| Welcome to The Huddle with OZY: A sports newsletter to vault you ahead of the curve. |  | Leadoff Hitter | | In case you hadn’t heard, there’s meaningful basketball being played in Los Angeles again. With Anthony Davis and LeBron James teamed up in Lakerland, and reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and six-time All-Star Paul George joining the Clippers, endless chatter will be devoted to the merits of the two SoCal squads this fiscal year.
But after a madcap offseason that reshuffled the league, there are at least a half-dozen title contenders. As the NBA tips off this week, here’s what’s in our crystal ball:
The year of the unicorn. All across the league, generational big men are coming into their own. Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (pushing to become the fifth repeat MVP this century), Davis, Denver’s Nikola Jokić and Philly’s Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons all lead title contenders, while Kristaps Porziņģis (Dallas) and Karl Anthony-Towns (Minnesota) anchor young teams with breakout potential. These and countless other versatile big men are allowing teams to play “small ball” with actual giants, ushering in a new era of NBA strategy.
The great Jazz revival? New point guard Mike Conley (pictured) will push Utah to the Western Conference finals.
Freaky Philadelphia. Four of the Sixers’ starters stand 6-foot-10 or taller. With a roster full of rangy, versatile athletes who can guard every position, Philly will shut down outside shooters … and make the finals.
What about the Warriors? Steph Curry will use a 2018 James Harden–level usage rate to finish in the top three in the MVP race, and D’Angelo Russell will help make the Dubs a No. 5 seed. |
|
|
|  | Watch ‘Em, Pick ‘Em | | Houston Astros at Washington Nationals Friday at 8:07 pm ET on Fox This was supposed to be a lopsided series … in the other direction. Now in the first World Series home game in Nationals franchise history, can Washington take a commanding 3-0 lead? | | Twitter Poll | | |
|
| | No. 9 Auburn at No. 2 LSU Saturday at 3:30 pm ET on CBS Can anyone slow down the Heisman Trophy frontrunner, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow? One of the nation’s stoutest defenses will give it a shot. | | Twitter Poll | | |
|
|
|
|
|
| | | | |  | Ones to Watch Auston Matthews. One of the presumed superstars of hockey’s young generation, Matthews is approaching a key moment in his career. If the fourth-year Toronto Maple Leafs center wishes to fulfill his potential, it’s time to embrace both ends of the ice. The first overall draft pick in 2016, Matthews embodies the best of the NHL’s expansion efforts and strategic evolution. He plays with blazing speed and a sniper’s efficiency. His eight goals in 11 games rank fourth in the NHL. But a September disorderly conduct arrest likely blocked him from becoming team captain; on the ice, he’s exhibited a concerning lack of interest in defense. If he really wishes to become the best two-way center in hockey, he needs to start acting like it. Only then will Toronto win its first Stanley Cup trophy since 1967.  Heather O’Reilly. With 231 U.S. Women’s National Team appearances, O’Reilly, 34, is one of the most prolific international soccer players of her generation. Now she’s going out in style. A midfielder who retired from international play following the Rio Olympics in 2016, O’Reilly will retire from professional soccer entirely following the NWSL title game this Sunday. (She’s staying busy as a volunteer assistant coach at alma mater UNC.) The Courage face the Chicago Red Stars, led by Australian star Sam Kerr, in Sunday’s title game. A win would make it back-to-back titles for the Courage — a fitting swan song for O’Reilly, whose late penalty kick score gave the Courage the lead over Reign FC in the semifinals. |
|
|
|  |  | Trending Up The Nats’ bats. This was supposed to be the World Series where the “best collection of pitching ever” would shine. In total, Houston’s three aces (Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke) plus Washington’s four (Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Aníbal Sánchez and Patrick Corbin) combined have 29 All-Star Games, five Cy Young Awards (Cole should make it six this season), five ERA titles and an MVP. Verlander and Scherzer are surefire Hall of Famers, with Cole, Greinke and Strasburg likely for Cooperstown. And yet, the hitters have stolen the show — led by Nationals wunderkind Juan Soto, who celebrates his 21st birthday today. Washington put up a stunning 17 runs over the first two games, including five off of Cole and four charged to Verlander. Now a team that was +180 underdogs to start the series is headed home up 2-0 with a chance to win Washington’s first World Series since 1924. |  | Trending Down Pulisic paranoia. Everyone r-e-l-a-x. When 21-year-old American soccer phenom Christian Pulisic was acquired by Chelsea from German side Borussia Dortmund for $73 million — a record transfer fee for an American — Stateside footie enthusiasts expected him to take the Premier League by storm. Reality has rolled slower. Pulisic has been in and out of the lineup for the Blues, occasionally even a healthy scratch by coach Frank Lampard. In six appearances so far this fall, Pulisic has just five shot attempts. So, of course, fans are panicked. But take a look at the advanced stats: Pulisic is tied for the team high in expected assists (1.5) and third in expected goals. He still has many opportunities to come. The long-term vision for Chelsea’s lineup — one with the young quadrant of Tammy Abraham up front, Mason Mount behind him and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Pulisic flanking them on either side — looks bright. |
|
|
|  | Read this |
| Charlie Scott/OZY When Charlie Scott got to UNC in 1968, as the first Black scholarship athlete below the Mason-Dixon line, the burden was heavy. But that burden pushed him toward significance — academic, athletic and historical. | Alan Blinder/The New York Times Purdue, St. Joseph’s and Villanova have banned students from betting on their schools’ teams, but other universities are seeking more of a middle ground. No one is sure whose approach is right | Charlotte Wilder/Sports Illustrated He took them from the bottom to title contention. Now Brett Brown needs to figure out how to push the very loaded (and very large) Sixers over the top — or face getting processed himself. | Dan Devine/The Ringer How do you carve out a decades-long career without superstar talent? Kendrick Perkins, Jared Dudley and a bunch of other longtime veteran players reveal their secrets to lasting in the NBA in six easy lessons. |
|
|  |  | We’ll Miss You |
The Huddle is taking an indefinite hiatus as Team OZY reassesses and refreshes all our email offerings. But don’t throw your hand or let yourself go. You can still find the web’s freshest sports stories every day at ozy.com/the-huddle. | | |
|
| | For more unique sports stories, go to The Huddle with OZY. | | How did we do? Send us your feedback at [email protected] |
| | |
|
