses during this stretch, but it’s clear that the defense has been significantly better during this stretch. Because just a couple of weeks ago, they were getting lit up by the same Kings, the Mavericks, and Pelicans, who are all bottom five in the league in offensive rating.
New York is now one of just four teams, all of which are from the Eastern Conference, to be undefeated in their past four games, and ranks first in net rating during that stretch with a +25.6. This is a small sample size that is made up of just two playoff teams, and the upcoming few weeks will be full of harder tests that will show fans who these Knicks truly are. But for the time being, it’s been a positive sign to see them not only winning, but passing some of the eye tests we saw them fail very recently.
Tommy Edman has a new name to write on his lineup card.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ second baseman and his wife, Kristen welcomed the birth of their second child — a daughter, Ava, on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Kristen Edman Kristen EdmanTommy and Kristen Edman announced the birth of their daughter, Ava, on Tuesday. Kristen Edman
Edman and his wife Kristen shared the news on Instagram with a carousel of hospital-room stillness: the newborn bundled tight, the quiet glow of first moments, and the show-stealer — big brother Eli — meeting his baby sister for the first time.
“Worth the wait. Welcome to the world, Ava Edman,” Kristen wrote, a line that didn’t need embellishment.
The injury landed Edman on the injured list twice and shadowed him through the team’s championship run in October. He gutted it out anyway — infield, center field, wherever the team needed him — until surgery finally came in mid-November.
Edman, who played through a nagging ankle injury throughout the playoffs, expects to be healthy by Spring Training. Getty Images
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“This was clearly bothering him for a while,” general manager Brandon Gomes said at the Winter Meeting in early November. “He’s so tough and went out there and kept just posting for us, and obviously played great for us. So I think it’ll be good to get it addressed, and then that way he can kind of have this behind him.”
Edman’s recovery timetable is uncertain, but he expects to be ready by the start of spring training. However, the Dodgers have a history of being conservative with their players when they come back from injury. Their plethora of depth doesn’t hurt them in that regard either. Edman’s status for Opening Day is still in the air, but knowing the Dodgers they will likely play it safe.
The team has prepared accordingly, adding Andy Ibáñez and leaning on depth like Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland. Andrew Friedman, as always, has contingency plans.
Boxer fights back tears in first video since fatal car crash
Joshua: ‘I am going to do what is right by them’
An emotional Anthony Joshua has insisted he knows what he has got to do after the death of close friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele last month, adding that their company was akin to “walking with giants”.
The two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria on 29 December which killed Ghami and Ayodele and shocked the boxing fraternity.
