CROMWELL, Conn. — Scottie Scheffler will lean heavily on his caddie Ted Scott this week at TPC River Highlands, the host of the Travelers Championship.
It’s not as if Scheffler needs much help, as he has won five times already this season. But after a “frustrating” U.S. Open, in which he tied for 41st, Scheffler arrives in New England looking to rebound in the final Signature Event of the season.
“This is a golf course that [Scott] had a lot of success on, so if there’s a difference of opinion, I’m probably going to lean towards him a little bit more than myself, just because I haven’t had the success on this golf course specifically,” Scheffler said Wednesday.
“In a different tournament, I may lean more toward what I feel and think, whereas out here, he really does a good job of managing around this golf course.”
Before helping Scheffler win a pair of Green Jackets at Augusta National, Scott looped for Bubba Watson, who, like the current World No. 1, won The Masters twice in a three-year span. On top of that, Scott helped Watson win three times at TPC River Highlands, the site of this week’s Travelers Championship. Watson’s first victory at this course came in 2010, when the left-hander prevailed in a playoff over Scott Verplank and Corey Pavin.
Five years later, Watson won again, defeating Paul Casey in a two-hole playoff. He then won in 2018, winning by three, a much more comfortable victory unlike the previous two.
Scottie Scheffler at the 2024 U.S. Open.Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Meanwhile, Scheffler’s best finish at TPC River Highlands came a year ago, when he tied for fourth. He shot 7-under 63s on Thursday and Saturday, but an even-par 70 during Friday’s round prevented him from threatening Keegan Bradley, who won at 23-under.
Before that, Scheffler tied for 13th in 2022 and 47th in 2021 after missing the cut in his debut in 2020. He obviously has had success on this golf course and knows how to play it, but after being “mentally fatigued” over the past few weeks, he can rely on his looper to get around and pinpoint certain targets and shots.
“Whatever he says seems to go for me in my head, just because he’s had the success, he has the pedigree, he knows where to put the ball and where not to put the ball,” Scheffler further explained.
“Especially when it comes to a lot of course management stuff: clubs to choose off the tees, what areas to play into, just because he has seen Bubba win here numerous times and he knows exactly how to get me there.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Florida and Kentucky are set to square off at the Men’s College World Series, in a do-or-die game for both teams.
Now they will have another night to think about what needs to be done.
With the threat of severe weather looming over Omaha — forecasters are calling for thunderstorms and heavy rain — Tuesday night’s elimination game between the two teams has been moved to Wednesday morning.
That sets up a baseball triple-header in Omaha Wednesday, and a double-header for the team that wins the rescheduled game between Kentucky and Florida. Wednesday’s new schedule for the Men’s College World Series is as follows, with all times Eastern:
Game 10 Kentucky vs. Florida | 11 a.m.
Game 11 Tennessee vs. the winner of North Carolina/Florida State | 3 p.m.
Game 12 between Texas A&M vs. the winner of Kentucky/Florida | 7 p.m.
Both Florida and Kentucky are 1-1 in Omaha. The Gators are coming off a 5-4 win over NC State that kept their season alive, while the Wildcats just dropped their first game in Omaha to Texas A&M, losing by a final score of 5-1.
The SEC rivals played one series this year in early May, and the Wildcats won two of those three games in Gainesville.
The West is a pecked-over, apron-strewn, parity-fest. The East has more superstar divas on first and second-round losers than it does 50-win teams. If 2023-24 turns indicative, it will be the Rest of the NBA vs. Boston for the next few years.
Not only did the 2023-24 Boston Celtics conclude a run for the ages — 80 victories in 101 tries, seven wins more than any other club, +11.4 regular season point differential, +8 postseason point differential — but it appears fit and settled to rule the NBA for as long as it takes Victor Wembanyama to find four palatable teammates to perform with.
Every Achilles has its heels: Boston owns merely traditional medicine’s answers for Unicorn Legs, 38-year old Al Horford is irreplaceable, at some future date opposing centers and forwards may learn not to attempt dunks upon the 6’4 Derrick White. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum might turn on one another, some argument over selling shares of the publishing rights to their inspirational story of friendship, playmaking. Boston is otherwise set.
Who do we blame for putting the NBA in this mess? Sensible authors credit the executives, former C’s boss Danny Ainge and current C’s chief Brad Stevens. I’d rather yell at the teams who traded Boston all these great players.
Milwaukee, for one. Picked to upend the East, never threatened. Boston knew it had the Bucks licked by the time Terry Stotts stormed out of his brand-new office. Not because Milwaukee was a mess, but because Boston was finishing its second week of practice with former Buck Jrue Holiday, a walking championship ring, the ultimate five-tool mensch.
Did Milwaukee know Holiday would end up in Boston when it triggered the trade with the Trail Blazers for Damian Lillard? Did Milwaukee care, or were the Bucks too besotted with Lillard’s 32.2-point potential?
Can we punish Portland for lending the C’s their shine? If the Blazer rebuilding plans falter, in spite of earning Golden State’s 2024 lottery pick (and Boston’s unprotected first-rounder in 2029) in October’s Holiday exchange, will we scoff in the future at Portland’s lost opportunity to field Jrue until he’s through?
No, blame Brooklyn.
All the shenanigans which indirectly helped Boston build its Larry Bird-backed champs in the 1980s — swapping entire teams with the Buffalo Braves, drafting Bird while he still plays college basketball, lopsided deals with Detroit and Golden State, seriously, what are the Buffalo Braves — barely compare to what the Brooklyn Nets handed the Boston Celtics in 2013.
Boston won 41 games and exited after the first round in 2012-13. Brooklyn called Boston on draft night to say Hey, that rebuilding you didn’t want anything to do with? We’ll take over from here.
Danny Ainge steered an uncomfortable, seemingly inevitable slog toward oblivion into the C’s you sees today: Boston traded Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry for the first-round picks (from Brooklyn and Atlanta) which became Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Collin Sexton. And James Young.
The deal earned Boston a trade exception which it used to deal for the first-round pick it later packaged to acquire Isaiah Thomas. Thomas plus Sexton’s draft rights were dealt for Kyrie Irving.
Amongst the salary fodder gleaned from the Brooklyn deal was Keith Bogans’ ongoing contract, which Boston eventually dealt for Dwight Powell, an asset in the 2014 Rajon Rondo deal with Dallas. The $12.9 million trade exception earned from the Rondo transaction was dealt with Jeff Green to Memphis for the first-round pick which became Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith became Malcolm Brogdon, whose charms lured Portland into dealing Jrue Holiday to Boston.
Brooklyn did not flourish in the wake of its acquisitions. The ex-Celt Nets lost in the second round in 2014 and finished two games behind a 40-win Boston playoff team in 2015 before fading in the opening round to Atlanta, the Hawks thriving in 2014-15 despite the loss of James Young.
The 76ers own a percentage in our green future. Philly fans should be angry, the suits in the front office keep pulling crap like this:
Jaylen Brown, taken No. 3 overall in the 2016 draft by Boston (with Brooklyn’s pick) won Eastern finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP in 2024. Ben Simmons was Philly’s pick as the NBA’s top overall selection in 2016, the ostensible payoff after seasons of Processing, and hasn’t played important basketball in three years. Jaylen Brown won the 2024 Dunk Contest slamming with his off hand, we still don’t know if Ben Simmons uses the correct hand while shooting.
Brown made All-Rookie team as Boston cruised to the 2017 Eastern finals, while Simmons missed his entire rookie campaign with a broken foot, earning Philly the No. 3 pick in the 2017 draft. Boston owned the top pick, from Brooklyn, and Philly general manager Bryan Colangelo collared together a trade package for his division rival: Boston earns a future first-round pick and deals down to No. 3 to select Jayson Tatum. Newly slanted into the top selection, Philly selected Markelle Fultz, later dealt for Tyrese Maxey, who is not Jayson Tatum.
Boston used the pick Philly sent its way (2019’s No. 14 pick Romeo Langford) in the package for Derrick White.
That’s right, blame the Spurs.
Romeo Langford played two-and-a-half excruciating seasons in Boston. Langford lapped up 94 games of what-was-that-shot basketball before the Spurs took Romeo and Josh Richardson and a future first-rounder (from the Celtics, so, big whup) for Derrick White, who big whups opponents’ shots all over the place.
White blocked just as many shots with the Spurs, but whupping must be easier with bigs like Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis running astride Derrick. Back to blame.
In 2019 the Sixers signed Al Horford away from the Celtics, real underhanded stuff, tremendous work, the sort of thing to do (instead of trading lottery picks) to a divisional rival. Whether Al worked alongside Joel Embiid or backed him up, whatever, do what one can to hurt the Celtics.
Of course, the Celtics swept the Horford-stretched Sixers out of Al’s only postseason with Philadelphia. The 76ers lost nerve a month into the next season and dealt Horford and what will likely be Philly’s 2025 first-round pick to Oklahoma City for Danny Green.
Boston earned Horford back for the price of its own first-round pick in 2021 (Alperen Şengün), happily paid for the final $53.5 million on the back end of the deal Al signed with Philly, a tag which earned them the Bird rights to keep Horford through 2025 at under $10 million per season.
Horford could have been a Sixer the whole time, spelling Embiid, not being on the Celtics.
Also, why did Washington trade Kristaps Porziņģis to Boston as if Washington were the ones getting Marcus Smart or a first-round pick in the deal? The Wizards received neither, and let the Celtics tow their unicorn away. Boston ganked what turned into Golden State’s 2024 lottery pick out of that deal, used to sweeten the swap for Holiday.
Want to add more sugar? Blame the Lakers while they’re down and out in a Beverly Hills restaurant where they have an uncomfortably-large tab, lowballing another head coach candidate.
In the 2016 NBA draft the Lakers selected Brandon Ingram on the board with Jaylen Brown available, and in 2017 chose Lonzo Ball with Jayson Tatum in play. Each were understandable selections, each played the largest role in ensuring Anthony Davis’ move to El Lay, neither was any better than Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, a duo to rule the world with.
The Celtics gave everyone a chance, left itself prone to accurate criticism through loss after postseason loss yet mostly kept course. Boston fell to the usual batch of rough injury and bad free agent luck, whiffed on some vets, blew some playoff games at home. Even this season’s “be careful, he’s always injured” trade risk — the regular season-saving Porziņģis — was injured for the important half the playoffs.
Credit the Celtics, a dominant turn in 2023-24 after a decade’s dismantling of the Big Three’s single championship.
But blame them for what comes next, the actualization of Daryl Morey’s threes-first philosophy, 29 other NBA teams showing up to 2024-25 ready to attempt 49 three-pointers per game.
This shouldn’t be the C’s legacy, this club is far too pleasant to watch. Eight or nine different NBA teams ensured as much.
Kelly Dwyer covers the NBA at The Second Arrangement and thinks the NBA should cap three-pointers at 33 attempts per team per game, Larry Bird’s number.
The 2024 NBA Finals are over with the Boston Celtics emerging as champions. The league is now ready to turn the page to next season, starting with the 2024 NBA Draft. The first round of the draft is happening on Wednesday, June 26 on ESPN starting at 8 p.m. ET, and for the first time, the second round will happen the next day.
This has always been a tricky draft to project due to the lack of consensus at the top of the class. Information is slowly starting to trickle out about how teams are approaching this draft, and at this point a framework for team preferences is slowly starting unfold.
Last week, we dropped a mock draft based on what we would do with every pick. This week, we’re delving into the latest intel around the draft to project how the first round looks like it will actually play out. The Hawks hold the keys to the draft at No. 1, and their decision will set the rest of the picks into motion.
1. Atlanta Hawks – Donovan Clingan, C, UConn
No one knows what the Hawks are going to do with this pick mostly because there hasn’t been a consensus No. 1 player in this class at any point in the cycle. The fact that Atlanta was preparing to draft at No. 10 entering the lottery before jumping all the way up to No. 1 probably didn’t help matters. We know the Hawks have scouted French wing Zaccharie Risacher in person at a playoff game and brought him in for a workout. There are rumors the team is also considering trading down, perhaps to target UConn center Donovan Clingan. With Washington and Houston lurking as potential Clingan suitors slightly down the order, it’s starting to feel like Atlanta could just take the Huskies big man at No. 1.
The Hawks’ defense has always been bad since they drafted Trae Young. Last season, Atlanta finished No. 27 in defensive efficiency. Rim protection was a distinct weakness, with the Hawks finished No. 26 in blocks per game. Clingan is the draft’s best shot-blocker, and arguably its most impactful overall defender. An underrated factor in this pick is that Atlanta owes unprotected first round picks to the San Antonio Spurs in 2025 and 2027. Clingan feels more ready to contribute than someone like Sarr (who was my personal pick here last week), and that might make the difference for a team that doesn’t want to surrender a high pick next season.
Photo by COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images
2. Washington Wizards – Alex Sarr, C/F, Perth Wildcats (France)
Sarr has only worked out for one team according to HoopsHype, and that’s the Washington Wizards. This feels like an obvious match if he’s still on the board at No. 2. Sarr has the best physical tools in the draft as an athletic 7’1 big man with a 7’4 wingspan who can run the floor, make plays above the rim on both ends, and has shown flashes of ball handling and shooting ability. The Wizards’ rebuild still feels like it’s in its infancy, and that means someone like Sarr — obviously talented but still years away from his potential ceiling — also fits the team’s big picture timeline.
3. Houston Rockets – Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky
The only elite prospect Houston has brought in for a workout so far is Clingan. There have also been rumors that the Rockets are looking to trade this pick, maybe even seeing if they can get the Nets to bite on a Mikal Bridges deal. If Houston stays at No. 3, Sheppard makes a lot of sense as a long-term addition to the backcourt. Sheppard is tiny by today’s standards (6’3 with a proportional wingspan), but he’s an elite three-point shooter (52 percent from deep) and has razor sharp hands defensively that help him force turnovers. The Rockets have enough freak athletes to cover for Sheppard’s limitations, and he can help Houston’s existing young core by providing spacing and more transition opportunities via turnovers.
4. San Antonio Spurs – Zaccharie Risacher, F, JL Bourg (France)
Risacher has only worked out for the Hawks and Spurs, according to HoopsHype. This is starting to feel like his floor, and the Spurs would probably be elated to have him fall. Risacher is a good fit in San Antonio, and not just because he’s another young Frenchman to put around Victor Wembanyama. The 6’9 wing played a big role in the top French league as an 18-year-old, contributing shooting, on-ball defense, and transition playmaking. He hit more than 39 percent of his threes on the season, and had some of his best games deep in the playoffs. The Spurs can still fill their obvious need in the backcourt with their next pick at No. 8 overall.
5. Detroit Pistons – Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite
The Pistons are still fleshing out their new front office led by Trajan Langdon, and he has a ton of work to do coming off a 14-win season. He inherits a team built by former executive Troy Weaver that’s loaded with former lottery picks (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren) who haven’t gelled into anything resembling a competitive NBA team yet. Buzelis is a nice on-paper fit in the existing young core, adding a raw but talented 6’10 forward who flashes perimeter skill and showed surprising toughness at the rim defensively. I continue to really like the fit for Rob Dillingham here, because the Pistons desperately need shooting and playmaking. Buzelis just feels more likely to go in the top-5, and this is a sensible enough fit.
6. Charlotte Hornets – Stephon Castle, G, UConn
One of the few rumors of this draft thus far is that Castle wants to play point guard in the NBA, and doesn’t want to work out for teams with star point guards already in place, according to ESPN. Castle hasn’t had any workouts yet according to the HoopsHype tracker, but insiders are saying he won’t slip past the Hornets at this pick. Castle might want to be a point guard, but he plays much more like a connective wing, and that makes him a good fit between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller in Charlotte. Castle defends his ass off, fights for loose balls and rebounds, and has the strength to finish through contact at the rim. His jump shot is terrible at the moment, but his 75.5 percent mark from the free throw line could inspire some long-term hope in his shooting.
The Blazers have been connected to several players at this point in the pre-draft process: Clingan (who they might have to trade up for), Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, and French forward Tijane Salaun, all of whom have officially had workouts with the team. Cody Williams has also reportedly had a less publicized meeting in Portland, and would seem to fit well as a long-term piece on the wing around Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. The real question is how much pressure Portland’s front office is under to try to inch this thing closer to competitiveness. The Blazers still feel far away from making a real push in the West, and Williams is far away from hitting his potential ceiling as an NBA player. This pick makes sense unless someone powerful in the organization is starting to lose patience.
8. San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Topic, G, Red Stars (Serbia)
The Spurs need to fill their hole at point guard somehow this summer, whether they’re trying to trade for a veteran like Darius Garland or nabbing a playmaker in this draft. Topic likely would have been gone by this point in the draft had he not torn his ACL in May. While the length of Topic’s recovery remains a point of speculation, he makes sense for San Antonio even if he has to miss his whole rookie year. Topic is a super fast lead guard who thrives getting downhill and finishing with craft below the rim. Isaiah Collier and Rob Dillingham would also make sense here. The reality is that San Antonio — with Victor Wembanyama in tow — feels like by far the best landing spot for any young guard prospect.
9. Memphis Grizzlies – Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite
The Grizzlies struck gold in the draft last year by taking a former highly-touted recruit who slipped in the draft after struggling in his pre-draft season. If it worked with GG Jackson, it can work with Ron Holland too. Holland had a brutal year shooting the ball for a G League Ignite team that was so bad they shut down the program. Still, his defensive motor, transition scoring, and wicked athleticism will quickly remind you why he was once considered the front-runner to go No. 1 overall in this class. The Grizzlies reportedly want to contend in the West this season and Holland is a little too young and too raw to do that, but with Ja Morant only turning 25 years this summer, Memphis still has a wide window. Holland could fit their long-term vision well as a player who embodies the franchise’s old grit-n-grind spirit.
10. Utah Jazz – Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet (France)
Salaun has been the most active lottery prospect in team workouts thus far, already spending time with the Pistons at No. 5, the Blazers at No. 7, the Spurs at No. 8, the Jazz at this pick, and the Thunder at No. 12. Utah doesn’t seem like they’re in any rush to be competitive, and likely has its eye on Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 draft. Salaun is a good long-term prospect for his size, motor, and shooting potential at forward, and his development fits the timeline of the organization.
11. Chicago Bulls – Devin Carter, G, Providence
The Bulls are reportedly eying trading up in this draft, but parting with future draft capitol to do it would be a huge mistake. Chicago is in a great spot at No. 11 to just take the best player who falls, and Carter, Rob Dillingham, and Isaiah Collier could each fit that description in this mock. Carter was the first lottery prospect to work out for the Bulls, and there has been speculation that they gave him a promise. Carter would be a good long-term replacement for Alex Caruso as a tenacious on-ball defender who made real strides as a shooter and driver last season as a junior at Providence. Carter and the Bulls have been connected so often in the pre-draft process that this feels like the safest player to peg here.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky
Dillingham should go much higher than this based on talent, but it’s understandable that teams would be weary of a guard this small, this weak, and this bad defensively. The Thunder are smart enough to spot a great value when they see one. Dillingham might be the best ball handler in the class, and he has a case as the best shooter available, too. He’s deadly at ripping deep shots whether he’s on or off the ball, and his passing vision is underrated, too. OKC has so much length and defense already in place that it can accommodate a small guard bursting with offensive talent like Dillingham.
This feels like the low-end for Knecht’s range in the draft, with the Blazers lurking as his floor with the next pick. Knecht fits Sacramento’s existing style well: he’s a high-volume, highly-accurate three-point shooter for a team that finished No. 3 in three-point rate last season. Sacramento could probably use a little more size at this pick, but Knecht feels like a plug-and-play option for a team that wants to stay competitive in the West.
14. Portland Blazers – Tristan da Silva, F, Colordo
A four-year player at Colorado, da Silva is a tall shooter who lacks premium athletic ability. Portland is the only team he’s worked out for at this point, according to HoopsHype, and it’s easy to see his potential value there as a floor spacer for Scoot Henderson and Co. Indiana center Kel’el Ware and Miami forward Kyshawn George feel like other options here.
Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
15. Miami Heat – Isaiah Collier, G, USC
Collier was supposed to compete for the No. 1 pick entering this cycle before an up-and-down year filled with losing for USC. Collier has only worked out for the Heat, according to HoopsHype, and Miami should jump at the chance to take a player with the potential to be a long-term offensive engine if everything goes right. Collier is a fast and strong lead guard who can bully his way into the paint and has impressive passing vision. He needs to work on his jumper, but the Heat do player development better than anyone.
16. Philadelphia 76ers – Bub Carrington, G, Pitt
Carrington has reportedly been earning some lottery buzz lately — he worked out for the Kings at No. 13 — and has the mix of size and shooting teams look for in a guard. At 6’5 with a 6’8 wingspan, Carrington is at his best shooting pull-up jumpers off the dribble from deep and from mid-range. Philly feels likely to shop this pick in a trade for a win-now veteran, but this is starting to feel like Carrington’s range regardless of who’s choosing here.
17. Los Angeles Lakers – Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite
Smith has been extremely active on the team workout scene over the last month, stopping by the Heat, Lakers, Pelicans, Knicks, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Raptors, and Wizards. In a weaker draft, his combination of size (6’9 barefoot) and shooting feels like a worthy bet. Even as he readies to turn 40 years old this season, surrounding LeBron James with shooters is always a good move. Smith was one of the few G League Ignite players who wasn’t a disappointment this season, and he has a pathway to NBA success if he can improve his defensive awareness.
18. Orlando Magic – Jared McCain, G, Duke
The Magic typically prefer players with long wingspans, and McCain does not fit that mold after measuring at 6’2 barefoot with a 6’3.5 wingspan at the combine. Still, McCain feels like exactly what this team needs as a sharpshooter in the backcourt who can space the floor for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. McCain isn’t a natural on-ball creator, but his jump shot would really help out Orlando’s offense.
19. Toronto Raptors – Zach Edey, C, Purdue
Edey has made the rounds in the pre-draft process, working out for the Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Pelicans, Raptors, Blazers, and Jazz. Toronto makes sense as a landing spot for the 7’4 giant, and not just because he’s Canadian. Edey offers a sliver of upside other players in this range don’t due to his unparalleled size and production at the college level. He’s incredibly skilled as an interior scorer and offensive rebounder, and it’s undeniably impressive that he often played all 40 minutes for the Purdue at nearly 300 pounds. He’s a worthwhile flier in this range for a team that needs a long-term ceiling raiser.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
20. Cleveland Cavaliers – Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana
Cleveland has so much up in the air entering the offseason. Will Donovan Mitchell sign a long-term extension? Will Darius Garland be shopped if that happens? Will the trade rumors that have floated around Jarrett Allen in recent years come to fruition? Ware makes sense as the best player available if the Cavs do decide to swap out Allen for a wing. He has similar athletic tools to Allen, but has the potential to be a real floor spacer with his jump shot. This would be an extremely skilled young front court if Cleveland can keep Ware’s motor up.
21. New Orleans Pelicans – Jaylon Tyson, G, Cal
Tyson has been everywhere in the pre-draft process with reported workouts in Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, and Toronto. At 6’5.5 barefoot with a 6’8 wingspan, Tyson offers advanced ball handling and footwork, a solid shooting stroke, and some passing flashes. He can fit into almost any team context as a wing who can provide off-ball scoring and some secondary creation.
22. Phoenix Suns – Yves Missi, C, Baylor
There’s been a lot of buzz for Tyler Kolek in this spot, but if a talent like Missi falls, the Suns should feel comfortable taking a swing. Phoenix could really use some rim protection and athleticism in the front court, and Missi has that in spades. He may not fit Kevin Durant’s win-now timeline, but Missi has great long-term tools as an above-the-rim play finisher and shot blocker.
23. Milwaukee Bucks – Kyshawn George, F, Miami
George measured at 6’7 barefoot with a 6’10.5 wingspan, and made 40.8 percent of his threes as a freshman for Miami. He moves well enough to have some defensive potential, and he knows who he is as a player: 68.4 percent of George’s field goal attempts were from three-point range. Milwaukee would probably prefer a more “NBA ready” player, but this feels like the right range for George and a decent landing spot.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
24. New York Knicks – Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke
Filipowski is probably too talented to fall this far in the draft, but it would be a boon for the Knicks if it happened. While the Duke sophomore is relatively slow and gravity-bound, he’s one of the most skilled bigs in this class. Filipowski could replicate a lot of Isaiah Hartenstein’s playmaking, and he has more shooting potential. There are some defensive concerns with Filipowski, but he can be a weapon offensively if he shoots it.
25. New York Knicks – Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor
Walter was getting lottery hype for most of the year, but it’s easy to see a scenario where he starts to fall on draft day. He’s a wing in the ‘three-and-D’ mold, but both his shot and his defense were inconsistent as a freshman at Baylor. If he slips this far, he’d be a great value as an off-ball floor spacer for the Knicks.
26. Washington Wizards – Johnny Furphy, F, Kansas
Furphy makes sense for a Washington team trying to develop young players next season without any real pressure to win. A 6’8 freshman wing from Kansas (via Australia), Furphy scored efficiently (61 percent true shooting) and shot the ball well from three (35.3 percent) even if his shot dipped a bit late in the season.
Scheierman’s range appears to start in the late first round after he worked out for the Wolves, Jazz, and Celtics, all teams picking between 27-30. The Wolves don’t really have a designated shooter off the bench, and the Creighton super senior makes sense in that role. He hit 39 percent of his threes for his college career, and showed he could get them up with volume last season by attempting 8.3 triples per game. He’s not the longest or strongest wing, but he’s just tall enough (6’6.25 barefoot) to have a chance to stick.
It would make sense if the Nuggets shopped this pick for a win-now veteran, but we can’t have Dadiet falling much farther. The French wing measured at 6’7.5 without shoes with a 6’9 wingspan, and showed solid athletic traits, a high motor, and decent three-point touch while playing for Ulm in the German league. He’s very young, but he feels like one of the best upside fliers in the draft once we get to the 20s.
29. Utah Jazz – Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia
Dunn is a defensive monster as a rangey forward with elite athleticism who can defend out on the perimeter or provide secondary rim protection. The issue is that he can’t just can’t shoot at all right now — he went 7-of-35 from three as a sophomore at Virginia. Dunn has worked out for Utah and makes sense as a long-term development bet if they can fix his jump shot.
30. Boston Celtics – DaRon Holmes II, C/F, Dayton
Holmes has reportedly shut down his pre-draft workouts amid rumors that he’s received a promise somewhere in the first round. If he slips this far, it would be highway robbery for the Celtics. The junior big man was one of the best players in college basketball for Dayton this past season, combining improved shooting and playmaking ability with the athletic big man skills he’s always showcased. Holmes may be a tad undersized as a center, but his perimeter offensive development gives him a chance to play next to other bigs down the road.
Over the seven seasons Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have played together for the Boston Celtics, they have faced a wide variety of skepticism about their fit together as two ballhandling wings. Both were varying degrees of great at different times, but did their skill sets overlap too much to build a championship team around them as a pair?
The Celtics’ 2024 NBA championship win answers that question with a definitive “no,” but there were real questions about the pairing’s fit together over their near-decade as a duo, as well as calls from media and fans alike to trade Brown. Instead, the Celtics (somewhat controversially) continually doubled down on the twosome, most recently by giving Brown the most lucrative contract in NBA history last summer.
Doing so may seem like the easy call with the benefit of hindsight, but in the aftermath of the confetti falling, as the Celtics celebrated their 18th championship in franchise history and Brown lofted his NBA Finals MVP, there was a stat on the broadcast for anyone watching at home that demonstrated just how unprecedented Boston’s patience with the Brown and Tatum duo was (as captured by Tim Bontemps of ESPN):
For Tatum and Brown, the 107 games they played together before winning the title are the most by a duo prior to winning their first championship in NBA history.
That’s quite the astounding factoid, and it shows how rare it is for any two NBA players to
be good enough to justify keeping together that long, period, and…
be good enough to maintain faith in despite not having won a title together yet.
It remains to be seen if this record will ever be broken, but given the constant roster churn of today’s NBA, it seems unlikely. Maybe Brown and Tatum’s long-awaited success will convince more GMs to remain patient with various star pairings, but this otherwise seems primed to be a record Brown and Tatum can hold together for a long time.
The Boston Celtics returned to their home floor in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals with the chance to clinch the series and secure the 18th championship in franchise history. The Dallas Mavericks couldn’t even make it to halftime before Boston turned the game into a blowout.
The Celtics took a 67-46 lead into halftime against Dallas in Game 5 on Monday night. Boston’s offense led a cascade of shot-making, rim attacking, and ferocious defense. The Celtics saved their most devastating bucket of the first half for last.
Payton Pritchard didn’t play in Game 5 until Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla checked him in as Dallas went to the free throw line with four seconds left in the half. Pritchard had already hit a halfcourt in NBA Finals, beating the third quarter buzzer back in Game 2. He out-did himself in Game 5, delivering a buzzer-beating dagger to Dallas just before halftime. Watch the play here:
Pritchard checked in just to take a halfcourt heave, and he drained it. Mazzulla remains a mad genius.
It’s the longest shot made in the NBA Finals in the last 20 years, according to ESPN.
Pritchard has been the Celtics’ first guard off the bench all season long. He doesn’t play big minutes for the team, but like any role player on a championship team, he’ll soon be beloved in Boston forever. These halfcourt shots in the NBA Finals will be replayed for the rest of his life. Celtics fans are already loving this one:
The Celtics were the best team in the NBA all season. For the first time in the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown era, they end the season on top of the league.
This weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix markes the first of three-straight races on the Formula 1 calendar, a fact that poses challenges for all ten teams.
Including Haas.
In the team’s media preview of the Spanish Grand Prix, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu noted that the sport has reached that part of the schedule where everyone is “feeling it,” a fact that makes the upcoming tripleheader even tougher for the teams.
“A triple-header is always pretty tough, thankfully a lot of our team is UK-based so it helps that the last race of this triple is in the UK, but it is still very hard,” described Komatsu. “It’s getting to that point of the season where everybody’s feeling it, so it’s very important that we look after ourselves to be able to perform at our best, to be efficient and focused, especially on the back of two events where our trackside operations weren’t the best. We can’t let that happen, so we need to look at ourselves and see how we can operate at our best.”
This weekend also marks the return of reserve driver Oliver Bearman to the VF-24, as the reserve driver and Ferrari supersub participated in FP1 ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, driving Kevin Magnussen’s car. This weekend Bearman will again participate in FP1, this time replacing Nico Hülkenberg.
The practice session comes amid consistent rumors that Bearman will be tapped for a full-time seat with the team next season.
Komatsu is hopeful that the team’s recent upgrades will mesh well with the many high-speed corners Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya has to offer.
“Spain is the first circuit since we introduced our upgrades which has proper high-speed corners, so I’m really looking forward to assessing our update at that circuit and see what it’s like,” added Komatsu. “We have Bearman joining us again for FP1, this time in place of Nico, so he can continue from where he left off in Imola.”
Like his boss, Hülkenberg is also lookign forward to the high-speed corners the Spanish Grand Prix has to offer.
“It’s one of the classic circuits we’ve been going to over the years. It’s obviously a very high-speed circuit and I think it’s going to be very hot there this year, it used to be the first race of the European season,” added Hülkenberg. “I expect there’s going to be very hot, Spanish, temperatures. The vibes in Barcelona and the Spanish lifestyle are pretty cool and go well with a fun race. I like triple-headers, we’ve known them now for a few years and June is that month when things get quite busy.”
While Hülkenberg has already announced his 2025 plans, as the German driver will head to Sauber for next season ahead of the organization becoming the Audi works team in 2026, Magnussen is one of the drivers currently on the grid facing an uncertain future. But the Danish driver is simply looking forward to the high-speed circuit, and the racing that it offers.
“It’s one of the most well-known tracks for all the drivers, probably the track I’ve done most laps of out of them all. It’s a good track, lots of high-speed corners there, and can be quite difficult to overtake,” described Magnussen. “It’s become better, the track is more enjoyable after they’ve removed the last chicane and that’s also helped overtaking a little bit, so hopefully we can be competitive there. It’s a triple-header, but it’s nice to be in the European part of the season, it’s all familiar surroundings, short flights and no jet lag.”
Rory McIlroy left Pinehurst No. 2 as soon as Bryson DeChambeau putted out for a one stroke victory.
Multiple reporters on the ground saw McIlroy bolt right for his courtesy car and leave the golf course as fast as he could. Alan Bastable of Golf.com caught it on video.
McIlroy did not conduct any media interviews, nor did he speak to anyone from NBC Sports.
McIlroy could not stomach his latest major championship heartbreak, with this one hurting more than all the other ones combined.
He looked completely dejected in the scoring room afterward, and understandably so.
The Northern Irishman stood on the tee at the par-3 15th hole at 8-under par, with DeChambeau trailing him by one. But he airmailed the green with a 7-iron, which led to a bogey four. His demise would get worse from there.
On the next hole, McIlroy had a 2-foot-6-inch putt for par and inexplicably missed. His second straight bogey dropped him back to 6-under for the championship and into a tie with DeChambeau with two holes to play.
After making an up-and-down to save par on 17, McIlroy pulled his drive left into the native area on 18, drawing a poor lie with wiregrass right in front of his ball. He then hit his second shot just short of the green, barely escpaing the sand trap that guards the front of the putting surface. McIlroy played his third shot to 3-feet-9-inches behind the hole, and like he did on 16, he missed that putt too.
Just like that, McIlroy dropped three shots over his final four holes as his collapse at the 124th U.S. Open will live on forever.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThroughfor more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese entered the WNBA has household names after their electric rivalry in women’s college basketball. Reese’s LSU team beat Clark’s Iowa team in the 2023 national championship game when both players were juniors. They met again in the Sweet 16 as seniors, and Clark and the Hawkeyes got revenge by ending LSU’s season.
Clark was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to the Indiana Fever. Reese went No. 7 overall to the Chicago Sky. There’s already a budding rivalry between their pro teams after Chicago’s Chennedy Carter hip-checked Clark earlier this season in a play that started a nauseating amount of national discourse. Part of the problem with that play was the refs ruled Carter’s cheap shot as a common foul — until the league changed it to a Flagrant foul the next day.
As the Sky and Fever met again on Sunday in a nationally broadcast game on CBS, Clark was again hit with a hard foul, but this time the refs got the call right. As Clark was driving to the basket, Reese went for the block and hit her hard in the head. The officials called for a review and determined it was a Flagrant-1 foul, meaning Clark got two free throws and then Indiana got the ball. Watch the play here:
This isn’t a dirty play or intentional cheap shot. Clark went for the layup, Reese tried to recover for the block, and while going for the ball she whacked Clark in the head.
Clark looked just fine after the sequence, scoring nine points in the last five minutes of the third quarter. Hopefully she’s okay because hard hits to the head are nothing to play around with.
The Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark rivalry will keep going strong in the WNBA. It’s must-see TV every time these two players matchup.
The world’s biggest motorsport endurance race gets underway later today, as the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans gets underway.
And one of the drivers in the field has a shot at joining one of motorsport’s most exclusive clubs.
Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula 1 Drivers’ Champion, is back in the Le Mans field this season. A year ago Button made his Le Mans debut, driving in the “Garage 56” entry with Hendrick Motorsport that finished 39th.
But this year, Button is driving for Hertz Team Jota, which qualified 17th for the race, part of the triple crown of motorsport. And if Button were able to be part of a winning team at Le Mans, he would become just the sixth F1 champion in the history of motorsport to taste victory at Le Mans.
Mike Hawthorn was the first driver to win both a F1 Drivers’ Championship and Le Mans, but he tasted victory in the endurance race first, winning the 1955 installment with Jaguar. He went on to claim an F1 title three years later, in 1958 with Ferrari.
Next up was Phil Hill, who like Hawthorn climbed to the top of the endurance mountain first. Hill, along with Olivier Gendebien, captured victory at Le Mans for Ferrari in 1958, the first of three wins at Le Mans. Then in 1961 he and Gendebien again win at Le Mans for Ferrari, but Hill also won the F1 Drivers’ Championship for Ferrari.
The next driver to win both was Jochen Rindt, although his is one of the sadder tales in motorsport. Rindt was part of a team that won Le Mans in 1965, and then during the 1970 F1 season he established a commanding lead in the Drivers’ Championship standings while participating for Lotus-Ford.
However, during practice ahead of the 1970 Italian Grand Prix Rindt’s Lotus experienced a brake shaft failure, and he crashed heavily near the Parabolica corner, and tragically passed away as a result of his injuries. Despite his tragic death with four races remaining in the season, Rindt’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship was insurmountable, and he was posthumously awarded the F1 title.
Graham Hill is the only driver to have captured each leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, having won the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His first F1 Drivers’ Championship came in 1962 with BRM, but he finally captured a win at Le Mans in his tenth and final start, winning in 1972 alongside Henri Pescarolo for Matra-Simca.
Hill remains the only driver to have won each leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
The fifth and final member of this club? Fernando Alonso. He won back-to-back F1 titles in 2005 and 2006, and then pulled off a similar double in Le Mans, capturing wins in both 2018 and 2019 with Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Should Button taste victory this weekend, he would become the sixth member of that club.
And it is something he is absolutely aiming for.
“There is every chance we can fight for a win at Le Mans, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it,” said Button last year. “I’m not interested in just being on the grid after the career I’ve had.”
We will see if he joins that club over the next 36 hours.
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