Palace chair ‘very hopeful’ of winning appeal to Cas
Club’s fans vow to take protest to Uefa HQ in Nyon
Steve Parish has suggested that Nottingham Forest are to blame for Crystal Palace’s demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League, and confirmed the FA Cup winners will appeal to the court of arbitration for sport over Uefa’s decision.
European football’s governing body ruled last week that Palace had breached its multiclub ownership rules, with Forest expected to be promoted to the Europa League in their place. It was revealed last month that Forest had written to Uefa to raise concerns that Palace could be in breach of regulations that bar clubs with the same owner from competing in the same competition if an individual or ownership group is considered to have a decisive influence over more than one of those teams.
The last time The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler published his Top 100 Drafted Prospects list, Ivan Demidov was in first place, and the Montreal Canadiens had five players on the list: Demidov, David Reinbacher (24), Michael Hage (35), Logan Mailloux (58), and Joshua Roy (82).
This time around, the Habs only have three players on the list. Logan Mailloux is still there, but he’s now in 70th position and a member of the St. Louis Blues. Joshua Roy has unsurprisingly fallen off the list.
Who remains on there for Montreal? Well, Demidov is the first member of the organization on the list, but he has now dropped to third place. Wheeler has put first-overall pick from the last draft, Matthew Schaefer, in first place and Michael Misa, the second-overall pick, in second place. While this is sure to ruffle some feathers with Canadiens fans, both players came with a certain level of hype, and it’s not a surprising move from Wheeler.
He describes Demidov as “a skill-first playmaking forward” who finished second in points with SKA St. Petersburg despite averaging just 13:45 of time on ice. He also defines him as “a true play creator,” the man you want to control the puck to create opportunities for everyone on the ice. This reminds me of Lane Hutson, who also likes to hold on to the puck to create opportunities, especially when a big goal is needed.
The Russian winger has impressed Wheeler with his ability to move along the boards and get to the middle in traffic while protecting the puck. He even adds that he’s the most dynamic and skilled prospect to come out of Russia in recent memory. He puts him ahead of Philadelphia Flyers’ Matvei Michkov because “his game has more of a pro style, competitiveness, and roundness to it” at the same age.
David Reinbacher is the second Canadiens on the list, but he has now dropped to number 39. Considering he lost most of last season to a knee injury sustained in his first preseason game last year, that was unavoidable. Still, he praises his” pro size, desired handedness, and a really strong foundation of skill that all guaranteed he’ll become a good NHLer.”
Wheeler sees him as a reliable two-way defenseman and believes he’ll be a good 3rd or 4th blueliner in the NHL. Given the fact that the Canadiens can now count on Noah Dobson as their top-pairing right-shot rearguard, the Habs would be just fine if that’s what he turns out to be.
It will be interesting to see how Reibacher does at camp. We’ve not seen him play much last season because of the injury, but for the Canadiens to send Mailloux off to St. Louis, they must have been pleased with what they saw in the Austrian, and that’s the opinion that truly matters. Even with Mailloux’s departure, there will be a lot of blueliners battling for a spot at camp, and making the lineup will be no easy task.
The final Canadiens’ prospect to make the list is Michael Hage, who ranks at number 51, a significant drop from last year’s 39th place. Perhaps that can be explained by the fact that Wheeler is not convinced Hage is NHL center material. He mentions that Hage must be suitable for a winger role in the big league, a bit like Blues’ Jordan Kyrou (interesting comparison since we’re still seeing Kyrou’s name all over the place lately).
It might be a bit early to make that assessment. Hage is still developing, and he still has time to bulk up. After a second season in the NCAA, a stay with the Laval Rocket probably wouldn’t hurt, and we’ll have a better idea then of what he projects as. Yes, the jump from the NCAA to the AHL is a big one, but both the opponents and the teammates will be better as well, which should help him reach a higher level.
The writer acknowledges that he spent the last season playing for a diminished Michigan team in the NCAA. As a result, he often had to take matters into his own hands, and he rose to the challenge. This year, he will be joined by former Eire Otters’ star Malcolm Spence, who has confirmed he will be leaving the CHL to enter Michigan.
Even though Wheeler doesn’t believe Hage is likely to be a top-six center for the Canadiens, he still expects him to be a top-six player in the NHL, which is not a given for a 21st overall pick.
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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The 22-year-old was ranked eighth, ahead of Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis and Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov. Knies is coming off a career season, where he scored 58 points (29 goals and 29 assists) in 78 games with the Maple Leafs.
Ahead of Knies on NHL.com's list of top under-25 forwards were San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini (7), Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (6), Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield (5), Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (4), Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy (3), New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (2), and Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle (1).
Knies is one of the most unique young forwards in the NHL due to his size and physicality. He finished behind only Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson (65 points, 233 hits) for the most points among players with 180+ hits last season. Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk trailed Knies by three points, but had 228 hits.
Drafted in the second round (57th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft, Knies is the lowest draft selection of the 10 players ranked by NHL.com.
His 182 hits were the third-most among Maple Leafs players last season, only behind Steven Lorentz (199) and Simon Benoit (204). The power forward's 58 points were fifth on Toronto, after John Tavares (74), Auston Matthews (78), William Nylander (84), and Mitch Marner (102).
Knies has 14 points (eight goals and six assists) in 27 playoff games, with half of those points coming earlier this spring against the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers in the first and second rounds.
The Phoenix, Arizona-born player was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, but agreed with the Maple Leafs on a six-year, $46.5 million contract just before free agency opened. The annual average value of his contract is $7.75 million, making him the third-highest paid player on Toronto.
It may still be the middle of the summer, but the Florida Panthers roster is pretty much set for the upcoming season.
There will still need to be a move or two made in order for the team to be cap compliant, but that should sort itself out in due time.
For now, let’s take a look at one specific area of the Panthers roster and discuss how it may be deployed when the season begins.
Barring any unexpected trades, Florida’s will enter the season with seven defensemen on their roster.
They are Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, Gustav Forsling, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov, Uvis Balinskis and Jeff Petry.
Thinking ahead to Opening Night, assuming everyone on the blueline is healthy, let’s look at how Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice may pair them up and utilize them on special teams.
It makes sense that Maurice would keep his top for from the Stanley Cup Playoffs intact, considering how effective they proved to be and the chemistry that exists between them.
That would keep Forsling and Ekblad together on the top pairing with Jones and Mikkola gobbling up similar minutes right behind them.
Regarding that aforementioned chemistry, it was fun to see the growing on-ice relationship between Jones and Mikkola start to blossom as the postseason went deeper.
It was no coincidence that Jones and Mikkola finished the playoffs a combined plus-15 while contributing seven goals and 15 points as the comfort level between them grew, particularly in Jones as he became more and more acclimated to Florida’s defensive systems.
The biggest question surrounding Florida’s defensive unit will be regarding how Maurice plays to utilize his third pairing.
Newcomer Jeff Petry will get a good look once training camp arrives, and his ability to fit in as well as the Panthers recent defensive signings have (Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nate Schmidt come to mind) will go a long way toward solidifying the right side of that third pairing.
That would leave Dmitry Kulikov and Uvis Balinskis for the left side spot.
It seems logical that the veteran Kulikov has the inside track to at least starting the season with in the top six.
Since signing with Florida, Balinskis has kept his head down and worked his way up to being considered a reliable NHL defenseman.
The problem is the Panthers are so deep, and the signing of the right-shooting Petry seemingly only makes it more difficult for Balinskis to crack the lineup. Both Kulikov and Balinskis are lefties.
In terms of special teams, the returning five from Florida’s Stanley Cup top six from a summer ago all played key roles on the penalty kill.
Expect to see Ekblad, Forsling, Jones, Mikkola and Kulikov all play their share of shorthanded minutes, and don’t be surprised to see Petry get a look while down a man as well. He’s picked up plenty of experience playing on the PK during his 15-year career.
Shifting to the power play, Florida did something during their playoff run we hadn’t seen much of in recent years, and that’s use two defenseman on their top power play.
Ekblad and Jones seemed to gain confidence while fluidly moving the puck on the man advantage, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see them get another look when the season arrives.
Maurice has not utilized Forsling much on the power play over the past few seasons, but perhaps this will be his year to get that extra time on the second unit and see a nice little bump in his point production.
Training Camp is still about two months away.
We’ll see how things shake out once the defending champs hit the ice in September.
Photo caption: May 20, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrates scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in game one of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, a perennial All-Star, flips his bat into the air after hitting a three-run homer against the Dodgers. During the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, bat flips should become an integral part of the show, suggests Times columnist Bill Shaikin. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
We need bat flips.
The home run swing-off to end Tuesday’s All-Star Game was great. Whether you embrace it as a revelation or dismiss it as a gimmick, baseball needs more of that kind of imagination on the national stage. On the morning after the game, it’s what you’re talking about.
But baseball cannot count on a tie score every summer.
The All-Star Game cannot live off old glories. The All-Star Game cannot thrive simply because the NFL turned the Pro Bowl into a flag football game and skills competition while the NBA turned its All-Star Game into a week of parties and 48 minutes of a defense-free scrimmages.
Baseball can say its All-Star Game is the best, but the bar is as low as the final round of a limbo competition. Baseball needs the best players, not the best available players, in the game. And, in an era dominated by social media and short attention spans, baseball needs innovation in the Home Run Derby — not just in an All-Star Game tiebreaker, but in the actual Home Run Derby that is its own Major Television Event on the night before the game.
The first suggestion, from Brent Rooker, the Athletics’ All-Star designated hitter: “I had the idea that we would just stick PCA (the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong) and (the Athletics’) Denzel Clarke in the outfield during the Home Run Derby and just let them run down balls. That’s a fun idea that popped into our clubhouse a few weeks ago.”
An all-in-one Home Run Derby and skills competition of outfielders contorting their bodies in all directions to make highlight-worthy catches? That’s a cool thought.
The bat flip, once scorned as an instrument of disrespect, is now celebrated by the league itself. It naturally lends itself to the “Did you see it?” reels young fans share on Instagram and Snapchat.
The first round of Monday’s Home Run Derby was exhausting. It took nearly two hours, and what little flash there was felt forced. Besides, the sluggers you most wanted to see — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge — declined to participate.
“I already did it,” Judge said Tuesday. “I don’t know what else you want from me. I think it’s time for somebody else to step up and do their thing and have fun with it. I love seeing new faces in the game go out and do their thing.”
Said Dodgers pitcher and Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting Clayton Kershaw: “It’s a lot of swings, man. It’s not easy to do. When I used to hit, I was tired after taking six swings. I can’t imagine doing that for three straight hours.
“If Shohei and Aaron Judge and those guys, if they had them all in there, it would be awesome. You can’t expect those guys to do it every single year.”
So keep the eight-man field but split it into two groups: four players in the traditional format, and four players in a one-round competition judged not only by how many home runs you hit but with how much flair you toss your bat after each one.
Dodgers veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw, tapping gloves with teammate Will Smith after pitching in the second inning during the All-Star Game. (Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The creative and outrageous dunks in the NBA's slam dunk competition go viral. The All-Star bat flips would too.
“With respect to an event like the Home Run Derby, we should continue to innovate,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “It’s fundamentally an entertainment product.”
There’s an idea, Rob. Run with it.
“The game piece of it? Fundamentally, I believe in the game,” Manfred said. “I think what we have to do is continue to work with our very best players to make sure that they’re here and showcasing themselves in front of a fan base that is really, really important to us over the long haul.”
Right now, all the very best players are not here. When MLB announced the All-Star rosters, the league selected 65 players. By game time, with all the replacements for players that withdrew, the All-Star count was up to 81.
That meant that, for every four players announced as an All-Star, one chose not to play.
“Usually, when you think All-Star Game, you think probably the best at the time in the game right now are going to be playing,” Phillies All-Star designated hitter Kyle Schwarber said.
Sometimes they are: On Tuesday, Schwarber was the most valuable player, with the winning swings in the swing-off.
Schwarber and Kershaw noted that, for the most part, the position players are here, and the pitchers dominated the list of missing stars. Pitchers throw harder these days. They need time to recover. Tony Clark, the executive director of the players’ union, talked about the need for players to find “opportunities on the calendar to take a breather.”
And, frankly, the All-Star Game does not mean nearly as much to players as it did before interleague play started 28 years ago. Winning one for the National League used to actually mean something.
“The All-Star Game then and the All-Star Game now are two completely different things,” Clark said. “The requirements for players, the travel and logistics for their family and support, the day to day of a 162-game season is more complex and it’s more challenging than it’s ever been.”
Yet in 1980, when the All-Star Game was played at Dodger Stadium, players had one free day before resuming the schedule. Today, players have two days.
And, in 1980, fans got to see the players they wanted to see. Should each team have an All-Star representative? Yes. Should managers feel compelled to use every one of those players? No way.
On Tuesday, the National League used 13 pitchers and the American League 11.
In 1980, each league used five pitchers. Steve Stone and Bob Welch each pitched (gasp) three innings. The top four batters in the American League lineup — Willie Randolph, Fred Lynn, Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson — each batted at least three times.
Today’s pitchers are reluctant to work even one inning in the All-Star Game if they pitched on the final weekend of the first half. So move the All-Star Game back one day to Wednesday, and move the Home Run Derby back one day to Tuesday. No longer would players have to scramble for Sunday night private jets to get to the All-Star Game by Monday morning.
As a bonus, MLB could play the Futures Game on Monday, when no other games are being played, instead of in relative invisibility because the league insists on putting what it says is a showcase event up against a full schedule of regular-season games.
“It would be great,” Clark said, “to just have a conversation around the All-Star Game and talk about the All-Star Game and the great players that we have, doing so in a way that truly highlights the Midsummer Classic and truly puts players in a position where they are sprinting to come to the game.”
ATLANTA — Cal Raleigh was just as successful with the first robot umpire All-Star challenge as he was in the Home Run Derby.
Seattle’s catcher signaled for an appeal to the Automated Ball-Strike System in the first inning of the National League’s win Tuesday night, getting a strikeout for Detroit’s Tarik Skubal on San Diego’s Manny Machado.
“You take ‘em any way you can get ’em, boys,” Skubal said on the mound.
Four of five challenges of plate umpire Dan Iassogna’s calls were successful in the first All-Star use of the ABS system, which could make its regular-season debut next year.
Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson won as the first batter to call for a challenge, reversing a 1-0 fastball from Washington’s MacKenzie Gore in the fifth inning that had been called a strike.
Miami’s Kyle Stowers lost when ABS upheld a full-count Andrés Muñoz fastball at the bottom of the zone for an inning-ending strikeout in the eighth.
Mets closer Edwin Díaz earned a three-pitch strikeout against Randy Arozarena to end the top of the ninth on a pitch Iassogna thought was outside.
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk used ABS to get a first-pitch strike on a 100.1 mph Aroldis Chapman offering to Brendan Donovan with two outs in the bottom half.
“The fans enjoy it. I thought the players had fun with it,” NL manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers said. “There’s a strategy to it, if it does get to us during the season. But I like it. I think it’s good for the game.”
Skubal had given up Ketel Marte’s two-run double and retired the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman on a groundout for his first out when he got ahead of Machado 0-2 in the count. Skubal threw a 89.5 mph changeup, and Iassogna yelled” “Ball down!”
Raleigh tapped his helmet just before Skubal tipped his cap, triggering a review by the computer umpire that was tested in spring training this year and could be adopted for regular-season use in 2026.
“Obviously, a strike like that it was, so I called for it and it helped us out,” Raleigh said.
An animation of the computer analysis was shown on the Truist Park scoreboard and the broadcast. Roberts laughed in the dugout after the challenge.
“I knew it was a strike,” Machado said.
Skubal doesn’t intend to use challenges during regular-season games if the ABS is put in place. He says he’ll rely on his catchers.
“I was joking around that I was going to burn two of them on the first balls just so that way we didn’t have them the rest of the game,” he said. “I’m just going to assume that it’s going to happen next year.”
Before the game, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred indicated the sport’s 11-man competition committee will consider the system for next season.
“I think the ability to correct a bad call in a high-leverage situation without interfering with the time of game because it’s so fast is something we ought to continue to pursue,” Manfred said.
ABS decisions may have an error of margin up to a half-inch.
“Our guys do have a concern with that half inch, what that might otherwise lead to particularly as it relates to the number of challenges you may have, whether you keep those challenges during the course of the game,” union head Tony Clark told the Baseball Writers Association of America. “Does there need to be some type of buffer zone consideration? Or do we want to find ourselves in a world where it’s the most egregious misses that we want focus in on?”
Manfred sounded less concerned.
“I don’t believe that technology supports the notion that you need a buffer zone,” he said. “To get into the idea that there’s something that is not a strike that you’re going to call a strike in a review system, I don’t know why I would want to do that.”
MLB sets the top of the automated strike zone at 53.5% of a batter’s height and the bottom at 27%, basing the decision on the midpoint of the plate, 8 1/2 inches from the front and 8 1/2 inches from the back. That contrasts with the rule book zone called by umpires, which says the zone is a cube.
“We haven’t even started talking about the strike zone itself, how that’s going to necessarily be measured, and whether or not there are tweaks that need to be made there, too,” Clark said. “So there’s a lot of discussion that still needs to be had, despite the fact that it seems more inevitable than not.”
Manfred has tested ABS in the minor leagues since 2019, using it for all pitches and then switching to a challenge system. Each team gets two challenges and a successful challenge is retained. Only catchers, batters and pitchers can call for a challenge.
“Where we are on ABS has been fundamentally influenced by player input,” he maintained. “If you had two years ago said to me: What do the owners want to do? I think they would have called every pitch with ABS as soon as possible. That’s because there is a fundamental, very fundamental interest in getting it right, right? We owe it to our fans to try to get it right because the players as I talked to them over a couple of years really, expressed a very strong interest or preference for the challenge system that we decided to test.”
Skubal wondered is all contingencies had been planned for.
“If power goes out and we don’t have ABS — sometimes we don’t have Hawk-Eye data or Trackman data. So what’s going to happen then?” he said. “Are we going to expect umpires to call balls and strikes when it’s an ABS zone?”
The Warriors, eventually, could make a pair of impactful NBA free agency moves.
Golden State has yet to add a player since the league’s free agency negotiating window opened on June 30, largely due to restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga’s contract standstill, but whenever the transaction logjam breaks, NBA insider Marc Stein expects the Warriors to come away with two veteran free agents they have been tied to all summer.
“My expectation is that one way or another, the Warriors are going to end up with both [Al] Horford and [De’Anthony] Melton on their roster,” Stein said Tuesday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.”
Stein also reported that the Warriors have interest in soon-to-be free agent guard Bradley Beal, who currently is working through a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
“They still have interest in Bradley Beal. I would say most people around the league don’t expect the Warriors to win that race, but I don’t know I would say they’re all the way out of it,” Stein added. “We don’t know exactly yet what Bradley Beal’s choice will be.”
While a move for Beal might seem unlikely, the Warriors eventually signing Horford and Melton appears to be a foregone conclusion among some NBA insiders, including Stein.
Golden State has made it clear it would like to add size and shooting this offseason, and Horford checks both boxes, while Melton, who signed with the Warriors last offseason and played in six games before suffering an ACL injury and eventually was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, impressed in his brief stint with the team and was a favorite among the coaching staff and the fan base.
It remains to be seen when these moves could materialize, with Kuminga’s situation potentially the first domino to fall, but once there is clarity there, the Warriors soon could add two key veterans to their roster.
The Boston Celtics have played only three NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas. But with the team in the middle of a two-day break, it’s time for an annual tradition: overreacting to a tiny sample of exhibition basketball.
Here are five over-caffeinated takeaways from Boston’s first week in Vegas:
1. Jordan Walsh getting ejected was the best thing that could have happened to him.
Look, getting booted early from your best game of the summer is less than ideal. And nearly taking out Boston’s entire braintrust while yeeting an opponent into the first row was risky, too.
But Monday’s ejection was a reminder for the 21-year-old Walsh of the sort of intensity that can keep him on the floor during real games.
Walsh isn’t dominating Summer League in the way you might hope a Year 3 player would, but we have to remind ourselves he’s still the second-youngest player on Boston’s summer roster. He’s been at his best when getting physical. Walsh has ventured into the post for some bully ball and shown good ability finishing through contact on drives.
After missing his first 22 3-point attempts last year, he’s more consistently knocked down shots from distance this time around, shooting 35.7 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts per game this summer.
If Walsh can harness the sort of intensity that Pelle Larsson summoned from him Monday night, then we think he can carve out a more consistent role. It’s the least surprising thing in the world that Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was a fan of Walsh getting tossed. He’d probably be an even bigger fan of Walsh playing with more consistency — and controlled aggression — during the 2025-26 season.
2. Baylor Scheierman’s TD pass from the floor was a road map to consistent time.
Scheierman’s 3-point shooting hasn’t been great in Vegas (21.4 percent on 9.3 attempts per game). But much like Walsh, we think Scheierman’s best basketball has come when he’s simply playing hard and letting his basketball IQ take over.
Not that we didn’t know Scheierman’s potential as a passer already. The 24-year-old had a couple of Rajon Rondo-esque dimes late in his rookie season.
If the shot is going to be streaky, then Scheierman needs to bring value in other areas. We’d like to see him gamble less on defense and just let those natural instincts guide him. His court vision and ability to deliver on-target passes might be his biggest strength.
3. Hugo Gonzalez needs consistent minutes in his rookie season.
Mazzulla is an admitted rookie hater. He told Scheierman (and the since-departed Anton Watson) as much during their first NBA seasons. But in a season where Boston’s depth is depleted and expectations will be tempered, rookie Hugo Gonzalez could really benefit from learning on the job.
Yes, Gonzalez is only 19. But he’s been a pro in Spain for more than a half decade. He spent all of last season surrounded by former NBA veterans. His two appearances at Summer League have shown there will be plenty of ups and downs. Gonzalez getting a tough whistle in his second Summer League game prepped him for some of those impending frustrations.
But we like how hard Gonzalez plays. He crashes the glass relentlessly from the perimeter, and will basically launch himself into an opponent that tries to cut on the other end of the floor.
We’ll balance this suggestion by acknowledging that playing time is earned, not given. But we have a feeling that, perhaps more than anyone else on this Summer League roster, Gonzalez is going to state a case for consistent time with how hard he plays.
4. Josh Minott could be All-Interview First Teamer.
From noting how the Celtics shoot a “s— ton of 3s,” to an emphatic, “Why not Minott?” explanation of how to pronounce his last name, Josh Minott had a brief-but-entertaining first media session with reporters in Vegas.
It gave us a little bit of Robert Williams III vibes. (Fun aside: Time Lord cursed so frequently during his first media sessions in Boston that Celtics brass pulled him aside and politely suggested that he didn’t need to swear as much. And he listened!)
We are very intrigued by Minott. He’s got great size and defensive versatility. He’s nicknamed the Lawn Mower because he just goes and goes once you start him up. He’s still only 22 years old, and we’re eager to see if the Celtics can pull even more out of Minott this season.
Getting some fun soundbites wouldn’t be bad either on a team that lost a lot of personality in Luke Kornet and Kristaps Porzingis.
5. The Celtics have a type … and maybe a new playing style.
It feels like every player the Celtics have added this offseason has a reputation as a cutter. From drafting Gonzalez to signing Minott to adding Jalen Bridges to the summer roster, it appears there will be a greater emphasis on movement in this year’s offense.
Of the 16 playoff teams in 2025, the Celtics ranked dead last with only 4.8 possessions finished off cuts. That was roughly half the number of top teams like the Rockets (10.7), Nuggets (9.8), Warriors (9.1), and Thunder (8.5).
Ironically, the Celtics had the best points per possession off cuts (1.47) and shot 71.4 percent off that playtype.
The offense just never featured quite enough cutting. Even the regular season numbers were less than ideal, with Boston generating 5.9 finishes off cuts per game (tied for 27th in the NBA) but averaging 1.36 points per possession (tied for 4th-best).
With the absence of so much talent going into the 2025-26 season, we suspect the Celtics will play harder on both ends to try to mask the talent drain. We could see more pressing of opposing ball handlers after made baskets, and we suspect there will be an emphasis on movement and crashing the offensive glass with the players added this offseason.
A walking wicket on the 2018 tour of England, stats suggest Rahul’s average of 35 is more impressive than it seems
The Guardian’s over-by-over coverage is built on reader interaction. We probably receive more than 1,000 emails during an average Test, hundreds of which are published. As an epic Lord’s Test unfolded, the same question kept dropping into our inboxes. “This is the second innings of the series that has left me baffled as to how KL Rahul averages only 35 in Tests,” began one such email from Ned Blackburn. “He seems to have the temperament, technique and discipline to be absolutely elite. What am I missing?”
Rahul’s Test average has become the unsolved mystery of the English summer. But after a day in the statistical dirt – and Ben Stokes thought he went to some dark places on Monday – we can offer some potential explanations. The simplest reason is that after a fine start to his career he became a superstar of Indian cricket, a status that is Kryptonite for an overthinker. “I just couldn’t get out of my own head,” he said in late 2023. “I couldn’t leave cricket or my professional life on the field. It was such a heaviness on me.”
It’s 2025 but the Cubbies offense is breaking 19th century team records.Photograph: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
The Major League Baseball season has reached its halfway point, or, more accurately, we’ve landed at the All-Star break, with 60% of the schedule already in the books. So, how did it go? Here’s a handful of storylines to chew on as we prepare for the second-half stretch run.
What hasn’t happened
Remember the torpedo bats that were a destroyer of worlds in the season’s opening days? Some geniuses even said they were the latest example of how “over-innovation can ruin baseball” (no idea who wrote that zinger). Well, so far that’s looking like the kneejerk reaction of the season, or maybe several seasons. The Yankees, who are the chief adapters of the redesigned bats that boast customized sweet spots, hit 15 home runs in three games against Milwaukee at the start of the season. Then they calmed down and struck 1.46 home runs per game from then on. Yes, they still lead the league in homers, and yes, they’re averaging more dingers per game than they did last year when Juan Soto was in their lineup. But the tech has not in fact made a complete farce of the game. Has Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ torpedo bat swinging MVP candidate, been aided by the innovation? Well, he has 38 homers this season, four more than his career-high already, while Triple Crown candidate Aaron Judge, who doesn’t use a torpedo bat, has 35. This time, let’s go with a more conservative take on the bats: the jury’s still out.
Oh, the bullpens …
What drives fans the most crazy? The way their manager handles his bullpen. Don’t believe me? Try searching “bullpen management” on X and see what comes up; it’s not pretty. But here’s the thing: when your starting pitchers average well under six innings a game, and you have to figure out how to get an additional nine, 12, 15 outs or more, where’s the roadmap for that? There isn’t one – managers make it up on the fly most nights. With a bevy of starters recovering from elbow injuries, while upper management continues to nurse the long men, desperate brass are forced to shuttle relievers between the minors and the majors looking for fresh arms. It’s pretty ugly. Is anyone getting it “right?” Well, few outside LA are going to sympathize with the super-rich Dodgers, but their skipper Dave Roberts is getting just 4.5 innings a game from his beleaguered, injury riddled starters, the worst number in all of baseball (the MLB average is 5.2). Apparently there’s more than a few teams that’ll be looking for bullpen help at the 31 July trade deadline. Yeah, you think?
Stand up for Detroit
Remember last July when the Tigers were dealing away players, and then somehow made the playoffs and came within a single victory of the American League Championship Series? Well, as it turns out, that run was no fluke. The Tigers have an 11.5 game lead in the AL Central at the break, the largest such lead they’ve had since the All-Star Game began in 1933. For context, the historic 1984 Tigers that began 35-5 had an eight-game lead at the break. Detroit own the best record in all of baseball, even after losing their last four games.
So what’s gone right? Tarik Skubal has stiff competition from Boston’s Garrett Crochet in his bid to win a second successive Cy Young, but the Tigers hurler has walked just 16 batters in 121 innings – an astonishingly low number. Meanwhile, Detroit’s lineup is full of redemption songs, with three players in the top five favored for the AL Comeback Player of the Year award (Rangers ace Jacob deGrom leads that group). Former No 1 overall pick Spencer Torkelson has recovered from an abysmal 2024 to power up a Tigers offense driven by Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry, allowing the bats to overshadow a middle-of-the road pitching staff, Skubal aside. But perhaps the story of the season is Javier Baez. The once big-dollar-bust is an All-Star this season, and has upped his OPS by more than 230 points from last season and is Detroit’s face of mojo as they head to the second half of the season.
The Lost Boys
The Colorado Rockies weren’t daunted by the 2024 White Sox’ modern MLB record for losses in a season. With a team of misfits, horrific ownership and tough NL West neighbors, the Rockies went to work on besting (or worsting) the ChiSox right out of the gate. And away they went, losing 36 of 46 games at Coors Field, a modern home record.
Elsewhere, pitching phenom Paul Skenes is one of the only bright lights at the Pirates, who continue to sag, having failed to finish higher than fourth in the NL Central since 2017. Their lack of competitive play is even enough to get Commissioner Rob Manfred somewhat “concerned” about the Buccos, not to mention teams such as the Marlins, who lead a system of meandering franchises whose ownership appear uninterested in winning. Clearly a salary cap, which every other major North American sports league has in some form or other, could help with such imbalance. But with a divide between rich and richer owners and a players’ union that’s fought against a cap for its entire existence, that will always be a tough sell, and so the issue will be a source of labor strife after the 2026 season.
And speaking of a tough sell, MLB has been trying to unload a short-term package of games since ESPN opted out of the final three years of their rights deal worth roughly $1.5bn. Manfred, who admitted that having to find another suitor to replace those lost dollars is not all that fun, says there’s been “progress” in that search and says he should have some news in the coming weeks.
Odds and ends
Thanks to breakout star Pete-Crowe Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, Nico Hoerner and virtually everyone else in the Cubbies lineup, Chicago are having their biggest OPS+year since, well, 1884. They lead the Brewers in the NL Central by a single game. In the NL East, the Phillies have power issues, but it’s Zach Wheeler and their starting pitching that’s given them a short lead over the Mets, who started fast and fell faster, losing 17 of 27 games heading into the break. In the AL East, the Yankees slumped themselves out of first place, while the surprising Blue Jays overtook the Bombers despite an inferior run difference. The once hotter than hot Rays traded places with the Red Sox who rode a 10-game winning streak into third place at the break, all after controversially trading away Rafael Devers and losing Alex Bregman to injury. The Houston Astros of the AL West dealt away their best player, Tucker, in the offseason, but look better without him: hurlers Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown and a white hot pen have the ‘Stros in a commanding first place position after an un-Astro-like 2024. In the NL West, the “Best Team Ever” are yet to play like it, but then again, LA have been missing most of their rotation for most of the season.
The Dodgers are likely to get stronger when it matters though. Shohei Ohtani is pitching again and has an ERA just over one as he stretches out for the postseason, Tyler Glasnow just returned, with Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to follow. Add that to All-Star Yoshinobu Yamamoto and it’s clear that we ain’t seen nothing yet. Whether or not heavily favored LA can become the first repeat World Series winners since the 2000 Yankees is the question heading into the second half.
It took three summer league games at the California Classic and another three in Las Vegas, but on Tuesday night the Warriors looked their most complete with a 96-84 win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
As the Grizzlies were led by well-known names like Jaylen Wells, GG Jackson and Cam Spencer, the Warriors won with balance. Coach Lainn Wilson used all 12 of his players, and all 12 had scored by halftime. Veteran Jackson Rowe was the Warriors’ leading scorer of 14 points, followed by 12 from Will Richard and Jaden Shackelford, and 11 for Chris Manon.
This was the closest version to Warriors basketball under Wilson. The Warriors dished 21 assists, outrebounded the bigger Grizzlies and shot 51.9 percent from the field with a 37.9-percent 3-point clip.
“Our pace stayed well, our intensity stayed and kind of increased as the game went on and I thought that made the difference for us,” Wilson said to reporters.
After being blown out by 33 points to open their summer league slate in Las Vegas, the Warriors have responded with two straight quality wins against talented teams.
Wilson was told point guard Taran Armstrong wasn’t playing Tuesday night, putting him without a traditional point guard in the starting lineup. Armstrong’s absence allowed Richard to use some of his different guard skills handling the ball more. Richard continued his strong summer, scoring 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 2 of 4 from three, plus two rebounds, one assist and two steals.
“Just doing a little bit of everything, showing I can do that,” Richard said. “We have a lot of guys can do that as well. I’m just trying to keep that in my role and just take that opportunity when I’m there.”
Golden State’s starting lineup also didn’t have a typical center. Rowe, listed at 6-foot-7, essentially played a small-ball center. He was flanked next to Warriors top draft pick Alex Toohey in the frontcourt.
That duo took the challenge head-on. Rowe grabbed a team-high six rebounds, along with two blocked shots and two steals. Toohey hauled in four rebounds, also blocked two shots and added a steal.
All four of Toohey’s rebounds – two offensive and two defensive – came in the fourth quarter, when the Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 13-5 in the final 10 minutes.
“I was kind of seeing if he and Jackson could carry the frontline for us against a bigger team,” Wilson explained. “I thought both of them did a fantastic job with it. We gave up a few more rebounds than I would have liked us to, but overall I didn’t feel like we really got pushed over as a team, especially with the size differential.”
The Warriors now are 4-2 overall this summer, going 2-1 at the California Classic and 2-1 in Las Vegas. They have one more scheduled game in Vegas on Thursday at 7 p.m. PT against the Toronto Raptors.
Up and down the roster, Wilson is looking to end on a strong note in every little way.
“Really overall, just seeing can we sustain this,” Wilson said. “We’ve been playing some pretty good basketball as a team when our bench is really engaged supporting the guys on the floor, and vice versa. So I’m hoping to see that we continue that same trend, because depending on how this shakes out, different guys may get into the lineup.
“Guys that may not have played as much so far, and hopefully they get rewarded as well with the same level of support.”
STATELINE, Nev. – As Seth Curry eases his 6-foot-2 frame into a chair 10 feet from the driving range at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course, the sharpshooting guard knows what’s coming his way.
Questions about his golf game. About his value in a league where deep shooting is at a premium and he is a free agent. About his brother, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
And, of course, there will be questions about possibly joining his brother on the Warriors. The topic isn’t new to Seth, but this time, there is a gathering storm of possibility.
He’s available. The Warriors need shooting. And Seth’s father-in-law, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, is among those who can visualize a fruitful partnership.
“I actually think the perfect place for him would be Golden State,” Rivers said last month on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Reminded of Rivers’ comment, Seth Curry grins and does not dismiss the prospect.
“They play a good brand of basketball,” he says of the Warriors. “I feel like I’ve been a part of Dub Nation for a while, watching Steph and being around the organization. Obviously, they, like any team, could use shooting.
“But I can’t say anything other than I’m trying to find the best place for me.”
Though Curry remains unsigned (through Wednesday morning), there is a market for the 34-year-old who has no plans to return to the slowly rebuilding Charlotte Hornets. Fan bases from New York (Knicks) to Los Angeles (Lakers) to Golden State are urging front offices to acquire him. And each of those front offices is shopping for shooting.
As the best available shooter, Seth would be a logical candidate for any of those teams. He led the NBA last season in 3-point shooting percentage at 45.6 percent. His career 43.3-percent shooting from deep places him second among active players, behind Atlanta Hawks wing Luke Kennard (43.8) and just ahead of his third-place brother (42.3).
“I always have to do what’s best for myself,” Seth Curry says. “Obviously, Steph would love me to come over there and play with him. And the fans showed me a lot of love at all times. (Our) Family would love it. I’ve obviously I’ve always embraced the Warriors and their system and love the way they play. And you never know what can happen.”
Why would Golden State consider adding Seth? The Warriors, even with all-time great Stephen Curry, last season finished 16th in 3-point shooting percentage at 36.4 percent. All four teams in the conference finals were in the top 10. They have only three players who stretch defenses: Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and Quinten Post.
Seth Curry would be looking at a veteran’s minimum contract worth about $3.6 million, but his presence would give the Warriors two of the best deep shooters in the league. Defensive reasons would prevent the Curry brothers from spending much time playing together, but one would always be on the floor as a threat.
The NBA free-agent market has slowed to a trickle. Restricted free agents like Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors) and Josh Giddey (Bulls) and Cam Thomas (Nets) remain on the table. Healthy unrestricted free agents like Al Horford, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Gary Payton II have yet to sign a contract.
Same applies to Seth Curry.
The Warriors invited Seth Curry, then a few months removed from Duke, to training camp in 2013 and waived him five days before the season opener. The timing wasn’t right; Golden State liked Kent Bazemore’s superior size off the bench.
Now, 12 years later, the timing feels better for both.
“For me, it’s basketball first,” Curry says. “I have to fit the style of play. If they need what I do, if they need my services, what I do best and, just what type of team they have, and things of that nature. So, it’s always basketball fit first.”
The Warriors are a fit for any low-maintenance shooter. But they remain in “wait mode,” not expected to complete their roster until there is resolution with Kuminga.
If Seth Curry still is available at that time, the Warriors absolutely should be – and would be – interested.
Kyle Schwarber celebrates after hitting his third home run in the tiebreaker at the All-Star Game. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
Technically, there was no winning pitcher in Major League Baseball’s 95th All-Star Game.
The man who gave up the night’s biggest swings, however, was probably as deserving as any.
As the American League stormed back from a 6-0 deficit in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic, a rarely contemplated reality started to dawn in both dugouts.
Three years ago, MLB changed its rules for how to break ties in its annual marquee event, instituting a home run “swing-off” to be conducted at the conclusion of the ninth inning. Each team selected three players, who each got three swings. Whichever team hit the most home runs in those nine swings wins the game.
It was penalty kicks for baseball. A hockey shootout on the diamond.
The only difference, though, was that this sport’s version required a coach to take part in the action.
Enter Dino Ebel — veteran Dodgers’ third base coach — and, now, victorious pitcher in the inaugural All-Star Game swing-off.
“What an exciting moment, I think, for baseball, for all the people that stayed, who watched on television, everything,” Ebel said, after teeing up the NL hitters for a 4-3 win in the home run swing-off, and a 7-6 win overall in the All-Star Game.
“That was pretty awesome to be a part of … I had like 10 throws just to get loose. And then it’s like, ‘Let’s bring it on.’ ”
Indeed, in an event that can often go stale once starters get removed in the early innings, the finish to Tuesday’s game energized both the stands and the dugouts, with players from both teams emptying onto the field and wildly cheering each swing.
“That was like the baseball version of a shootout or extra time,” said Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber, who went three for three in his turn at the plate to ultimately lift the NL to the win, and earn All-Star Game MVP honors. “It was really fun. I credit the guys on our side, who were really into it.”
“First time in history we got to do this,” added Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts, who was previously 0-3 as an All-Star Game manager before Tuesday’s dramatic conclusion. “I think it played pretty well tonight.”
Perhaps the greatest twist: In the middle of it all was Ebel, a 59-year-old base coach who, as a utility infielder from 1988 to 1994 in the Dodgers’ minor-league system, never advanced past triple A.
In addition to his duties as third base coach and outfield instructor for the Dodgers, Ebel is something of a batting practice specialist these days. He’s thrown it on a daily basis to Dodgers hitters ever since the team hired him in 2019, and as a staff member with the Angels for years before that. He has pitched for four different players in the Home Run Derby, including Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Teoscar Hernández’s win in Texas last year.
Kyle Schwarber celebrates with teammates after the NL won the All-Star Game tiebreaker. (Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)
Ebel and Schwarber even had previous history of doing batting practice together, back when Ebel was a coach on Team USA’s 2023 World Baseball Classic squad two years prior.
“He's got great BP,” Schwarber said. “A lot of credit goes to him, just kind of getting thrown into the firestorm there and not being rattled by it, being able to keep pumping really good strikes to us.”
By the time Schwarber came up in the second round of the swing-off, the NL was in somewhat dicey position. Brent Rooker of the A’s started the event off with two home runs for the AL. Kyle Stowers of the Miami Marlins and Randy Arozarena of the Seattle Mariners each traded one, leaving the AL ahead 3-1.
And while Schwarber is one of the league’s most feared sluggers, with 30 long balls this year and 314 in his career, he said he rarely takes actual batting practice on the field, leaving him admittedly “a little nervous” as strolled to the dish.
“I think the first swing was kind of the big one,” Schwarber said. “I was just really trying to hit a line drive, versus trying to hit the home run. Usually, that tends to work out — especially in games.”
As Schwarber was preparing for his round, he and Ebel discussed where exactly he wanted the ball thrown.
“I’m gonna go left-center to center field,” Schwarber told Ebel. “So just throw it down the middle.”
Three thunderous swings later, Schwarber had put the NL in front with three towering blasts.
Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel was the man of the moment at the All-Star Game. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“This was putting it more on the line,” Ebel said of Tuesday’s format, which unlike the Home Run Derby or daily BP, required more patience and precision with each player permitted only three swings. “Like right now, you’re gonna win it or you’re gonna lose it. And we won it.”
Indeed, when the Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda suffered an 0-fer that culminated in a pop-up, the NL team swarmed Schwarber, who then sought out Ebel and embraced him with a hug.
“A lot of credit goes to him for the National League bringing it home,” Schwarber reiterated.
“Put a ‘W’ next to Dino's name in the paper,” Roberts echoed. “Dino should get the win, absolutely.”
This week was memorable for Ebel even before Tuesday’s swing-off.
On Sunday morning, he flew home early from the Dodgers’ road series in San Francisco to be with his son, Brady, for the MLB draft. From their living room, the Ebel family celebrated after Brady was selected 32nd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers, then packed up and headed for Ontario International Airport to catch a red-eye flight Sunday for Atlanta.
And after getting in early on Monday morning, Ebel had been going nonstop around All-Star festivities, joining his fellow Dodgers coaches (who made up the honorary NL staff after winning the pennant last year) for media appearances, throwing batting practice in a pre-Home Run Derby workout on Monday and, as it turned out, doing it again with Tuesday’s game in the balance.
“It’s pretty high adrenaline going for me right now,” Ebel said from the NL clubhouse postgame. “I haven’t gotten too much sleep. But right now, I feel like I’ve slept for days. Because I’m wired up.”
Instead of a tie or the game going to extra innings, MLB and the players' union agreed that if the Midsummer Classic was tied after nine innings, the game would be decided by a home run derby. Of course, it wouldn't be like the one fans saw on Monday night but it gave an electric finish to an entertaining contest.
Each manager chose three batters to take three swings. Whoever had more homers was deemed the winner and Kyle Schwarber led the National League to victory on Tuesday.
But one question remained: how did each league's managers -- especially Aaron Boone -- choose who would be hitting?
Well, the Yankees skipper made it clear how that process went.
"We had to pick our guys yesterday," Boone said after the game. "Wanted to make sure I picked guys I knew would be in the game there and still hot. That was my choice."
Boone's choice of three hitters was the Athletics' Brent Rooker, the Mariners' Randy Arozarena and the Rays' Jonathan Aranda. Interesting choices, for sure.
Rooker put on a show in Monday's Home Run Derby, hitting 17 bombs and missing out on the second round because eventual winner, Cal Raleigh hit a ball less than a foot further. The Athletics outfielder has 20 homers this season, which is eighth in the AL. Arozarena has 17, which is 15th in the league but Aranda has only 11 this season.
Where was Aaron Judge? Where was Junior Caminero, who was the Home Run Derby runner-up?
As Boone explained, he wanted players who were playing in the later innings as they were more warmed up and ready to go. So that means starters who play 3-4 innings are not available.
"We weren’t going to switch. We picked our players yesterday, then it was just the matter of picking the order," Boone said when asked about planning for the All-Star Game. "You have a plan going in. You know the starters are playing half the game, you got a couple of guys nursing through some things so you're protecting a couple of guys too and keeping it shorter for them. You plan for that going in."
Even if Boone had his full roster available, it may not have mattered. Schwarber did what he does best, hitting three bombs with his three swings, and clinching the win without Pete Alonso having to take a swing.
The Yankees skipper was impressed by the swing-off performance even if he wasn't surprised.
"I'm not shocked, especially after he clipped the first one," he said. "You get that first one under your belt. He put three great swings on it...I saw him nodding his head and he did Schwarber-type things."
