Pritchard explains why Celtics’ expectations won’t change despite busy offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Payton Pritchard won’t be backing down from the challenge ahead.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year saw a handful of his championship-winning teammates leave town this offseason.

Jrue Holiday was shipped to the Trail Blazers, Kristaps Porzingis is now on the Hawks, Luke Kornet signed with the Spurs and Al Horford remains unsigned, so the Celtics will look a lot different this fall. That all came after Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles, which will likely cost him the entire season.

Those moves aren’t shaking Pritchard’s confidence in the guys still left on the roster, though.

In the latest episode of the Celtics Talk Podcast, Pritchard sat down with Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg. The Oregon alum shared why, even in an offseason of retooling the roster, the Celtics enter next season with the same goal in mind. What message would he have for Celtics fans who might not feel the same way?

“We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win a championship,” Pritchard said. “It’s not even about playoffs, we have one standard in Boston and it’s to win a championship. Everybody in that locker room will have the goal of competing for a championship. And we will do everything in our power necessary to go for that. That’s what (the fans) should know.”

🔊 Celtics Talk Podcast: Payton Pritchard on Celtics’ summer changes, NBA’s new heave rule and Kyrie wanting to swing on him | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

The Celtics, fresh off a championship in 2024, are on a sustained run of dominance in the NBA dating back to their 2008 title. In the past 18 years, the Celtics have 17 playoff appearances with four Finals trips and nine Eastern Conference Finals berths. They’ve made the playoffs in 11 straight seasons dating back to 2015.

All that is nice, but winning titles has long been the main goal in Boston, for the Celtics and all the other teams. Pritchard, since being drafted in 2020, has quickly realized that.

Next season, he’ll have to chase that goal without some of his longtime teammates in Kornet, Holiday and Porzingis. While sad to see them go, Pritchard is happy for them to be getting bigger opportunities elsewhere.

“I mean, it definitely sucks,” Pritchard said about the offseason changes. “You become brothers with your teammates, you’re with them all the time. So, definitely going to miss them. It’s part of the business side so you have to move on.

“But you see a guy like Luke (Kornet) get paid, you know, you have to be happy for him for all the work he’s put in to earn that.

“I’m personally really going to miss Jrue. Jrue’s like a big brother, somebody I learned a lot from. One of the best teammates that I’ve ever had, and competitors. He’s the reason why we won a championship, so going to miss him a lot.

“Obviously, KP (Kristaps Porzingis), the type of person he is. Boston fans loved him, and a heck of a talent. We’re definitely going to miss those guys but it’s part of the NBA. We have to regroup, got to find new identities, new people need to step up and we got to get back to that level.”

With so many minutes now up for grabs, Pritchard plans on continuing his ascension. Last season, he averaged career-bests in points (14.3), rebounds (3.8), assists (3.5), steals (0.9) and shooting percentage (47.2).

“I feel like everybody should be excited,” Pritchard said. “There’s a lot of opportunities across the board. For me, personally, I’m excited every year. Because it’s an opportunity to prove myself again, to show that I can take another step. And that’s my goal every year. I’m definitely hungry and motivated this year, been working really hard. So I’m excited.”

Pritchard also shared his thoughts on the NBA’s potential new heave rule, Jayson Tatum’s injury and what Kyrie Irving said about his half-court shot in the 2024 NBA Finals. Check out the full episode here or on YouTube.

A change of venue Monday was not the cure for what’s ailing the New York Yankees.

But help is on the way. Manager Aaron Boone announced Monday after the team’s 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers that Aaron Judge would return to the lineup Tuesday after missing 10 games due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. 

Judge was, indeed, listed as the designated hitter in the Yankees’ lineup Tuesday. He’s batting in his usual spot at No. 3 in the order. He’s not yet ready to return to his position in the outfield. 

Judge returns to the lineup on the heels of a four-game Yankees losing streak, including Monday’s walk-off loss to the Rangers in extra innings. 

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Yankees blow lead, lose on walk-off

The Yankees struck first Monday with a leadoff home run from Paul Goldschmidt, then took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning. Then the Rangers batted around in the second to take a 4-3 lead.

The Yankees retook the lead and held a 5-4 advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth. There, pinch hitter Joc Pederson sent it to extras. 

With the bases empty and one out, Pederson launched a 2-1 Devin Williams changeup into the right-field stands to tie the game 5-5.

The blown save was the third of the season for Williams, a two-time All-Star and lights-out closer during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers. With Pederson’s home run, Williams’ ERA in his first season in New York inflated to 5.10.

The blast set up Josh Jung for some 10th-inning heroics.

With a man on second and two outs, the Yankees intentionally walked Wyatt Langford to get to Jung in the six slot. Reliever Jake Bird left a 1-1 sinker thigh high and just inside that Jung turned on. The result was a no-doubt home run into the left-field stands that ended the game.

Yankees in free fall, face critical games vs. Rangers

The loss was the Yankees’ fourth straight following an unprecedented three-game sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins. They’re now 7-10 since the All-Star break.

The defeat dropped the once first-place Yankees to 60-53, 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East and 2.5 games behind the rival Boston Red Sox, who won their sixth straight game on Monday. It also left the Yankees with a 1.5-game cushion over the Rangers and in a tie with the Seattle Mariners for the last wild-card spot in the American League.

This three-game series against the Rangers could end up proving critical for the postseason standings, and so far it’s going badly for New York.

Can Judge help Yankees turn things around?

Judge hasn’t played since July 25 due to the elbow injury that landed him on the injured list. He took batting practice over the weekend and will return to the lineup Tuesday on his first day of eligibility.

As the Yankees face a multitude of problems, Judge’s return can’t come soon enough. 

Houston Astros All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes has opted to forgo surgery on what the team described as a “severe” hamstring injury in hopes of returning to the lineup this season.

General manager Dana Brown discussed the decision with reporters Monday. He said Paredes had the option of undergoing surgery that would require six months off and end his season or going through rehab, which would give him a chance to return to the lineup with the Astros in position to make the playoffs. 

“He was given two choices — the choice of having surgery or rehabbing,” Brown said, per the Houston Chronicle. “He selected to rehab it. His whole opinion on this is he wants to work hard to try to get back this season.”

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Paredes sustained his injury while running the bases against the Seattle Mariners on July 19. He went through multiple rounds of imaging to diagnose the injury, which Brown said Monday was a “severe hamstring strain.” Paredes also had a platelet-rich plasma injection and will continue to rest the injury before starting a rehab regimen.

Before his injury, Paredes was slashing .259/.359/.470 with 19 home runs and 50 RBI. His effort earned him his second career All-Star selection in July.

With Paredes injured, the Astros bolstered their infield by reuniting with shortstop Carlos Correa via a trade-deadline deal with the Minnesota Twins and adding utility infielder Ramón Urías from the Baltimore Orioles. 

Brown called the potential surplus of infielders in the event of Paredes’ return “a good problem to have.”

Houston is 63-50 with a three-game lead over the Seattle Mariners for first in the AL West.

The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

 To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the first of 29 players who wore the No. 20 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State big man alum Chick Halbert. After ending his college career at West Texas A&M University, Halbert joined (defunct) Chicago Stags in their (and the BAA’s) first-ever season of existence, 1946.

The Albany, Texas native joined the (then) Philadelphia (now, Golden State) Warriors in 1947 for just 40 games before he’d be dealt to the Boston Celtics in 1948.

During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Halbert wore only jersey No. 20 and put up 10.5 points per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 20 – Chick Halbert (1947-48)

The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the “New Jersey Americans”.

Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today.

To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise’s jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 22nd of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 21, which has has had a total of 26 players wear the number in the history of the team.

The 23rd of those players wearing No. 21 played in the Brooklyn Nets era, wing alum Wilson Chandler. After ending his college career at DePaul, Chandler was picked up with the 23rd overall selection of the 2007 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.

The Benton Harbor, Michigan native also played for the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Clippers before he signed with Brooklyn in 2019 for the final season of his NBA career.

During his time suiting up for the Nets, Chandler wore only jersey No. 21 and put up 5.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets jersey history No. 21 – Wilson Chandler (2019-20)

Kendrick Law picked up 33 catches in 34 games across three seasons at Alabama for a total of 343 yards and a touchdown. He returned 22 kicks for 536 yards, too, but he entered the transfer portal last offseason looking for more as a former four-star, top-100 recruit out of high school.

And by the sound of things, he’s going to find it in Lexington as a Wildcat.

“K-Law is strong and can run,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said to open fall camp, confirming he’d also return kicks for the Wildcats.

“A lot of the things we’ll be doing this year will go through Kendrick Law,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan added.

How did Law take those comments, especially Hamdan singling out the 6-0, 205-pound senior as a top playmaker for the blue and white in 2025? It’s what he signed up for and he’s excited to make the most of that opportunity.

Everyone in that room will be expected to step up and he’s confident he’s one of those guys, giving Kentucky a do-it-all home run threat in his final season of eligibility.

“I just think that’s something he said,” Law said of Hamdan’s comments in an interview with KSR. “To put it in perspective — I mean, I play a huge role in it, just like everyone in the room plays a huge role in it. What he’s having in mind for me to do, it’s not what average guys do. Coming in with a different build, with a different body type, that was one of the things about me coming here.

“I wanted to be able to use all of the abilities I have, that’s what he was trying to express.”

Law was rated as the No. 91 overall player and No. 4 ATH in the class of 2022, known for his top-end speed with experience playing receiver, running back and defensive back. Your job was to put the ball in his hands, his was to take care of the rest by putting it in the end zone as an open-field assassin.

There were flashes in Tuscaloosa, but he wants to prove he can be more than a one-trick pony in Lexington. He wants to be a consistent producer and true difference-maker.

“I’ve been there the time that I’ve been there, but here, I want to showcase everything I can do that I haven’t shown in past years,” Law continued.

What does that look like exactly? Less than four weeks away from kickoff, we’ll find out soon enough.

“The season is here, so I guess we’ll have to see,” he said with a grin.

How about a hint? What route is he most excited to run under the bright lights of Kroger Field on Saturdays this fall?

“Anything deep, send it,” Law told KSR. “I’ll go get it.”