This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Goooood morning, Winners! Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you giving us a bit of your time.
Many of you probably didn’t watch the entire Warriors game on Wednesday, but I’m certain you’ve seen clips of Draymond Green getting himself ejected just four (!!!!!) minutes into Golden State’s game against the Magic.
It was so silly, man. Officials called an obvious foul on Andrew Wiggins, who was guarding Paolo Banchero. Green went over to complain about the foul. OK. Fine. Players do that all the time.
But he just never stopped. And then he appeared to call the official a name that I’m not going to repeat here and started walking toward the locker room because he knew his night was over.
The entire sequence is ridiculous:
Full sequence of Draymond Green ejection pic.twitter.com/V724fbCMSk
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) March 27, 2024
This is just four minutes into the game, man. If Green wanted a night off, he probably could’ve just asked the Warriors for one. I’m sure they would’ve been willing to give it to him instead of watching him throw a tantrum on the court.
Steph Curry was visibly exasperated, and rightfully so. All the talk about the Warriors over the last week or so has been about finding Steph Curry some help. He’s been carrying too much of a load with this team, and here Green is dropping even more weight onto it.
Luckily, in the end, Curry was able to save the Warriors here like he usually does. He hit a game-clinching 3-pointer and let all his anger out on a chair.
It’s hard to blame him. This is how it goes with Draymond, man. He does something ridiculous, gets ejected or worse, apologizes to the team and then acts like nothing happened. It’s tiresome for us as viewers. It’s visibly wearing on Curry.
RELATED: Draymond Green dapping up Curry after his ejection became an instant meme
This has become way too common. Green is still an excellent defensive player and a key contributor to the Warriors’ offensive flow. But, man. The bad is beginning to catch up to the good. He’s just not dependable anymore. Maybe he never was — he couldn’t even hold himself together in the NBA Finals.
But the Warriors need him. Steph Curry said as much after Wednesday’s game.
“All I’ll say is we need him. He knows that. We all know that,” Curry said to reporters after the game. “So whatever it takes for him to be on the floor and available, that’s what’s got to happen.”
It sounds like the Warriors might need to Draymond-proof their roster for next season. That might mean not having him there at all anymore. We’ll see.
Baseball is BACK, folks
There’s actual baseball to talk about now! Or, at least, there will be after tonight.
Major League Baseball’s opening day is finally here with a full slate. Two games have been postponed (MIL @ NYM, ATL @ PHI), and somehow, we still have a 13-game slate to watch.
What I’m watching this year:
— Juan Soto’s forever home? Juan Soto will make his debut with the Yankees today. New York will be his third team since 2022. Will this be the one that keeps him for the long haul or will he take that Soto shuffle elsewhere? We’ll see.
— Did the Orioles do enough? The Orioles were the best team in the American League last season and should still be elite if healthy this year. Pitching was their biggest pitfall last year and it doomed them. Baltimore spent the offseason bolstering its rotation — particularly with the Corbin Burnes trade. This could be Baltimore’s year.
— Is the spending worth it in LA? This is the thing it feels like everyone wants to see. The Dodgers spent over $1 billion on roster moves this season between Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s signings alone. That’s before you get to massive extensions for Will Smith and Tyler Glasnow. The Dodgers are all in. This better work.
There’s going to be a ton to watch this season. Exciting stuff, man. Welcome back, MLB.
RELATED: Here are our first MLB power rankings of the season
Don’t believe the hype
You probably saw Ice Cube’s reported $5 million Big 3 offer to Caitlin Clark on Wednesday.
On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer to take that money. But Meghan Hall has more on why this isn’t something we should be taking seriously:
“There’s just one problem: The Big3’s season — which starts in June — runs smack dab in the middle of the WNBA’s season. That means while the offer is substantial, but it’s likely more a gesture to show that the league understands Clark’s value.
Also, the current WNBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) prioritization clause, which requires players to prioritize the WNBA over other leagues, would complicate Clark’s involvement. This is part of the reason why several players go overseas or play in other leagues during the offseason.
Pair the schedule and CBA restrictions with the major injury risk Caitlin Clark would assume by getting involved with the BIG3, and it’s very easy to see why this is not entirely feasible right now.”
That’s an extremely well-put breakdown from Meghan there. This just isn’t going to happen. It shouldn’t, either.
Ice Cube is painting this as a good for women’s hoops. But if he truly cared and wanted to bring women into the Big 3, he would’ve offered this to other college and WNBA players before Clark.
This is just him attaching his league to the hype train. Nothing more.
RELATED: Hoops fans are ripping Ice Cube for his offer to Caitlin Clark
Quick hits: MLB predictions … Jayden Daniels’ weird elbow … and more
— Prince Grimes has you covered with MLB awards predictions and picks for division winners. That boy is cookin’
— Have you seen Jayden Daniels’ elbow? You should look at Jayden Daniels’ elbow. Robert Zeglinski has more.
— Dan Hurley made the weirdest comparison for the NCAA’s transfer portal. Here’s Cory Woodroof with more.
— Blake Schuster has you covered with MLB over/unders this season. Go win some money.
— The Rhode Island Scumbag has your betting guide to the men’s Sweet 16 as it starts today.
— Here’s a list of guest stars for Beyoncé’s new Cowboy Carter album. Fun! Caroline Darney has more.
That’s a wrap, folks! Thanks so much for locking in with us today. We appreciate your time! Let’s do it again tomorrow. Talk soon. Peace! We out.
-Sykes ✌️