Happy birthday to a World Series winner but an utterly hopeless infielder, five-year South Siders Skeeter Webb.
1909 Skeeter Webb was born, in Meridian, Miss. The five-year White Sox player has the distinction of being one of the worst second basemen of all time, ranking as the 1,513th-best at the position per JAWS as of 2026. Aside from a one-game debut in 1932 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932, every season Webb played in the majors was a negative-WAR effort, including five years in Chicago that amassed -2.5 WAR.
1959 White Sox pitching standout and central Black Sox World Series fixer Lefty Williams died in Laguna Beach, Calif.
Williams had just six games under his belt (1913-14) with the Detroit Tigers when the White Sox bought him out of the Pacific Coast League, where he’d spent 1915 killing it with the Salt Lake City Bees (33-12, 2.84 ERA in 418 2⁄3 innings pitched). Almost immediately he took on a regular load with the White Sox, averaging 287 2⁄3 innings pitched in his four full White Sox seasons (discounting 1918, part of which was spent in the shipyards as World War I service).
His numbers, though amazing by today’s standards, were average in pre-Live Ball times (for example, his career 3.13 ERA is actually just a 99 ERA+, a step below average). Still, in his two true, full-time starter seasons (1919 and 1920), Williams ran up 9.0 WAR, on the brink of All-Star level play — and at 27 years old, several peak seasons could still have been on the board for Lefty.
However, that all changed, as Williams lost a record three World Series games in 1919 and was unquestionably the player with the biggest impact on the thrown Series. While Williams had a -0.58 WPA for the series that was matched by Swede Risberg, his -24.38% cWPA far outpaced anyone else on the roster; in traditional numbers, the starter went 0-3 with a 6.61 ERA and eight walks against four Ks.
After his suspension by Charles Comiskey and subsequent banishment from baseball in 1921, Williams barnstormed and drank, often at the same time. He we worked in landscaping, and unlike co-conspirator Chick Gandil, never spoke of or professed his innocence over the Black Sox scandal.
1965 “El Señor,” manager Al Lopez, resigned his position with the White Sox for health reasons. Perhaps the greatest manager in franchise history, Lopez had nine winning seasons in his nine full-time years as Sox manager. He won the 1959 American League pennant, and was coming off of back-to-back-to-back 90 plus-win seasons in 1963, 1964 and 1965. The Sox averaged 96 wins per season during that time span, and those seasons remain the best three-season stretch in team history. Lopez’s 840 wins are second-most all-time for the White Sox. His 11 years managing in Chicago combined with six in Cleveland earned him induction into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 1977.
Lopez had expressed a desire to retire from managing after each of those stellar mid-60s seasons. He moved into the front office as a team vice president, helping steer the manager search along with GM Ed Short and owner Art Allyn.
Yankees scout Mayo Smith and Sox coach Charlie Metro were early favorites to replace Lopez, the club had amassed a list of nearly two dozen possible replacements. Eddie Stanky would be named to replace Lopez on December 14, but Lopez would come back to manage the White Sox in 1968 … replacing Stanky.
2012 Legendary Chicago Bulls announcer and Chicago native Jim Durham passed away in Tomball, Texas. Durham broadcasted play-by-play for the White Sox in 1988-89 and was a national baseball voice for ESPN Radio from 1998 to 2012.
Durham’s most memorable broadcasting call was for “The Shot” by Michael Jordan that upset the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs in 1989:
The inbounds pass comes in to Jordan. Here’s Michael at the foul line, the shot on Ehlo … GOOD!
(Johnny Kerr: THE BULLS WIN! THEY WIN!)
They upset the Cleveland Cavaliers! Michael Jordan hits it at the foul line!
(Kerr: WOOOH!)
101-100! 20,273 in stunned silence here in the [Richfield] Coliseum. Michael Jordan with 44 points in the game hit the shot over Craig Ehlo. What tremendous heroics we have had in Game 5, from both teams, what a spectacular series this has been. In my days in the NBA, 16 years, this is the greatest series I’ve ever seen!
2023 After an utterly dismal 2023 season of -2.0 WAR that ranked in a tie for third-worst ever in White Sox history among position players, Tim Anderson was released. The club bought him out for $1 million rather than commit to Tim’s $14 million option for 2024.
Anderson left the White Sox with 16.2 WAR for his career, ranking 39th all-time among hitters and as the ninth-best shortstop in club history. He was Chicago’s first round choice in 2013, and matriculated to the majors just three years later. His natural shyness quickly gave way to a motormouth personality that tended to get under the skin of opponents. Anderson was a two-time All-Star, won one Silver Slugger, and finished seventh in 2020 MVP voting while in Chicago.
The gamble taken by the White Sox did pay off, as Anderson signed a one-year deal with Miami and had an even worse season in 2024, sucking -1.5 WAR from the Marlins in just 63 games played.
As it stands — it seems unlikely that Anderson will see the major leagues again — Anderson’s closest career comp, with a 93.7% similarity score, is Alexei Ramírez, who Anderson replaced at shortstop for the White Sox.
The Montreal Canadiens hosted the poor Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. The visitors came to town having lost their last nine games, making them, at least on paper, easy prey for the Sainte-Flanelle, but the match is played on the ice as Montreal found out. The game also gave us a chance to see the new Hometown Remix jerseys in action, as the hosts wore them for the first of 10 times this year.
As has been the case lately, a lot of scouting staff were in the press gallery. Most notably, the Anaheim Ducks sent director of pro scouting and former Quebec Nordiques player Tony Hrkac; the Calgary Flames sent head of pro scouting Steven Pleau; the Dallas Stars sent head pro scout Craig Bonner; and the Philadelphia Flyers sent assistant GM Alyn McCauley. Given how close to a crash landing the Jets were, though, it’s a real possibility that they were the team being scouted.
The Jets may have three netminders on their roster, but they keep going back to Stuart Skinner for reasons unknown. He has been in net for six of the Jets' last nine losses and surrendered five goals in each of his last two starts, being yanked out of the game both times.
In the first frame, the Habs tested him only seven times, but that was enough to score twice. Owen Beck beat him from the defensive-zone left faceoff circle, and Josh Anderson beat him on a backhand from the high slot. That made the Bell Centre crowd start chanting his name with the same energy as Superintendent Chalmers, A.K.A. Hank Azaria, whenever Seymour Skinner messed up on The Simpsons.
In the next two periods, the Habs had seven more shots, but they could add only one goal in each. That was a 4-0 lead that should have been enough for the Canadiens to skate away with the two points, but it wasn’t. Skinner had the last laugh and won a game for the first time since October 13.
A Proud Moment For the Xhekaj Family
By now, the Xhekajs are used to playing together, but on Tuesday night, for the first time, they both had a hand in the same goal. Each brother got an assist on Beck’s tally. They became the ninth set of brothers in Canadiens’ history to get a point on the same goal. The last pair to do it was the Kostistyn brothers in 2009, but Odie and Sprague Cleghorn first accomplished the feat more than 100 years ago, on March 5, 1925. Unfortunately for the Xhekajs, though, that won’t be what their night will be remembered for.
Fowler Power
While the Canadiens were heavily favoured to win, they led for 58 minutes, but as Martin St-Louis said, they were winning, but they weren’t beating the Jets. If the youngster looked human in his last start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was in top form on Tuesday, multiplying the saves and throwing in some spectacular ones as well. After 40 minutes, he had already made 30 saves, and it looked like he was getting to the Jets, but they didn’t give up.
Although Fowler gave up five goals on the night, the loss wasn't on him at all. After the game, Jets coach Scott Arniel said:
“...that young Fowler kid? Wow... that’s twice now I’ve seen him, and I don’t want to see him again..."
- Arniel on Fowler
That illustrates how well Fowler played, and the Jets coach will be happy to know that was the last game between the two teams this season.
An Historical Collapse
With a 4-0 lead in the third frame, Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves against Winnipeg’s tough guy Tyrel Bauer, a tilt most people had predicted before the puck dropped. Although he hadn’t fought in nearly 10 months, Xhekaj won his bout and received an ovation from the crowd on his way to the box. In the very next shift, the Canadiens dominated puck possession in the Jets’ zone, and it looked like the fight had given them momentum. However, a little over two minutes later, Florian joined him in the box for roughing while Neil Pionk suffered the same fate for the Jets.
As soon as their penalty ended, the younger Xhekaj jumped on Pionk and tried to get him to fight, but the defenseman had none of it. Captain Adam Lowry took over, threw his mitts against number 63, and made short work of the bout. With 4:58 left in the game, it was a big momentum swing.
With 2:40 left in the game, the Jets got on the board and added another 42 seconds later. A minute later, with six skaters on the ice, they scored a third and then, on a power play, a fourth at 19:27. They finished the job in overtime on a Lane Hutson turnover, point, set, and match Winnipeg. No matter how you look at it, the better team on the night won.
Speaking after the game, St-Louis refused to blame either Xhekaj for the loss:
We got what we deserved if you look at the whole game. Forget about the score or anything else; Winnipeg was the better team tonight. But it was 4-0, and they scored with 2:40 to go; it’s how you let that game slip away…it’s a shame, and it’s hard to explain how it happened. I’ve never been part of a game like that. […] The first fight was ok; in the second, we led 4-0 with five minutes left. I don’t think that, at that point, you think it will affect the game.
- St-Louis refused to throw Florian Xhekaj under the bus.
The Canadiens will need to bounce back from that tough loss, but as Kaiden Guhle said, it’s similar to the loss against the San Jose Sharks and, just like then, the sun will come up in the morning. Still, the NHL confirmed that this four-goal comeback was the latest in league history. No team had ever been down by four with 2:40 left and managed to win the game. That’s hardly a record the Canadiens wanted to be a part of.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 14: Aidan Miller #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a warm up toss during a game between the Peoria Javelinas and Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Election season is over, which means no more political commercials on TV. Now, we just get to hear about the politics of baseball via negotiations.
Happy birthday to John Grabow, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1959 – Ernie Banks wins his second National League MVP Award in a row on the strength of his 45 home runs and 143 RBI for the Chicago Cubs. Eddie Mathews finishes second, and 2016 – Five million fans turn out for the Cubs’World Series victory parade in downtown Chicago, IL, 108 years in the making. The Chicago River is dyed in blue to celebrate the long-awaited title, and other stories as well.
1973 – NHL Chicago Black Hawks center Stan Mikita registers his 1,000 NHL career point in 5-3 loss to the Minnesota North Stars at the Met Centre, Bloomington, Minnesota.
1979 – 500 Iranian students loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini seize the US Embassy in Tehran, taking 90 hostages for 444 days.
1989 – Alexanderplatz demonstrations for political reforms draw over half a million people in East Berlin, significant event that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
1884 – Grover Cleveland (D) beats James G. Blaine (R) for his 1st presidential term, later becoming first US President to serve 2 non-consecutive terms.
1924 – Calvin Coolidge is elected to a full term as President of the United States, defeating Democrat candidate John W. Davis.
1980 – Republican candidate Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States, defeating incumbent Democrat US President Jimmy Carter by a landslide.
2008 – Barack Obama becomes the first African-American to be elected President of the United States, defeating Republican candidate John McCain.
Today in music history:
1961 – American folk singer-songwriter Bob Dylan makes his Carnegie Hall (NYC) debut; tickets priced at $2.00.
1967 – British rock band Pink Floyd make US live debut, sharing the bill with Big Brother & The Holding Company, and singer-songwriter Richie Havens, at the Winterland Auditorium, San Francisco, California.
1968 – Capitol Records releases “Wichita Lineman,” the 12th album by Glen Campbell (Billboard Album of the Year, 1969).
1984 – Funk-rocker Prince opens his “Purple Rain” tour featuring his new band ‘The Revolution’ with the 1st of seven shows at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
1996 – British girl group the Spice Girls release their debut album “Spice,” it goes on to sell 23 million copies.
1997 – Mercury Nashville Records releases “Come On Over,” the third studio album by country music singer Shania Twain (Billboard Album of the Year, 1999).
2003 – “Shock’n Y’all,” the eighth studio album by Toby Keith is released (Billboard Album of the Year 2004).
Dec 7, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; MLB commissioner Rob Manfred looks on during the presentation of the Allan H. Selling Award for philanthropic excellence during the 2022 MLB Winter Meetings at Manchester Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Good morning Birdland,
November is usually a “paperwork” type of month in baseball. Options getting accepted or declined. Qualifying offers and arbitration decisions going out. 40-man roster shuffling. The bigger stuff tends to happen later. But whether or not we can even get to those marquee moves all depends on if/when a new CBA can be agreed to. At the moment, it’s all up in the air. But we do have some news there.
Major League Baseball has delivered a proposal that makes a couple of headline changes from their last offer. First, the salary cap and floor system they wish to implement remains, but they have increased the threshold for both. Second, implementaion for those requirements would be delayed until 2028, giving teams one full season to become compliant.
The floor in this latest proposal has been lifted from $171.2 million to $180.2 million, while the cap has gone from $245.3 million up to $258.2 million. All of these numbers refer to the Competitive Balance Tax numbers. The Orioles CBT for 2026 was about $220 million. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Padres, Red Sox, and Cubs would have some cutting to do. Twelve other teams would need to spend, at least a little, to reach the necessary payroll, including both the Brewers and Rays.
In addition, there were several other changes or agreements from the prior proposal:
The period to hit free agency would be reduced from six years to five years for 30-year-old players
The qualifying offer system would be eliminated, so no more draft pick compensation attached to free agents.
Minimum salaries would increase from $780,000 to $1 million for players with at least two years of service, and up to $900,000 for players with less than two years.
The Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool will increase by 30% from $50 million in ‘26 to $65 million in ‘27, and then eventually to $75 million by the end of the CBA.
The Prospect Promotion Incentive program will be expanded to allow prospects to earn their team up to two selections in their career (one domestic and one international)
The number of times a player can be optioned in a season would be reduced from five to four and there would be no more fourth option years
Weekly rosters would be implemented, preventing players from being optioned or outrighted during the “playing week”
Changes to Rule 5 draft that would require players to be protected one year sooner, and would allow claiming clubs to option players to the minors.
None of this has been finalized, and it is entirely possible that much of this changes before an agreement is actually made. Many of these things are quite good for the players, but the continued presence of a cap is going to be a sticking point. Players do not want it. The owners clearly do. That single reason is why a lockout feels inevitable.
With that understood, it’s fair to say that this proposal feels more like public relations than it does a real offer from the league at this point. The changes read as very conciliatory and player friendly. And yes, there is certainly some good stuff in here. But it will be interesting to see if all of these stick should the proposed salary cap eventually be removed. Ultimately, that is the whole ball game.
Notes on arbitration eligibles, Kjerstad’s exit and latest free agent projections | Roch Kubatko It’s a shame how things worked out for Heston Kjerstad here in Baltimore. There is clearly offensive talent in him, but his health just would never cooperate for long enough to show it. Hopefully he gets a chance somewhere that can give him some extended big league at-bats to prove himself.
5 big-swing trade ideas for the Orioles to consider | The Banner The headline is no joke! Some of these ideas would be a massive trades. Reid Detmers is mentioned, and he does feel like “The Guy” that Mike Elias would covet this offseason. Young, left-handed, under team control for a long time. It would be great. But he’s also coming off of a career-best season, and every other team sees the same thing. A deal would be expensive.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Johnathan Rodríguez turns 27 today. The outfielder played in seven games for the Orioles this past season, including several starts as the team’s clean-up hitter. It was a weird season.
Larry Bigbie is 49 years old. The O’s first-round pick in 1999, Bigbie would play parts of five seasons in Baltimore from 2001 through ‘05. Then he was traded to the Rockies in a swap for Eric Byrnes.
Doug Corbett is 74 today. The right-handed reliever appeared in 11 games out of the Orioles bullpen in 1987.
The late Tito Francona (b. 1933, d. 2018) was born on this day. His MLB career began with the Orioles from 1956-57. After the ‘57 season he was part of a seven-player trade with the Chicago White Sox.
This day in O’s history
1975 – Jim Palmer wins his second Cy Young Award, coming off a season in which he led the AL in wins, shutouts, and ERA.
2002 – Orioles pitcher Rodrigo López finishes second in the voting for AL Rookie of the Year. He had a 3.57 ERA over 196.2 innings. Blue Jays slugger Eric Hinske finishes first.
2014 – J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis are named Gold Glove winners at their respective positions. It’s the third straight year for Hardy and Jones, but it’s Markakis’ first win since 2011.
Basketball: NBA Playoffs: San Antonio Spurs George Gervin (44) in action vs Boston Celtics John Havlicek (17) at HemisFair Arena. Game 2. San Antonio, TX 4/15/1977 CREDIT: Manny Millan (Photo by Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X21381 )
This season the Spurs unveiled their City Edition jerseys with a throwback video:
The reveal, which featured Spurs 2025 draftees Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper, starts in an animated form while the voice of Spurs legend George “The Iceman” Gervin narrates. The duo, who played in the NBA Finals as rookies, eventually appear in place of the animation.
The spot goes on to show Bryant and harper pulled the iconic red, white, and blue ABA balls from the trunk of a classic lowrider, eventually showcasing this years jersey.
Now you can enter to win the Classic on the Court Giveaway.
Per a Spurs press release:
“Straight from the HemisFair Arena days, a Spurs classic could be yours! Enter the Classic on the Court Giveaway pres. by Ledger for your chance to win a Classic Edition jersey inspired by the original home uniforms worn in downtown San Antonio, plus tickets and more.”
Prize Includes: 🎟️(2) tickets to Spurs vs. Pacers on Jan. 6th 👕 Classic Edition jersey 🏀 ABA basketball 🔐 Ledger device
Sean Elliott has promoted the idea that the Spurs should play with the ABA tri-colored ball when they host games in the City Edition jerseys. Perhaps he will get his wish.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 16: (L-R) Phoenix Mercury and Suns owner, Mat Ishbia and Devin Booker attend the WNBA game against the Portland Fire at Mortgage Matchup Center on August 16, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. 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
We currently find ourselves in the trenches, five games into the season, with the Phoenix Suns sitting at 1-4. And when you’re down in the trenches, you typically don’t have the luxury of looking at things from 30,000 feet. There’s too much happening around you, and the moment you start thinking too big or too far into the future, something changes that demands your immediate attention. Such is life. Ultimately, what defines quality strategy is the ability to balance the immediate challenges in front of you with the health and viability of your franchise over the long term.
But there’s a realization slowly creeping into the frontal lobes of our brains, something we’ve been actively trying to avoid thinking about because we know that once we accept it as reality, the outlook becomes increasingly frustrating and dystopian. Last year’s team saved us from these thoughts. This year’s team may not be able to. The Suns don’t own their own draft capital, and no matter what happens, sucking as a basketball team provides them absolutely no benefit.
The reality of professional sports is that teams ebb and flow. The advantage of possessing your own draft assets is that when an inevitable down season arrives, you have an opportunity to turn that adversity into something useful. Down seasons can happen for a multitude of reasons, with injuries often being the primary culprit. You struggle for a year, acquire a valuable asset through the draft, and get back to work. If you’re a perpetually bad team, the draft provides a pathway toward rebuilding your roster.
There’s no perfect formula for constructing a championship roster, or even one that’s consistently competitive. Throughout NBA history, organizations have employed numerous strategies with varying degrees of success. But as we look at the season ahead, we’re staring at a Suns team that appears disjointed and poorly constructed. The roster features expensive players with duplicative skill sets, an abundance of undersized contributors, and injuries that only complicate matters further.
Things can get really bad in Phoenix, really quickly. The most unsettling part? There’s no eject button.
You might believe that trading Devin Booker is ultimately the answer, but it’s not. Perhaps Booker is overvalued as an asset within the Phoenix market because of everything he’s meant to this organization and how long he’s been its centerpiece. His value on the trade market may ultimately produce a return that falls short of what Suns fans envision. If that return includes multiple first-round picks, there’s a very real possibility those selections end up being far less desirable than what Phoenix would need to meaningfully rebuild over the long term.
There was a time in the not too distant past when some team would've thrown the farm at Phoenix for Booker. Now, you see a 30 YO whose 3-point shooting has declined, who rarely gets to the rim, who needs a certain type of PG, that's not a "whole draft" kind of player anymore. https://t.co/d3miUqUsIW
Booker is now 30, which isn’t what you would classify as “old”. At least, you wouldn’t have 10 years ago. Kirk Golderberry of The Ringer, however, recently delved into the decline in players over 30 and their impact on the game:
During the 2025-26 regular season, players 30 and older made up just 17.5 percent of the NBA. That’s the lowest share in at least 30 years. Meanwhile, for the seventh straight season, more than half the league (54.6 percent) was 25 or younger. In 1997-98, that number was just 36 percent.
Yeah, that wasn’t exactly my favorite read of the week. Nothing quite like being reminded that the guy who’s supposed to be in his prime and leading this team to victories is rapidly becoming antiquated in a league that increasingly values youth and durability over sustainability and longevity. Great. Fantastic. Love that for us.
I had someone suggest trading Devin Booker to the Detroit Pistons for Ausar Thompson and four first-round picks. As unlikely as that scenario might be, let’s play it out.
The Suns acquire Ausar Thompson, meaning they’re now building around Jalen Green, Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, and Khaman Maluach. How many games is that team winning? My guess is they’re a .500 team at best. Let’s say, in a best-case scenario, Phoenix somehow ends up with the sixth seed in the Western Conference, although reality probably suggests they’re a Play-In team at best. Regardless, because the Suns don’t control their own draft pick, they’re handing that selection over to Houston. No, the Suns get the worst pick between Cleveland, Minnesota, and Utah. For thought exercise purposes, let’s say Phoenix receives the 25th overall selection.
But wait! You traded Devin Booker to Detroit for four first-round picks! Except now Booker is playing alongside Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and suddenly the Pistons look fantastic because Booker is operating in a role that better suits him. Detroit hypothetically ends up with the 24th pick.
So Phoenix walks into next year’s draft holding the 24th and 25th overall selections. Cool. No high-end prospects. No obvious game changers. Instead, you’re selecting a pair of developmental projects, hoping they possess enough transferable skills to become viable rotation players three years down the road. You get a couple of Ryan Dunns.
There’s no easy fix for the Suns. When Murray or Sabonis are your trade solutions, you’re fucked.
Tanking is pointless without your picks. Trading Booker for picks from contenders means rebuilding through the late first round.
Then it becomes rinse and repeat. Every year, the Suns are struggling to assemble a competitive roster, attempting to do so with Detroit’s draft capital while their own selections remain outside their control.
Why am I bringing this up five games into the season? Why am I looking at the bigger picture when I should be focusing on Portland tonight? I think it’s because the potential worst-case scenario is beginning to unfold before our eyes. And while the fan base desperately rushes to trade machines, searching for some magical combination of transactions that will fix everything, the reality is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. This is a very hard situation to fix.
Perhaps it’s because I’m seeing the suggestions people are putting out there, and while I understand the strategy behind many of these proposed deals, I ultimately find myself asking one question. How the hell did we get here?
To me, the answer is simple: Bradley Beal.
I know plenty of people will argue that acquiring Kevin Durant was the beginning of the downfall of the Phoenix Suns, and I don’t completely disagree. That move was a step in the wrong direction, one that could ultimately take this organization a decade to recover from. The Suns had what makes teams successful in today’s NBA: youth, connectivity, chemistry, and a veteran presence to stabilize it all. It’s reminiscent of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns, a team that was ahead of its time. By the time the rest of the league caught up to that philosophy, Phoenix had already moved on to something different, never fully capitalizing on the strategy it helped pioneer.
Through that lens, I can accept the argument that Durant’s acquisition was the root cause of where we find ourselves today. As for the extracurricular drama he brought to the organization, and the notion that his presence was ultimately more detrimental than productive, I politely disagree. Sure, there were extracurriculars with Kevin Durant. Nobody knows that better than I do. But he was also an elite scorer, someone you could rely on at virtually any moment to get you a bucket. It was the moves made around him that ultimately sunk this team, and none was more damaging than acquiring Bradley Beal.
The Suns acquired a depreciating asset whose skill set was largely duplicative of Devin Booker’s, sacrificed the remainder of their available draft capital to do so, and inherited a no-trade clause that made an already difficult situation even worse. Ultimately, they had to buy Beal out and stretch the financial consequences across multiple seasons.
BREAKING: The Washington Wizards are trading three-time All-Star Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, a handful of second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps, league sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
Think about this team right now and how differently you might view it with an additional $19.3 million in payroll flexibility. Need a point guard? How about another big man who can actually rebound? That money could help address those issues, but it’s unavailable because the Suns waived Bradley Beal. And the ancillary draft capital that could facilitate additional transactions? That’s gone, too, because they shipped it away to acquire Bradley fucking Beal.
That’s the deal we’re going to continue paying for through 2030. That’s the transaction whose consequences continue to suffocate this franchise, even after the player himself is long gone. And that’s the draft capital we sacrificed, capital that could have been used to facilitate the very transactions this team so desperately needs today.
The reality of what the Phoenix Suns might become if they aren’t a competitive basketball team is something we accepted at the beginning of last season. The thought process at the time was that eventually we’d trade Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, Dillon Brooks was a throw-in from the Kevin Durant trade, and Jalen Green had enough upside to warrant seeing what he could become. Expectations were low as we prepared for this dommsdat scenario to play out. Phoenix surprised us, however, winning 45 games.
The team did eventually trade Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, and in return acquired Miles Bridges, who thus far has probably been the most consistent player on the team. But we also surrendered our 2033 first-round pick to make it happen. Why? Nobody fucking knows. Because the Suns “expect to be good”, right? They operate as though they’ll never need a contingency plan, and when circumstances inevitably demand one, they’re screwed.
Jalen Green has upside. He has athleticism. And he absolutely does not fit on this team. If he were making $16 million a year, perhaps I wouldn’t think much of it. But he’s making $36.3 million this season and another $36 million next year, with a player option he’s almost certainly going to exercise because he’s unlikely to command that kind of money on the open market. So the Suns are left holding the bag. Again.
When was the last time the Suns made a trade and actually won it? When was the last time you looked back three years after a transaction and thought, you know what, “Slam dunk for Phoenix”? The Barkley trade? KJ?
That’s why I’m feeling so much doom and gloom right now. That’s where the frustration comes from. The reality we managed to put off last season because the team overperformed is beginning to show signs of coming to fruition this year. Now another year has passed, Devin Booker’s trade value isn’t getting any higher, and even if it were, it wouldn’t change the fundamental problem. This franchise simply cannot benefit from being a losing basketball team.
I’m writing this because I see all the solutions people are desperately trying to come up with to save the Suns, and every time another proposal surfaces, I find myself asking the same questions: How? Why? Is Dejounte Murray going to be the guy who saves this franchise? Domantas Sabonis? Are those really the answers to the problems we’re facing? No.
The fact that we’ve reached the point of entertaining those possibilities only five games into the season says plenty about the long-term outlook of this organization. And perhaps that’s what I’m really doing here. Trying to mentally prepare myself for a reality we’ve spent the past year hoping we’d never have to confront.
The Suns can improve their execution, find better lineup combinations, and perhaps salvage something from this season. But none of that changes the underlying reality. This organization has sacrificed its flexibility, its financial resources, and its ability to benefit from failure. Five games into the season, we’re already contemplating the consequences of decisions made years ago. The Suns aren’t necessarily doomed to lose. They’re trapped in a situation where losing doesn’t help them win tomorrow.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 30: Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics high-fives Mitchell Robinson #4 during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the TD Garden on October 30, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ok, for full disclosure, the question in the title wasn’t actually asked. But that is the kind of vibe this mailbag has, so I felt it was representative of the overall feel. And as a reminder, I did ask people to provide their hot takes and questions. So don’t be mad that people delivered. Don’t hate the playa, hate the game. Which, would honestly be fair in this case.
Red_Auerbach_Junior
Hot take 1: Big Country looks out of shape. Over the first few games he’s playing well below how he has performed in prior seasons. I will be interested to see if this continues or if this is a product of the team getting used to Big Mitch and him getting used to the team.
The boring/optimistic answer is to preach patience and give him time to acclimate to his new surroundings and role. The concern is that these things don’t always work out as we would hope. He had a specific role in New York and thrived in that system. What if he doesn’t work within the Celtics structure? We haven’t even hit the first time missed due to injury that we all expected.
At the moment I’m not overly worried (once again, small sample size) but it is something to keep an eye on.
Hot take 2: Derrick White should be traded. There are many trade approaches that could be taken, his contract could be used to grab either another center or forward in an effort to lean into Peyton, Baylor, Hugo, and Ron stepping up to fill his role/shift the ball handler role more onto JT and PG13, the other would be to find a way to make a trade exception, have the aforementioned bench players absorb some of those minutes and also create minutes for Chris Cenac. Ultimately Derrick White is close to his athletic downturn. His playstyle, though not nearly as reliant on his athletic ability, does operate on the right side of a thin margin that contributes of his ability to stay in front, react defensively, and generally use what athletic ability he does have to keep up with the more athletic players he usually is tasked with guarding. Losing a half step, which I believe he is in the process of doing, will put him on the WRONG side of that margin and we need to deal him before he is on the wrong side of that margin.
I love, love, love Derrick White. I do not want to trade Derrick White. I will fight for Derrick White.
With all that said, it is hard to argue that he might be a logical option to move. Not necessarily this year, but perhaps by this coming offseason. Smart GM’s tend to move on from players before they lose a step and White’s shooting woes last year indicate that he might be close to that downturn you are talking about.
He has a large (but not max) contract that could be paired with picks or players to bring back another star or an impact long-term piece.
With all that said, I’d be very reluctant to move White until one or two of the younger players has firmly established themselves as consistent performers. Not just “shows us something occasionally” but contributing on both ends on a nightly basis. You need consistent, effective adults on the floor to win games.
Hot take 3: we should flip Garza and give his minutes to Chris Cenac. Right now Garza is the much better player by a decent margin. I agree that the current minute allocation where Garza is the third big in the rotation will lead to the most wins throughout the season. However, Chris and Luka fill very similar niches when they are on the floor. Giving Chris those minutes now will lead to more winning further down the line. The one drawback is that Cenac starts to click early which will increase his value when his rookie contract ends which may cause an unnecessary increase in his first contract negotiations.
I legitimately don’t think either of those last two things will happen, but for the first one I am optimistic that we will see an improvement of Mitch’s fit within the next few games…
I support the idea of finding minutes for Cenac, but I don’t think we necessarily need to bench Garza to get them. First of all, I think he could use the reps in Maine. Secondly, I think there will be plenty of scheduled (or sometimes unscheduled) games off for Mitchell or Queta and there will be opportunities for Cenac to play on the 2nd night of a back-t0-back or in garbage time.
Micah Wilson
I should probably be writing in all caps, cus that’s how people seem to talk on ESPN, but I’ll restrain myself.
Hot take 1: Luka Garza is the Celtics best offensive rebounder.
No disagreement here. At least for now.
Hot take 2: Mitchell Robinson retires mid-season and joins Monster Jam, a place where his truck actually fits in the parking garage.
I wonder if Joe has had any thoughts about “borrowing” the truck to use as a getaway vehicle for his next theoretical ballpark heist.
hurdler17
Queta earned the starting spot last year, and Mitch is did not come in prepared to take over the starting spot. Queta should play the start and ends of the quarters, staggering his rest to be able to play 24-30 mpg. Mitch should play shorter stints in the middle of quarters to about 18-24 mpg; and Luka plays as needed. Refs are morons and they have a quicker whistle for backups. Let Queta’s experience and reputation grow as a starter.
Mitch’s minutes are about the same, points steady, rebounds way down, fouls up, blocks down. He’s a career backup that should be beating up on other backups. Nobody is doing hack-a-mitch at the beginning of quarters. He’s not playing like a starter, and Queta is thrown into a completely different environment from where he was a steady performer last year.
I will admit, I haven’t had a strong take on which big should start. I can see the argument for both of them. Both of them are what I would consider starting quality bigs (based on performance in previous seasons). Both could and should thrive in a bench role. Both should get about the same number of minutes.
The rest is just about fit and chemistry with the units that they play with. I tend to think that the worries about hack-a-Mitch are a bit over-stated. It seems more important to me that he knows where to be on the court and how his teammates are going to be delivering the ball (or how their shots come off the rim). That will take time to develop and the coaching staff is going to need to see what downstream impacts occur in various lineup combinations.
Hmm, that answer seems pretty boring. Is this where I should suggest that he’s washed and the team should trade him as soon as possible (December 15th I believe)? Asking for a friend.
tunaboats
The Celtics will continue to win exactly 3 out of every 4 games and finish the season with 61.5 wins, including the first tie in NBA history.
Now I’m trying to think of the scenario that would result in a tie. Maybe both teams would have to foul out all their players with the score tied. In theory that could happen if the team’s got into a benches clearing brawl right off the tipoff (not that I’m rooting for that).
Oh, what if Tatum and Brown decide to play a full game of 1 on 1, telling all their teammates to clear out (you know, like they typically did in clutch time for years). Each one pounds the ball for 20 seconds, takes a side-step 3 pointer that clangs off the rim, the other one rebounds, and repeats the process. Game ends in a 26-26 tie (on 20% shooting efficiency) and everyone agrees that the game should not continue into overtime for the sake of all our sanities.
Both hug and dap up after the game and go out for a dinner of lamb chops and gravy.
zzanbo1
i would like to see mike conley get some floor time. looked good the only time he played.
Speaking as someone who is, …umm, matured past optimal playing conditions, there are going to be days when he looks as good as his best days in the league (or at least close). But there are also going to be days when he feels like he just got run over by Mitchell Robinson’s truck.
I really love the way that Joe Mazzulla is giving him a chance to play the role of player-coach. Between that and giving his assistant coaches opportunities to shine in preseason and elsewhere, Joe is developing a positive reputation. One that could lead to future players in the waning years signing on to get that kind of coaching internship experience. And when the current assistant coaches move on to greener head coaching pastures, more will be excited about joining the program.
thruthelookingglass
Two ideas: (1) All due respect to Red_Auerbach_Junior, will Luka Garza take us to the promised land on sheer effort? and (2) will this be the year the Maine Celtics take the G League championship?
You laugh about Garza and his piston pumping arms when he runs, but every single banner in the rafters included contributions from unsung, try-hards that gave it their all. Sometimes it just takes that one 50-50 ball going to the Celtics because someone just flat-out wanted it more. Give him a Tommy Point!
The Maine Red Claw Celtics are going to have a stacked roster, no doubt. The one thing that could hurt them is the Celtics load-managing the parent team and calling up the best players. But it should be fun most nights.
EZwind
Here’s one more:
Will some fans stop claiming that the new owners are cheap after they just donated $200 million to Boston Children’s Hospital?
I support the tax write off.
Seriously though, I get the frustration. Celtics fans have had to watch their title winning team get dismantled piece by piece. Most understand the difference between being “cheap” and working within the strict confines of the aprons, but it is still a tough pill to swallow.
At some point, Brad Stevens is going to bring them a deal that cashes in on the “optionality” and asks them to pay well into the tax. He knows that it will have to be the right deal and he can only play that card a few times. So far, he’s proven he’s a lot smarter than most GMs at this. Will the ownership group agree? We’ll see, but I’m hopeful.
Veknironth
The Celtics will defeat the Grizzlies to win the NBA cup with Boston sitting it’s top 9 players to save the from injury. They will not hang the banner.
The Celtics “stay ready” group would absolutely give it their all and make for an entertaining Cup game. Still not sure if I’m ready to be a “cup respecter” or whatever the kids are calling it, but hey, it is something to talk about. So why not try to win it?
Veknironth
Here’s a non-Celtics one. In order to increase the teams’ giddiness, the Timberwolves will trade for Josh Giddey
I see what you did there and I approve.
Morpheus6610
Is Paul George the partner and mentor that Tatum has always needed?
Tatum has had plenty of positive mentors over the years (Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jrue Holiday, etc.). And having Jaylen Brown on his team had a lot of very real positives (like a ring, for example). But it is no secret that Tatum idolized George growing up and patterns a lot of his game off the vet.
Makes you wonder what might have happened if Tatum was paired with him earlier in his career (preferably during a healthy stretch). but I guess we’ll never know.
I will also point out that replacing Brown would not be an easy gig for most players on the downswing of their careers. Thus far, George has handled himself exceptionally well and deserves the respect he’s getting.
Sportzballer
Is Walsh only Boston’s 4th or 5th best prospect?
First of all, it is worth noting that Walsh at 22 is a year younger than rookie Dillon Mitchell. Which should put some perspective on his development.
Finn McGrath
Is Jayson Tatum going to be able to come off the bench to allow Amari Williams to develop as a starter?
I’m starting to think that Amari is the center version of JD Davison. Too good for G-League, not quite good enough for a regular role in the NBA. But I’ve been wrong before.
Mitchs Dad
What are the chances that PP makes the All Star team?
He needs to be a little more consistent night-in-night-out against the league’s best defenses, but he has that kind of potential. Might also take a few stat-padding games early in the season to boost his numbers and chances.
Move the Ball
Do you think RH, Jr. will see the light of day this year? And something I’ve always wondered about: Why are some carrots oranger than an orange?
Hey man, there will be load management games where the stay ready guys will have to stay readier than ready.
I also think there could be another 2 week stretch where Harper is the soup du jour on Joe’s menu.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 03: The New Jersey Devils celebrate a second period goal by Jack Hughes #86 against the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center on November 03, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Jack Hughes stayed hot with two goals, and Connor Hellebuyck sealed a 4-3 shootout win for the Devils over the Oilers on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
Seems good!
Keefe hard-matched Nico Hischier against McDavid. The results:
– 73.7 xG% vs. McDavid in nearly 10 minutes of ice time – 0 goals allowed – McDavid did not have a 5v5 point#NJDevils
“Welcome to the Arseny Gritsyuk breakout season. It’s early, but the New Jersey Devils seem to have found the top-six winger they’ve been needing since the 2023-24 season.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Hockey Links
Not surprising, but there is interest in trading for Nikita Kucherov: “Nearly every team in the NHL this past weekend talked about it internally. Seriously. Like, at least 25 teams. ‘Some teams may lie to you, but 31 teams will want 86,’ one NHL GM said.” [The Athletic ($)]
“Nikita Kucherov explained Monday why he told the Tampa Bay Lightning he would not re-sign and asked them for a trade. ‘It was never about the money for me,’ he said. ‘It was more about poor communication and respect. Over the last four months, we only have had two conversations, and (general manager Julien BriseBois) in the end made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1.’” [NHL.com]
“Kucherov, 33, has a 10-team list of teams to which he’d accept a trade. I’m hearing there’s no rush on his part to make a decision on where he’d like to play next, so we shouldn’t anticipate a trade particularly soon barring a drastic change in his desire to play for Tampa in the present. But if a trade does happen – keeping in mind we don’t know all 10 teams on Kucherov’s list – who would be the most intriguing and/or logical fits? Let’s spitball.” [Daily Faceoff]
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Russia will not be allowed to play at the upcoming world junior hockey tournament, adding to a growing boycott led by European federations ahead of the men’s tournament next year in Germany.” [Associated Press]
The latest on the Dylan Larkin situation: “The Red Wings would have you believe that there is no offer that has been made from that group of 10 teams that they’re willing to work with because the offers haven’t been good enough.” [TSN]
BOSTON, MA - 1968: Julius Erving #32 of the New Jersey Nets looks on during a game against the Boston Celtics circa 1968 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 1968 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The ABA lived from 1967 to 1976. It was a short, chaotic, but also exuberant and fantastic era.
The management in the ABA was generally horrible, but there were some brilliant coaches and some unbelievable players.
Julius Erving was, is, and always will be the face of the ABA, but the league had some other immense talents. Guys like David Thompson, Spencer Haywood, Rick Barry (who started in the NBA but spent several years in the upstart league), Connie Hawkins, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin, and the first great three-point shooter Louie Dampier, come to mind, along with Charlie Scott and Mel Daniels.
The league was a race between chaos and brilliance. The merger with the NBA happened in 1976, just in time, because of mismanagement and the lack of a TV contract; the ABA was on borrowed time.
It’s really too bad the league couldn’t sustain itself, but it changed basketball forever, and its legacy should not be forgotten.
MACAO, CHINA - OCTOBER 11: Dallas Mavericks majority owner Miriam Adelson and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont pose for photos after an NBA preseason basketball game against the Houston Rockets at the Venetian Arena on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Macao. (Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images)
Nice.
In 2023, Mark Cuban sold what was then his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont. At the time, the sale was purported to be to the tune of $3.5 billion. The transaction gave Adelson and Dumont majority ownership of the franchise, with Dumont serving in the role of Governor while Cuban maintained a minority stake in the team.
It is now being reported that another sale took place last month, though this one does not involve any new parties entering the fold. Adelson has instead sold her stake in the Mavericks to Dumont and his wife (and Adelson’s daughter) Sivan Ochshorn. As a result of the deal, Dumont now holds a 69% ownership stake.
Along with Dumont are minority owners Cuban (27%) and Mary Stanton (4%). As part of the terms of the original sale in 2023, Dumont retains the right to purchase as much as 20% of Cuban’s remaining portion as well. “Our plan is to look at that and to do that over time,” Dumont suggests. Should he chose to do so, he would then hold a whopping 89% of the franchise which Forbes values at $5.8 billion.
Since taking over in 2023, Dumont has overhauled much of the front office. He hired Rick Welts as CEO, Ethan Casson as President (and successor CEO come the turn of the calendar to 2027), Masai Ujiri, Mike Schmitz, new head coach Dusty May and a number of other senior-manager level employees. Dumont is also hard at work on a new basketball-only area for the Mavs, with plans to make the former Valley View Mall an all-out entertainment destination.
“The most important thing every day is just trying to work harder to get better.” Dumont clearly has big plans on where he wants to take the Mavericks behind young phenom Cooper Flagg and this purchase demonstrates his long-term commitment to the team
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA paused its action to encourage Americans to vote.
So with no games scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, it offered a bit of a reset to take in the lessons learned from the first two weeks of the 2026-27 regular season.
The good news for teams is that the spate of injuries that ravaged rosters across the league have (mostly) calmed. And while it’s still so very early in the season, the early action has led to sweeping changes across the board. Already, there’s a new No. 1 team, and a new No. 2 for that matter.
Here are the Week 2 USA TODAY Sports NBA power rankings:
No team plays faster than the Bulls, who lead in pace (105.86), but the offense has been wildly inefficient, with Chicago shooting just 41.6%, second-worst in the NBA.
The addition of Julius Randle hasn’t been enough to stabilize the offense, and 3-point defense (15.0 conversions allowed per game) has been another Achilles heel.
The Jazz, who were looking to take a step forward, have been one of the more disappointing teams. Utah doesn’t force enough turnovers and its transition offense is basically nonexistent.
They’re the only NBA team to have only played five games, but Phoenix has been getting killed on the glass, where they rank 29th in rebounding (39.6 per game).
Winners of three consecutive, the Pelicans have been a nice story so far and are dominating down low; New Orleans leads the league with 62.6 points in the paint per game … which is 7.5 points more than the next team.
Since Paolo Banchero (ankle) and Jalen Suggs (knee) have been out, Orlando has been unable to find consistent offense and turnovers (17.3 per game; tied for 25th) are a massive issue.
No team is allowing more 3-pointers per game (17.3). The defense has been a nightmare, with players even saying they’re not trusting each other on the court.
They’ve lost four consecutive and the warning sign is an offense that has is drastically underperforming; Charlotte ranks dead last in offensive rating (100.4), which is nearly four full points below the next closest team.
They look older and slower, but the more curious issue is the sweeping dip across Nikola Jokić’s stats: 22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game.
They’ve won three of four, but became the first team to lose to the previously winless Kings. The Cooper Flagg-Kyrie Irving partnership, however, has been a fun watch.
They’ve had five different leading scorers through eight games and lead the NBA in assists per game (30.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08). The results have nonetheless been uneven.
Are we in championship hangover territory? The Knicks are a bit of a rarity, ranking dead last in pace (96.5). They’ve struggled against marquee opponents.
No team has been hauling in more offensive boards per game (15.3), but losses in three of their last five have stunted their progress up the standings. And they got good news: Kawhi Leonard (knee swelling) might be back soon.
They share the ball well and protect it, but the Cavs have had an uneven start to the season. A loss against an extremely short-handed Thunder team was a missed opportunity.
They’ve won five consecutive, some against top-level teams (Lakers, Timberwolves, Nuggets). And Stephen Curry, at 38 years old, is playing his way into the MVP conversation.
Minnesota’s two victories this week were against the Clippers and the Bucks, which is fine. But the Timberwolves will need to show that they can beat some of the league’s better teams without Anthony Edwards. The saving grace will be the defense.
The overtime loss against the Pelicans was a setback, but Memphis remains the biggest surprise in the NBA, and Ty Jerome (28.2 points per game; seventh in the NBA) has been a revelation.
Losing Ja Morant (hamstring) is certainly a blow, but Portland has been doing a great job on the glass, limiting teams to an 10.0 second chance points per game.
The move to add Mitchell Robinson is paying off so far, as pairing him alongside Neemias Queta has Boston ranking third in the league in opponent points in the paint per game (39.4).
Recent competition hasn’t been as robust, but the Spurs have won five consecutive and are taking care of the ball, ranking second in turnovers per game (13.4).
Luka Dončić is flaming opponents, averaging an absurd 38.3 points per game and orchestrating the NBA’s best offense (121.9 points per 100 possessions).
They’ve dropped two of their last three, as the injuries keep piling up. The latest, to Chet Holmgren, means OKC will be without three starters for the foreseeable future.
It’s rather unfair to drop a team one spot even though it won all three games this week. This is more about how good the 76ers have been and the quality of opponents Detroit faced. But can the Pistons sustain this level with Duncan Robinson (a career-high 17.9 points per game) as their second-leading scorer?
Interestingly, it’s the defense that has been Philly’s strength. The Sixers have the league’s third-best defensive rating (105.1 points allowed per 100 possessions).
In his season-ending press conference immediately after Boston’s first-round playoff exit, Brad Stevens made a comment about the state of the Celtics that reverberated through every offseason decision leading up to the start of the season.
“I think one of the things that we’ve gotta figure out is how to have more impact at the rim,” Stevens said. “I thought we struggled to get to where we wanted to go on offense.”
He had a point. In the regular season, the Celtics were dead last in volume inside of 5 feet, averaging 22 attempts per game. But on low volume came high efficiency, with the team’s 69% finishing on those attempts being second in the league. On top of that lack of attempts was a league-low in free throw attempts (18.7).
So, the Celtics made changes. They brought in Mitchell Robinson, one of the game’s best offensive rebounders after the Celtics averaged the lowest amount of putback points among all playoff teams (4.1). Then they swapped Paul George for Jaylen Brown, adding a shot creator that would offer a different kind of off-ball influence to open up Jayson Tatum’s own scoring creation.
As of Nov. 2, Boston’s 7-game starting sample has shown early returns in this area. As far as just touching the paint, they’re getting inside at an increased rate, jumping from 24.4 touches to 28.3. The Celtics entered their Rockets matchup 13th in field goal attempts inside of 5 feet, making a major leap of 28.3 attempts to last year’s 22.
There’s work to be done in their finishing on those attempts — they’re currently working at a 63% clip (17th in the league) — but the results are showing a team that’s making an effort to get more looks at close range.
This back-to-back showed two sides of that progress, with slight variations in personnel and significant variations in Joe Mazzulla’s lineups.
Orlando Magic
On the first night of their back-to-back, the Celtics got an Orlando team that’s missing key pieces and is in the process of developing a new identity under coach Sean Sweeney, yet still retains some of that gritty defensive identity with their available personnel.
For Boston, only Mitchell Robinson was absent from the rotation, and in that absence, we saw more of the freeflowing, fast-reacting movement of last year’s offense with Neemias Queta as the lone big on the floor.
It’s no surprise that Robinson and Queta lead the team in paint touches, but behind them stand Boston’s two most important players in Tatum (3.5) and George (3). In this matchup, they shined both in their self-creation and in their playmaking inside the paint.
As a team Boston was 72% inside the restricted area, and Tatum’s gravity as a pick-and-roll ballhandler was a significant factor in creating looks for himself and for the roller.
Tatum’s high free throw rate has also been a major benefit of his driving aggression. The Celtics are currently averaging 28 attempts from the line, another significant jump from last year’s number. Tatum is currently at 10.2 attempts from the line.
Like Tatum, George is creating off the dribble, feeding the roll man, and comfortably playing off-ball.
It’s two players who have figured out how to put the ball into space. But for that to happen, you need good cutting instincts from those around them. That wasn’t an issue last year, and it’s definitely not an issue now. The Celtics are currently scoring 1.35 points per cut possession, nearly identical to last year’s 1.36 PPP.
This game was a good indicator of this team’s ceiling attacking the rim. You’re missing Robinson, who has struggled to adapt to his new role closer to the action on the perimeter, but you’re seeing Boston’s other two bigs look comfortable in their roles, while the team’s two stars acted as high-running motors to an efficient offense. When you can space the floor with shooters around Tatum and George and add in a rolling threat like Queta, the space to attack and the decisions you can make feel more abundant.
Houston Rockets
On the second night of their back-to-back, the Celtics were without their other primary offseason addition with Paul George getting a night off.
On a sluggish shooting night, the primary theme for this story’s subject was as follows: No Tatum=No Paint Pressure.
Without George’s primary option lineup, when Tatum stepped off the floor, getting inside the arc became a chore for Boston. In a shade under 16 minutes with Tatum resting, they were just 1-for-8 on shots inside the paint, with a single shot generated at the rim. With Tatum, they had 20 shots at the rim and were 70% on those shots, much more in line with what we’ve seen so far this season.
Along with his ability to create in isolation, Tatum’s gravity as a pick-and-roll threat opened up rim-runs for Mitchell Robinson and Queta, while his vision finding cutters particularly flashed early on.
The Celtics trailed by five when Tatum checked out with 1:39 left in the third quarter. When he returned with 7:02 left to go in the fourth quarter, it was a deficit of 16. With JT off the floor in general, the Celtics were outscored 35-18.
When he returned, it didn’t take long for the offense to get back into its previous flow. Tatum quickly assisted on a drive-and-kick three to Derrick White in the corner, hit Queta on a roll, and scored himself on a drive-and-finish within his first six possessions after checking back in. But by then, the Rockets had comfortably separated enough to bury them.
With a lack of paint pressure coming from the perimeter, Mazzulla experimented heavily with double-big rotations throughout the game, which in spurts gave Boston some more putback and lob options but wasn’t nearly enough to overcome poor shooting from the outside and a tough night on drives. The Queta-Robinson combo was featured most prominently, finishing the night with 4:42 on the floor together. With those two sharing the floor, the Celtics were 3-for-3 at the rim, two of which came from Queta and the other from Robinson.
Even without an interior enforcer like Steven Adams, the Rockets are an exceptionally difficult team to get a step on. They have a collection of lengthy wing defenders like Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Kevin Durant and feisty point-of-attack guards in Marcus Smart, Fred VanVleet and Reed Sheppard. Add to that disciplined help on the nail, and even if your last line of defense is Alperen Sengun, the defense is designed to make it drudgerous just to get to that weak link. And it just so happens that their weak link still finished with a pair of blocks and steals on Monday night.
If the Orlando game was a sign of what they could be, Houston was a sign of how far they have to go to get there. Missing George’s ballhandling was a predictable blow, but a lack of influence in the paint from those not named Jayson Tatum against a quality defense does show that they have a lot to work on.
The road ahead is long to figure out what kind of impact this team can have from close range. They can’t all be against a Chicago, and they won’t all be against a Houston or Detroit, but it’s important that every step of the way, we keep tabs on the progress of this team’s still-developing interior identity.
One more day till the Islanders are back in action, hosting the Cup champ Carolina Hurricanes and debuting their fisherman hometown remix unis.
Meanwhile, we wait and they practice:
Gross on the Isles D: What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in Matthew Schaefer playing half the game. [Newsday]
Ben Hutton skates on a PTO with the hope of earning a deal. If it doesn’t happen, the end could come suddenly. [Post | Isles]
Other practice updates: Still no Ryan Pulock, Matias Maccelli or Cal Ritchie. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Russia was supposedly going to be allowed back into at least juniors IIHF play, but several countries said they won’t play them, and Canada says they can’t be in their WJC. [Sportsnet]
Teams are lining up for a crack at Nikita Kucherov. [Athletic]
Winnipeg broke an NHL record with a four-goal comeback in the final 2:39. That broke their nine-game winless streak. The host Habs and their Montreal fans were the stunned victims. [NHL]
The Blue Jackets, also wearing their “hometown remix” threads, blew out the Avalanche. [NHL]
Cutter Gauthier notched his second straight hat trick. [NHL]
Jarome Iginla is dealing with some health issues, suspects it could be related to his cobalt hip replacement. [Sportsnet]
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 03: Tomas Hertl #48 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a power play goal during the first period of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 03, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night after special-teams struggles cost them another game, as they failed to capitalize on key power-play opportunities, including a lengthy two-man advantage in the third period. [Recap]
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he is satisfied with the Hoffmann family’s acquisition of the Penguins, citing the family’s business track record and passion for sports. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete at next month’s World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta as long as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. [Sportsnet]
Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla revealed he is battling neurological health issues that may be related to metal toxins from a reaction to his cobalt hip implant following hip replacement surgery. The 49-year-old said complications and medications have affected his energy, weight and speech. [Sportsnet]
The Winnipeg Jets placed forward Brad Lambert on waivers Tuesday after the 2022 first-round pick recorded just one assist in 11 games this season. Lambert can be sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose if he goes unclaimed. [TSN]
A strong market is reportedly developing for Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov despite his reported asking price of a six-year contract worth at least $20 million annually. [TSN]
