Blake Coleman didn’t have to wait long to make an impact with his new team.
Coleman scored his first goal as a member of the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night against the Nashville Predators, finding the back of the net in his first regular-season game with Minnesota.
The Wild acquired Coleman from the Calgary Flames during the offseason as part of an effort to add more scoring, experience and toughness to their forward group.
The 34-year-old winger entered the season coming off his fourth 20-goal campaign and his second with Calgary and has reached the 30-goal mark once in his NHL career.
He picked up a beauty of a goal in the second period on the power play from Bobby Brink and Danila Yurov.
Coleman is the 34th player to score a goal in his first game in a Wild sweater.
Coleman has also brought a championship pedigree to Minnesota. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021 before signing with Calgary.
It took just one game in a Wild sweater for Coleman to get on the scoresheet — and into the goal column.
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“Probably would’ve took a couple weeks off,” he joked, “doing something.”
The something De Paula was doing instead on Thursday: Going through an off-day workout with his new big-league teammates at Dodger Stadium, stepping up to the plate for an impressive round of on-field batting practice before the club’s pre-National League Division Series intrasquad game and preparing for what will likely be the next step in his rapid rise through the organization — a potential spot on the team’s postseason roster just weeks after being called straight up from Double-A for his big-league debut.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Josue de Paula fields balls during practice ahead of the NL Division Series on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillLos Angeles Dodgers’ Josue de Paula, left, and Mookie Betts chat during practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
No, the Dodgers have not announced any final playoff roster decisions yet.
“He’s just a special hitter,” manager Dave Roberts said last week. “[His skill set] lines up in the postseason. And no moment is going to be too big for that kid.”
Indeed, De Paula’s 11-game cameo in the big leagues last month wowed club officials and the team’s veteran clubhouse alike, as he hit .323 with one home run, five extra-base hits and seven RBIs while reaching base safely in exactly half of his first 42 MLB plate appearances.
“It’s crazy,” De Paula told the California Post. “I mean, I’ve always had super confidence. But I feel like this just gave me a little feel to it. To have the success here that I’m having, I just want to keep it going, man.”
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Josue De Paula (95) hits a triple during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
That didn’t mean De Paula was upset when he couldn’t keep it going last week, getting optioned to Triple-A for the final five games of the regular season upon Shohei Ohtani’s return from the injured list.
Quite the contrary, actually, with the rookie saying the club had communicated that plan to him as soon as he learned of his surprise promotion to the majors in mid-September.
“To be honest, when I first came up here, my original intention was never really to stay here,” he said. “I just wanted to have fun and do what I know how to do, take advantage of the moment.”
He did. And now, after a brief detour with the club’s Oklahoma City affiliate during its postseason run to a Triple-A title (which De Paula aided with a towering RBI double in its Pacific Coast League clincher), he’s ready for whatever comes next this October.
“We’re here again,” he said, while glancing around an empty Chavez Ravine.
Barring a twist, not for the last time this fall, either.
Ozzie Albies is doing his part to make sure the Atlanta Braves win the NL wild-card series over division rival the Philadelphia Phillies. In the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 3 of the series on Thursday, Oct. 1, he hit a two-run home run.
The switch-hitter approached the plate to swing left-handed. After getting a strike from Zack Wheeler, Albies took a pitch down the middle of the plate, swung hard and blasted the ball into right field.
The crowd at Truist Park knew it was gone as soon as he made contact and erupted in celebration. Albies let out a yell and lifted his arm with a finger pointed up as he rounded the bases. The hit was his fourth career postseason home run. Austin Riley, who was walked, also scored, giving the Braves a 5-0 lead.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - SEPTEMBER 28: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz speaks during the Utah Jazz media day at Zions Bank Basketball Campus on September 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ve got a really bad feeling about Darryn Peterson.
It’s nothing that he did — certainly not. When he lit the Salt Lake City leg of the Summer League ablaze, I thought I had witnessed the spirit of Kobe Bryant descend from the sky and possess the body of Utah’s highly touted youngster.
In all my life, I’ve never seen a more velvety shooting touch. A silent determination to put in the work and let the results follow. The defensive instincts and basketball intellect to impact the game within a variety of roles on the court.
Even when he struggled with efficiency in Las Vegas, I felt confident chalking that up to needlessly aggressive defense (thank you, pointless 10-foul rule!) and a lack of competent help from his NBA-quality teammates (thank you, Cody Williams!). Even when his three-pointers didn’t fall, he reliably reached the foul line. He got his teammates involved, he made an impact on the defensive end, and looked like the most obvious superstar who has joined the Jazz since… Donovan Mitchell?
He’s the caliber of player the Jazz ushered in the tanking era in order to acquire.
He’s the caliber of player the Jazz ushered in the tanking era in order to acquire. He’s the final piece, now in place to shed Utah of their restricting shackles. Simply put, now that Utah has Peterson, the team has no use for losing. In the immortal words of Ignacio, “I don’t want to get paid to lose — I wanna win!”
And win they shall. Built upon a roster that includes veteran star power via Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., supplemented by the emergence of Keyonte George and the tantalizing talent of Ace Bailey, this is a team certainly capable of reaching the Play-In Tournament stages, if not arriving in the playoffs outright as a top-6 seed in the West.
If Darryn Peterson is as good as everyone says, perhaps home-court advantage could be in the cards in Utah’s first-round matchup.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
In fact, I think everybody might be getting ahead of themselves. Is there something in the water, because DP’s legend seems to grow with every passing day — and he hasn’t played a moment of true NBA basketball.
This is why I’ve got a bad feeling about Peterson — we’re already building emotional monuments to his legacy. Monuments so mammoth that they may have no chance but to topple through his long professional career.
At what point does the hype swell beyond the point of believability? Are we reaching the end of the line for Darryn Peterson’s hype train? Is this locomotive moving too fast to stay on the rails?
At what point does the hype swell beyond the point of believability? Are we reaching the end of the line for Darryn Peterson’s hype train?
Of Peterson, The Ringer’s Michael Pina said: “He could honestly be the story of the season—that’s how high Peterson’s year-one ceiling could be.”
He’s already being listed among the NBA’s best players, ranked 83rd overall in ESPN’s recent top 100 list.
During a media availability, Mo Bamba compared his rookie teammate to Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard — two of the defining superstars in the last decade of NBA history.
Perhaps instead of highlighting the rookie Peterson for what he could become, we should anchor our excitement to what he is today. Jusuf Nurkic shrugged off the comparisons Lillard, his teammate while in Portland. He instead insisted that he, as a 13-year NBA veteran, believes Peterson is the most mature young player he’s every shared a court with.
“I’ve never seen in my 13 years a kid coming into the league and be that mature for his age,” he said. “When I see a person like that and a player like that, I really want to help him. I think so far, he’s been nothing but great. … Everyone loves him.”
“I’ve never seen in my 13 years…”
Utah Jazz big man Jusuf Nurkic has been pleasantly surprised by rookie guard Darryn Peterson. 👀 pic.twitter.com/jJu3Gqz8ib
Will Hardy was quoted praising Peterson for his work ethic — a trait many of his Jazz teammates have been quick to recognize. “He’s competitive, tough, excited to be here and a great teammate. His transition to our Utah family has been pretty seamless.”
Get excited about Darryn Peterson — basketball is supposed to be fun, and he’s the player this community has been waiting to witness for what feels like eons — but don’t set your hopes too high. You’ll be delighted to have your hopes shattered in a positive way.
Calvin Barrett is the Associate Editor for SLC Dunk. Originally from Springville, Utah, he currently lives in Japan and has covered the NBA and college athletics since 2024.
And now, after Major League Baseball announced the club’s schedule for the rest of the NLDS on Thursday, more complaints are sure to come.
Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers grounds crew paint a postseason logo on the field prior to practice ahead of a baseball NL Division Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
When the team hits the road for Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-five series, fans back in Los Angeles might have to do some split-screen viewing at work. That’s because both contests will begin at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday and Wednesday — regardless of whether they face the Braves or Phillies at the start of their quest for a World Series three-peat.
The Dodgers’ full NLDS schedule is as follows:
Game 1: Saturday, 1 p.m. at Dodger Stadium on Fox
Game 2: Sunday, 5 p.m. at Dodger Stadium on FS1
Game 3: Tuesday, 3 p.m. in either Atlanta or Philadelphia on FS1
Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, 3 p.m. in either Atlanta or Philadelphia on FS1
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 9, 5 p.m. at Dodger Stadium on Fox
Rest of Dodgers’ NLDS game times have been announced
Saturday’s opener had already drawn the ire of the fan base after being moved into the earlier 1 p.m. time slot — right in the thick of what will be a close-to-100-degree afternoon at Chavez Ravine.
Now, Games 3 and 4 will fall in the middle of a workday on the West Coast, as well, with the Dodgers getting earlier start times on the East Coast thanks, in part, to the Padres hosting Games 3 and 4 of their own NLDS in San Diego later on each night.
Nola threw harder than usual, which is normal for pitchers amped up for a big start, but he could not find the strike zone. His four-seam fastball averaged nearly two miles per hour above his season average but only 32% of his pitches were in the zone. He threw his sinker 37% of the time, about double his season rate. His knuckle curve, which held hitters to a .177 average this season, was barely a quarter of his pitches.
He was chased after a single by Dominic Smith, who was in the lineup because of his past success against Nola. Left-hander Tim Mayza replaced him with Zack Wheeler in the bullpen.
Nola, 33, is the longest-tenured player on the Phillies. He went 7-12 with a 4.67 ERA this season, though he had a 2.45 ERA over 11 starts from late July to late September. He has four years and about $98 million left on the seven-year, $172 million deal he signed in November 2023.
After the U.S. Olympic hero answered some hockey questions, Mleczko said she was glad Hughes was healthy.
"Let's wrap you in bubble wrap and use plastic cutlery this year, that sound good?" she asked.
"I think that's a weird joke. Big game, but ...," Hughes said as he skated away.
Mleczko, a two-time Olympian, said on camera: "No sense of humor here in a big game, but I appreciate his time and he had a good start here this season."
Hughes would go on to score the overtime goal to beat the Flyers 3-2. He tossed his stick into the stands and it was caught by a fan wearing a Jack Hughes Team USA jersey.
The Devils' response to Hughes' goal on social media? "Can't keep him wrapped up."
Hughes had started the 2025-26 season coming off shoulder surgery in the previous season and got off to a strong start. But he needed surgery after cutting his finger at a team dinner in Chicago.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) follows through on a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
Gerrit Cole hasn’t pitched yet in this postseason, but that is certain to change against the Rays in the ALDS.
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For Cole, who missed all of last season — including the playoffs — following Tommy John surgery, it will be worth the wait.
“This time around, I have a different perspective,’’ Cole said in the celebratory clubhouse late Wednesday night. “Having missed it last year to now being right in the thick of it. To overcome the obstacles from the surgery and maintain my performance and be in this position after a lot of hard work, it means a little more this year.”
Cole said of this postseason, “It’s 2.0. A second bite of the apple.”
For Cole, who arrived in The Bronx with much fanfare in December 2020, the goal has always been to get the Yankees — his childhood team — another World Series title.
They took a shot at it in 2024 before falling short to the Dodgers in five games, but now, after tearing his UCL the following spring training, the 36-year-old feels they have a good chance to keep this postseason run going.
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) follows through on a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, Wednesday, September 23, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A big part of that is their rotation, which will be tested more in the best-of-five ALDS against Tampa Bay than in the two-game sweep at home over a Red Sox team that was gasping to the finish line.
At various points during the season, nearly all of the Yankee starters dealt with at least some injury concern, whether it was Cole returning from Tommy John in May, Carlos Rodón also missing the beginning of the season following his offseason elbow surgery or Max Fried battling a bone bruise in his left elbow.
But as the Yankees now head into the heart of the playoffs in the first week of October, their rotation is lined up as well as they could have planned.
“The mix of all of us looks good,” Cole said. “We have four or five unique arms, with completely different stuff and it’s elite.”
The Yankees didn’t announce their rotation order for the ALDS on Wednesday, but Cole and Rodón are in line to pitch Game 1, with Cam Schlittler potentially in Game 2 so he would be available for a Game 5 start.
“However they draw it up, I think we’re in a good spot,’’ Cole said. “Carlos and I will just take the ball and we all have our own unique ways of doing it.”
He believes the same is true of the rest of the team, which showed off some flexibility in the wild-card series, with multiple players playing first base, second, third, center field and right.
For the two games against Boston, they hardly even seemed to miss Aaron Judge, who remains out with a strained calf.
The 2023 Yankees were unable to overcome his absence and missed the playoffs when Judge suffered a torn ligament in his toe.
“It’s taken all of us,’’ Cole said. “We found a way to thrive with a hand behind our back … [and] we have a lot of different ways to beat you.”
Cole hopes he’s one of them in the next round, having last pitched a postseason game in the ugly Game 5 loss to the Dodgers two years ago.
Michael Harris II smacked a three-run home run in the bottom of the first on Thursday, Oct. 1 at Truist Park.
With a 2-0 count, the center fielder took a low pitch from Phillies starter Aaron Nola and swung at his ankles. He sent the ball sailing over Bryce Harper and into the stands in right field.
The home run also scored Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson, who were both walked, and put the Braves up 3-0.
"Ball was a little low, but I was just trying to hit it out," the 2022 Rookie of the Year said on the NBC broadcast before the bottom of the second inning. "I did it."
The series is tied 1-1. The winner will go on to play the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That doesn’t bode well for Dalton Knecht, who could find himself on the outside looking in.
Knecht, the third-year wing the Lakers selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, made a big splash as a rookie.
The Lakers’ roster crunch doesn’t bode well for Dalton Knecht. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He was in the rotation from the start of the 2024-25 season, stepping into the starting lineup in mid-November amid injuries — which produced the best stretch of his brief NBA career: Knecht averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in the final nine games of November 2024 (nine starts).
Even when he hit a shooting slump in January and December, Knecht was still getting consistent playing time as a part of the rotation.
It looked like Knecht was going to come out of the slump after scoring 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting in the Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Feb. 4, 2025.
That was still true during Knecht’s second season with the Lakers in 2025-26: He played 553 total minutes during the regular season across 54 games after recording 1,494 minutes in 78 regular-season games as a rookie.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick commended Dalton Knecht for his approach to training camp. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But with a significant roster reconstruction around star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, there’s plenty of playing time to go around.
“It’s a whole new opportunity for all of us,” Knecht said on media day this week. “Like [coach] JJ [Redick] said, there’s a lot of minutes open.”
But it’s unlikely Knecht will soak up those minutes.
The Lakers still have time before they need to make decisions on trimming their roster. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Until Thursday, Knecht wasn’t mentioned — directly or indirectly — by Redick or president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka during any of their media availabilities.
Other wing players such as free agent additions Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, second-year forward Adou Thiero or rookie wing Cameron Carr had gotten significantly more attention as discussion points.
JJ Redick on Dalton Knecht, who's entering his 3rd season with the Lakers, and his approach to training camp: "First of all, he's been a pro. He's been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he's had a good three days of practice. So I… pic.twitter.com/heNsCTg6px
Not a good sign for Knecht, whom multiple rival executives expect to be the odd man out as the Lakers look to trim their roster from 16 players on standard NBA deals to the league maximum of 15.
“First of all, he’s been a pro,” Redick said of Knecht on Thursday. “He’s been in the gym. Like he has since Day 1, he has worked his butt off all offseason. And he’s had a good three days of practice. So I don’t think his approach changes. I know he’s hungry to play and hungry to earn a spot in the rotation.”
The Lakers still have time to sort out the roster crunch.
As Pelinka pointed out, they don’t have to make a decision until the regular season starts. Remaining practices will determine who’ll stay with the team. And it will give the team time to survey the NBA landscape for consolidation trades.
Even with the minimal things the Lakers have said about Knecht, it’s been what they haven’t said that’s stood out the most.
Jacob Misiorowski held hitters to a .157 batting average this season, the lowest by any pitcher with at least 100 innings since 1990. The San Diego Padres get their first crack at him at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday in Milwaukee. It's the last game of the four on the Division Series' opening day, MLB announced Thursday.
On Wednesday morning, news broke that Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who remains a restricted free agent without a contract, had returned to his native Sweden and is training with Frölunda of the SHL.
Perhaps the most startling element of this saga is not only that Edvinsson is now on the other side of the world with the start of the regular season on deck, but that the club wasn't able to hammer out a new contract with him despite his reporting to Training Camp.
Edvinsson skated with his teammates during camp, taking part in non-scrimmage drills, but he did not appear in any of the team's four preseason contests.
The Swedish defenseman, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, gave every indication that he wants to be part of the club, making his feelings clear by reporting to camp without a contract.
But for reasons that remain officially unknown, what appeared to be a layup for Red Wings interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has now turned into an extremely precarious situation for a club already facing more questions than answers.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the Red Wings would like to sign Edvinsson to a bridge-style contract, which could prove to be a considerable miscalculation given that the salary cap is expected to rise in the near future, potentially making Edvinsson's next contract even more expensive.
For a club that needs to rebuild some goodwill after a turbulent offseason, this was an unfortunate missed opportunity to build positive momentum.
Dylan Larkin wouldn't confirm whether he still wants to be traded, and he won't play in either of Detroit's first two games of the season.
Meanwhile, the club still doesn't have a permanent general manager, having spent two months before naming Horcoff, its former AGM, as interim GM, following Steve Yzerman's departure from the role on July 15.
Additionally, there has been no update on a contract extension for goal-scoring forward Alex DeBrincat, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming season.
All of that is on top of the NHL's longest current postseason drought, 10 years and counting.
Short of boarding a defunct Concorde jet, Edvinsson won't be in Detroit on Friday evening when the Red Wings open the season against the visiting New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena.
For now, that means the Red Wings will have to make do without their second-best defenseman, who made it clear he wanted to be with the team by reporting to Training Camp despite being unsigned in a show of good faith.
Unfortunately, this only adds to the mounting uncertainty surrounding the Red Wings as they begin their 101st NHL season, with the expectation of legitimate Stanley Cup contention now feeling like a distant memory and the organization facing increasingly pressing questions about where it goes from here.
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Derrin Horton has been hired as the Los Angeles Lakers' next public address announcer on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Horton will take over the role at the Lakers’ home games at Crypto.com Arena. He will be a familiar face to some, having worked as a sports broadcaster for more than 35 years.
Horton has served as an anchor, reporter, host and play-by-play announcer covering a variety of sports during his career.
He will announce his first Lakers’ game – a preseason contest against the Sacramento Kings – on Thursday, Oct. 8.
“There’s no way you can fill his shoes,” Horton told the media. “And so you just come here with a passion and a goal to be informative and entertaining and be a part of Showtime.”
Tanter spent more than 43 seasons with the Lakers. He suffered a stroke on March 17 and missed the last six regular-season home games and the postseason. He announced his retirement in June and was expected to transition to a game-day advisory role.
Fans came out in droves to see “The Rivalry” play out in the postseason.
Tuesday’s Yankees-Red Sox wild-card matchup averaged 7.3 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, the most-watched Game 1 among wild-card and division series games in 20 years, the network reported Thursday.
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The 9-0 Yankees win was the most-viewed game of its category since Game 1 of the Tigers-Yankees ALDS series in 2006.
Tuesday’s game peaked at 8.5 million viewers from 9-9:15 p.m. ET, and posted an overall 12 percent increase from last year’s Yankees-Red Sox wild-card series Game 1.
New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) greets designated hitter Ben Rice (22) after the final out of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 29, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Both games saw the Yankees’ offense explode for late-inning rallies, with the Bombers scoring five runs in the eighth of Game 1 and six runs in the sixth of Game 2.
“I thought we did a lot of good things offensively,” Boone said following Game 2, “whether it was obviously a couple big long balls, Spencer legs out a strikeout to start the big inning, the stolen base comes into play, we put some balls in play, a couple of really well-computed bunt situations.”
New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. reacts as he rounds the base on his solo home run in the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 30, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
In the National League, Tuesday’s Phillies-Braves matchup was the most-watched afternoon wild-card Game 1 of all time, averaging 3.9 million viewers across NBC and Peacock.
The 5-3 Braves win, which peaked at 5 million viewers from 4:30-4:45 p.m. ET, was a 15 percent increase from the Padres-Cubs Game 1 wild-card matchup in 2025.
The historic numbers come during NBC’s return to MLB playoff broadcasting for the first time in 25 years.
These increases also appear to be reflective league-wide this season, with Front Office Sports reporting in May that national MLB broadcasts were up 44 percent compared to last year.
In-game attendance also grew for the fourth straight season, with 71.5 million fans going to games in 2026, the most since 2017.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Draymond Green #23 (R) of the Golden State Warriors stands with head coach Steve Kerr during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are a lot of questions facing the Golden State Warriors ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season. Some of them are complex and nuanced, but some of them are as simple as can be. Such as: who starts?
Golden State kicked off training camp on Monday in Hawaii, and that question is one that likely won’t be answered for weeks. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Steve Kerr revealed that three-time All-Star Draymond Green will definitively be in the starting lineup. Add in the obvious starter — Steph Curry — and that leaves three spots up for grabs.
And according to Kerr, all three of those spots are there for the taking. After emphasizing that Green would be a starter, the team’s coach — who re-signed for two years this offseason — was asked if there’s an open competition for the other three positions. “Yeah. For sure. Yeah,” Kerr said while nodding his head. “Nothing has been decided at this point.” Because the prior question had been about Gui Santos, Kerr added, “Gui’s right in there, in the mix for being a starter.”
Steve Kerr made it clear yesterday that Draymond Green will remain in the starting lineup with Steph Curry
Today, I asked if the other three spots are an open competition: “Yeah, for sure. Nothing has been decided.” pic.twitter.com/6uDSwFHkcf
There are lots of good options for Kerr to choose from, including Santos, newcomer Brandon Williams, and rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, among many others. Choosing a starting lineup, however, is made more difficult due to the serious injuries that will sideline Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody for the first few months of the season, the constant injuries and ailments that Kristaps Porziņģis (who is currently out indefinitely) deals with, and the fact that Al Horford doesn’t play back-to-backs. As such, it seems likely that the Warriors will not have a set starting lineup this season, and will rotate through a few different options.
While it will likely be a while before we know who suits up when the season begins on October 21, Kerr did reveal the starting five for Sunday’s preseason opener: Curry, Green, Lendeborg, Horford, and Brandin Podziemski.
