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Good morning! Watch out, that stove is still hot.
While You Were Sleeping: Draymond ejected for wild punch
In last night’s 119-116 loss to the Suns, Warriors firebrand Draymond Green registered his third ejection of the season, this time for smacking Jusuf Nurkić:
Draymond Green has been ejected for the third time this season after hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
🎥 @TSN_Sportspic.twitter.com/vuAwwvgo6y
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 13, 2023
After the game, Green claimed he was trying to sell a foul, not hit Nurkić. And, to be fair, if the strike had been intentional, rather than just reckless, the typically candid Green probably would’ve said so.
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Still, it’s hard to defend him at this point. He’s been ejected three times in just 23 games. He has long been a wild card, to put it mildly, but 2023 feels extreme already. If he’s suspended for this, it’ll be his sixth career suspension and second of this season.
The ejection was clearly earned, unlike Nikola Jokić’s boot after arguing a call. What a night for NBA refs.
Three Questions: How bad can the Pistons really be?
The Detroit Pistons lost their 20th straight game Monday night, a 131-123 defeat against the Pacers. It’s already tied for the ninth-longest losing streak in league history and close to the record (28 by the 2014-15/2015-16 Sixers). There’s more here than a tanking team, though.
I snagged our Pistons beat writer, James L. Edwards III, to help me contextualize the state of the franchise:
You’ve covered some underachieving teams in your time on the Pistons beat. Where does this crew rank?
They’ve been abysmal, to put it nicely, but there shouldn’t have been high expectations for this group. It’s one of the youngest teams in the league. Cade Cunningham, the 2021 No. 1 pick, missed all of last season, and Detroit’s four most important players (Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren) have played a total of 11 games together.
Do you think the outlook is still bright in Detroit?
Right now, it’s hard to say anything other than “no.” The future is bleak because the present is. However, Detroit does have a handful of talented young players who, if things break right in development, will help propel the franchise to something sustainable, which is the goal. So the answer is both yes and no.
Let’s say this losing streak goes another 10 or 15 games. Are any drastic moves coming? There’s no way they fire Monty Williams (or can afford to do so) in his first year, right?
I definitely think Detroit does a trade before the Feb. 8 trade deadline, if not two. Will it be a big-swing trade? I don’t think so. I still can’t see them moving one of the four names I mentioned above, but if the front office feels like it’s on the cusp of losing its job, then who knows. I definitely don’t think Williams gets fired this year. The owner committed a lot of money to him. Could there be some sort of buyout if things continue in this direction? I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t think it happens this season.
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Make sure to read James’ latest piece, up today, on the 20-game losing streak and, more importantly, who’s to blame.
Looking ahead: The Pistons are closing in on having the longest regular-season losing streak ever and the longest playoff losing streak ever, both active at the same time. The schedule ahead isn’t easy, either — I could see the streak ballooning to 34 by the time the Spurs go to Detroit.
Also, don’t miss a full audit of the Pistons in The Bounce later this morning. The worst record in NBA history might be on the table.
News to Know
Herbert done
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is out for the rest of the season with a fractured right finger, the team announced yesterday, a final blow to what has been a drab season for L.A.’s 5-8 team. Herbert had been having an up-and-down season after signing a massive contract extension in the offseason. Now, attention fully turns to coach Brandon Staley’s future.
Mahomes apologizes
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he regrets his postgame interaction Sunday with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, in which Mahomes complained to Allen about an offensive offside call that negated a go-ahead touchdown. “Not a great example for kids,” Mahomes said of his outburst. Meanwhile, his MVP candidacy is slipping behind new frontrunners Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy.
More news
Hot Stove: The Giants make a splash
The stove has cooled, just a bit, but if our experts are to be believed, more flames are heading our way. Let’s just catch up on yesterday:
- After losing out on Shohei Ohtani, the Giants agreed to sign Korean superstar Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million deal, which exceeded most expectations. Was the San Francisco brass desperate after coming up empty this offseason thus far? Maybe. But Lee — the 2022 KBO MVP — has oodles of potential, particularly at the plate. He’s just 25. Let Keith Law introduce him to you.
- Ohtani still deserves his spot on a front burner, though, as his deferred contract is still bubbling. Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal talked to a number of agents and executives across baseball and came away with a wild spectrum of opinion. Literally: One executive called it “a f—ing joke” because of the luxury tax dodge, one agent called it “one of the worst things I’ve ever seen” because of the low value, while another executive called the move “brilliant.” The full slew of comments is worth a read.
And, yes, expect more signings to cascade down this week. Jim Bowden has a list of the best remaining free agents with specific predictions attached. SotoMoto can become real for the Yankees.
Watch This Game
NCAAF: SEC Schedule Reveal
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Look, I would normally never recommend an entire block of programming centered around a task that could be completed via email attachment. But this might be the most impactful schedule reveal in SEC history, with Oklahoma and Texas joining in a division-less format.
NHL: Sabres at Avalanche
10 p.m. ET on TNT
Tune in to watch Colorado, one of the NHL’s best teams thus far, but also the festering drama of Mikko Rantanen calling out a teammate’s dad Monday night.
Pulse Picks
It’s Pistons Day here at The Pulse. Today’s A1 remembers the 1983 Pistons and Nuggets producing the highest-scoring game in NBA history — with just two 3-pointers made the entire night. Fun story.
It’s been a year since Mike Leach died. Bruce Feldman has a touching retrospective with input from Leach’s friends across the sport. “During games, I can hear him in my head,” one former assistant said.
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Austin Mock has updated NFL Draft projections, and the Bears (thanks again, Carolina) essentially have the No. 1 pick locked up. It gets a little messy after that.
The legend of Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito grows. I mean, did you see his agent? His celebration? This kid was made for this. I hope it keeps going.
Loved this from Christopher Kamrani on Robert Griffin III, who is letting go of his playing days and fully embracing his new self in the booth. He’s already a broadcast star.
Cleveland’s Joe Flacco feels like a kid again, as Zac Jackson writes. We might have a great playoff narrative brewing.
The Hawks, despite a fresh start, feel stuck again. Can an unproven front office fix things?
Go inside the day when Turkish soccer turned to chaos. The sport is still reeling from a team executive punching a referee. As Nick Miller and Adam Leventhal report, maybe it wasn’t all that surprising.
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(Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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