LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 11: Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are now on a two-game winning streak after securing a walk-off victory against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.
Although the bullpen nearly cost the Dodgers with a three-run implosion in the top of the eighth inning, the highlight early on was the return of two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell. Snell began his night by retiring the first 10 hitters in a row, ending his night having allowed just three hits, one run and one walk while striking out 10, becoming the first Dodger to reach double digit strikeouts in a start since Yoshinobu Yamamoto on July 4.
Snell spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about his return following Tuesday’s walk-off win, noting that his poor outing against the Atlanta Braves back in May helped him find a better rhythm and sequence on the mound.
“I had a lot of information from that game to help me with this one on what I wanted to do differently, and how I wanted to start. Definitely happy that I was more aggressive, more in the zone and more just in control of my emotions in being the first one back.”
“He was fantastic tonight. We pushed him a little bit into the sixth and through the sixth, but just because he was so efficient, certainly that extra inning was huge for us.”
Mookie Betts had himself a monster game offensively on Tuesday, finishing a triple shy of the cycle while driving in the tying run that helped the game reach extra innings.
It’s been a struggling season with the stick for Betts, and moments like the one he had Tuesday have been sparse, as he spoke with Watson about trying to find consistency at the plate.
“We’ll just go with a good day at the plate. We seem to have the story over and over again, so we’ll see tomorrow if we can string something together.”
Max Muncy ultimately was the hero once again for the Dodgers on Tuesday, as he delivered the walk-off blow in the bottom of the 10th to seal the series victory against Kansas City.
The Dodgers are starting to make their seven-game losing streak an outdated talking point, having won three of their last four games, and Muncy noted to Watson postgame that these wins have been a whole-team effort.
“Everyone is coming together. We’ve been grinding a little bit lately, but each day is a new day. You show up with an opportunity to do something great. We just keep trying to focus on the day we have at hand, and we’re going to keep doing that tomorrow.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 12: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat looks on against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter of the game at Kaseya Center on April 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
During Summer League, new Bucks guard Tyler Herro spoke with The Athletic’s Eric Nehm about everything from the trade itself to his feelings toward returning home. I’ve pulled some of the more notable quotes from this interview to break down. Of course, all credit goes to Nehm.
Therefore, the most notable segment of the discussion, to me, was what Herro said about the speculation surrounding his future in Milwaukee.
“I think now that things are kind of settling down, I’m hoping I’m staying here. That’s kind of the consensus I’m getting right now, but I’m excited to just be here. If it’s for two months, two years, whatever it is, I’m just excited to be here.
“I see the potential. I see the promise that we have as a group. As an organisation, with the young guys with a fresh start, I think we’re going to be better than people anticipate. We got a great mix of vets and guys that have been proven in this league, and then we got guys who are hungry, motivated with a chip on their shoulder, that want to compete and prove something. So, we’re going to be good.”
This is the ideal answer from the front office’s perspective. Basically, as long as he’s in a Bucks jersey, he’s going to be excited to play for the team. That said, it also sounds as if he understands why the front office may not necessarily see him as a cornerstone of the rebuild.
Another fascinating segment of the interview was Herro talking about what it means to be traded for the greatest player in franchise history, given his unique perspective on the team having grown up in the Cream City.
“I was 13 years old when Giannis was drafted and lived 10 minutes from the arena. I know what it’s like. I’ve been through it all. I remember the Michael Redd days, Brandon Jennings days. Andrew Bogut, Monta Ellis… all those days.
“I remember those days and what Giannis did when he got there… Not only the team, but the city has grown because of him. And he got the Deer District now… like, a bunch of different things in Milwaukee that just weren’t there when he got there. Not only did he bring a championship, but he changed the city as a whole.”
I honestly hadn’t considered the timeline of how Herro’s life experiences would have lined up with Giannis’ career in Milwaukee. Hearing the former Whitnall standout share how Giannis almost singlehandedly revitalised the city—as Herro was growing up himself—was super interesting.
Hearing Herro talk generally about how he dealt with being in trade rumours for years as a Heat was notable. He said that although it had occurred for years, this summer felt like it might actually happen.
“I kind of was anticipating it. This summer felt like the summer that it could probably happen. The rumours are part of the business of the game, and to be in the trade rumours, it’s a gift and a curse. The curse because that means people want you, but at the same time, the team is trying to trade you.”
“I’m happy where I’m at now. If I literally had to pick another team in the league to play for, it would be Milwaukee. I’m super excited to be in Milwaukee. Fresh start for everyone—the organisation, myself—and we’re really going to hit it home.”
Finally, Herro noted that he believes his time in Miami has prepared him to be more of a primary option as a Buck.
“I think my time in Miami has prepared me for this. Playing with great players—Jimmy [Butler], veteran guys, Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic, a bunch of different guys who I’ve learned from throughout my career—and to kind of be in that lead role now, it’s a responsibility that I think I’m ready for.”
Your thoughts, Brew Hoop fam?
Of course, Herro (probably) wouldn’t be coming to Milwaukee if the Giannis trade had occurred a year earlier. Have your say on the timing of that transaction below:
In the third inning, Skubal left an 0-2 slider down the middle to Caglianone, who made him pay by hitting a 110.8 mph laser into the seats in right field for a two-run home run.
Caglianone stayed hot at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs. He’s hitting .417 with at least one hit in all nine games in August.
One of the reasons why Caglianone has been finding his stride again recently is his ability to limit the strikeouts. His strikeout rate since returning from the All-Star break is 14.8%. In that span, he’s lowered his strikeout rate on the season from 29.2% to 26.5%
“Just trying to shrink the zone,” Caglianone said. “Once you get the two strikes, just battle your tail off.”
While [Mayor Quinton Lucas] pointed to a need for more robust conversations, one local leader said the delay was due to an attempt by the Royals to renegotiate certain parts of the deal.
The opposition has largely centered on the speed with which city leaders have pursued the project. The ordinance city leaders planned to debate Tuesday would have set aside $20 million and authorized City Manager Mario Vasquez to execute a series of agreements with the team.
The city’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee was set to review the ordinance on Tuesday. While the vote was delayed, the project is still widely expected to move forward. City leaders could still discuss the proposal next week.
Final approval of those agreements would effectively kickstart the project and mark the next step in the Royals’ yearslong search for a new home. The team’s rough plans, unveiled in April, call for a $1.9 billion stadium in Crown Center as part of a more than $3 billion ballpark district.
Missouri Workers Power (MWP), a sibling organization of Missouri Workers Center or Stand Up KC, has its own plan that calls for a vote of the people before city funding is allocated to the project.
“Postponing this item at City Council makes all the more evident our point: that our decision makers can’t keep trying to rush this process without considering what we the people need, and without all of us having the final say when it comes to the question of how our tax dollars are spent,” MWP Service Industry Worker Jaeda Roth said in a statement sent to FOX4 Tuesday afternoon. “Our representatives should not stand in the way of the people they are supposed to represent.”
MWP met with Mayor Lucas on Monday. The council has until Aug. 31 to figure out what to do with the MWP petition.
“So, the city has many choices as to how it looks to proceed in connection with that, but no, the city does not have a deadline or a timeline at least as to how it would act on any ordinances either before us or in the future relating to the baseball stadium that are triggered by any outside petition efforts,” the mayor said.
Fellow outfielder Carson Roccaforte is another name in the system due for a promotion. He has 14 home runs over his last 50 games, the most in the Royals farm system in that span. His strikeout rate is down to 23.2% in that sample, and his 14 home runs since June 6 are good for sixth in all of Double-A. The power surge, paired with elite center field defense are worth a look sooner rather than later. Kyle Isbel isn’t extremely far from free agency. He enters another year of arbitration in 2027, and good starting center fielders rarely hit the free agent market. If Roccaforte factors in at all over the next few years, getting him up the system is something we should see soon.
Topa has signed minor league deals with both Toronto and Kansas City since being cut loose by Minnesota. He’s pitched well in both places — including 12 2/3 innings with just one earned run allowed during his stint with Kansas City’s Omaha affiliate. Overall, Topa has pitched 20 2/3 minor league innings this season (all at the Triple-A level). He’s logged a tidy 1.74 ERA but still has a concerning 14.1% strikeout rate. His 8.7% walk rate is sharp, but Topa’s typical ground-ball tendencies haven’t been on display (41.8%). He’s worked more off his four-seamer than in the past during this Triple-A run, but Topa has also noticeably scaled back his slider usage. That might help to explain both the downturn in grounders (more four-seamers, slightly fewer sinkers) and in whiffs (fewer sliders, slightly fewer changeups).
Two strikes should put the hitter on the defensive, but against the Kansas City bullpen, the exact opposite happens. The issue isn’t getting ahead; it’s finding the pitch to finish the plate appearance. A drop in secondary pitch effectiveness has completely eliminated the uncertainty in the batter’s box. Without a breaking or offspeed offering that threatens the zone, hitters get comfortable, extend at-bats, and drive the ball hard—wiping out late-inning leads in the process.
The numbers don’t lie about the collapse: the Royals bullpen sits at the bottom of Major League Baseball with a disastrous -3.5 WAR and the lowest xERA (4.93) in the American League. They surrender 1.49 home runs per nine innings—the highest rate in MLB—while opponents punish them with a 40.4% hard-hit rate. This isn’t a temporary slump limited to a couple of arms; it’s a structural flaw in how the unit attempts to close out games.
A year ago, a breaking pitch below the zone forced hitters to make split-second decisions. Today, they lay off with ease because they know the next pitch will have to come over the plate.
Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you’re all having a wonderful week and enjoying the waning weeks of summer. Are we in the “dog days”? Or is that September? What does that even mean, really? Anyway, in baseball news, we’ve got lots of little tidbits for you for a midweek news catch-up, and finally not all of them are about the Trade Deadline. Some of them are, I mean, there’s no escaping that completely, but we’ve got lots of other little goodies for you, too.
We look at Paul Skenes and what he might need to fix in order to get back on track; there were a bunch of new pitching milestones reached this week; we assess which returning players might make the biggest difference for their clubs down the stretch; and we check in on Yordan Alvarez’s climb to claim the Triple Crown.
The Los Angeles Angels fired pitched coach Mike Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti, sources tell ESPN. Maddux joined them in the offseason and was working on a one-year contract. Angels pitchers have a 4.53 ERA and the most walks in MLB.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 02: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies bats during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday, August 2, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
He may not have a bushy beard, the untamed mullet, and “Your Love” playing before every at-bat, but Jake McCarthy has invoked the spirit of Charlie Blackmon while batting leadoff for the Colorado Rockies.
Just don’t tell him that.
“I got to meet him. I played against him, obviously, over the last few years in Arizona here,” McCarthy said. “I mean, obviously a great player. I understand. He batted leadoff for these guys for a long time. He also hit lefty, and he had the long hair, too. But I’m a little hesitant to accept any comparison to that guy. You know there’ll be a statue of him in Denver one day. So as humbling as that comparison is, I’m gonna deflect.”
Since Blackmon’s retirement after the 2024 season, the Rockies have battled instability in the leadoff spot, starting 13 different players at the top of the lineup between 2025 and 2026. To put that in perspective, from 2014 to 2024, the Rockies started 26 individual players not named Charlie Blackmon in the leadoff spot.
Blackmon’s prowess as an elite hitter with a sharp eye at the plate to go along with devastating power at the top of the order is enough to make anyone shudder at the thought of being compared to him. Blackmon was, after all, perhaps one of the greatest leadoff hitters in the history of the game.
It’s been a revolving door of different attempts to install a leadoff hitter since his retirement, but McCarthy appears to be the answer the Rockies have been looking for, even if it’s not a one-to-one comparison.
Over that 26-game stretch, McCarthy has batted .315/.342/.523 with four home runs and 16 RBI. He has 35 total hits, including nine doubles and a triple, and has struck out 16 times with four walks in 117 plate appearances. The hot streak has boosted McCarthy’s numbers as he is now batting .306/.343/.516 with a career-high 13 home runs on the season. Out of the leadoff spot alone, he is batting .307/.338/.543 in 59 games.
He’s also been making an immediate impact in games this season. He is the first Rockie with multiple first-pitch leadoff home runs in a single season and the first Rockie with at least four leadoff shots in his first season with the club. While his numbers as the first hitter of the game aren’t as good as one would hope, the fact that he is still able to set the table and have an impact the rest of the game speaks volumes to his effectiveness.
Over the last week, McCarthy dominated against the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals, earning National League Player of the Week honors. He led the NL in batting average (.519), OPS (1.352), hits (14), and total bases (23), while his eight runs scored tied for second. He even had a game against the Cardinals where he became just the second player since 1920 to have four hits, two homers, three RBI, and two stolen bases in a game, joining Shohei Ohtani.
For McCarthy, the mental approach for leading off involves several ingredients, but at the root of it all is one simple goal: get on base.
“It’s still something that I’m working on,” McCarthy said, “[being] someone who just gives a really ‘grinder’ at bat at the top. But I also want to slug. When I get on base, I want to steal bases. So I just think it’s a number of things, just trying to be dynamic. But again, I think the number one thing is if I’m standing on first for the guy batting second, I think that’s a win. So I just want to do that as much as possible.”
Thanks to his dynamic efforts batting first, the Rockies leadoff hitters lead all of baseball in batting average (.294), rank 10th in on-base percentage (.343), seventh in slugging (.462), sixth in RBI (69), 12th in runs scored (79), fourth in stolen bases (21), and 13th in wRC+ (107).
“I think we have a lot of depth in our lineup, and if I’m slugging, that’s great,” McCarthy continued. “But I just think if I get on first base and maybe take an extra 90 [feet] stealing a base, I just know the guys behind me are going to have good at-bats. So I think we all complement each other pretty well. It’s been a really fun offense to be a part of.”
Manager Warren Schaeffer also recognizes what a valuable tool a quality leadoff hitter like McCarthy can be for a ballclub.
“Jake has been so huge for our team. First and foremost, he sets the tone every day for us on both sides of the ball and base running,” said Schaeffer. “Having him in the leadoff spot has been huge for us — just a jolt every game. You know what you’re going to get. It’s a unique skill set. Not a lot of people in the league have what he has, and we’re so happy to have him. I’m just so happy for him that he’s having success and that he’s getting recognized.”
A scenery change for the better
When the Rockies acquired McCarthy from the Arizona Diamondbacks, there was no way of telling how he was going to respond in Colorado. In 2025, he saw a career-low as he slashed just .204/.247/.345 in 64 games with the Diamondbacks. He played much better with Triple-A Reno, but the big league performance and roster crunch made him expendable in the eyes of the front office.
Whether the change of scenery was all he needed or the Rockies coaching staff reinvigorated him, McCarthy took the struggles in stride from the previous season.
“Last year was pretty rough,” McCarthy said, “but I think when you don’t play well, you learn, and it’s an opportunity to sort of step back and say, ‘Here’s what went well, here’s what I do well’, and just reflecting on it,” he said. “And I think I’ve done a good job.”
“It’s just getting back to what makes me good. I think last year I just got away from doing what I do well, being competitive on a daily basis,” he continued. “A lot of at-bats ended in a pop-out, or early, weak contact. Now I’m just trying to hit as many line drives around the field as possible”
McCarthy has certainly achieved that goal as he carries a career-high 27.3% line drive rate this season, 10 points higher than in 2025. As a result, he has also dropped his 49.4% ground ball rate from last season to 38.6% this season, another career-best. While he acknowledges that the big outfield of Coors Field has likely helped, it has mainly been for stretching an apparent base hit into a double. In fact, he is batting .318/.345/.559 with eight home runs and 15 doubles at Coors Field while slashing .294/.342/.469 with five home runs and 10 doubles on the road.
What’s been a massive improvement has been the consistency of McCarthy’s platoon splits. Back in 2024, the best season of his career before 2026, McCarthy batted .284/.340/.358 against left-handed pitching. This season, he is hitting lefties with a .333/.366/.573 slash over 107 plate appearances. He’s doing that while also having a career year against right-handed pitching with a .297/.336/.496 slash line.
A stairway to heaven
In his first season with Colorado, McCarthy is putting up numbers that are reminiscent of Blackmon out of the leadoff spot. Since at least 2010, McCarthy’s 2026 has him placed in the top 10 in most offensive categories for leadoff hitters with at least 100 plate appearances in a season. He is surrounded primarily by Blackmon, which goes to show that the opportunities aren’t being wasted on him.
He may not have Blackmon’s mountain man appearance or his power bat, but McCarthy brings his own flair that makes you do a double-take to make sure it isn’t Chuck Nazty in the box. Between his dances after a double, pristine, flowing hair, “Stairway to Heaven” walk-up song, and a love of wearing the Rockies purple home run coat, McCarthy brings his own energy that the Rockies have sorely needed.
They never needed a Blackmon-clone; they just needed a player to step up and embrace the challenge. McCarthy has done just that with his new club.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity [the Rockies] have given me here to sort of go out and play every single day,” he said. “I just want to make them look good and continue to play hard. We want to win more games. That’s the most important, and I think we have almost two months left here to do that. So I’m looking forward to it.”
After scoring just one run through the first four innings, the Albuquerque Isotopes scored 12 runs in the final five innings to take the opening game of the series in Oklahoma. Conner Capel had three hits, coming a single shy of the cycle, as he drove in a pair of runs. Adael Amador also had three hits while Nick Kent and Drew Avans each had two hits and drove in a combined five runs. Jack Mahoney started on the mound and went four innings, allowing four runs on eight hits. He then gave way to a parade of relievers who allowed just three runs on six hits the rest of the way.
Holding a 2-0 lead through the first four innings, Hartford’s offense went quiet as Erie rallied for five runs in the late innings to take the victory. Dyan Jorge and Braylen Wimmer led the team offensively, collecting two hits apiece to make up half of the team’s hit total. Zach Kokoska had a sacrifice fly in the second inning to drive in the first run, and Mike Antico had an RBI single in the fourth to account for the Yard Goats’ runs. Sam Weatherly started the game and went two scoreless innings. Cade Denton then took a bulk of 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with five strikeouts. Victor Juarez took the loss after allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits over his two innings of work.
It was a forgettable night for the Spokane Indians as it seemed pitching couldn’t buy an out and the offense couldn’t buy an out. The Indians had three hits, with Tanner Thach and Cameron Nelson each hitting a solo home run to account for their runs. Spokane used six pitchers on the night, with only Tyler Hampu being the lone pitcher to not give up a run, recording a single out in the eighth inning. The other five pitchers gave up at least two runs, with Ismael Luciano getting the brunt of the damage, giving up six runs in the sixth inning.
It was a great night for pitching for the Fresno Grizzlies, but may have been overshadowed by a solid offensive evening. Brady Parker started on the mound and fired six no-hit innings, striking out six while walking four, departing the game after 90 pitches. Wilmis Paulino took over in the seventh and couldn’t keep the no-hit bid going as he gave up a solo home run, but he ended up locking down a three-inning save by allowing just two runs on four hits. Offensively, Fresno had an influx of 2026 draftees join the team. Daniel Jackson had two hits, including a home run. Ryan Niedzwiedz had two walks and Cort MacDonald had two hits, including a triple. Christian Arguelles continues to hit well, as he had two hits, including a double.
This week, Evan Lang and I discuss the significance of trying to avoid 100 losses, what to do about Zac Veen, and touch on the struggles of Ezequiel Tovar.
The trade deadline may be in the rearview mirror, but that isn’t going to stop the trade speculation. Hunter Goodman’s name is still going to be a popular ask during the offseason, especially for the New York Yankees who had interest and are still unhappy with the catching situation in New York.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 08: Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, Buster Posey, and Pablo Sandoval pose for a photo during their Wall of Fame induction ceremony prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Over the weekend, the San Francisco Giants celebrated five influential players from their 2010s World Series Championship runs with a Wall of Fame Ceremony. The team has not yet released the full video of the event, but our friends over at NBC Sports Bay Area interviewed the inductees: Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik, Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval. So I thought that we could take a look at that today and have some fond memories of folks we don’t see too often anymore (or in Posey’s case, remember that we did, in fact, used to love the guy when he was a player and not running the entire organization).
The video is roughly 15 minutes, so grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants conclude this three-game series against the Houston Astros this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 9: Erik Miller #67 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Fenway Park on August 9, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Erik Miller was acquired in exchange for Marcelo Mayer to bolster the Red Sox bullpen. He’s exactly Craig Breslow’s type: 6’5” and left-handed. He has above-average extension at almost seven feet. He even has the same defect as many Red Sox reliever acquisitions: he struggles to find the zone at times. Against right-handed hitters in particular, he came to the Red Sox with a walk rate over 20%. Aroldis Chapman and Tyron Guerrero each joined the Red Sox with a tendency to lose the zone, and have since reined it in. Miller, through his first three appearances (15 batters faced), has walked one batter and hit another. While that’s a small sample, a few changes have already begun to appear in his repertoire.
First things first, against lefties, he needs no tweaking. He’s dominant. He uses two pitches, a sinker and a slider, and they get the job done. The sinker averages 97 mph and 17 inches of horizontal break. Of lefties with at least 100 sinkers thrown, that’s the seventh-highest average velocity and 18th-most horizontal break in baseball. Of lefties who average at least 16 inches of arm-side movement on their sinker, Miller’s arm angle trails only Martin Perez, who has much less velocity. The combination of high velocity, arm-side run, and a high arm angle creates an uncomfortable look for left-handed hitters, as evidenced by his 68% groundball rate and 13.8% ideal contact rate. Lefties have just one barrel on 28 balls in play, a single by James Wood on a 2-0 sinker down the middle. He’s up on the mound throwing 97-mph bowling balls, and unfortunately for lefties, their bats are made of wood, not whatever bowling alley bumpers are made of.
His other offering to lefties is a mid-to-high 80s slider. The shape varies, with some showing more lift and sweep while others are tighter with more depth. It’s not a huge outlier of a shape like the sinker, but it’s still incredibly effective. He rarely ever uses the pitch in the strike zone (32% zone rate), but hitters can’t resist (37.2% chase rate). Those chases convert to whiffs, leading to his massive 24.4% swinging strike rate against the slider, a 34% strikeout rate against lefties, and swings like this:
That’s all he needs against lefties. Against righties, however, is where the trouble comes in. Right-handed hitters are hitting just .197 against Miller, but the 20.2% walk rate leads to traffic on the bases. He’s only been with the Red Sox for about a week, but his approach already looks a little bit different. With San Francisco, he used a four-seam fastball against righties about 11% of the time. It was horribly ineffective, posting a 10% zone rate, just four chases, and two whiffs. He didn’t allow a hit with the pitch because most of the pitches were in locations where they couldn’t be hit.
Aside from the velocity and extension, there isn’t much to like about the pitch. Couple that with the fact that he doesn’t know where it’s going, and it’s been a complete waste. Since joining the Red Sox, he’s thrown the pitch just one time. It broke White Sox catcher Joey Bart’s hand. He has not thrown it since.
He also has a changeup that he used about nine percent of the time against righties with the Giants. Like the fastball, it was ineffective. It returned just six chases and three whiffs, along with a 24% zone rate. When he throws his changeup, his arm angle is about 12 degrees lower than his other three pitches, which might be helping hitters identify the pitch out of his hand. Those factors combined for a 40% strike rate, which contributed to that massive walk rate I mentioned. He’s only thrown 30 pitches to righties since joining the Red Sox, but none of them have been changeups.
This sample is miniscule, and I might be proven wrong the next time Miller comes out to pitch, but it does seem like the Red Sox nixed his two ineffective pitches. The lefty does call his own games, however, and it may just be a result of the particular matchups. Either way, the only run Miller has allowed since joining the Red Sox is unearned, thanks to a throw off the runner on a bunt play. If the changes stick, and Miller can cut his walk rate in half, he’ll be a major weapon for the Red Sox out of the bullpen down the stretch.
They call him King James, and with good reason. New Sixers megastar LeBron James is inarguably one of the best to ever play the game of basketball, and some make the argument he’s number one.
A look at the NBA record book won’t dissuade you from that argument. James holds dozens and dozens of regular season and postseason records, from most games played (1,622) to career points (43,440 and counting) to most All-Star selections (22) and many more.
However, he does not rule over every record. There are some that he will most likely never have. Here are some of the marks that are safe from LeBron’s reach, in order from most to least attainable:
Career Defensive Rebounds: 10,253 (5th)
Not really looked at for production on the boards, James has been solid on the defensive glass over the course of his career. His 6.3 defensive rebounds per game is in the top 70, which is fairly remarkable for a player who didn’t spend too much time in the paint.
Surrounded by centers and power forwards on the career list, LeBron sits fifth all-time. Kevin Garnett holds the top spot, exactly 1,200 in front of James, followed by Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, and Dwight Howard.
While it doesn’t sound out of reach, at his career rate of 6.3, James would need nearly 200 games to eclipse KG’s mark.
Career Free Throws Made: currently 8,882 (2nd)
Fairly remarkable that James ranks so highly on this list, considering he only led the league once in this category, back in 2008-09. Despite his manageable gap behind the leader – Karl Malone is 905 makes in front of him – LeBron has exceeded 300 FTM just once in the last eight seasons. For him to overtake The Mailman, he will likely need to play three-plus seasons.
Career Assists: 12,016 (4th)
Your vision is supposed to become less sharp when you get into your 30s, but this is one of the aspects of James’ game where he has become even better at as he ages. His floor vision has taken a serious jump, and he has finished in the top-6 in assists per game five straight seasons, only snapping that streak last season when he finished seventh.
James is only 536 dimes behind current second place holder Chris Paul, but this all-time record is more than safe. Jazz Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton – main distributor to the aforementioned Karl Malone – is nearly 4,000 assists clear of James at the moment. In fact, this NBA record, like many of those held by LeBron, will likely never be broken.
Career 3-point Field Goals: 2,636 (6th)
This was never a significant part of his game. James ranks so high on this career list simply from longevity. He’s barely in the top 100 all-time in threes made per game (1.6, 98th).
If you’re not sure of the all-time leader in this category, then you haven’t paid attention to the last 15 NBA seasons. Warriors future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry has 4,248 threes made – 1,612 more than LeBron, and nearly 900 more than second place, currently held by James Harden.
This all-time list reads as an illustration of this era of basketball: 11 of the top 20 are active players, with a 12th, Kyle Lowry, retired after last season.
Career Steals: 2,417 (6th)
Another case where LeBron’s career length earned him his place in the top-10 of this list. His 1.5 steals per game ranks him 82nd all-time, but his 23 seasons of pilfery gets him all the way to sixth.
James could move up on this list with a season of similar output: Gary Payton leads him by 28, and Michael Jordan has 97 on him.
But the king of sticky fingers here is Stockton, who may hold another untouchable record with 3,265 steals to his credit.
They call him King James, and with good reason. New Sixers megastar LeBron James is inarguably one of the best to ever play the game of basketball, and some make the argument he’s number one.
A look at the NBA record book won’t dissuade you from that argument. James holds dozens and dozens of regular season and postseason records, from most games played (1,622) to career points (43,440 and counting) to most All-Star selections (22) and many more.
However, he does not rule over every record. There are some that he will most likely never have. Here are some of the marks that are safe from LeBron’s reach, in order from most to least attainable:
Career Defensive Rebounds: 10,253 (5th)
Not really looked at for production on the boards, James has been solid on the defensive glass over the course of his career. His 6.3 defensive rebounds per game is in the top 70, which is fairly remarkable for a player who didn’t spend too much time in the paint.
Surrounded by centers and power forwards on the career list, LeBron sits fifth all-time. Kevin Garnett holds the top spot, exactly 1,200 in front of James, followed by Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, and Dwight Howard.
While it doesn’t sound out of reach, at his career rate of 6.3, James would need nearly 200 games to eclipse KG’s mark.
Career Free Throws Made: currently 8,882 (2nd)
Fairly remarkable that James ranks so highly on this list, considering he only led the league once in this category, back in 2008-09. Despite his manageable gap behind the leader – Karl Malone is 905 makes in front of him – LeBron has exceeded 300 FTM just once in the last eight seasons. For him to overtake The Mailman, he will likely need to play three-plus seasons.
Career Assists: 12,016 (4th)
Your vision is supposed to become less sharp when you get into your 30s, but this is one of the aspects of James’ game where he has become even better at as he ages. His floor vision has taken a serious jump, and he has finished in the top-6 in assists per game five straight seasons, only snapping that streak last season when he finished seventh.
James is only 536 dimes behind current second place holder Chris Paul, but this all-time record is more than safe. Jazz Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton – main distributor to the aforementioned Karl Malone – is nearly 4,000 assists clear of James at the moment. In fact, this NBA record, like many of those held by LeBron, will likely never be broken.
Career 3-point Field Goals: 2,636 (6th)
This was never a significant part of his game. James ranks so high on this career list simply from longevity. He’s barely in the top 100 all-time in threes made per game (1.6, 98th).
If you’re not sure of the all-time leader in this category, then you haven’t paid attention to the last 15 NBA seasons. Warriors future Hall of Famer Stephen Curry has 4,248 threes made – 1,612 more than LeBron, and nearly 900 more than second place, currently held by James Harden.
This all-time list reads as an illustration of this era of basketball: 11 of the top 20 are active players, with a 12th, Kyle Lowry, retired after last season.
Career Steals: 2,417 (6th)
Another case where LeBron’s career length earned him his place in the top-10 of this list. His 1.5 steals per game ranks him 82nd all-time, but his 23 seasons of pilfery gets him all the way to sixth.
James could move up on this list with a season of similar output: Gary Payton leads him by 28, and Michael Jordan has 97 on him.
But the king of sticky fingers here is Stockton, who may hold another untouchable record with 3,265 steals to his credit.
I’m not expert on much of anything, but here I am trying to optimize an MLB lineup, even though I don’t know how much the lineup order really matters, and I have little idea of what I am doing, but I’m going to try to get this offense going.
Optimizing Lineup by Best wRC+ Hitter at that Spot In The Lineup
So just for fun, let’s construct a lineup using the player with the best stats in each position of the lineup, as a starting point. If you set fangraphs splits at each lineup position 1-9, it will tell you who has had the best hitting at each spot in the lineup so far in 2026. I am going to do that now, starting with the best leadoff hitter! Marmol has been experimenting with lineup order lately, so let’s take a look. This is a bat first lineup that still retains Masyn Winn defense.
JJ Wetherholt – really no competition here, Lars was ok at leadoff for a couple games but wasn’t as good. The only other option, Winn, is a terrible leadoff hitter and always has been worse at leadoff than at other spots in the lineup. So obviously, Wetherholt is our best leadoff hitter, for now at least. I can’t imagine anyone else taking it over, although I suppose that could change.
Ivan Herrera, or maybe Burleson? – Ivan has mostly batted second, and when Walker has batted second, it hasn’t worked out too well. That’s about it, the first two lineup spots are obvious. I have a feeling Burleson would be well placed batting second, but for whatever reason Marmol hasn’t given it a go.
Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, or Ivan Herrera – while Herrera has monster numbers batting third in a few games batting third, you have to bat him second while Walker bats third, right? Because Jordan has had a 154 wRC+ batting third this season, so why not give it a try? I have a good reason why… Burleson’s best spot is batting third, his stats are much better there than batting cleanup. I’d love to see them try Walker batting 3rd, or batting Burly second sometime, but they just haven’t been doing that. So Burleson batting third it is: a 141 wRC+ works for me!
Jordan Walker, or maybe Ivan Herrera – Jordan takes one for the team and bats cleanup, having the best power numbers in general, faring very well 4th with a 131 wRC+ in the cleanup spot, better than anyone on the team. He may end up being more of an all-around hitter than a pure power hitter, but his power potential is second to none. He certainly fits as a cleanup guy with our roster. Got to bat him 3rd or 4th, I say. My alternate is batting Herrera cleanup, while Burleson takes over Ivan’s spot and Walker moves up to bat 3rd, as a possibility.
Jose Fermin… or Blaze Jordan? – the Ferminator has posted an incredible statistic of 167 wRC+ over 9 games batting fifth, at least at the time of this writing. That experiment of Marmol’s has gone well! Much better than Walker batting 2nd. Fermin’s second-best performance is batting 9th, so you can move him to the bottom of the order if needed. Should he be playing every day? Probably not. But if you had to, no one outhits Jose batting 5th. If Blaze is in the lineup, give him a shot batting 5th, he’s been good there too! The one time he was batting fifth, he did well, anyway.
Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan, etc – while it may not be a bad idea to move Winn down in the order some, he’s historically done ok batting 6th, and it’s a much, much better option than him leading off. This is a defense-first player who is not a total liability with the bat, so maybe batting 7th might be better? Hard to say. That said, Blaze Jordan has done really well batting 6th, Fermin has done well, and it seems to be Torres favorite spot, fwiw.
Ramon Urias, or Bryan Torres – our hitters have not done well as a squad batting 7th, and I feel that we notice this in the majority of games. Torres has been closest to league average with a 95 wRC+ when in the lineup here. Perhaps this would be a good spot for Urias if he returns to third base full-time-ish, as he has fared very well batting 7th, albeit in only 16 PA.
Pedro Pages or Ramon Urias – the Cardinals hitters batting 8th in the lineup have flat-out stunk. Pages is the best of the crew with a 78 wRC+, except for Urias at 94. Might as well bring Pedro back, I guess!
Nathan Church, Fermin, or maybe Crooks? – besides Fermin, Church has been the best bottom-of-the-lineup hitter for the Cardinals with a 119 wRC+ there, second leadoff! We have 77 PA of Church batting 9th, maybe that’s a good spot for him with that stat. Crooks has decent numbers batting 9th, as well. But Church would be your ideal 9th hitter.
Of course the lineup is further complicated by the addition of Pereira, who I might bat 9th instead of Church, I guess? The possibilities seem endless after the home run though. This excercise is, of course, predicated on some playing time before this writing, but after tonight Pereira is playing himself into the conversation. We will just have to see where we go from here.
1. Wetherholt (L)
2. Herrera (R) or Burly (L)
3. Burleson (L) Walker (R) Herrera (R)
4. Walker (R) Herrera (R)
5. Fermin (R) Jordan (R)
6. Winn (R) Torres (L) Jordan (R)
7. Urias (R) Torres (L) Winn (R)
8. Pages (R) Urias (R)
9. Church (L) Fermin (R) Crooks (L)
Urias who will someday be back on the team, has a 131 wRC+ batting 7th. Blaze Jordan has a 161 wRC+ batting 9th. The possibilities are endless. Crooks could bat 8th instead of Pages, he likes it there, I just think Pedro might be a little more valuable on defense and in pitch calling.
It is of course probably better to just obey L/R splits, but sometimes players fare better at certain spots in the lineup and this exercise is all about gaining another angle on lineup construction. Pereira is a right handed hitter, in case you were wondering.
It is my opinion that I would like to see Marmol stray away from the adherence to a certain L/R cadence, so I don’t mind him experimenting with the lineup order, but maybe there is some balance between stats?
Preferred Lineup vs RHP
1. Wetherholt (2B) L
2. Burleson (1B) L
3. Herrera (DH) R
4. Walker, Jordan (RF) R
5. Jordan, Blaze (3B) R
6. Torres (LF) L
7. Winn (SS) R
8. Pages (C) R
9. Church (CF) L
Preferred Lineup vs LHP
Wetherholt (2B) (hits RHP better but not too bad vs LHP)
Herrera (DH)
Walker (RF)
Burleson (1B) (better than batting him higher, imo)
Fermin (LF)
Winn (SS)
Urias (3B)
Crooks (C)
Pereira (CF)
And that, folks, is just what I would do, usually. There are a multitude of distractions and other factors we don’t really know about, matchups to be had, shakeups, but hey, it’s a fun exercise. I suppose we should keep in mind which players truly struggle with lefty/righty splits:
Fermin 63 wRC+ vs RHP
Burleson 40 wRC+ vs LHP
Pereira 120 wRC+ vs LHP
Urias demolishes LHP but has a 13 wRC+ vs RHP
Winn above league average vs LHP and below vs RHP
Pages can’t hit lefties
Wetherholt, Herrera, Walker, Crooks have no major splits on RHP vs LHP
Even more music from 1994!
I have discovered more albums that I forgot or just didn’t know to list last week in my 1994 music playlist! Which is now in standard youtube playlist form here. Have a listen! Lots of good stuff. And don’t worry, metalheads, the 1994 Heavy Metal playlist is here, too!
Beck – ‘Stereopathetic Soulmanure’ I will start with an album I had tabbed up on my phone to include, but since I wrote the article on a computer, forgot to include! This is Beck’s weirdo country folk avant garde mishmash album just before he broke big with ‘Mellowgold’, which is also really good… I’ve just grown attached to his other album from 1994 a little more, this album has been with me just as long! Both real good. “Satan Gave Me A Taco” is the song that sold me on this one at first. If you end up still liking Mellowgold more, I can’t blame you. Both are fantastic.
Failure – ‘Magnified’ and somehow I missed one of my all-time favorite rock albums, which so happened to be from 1994! Most are familiar with ‘Fantastic Planet’ if they know Failure, but I heard this one first and still like it even more! Fucking fantastic! The way the guitar and bass sound on this is just absolutely mindblowing and the drumming takes it all to otherwordly heights that I cannot even explain. Total love for this album.
Swing Out Sister – ‘The Living Return’ I am no expert on pop or even jazz really (who is??), but this is a nice blend of the two, mixed with 90s advancements in sound and style. Perfect album start to finish, absolutely stacked and SOS at their best! They came a long way from one hit wonder in the late 80s to reach this peak! Can’t miss if you appreciate alt-rock, jazz fusion, 90s sophistipop, soul/rnb, or just amazing catchy music in general.
Sausage – ‘Riddles Are Abound Tonight’ another big album that I loved when it came out in 1994 that I forgot to include! Had this one on tape, despite me usually buying CDs in 1994. It’s like PRIMUS but with an alternate dimension lineup. I’m not sure if this is closer to Les Claypool’s initial vision, or what, but he did a couple spinoff bands from Primus. This ended up being better than anything Primus released after, but not quite on the level of Frizzle Fry/Seas of Cheese/Pork Soda. IMO!
Move D Namlook – ‘Exploring the Psychedelic Landscape’ this album does as good a job as any exploring the creative side of rave/techno music of the times, taking it to tasty new levels. I actually just uncovered this awesome album, and look forward to being able to say more about it, but there’s something special to it, even though I’m more familiar with acts like Orbital, The Orb, and similar releases of the early electronic music movements.
Moonshake – ‘The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow’ this is another new find that I cannot say much about other than I’m surprised I never heard it before, and how good it is, how eclectic, etc. Much love.
1994 Heavy Metal
Acid Bath – ‘When The Kite String Pops’ it is sort of tough putting this album as the best Metal album of 1994, because it is super eclectic and diverse in genre and style, but in the end, this sure sounds like a heavy metal album. Sure, there are elements of hardcore punk, death metal, thrash, alt rock, southern, and other genres, making it seem like Acid Bath is sort of like the Faith No More/Mr Bungle of New Orleans, but… if you’re a metalhead and cannot bang your head to this album, there is something wrong! And why yes, that’s John Wayne Gacy cover art. They were in the back of the old mail order magazines with the album cover, I believe organized by their record label for maximum effect. Their second album cover was by Jack Kevorkian. The 90s were all about some shock value, sometimes. My friend lived above a guy that had a Gacy painting in Chicago, I wondered how this frail but energetic Irish woman from Ohio ended up there. (New Orleans)
Brutal Truth – ‘Need To Control’ Brutal Truth address all kinds of issues, mental, physical, and spiritual, on this magnificent release, which balances artfulness with intensity, creativity with timely delivery, and a hyper-focused, concise message. A standout among a stacked catalog to those in the know. And maybe the most clearly produced BT album of all. Death metal, industrial metal, or grindcore as advertised, what is it? It’s Brutal Truth at their best, going off the map a bit. And it’s fucking awesome. Although, to be fair, each of their albums exists within its own universe. (NYC)
Godflesh – ‘Selfless’ the definitive industrial metal album, imo, and my favorite Godflesh album. 10 mile wide, high density riffs forever, with the heaviest drum machines you could find in the 1990s. This album had Justin K. Broadrick, G.C. Greene, and crew, perfecting the formula leading up to this fine and perfect release. Total gamechanger for me, along with Ministry of course. Heavy slabs of guitars, monitored by a cybernetic organism, with its creator observing, singing, and decrying it, all while being at the center of it all. (UK)
Brutality – ‘When The Sky Turns Black’ is my hidden gem pick for this week. With each song, this album kept getting better and better, and throwing in an old-school Black Sabbath cover did not hurt one bit. Most albums I hear for the first time at age 50 make me want to hear something else, but this one was quite the opposite: it made me feel younger, hearing a new style for the first time. And for that, I cannot repay… I have discovered a historic band this year. They haven’t really (re)invented the wheel here, they just do the style so much justice and are completely BRUTAL at it. The production also suits the sound. (Tampa Bay)
Corrosion of Conformity – ‘Deliverance’ COC morphed from crustpunk to hardcore to thrash to southern metal real quick it felt like, but by the time Deliverance was released Carolina’s Corrosion of Conformity had been around a while. This ended up being probably their biggest album, with the hit single “Albatross”. This is COC exploring a bunch of different styles for the first time, and doing better than any other time in their career, so if you want to explore this band, this is a good starting point. Superb musicians with Pepper Keenan in several big name bands. Highly recommended if you want a heavy metal album that borders on alt rock with swagger. (North Carolina)
Sadistik Exekution – ‘We Are Death…’ one of the fastest bands of all time, sounds like chaos to some but I hear an underlying order similar to a few other death metal bands, blurring the lines between traditional death metal, black metal, and total chaos. Stupid fun brought to you by a dangerous band. (Australia)
Infester – ‘To The Depths In Degradation’ mysterious teenage one and done extreme death metal album by a band from the Pacific Northwest during the grunge era. For being an unknown band this sounds pretty freakin’ amazing, fantastic youtube find from just before I wrote 1994’s review! (Seattle)
Oppressor – ‘Solstice of Oppression’ it’s tough to rank as impressive of a find as this in the middle of the pack, because i have a feeling this will be a grower and the production could be slightly better… but it already sounds like a classic, to be perfectly honest. Super creative next level heavy metal for its time, and our time, too!
Emperor – ‘In The Nightside Eclipse’ just probably the best black metal album of all time created by teenagers… if you want more goth, keyboards, and the supernatural in your metal, this is for you. I bought the remaster on vinyl, it’s so good. While this is certainly somewhat cheesy sounding, it also sounds completely genuine. (Norway)
Cryptopsy – ‘Blasphemy Made Flesh’ what drew me to this album was the crazy bass playing and tone. The guitars and drums are super technical and delivered with precision, as is the bass, but it makes this album stand out from the pack, along with the weirdass vocals. Guitar solos are pretty unique and the whole thing feels more on the progressive end of death metal without sounding it. This is not easy to pin down. (Canada)
Enslaved – ‘Frost’ probably what I would call the most tasteful and well done of black metal bands. They have forged their own path, too. 1994 saw Enslaved release their debut album, as well as this followup which I have enjoyed more because of its wider scope and more precise production and sound. Both are good, but if I had to suggest just one… (Norway)
Samael – ‘Ceremony of Opposites’ if you want black metal that borders on the industrial music scene, Samael is your best bet. This album just comes off as a classic upon first listen, a classic of the genre. 1994 was really where black metal started to take off and branch out into many directions, while also being at its beginnings still. Just as crucial as Emperor and Enslaved in 1994! But maybe the most catchy of the three. Mayhem also released a pretty good one that year. (Switzerland)
Nailbomb – ‘Point Blank’ a straight up industrial metal release from Max Cavalera of Sepultura and producer Alex Newport (also of Fudge Tunnel). Perhaps the heaviest straight up industrial metal release of all, even including Ministry. Just an all time classic, with some hardcore punk edge too. (Brazil/UK)
The Chasm – ‘Procreation of the Inner Temple’ I have been blasting this album for years now so I can vouch for its staying power. I tend to prefer their albums after this one, but it’s a rather solid debut! Also sounds like no other… if you love blackened thrash/death metal, you have to check out their discography. (Mexico)
Cianide – ‘A Descent Into Hell’ total caveman sludged out midtempo old school death metal, one of the best of the midwest. Check out their whole discography! For real. (Chicago)
Back to baseball…
I’m perplexed… fangraphs has a stat called Clutch that rates the Cardinals offense as one of the best in MLB. But, they’re not doing very well in high leverage situations. They also don’t produce much in low leverage situations. They do excel in medium leverage situations, however! So I guess they’re clutch, outside of the biggest moments, and when the game is off the line?
Zack Wheeler faces Kyle Leahy on his home turf. Wheeler is dealing this season so we will be lucky to take the series. But, Leahy has been no disappointment; maybe we will get lucky and score some runs and watch the wheels fall off for Wheeler!
The Boston Celtics will begin their Emirates NBA Cup 2026 journey in late October as they aim for the franchise’s first in-season tournament championship.
The Celtics are in Eastern Conference Group C, and on paper it’s a group they should be able to win.
It includes the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards. The C’s and Hawks are the only teams in the group that reached the playoffs last year, although the Bulls and Wizards could be meaningfully better this coming season.
The schedule for the 2026 NBA Cup was officially announced Wednesday morning.
Here’s a look at the Celtics’ group stage schedule (all games will be on NBC Sports Boston):
Friday, Oct. 30 vs. Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 6 at Hornets, 7 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Nov. 24 at Wizards, 8 p.m. ET
Friday, Nov. 27 vs. Hawks, 8 p.m. ET
Here are the dates for the NBA Cup knockout rounds:
Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5
The Celtics didn’t make it past the group stage of the tournament in each of the last two seasons. They advanced to the quarterfinals in the first ever NBA Cup during the 2023-24 campaign.
The first game of the Celtics’ 2026-27 regular season schedule is Tuesday, Oct. 20 against the Detroit Pistons on the road. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
The full 2026-27 schedule will be released Thursday.
The Sixers have not gone past the group stage in the previous three years of the NBA Cup, which was first called the In-Season Tournament. They do have a former In-Season Tournament MVP on their team in LeBron James, who won the award as a Laker in 2023.
Eight teams will reach the Cup quarterfinals. Every group winner will advance along with the top second-place finisher from each conference. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, the semifinals for Dec. 8 and/or Dec. 9. This year’s NBA Cup title game will take place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Dec. 11.
MASSAPEQUA, NEW YORK - APRIL 14: A juvenile bald eagle flies over the Massapequa Preserve on April 14, 2026 in Massapequa, New York. The Long Island region provides a welcome habitat to a host of wildlife. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Extenuating day of work at P&T with so much NBA content around this time of the year. Would you believe it? Me neither. Links and notes below.
Jalen Brunson told the New York Post that winning the NBA championship has not changed how he views himself. Read the interview in full; it’s well worth it, and JB discusses plenty of things, not to mention his mother, Sandra, makes a cameo too!
“It will be the same. It’s something that I get to walk around with and think about when I’m — when I need to give myself a little confidence, or whatever, just in certain situations. But my approach and everything has to be the same. Just because I’ve reached the mountaintop of winning an NBA championship doesn’t mean that it’s over with. I feel like there’s still a lot more to do and a lot more that I can prove. It’s 100 percent always going to be in the mind, I’m just not going to let it define me.”
Brunson also touched on his recovery from wrist surgery in a separate NYP piece, saying it’s tested his patience but remains something he attacks every day. The original recovery timetable put it around six to eight weeks, so Brunson should be on track to be ready around training camp.
Regarding the ring-night matchup against the Sixers, Brunson expects “fireworks, for sure.”
If the Knicks want to repeat, they may need more production from Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet as their expensive veteran core becomes increasingly difficult to maintain, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III wrote. JE3 ranked those three players in a “most likely to contribute next season” ranking. Can you guess who’s No. 1?
Miles McBride is more than likely to enter the season without an extension, according to NYP’s Stefan Bondy. The reason? A “soft” (but very important) deadline has passed.
The Knicks explored trades for several reserve big men earlier this offseason, including Pelicans center/forward Karlo Matkovic, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. So far, we keep waiting for our next beloved third-string center.
The Knicks are expected to offer Karl-Anthony Towns an extension, but both JE3 and Begley believe a four-year, $272 million max is unlikely. That said, Begley predicted the sides will eventually reach an agreement unless New York’s offer is “insultingly low” and floated an extension beginning around $45 million.
Josh Hart and Miles McBride are also extension-eligible, but Begley believes Hart is more likely to reach a new deal. Check out the Bondy point above to learn more!
Jack Kayil’s decision to return to Alba Berlin on a new five-year deal could be a blessing for the Knicks, Kento Kato believes.
One speculative option for the Knicks’ final roster spot is Ben Simmons. Daily Knicks’ Mark Nilon suggested New York could try to land Ben after he reportedly rejected them last offseason. Yeah, right?
Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson died at 86. Nelson won five championships as a Celtics player, earned NBA Coach of the Year three times and briefly coached the Knicks during the 1995-96 season. Here’s what he said about that run, per NYP’s Mike Vaccaro.
“It does bother me that it didn’t work out when I coached the Knicks. Coaching that team is one of the platinum jobs in sports, and they entrusted me with a team that had come so close. I had ideas on how to get them closer. The players had other ideas.”
No, Russell Westbrook is not in advanced negotiations with Hapoel Tel Aviv. It was just a hoax, doofus.
Jeff Teague rejected Monta Ellis’ claim that Golden State could have achieved the same success with Ellis replacing Stephen Curry. Sadly, Teague doesn’t know Monta Ellis have it all.
Shaquille O’Neal revealed why, in his view, the NBA Dunk Contest has steadily declined. For context, O’Neal has launched DUNKMAN, a competition featuring professional dunkers with a $500,000 top prize. Nice!
Jason Terry got a tattoo of the Larry O’Brien trophy the day before a Dallas Mavericks preseason game the year they won the NBA Finals. Everyone knows the story. It’s not just something people in Dallas talk about, it’s one of those NBA anecdotes that’ll be passed around for as long as the sport of basketball is relevant.
“When he first got the tattoo, I said he was crazy,” DeShawn Stevenson said at the time. “I didn’t say it to him. But I’ve never been to the [NBA Finals], and for him to have that now. Wow. And he got that tattoo in October, and it means a lot with what we’ve been through.”
Getting a tattoo of a championship trophy you haven’t won yet is bold. It’s brash. It’s Dallas.
In Through Painted Deserts, Donald Miller wrote “Dallas blew in on the wings of a Gulf coast hurricane and rained glass and steel onto a field of bluebonnets.” It’s a city that appears out of nowhere on the North Texas plains, gleaming skyscrapers beside a muddy river, sprawl in all directions built on swamps and farmland. In Dallas, all you need to be a star is the confidence that you can be a star.
Terry brought that type of bravado into the 2010-11 season when he got that tattoo, and even better, he backed it up during the Mavericks’ run to the championship. He averaged 17.5 points and 3.2 assists per game and shot 44 percent from deep during that postseason. Terry hit a ludicrous shot over LeBron James from 25 feet to seal Game 5 of the Finals, a shot he absolutely shouldn’t have taken, but only he had the courage to put up. It’s a legendary shot, one that should be talked about more when discussing the greatest shots in NBA history.
“Never the most talented, far from infallible, always a hero,” Andrew Tobolowsky wrote about Terry in 2013. The perfect way to describe someone who would take such a ridiculous shot—and make it.
Terry finally stepped up to be the costar that Dirk Nowitzki needed all those years. Nowitzki was the steady presence, the backbone of the team. Terry provided the fire, refusing to believe that anything but a championship was possible. That alone makes him one of the most important players in franchise history.
There’s the stats, of course. Terry is ranks eighth in franchise history with 619 games played. He’s third in 3-pointers with 1,140, and eighth in assists with 2,524. He’s fifth in steals with 735. Always a scorer, he’s seventh in points with 9,953.
The playoff numbers are even better. Terry is third in total playoff points for the Mavericks with 1,466 scored. He’s played the second-most playoff games in franchise history, suiting up for 87 postseason games. He leads the Mavericks in all-time playoff 3-pointers with 167.
But this isn’t about the stats. It’s about what he meant to the franchise. What he meant to Dallas. Terry was there through it all. The Finals collapse against Miami in 2006. The meltdown against Golden State in 2007. The lackluster playoff exits the next three years. Terry suffered through every obstacle, every setback. It was him and Dirk the whole time.
Even with all that on his back, he had the confidence to get that Larry O’Brien tattoo. He refused to let the losses in the past define the future. Instead, he bent the future to his will with pure belief and faith in a success he and his teammates hadn’t yet seen. What’s more Dallas than that?
The Mavericks made things right when they retired Mark Aguirre’s number last season. It’s time for them to do the same to one of the most important members of the franchise’s only championship team so far. Jason Terry deserves to have his number retired, and his name hanging in the rafters of the American Airlines Center.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 12: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs smiles during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
I originally saw this yesterday in a dozen cut up tweets (xs…what do we call these, Pounders?). Thank you to Karatestyle who shared the link with the entire interview. It was recorded last month during Summer League and released on YouTube Monday. It’s 34 minutes and 19 seconds long, so…see ya in a little while.
Bryant was introduced by host Allie Clifton as “one of the most genuine ambassadors for this league has for the deaf community.” The Road Trippin’s Show calls itself the “longest running athlete podcast.” Hosted by Clifton, Channing Frye, and Richard Jefferson, their YouTube Channel boasts over 2,000 videos.
Some general observations: Richard Jefferson is wearing sunglasses indoors. He seems a little toasty. When the episode kicks off his beer is already low. My guy @RealSpursnandez can be seen in the background sporting his Spurs belt. If you don;t follow him, get on it.
Another takeaway: For a young guy, Carter Bryant speaks with maturity, humility, and a fair level of self-deprecating humor. He doesn’t bluster, but more importantly, he doesn’t get led into negative tones.
Bryant speaks beautifully about his journey, in particular his first interaction with Devin Vassell which made him question if he even belonged in the NBA. While his appreciation for Gregg Popovich aligns with what others say about the greatest coach of all time, Bryant’s share feels like a friend telling you about a great teacher. It must be amazing to be comfortable in your skin at such a young age. It stands to reason, he’s consistently had familial love and support as he’s carved his path from school to college to the NBA and into the Finals in his first season.
Jefferson, Frye, and Bryant all attended Arizona and spoke at length about their experiences. Frye is cousins with Tobias Harris, who recently signed with the Spurs. Unfortunately, the interview took place before the signing.
The show wraps up with a heartfelt share about Bryant’s involvement with American Sign Language.
What takeaways did you grab from this interview?
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