![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2273450706.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
After falling behind 3-0 to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets have some life again \u2013 winning Game 4 and Game 5 to bring the series back to Texas for a Game 6.
\n\nArguably the most bizarre part of all of this is that the Rockets\u2019 have managed this without their leading scorer and best player, Kevin Durant.\u00a0
\n\nGiven how notorious Durant is, this raises an interesting question: are the Rockets a better team without Durant?\u00a0
\n\nThe answer is obviously a resounding no. But then, in a weird way, it is also yes. When the Rockets initially traded for Durant, I was skeptical that it would elevate them to the next level in the way they thought it would.\u00a0
\n\nEven at the relatively geriatric age of 37, Durant is still one of the most formidable scorers in the association. But so much of Houston\u2019s success last year was predicated on their youth and athleticism sparking easy offense in transition. That just isn\u2019t who Durant is. And since he\u2019s more of a ceiling raiser than a floor enhancer on offense, the value he adds in the halfcourt doesn\u2019t justify what they lose in turnover creation.
\n\nWe saw this signal in the regular season. In his minutes, the Rockets had a pedestrian change in their point differential (49th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). Durant improved their offense (+3.4 points per 100 possessions), but the hit to their defensive rating was slightly higher (+4.1 per 100).\u00a0
\n\nThe bottom line here is the Rockets\u2019 halfcourt offense is too flawed for Durant to fix. So, trying to win the turnover battle is still their best avenue for success. That\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happened in the last two games. In Games 4 and 5, Houston has won the turnover battle 39-24 and the points off of turnover battle 48-32.\u00a0
\n\nEven the miniature Reed Sheppard does a better job of defensive playmaking (93rd percentile steal rate) than The Slim Reaper (17th percentile steal rate). When it looked like the Rockets were going to choke another game away down the stretch, it was the sophomore guard who grabbed it by its balls, literally:
\n\nOf course, this doesn\u2019t explain how the Rockets lost Games 1 and 3, which Durant also wasn\u2019t in uniform for (frankly, nothing can explain their Game 3 collapse). It also helps that the Lakers are shooting just 24.5% from three in the last two games after hitting 46.5% of those shots in the first three games of the series.\u00a0
\n\nStill, it is a fascinating case study in the idea that acquiring better teams doesn\u2019t necessarily make your team better. And with the recent news that Durant is a no-go for Game 6 as well, who knows, maybe Houston takes this thing all the way to seven.
\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["NBA"]},{"title":"A fake playoff series is taking over the NBA world \u2014 how did this start?","pubDate":"2026-04-30 18:23:59","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1112944/nba-twitter-warriors-grizzlies-playoffs","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112944","author":"Noa Dalzell","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2209914598.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"When the NBA playoffs began earlier this month, 19-year-old Zinzy was disappointed that the Memphis Grizzlies, his favorite team, weren\u2019t in the mix. The Grizzlies were fresh off a 25-game, rebuilding season and were on the outside looking in for the first time in years. So, he had a goofy idea \u2014 what if he [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2209914598.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
When the NBA playoffs began earlier this month, 19-year-old Zinzy was disappointed that the Memphis Grizzlies, his favorite team, weren\u2019t in the mix.
\n\nThe Grizzlies were fresh off a 25-game, rebuilding season and were on the outside looking in for the first time in years.
\n\nSo, he had a goofy idea \u2014 what if he jokingly live-tweeted a fake playoff series, as a gimmick?
\n\nAt first, he was planning on doing so with a good friend who was a Phoenix Suns fan, who was worried that his team might miss the playoffs, too.
\n\n\u201cWe were talking, and I was like, \u2018Wouldn\u2019t it be so funny if you got knocked out, if you didn\u2019t qualify for the playoffs, and we just did this fake playoff series in our heads?\u2019\u201d Zinzy told SB Nation. \u201cAnd he was like, \u2018Yeah, that would be cool.\u2019 And then, they made the playoffs eventually, and I was just like, that kind of sucks.\u201d
\n\nBut, after thinking about it a little bit more, he decided to do it anyway. In part, because it\u2019d be funny. And, in part, because it was something to bring together a community that had long meant so much to him.
\n\nThe rest was history \u2014 since his first Warriors-Grizzlies Tweets on April 18th, tens of thousands of NBA fans have posted Tweets and shared Instagram posts reacting to an NBA playoff series that isn\u2019t actually taking place.
\n\nHow the heck did we get here?
\n\nIn 2020, Zinzy was a 13-year-old living in Nigeria who had never even taking a liking to basketball.
\n\n\u201cI was very ignorant of the sport, right?\u201d he recalled. \u201cI was like, basketball is boring.\u201d
\n\nThen, one night, a friend of his dragged him to watch a Grizzlies game on television at 2 am. Almost immediately, he found himself enthralled, drawn to the Grizzlies\u2019 bright-blue uniforms and captivated by rising superstar Ja Morant.
\n\nAfter doing his homework, he learned that the franchise had never won an NBA title and had not had a ton of success relative to other teams. And, in a funny way, that made him want to become a Grizzlies fan even more.
\n\n\u201cI did some research on all the teams. And I was like, \u2018The Grizzlies don\u2019t have any championships.\u2019 And I love that. It sounds dumb saying it aloud. But, if I could go support a team, and I feel like I\u2019m part of the bigger part of their history when they\u2019re winning, then that would definitely feel good.\u201d
\n\nSince 2020, there have been plenty of highs and plenty of lows. The Grizzlies made the playoffs four times in five years. They saw Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane all become stars. Since that first watch, Zinzy estimates he\u2019s watched more than 70% of Grizzlies games.
\n\nBut the 2025-2026 season was a tough one. They traded away Bane in the offseason and Jackson Jr. ahead of the midseason trade deadline. Now, it appears like it could be the end of the road for Morant, too, with trade rumors circling the point guard all season.
\n\nSo, on the heels of such a difficult season and the fanbase in flux, Zinzy viewed the gimmick as something silly that could bring the fanbase together.
\n\nOne night, while studying for his final exams at the University of Manitoba in Canada, where he studies environmental design, he randomly began to live-tweet a fake series between the Grizzlies and the Warriors.
\n\n\u201cI just got this idea, like \u2013 I can still do this on my own,\u201d Zinzy said. \u201cI can do it on Twitter, right? So I just, I tweeted fake stats of Ja and Steph in a Game 1 battle. Then right after that, a couple of days later, I decided to fake live-tweet Game 2 out of nowhere.\u201d
\n\nHe didn\u2019t think much of it at first.
\n\nBut, slowly but surely, other major fan accounts on NBA Twitter decided to get in on the bit. It helped that several Warriors fan accounts with big-time followings, like @WarriorsMuse and @BasketballPerformances, also jumped in and partook in the fictional series joke.
\n\nThe whole thing really blew up on Monday night, when Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. were actually sitting courtside at an Orlando Magic playoff game to support their old Grizzlies teammate, Desmond Bane.
\n\nThe broadcast kept panning over to Morant and Jackson Jr. each time they celebrated a Bane triple, and eventually, fans flocked to social media to post photos of Morant and Jackson Jr, jokingly writing captions along the lines of: \u201cWhat are they doing?? They have a game tomorrow!\u201d
\n\n\u201cI just seen my timeline talking about, \u2018Don\u2019t they have a game?\u2019\u201d Zinzy said. \u201cAnd I was like, \u2018This is crazy. Like, why do so many people get the reference?\u2019
\n\nSince that night, even official accounts like Overtime have gotten in on the joke. Zinzy has aligned the schedule of his fake Warriors-Grizzlies series with the ongoing Houston Rockets series against the Los Angeles Lakers series. He\u2019s also gained more than 4,000 followers since the gimmick began almost two weeks ago.
\n\nAbove all, the joke has brought joy and levity after what was a difficult season for diehard Memphis fans.
\n\n\u201cI watched every game that I could,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s crazy, because some of them, we were tanking\u2026 And I\u2019ve tried, believe me, I\u2019ve tried to detach myself from this team. I mean, the team is so bad. I say it all the time I could be doing plenty of other things with my time \u2014 and then I would still come home, put up my TV, sit down for two, two and a half hours, and watch us lose by thirty.\u201d
\n\nHe\u2019s enjoying seeing that the joke he began in his dorm room just a few weeks ago has brought laughter to so many Grizzlies fans. The fanbase has provided him with an immense sense of community as he moved from Nigeria to Canada for college a few years ago. He used to livestream games with several other Grizzlies fan accounts, and today, he\u2019s in several different group chats with thousands of other fans.
\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t just interact on the timeline,\u201d Zinzy said. \u201cWe actually join groups, join DMs, we talk about other things outside of sports, talk about life. It\u2019s just a really nice community. They don\u2019t judge.
\n\nHe\u2019s never actually made it to Memphis, but that\u2019s a dream he hopes to see realized sooner rather than later.
\n\n\u201cThe fanbase has been one of the best groups of people I\u2019ve ever met \u2013 in real life, Twitter, TikTok, it\u2019s great people everywhere.\u201d
\n\nBut until then?
\n\nZinzy is preparing for a crucial Game 6 between the Grizzlies and Warriors, which tips off on Friday.
\n\n\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["NBA"]},{"title":"New Hulk Hogan documentary works hard to defend a racist","pubDate":"2026-04-30 17:54:42","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/wrestling/1112956/new-hulk-hogan-documentary-works-hard-to-defend-a-racist","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112956","author":"James Dator","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-1.11.51PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"One of the most-watched shows on Netflix currently is Hulk Hogan: Real American, a four-part documentary series that sets out with the premise it\u2019s going to unpack the complicated, messy nature of Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan), using it as a lens by which we can see all heroes as the flawed individuals they really [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-30-at-1.11.51PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
One of the most-watched shows on Netflix currently is Hulk Hogan: Real American, a four-part documentary series that sets out with the premise it\u2019s going to unpack the complicated, messy nature of Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan), using it as a lens by which we can see all heroes as the flawed individuals they really are. Sadly, it once again fails in its primary task, following in the footsteps of 2024\u2019s Mr. McMahon to turn out another WWE-sanctioned, selective version of history, which gently dips its toe into the promise of being genuine, before recoiling once more to present a sanitized version of history.
\n\nAcross its nearly five hours of run time we\u2019re presented with a version of Hogan which routinely positions the man as a victim. Whether it\u2019s the era he grew up in, his upbringing, the pressures of being a star, or coping with time passing him by \u2014 it always stops just short of Hogan ever accepting that he was a trash human being for almost the entirety of his life, who caused damage both personally and professionally that can\u2019t be erased simply because he says he was \u201csaved\u201d in 2023.
\n\nHogan did steroids because everyone was doing them.
\n\nHogan was a racist because that\u2019s just the time he grew up in.
\n\nHogan destroyed the careers of other wrestlers because he knew what was best for business.
\n\nHogan lied in court, but it was only to protect a friend.
\n\nHogan suggested to a Rolling Stone writer that he might murder his ex-wife Linda, and her new boyfriend like O.J. Simpson \u2014 but it was only because he was drinking a beer and thought the reporter was his friend.
\n\nTime, and time, and time again Hogan is let off the hook by the documentary. It sets up reprehensible story after reprehensible story, tantalizingly getting close to the truth \u2014 only to have Hogan hand-wave away with a fleeting excuse, never to be expounded again. It continually gives its subject the last word, rarely bringing in anyone else to counter his points or debate them. There\u2019s also the incredible sins of omission, parts of Hogan\u2019s entire life or career that aren\u2019t even mentioned to ensure the best possible version of the wrestler remains.
\n\nIn addition, the documentary is quick to shame Linda Hogan for dating a man 30 years her junior immediately following the couple\u2019s divorce, spending almost 10 minutes mocking her decision \u2014 but later presents Hogan\u2019s third wife as a savior character, despite being 25 years Hogan\u2019s junior when they were married. This is par for the course when Hogan is allowed to outwardly lie without being fact-checked, like his assertion that Arsenio Hall\u2019s career was thanks to him calling in favors \u2014 clearly used as a rhetorical technique to present Hogan as not being racist.
\n\nIt\u2019s only fair to question the continued motivations of these made-for-Netflix \u201cdocumentaries\u201d by WWE, and the standards they\u2019re being held to. Hulk Hogan: Real American follows in the spiritual footsteps of both Mr. McMahon, and WWE: Unreal for being narrow, barely-sourced or fact-checked examinations of professional wrestling, written, executed, and organized through WWE production. Each instance is less an attempt to document a story or time, instead trying to reshape history through WWE\u2019s lens and leave it as a living record \u2014 which is extremely suspect in light of the $500M a year deal between WWE and Netflix to air Monday Night Raw.
\n\nIn the end you need to accept these for what they are: Somewhat interesting, but tightly curated. They exist to ensure WWE never looks bad, the only stories mentioned are those which have been approved for airing, and they all result in being glorified puff pieces with just enough critique to have a veneer of impartiality that doesn\u2019t really exist.
\n\nAs long as Netflix keeps accepting this schlock to broadcast, we\u2019re never going to get real stories of professional wrestling.
\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["Wrestling"]},{"title":"College basketball men\u2019s transfer portal\u2019s 4 winners, 3 losers, and 1 wildcard","pubDate":"2026-04-30 14:53:33","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/1112903/college-basketball-transfer-portal-winners-losers-wildcard-unc-kansas-texas","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112903","author":"Ricky O'Donnell","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2267419062.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"The reality of modern college basketball is that every player is a free agent at the end of each season. To compete for a national championship, it isn\u2019t enough to simply out-bid the NBA to keep a star on campus. A program also has to convince its best players to stay out of the transfer [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2267419062.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
The reality of modern college basketball is that every player is a free agent at the end of each season. To compete for a national championship, it isn\u2019t enough to simply out-bid the NBA to keep a star on campus. A program also has to convince its best players to stay out of the transfer portal, and then handpick the right pieces to push its returning core to the next level. Michigan did it all flawlessly this past season to cut down the nets, but every year is a new challenge with different kinds of talent available on the marketplace.
\n\nThe transfer portal frenzy has mostly settled by now. The only impact players available are still testing the NBA Draft process. At this point, we have a pretty good feel for what the rosters look like heading into next season, and there\u2019s already a clear national hierarchy forming. Read our early top-25 rankings for next season.
\n\nIt\u2019s time to name our winners and losers from the transfer portal. This is less about the schools who retained their top pieces like Florida with Thomas Haugh, Illinois with David Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins, or UConn and Braylon Mullins, and more about the schools who are bringing in (or losing) the most top-end talent.
\n\nGonzaga\u2019s shot at making a deep NCAA tournament run ended last year the moment star forward Braden Huff suffered a dislocated kneecap during a Jan. practice. The Zags still won their March Madness opener before falling to Texas in the round of 32, but they didn\u2019t look like the same team. Mark Few has now reloaded for next season after beating out St. John\u2019s for star big man Massamba Diop, who comes over from Arizona State. Size is all the rage in college basketball these days, and almost no one is bigger than the 7\u20191 Diop. The big man is a stout rim protector, shows surprisingly good touch as a mid-range scorer, and has impressive movement skills for someone his size. Huff\u2019s return should make this one of the best frontcourts in America, and there\u2019s more talent where that came from. Davis Fogle returns after a fantastic close to his freshman year, and the 6\u20197 wing could be in line for a big sophomore leap. Former McDonald\u2019s All-American guard Isiah Harwell transferred in from Houston to give the offense a shot in the arm, while Spanish guard Mario Saint-Supery also returns after hitting 40 percent of his threes and flashing impressive playmaking chops as a freshman. Add in German guard Jack Kayil, and Few looks like he could have a Final Four caliber team once again.
\n\nMark Pope bet it all on Tyran Stokes, and went bust. The Kentucky coach reportedly prioritized the No. 1 overall recruit over other bluechip freshmen he might have had a better shot at, and after Stokes picked Kansas, the Wildcats are scrambling for answers. Kentucky brought in a couple solid guards in the portal in Washington\u2019s Zoom Diallo and Furman\u2019s Alex Wilkins, but both like to play with the ball in their hands and have limited shooting ability. I\u2019m not convinced they\u2019re a good fit together. Getting center Malachi Moreno back for his sophomore year will be critical, but he\u2019s testing the NBA draft process right now. I was high on the addition of Kam Williams in the transfer portal a year ago, but he didn\u2019t do much. Williams is back, and Pope will need to get a much better season out of him this year. Can Braydon Hawthorne be an instant impact freshman despite being ranked outside the top-30 for the incoming class? Can Pope throw a bag at Milan Momcilovic to convince him to abandon his NBA dreams and transfer in from Iowa State? Getting Momcilovic, arguably the best shooter in college basketball, would be a huge boon. Until then, Kentucky feels like it has an uphill battle just to make the NCAA tournament. The pressure is on Mark Pope, and I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if this is his last year in Lexington.
\n\nAs Kentucky floundered in the portal, their in-state rival hit the ground running with a plan, and executed it at a high level. Louisville had the best transfer portal haul in the country even before they brought in Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras. Folgueiras is a 6\u201910 stretch four with a good feel for the game who projects as a perfect match in the frontcourt next to the Cardinals\u2019 priciest addition. Flory Bidunga felt ticketed for the 2026 NBA Draft as a borderline first-round pick, but Louisville out-bid the NBA to likely bring him back to college in the transfer portal. He\u2019s still testing the draft process but everyone expects him to play with the Cardinals next year. Louisville also landed shot-making Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, athletic Arkansas Karter Knox, and retained guard Adrian Wooley Jr. I feel like this team could really use a pure point guard to set up the bouncy Bidunga for lobs around the basket, and that\u2019s the only thing they\u2019re missing. Otherwise, this team is stacked with veteran talent, and the pieces should fit well together. I\u2019d expect nothing less than a second-weekend tournament run from the Cards, and they have the talent to go even deeper than that.
\n\nYes, I know it\u2019s weird to name Kentucky a loser for missing out on Stokes, and then also name Kansas a loser after they landed him. Stokes is the most talented freshman in the country and should be the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. I\u2019ve been a big fan for a long time. There are still some questions about how he translates to college, and I feel like he has more questions than Darryn Peterson did a year ago at this point, and we all know how that turned out. For as great as Stokes can be, this is mostly about Kansas\u2019 lack of success in the portal. Losing Bidunga really hurts, and there\u2019s no question the Jayhawks will be downgrading at center this year whether they\u2019re starting Paul Mbiya or College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves. Losing Bryson Tiller to Missouri is another big blow in my eyes, though he never graded out particularly well in the best metrics. The Jayhawks\u2019 two other portal additions \u2014 6\u20191 Toledo transfer Leroy Blyden and 6\u20199 Utah forward Keanu Dawes \u2014 are solid, but forgive me for expecting a little more from Kansas. I see this KU team as slightly worse than last year\u2019s group that lost in the round of 32. Kansas can make me look dumb if Stokes looks like a top-10 player in the country, if Kohl Rosario takes a big sophomore leap, and if one of the bigs blossoms. I feel like it\u2019s just going to take a lot to go right for it all to come together.
\n\nTexas\u2019 Sweet 16 run this past season was a true stunner after entering Selection Sunday on the bubble. No one will be surprised if the Longhorns go even deeper next season. Sean Miller crushed the portal by landing impact talents across the positional spectrum, and it could set up his team to challenge for the SEC crown. After retaining 7-footer Matas Vokietaitis in the middle, Texas added a rugged frontcourt partner in David Punch who should help defensively, on the glass, and with his interior scoring. Isaiah Johnson comes over from Colorado to lead the front court after showing off three-level scoring ability in his freshman season, and Mikey Lewis joins from St. Mary\u2019s to add more shooting next to him. Elyjah Freeman is a long, athletic wing bursting with upside after a solid season at Auburn after transferring in from D2, and should be a critical perimeter defender and transition scoring threat. Add in five-star freshman Austin Goosby in the backcourt, and Texas has a lottery-level talent on the team, too. The Longhorns have always been considered a sleeping giant, and Miller has them awake. Next season\u2019s team is going to be very, very good.
\n\nTennessee almost always has an elite defense with a slightly underwhelming offense under Rick Barnes, but the Vols have had more balance in recent years with three straight finishes in the top-31 of offensive efficiency. It\u2019s no surprise that more scoring power has helped the Vols get to three straight Elite Eights, but now Barnes wants to take the next step. Tennessee\u2019s six-man class adds shooting, ball handling, and should still have enough rim protection on defense. Terrence Hill Jr. was an electric sixth man at VCU last year who hit one of the biggest shots of the NCAA tournament, and he\u2019s about to step into a primary scoring role at Tennessee, where he should blossom. Cal transfer Dai Dai Ames adds another ball handler and playmaker to take pressure off Hill, while Belmont transfer Tyler Lundblade adds an elite 43.5 percent three-point shooter on the wing. Jalen Haralson is a high-upside forward who needs to show more defensive grit than he did as a freshman at Notre Dame, but he could lead this team in scoring. Miles Rubin comes over from Loyola-Chicago as a rim protector and lob catcher. This team projects to be better at offense than defense, which never happens at Tennessee. If Barnes can coach them up on the defensive end, look out.
\n\nMicah Shrewsberry is on the hot seat after three seasons with three sub .500 finishes, and his work in the portal this year shouldn\u2019t inspire much confidence that things will be better next season. Notre Dame lost its two most promising players in the portal when Haralson committed to Tennessee and Markus Burton left for Indiana. Shrewsberry rebounded with former Gonzaga guard Braeden Smith and 6\u201910 Winthrop transfer Logan Duncomb, but it feels like he doesn\u2019t have enough talent to compete in an improved ACC. Notre Dame needs more investment in men\u2019s basketball if they want to reach the heights of the Mike Brey era again, but it doesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s going to happen next season.
\n\nNorth Carolina shocked the college basketball world by hiring former Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone. Malone brings championship credentials to Chapel Hill, but his transition to college basketball will be fascinating. UNC appears to have lost big man Henri Veesaar to the NBA Draft, and that one stings. The Tar Heels were also expected to have potential 2027 top-5 pick Dylan Mingo in the backcourt, but he left for Baylor after Malone was hired. Instead, this roster was entirely remade in the transfer portal, and I could see it going either way. Neoklis Avdalas looked like an NBA lottery pick at times during his freshman season at Virginia Tech last year, but he struggled against good competition and completely lost his NBA momentum. He\u2019s a tantalizing talent as a 6\u20199 ball handler with pull-up shooting ability, but his scoring efficiency and defense were rough last time we saw him. Matt Able is a promising addition from NC State assuming he opts out of the NBA Draft, and he\u2019ll add microwave scoring ability. Utah transfer Terrence Brown will be an important veteran guard, and retaining forward Jarin Stevenson was a good move, too. The real swing piece is Sayon Keita, a 6\u201911 big man who comes over from Barcelona. Keita is only 18 years old, but he would have been the top center in the freshman class if international players counted. Keita is a major talent with length, ground coverage, and finishing ability, but is he ready to make an instant impact? Avdalas probably has to make a star turn for this team to be really good, and Keita needs to pop, too. I could see it happening, but it doesn\u2019t feel like a safe bet.
\n\n\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["Men's College Basketball"]},{"title":"TGL\u2019s Motor City Golf Club releases brand identity, logo","pubDate":"2026-04-30 14:07:16","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/golf/1112920/tgl-motor-city-golf-club","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112920","author":"RJ Ochoa","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2192872959.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"The Detroit Pistons are not the only team making moves in the 313. The Eastern Conference\u2019s top seed survived elimination on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, a surreal sentence, but on Thursday morning their in-town neighbors made some news of their own. These are very new neighbors to be clear. It had previously been [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2192872959.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
The Detroit Pistons are not the only team making moves in the 313.
\n\nThe Eastern Conference\u2019s top seed survived elimination on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic, a surreal sentence, but on Thursday morning their in-town neighbors made some news of their own. These are very new neighbors to be clear.
\n\nIt had previously been announced that Detroit would be home to the newest TGL team and on Thursday the group, Motor City Golf Club, announced their logo and brand identity.
\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Logo-Motor-City-Golf-Club_Original-Image_m2151.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\" "\\"\\""){kind=logo}
\n\n\nDetroit\u2019s identity as the \u201cMotor City\u201d inspired the team name and logo as it reflects a broader culture of speed, design, and mechanical excellence that\u2019s part of the city\u2019s DNA.\u00a0 MCGC\u2019s brand aesthetic honors Detroit\u2019s storied history of motor racing while also celebrating its deep-rooted golf culture.
\n\n\n\n\u201cAs TGL\u2019s first expansion team, we\u2019re thrilled to reveal a new brand that embodies Detroit and takes a major step to bringing Motor City Golf Club to life,\u201d said Michael Hamp, Team Governor.\u00a0 \u201cWe wanted the brand to feel like its home city while honoring Detroit\u2019s pride, culture of design and innovation. \u00a0We also aimed to establish an identity and team colors that stand proudly alongside Detroit\u2019s celebrated sports logos. We couldn\u2019t be more pleased with the result and we feel the MCGC logo represents the history of our city and sits uniquely amongst the other teams in the TGL landscape.\u201d
\n\n\n\n\u201cDetroit is one of America\u2019s great sports cities, and Motor City Golf Club brings a level of passion and pride that will elevate the entire TGL experience,\u201d said TMRW Sports CMO, Peter Jung. \u201cThat, combined with an ownership group featuring respected leaders and icons across professional sports makes this a powerful addition to the league. Motor City Golf Club represents exactly what TGL sees in its future \u2013 a community-driven team that will inevitably grow TGL\u2019s momentum and connect new fans to the game.\u201d
\n
The checkered flag look does a great job of capturing the essence that the group was going for. Nothing says motor city like the finish line in that respect.
\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["Golf"]},{"title":"AL MVP looks like Aaron Judge vs. Yordan Alvarez, but these players still have a chance","pubDate":"2026-04-29 19:36:42","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/1112898/al-mvp-odds-aaron-judge-vs-yordan-alvarez-longshots-yankees","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112898","author":"Scott Phillips","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2271953305.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"The battle for American League MVP features plenty of star power and familiar names only a month into the 2026 MLB season. In the latest\u00a0FanDuel Sportsbook American League MVP 2026 market, there are plenty of viable candidates trying to dethrone reigning back-to-back MVP Aaron Judge. Unlike the NL MVP race \u2014 which has turned into [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2271953305.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
The battle for American League MVP features plenty of star power and familiar names only a month into the 2026 MLB season. In the latest\u00a0FanDuel Sportsbook American League MVP 2026 market, there are plenty of viable candidates trying to dethrone reigning back-to-back MVP Aaron Judge.
\n\nUnlike the NL MVP race \u2014 which has turned into Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani running away from most of the field \u2014 the AL MVP race still has eight players under 30/1 odds.\u00a0
\n\nOn a quest to capture his fourth MVP award overall, Judge (+170), the New York Yankees outfielder, remains the frontrunner. The Yankees are off to a strong start and Judge is top-10 in home runs and OPS.\u00a0
\n\nWhile Judge\u2019s wasn\u2019t particularly strong out of the gate, his consistency and history with the award lends him considerable credibility at this stage in the season. All it takes is one big power surge for Judge to grab a big lead in the race. After home runs in back-to-back games, Judge could be settling in for another big summer.\u00a0
\n\nKeeping pace with Judge is Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (+270). Leading all of MLB in batting average, OPS and hits while tied for second in home runs, Alvarez is back in form after injuries derailed his 2025 season. Alvarez is on pace for his best season, but matching Judge\u2019s power could prove difficult for a player who has never hit more than 37 home runs in a season.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\nIt\u2019s been a power outage for Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (+1100) so far this season. With only one home run, Witt needs to start slugging more frequently to stay with Judge and Alvarez in the MVP race.\u00a0
\n\nBaltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (+1500) was off to a hot start after his offensive production dipped last season. Already at nine home runs on the season after hitting only 17 in 2025, Henderson\u2019s returning power and 11 stolen bases are worth tracking. But Baltimore\u2019s young star is also struggling to get on base with only a .280 on-base percentage.\u00a0
\n\nSimilar to Judge, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout (+1500) is also pursuing his fourth AL MVP award. After winning three MVPs last decade, Trout hasn\u2019t been able to stay healthy. Off to a promising start in 2026 with nine home runs, Trout is hoping for a resurgent season.
\n\nCleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez (+2000), Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz and Yankees first basemen Ben Rice (both +2500) are three more secondary MVP contenders worth tracking. Rice and Judge made history on Monday as the first Yankees teammates to hit 10 or more home runs in the team\u2019s first 29 games since Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle in 1956.\u00a0
\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["MLB"]},{"title":"Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders? The Browns have a starting QB favorite, per report","pubDate":"2026-04-29 17:18:44","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/1112887/deshaun-watson-cleveland-browns-starting-qb-again-why-shedeur-sanders-backup","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112887","author":"Mark Schofield","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2271859486.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"In the minds of analysts and fans alike, the Cleveland Browns were one of the teams that nailed the 2026 NFL Draft. With the entire football world believing that Cleveland needed to use their two first-round picks on an offensive tackle and a wide receiver, the Browns did just that, sliding back a few spots [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2271859486.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
In the minds of analysts and fans alike, the Cleveland Browns were one of the teams that nailed the 2026 NFL Draft.
\n\nWith the entire football world believing that Cleveland needed to use their two first-round picks on an offensive tackle and a wide receiver, the Browns did just that, sliding back a few spots and still drafting Utah\u2019s Spencer Fano, and then adding Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion near the end of the first round. Cleveland was not done making picks that fans and analysts loved, as the team added Washington WR Denzel Boston and Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren on Day 2.
\n\nWhen the dust settled, the Browns earned high marks not just from SB Nation, but around the NFL world.
\n\nOf course, there is one rather important outstanding matter, and there is news on that front.
\n\nWho will be under center for the Browns this season?
\n\nAccording to a new report, none other than veteran Deshaun Watson has the \u201cinside track\u201d to the starting quarterback job in Cleveland as the offseason begins. Mary Kay Cabot at Cleveland.com wrote Wednesday morning that Watson \u201cemerged from the Browns voluntary minicamp last week with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the two-man quarterback competition \u2014 and has the inside track to be named the Browns QB1.\u201c
\n\n\n\nFor those who might be wondering yes, this is the same Deshaun Watson that last played in 2024, only made seven starts that season, and saw his year cut short due to an Achilles\u2019 rupture. And the same Watson that during that season posted an Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt of just 3.7, and led the Browns to a 1-6 record. It\u2019s also the same Watson who faced a series of sexual assault allegations in recent years.
\n\nAnd yet \u2026 there is a reason he might be their best option. Courtesy of RBSDM, here is a look at Quarterback Efficiency \u2014 a metric examining both Expected Points Added per Pass and Completion Percentage Over Expected \u2014 for all quarterbacks with 100 or more passing attempts a year ago.
\n\nSee if you can spot the two Browns passers who fit that category last year: Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel:
\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-1.00.20PM.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\" "\\"\\"")
Yes, right in the bottom left is where you find the two Cleveland rookies from last season, exactly where you do not want to be on this graphic.
\n\nSo while the Browns might have \u201cwon\u201d the 2026 NFL Draft, what lies ahead is much less certain.
\n\nEspecially at quarterback.
\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["NFL"]},{"title":"6 NFL Draft team fits that are so good, rookies can become instant stars","pubDate":"2026-04-29 16:34:34","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/24481305/nfl-draft-2026-best-fits-falcons-panthers-chiefs-eagles","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112831","author":"James Dator","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2272852485.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"With the NFL Draft behind us, it\u2019s time to start getting excited about some of the rookies set to hit the league, and a huge part of their success will be based on fit. Time and time again, we\u2019ve seen elite talent fail to reach their ceiling because they landed in a bad situation, while [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2272852485.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
With the NFL Draft behind us, it\u2019s time to start getting excited about some of the rookies set to hit the league, and a huge part of their success will be based on fit. Time and time again, we\u2019ve seen elite talent fail to reach their ceiling because they landed in a bad situation, while players who flew under the radar in the pre-draft process become superstars due to finding an ideal home for their talents.
\n\nIn this 2026 draft class there were a handful of early picks that are truly eye-catching when it comes to their potential to be a serious factor as soon as they hit the league.
\n\nIt might seem like a copout to throw the top player on our big board on this list, but it really can\u2019t be overstated how perfect a fit Reese will be on the Giants. The best trait Reese brings to the pros is his unbelievable scheme flexibility, which translates to chaos in the NFL. Essentially he\u2019s a player that can be moved all around the formation into basically any position in the front seven and find a way to make an impact.
\n\nThe only thing that can hamper a player like this is a lack of talent around them. If a chaotic linebacker like this finds himself being the only threat on the field then it becomes easy for a team to bracket them and neutralize that ability. This simply is not possible when it comes to the New York Giants. Opposing offenses have to account for Brian Burns on every down, then worry about a rotation of Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux coming off the edge. With two solid pass rushers in on snaps it creates the ultimate canvas for Reese to wreak havoc.
\n\nSprinkle in the fact that you have John Harbaugh running the show, and we could see a new-generation version of Terrell Suggs \u2014 or something even more effective that we can\u2019t even fully comprehend.
\n\nWhen the dust settles, I think the Dallas Cowboys are going to seriously regret getting two fourth-round picks in exchange for giving the Eagles their future top weapon in Makai Lemon.
\n\nObviously, the writing is on the wall for A.J. Brown\u2019s time in Philly, but this is an extremely rare case where I look at this team and think they\u2019re going to be absolutely fine \u2014 potentially even scarier when Lemon gets up to NFL speed. That\u2019s not a knock on Brown, but more a realization that a change in receiver skillsets can be additive to the Eagles\u2019 passing offense.
\n\nIt goes without saying that DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown have been great, but it\u2019s been more duplicative than anything. Both have similar skill sets, with crisp route running and amazing hands, but neither is really a YAC beast. Smith and Brown averaged around 3.0 yards after the catch last season, which is fine when you\u2019re consistent \u2014 but Lemon is an absolute YAC MONSTER. He is going to be able to line up in the slot, split out wide, or operate out of trips and give this team another level to its passing offense.
\n\nWhat we\u2019re going to see is another layer of the Eagles\u2019 passing game get opened up because of Lemon, and I think he\u2019s landing in the perfect spot to really make noise.
\n\nThis is just an absolutely filthy fit, which could give us a defensive front unlike anything else in the NFL. The biggest reason Woods went from being a Top 10 prospect when the college season began, to falling to 25th was due to questions about his individual motor and the ability to be the centerpiece of a defensive line \u2014 a necessity when you\u2019re a top pick in the draft.
\n\nNow he lands on a Steve Spagnuolo defense where Chris Jones will be lined up next to him where the All Pro DT will be eating those doubles and be the focal point, so Woods is in a position to get downfield and penetrate. That\u2019s a ludicrous boon to a young defensive player, and it\u2019s my expectation that he will benefit the same way George Karlaftis did off the edge.
\n\nPerhaps more importantly, the fit gives Woods a veteran in Jones who can help mold his game. Both have that sudden \u201cquick win\u201d element to their play, with a violent first step \u2014 and while Woods\u2019 arms don\u2019t meet the NFL ideal on length, that can be helped if he\u2019s a sponge and learns technique from Jones next to him.
\n\nUltimately, I think the defensive front with two sudden defensive tackles operating out of a 4-3 front might be something we haven\u2019t seen in the NFL since the early 2000s with Pat and Kevin Williams on the Minnesota Vikings.
\n\nIt\u2019s rare to find an example where a player both slides in the NFL Draft and finds their perfect fit. Aveion Terrell was tailor-made for the Falcons\u2019 defense, and he has the absolute best person to nurture him in the league: His brother.
\n\nIt\u2019s not just that both A.J. Terrell and Aveion Terrell now play cornerback for the same team, but that they have extremely similar skillsets. Both are very fluid athletes with fantastic technique and outstanding instincts when it comes to tracking and locating receivers. Aveion is slightly smaller than his brother, but makes up for his lack of ability in jump ball situations with being a better open-field tackler, and more aggressive in run support.
\n\nThis means what we have in Atlanta is a highly skilled rookie corner who now gets to learn about the transition to the pros from a family member with a vested interest in seeing him succeed. There won\u2019t be the concern of one replacing the other, because they are complementary corners where A.J. will be expected to play cover the No. 1, while Aveion has the ability to roam inside out a little more.
\n\nIt\u2019s just impossible to see how this fit will fail. It\u2019s going to be so much fun to watch.
\n\nThe Carolina Panthers put mammoth work into overhauling their woeful defense this season with two huge signings in EDGE Jaelan Phillips, and MLB Devin Lloyd. The only missing piece to the puzzle was a stud nose tackle to eat up space, and now the Panthers have their guy.
\n\nHunter is such a good fit in this Panthers defense lining up in their odd front with Derrick Brown. Brown is already one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the NFL, who doesn\u2019t often get his flowers because it was too easy to pull the center over on a double. Hunter will ensure that can\u2019t happen anymore. His ability to dent the pocket with his power and drive the center back into the quarterback\u2019s lap will have a domino effect on the entire Panthers defense. Without that ability to push interior linemen out of the double teams will need to pick whether they need to deal with Phillips off the edge, or Brown off the interior.
\n\nIt might not stack the stats for Hunter, but he is going to be an absolute difference maker. This applies to clogging running lanes as well, which will then open up Lloyd to get to the point of attack and wrap up plays. This is going to be such a good fit for the Panthers, and one that could pay huge dividends.
\n\nClosing out our best fits lets talk about the biggest wild card in all this and that\u2019s Garrett Nussmeier. Prior to the draft I said that Nussmeier was going to be one of the best steals in this class, and that was operating under the assumption he was going to be a third round pick \u2014 not in the friggin\u2019 seventh.
\n\nIf you haven\u2019t followed this story, yes, Nussmeier needs back surgery \u2014 but it\u2019s to remove a cyst that was pressing on a nerve. It basically killed his year at LSU and led to the collapse in his performance. He will be full healed and ready to go by training camp, which means we all see where this one is headed.
\n\nWith Patrick Mahomes on the sideline to start the season and only Justin Fields ahead of him on the depth chart there\u2019s a very real chance a healthy Nussmeier could come in and steal the starting job. He\u2019ll be operating in an offense with good weapons and astounding offensive minds to play to his strengths, with a real chance he can shine for a couple of months until Mahomes is back.
\n\nFast-forward to next year, and someone is missing on a QB. Are they going to look to the second or third tier in 2027, or potentially send a decent pick to the Chiefs for Nussmeier on a bargain-basement deal, assuming he proves it in Mahomes\u2019 absence.. Honestly, it\u2019s a better landing spot than any quarterback got outside of the first round, and I think there\u2019s a very real chance we enter next season with Nussmeier starting somewhere in the NFL as a result.
\n\n\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["NFL"]},{"title":"NBA Draft lottery changes are shortsighted, confusing, and create new problems","pubDate":"2026-04-29 16:22:24","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1112811/nba-draft-lottery-changes-explained-new-problems-this-is-terrible","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112811","author":"Ricky O'Donnell","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2265157015.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"Adam Silver heard the outcry over tanking ahead of a loaded 2026 NBA Draft and was determined to find a solution. The league has now settled on its preferred system of lottery reform, and it essentially reduces the distribution of top young talent entering the league to complete randomness. ESPN insider Shams Charania revealed the [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2265157015.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
Adam Silver heard the outcry over tanking ahead of a loaded 2026 NBA Draft and was determined to find a solution. The league has now settled on its preferred system of lottery reform, and it essentially reduces the distribution of top young talent entering the league to complete randomness.
\n\nESPN insider Shams Charania revealed the NBA\u2019s new \u201c3-2-1\u201d lottery system on Tuesday night. Here\u2019s what you need to know:
\n\nGot all that? Probably not, because it\u2019s pretty complicated. When Adam Silver was weighing multiple options to reform the NBA Draft lottery last month, I wrote \u201cin rushing to find a medicine to cure tanking, the NBA risks giving itself bigger problems from the side effects.\u201d While this system likely will curb tanking to some extent, it opens up a ton of new problems for the league.
\n\nIt\u2019s pretty wild that Silver rushed this system through so hastily with it slated to take effect for the 2027 NBA Draft. Teams already made long-term roster decisions based on the incentives of the old rules. The Chicago Bulls traded Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White at the deadline after years of floundering in mediocrity to increase their chances at finding a star. This system rewards mediocrity. It would have been nice if Chicago actually knew the rules before making its February deals. The Memphis Grizzlies traded away Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane because they felt like they couldn\u2019t get out of the middle of the Western Conference standings. Would Memphis had made the same decisions if they knew the lottery format would change like this?
\n\nIt\u2019s no surprise the league is giving itself the option to opt out of this plan after the 2029 NBA Draft, per Charania\u2019s report. This lottery format feels like an extremely slippery slope for a few reasons. Let\u2019s get into it.
\n\nTeams had the ability to go from worst-to-first under the current lottery system despite the fact that the worst team in the league literally never won the lottery since the last round of reform went into effect in 2019. The Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves all made the worst-to-first jump in the 2020s.
\n\nThose are all small market teams who used the draft to land their franchise player. They still had to get lucky to land the top pick. It\u2019s just going to require way more luck for bad teams to get good under this system.
\n\nThe risk of this system is that it creates a permanent NBA underclass. Now the worst team in the league can fall to the 12th pick. Given how rarely good players change hands in free agency these days (more on that later), it feels like bad teams could get stuck in a cycle of being bad for a long, long time.
\n\nIf teams can\u2019t sell wins, they need to sell hope. What hope would fans of bad teams have now knowing they could fall out of the top-10 in the draft? The risk here is that diehard fans of bad teams just choose to give up because there\u2019s no path forward.
\n\nHow are bad teams supposed to get good players if they can\u2019t do it through the draft? Free agency and trades are the only other options, but the prospect of bad teams overpaying free agents to land them only offers more downside, especially in this more punitive CBA.
\n\nIt feels like the league needs more good young players to hit free agency if it doesn\u2019t want teams to tank for the draft. One idea I saw elsewhere that I liked was eliminating restricted free agency. Under the current system, the Pistons still have the ability to match any contract offer to Jalen Duren even after failing to reach an extension with him. What if Duren was just an unrestricted free agent this year, and could be had for any team?
\n\nSomething like that would open up more avenues for talent acquisition outside of the draft. For now, it feels like bad teams that don\u2019t get lottery luck are simply screwed.
\n\nSilver heard the outcry over Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors, and essentially made rule changes that kept superstars away from free agency. The last true superstar to change teams in free agency was Kawhi Leonard signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. Since then, the biggest player to change teams in free agency is \u2026 washed Paul George in 2024?
\n\nThe NBA gets a lot of attention from offseason player movement. I wonder if these changes will make teams more reluctant to trade their future first-round picks, thus diminishing the trade market, too.
\n\nFirst-round picks are the currency of trades. A team that was around .500 was more incentivized to trade a future first because it had a lower probability of turning into a premium pick. Now that\u2019s been flipped on its head.
\n\nThis is all pretty speculative for now, but it\u2019s something to monitor. This new lottery system will have unintended consequences, and it would be a net-loss for the NBA if it resulted in fewer trades.
\n\nThis lottery system should curb tanking, but it won\u2019t eliminate it entirely. If the goal of these changes is to preserve the sanctity of March and April games, I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s going to happen.
\n\nLet\u2019s say a team enters the All-Star break in 10th place in their conference. They might not want to risk losing a ping pong ball by making the 7/8 play-in game, so they will still rest players as long as they have a big enough cushion not to finish in the bottom-3. The sweet spot in this reform is the 4-10 range. Given how often injuries play a factor in team performance \u2014 and given how many significant injuries there are in the modern game \u2014 it feels likely a team can still rest players/try to lose on purpose from an organizational perspective and still enter the lottery sitting pretty.
\n\nAdam Silver is a reactionary. He reads online criticism, and he acts quickly. My complaint with rushing through this tanking reform is that fans of teams that are tanking aren\u2019t the ones doing the complaining. It\u2019s usually coming from football fans after the Super Bowl who will just find another way to criticize the NBA even if tanking was solved.
\n\nThe NBA\u2019s biggest issue is that the regular season lacks anything resembling meaningful stakes. Silver thinks that these lottery reforms will fix that problem, but I\u2019m extremely dubious. If the NBA wants to give the regular season more stakes, it needs to reduce the number of games. Play every team twice and call it a season. Once the NBA adds its two expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, that would create a 62-game schedule. It gives the players more rest in between games, and cancels a lot of the end of season games where tanking tomfoolery is happening.
\n\nThe point of the draft is to give the worst teams the best young players. The NBA apparently doesn\u2019t see it that way, and they\u2019re instead leaving it all up to chance.
\n\nThis lottery simulator shows how much randomness is in the new system. Play with it yourself:
\n\nOn my first spin, the Miami Heat drew the No. 1 pick and the Washington Wizards fell to 12th. Is that the type of system the NBA really wants?
\n\nThe biggest winner of these lottery changes feel like \u2026 the Oklahoma City Thunder. Check out all of the future first-round picks OKC owns here. Now their future picks coming from the Nuggets and their swap rights with the Clippers could be even more valuable, as those teams likely wouldn\u2019t have been near the bottom of the standings, but could be in the middle ground that is now more fruitful.
\n\nBack in 2017, the great Tom Ziller wrote a column at this site titled \u201cKill the NBA Draft.\u201d Subscribe to Tom\u2019s newsletter here for more great NBA coverage.
\n\nGiven how much randomness is in this new system, I find myself far more open to just killing the draft entirely starting in 2030. Give every team a rookie exception they can offer top players. Let teams with cap space offer them more money beyond that. It would make sense if a bad team has more open cap space and could hypothetically offer the next Cooper Flagg a max deal out of college. If Flagg prefers to sign with his childhood favorite Boston Celtics instead, so be it.
\n\nThe NBA is opening up a whole new can of worms with this lottery system, and the people it hurts the most are loyal fans of hopeless franchises. The NBA really does not want a world where those people check out of the league entirely. I feel like it could happen after these changes.
\n\n\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["NBA"]},{"title":"F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad on his first 3 races, where he needs to improve, and more","pubDate":"2026-04-29 15:05:25","link":"https://www.sbnation.com/formula-one/1112847/f1-rookie-arvid-lindblad-f1-vcarb-mobil","guid":"https://www.sbnation.com/?p=1112847","author":"Mark Schofield","thumbnail":"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2270726900.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100","description":"Last year, the Formula 1 grid saw several fresh faces, as some rookie drivers joined the grid. This year, Arvid Lindblad stands alone as the single rookie on the grid. All the 18-year-old has done is impress through his first three races, scoring points in his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. Now, as the [\u2026]","content":"\n![\"\"](\"https://platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/gettyimages-2270726900.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
Last year, the Formula 1 grid saw several fresh faces, as some rookie drivers joined the grid.
\n\nThis year, Arvid Lindblad stands alone as the single rookie on the grid.
\n\nAll the 18-year-old has done is impress through his first three races, scoring points in his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. Now, as the grid returns after an extended break, the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver is looking ahead to his first Miami Grand Prix, and building on a strong start to the season.
\n\nAhead of Lindblad\u2019s first Miami Grand Prix, SB Nation sat down with the young driver to talk about the start of his F1 journey, where he needs to improve, and his first race in Miami.
\n\nLindblad\u2019s rookie season has consisted of just three races, but that is where our conversation began. How would he describe his season so far?
\n\n\u201cI think it\u2019s gone pretty well. I mean, obviously, Melbourne was the first race, Q3 points on debut was pretty cool. Japan, there were moments of that weekend that were really good as well,\u201d began Lindblad.
\n\n\u201cI\u2019d sort of summarize it that there\u2019s been quite a few good moments, that have been sort of confidence boosters for me, and sort of shown that I can do a good job. But there\u2019s also been things that haven\u2019t gone so well, which have highlighted the areas to improve,\u201d continued Lindblad. \u201cSo I have confidence in myself [yet] I know I\u2019ve still got areas to work on, which I think is a really nice place to be in, in the early part of my rookie year.\u201d
\n\nAs he mentioned, Lindblad finished in the points in his first F1 race, a strong P8 in his debut at the Australian Grand Prix. I asked the VCARB rookie to describe that finish for me.
\n\nIt was more than he could have imagined.
\n\n\u201cIt was pretty cool,\u201d began Lindblad.
\n\n\u201cI always dreamed of getting to Formula One, so to have that, that day itself, was very special. And to have my parents there as well that weekend was really cool.\u00a0
\n\n\u201cAnd then just the way the weekend went, Q3, points, even running P3 at one point on lap one was more than I could have ever imagined.\u201d
\n\nHaving scored points in his debut, I wondered if Lindblad had another big item that was next to cross off his F1 \u201cto-do\u201d list. A podium? A win?
\n\nThe rookie driver does have a goal, but it is not what you might expect.
\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know. I mean, you would say the next sort of chronological step is to score a podium, but in the end, that\u2019s not really something I\u2019m consciously thinking about,\u201d described Lindblad.\u00a0
\n\n\u201cIn the end, that\u2019s an outcome.\u00a0
\n\n\u201cI know that there\u2019s a lot of things I can still work on,\u201d outlined the driver.\u00a0
\n\n\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of things to improve, so I\u2019m very much focused on that, and trying to continue to, to learn, to develop, and I know that if I do that right, then the outcomes, the results, will come with that, but it\u2019s not something I\u2019m sort of proactively thinking about.\u201d\u00a0
\n\nA year ago, several rookies joined the grid on a full-time basis.
\n\n2026, however, is rather different as Lindblad is the only rookie on the grid. I asked the VCARB driver what it was like being the only rookie in F1 this season.
\n\nAs he pointed out, being the fresh face on the grid has been something of a career path for him.
\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know, it\u2019s not really something I think about, to be honest. I mean, I\u2019ve come very quickly through the ranks. In single seaters every year I\u2019ve been in a new category, but even from earlier, you know, in karting, I\u2019m always used to, as soon as I could go to the next category I did, so I was always the sort of the, the young guy, the new kid sort of on the block kind of thing,\u201c Lindblad said.
\n\n\u201cI\u2019m kind of used to this sort of feeling. Obviously, in F1 it\u2019s different, but I\u2019m used to that feeling of having been thrown in the deep end, having a challenge, having to kind of figure it out.\u201c
\n\nThe discussion then turned to VCARB\u2019s partnership with Mobil, and how that helps Lindblad and teammate Liam Lawson on the track.
\n\n\u201cI mean, it\u2019s a massive partnership with Mobil,\u201d started Lindblad. \u201cI\u2019ve been learning a lot about it, and it\u2019s been, it\u2019s been really cool to see.\u00a0
\n\n\u201cI mean, obviously this year with the new engines, their involvement, their expertise, their help has helped massively to make sure that the first Red Bull engine is working in a really good way, I and the team are extremely grateful to them for that, and I also think it\u2019s pretty cool that the experts that are doing our race fuel are also, you know, doing the fuel in the fuel stations.\u201d
\n\nFans can also join in on the fun this week in Miami. If you ever wanted to hop into a simulator and try to beat an F1 driver\u2019s time, you can do so at the Mobil station at 18301 NW 27th Ave, Miami Gardens, on Wednesday, April 29, from 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern and Thursday, April 30, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
\n\nLindblad himself will be there on Wednesday, and he is looking forward to that event.
\n\n\u201cMobil is doing a fan event that I\u2019ll be at later today, [with a] simulator, free merch, and, just nice interaction with the fans, so that\u2019ll be really cool, and, hopefully people will enjoy it,\u201d added the VCARB driver. \u00a0
\n\nAfter a long layoff, F1 is back for this weekend\u2019s Miami Grand Prix.
\n\nLindblad walked me through what his preparations have been for his first F1 race in Miami.
\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been good,\u201c began the driver.
\n\n\u201cObviously it\u2019s been a bit different because we\u2019ve come off quite a long break, and then we\u2019re straight in, kind of thrown in the deep end in the sense of, it\u2019s a new track, sprint weekend, in the first race back. So [I tried] to do a lot of preparation on the sim, to get up to speed, understand the circuit, get my approaches, references, all that kind of stuff,\u201d continued Lindblad. \u201cTry to prepare in the best way possible, but you can\u2019t, you can\u2019t prepare for everything, so it\u2019s still gonna be a challenge when they get out on track.
\n\n\u201cBut I\u2019m looking forward to it.\u201d
\n\nWhat will also help is the decision by F1 to add some extra practice time to the single practice session this week. The Miami Grand Prix is an F1 Sprint Race weekend, meaning teams have just one practice ahead of F1 Sprint qualifying. But due to the extended break, and some rule changes implemented by the sport ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, that single practice session has been extended by 30 minutes.
\n\nLindblad admitted that will help both him, and the team.
\n\n\u201cYeah, for sure it\u2019s gonna help,\u201d started Lindblad.
\n\n\u201cI mean, obviously for me, as a rookie to get that a little bit more track time before we get into the sort of more competitive running, let\u2019s say, for sure helps. Also for the teams as well, there have been changes on the on the rules and the regulations for this event, so to get that little bit of extra time just to sort of understand it and, you know, dial that all in, is really useful. Because maybe an hour sounds, I don\u2019t know, long or short, but especially on a sprint weekend, it is really short,\u201d continued the driver.
\n\n\u201cLike in China, it\u2019s a couple of laps that you build up, then you\u2019re on the long run, then you\u2019re immediately, on the soft, and before you know it, you\u2019re into sprint quali.\u00a0
\n\n\u201cSo just to get that bit of extra time will help with everything.\u201d
\n\nAs Lindblad looks ahead to Miami, and the rest of the season, he knows where it is he needs to improve.
\n\n\u201cI think the biggest thing for me has just been, these cars are very different, especially on the power unit side,\u201d Lindblad said to me.
\n\n\u201cObviously there\u2019s a much bigger electrical component, than there has been in previous years, and just being able to maximize that in qualifying, still understanding the loopholes to extract more. But then again in the race, to be able to maximize it, to go as fast as possible, but more so, in battling,\u201d continued the VCARB driver. \u201cWhen to overtake, that you don\u2019t just get passed immediately back. When you\u2019re battling to use it in the right way. Overtaking or defending, using all the tools, the boost, all this kind of stuff. I think just really getting on top of that is an area that I\u2019m working on, I\u2019m sure everyone is as well, because that\u2019s the biggest change, but I think that\u2019s the biggest area of improvement that can come.\u201d
\n\nYet while he works on that improvement, he is definitely looking forward to his first race in Miami.
\n\n\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to the weekend.\u00a0 It\u2019s my first time here in Miami. I\u2019ve heard a lot about the event, that it\u2019s just an amazing weekend, so I\u2019m really looking forward to that,\u201d said Lindblad.
\n\n\u201cI mean, even small stuff that our paddock is in the NFL stadium is, pretty nuts to think about.\u201d
\n\nIt has been a season of firsts for young Arvid Lindblad, including points in his first F1 race.
\n\nNow we\u2019ll get to see how he fares in his first Miami Grand Prix.
\n","enclosure":{},"categories":["F1"]}]}