Sports
NBA season-preview capsules: Pacific Division
Sep 30, 2024; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) and forward Keegan Murray (13) and forward Domantas Sabonis (11) and forward DeMar DeRozan (10) and guard De’Aaron Fox (5) pose for a photo during media day at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images 1. SACRAMENTO KINGS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 53-29
Last season: 46-36, T-9th in Western Conference
Last time…
The Kings won a playoff series, it was in the 2004 first round against the Mavericks, the same team that had ended Arvydas Sabonis’ career in the postseason a year earlier. Arvydas had 23 career NBA playoff wins; his son, Domantas, has just seven — three for the Kings.
FanDuel championship odds: +5500
Roster roll call
Draft Pick:
No. 13, G Devin Carter, Providence
DEPARTURES: F Harrison Barnes, G Chris Duarte, G Davion Mitchell, F Sasha Vezenkov
VETERAN ADDITIONS: G DeMar DeRozan, F Jalen McDaniels, G Jordan McLaughlin, F Doug McDermott
Big picture
The Kings were able to do something no other Pacific Division team could in the offseason: make a big splash. Importing DeMar DeRozan was a heist; all it cost them was Harrison Barnes, Chris Duarte and two second-round picks. For that bargain price, they got one of the league’s best closers in DeRozan, a player who finished second to Stephen Curry in the 2024 balloting for the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award. DeRozan will be paired with De’Aaron Fox, a near-unanimous choice as the 2023 Clutch Award winner, on a team that won just six games by three or fewer points last season. The Kings now have the inside, midrange and perimeter covered with Fox, DeRozan and dominant big man Domantas Sabonis.
Get to know: F Keegan Murray
Few players are better situated to be a difference-maker this season than Murray, who should draw less defensive attention even though his scoring average jumped from 12.2 points as a rookie to 15.2 last year. With defenses struggling to prevent Fox’s drives to the hoop while also dealing with the one-on-one dangers of DeRozan and Sabonis, Murray can expect the quality of looks at 3-pointers that he had as a rookie. He buried 41.1 percent of his long-range shots that year and was a big reason the Kings raised a surprising division banner. It won’t be a surprise if it were to happen again this year.
2. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 45-37
Last season: 47-35, 8th in Western Conference
Last time…
The Lakers made a coaching change — from Frank Vogel to Darvin Ham after the 2021-22 season — they improved 10 games yet went backward (from fourth place to fifth) in the Pacific Division.
FanDuel championship odds: +4000
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 17, F Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
No. 55, G Bronny James, Southern California
DEPARTURES: G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Taurean Prince
VETERAN ADDITION: C Christian Koloko
Big picture
LeBron James had options in the offseason, yet elected to stick with a team that no longer appears to have the energy to go a full 15 rounds with the heavyweights. The Lakers had choices, too, and decided to make the entire summer about Bronny James rather than begin a reshaping process like they did the last time they imported a member of the James family in 2018. Watching father and son take the court together in the regular season will be historic, but will anyone really care to see it again if it’s coming with a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter? Bronny should be able to trump dad in one area: The Lakers won just 37 games in LeBron’s first season in L.A.
Get to know: F Dalton Knecht
When Knecht debuted for Tennessee last November, he joined a team that had bowed out of its last two postseason tournaments at the hands of Michigan and Florida Atlantic. Despite basically appearing out of nowhere — he transferred in from Northern Colorado — the new guy immediately put the Volunteers on the map, pacing them in scoring in each of his first five games and nearly leading them to an upset of national finalist Purdue. Could he do it again with the Lakers? He did lead the team in total points in the preseason, bombing 50 3-point attempts that no doubt had LeBron and Anthony Davis cringing at times. But if he can — pardon the pun — connect on 39.1 percent of them as he did in summer league, or, even better, roughly 40 percent like he did at Tennessee, he could be new coach JJ Redick’s first five-star recruit.
3. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 44-38
Last season: 46-36, T-9th in Western Conference
Last time…
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were both healthy and didn’t start side-by-side on Opening Night, the Curry-Monta Ellis tandem was outplayed by the Clippers’ Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul in a 19-point home loss in 2011.
FanDuel championship odds: +4500
Roster roll call
Draft Pick:
No. 52, C Quinten Post (acquired from Trail Blazers for cash)
DEPARTURES: G Klay Thompson, G Chris Paul, F Dario Saric
VETERAN ADDITIONS: F Kyle Anderson, G Buddy Hield, G De’Anthony Melton, G Lindy Waters III
Big picture
Expectations haven’t been this low for the Warriors in more than a decade, yet they’ve decided to play out Stephen Curry’s career with old pal Draymond Green and a bunch of not-ready-for-prime-time players alongside. Coach Steve Kerr is hoping that by surrounding Curry with a more energetic cast that will do more ballhandling and take tougher defensive assignments, the Olympic star’s season can be remembered more for his 4,000th career 3-pointer than his 3,000th career turnover. Nobody is yet saying that Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis are the next Curry-Thompson-Green, but the Warriors are hoping that’ll change by April.
Get to know: F Jonathan Kuminga
Kerr wants the Warriors to play at a faster pace this season, and few play faster than Kuminga, far and away Golden State’s most entertaining player last year even while his older teammates preferred that he wait for them. The leash is off now, which could give the 22-year-old an opportunity to battle Curry for team scoring honors and earn the big contract extension he was angling for during the preseason. It could also lead to a bunch of ill-advised 3-pointers that will shoot the Warriors out of games. How much did he fall in love with standing outside the arc last season? He chucked up 19 more 3-ponters than the year before despite a 49-point plummet in percentage.
4. PHOENIX SUNS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 43-39
Last season: 49-33, T-6th in Western Conference
Last time…
Kevin Durant won a gold medal, he played just 55 games the following regular season (2021-22). That was even fewer than the season after he spent the summer chasing his previous gold, when he suited up just 62 times in 2016-17.
FanDuel championship odds: +2000
Roster roll call
Draft Picks:
No. 28, SF Ryan Dunn, Virginia (acquired from Nuggets)
No. 40, C Oso Ighodaro, Marquette (acquired from Knicks)
DEPARTURES: C Drew Eubanks, G Eric Gordon, F David Roddy
VETERAN ADDITIONS: G Tyus Jones, G Monte Morris, C Mason Plumlee
Big picture
Like every other team in the West, the Suns sure look good in the team photo. They’ve got one of the best players of the modern era, a key glue piece on the most recent Olympic champ, a guy who has challenged for the league scoring title multiple times, even a decent big man and a sprinkling of former college stars. So where are the trophies? The problem is: The team photo is taken in October; the trophy is handed out in June… and Kevin Durant doesn’t burn both ends of that candle anymore. The Suns were hoping the addition of Bradley Beal would allow Durant to coast more during the regular season, but instead it just added to the opponents’ scoring total last year. And in the playoffs, a gimpy Durant and benched Beal aren’t beating anybody.
Get to know: G Collin Gillespie
The Suns took a step in the right direction with the addition of Grayson Allen last year, allowing their depth to rate at a “D” level after flunking out the previous season. Now they’ve followed a similar script with Gillespie, another proven winner who like Allen must figure out if he’s capable of leading a second unit or is better suited to provide a supporting role among much more talented starters. Allen effectively became the latter last season, making it more likely Gillespie will be stuck with the backups whether he likes it or not. He certainly offered little or nothing to an equally needy Nuggets bench last season, but if new coach Mike Budenholzer is looking for guys who know how to win, he’d be wise to utilize Gillespie in a similar way to how former Phoenix coach Frank Vogel did with Allen last year.
5. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Predicted 2024-25 record: 36-46
Last season: 51-31, 4th in Western Conference
Last time…
The Clippers were the defending Pacific Division champs, 2014-15, they waived current Pelicans coach Willie Green in the offseason, retained current Lakers coach JJ Redick and finished the season in second.
FanDuel championship odds: +10000
Roster roll call
Draft Pick:
No. 46, G Cam Christie, Minnesota
DEPARTURES: F Paul George, G Russell Westbrook, C Mason Plumlee, C Daniel Theis
VETERAN ADDITIONS: C Mo Bamba, F Nicolas Batum, G Kris Dunn, G Derrick Jones Jr., G Kevin Porter Jr.
Big picture
How many of the Thunder’s seemingly dozens of draft picks do you think the Clippers could pry for Kawhi Leonard? Doesn’t that sound like the perfect match? You put the ultimate winner on a ready-to-take-the-next-step team and even the Celtics would start sweating. Meanwhile, when four of the five teams in your division are in desperate need of rebuilding, why not be the first to start the process? The Kings did that two years ago and look where they are today. Maybe that’s what the Clippers tried to do by getting rid of Paul George and Russell Westbrook. But all that’s done, for now, is convince Leonard how sore his knee is. That leaves the defending Pacific champs with an outdated James Harden and… uh, some guy named Jordan Miller led them in scoring in the preseason. Look out below.
Get to know: G Kevin Porter Jr.
When last seen in Los Angeles, Porter was so good, he thought he was a member of the James family — needing just one season at USC to vault him into NBA stardom. It hasn’t gone as planned, but there have been some bright moments. Like when he scored 30 or more points four times in an eight-week stretch late in the 2021-22 season, then three more times over 36 days early in the 2022-23 campaign. He didn’t last in Houston due to a domestic assault case, but he resurfaced in Greece this spring and averaged 22.0 points in limited action. As temperamental as they come, Porter now returns to his second home (he was born in Seattle) with a serious chip on his shoulder, like the one he had against the first NBA team to give up on him — the Bucks — before burning them for 50 points in an April 2021 showdown. He’s been on bad teams before, and he knows the recipe for happiness: Keep shooting.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
