“It is too expensive,” Weah was quoted as saying this month by France's Le Dauphiné. “I am just a bit disappointed by the ticket prices. Lots of real fans will miss matches.”
“First of all, I think players need to talk on the pitch, playing football, not outside of,” Pochettino said Thursday during a Zoom news conference from Coral Gables, Florida. “It is not his duty to evaluate the price of the ticket. And then also my job, my duty is to prepare the team, the U.S. men’s national team in the best way to perform. We are not politicians. We are sport people that only we can talk about our job and I think if FIFA does something or takes some decision, they know why, and (it) is their responsibility to explain why. But it is not about us to provide our opinion. Our responsibility is to perform, play and perform on the pitch and then the people that is in charge of the federation, maybe he can give his opinion, but I am the head coach of the federation."
The U.S. has friendlies against Belgium (March 28), Portugal (March 31), Senegal (May 31) and Germany (June 6) before their World Cup opener against Paraguay in June 12 at Inglewood, California.
Lakers guards Luka Doncic (77) and Austin Reaves have been listed as questionable to play Friday against the Wizards in Washington. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers have upgraded guard Austin Reaves (left calf strain) to questionable from out and listed guard Luka Doncic (left ankle soreness) as questionable for Friday night’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Reaves has been out since getting injured on Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets, a span of 17 games.
In 23 games this season, Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2). Reaves is shooting 50.7% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range.
Doncic injured his ankle during the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night after falling off the side of Cleveland’s raised court while shooting a fadeaway three-pointer in the first quarter.
He hobbled to the Lakers’ locker room and was unable to put any weight on his leg. But Doncic did return to play and finished the game with 29 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Doncic leads the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points per game and is third in assists at 8.7.
“I kind of got scared,” Doncic told reporters after the game in Cleveland. “It wasn’t a great feeling and looking back at the video, I think I got a little bit lucky. It hurts obviously more now, but, just, I tried to go.”
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 21: Braves fans play catch on the field during the 2023 Braves Fest on January 21, 2023 at The Battery and Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
So here’s the forecast for Saturday (a.k.a. Braves Fest day) as of right now:
Realistic snow totals for Saturday: – A dusting to 2" max in Metro – 2-3" towards Lake Oconee and Augusta – 3-5" from Athens to the mountains pic.twitter.com/mNzCNBxNTX
Of course, this could definitely change between now and Saturday (especially considering how the Metro Atlanta area ended up dodging a bullet (for the most part) when it came to last weekend’s ice storm) but also OOF. Even if there’s no snow, it’s looking like a lock that it’ll be 27 degrees. I’m not trying to hear from folks who have real winter, that’s frigid for these parts. So yeah, if you’re going to Braves fest then you’re, well, pretty brave.
Anyways, the floor is now yours. Here’s your random clip for the night:
Ahead of what will be the final season of his MLB career, Miguel Rojas won’t represent Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic because of insurance issues, a source confirmed.
Rojas announced via Instagram on Thursday that he wouldn’t be participating in the triannual international tournament.
Miguel Rojas speaking to the crowd at the 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers World Series celebration. Getty Images
“Today I am very sad,” he wrote in Spanish, in a post accompanied by a picture of himself wearing the Venezuelan flag over his shoulders. “A true shame I can’t represent my country and put that flag on my chest.”
Rojas, 37, is one of several players who are reportedly unable to participate in this spring’s WBC because of issues getting their MLB contracts insured against potential injury in the tournament –– the same requirement that also forced Clayton Kershaw, among others, to miss the most recent WBC in 2023.
Miguel Rojas celebrates a home run during Game 7 of the 2025 MLB World Series. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Without insurance (or, in very rare cases, agreements with their MLB teams), big-league players would not have their contracts guaranteed for any time they miss during the regular season resulting from injuries sustained in the WBC.
Typically, insurance issues arise over concerns about a player’s injury history. But, while Rojas has dealt with hernia, forearm and intercostal issues over the last two years, his situation also stemmed from his age, as El Extrabase first reported and Rojas’ Instagram post itself indicated.
“On this occasion,” Rojas wrote, “age wasn’t just a number.”
A 12-year big-league veteran who has played a key role in both of the Dodgers’ recent back-to-back World Series championships, Rojas has never before played in the WBC.
Miguel Rojas high-fiving teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the World Series. Getty Images
He was originally part of Team Venezuela’s 2023 squad, but pulled out shortly before the tournament after Gavin Lux’s torn ACL during spring training that year thrust him into a starting role for the Dodgers –– who had just re-acquired the smooth-fielding utilityman in a trade from the Miami Marlins that offseason.
“It’s a decision that is not coming easy for me,” Rojas told MLB.com then. “Definitely the WBC and my country and being part of that squad has always been a priority for me and something I really value in my career. [It is] one of the best things that I could have done in my career, an experience like no other.”
Now Rojas, who re-signed with the Dodgers as a free agent this offseason and is slated to take on a player development role within the organization once he retires, won’t get the chance before his playing career ends.
With Rojas ruled out of the WBC, the Dodgers currently have only three confirmed participants: Will Smith for Team USA; and Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for Team Japan.
Kershaw, who retired from the major leagues after last season, will also be on Team USA’s roster.
Nico O’Reilly gives Manchester City options, Sunderland miss Granit Xhaka’s grit and West Ham find a way
Just when Brighton supporters were hoping their side was building some momentum after a run of five games undefeated in all competitions, Saturday’s stoppage-time loss to Fulham arrived. Fabian Hürzeler’s side led at half-time, but their collapse was typical of performances on the road this season. Securing only two away wins – against Chelsea in September and Nottingham Forest in November – has undermined their challenge for Europe. Their next two games at the Amex, against Everton on Saturday and arch-rivals Crystal Palace next week, are an opportunity to make up some ground. Only seven points separate them from Chelsea in fifth place, but Brighton’s record against David Moyes’s side at home is terrible, having failed to beat them since 2019 when a late Lucas Digne own goal sealed the points for Graham Potter against an Everton team managed by Marco Silva. Ed Aarons
SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 19: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds is held back while arguing with the home plate umpire after being ejected against the San Diego Padres on June 19, 2021 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds legend and future baseball Hall of Famer Joey Votto is going to be a big part of NBC’s Major League Baseball coverage beginning this spring.
According to Front Office Sports, Votto is among a pretty impressive (on field) trio that will be joining NBC’s coverage, with fellow future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw and some guy who played for the Cubs for a while also set to headline.
What remains to be seen, though, is in just what capacity we’ll see Votto.
Will he be a featured analyst during weekly Sunday Night Baseball broadcasts? Will he be parked behind a desk in-studio for larger national coverage?
Will he dress like a mountie? Will he drive a school bus to work each day?
Will he go with a beard, since it’s now perpetually his off-season?
Regardless, we’re about to hear one of the best minds the sport has ever seen be back on television front and center, providing us with the kind of insight into the game of baseball at a level we could only dream.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 15: Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns plays against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 15, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons get to face off against the Phoenix Suns for the second time in two weeks. This time, Detroit visits the Mortgage Matchup Center (yeesh, what a name) in Phoenix, Arizona. Detroit narrowly escaped with a win in the first matchup, 108-105. That game was close because Cade Cunningham was then playing his first game back after a 10-day absence because of a wrist injury and delivered one of his worst performances of the season. He shot just 3-of-16 and committed five turnovers. Conversely, the avowed enemy of Pistons fans everywhere, Grayson Allen, was torching the nets. He scored 33 points and hit 7 threes to almost will his team to victory.
Allen only has five games this season eclipsing the 20-point threshold, so hopefully he comes down to earth a little bit. Cunningham, meanwhile, seems to put the ailing wrist issues behind him. He scored 22 points in a win against the Denver Nuggets and 29 in a blowout against the Sacramento Kings, both times shooting better than 50% from the floor. Critically against the Nuggets, he had zero turnovers and dished 11 assists. That’s the Cunningham we like to see.
Game Vitals
When: 9 p.m. ET Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Arizona Watch: Fan Duel Sports Network Odds: Pistons -4
All offseason, Dodgers officials have emphasized the importance of managing their starting rotation’s workload in 2026, after pushing that group to its physical limits during last October’s arduous World Series run.
A few weeks before the start of spring training, Blake Snell is becoming an early example.
In the aftermath of the Dodgers’ Fall Classic triumph in Toronto –– which was still not even three months ago –– Snell’s arm was “tired” and “exhausted,” he acknowledged Thursday, following five postseason starts plus a critical relief appearance in Game 7 against the Blue Jays.
Blake Snell decided to slow his offseason pitching program after his arm felt tired following the Dodgers championship run. AP
“I was happy I was able to pitch the whole time,” the left-hander told The California Post during a Dodgers charity event at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. “But it was tough.”
Thus, Snell and the team decided to have the 33-year-old slow-play his winter throwing program this offseason. The plan, Snell said, is to still be ready for Opening Day in late March. But at this point, that is not seen as a certainty within the organization.
“You want to ramp up, but I gotta take my time and get healthy,” said Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner who returned from a long-term shoulder injury last summer to play a starring role in the Dodgers’ title trek.
“I feel like I’m doing the right thing. I feel good. I’ve been throwing. It feels better. In the postseason, I gave everything I had for that. But on the front end of spring, I’ll have to be patient and let my body get to 100%.
“That’s what I’m learning talking with (the team). Don’t rush. Be patient. Make sure you’re 100%. And that’s what’s awesome about the organization. They really are focused on your health and well-being.”
In some ways, this is nothing new for the Dodgers. They’ve long erred on the side of caution when it comes to managing pitchers’ workloads. They’ve always prioritized long-term health, and October availability, above all else.
Never before, however, has that balance been so important.
The two-time Cy Young award winner returned from a shoulder injury last summer and played a key piece in their title run. AP
Beyond Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto presents the most obvious challenge this season. Not only did the right-hander lead the Dodgers in both regular-season and postseason innings last year (logging 210 combined, culminating with his back-to-back appearances in games 6 and 7 of the World Series), but he is also slated to pitch for Team Japan in this spring’s World Baseball Classic. That will require him to ramp up earlier than normal and make full-intensity outings several weeks before Opening Day.
“Yamamoto is gonna be an interesting case study,” manager Dave Roberts said, “given how much he’s pitched over the last couple years.”
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Shohei Ohtani offers another unique situation, likely to get extra between-starts rest –– as much as “six, seven, eight days off,” according to Roberts –– as he returns to full-time two-way duties for the first time in his Dodgers career. He is also on Team Japan’s WBC roster, but it’s undetermined if he will pitch in the event.
Tyler Glasnow, meanwhile, has a long history of injuries the Dodgers will have to take into account, with the 10-year veteran having never made more than 22 starts in a regular season.
There’s no hard innings limits on the Dodgers starters, but Andrew Friedman said workloads are something they “have to be mindful of.” AP
For now, the Dodgers haven’t set any hard innings limits on that group and will wait and see how each progresses during spring camp before formulating more specific plans.
Still, their workloads are “something we definitely have to be mindful of,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said this winter.
“It’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here (at some point), we can do it,’” general manager Brandon Gomes echoed.
The good news for the Dodgers is that they have some depth. Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki are expected to bolster the season-opening rotation. Former top prospects River Ryan and Gavin Stone had normal offseasons after recovering from surgeries last year (with excitement around the organization particularly high in how Ryan has looked ahead of camp). Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack and Bobby Miller are all also starting options.
This coming year, the team might need almost all of them at some point.
Already, the aftereffects of last year’s World Series title are being felt.
Gordon aggravated a previous hamstring injury against the Bucks last week. That previous injury sidelined him for six weeks. Denver has held its own without Gordon — a key glue guy for them on both ends of the court — going 14-10 in the games he has missed so far. Denver has a +0.7 net rating when he is off the floor.
This is just the latest in a seemingly endless string of injuries in Denver this season. The Nuggets are currently playing without four starters in Nikola Jokic (hamstring, Christian Braun (ankle), Cameron Johnson (knee) and Gordon (hamstring). On top of all that, point guard Jamal Murray — who should be named an All-Star reserve — is day-to-day with a hamstring issue himself.
Denver has been an impressive 9-5 since Jokic went out and has held on to the No. 3 seed in the West. He is expected to be re-evaluated in the next week and is reportedly nearing a return. He has been out for a month with a bone bruise from a hyperextended left knee.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: OG Anunoby #8 and Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks high five during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 27, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Nets, 76ers, Kings, and Raptors are not necessarily the Mount Rushmore of contenders in the NBA today. So a four-game winning streak against them alone shouldn’t, and doesn’t, overwrite the 2-9 11 game stretch the Knicks experienced not too long ago. But, if you look at the way they have played since players spoke openly about doing some soul searching, and looking themselves in the mirror, they’ve looked much better, and the numbers give fans reason to believe that their current winning streak is more than just beating up on bad opponents. That is certainly part of it, but the 76ers, despite being just 4-6 in their last 10 games, are still 25-21, and the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Raptors, before losing to the Knicks last night, were just one loss behind the Knicks, and were 29-19.
Let’s start with the offense. While a lot of the pessimism surrounding the Knicks during their rough patch was rightfully around their defense, their lack of offensive outbursts, and suboptimal execution was much more confounding given the talent on the roster. They had some of the worst shooting performances of the season, all within a short period, resorted to the Jalen Brunson-centric, isolation-heavy offense, and it led to a very predictable, tough-to-watch product that often struggled to score more than 100 points.
But over their last four games, the Knicks have looked much better as a whole. Individual players have still struggled, but we’re now seeing guys step up when they do. Karl-Anthony Towns’ struggles have been well-documented. Mikal Bridges had one of his worst offensive games as a Knicks against the 76ers, OG Anunoby coughed up seven turnovers against the Kings, and the aforementioned Brunson managed to score just 13 points against the Raptors last night. But in each game, guys stepped up, and that was made possible by the increase in ball movement, pace, fluidity, intentionality, and execution.
Against the Nets, Brunson led the way with 20 points, but he was supported by Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride, who poured in 18 points and 14 points off the bench, respectively. And in a historic 54-point blowout, we saw all five members of the starting lineup record three or more assists. Days later, against the 76ers, Brunson once again led the way with 31 points, but Anunoby was the star of the show, scoring 23 points on an efficient 10-15 shooting. Against the Kings, Bridges bounced back and backed up Brunson’s 28 points with 18 points on just 13 shots. And a day later, against the Raptors, in a game where Brunson and Towns combined for a measly 21 points, Bridges led the way with an emphatic 30 points, while Anunoby scored 26 points, Hart scored 22, and Tyler Kolek dished out 10 assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
That’s led to the Knicks being fourth in offensive rating during that span, and has solidified themselves as the third-best offense behind the Nuggets and Celtics. Sure, three of those four teams are bottom five in the defensive rating over their last four games, but one of those teams, the 76ers, is 13th in defensive rating on the season, and the Raptors enter today with the sixth-best defensive rating on the season. But after seeing this team struggle offensively against even the worst teams in the league, it’s a nice change to see them look more like their early-season selves on that end of the floor.
That being said, if you truly believed in Mike Brown and the collective talent of the team, you likely also believed that the shots would start going in again, and that one way or another, they’d find a way to become a good, if not great, offensive team again. Defensively, though, they’ve really turned some heads. Again, the level of competition hasn’t been amazing, and they did get torched by Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, and Brandon Ingram to varying degrees. But as a whole, the defense looks much more active, physical, and connected than it was in a very long time.
Last Wednesday, they held Brooklyn to just 66 points. And before you convince yourself that’s because it’s the Nets, remember that the Nets scored 117 points against the Suns, 103 points against the Magic, and 96 points against the Rockets, all of whom have a higher defensive rating than the Knicks currently do. A few nights later in Philadelphia, they held Tyrese Maxey, who has historically played very well against the Knicks, to just 22 points, and held the Sixers to just 13 points in a pivotal third quarter that proved to be the difference. When they hosted Sacramento, they never gave up more than 26 points in a quarter, and held them to just 15 points in the fourth quarter, when it really mattered the most. And last night in Toronto, they managed to shut down everybody besides Ingram, holding them to just 64 points over their final three quarters without the help of two of their three best defenders, Deuce McBride and Mitchell Robinson.
Again, they haven’t gone out and slowed down the Nuggets, Celtics, Rockets, Thunder, Cavaliers, or any of the other top 10 offenses during this stretch, but it’s clear that the defense has been significantly better during this stretch. Because just a couple of weeks ago, they were getting lit up by the same Kings, the Mavericks, and Pelicans, who are all bottom five in the league in offensive rating.
New York is now one of just four teams, all of which are from the Eastern Conference, to be undefeated in their past four games, and ranks first in net rating during that stretch with a +25.6. This is a small sample size that is made up of just two playoff teams, and the upcoming few weeks will be full of harder tests that will show fans who these Knicks truly are. But for the time being, it’s been a positive sign to see them not only winning, but passing some of the eye tests we saw them fail very recently.
Tommy Edman has a new name to write on his lineup card.
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ second baseman and his wife, Kristen welcomed the birth of their second child — a daughter, Ava, on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Kristen Edman Kristen EdmanTommy and Kristen Edman announced the birth of their daughter, Ava, on Tuesday. Kristen Edman
Edman and his wife Kristen shared the news on Instagram with a carousel of hospital-room stillness: the newborn bundled tight, the quiet glow of first moments, and the show-stealer — big brother Eli — meeting his baby sister for the first time.
“Worth the wait. Welcome to the world, Ava Edman,” Kristen wrote, a line that didn’t need embellishment.
The injury landed Edman on the injured list twice and shadowed him through the team’s championship run in October. He gutted it out anyway — infield, center field, wherever the team needed him — until surgery finally came in mid-November.
Edman, who played through a nagging ankle injury throughout the playoffs, expects to be healthy by Spring Training. Getty Images
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“This was clearly bothering him for a while,” general manager Brandon Gomes said at the Winter Meeting in early November. “He’s so tough and went out there and kept just posting for us, and obviously played great for us. So I think it’ll be good to get it addressed, and then that way he can kind of have this behind him.”
Edman’s recovery timetable is uncertain, but he expects to be ready by the start of spring training. However, the Dodgers have a history of being conservative with their players when they come back from injury. Their plethora of depth doesn’t hurt them in that regard either. Edman’s status for Opening Day is still in the air, but knowing the Dodgers they will likely play it safe.
The team has prepared accordingly, adding Andy Ibáñez and leaning on depth like Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland. Andrew Friedman, as always, has contingency plans.
Boxer fights back tears in first video since fatal car crash
Joshua: ‘I am going to do what is right by them’
An emotional Anthony Joshua has insisted he knows what he has got to do after the death of close friends Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele last month, adding that their company was akin to “walking with giants”.
The two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria on 29 December which killed Ghami and Ayodele and shocked the boxing fraternity.
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 10: Ron Harper Jr. #13 of the Boston Celtics and Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs swap jerseys after the game on January 10, 2026 at TD 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Three teams of NBA rookies/sophomores and one team of NBA G Leaguers were drafted to the Castrol 2026 rising star teams. These four teams will compete in a mini-tournament on Friday, Feb. 13, at the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome as part of the 2026 NBA All-Star events. NBA legends Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, and Vince Carter, will coach the teams comprised of NBA rookies/sophomores, while former NBA player and current NBC/Peacock analyst Austin Rivers will coach a team made of rising stars in the G League. All four teams will have selected NBA assistants to help their honorary head coaches.
Former Rutgers guard Dylan Harper was drafted No. 12 overall by Anthony’s team, while his brother, Ron Harper Jr., was taken second overall in the G League draft. Both brothers were stars during their time at Rutgers.
Dylan Harper is averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while averaging 21.2 minutes per game. Ron Harper Jr. averaged 1.9 points per game and 5 minutes in the seven NBA games he appeared in this season. He has averaged 26.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game during the eight games he has played in the G League this season.
Their was several requirements that NBA rookies/ sophomores had to meet to be eligible to be selected, per the NBA’s website.
“NBA assistant coaches determined the pool of 21 NBA players, with each team submitting one ballot. Voters ranked 10 rookies and 10 sophomores, with more points assigned to higher placements. The top 10 rookies and top 10 sophomores by point total earned spots. The final spot was awarded to the higher-scoring player among the 11th-ranked finishers in each class. The pool includes one more sophomore than rookie based on total points received.“
In the Castrol Rising Stars mini-tournament, Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal, and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal. The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship. For each semifinal game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points. For the championship game, the winner will be the first team to reach 25 points. It is currently unknown which teams will be pitted against one another in the first two matchups.
In the early hours after Kevin Durant became a Brooklyn Net, I wrote that the Knicks were lucky to have missed out on a 30-year-old generational superstar:
For the first time, there will be expectations and the heat of the Gotham spotlight. Durant struggled with the press in Oklahoma City. Even with all his individual and team success as a Warrior, he argues with nobodies online. How’s it going to go when the New York media starts reporting whispers about his recovery taking too long? Or if he returns and doesn’t look like himself? That’d be natural, of course. But when’s the last time the NYC sports media backed off a headline because patience is natural?
Now, with less than a week till the trade deadline, the gossip girls known as “sports journalists” are all in heat, releasing fat juicy rumors about the suddenly available Giannis Antetokounmpo. A goodly sum of that gesticulating lists the Knicks as a leading candidate to trade away what little depth they have for a 31-year-old out 4-6 weeks with his second significant non-contact calf injury of the half-season, then pay him $59 million next season and $69 million per when he’s 34-37 years old.
I’ve been wrong about the NBA too many times to count. While watching the 1993 draft with a friend who rooted for the Lakers, I swore their second-round pick that year would never amount to anything, some guard from Cincinnati I’d never heard of; Nick Van Exel not only went on to become an All-Star, but one of my favorite players ever. Frank Williams? Earl Barron? Two Knicks I was as sure were Springfield-bound as Ewing and Melo. I’ve defended Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jose Calderon and Enes Freedom, all on the record.
There’s dumb, there’s dim, and there’s the village idiot, and I been one and two enough to know three is always a distinct possibility.
So when I say I don’t want the Knicks to trade for Giannis — particularly midseason — take it with a huge grain of salt. Speaking of yuuuuge, you saw the photo image for this article? Antetokounmpo’s shoulder is bigger than Josh Hart’s SKULL. Man’s the closest thing the league’s had to Shaq since Shaq. He’s finished top-4 in MVP voting the past seven seasons; the only players to do that since I started watching in 1990 are Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. The GOATS of GOATS, and Giannis. That’s it.
Antetokounmpo would pro’ly be a better fit alongside Jalen Brunson than any of his other New York co-stars. Brunson and Julius Randle never got going in the pick-and-roll, and since the opening months last season the Brunson/KAT model’s been less hot than not. Brunson’s an iso guard. KAT would fit best alongside a Luka, a Cade, a Trae Young, a pick-and-roll virtuoso. Antetokounmpo, more a soloist, would fit more naturally beside Brunson.
As for the defensive upgrade: I am 6 feet tall. When I played basketball long ago as a young person, I was renowned for my quick hands and defensive instincts. While I am still 6 feet tall, I am anything but young. I’m out of shape. I’d probably drop dead if I played halfcourt for 20 minutes, much less full-court. And yet I say to you, friend, the difference in defensive quality at the NBA level between myself and Karl-Anthony Towns is no greater than that between KAT and Giannis. KAT’s defense makes you smack your head in disbelief. Giannis, too, for altogether different reasons of disbelief.
Antetokounmpo’s a better offensive fit beside Brunson. He’d instantly make Mitch the Knicks’ second-best defensive player, which has never been true in Mitch’s career. Giannis has proven he’s great enough to lead a good team to a championship, and it’s not like he sounds any less hungry for a second; if anything, he’s kinda feening. The challenge of retuning the Knicks to the top is one he’d embrace. Forget “best Knick since Ewing”; Antetokounmpo would immediately have a case, as far as his current basketball powers, as the greatest Knick ever — full stop.
I don’t want him. Here’s why.
First, while it’s always exciting imagining all the ways a new lover will excite more than the last, what happens if moving on means the old lover leaving and taking with the bed, most of the furniture and the dog? Acquiring Antetokounmpo would either mean trading KAT straight-up for him — something the Bucks will never do — or multiple players. When you only go about as deep as CBS News, that’s a no-no.
Say adding Giannis “only” costs KAT and Bridges from the current rotation, and we’ll throw in Kyle Kuzma headed this way, too (whether you think that’s a plus or minus is up to you). That’d leave the Knicks with:
Helluva starting five, eh? But start ranking the subs and it gets to be thin pickings fast. How many those subs you trust with 15-20 minutes a game come playoff time? That roster isn’t any closer to a ‘chip than the current one; the Knicks would have simply made another O. Henry trade, acquiring something precious at the cost of something equally precious, leaving them no better and less flexible (see: Anthony, Carmelo trade)
Two, we keep hearing how Giannis could mitigate a lotta difficulty for the Knicks by simply making it clear to the Bucks Gotham is the only place he’ll go. But — and I can say this from personal, shamed experience — it can be really difficult to extract yourself from a doomed relationship that you know isn’t sparking joy anymore. One of the most irritating things about Antetokounmpo in recent years has been his back-and-forth between “My righteous tzadik soul could never sully the Creator’s plan by asking for a trade” and “It’s medically critical that I am always competing for a title or else my blood cells will burst.”
What are the odds he pushes for a midseason deal to New York? If it required Milwaukee accepting what was obviously not the best offer possible, how will their fans react? I don’t think the Bucks want to be the first team to make a Luka-level trade since Luka and be explaining to their fans that the priority was doing right by Antetokounmpo while dooming the paying customers to a half-decade of long, cold Wisconsin winters.
Push a deal to the offseason and the Knicks could add a few extra first-round picks that aren’t currently trade-eligible. Push it to the offseason and a lotta teams can improve their offer, most to levels the Knicks just can’t reach. Unless the Bucks are interested in a post-Giannis future of winning 40ish games a year and drafting in the mid- to late teens.
A third reason I don’t want Antetokounmpo is where he differs 100% from Durant six years ago. KD is 7-feet tall and plays like his whole nine months in the womb God was whispering shooting tips to him. Even if Durant lost a step after his Achilles injury, he’s so tall, so long and so skilled that he could probably continue to dominate, even if he had to make adjustments due to injury.
You know when you like someone and you meet their parent of the same sex? And you check that parent out, wondering “Is that what my lover gonna look like in 20-30 years?” Someone with KD’s game is still holding it down in their late 50s, their 60s; the genes are immaculate. If Antetokounmpo loses a step due to injury/age, he could drop more than a just a little. He’s big and strong and athletic as all hell and can’t shoot a lick. Lose enough of them three formers and the latter could end up in tatters.
And four, finally: why would a man who gripes about being booed in Milwaukee be someone we trust with the pressure in New York? Antetokounmpo is the greatest player in Bucks history, and I’d guess the most popular. With allllll of the capital he’s built in a city not known for being hard on its athletes, his team was still booed (rightfully) for trailing by 31 at the half recently. And Antetokounmpo booed them back! If he comes to Madison Square Garden, the spotlight is on mostly on him, in front of fans he’s done nothing for besides costing a king’s ransom to acquire, and he’ll be expected to accomplish something no one from Bob McAdoo to Brunson ever has. No pressure.
If you want Antetokounmpo on the Knicks, pray it waits till the summer. The Knicks made a blockbuster deal last season right as training camp opened. Three days after their season ended, they stunningly fired their coach. There’s been a decent amount of turmoil and turnover at the highest levels of this team in, like, 15 months. Trading for Giannis midseason, whose game is 180-degrees different from KAT’s in every way, would force a team with less depth to completely alter their playing style on both ends more than halfway through the season. Please.
Also, a defense of Towns, who sometimes seems like he was brought in to be the perfect patsy to scapegoat outta town — KAT was a big reason the Knicks just made their first conference finals since 2000. This is no “Randle’s never come through in the postseason!” deal (another sophism I fought against); the Knicks don’t beat Detroit and Boston without KAT’s efforts. He’s still played fewer games as a Knick than Langston Galloway, Travis Knight and Michael Sweetney. Can we give an experiment that was entirely successful a year ago more than 50 games under a new coach before we blow it to hell? And that’s what it’d be: blowing things up.
What do you think? Do you want Giannis now? In the summer? ASAP? Never? Gab away in the comments, hon. Just be sure not to boo him, even in writing. Word is the man doesn’t like that.
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown is doubtful to play in Friday’s game between the Celtics and the Sacramento Kings, per the Celtics. Brown, who has only missed 3 games this season, is dealing with both left hamstring tightness and a right knee contusion.
Brown has been listed as dealing with hamstring tightness several times in the past week, and it’s something that he’s been playing through. The right knee contusion has not been previously listed on the injury report this season and thus appears to be a new injury.
Celtics Injury Report vs. Sacramento (1/30):
Jaylen Brown – Left Hamstring Tightness and Right Knee Contusion – DOUBTFUL
Brown had one of his less productive games of the season in a 117-106 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday, but he still finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.
In addition to Brown, Neemias Queta is listed as probable to play as he continues to recover from illness. Queta missed Wednesday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks as he deals with an illness he’s been playing through since Friday. The Celtics struggled in Queta’s absence and mostly relied on Amari Williams and Luka Garza in the frontcourt.
Garza, who has also been dealing with illness, is not on the injury report. Garza was one of Boston’s steadiest players on Wednesday, tallying 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Celtics look to get back on track against the Sacramento Kings
The Celtics have been on a bit of a slump lately, having dropped 5 of their last 10 games. For the season, they currently hold a 29-18 record, good for the East’s third-best record. On Wednesday night, they dropped just their fourth game of the season by double-digits.
“We just didn’t have it tonight,” Jaylen Brown said. “It’s just as simple as that. We came up short, but we didn’t have that spark today.”
The Kings, meanwhile, have lost 6 straight games and have the second-worst record (12-36) in the West. They’ll be on the second night of a back-to-back when they face the Celtics, as they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
