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IPL 2026: Fleming exercises caution, backs CSK’s young batting core to shine  To lose the first three games in an IPL season is a hellish scenario. But it is not quite a death-knell. Mumbai Indians lost its first four matches in 2015, and still won the trophy. In 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won just one of its first eight fixtures, and yet made it to the playoffs.But for the Chennai Super Kings faithful, these will bring little succour, for it is not just about the defeats but the manner of them. CSK lost to Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets, to Punjab Kings by five, and to RCB by 43 runs. In the T20 universe, these are like distances between the earth and the moon.“It was a tough night,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after Sunday’s loss to RCB. “We did some good things early on, but unfortunately lost our shape at the back end. We got a little bit shell-shocked and that flowed through into the early parts of our batting as well.READ  |  14 defeats in 22 matches: Does CSK have a captaincy conundrum or will its ethos prevail?“Against a hitter like Tim David (70 n.o. from 25 balls), you’ve got to be absolutely spot on. We missed, and got hurt in the hardest of fashions.”This season, CSK has bet big on young batters like Kartik Sharma (19), Prashant Veer (20) and Ayush Mhatre (18), and Fleming was confident that their potential will eventually shine through.“It’s going to be a really good core of Indian batters. You’re going to get a bit of inconsistency and also some brilliance. It’s a high octane pace and there are going to be some speed wobbles. It’s about marrying skill with a bit of game sense, and that does take time.”Published on Apr 06, 2026  #IPL #Fleming #exercises #caution #backs #CSKs #young #batting #core #shine

IPL 2026: Fleming exercises caution, backs CSK’s young batting core to shine

To lose the first three games in an IPL season is a hellish scenario. But it is not quite a death-knell. Mumbai Indians lost its first four matches in 2015, and still won the trophy. In 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won just one of its first eight fixtures, and yet made it to the playoffs.

But for the Chennai Super Kings faithful, these will bring little succour, for it is not just about the defeats but the manner of them. CSK lost to Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets, to Punjab Kings by five, and to RCB by 43 runs. In the T20 universe, these are like distances between the earth and the moon.

“It was a tough night,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after Sunday’s loss to RCB. “We did some good things early on, but unfortunately lost our shape at the back end. We got a little bit shell-shocked and that flowed through into the early parts of our batting as well.

READ | 14 defeats in 22 matches: Does CSK have a captaincy conundrum or will its ethos prevail?

“Against a hitter like Tim David (70 n.o. from 25 balls), you’ve got to be absolutely spot on. We missed, and got hurt in the hardest of fashions.”

This season, CSK has bet big on young batters like Kartik Sharma (19), Prashant Veer (20) and Ayush Mhatre (18), and Fleming was confident that their potential will eventually shine through.

“It’s going to be a really good core of Indian batters. You’re going to get a bit of inconsistency and also some brilliance. It’s a high octane pace and there are going to be some speed wobbles. It’s about marrying skill with a bit of game sense, and that does take time.”

Published on Apr 06, 2026

#IPL #Fleming #exercises #caution #backs #CSKs #young #batting #core #shine

To lose the first three games in an IPL season is a hellish scenario. But it is not quite a death-knell. Mumbai Indians lost its first four matches in 2015, and still won the trophy. In 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won just one of its first eight fixtures, and yet made it to the playoffs.

But for the Chennai Super Kings faithful, these will bring little succour, for it is not just about the defeats but the manner of them. CSK lost to Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets, to Punjab Kings by five, and to RCB by 43 runs. In the T20 universe, these are like distances between the earth and the moon.

“It was a tough night,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said after Sunday’s loss to RCB. “We did some good things early on, but unfortunately lost our shape at the back end. We got a little bit shell-shocked and that flowed through into the early parts of our batting as well.

READ | 14 defeats in 22 matches: Does CSK have a captaincy conundrum or will its ethos prevail?

“Against a hitter like Tim David (70 n.o. from 25 balls), you’ve got to be absolutely spot on. We missed, and got hurt in the hardest of fashions.”

This season, CSK has bet big on young batters like Kartik Sharma (19), Prashant Veer (20) and Ayush Mhatre (18), and Fleming was confident that their potential will eventually shine through.

“It’s going to be a really good core of Indian batters. You’re going to get a bit of inconsistency and also some brilliance. It’s a high octane pace and there are going to be some speed wobbles. It’s about marrying skill with a bit of game sense, and that does take time.”

Published on Apr 06, 2026

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#IPL #Fleming #exercises #caution #backs #CSKs #young #batting #core #shine

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Deadspin | Robert Thomas’ hat trick helps Blues beat Avs, continue playoff push <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28667533.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28667533.jpg" alt="NHL: St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Jonathan Drouin (92) attempts a shot against Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood (39) in the first period at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Robert Thomas completed his first career hat trick with a tiebreaking goal late in the third period to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Sunday night.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>St. Louis (33-31-12, 78 points) moved within three points of Nashville for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and prevented Colorado from clinching the No. 1 seed.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Jimmy Snuggerud assisted on all three goals, Dylan Holloway added two assists and Joel Hofer made 26 saves for the Blues.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>The Avalanche (50-16-10, 110 points), who remain highly likely to win the Presidents’ Trophy, can clinch the West’s top seed Tuesday night with a win at St. Louis or a Dallas regulation loss vs. Calgary.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>With the game tied, the Blues got an odd-man rush with Holloway carrying the puck down the right side and into the Colorado zone. Thomas went to the far side of the crease and tapped in Holloway’s pass with 2:50 remaining.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-6"> <p>The Avalanche pulled goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood soon after Gabriel Landeskog’s slashing penalty put them on the penalty kill for the final 1:54.</p> </section> <section id="section-7"> <p>Brent Burns had a goal and an assist, Parker Kelly also scored and Blackwood turned away 25 shots for the Avalanche.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Colorado appeared to strike first when Ross Colton knocked a puck out of midair and into the net early in the first period. The goal was disallowed after St. Louis successfully challenged the play was offside.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>St. Louis opened the scoring when Blackwood made a save on an initial shot but the puck went out to Snuggerud in the right circle, who fed Thomas in the slot. His wrister beat Blackwood on the short side at 12:01 of the first period.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>The Avalanche leveled the score when Kelly tipped Burns’ shot from the point at 15:10 of the first to become the sixth Colorado player to reach 20 goals this season.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>Burns briefly gave the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 3:40 into the second period, but Thomas scored his second of the night 29 seconds later to even it again.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-12"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Robert #Thomas #hat #trick #helps #Blues #beat #Avs #continue #playoff #push

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Sporcle Events Newsletter Bonus Questions – Week of 4/6/26

Deadspin | Red Sox chase 10th straight win, aim to hand A’s 10th straight loss  Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Raymond Burgos (79) reacts after throwing the final out to beat the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images   The Boston Red Sox can do no wrong these days. At least that’s the way it seems.  The Red Sox will enter their Saturday matchup against the visiting Athletics on a nine-game winning streak after recording a 13-1 victory on Friday in the opening contest of a three-game series.  Boston has won 11 of its last 12 games, 27 of its past 30 and 32 of its past 37 — the best streak in franchise history. The Friday victory was the Red Sox’s 12th in their past 14 home games and improved the team’s record to 29-29 at Fenway Park.  Boston has scored 25 runs in the past two games.  “It’s absolutely amazing,” left fielder Jarren Duran told WEEI following the latest triumph. “I remember at the beginning of the season the feeling was, ‘I hope we score.’ Now it’s gotten to the point of it’s just a matter of when we score and how much are we going to score.”  Catcher Jake Rogers and reliever Raymond Burgos, two players who may not be with the Red Sox for very long, made significant contributions on Friday.  Boston acquired Rogers when it traded for Adley Rutschman because the Red Sox needed a backup catcher until Rutschman is cleared to play after missing time due to left wrist inflammation. Rogers doubled in each of his first two at-bats on Friday. He also walked once, drove in a run and scored three times.  Rutschman hasn’t played since July 18, but following the Friday game, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said the three-time All-Star is scheduled to catch five innings for Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.   Burgos was called up from Worcester on Friday to fortify a depleted bullpen after Boston played a 13-inning game against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. He made his second major league appearance Friday night and tossed three scoreless innings to earn his first save. He retired each of the nine batters he faced.  The Athletics were limited to two hits in the defeat, which extended their losing streak to nine games. The A’s also parted ways with general manager David Forst on Friday. Forst had been with the organization for 27 seasons.  “For me, (Forst) gave me this opportunity to manage this club,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve faced our certain circumstances, challenges, together. That’s what’s tough about it. Not being able to see it through with him.  “My ask of (the players) is that they go out and win as many games as possible from this point forward.”  The Athletics will be hoping for a repeat performance when they send rookie Gage Jump (4-7, 4.59 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. The left-hander was the winning pitcher when the Athletics beat the Red Sox 4-3 on July 28 — Boston’s last loss. He tossed six scoreless innings and struck out seven in that win, which is his only career appearance against the Red Sox.  Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90) is Boston’s scheduled starter. Bennett was the losing pitcher in that July 28 game against the Athletics, when he allowed three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. That was his only career appearance against the Athletics.  Despite that setback, Bennett is 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA in his past eight starts.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Red #Sox #chase #10th #straight #win #aim #hand #10th #straight #lossAug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Raymond Burgos (79) reacts after throwing the final out to beat the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox can do no wrong these days. At least that’s the way it seems.

The Red Sox will enter their Saturday matchup against the visiting Athletics on a nine-game winning streak after recording a 13-1 victory on Friday in the opening contest of a three-game series.

Boston has won 11 of its last 12 games, 27 of its past 30 and 32 of its past 37 — the best streak in franchise history. The Friday victory was the Red Sox’s 12th in their past 14 home games and improved the team’s record to 29-29 at Fenway Park.

Boston has scored 25 runs in the past two games.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” left fielder Jarren Duran told WEEI following the latest triumph. “I remember at the beginning of the season the feeling was, ‘I hope we score.’ Now it’s gotten to the point of it’s just a matter of when we score and how much are we going to score.”

Catcher Jake Rogers and reliever Raymond Burgos, two players who may not be with the Red Sox for very long, made significant contributions on Friday.

Boston acquired Rogers when it traded for Adley Rutschman because the Red Sox needed a backup catcher until Rutschman is cleared to play after missing time due to left wrist inflammation. Rogers doubled in each of his first two at-bats on Friday. He also walked once, drove in a run and scored three times.


Rutschman hasn’t played since July 18, but following the Friday game, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said the three-time All-Star is scheduled to catch five innings for Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.

Burgos was called up from Worcester on Friday to fortify a depleted bullpen after Boston played a 13-inning game against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. He made his second major league appearance Friday night and tossed three scoreless innings to earn his first save. He retired each of the nine batters he faced.

The Athletics were limited to two hits in the defeat, which extended their losing streak to nine games. The A’s also parted ways with general manager David Forst on Friday. Forst had been with the organization for 27 seasons.

“For me, (Forst) gave me this opportunity to manage this club,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve faced our certain circumstances, challenges, together. That’s what’s tough about it. Not being able to see it through with him.

“My ask of (the players) is that they go out and win as many games as possible from this point forward.”

The Athletics will be hoping for a repeat performance when they send rookie Gage Jump (4-7, 4.59 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. The left-hander was the winning pitcher when the Athletics beat the Red Sox 4-3 on July 28 — Boston’s last loss. He tossed six scoreless innings and struck out seven in that win, which is his only career appearance against the Red Sox.

Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90) is Boston’s scheduled starter. Bennett was the losing pitcher in that July 28 game against the Athletics, when he allowed three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. That was his only career appearance against the Athletics.

Despite that setback, Bennett is 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA in his past eight starts.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Red #Sox #chase #10th #straight #win #aim #hand #10th #straight #loss">Deadspin | Red Sox chase 10th straight win, aim to hand A’s 10th straight loss  Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Raymond Burgos (79) reacts after throwing the final out to beat the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images   The Boston Red Sox can do no wrong these days. At least that’s the way it seems.  The Red Sox will enter their Saturday matchup against the visiting Athletics on a nine-game winning streak after recording a 13-1 victory on Friday in the opening contest of a three-game series.  Boston has won 11 of its last 12 games, 27 of its past 30 and 32 of its past 37 — the best streak in franchise history. The Friday victory was the Red Sox’s 12th in their past 14 home games and improved the team’s record to 29-29 at Fenway Park.  Boston has scored 25 runs in the past two games.  “It’s absolutely amazing,” left fielder Jarren Duran told WEEI following the latest triumph. “I remember at the beginning of the season the feeling was, ‘I hope we score.’ Now it’s gotten to the point of it’s just a matter of when we score and how much are we going to score.”  Catcher Jake Rogers and reliever Raymond Burgos, two players who may not be with the Red Sox for very long, made significant contributions on Friday.  Boston acquired Rogers when it traded for Adley Rutschman because the Red Sox needed a backup catcher until Rutschman is cleared to play after missing time due to left wrist inflammation. Rogers doubled in each of his first two at-bats on Friday. He also walked once, drove in a run and scored three times.  Rutschman hasn’t played since July 18, but following the Friday game, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said the three-time All-Star is scheduled to catch five innings for Triple-A Worcester on Saturday.   Burgos was called up from Worcester on Friday to fortify a depleted bullpen after Boston played a 13-inning game against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. He made his second major league appearance Friday night and tossed three scoreless innings to earn his first save. He retired each of the nine batters he faced.  The Athletics were limited to two hits in the defeat, which extended their losing streak to nine games. The A’s also parted ways with general manager David Forst on Friday. Forst had been with the organization for 27 seasons.  “For me, (Forst) gave me this opportunity to manage this club,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “We’ve faced our certain circumstances, challenges, together. That’s what’s tough about it. Not being able to see it through with him.  “My ask of (the players) is that they go out and win as many games as possible from this point forward.”  The Athletics will be hoping for a repeat performance when they send rookie Gage Jump (4-7, 4.59 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. The left-hander was the winning pitcher when the Athletics beat the Red Sox 4-3 on July 28 — Boston’s last loss. He tossed six scoreless innings and struck out seven in that win, which is his only career appearance against the Red Sox.  Rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90) is Boston’s scheduled starter. Bennett was the losing pitcher in that July 28 game against the Athletics, when he allowed three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. That was his only career appearance against the Athletics.  Despite that setback, Bennett is 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA in his past eight starts.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Red #Sox #chase #10th #straight #win #aim #hand #10th #straight #loss

Despite a bummer of an ending, it was obviously a wonderful year for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama morphed into arguably the best player in the world, and proved that he could drive winning at the highest levels by leading his team to an upset victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Wembanyama turns 23 years old in the middle of next season, and he’ll be the presumptive favorite to win his first MVP. Only the Thunder are ahead of the Spurs in our way-too-early power rankings for the 2026-27 campaign.

The scariest thing about Wembanyama is he still has so much room to get better. To me, the biggest thing that would help him level up again is figuring out a signature shot in the mid-range that he can always lean on when he doesn’t want to chuck a three and can’t get all the way to the rim. In the playoffs, Wemby took a decent amount of mid-range shots, with 28% of his field goal attempts coming on non-rim two-pointers. The problem is he only made 35% of those shots. Wemby obviously has good touch — he’s an 82% career free throw shooter, and 34% career three-point shooter — so I tend to think he can get a lot more accurate from the mid-range in time.

A video circulated from the Spurs’ offseason workouts, and it should terrify the rest of the NBA. Wembanyama might be figuring out his mid-range game in the most unstoppable possible style: by mastering Dirk Nowitzki’s go-to fadeaway.

There’s a world where that shot could be as unstoppable as a skyhook for Wembanyama. It’s going to be impossible to contest, and it gives him enough room to square his shoulders to the basket for a shot. The fact that Wemby is now strong enough to win the positioning battle on the ground against his man only makes this even more enticing. If Wembanyama can hit this with any consistency, it’s going to give him even more scoring versatility for when the game slows down in the playoffs.

Wemby could still be a few years away from his offensive peak. Right now, it feels like he’s about as dominant defensively as anyone has ever been. It’s easy to imagine Wembanyama and Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle reaching the NBA Finals year after year, but the reality is that the NBA hasn’t even had a repeat conference champ since the 2019 Golden State Warriors. Everyone thought LeBron James would be in the Finals every year after he made it for the first time in 2007. It turns out James had to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat before he made his next trip in 2011 … where he lost to Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks.

Wembanyama should be adding to his offensive arsenal every offseason. Beginning to integrate a Dirk fade into his game would be the best possible start.

#Victor #Wembanyama #working #Dirk #Nowitzkis #fadeaway #NBA">Victor Wembanyama is working on Dirk Nowitzki’s fadeaway, and it might be over for the NBA  Despite a bummer of an ending, it was obviously a wonderful year for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama morphed into arguably the best player in the world, and proved that he could drive winning at the highest levels by leading his team to an upset victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Wembanyama turns 23 years old in the middle of next season, and he’ll be the presumptive favorite to win his first MVP. Only the Thunder are ahead of the Spurs in our way-too-early power rankings for the 2026-27 campaign.The scariest thing about Wembanyama is he still has so much room to get better. To me, the biggest thing that would help him level up again is figuring out a signature shot in the mid-range that he can always lean on when he doesn’t want to chuck a three and can’t get all the way to the rim. In the playoffs, Wemby took a decent amount of mid-range shots, with 28% of his field goal attempts coming on non-rim two-pointers. The problem is he only made 35% of those shots. Wemby obviously has good touch — he’s an 82% career free throw shooter, and 34% career three-point shooter — so I tend to think he can get a lot more accurate from the mid-range in time.A video circulated from the Spurs’ offseason workouts, and it should terrify the rest of the NBA. Wembanyama might be figuring out his mid-range game in the most unstoppable possible style: by mastering Dirk Nowitzki’s go-to fadeaway.There’s a world where that shot could be as unstoppable as a skyhook for Wembanyama. It’s going to be impossible to contest, and it gives him enough room to square his shoulders to the basket for a shot. The fact that Wemby is now strong enough to win the positioning battle on the ground against his man only makes this even more enticing. If Wembanyama can hit this with any consistency, it’s going to give him even more scoring versatility for when the game slows down in the playoffs.Wemby could still be a few years away from his offensive peak. Right now, it feels like he’s about as dominant defensively as anyone has ever been. It’s easy to imagine Wembanyama and Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle reaching the NBA Finals year after year, but the reality is that the NBA hasn’t even had a repeat conference champ since the 2019 Golden State Warriors. Everyone thought LeBron James would be in the Finals every year after he made it for the first time in 2007. It turns out James had to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat before he made his next trip in 2011 … where he lost to Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks.Wembanyama should be adding to his offensive arsenal every offseason. Beginning to integrate a Dirk fade into his game would be the best possible start.  #Victor #Wembanyama #working #Dirk #Nowitzkis #fadeaway #NBA

Only the Thunder are ahead of the Spurs in our way-too-early power rankings for the 2026-27 campaign.

The scariest thing about Wembanyama is he still has so much room to get better. To me, the biggest thing that would help him level up again is figuring out a signature shot in the mid-range that he can always lean on when he doesn’t want to chuck a three and can’t get all the way to the rim. In the playoffs, Wemby took a decent amount of mid-range shots, with 28% of his field goal attempts coming on non-rim two-pointers. The problem is he only made 35% of those shots. Wemby obviously has good touch — he’s an 82% career free throw shooter, and 34% career three-point shooter — so I tend to think he can get a lot more accurate from the mid-range in time.

A video circulated from the Spurs’ offseason workouts, and it should terrify the rest of the NBA. Wembanyama might be figuring out his mid-range game in the most unstoppable possible style: by mastering Dirk Nowitzki’s go-to fadeaway.

There’s a world where that shot could be as unstoppable as a skyhook for Wembanyama. It’s going to be impossible to contest, and it gives him enough room to square his shoulders to the basket for a shot. The fact that Wemby is now strong enough to win the positioning battle on the ground against his man only makes this even more enticing. If Wembanyama can hit this with any consistency, it’s going to give him even more scoring versatility for when the game slows down in the playoffs.

Wemby could still be a few years away from his offensive peak. Right now, it feels like he’s about as dominant defensively as anyone has ever been. It’s easy to imagine Wembanyama and Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle reaching the NBA Finals year after year, but the reality is that the NBA hasn’t even had a repeat conference champ since the 2019 Golden State Warriors. Everyone thought LeBron James would be in the Finals every year after he made it for the first time in 2007. It turns out James had to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat before he made his next trip in 2011 … where he lost to Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks.

Wembanyama should be adding to his offensive arsenal every offseason. Beginning to integrate a Dirk fade into his game would be the best possible start.

#Victor #Wembanyama #working #Dirk #Nowitzkis #fadeaway #NBA">Victor Wembanyama is working on Dirk Nowitzki’s fadeaway, and it might be over for the NBA

Despite a bummer of an ending, it was obviously a wonderful year for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama morphed into arguably the best player in the world, and proved that he could drive winning at the highest levels by leading his team to an upset victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Wembanyama turns 23 years old in the middle of next season, and he’ll be the presumptive favorite to win his first MVP. Only the Thunder are ahead of the Spurs in our way-too-early power rankings for the 2026-27 campaign.

The scariest thing about Wembanyama is he still has so much room to get better. To me, the biggest thing that would help him level up again is figuring out a signature shot in the mid-range that he can always lean on when he doesn’t want to chuck a three and can’t get all the way to the rim. In the playoffs, Wemby took a decent amount of mid-range shots, with 28% of his field goal attempts coming on non-rim two-pointers. The problem is he only made 35% of those shots. Wemby obviously has good touch — he’s an 82% career free throw shooter, and 34% career three-point shooter — so I tend to think he can get a lot more accurate from the mid-range in time.

A video circulated from the Spurs’ offseason workouts, and it should terrify the rest of the NBA. Wembanyama might be figuring out his mid-range game in the most unstoppable possible style: by mastering Dirk Nowitzki’s go-to fadeaway.

There’s a world where that shot could be as unstoppable as a skyhook for Wembanyama. It’s going to be impossible to contest, and it gives him enough room to square his shoulders to the basket for a shot. The fact that Wemby is now strong enough to win the positioning battle on the ground against his man only makes this even more enticing. If Wembanyama can hit this with any consistency, it’s going to give him even more scoring versatility for when the game slows down in the playoffs.

Wemby could still be a few years away from his offensive peak. Right now, it feels like he’s about as dominant defensively as anyone has ever been. It’s easy to imagine Wembanyama and Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle reaching the NBA Finals year after year, but the reality is that the NBA hasn’t even had a repeat conference champ since the 2019 Golden State Warriors. Everyone thought LeBron James would be in the Finals every year after he made it for the first time in 2007. It turns out James had to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat before he made his next trip in 2011 … where he lost to Nowitzki’s Dallas Mavericks.

Wembanyama should be adding to his offensive arsenal every offseason. Beginning to integrate a Dirk fade into his game would be the best possible start.

#Victor #Wembanyama #working #Dirk #Nowitzkis #fadeaway #NBA

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