Sports
NBA season-preview capsules: Southeast Division
Could this season be a turning point for the Magic and Paolo Banchero (5) or are the Miami Heat and Bam Adebayo still the beast of the Southeast? Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images Orlando Magic
Predicted 2024 record: 50-32
Last season: 47-35, 5th in NBA Eastern Conference. Lost 4-3 to Cleveland Cavaliers in first round of playoffs.
Last time: That Orlando advanced past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs it was 2009-10. The Magic have made the postseason just five times since, with an early exit in each case.
FanDuel championship odds: +4000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 18, SF Tristan da Silva, Colorado
DEPARTURES: Markelle Fultz, Joe Ingles, Chuma Okeke
VETERAN ADDITIONS: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cory Joseph
Big picture: There’s lots to like about the Magic, who were part of a jumble of contenders for the East’s No. 2 seed last season. Talented youth tops that list, as leading scorers Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs all were 22 or younger in 2023-24. Add veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to that trio and a deep, youthful bench and the stuff of a deep playoff run could be in place. If Caldwell-Pope’s intangibles are to be believed, the postseason might even flirt with June. His efforts as the established-role-player-on-a-young-club helped the Lakers and Nuggets to titles over the past five seasons. Orlando can score and defend and coach Jamahl Mosley is on the rise, but the Magic must improve their ball control to keep trending upward.
Get to know …
SF Tristan da Silva
After helping Colorado to is first NCAA tournament appearance in three seasons, da Silva comes aboard a Magic team with lots of breakout stars. He figures to get the chance to be one of them but must develop a penchant for dealing with the physicality of the pro game while establishing an identity. At 6-foot-8, he can be a force at the rim and mixes ability from midrange and beyond the arc.
–Miami Heat
Predicted 2024 record: 48-34
Last season: 46-36, 8th in NBA Eastern Conference. Lost 4-1 to Boston Celtics in first round of playoffs.
Last time: That Bam Adebayo finished outside the Top 5 in Defensive Player of the Year voting it was 2018-19, his second season in the NBA.
FanDuel championship odds: +5000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 15, C Kel’el Ware, Indiana
No. 44, SG Pelle Larsson, Arizona (acquired from Rockets)
DEPARTURES: Caleb Martin, Patty Mills, Orlando Robinson, Delon Wright
VETERAN ADDITIONS: Alec Burks, Nassir Little
Big picture: Miami relied on an aggressive defense last season, limiting foes to 111.5 points per 100 possessions to boast the fifth-ranked defensive efficiency in the NBA. While center Bam Adebayo anchored the ‘D,’ the Heat will need him and other mainstays from a little-changed roster, namely Jimmy Butler, to step up in an offense that was in the bottom third of the league in offensive efficiency. Butler has healed from the sprained right MCL he suffered in the play-in tournament but must overcame questions about his durability and that pesky thing known as age. He hasn’t played 65 games in a season since joining Miami in 2019-20 and turned 35 last month. The Heat can go far if Tyler Herro, Terry Rozier and Butler stay healthy alongside Adebayo, but that’s a notable “if” of late.
Get to know …
C Kel’el Ware
Sure, it will be tough for Ware to shine behind an in-his-prime Adebayo, but the preseason showed his penchant for doing a lot with a little. Ware started the path to an All Summer League first-team nod with 13 points, five boards and four blocks in 17 minutes in his preseason debut. With Heat coach Erik Spoelstra citing a need for offensive inventiveness this offseason, look for some lineups with Ware holding down the fort at the 4 alongside Adebayo.
–Atlanta Hawks
Predicted 2024 record: 39-43
Last season: 36-46, 10th in NBA Eastern Conference. Lost to Chicago Bulls in play-in tournament.
Last time: Atlanta allowed 145 points or more in a game was a 157-115 loss at Indiana on April 14. The regular-season finale marked the league-worst sixth such time the Hawks permitted at least that many points.
FanDuel championship odds: +35000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 1, SF Zaccharie Risacher, France
No. 43 SG Nikola Djurisic, Serbia (acquired from Heat)
DEPARTURES: Saddiq Bey, Bruno Fernando, Trent Forrest, AJ Griffin, Wesley Matthews, Dejounte Murray, Dylan Windler
VETERAN ADDITIONS: Dominick Barlow, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., David Roddy, Keaton Wallace, Cody Zeller
Big picture: Atlanta traded DeJounte Murray, Trae Young’s high-scoring running mate, to the New Orleans Pelicans shortly after the draft, which could bring a positive impact in both the short and long term. It may not bolster the team’s recent outlook as a mere play-in contender, but landing veterans Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and Cody Zeller provides the kind of two-way leadership the defensively dense team needs to shift its identity. So will No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, a 6-foot-9 swingman with impressive length and wingspan. The Hawks’ season may not hinge on how Risacher develops on both ends of the floor, but his ability on defense growing rapport with Young allows the Hawks to like their chances of escaping playoff purgatory sometime soon.
Get to know …
SF Jalen Johnson
Injuries have hovered over Johnson in his first three seasons but he capitalized on the chance to be a frontcourt starter in 2023-24. After making just six starts in his first 92 career games, Johnson started in 52 of 56 appearances last season while averaging 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds. Johnson also boasts a bit of bulk and the ability to defend in the paint. He’ll look to take an added role in the offense with Murray gone.
–Charlotte Hornets
Predicted 2024 record: 29-53
Last season: 21-61, 13th in NBA Eastern Conference
Last time: That LaMelo Ball played in more than half the Hornets’ games it was 2021-22, when he started 75 games. Injuries have limited Ball to 58 games in the past two seasons.
FanDuel championship odds: +100000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 6, PF Tidjane Salaunn, France
No. 42, PG KJ Simpson, Colorado
DEPARTURES: Davis Bertans, Bryce McGowens, Aleksej Pokusevski, J.T. Thor
VETERAN ADDITIONS: Charlie Brown Jr., Taj Gibson, Josh Green, DaQuan Jeffries, Duane Washington Jr.
Big picture
Prominent new faces on the bench (coach Charles Lee) and front office (executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson) knew the narrative in Charlotte before coming aboard. Lots of youth, far less minutes. LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams have been primed to lead the Hornets from the recesses of the East but injuries and inconsistency too often have stunted their pursuit. Still only 23, Ball has played in 58 games since earning an All-Star selection in 2021-22 as he works through ankle injuries. Williams is a former first-rounder with durability concerns of his own. Leading scorer Miles Bridges is back and Brandon Miller hopes to bolster the franchise outlook after a promising rookie season. He could form a solid combo at wing with the Hornets’ most recent lottery pick, Tidjane Salaun.
Get to know …
F Brandon Miller
The Alabama product made 68 starts and 74 appearances as a rookie, with his 17.3 points per game not far behind Bridges’ 21. He possesses the talent to break out regardless but could be even more potent if Ball can stay healthy as a distributor at point guard. Miller can make plays, too, and create off the dribble while starring as a shooter. The ceiling is high.
–Washington Wizards
Predicted 2024 record: 22-60
Last season: 15-67, 14th in NBA Eastern Conference
Last time: That the Wizards had the second overall selection in the NBA Draft it was 1968, when they were known as the Baltimore Bullets and chose future Hall of Famer Wes Unseld out of Louisville.
FanDuel championship odds: +100000
Roster roll call
Draft picks:
No. 2, PF Alex Sarr, France
No. 14, PG Bub Carrington, Pittsburgh (acquired from Trail Blazers)
No. 24 SG Kyshawn George, Miami (acquired from Knicks)
DEPARTURES: Deni Avdija, Jules Bernard, Hamidou Diallo, Tyus Jones, Eugene Omoruyi, Landry Shamet
VETERAN ADDITIONS: Saddiq Bey, Malcolm Brogdon, Jonas Valanciunas
Big picture
Already bracing for tumult in an election year, Washingtonians shouldn’t look to the Wizards for an escape too often this season, unless they don’t mind imagining change. The rebuild is real, if not yet spectacular, but still offers reasons for excitement. In addition to tracking Sarr, who endured calf soreness near the end of preseason after playing capably in his first two games, there’s guard Bilal Coulibaly. The No. 7 selection in 2023, Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds as a rookie. With Brogdon (thumb surgery) injured to begin the season, likely point guard Jordan Poole will have an array of options in the offense, which still features veterans Corey Kispert and Kyle Kuzma and added Jonas Valanciunas as an experienced post presence.
Get to know …
PF Alex Sarr
Another season, another French 7-footer as NBA Rookie of the Year? Sarr seems about as good a pick as any to follow the lead of San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, although he would do so with understandably less hype. As with his countryman, though, Sarr comes aboard a retooling team with ample opportunity for minutes at the start of his career. Although his preseason shooting percentage proved somewhat Sarr-y (what’s “rimshot” in French?), his potential as a versatile shooter, rim attacker and defender offer plenty of intrigue.
–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
