TORONTO - The New Orleans Pelicans aren't sure when Zion Williamson hurt the meniscus in his right knee. But one thing the team is sure of? Williamson's 284-pound frame wasn't the cause.

Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters in Toronto on Tuesday afternoon that he was confident Williamson's weight had nothing to do with the torn meniscus that will keep the No. 1 pick out for the next 6-8 weeks.

"The notion that this happened because Zion is in poor condition is asinine," Griffin said of Williamson. "He wasn't in poor condition when he went 12 of 13 last week against Utah. That's not what it is. He's just a very unique body type and certainly from a physics perspective."

Griffin added that Williamson is a "freak of nature" and that he "is in elite condition and stays in elite condition."

The Pelicans' training staff, led by Aaron Nelson, is still trying to learn more about Williamson's body and how the team can help him in those spots.

"He can be 274 pounds with eight and half percent body fat and he can be 280 pounds with nine percent body fat," Griffin said. "As we have gone through the process for our medical team, learning how to keep him lean and give him the core strength and stability and control he needs to handle all that torque he generates, typically that means you are going to do things to strengthen those areas.

"In this case, he gains muscle mass so fast and gains weight so fast, no one has ever dealt with anybody like him. He's 19 and it's going to be a learning experience for all of us."

Griffin likened Williamson to another former No. 1 pick who dealt with injuries in his career.

"Less weight, less torque is a theory," Griffin said. "But you look at a player like Blake Griffin who generated enormous torque and had the issues he had in his career. It took a while for him to find stasis in his body and we think that could be the same with Zion."

Griffin mentioned that while Williamson will be out six to eight weeks, he expects him to attempt to come back even sooner.

"Sometimes our job is to protect guys from themselves," Griffin said. "So we'll see how he goes through the process, but all the indications are very positive."

Griffin added that the team is "extremely optimistic" that Williamson will have a full recovery and be back to the player he was in the preseason when he averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds on 71.4 percent shooting in four games.

The timeline of when the injury occurred is still unclear. Williamson didn't let the Pelicans know of any discomfort until the team's first practice after playing against San Antonio on Oct. 13, which would have been two days later. As a result, the Pelicans held him out of the live portion of practice the following day before getting an MRI done on the 17th.

It was an uncommon situation, though, because Williamson never really reported any pain in the knee.

"He didn't have any swellings," Griffin said. "As far as when it happened, nobody really knows because he didn't have any symptoms. It's a fascinating thing."

With Williamson out of the lineup, the Pelicans will turn to Brandon Ingram as the starting power forward while going with a three-guard look of Lonzo Ball, JJ Redick and Jrue Holiday to start next to Derrick Favors.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said rebounding could be an issue but he expects Ball and Holiday to help in that regard and that the Pelicans will rely on their depth while Williamson is out.

"One of the things that we did is add a lot of depth to our team," Gentry said. "We have to use that.

"The big thing for us is it's a marathon not a sprint. Our whole goal is just to get better. That's what we've done."

Despite Williamson's injury, Griffin said he expects the team to compete in the early part of the season.

"Every team is at the mercy of injuries to a huge degree," Griffin said. "You're only as good as your health quite often. We have so much depth across the roster and so much versatility. We're going to be able to have guys to pick up and carry the load.

"No one is looking at this as we're not going to win games. We have full expectation that we're supposed to figure it out and we will."

If Stephen Curry needed any extra motivation, he has some, courtesy of Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan.

"He's still a great player," Jordan told NBC's "Today" on Monday after saying that the Golden State Warriors star wouldn't be included on his dream five-man pick-up team "Not a Hall of Famer yet, though. He's not."

Jordan said he'd stick with Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson and James Worthy as his teammates on his fantasy starting five.

Curry has quite the resume after 10 NBA seasons. He is a two-time league MVP -- including the first unanimous selection -- and has won three NBA championships with the Warriors. In addition, Curry is a six-time All-Star selection, has won a scoring title, twice led the league in steals and is a three-time first-team All-NBA selection as well as an All-Rookie team pick.

His 23.5 points per game during his career ranks 25th all-time, and he ranks third all-time with 2,483 3-pointers after leading the league in that category for five consecutive seasons from 2012-2017.

Jordan, who won six NBA titles, five MVP awards, six Finals MVP awards and was a 14-time All-Star, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Johnson, the Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Lakers executive, tweeted out his thoughts on Jordan's statement.

Everyone relax. We know Steph Curry is a future Hall of Famer...Michael Jordan couldn't say it because he would get fined by the league.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 22, 2019

While with the Lakers, Johnson was fined $50,000 by the NBA in 2018 for violating the league's anti-tampering rule for saying young star Giannis Antetokounmpo would someday lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a championship

The stars might be aligned at Golden State -- or injured, or off to Brooklyn -- for a run at a third MVP award for Stephen Curry.

The latest injury news surrounding Zion Williamson might have just opened the door for a heated Rookie of the Year race.

And let's face it, Lou Williams probably is taking home his fourth Sixth Man of the Year award.

Who will win top individual honors in a wide-open 2019-20 campaign? Our NBA writers and analysts make their picks for MVP, Rookie of the Year and more.

More: Conf. finals, NBA Finals picks | Lowe's wild predictions | Preview '19

Rookie of the Year

Jerry Bembry: Ja Morant

Nick Friedell: Ja Morant

Kirk Goldsberry: Ja Morant

Israel Gutierrez: Zion Williamson

Andrew Han: Ja Morant

Chris Herring: Zion Williamson

Andrew Lopez: Michael Porter Jr.

Tim MacMahon: Zion Williamson

Jackie MacMullan: Ja Morant

Bobby Marks: RJ Barrett

Dave McMenamin: Coby White

Kevin Pelton: Zion Williamson

Jorge Sedano: Zion Williamson

Ramona Shelburne: Ja Morant

Andre' Snellings: Ja Morant

Marc Spears: Ja Morant

Eric Woodyard: Zion Williamson

Royce Young: Coby White

Ohm Youngmisuk: Zion Williamson

Final tally: Ja Morant (8), Zion Williamson (7), Coby White (2), Michael Porter Jr. (1), RJ Barrett (1)

Coach of the Year

Jerry Bembry: Doc Rivers

Nick Friedell: Quin Snyder

Kirk Goldsberry: Erik Spoelstra

Israel Gutierrez: Erik Spoelstra

Andrew Han: Erik Spoelstra

Chris Herring: Alvin Gentry

Andrew Lopez: Brett Brown

Tim MacMahon: Nick Nurse

Jackie MacMullan: Quin Snyder

Bobby Marks: Nick Nurse

Dave McMenamin: Doc Rivers

Kevin Pelton: Steve Clifford

Jorge Sedano: Erik Spoelstra

Ramona Shelburne: Quin Snyder

Andre' Snellings: Steve Kerr

Marc Spears: Doc Rivers

Eric Woodyard: Quin Snyder

Royce Young: Quin Snyder

Ohm Youngmisuk: Doc Rivers

Final tally: Quin Snyder (5 votes), Doc Rivers (4), Erik Spoelstra (4), Nick Nurse (2), Brett Brown (1), Steve Clifford (1), Alvin Gentry (1), Steve Kerr (1).

Defensive Player of the Year

Jerry Bembry: Paul George

Nick Friedell: Rudy Gobert

Kirk Goldsberry: Rudy Gobert

Israel Gutierrez: Draymond Green

Andrew Han: Kawhi Leonard

Chris Herring: Paul George

Andrew Lopez: Paul George

Tim MacMahon: Rudy Gobert

Jackie MacMullan: Paul George

Bobby Marks: Anthony Davis

Dave McMenamin: Kawhi Leonard

Kevin Pelton: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Jorge Sedano: Rudy Gobert

Ramona Shelburne: Kawhi Leonard

Andre' Snellings: Draymond Green

Marc Spears: Anthony Davis

Eric Woodyard: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Royce Young: Al Horford

Ohm Youngmisuk: Anthony Davis

Final tally: Paul George (4 votes), Rudy Gobert (4), Anthony Davis (3), Kawhi Leonard (3), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2), Draymond Green (2), Al Horford (1).

Sixth Man of the Year

Jerry Bembry: Spencer Dinwiddie

Nick Friedell: Lou Williams

Kirk Goldsberry: Lou Williams

Israel Gutierrez: Lou Williams

Andrew Han: Lou Williams

Chris Herring: Joe Ingles

Andrew Lopez: Lou Williams

Tim MacMahon: Lou Williams

Jackie MacMullan: Lou Williams

Bobby Marks: Spencer Dinwiddie

Dave McMenamin: Lou Williams

Kevin Pelton: Lou Williams

Jorge Sedano: Lou Williams

Ramona Shelburne: Spencer Dinwiddie

Andre' Snellings: Lou Williams

Marc Spears: Lou Williams

Eric Woodyard: Derrick Rose

Royce Young: Lou Williams

Ohm Youngmisuk: Lou Williams

Final tally: Lou Williams (14 votes), Spencer Dinwiddie (3), Joe Ingles (1), Derrick Rose (1).

Most Improved Player

Jerry Bembry: Bam Adebayo

Nick Friedell: De'Aaron Fox

Kirk Goldsberry: Dejounte Murray

Israel Gutierrez: Jayson Tatum

Andrew Han: Jerami Grant

Chris Herring: Jonathan Isaac

Andrew Lopez: Bam Adebayo

Tim MacMahon: Dejounte Murray

Jackie MacMullan: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Bobby Marks: T.J. Warren

Dave McMenamin: Lonzo Ball

Kevin Pelton: Donovan Mitchell

Jorge Sedano: Bam Adebayo

Ramona Shelburne: Marvin Bagley III

Andre' Snellings: Lonzo Ball

Marc Spears: Brandon Ingram

Eric Woodyard: Zach LaVine

Royce Young: Jayson Tatum

Ohm Youngmisuk: Bam Adebayo

Final tally: Bam Adebayo (4 votes), Lonzo Ball (2), Dejounte Murray (2), Jayson Tatum (2), Marvin Bagley III (1), De'Aaron Fox (1), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1), Jerami Grant (1), Brandon Ingram (1), Jonathan Isaac (1), Zach LaVine (1), Donovan Mitchell (1), T.J. Warren (1).

MVP

Jerry Bembry: Stephen Curry

Nick Friedell: James Harden

Kirk Goldsberry: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Israel Gutierrez: James Harden

Andrew Han: Stephen Curry

Chris Herring: Nikola Jokic

Andrew Lopez: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Tim MacMahon: Stephen Curry

Jackie MacMullan: Stephen Curry

Bobby Marks: Nikola Jokic

Dave McMenamin: Joel Embiid

Kevin Pelton: James Harden

Jorge Sedano: Stephen Curry

Ramona Shelburne: Anthony Davis

Andre' Snellings: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Marc Spears: Stephen Curry

Eric Woodyard: LeBron James

Royce Young: Kawhi Leonard

Ohm Youngmisuk: Anthony Davis

Final tally: Stephen Curry (6 votes), Giannis Antetokounmpo (3), James Harden (3), Anthony Davis (2), Nikola Jokic (2), Joel Embiid (1), LeBron James (1), Kawhi Leonard, (1).

When the dust settled on a summer of free agency and trade mayhem, the league was left with a host of teams capable of winning the title in June. The breakup of the Golden State Warriors dynasty has opened the path to the Finals for revamped franchises such as the LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz.

In the East, Kawhi Leonard's West Coast move has teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets charting out a Finals course.

Which teams will take advantage?

Ahead of the 2019-20 season, our ESPN NBA experts are making their picks for Eastern Conference, Western Conference and Finals champions.

More: MVP, top rookie and more picks | Lowe's wild predictions | Preview '19

Western Conference finals

Malika Andrews: Clippers over Lakers

Jerry Bembry: Clippers over Lakers

Nick Friedell: Clippers over Jazz

Kirk Goldsberry: Warriors over Clippers

Israel Gutierrez: Clippers over Rockets

Andrew Han: Clippers over Jazz

Chris Herring: Clippers over Jazz

Andrew Lopez: Clippers over Rockets

Tim MacMahon: Clippers over Rockets

Jackie MacMullan: Clippers over Nuggets

Bobby Marks: Nuggets over Clippers

Dave McMenamin: Clippers over Lakers

Kevin Pelton: Clippers over Lakers

Jorge Sedano: Lakers over Clippers

Ramona Shelburne: Lakers over Clippers

André Snellings: Rockets over Lakers

Marc Spears: Clippers over Lakers

Eric Woodyard: Clippers over Jazz

Royce Young: Clippers over Jazz

Ohm Youngmisuk: Lakers over Clippers

Final tally (West champs): LA Clippers (14 votes), Los Angeles Lakers (3), Denver Nuggets (1), Golden State Warriors (1), Houston Rockets (1)

Eastern Conference finals

Malika Andrews: Bucks over 76ers

Jerry Bembry: 76ers over Bucks

Nick Friedell: 76ers over Bucks

Kirk Goldsberry: Bucks over 76ers

Israel Gutierrez: Bucks over 76ers

Andrew Han: 76ers over Bucks

Chris Herring: Bucks over 76ers

Andrew Lopez: Bucks over 76ers

Tim MacMahon: Bucks over 76ers

Jackie MacMullan: 76ers over Bucks

Bobby Marks: Bucks over 76ers

Dave McMenamin: 76ers over Bucks

Kevin Pelton: Bucks over 76ers

Jorge Sedano: 76ers over Bucks

Ramona Shelburne: 76ers over Bucks

André Snellings: Bucks over 76ers

Marc Spears: 76ers over Raptors

Eric Woodyard: Bucks over 76ers

Royce Young: 76ers over Bucks

Ohm Youngmisuk: Bucks over 76ers

Final tally (East champs): Milwaukee Bucks (11 votes), Philadelphia 76ers (9)

NBA Finals

Malika Andrews: Clippers over Bucks

Jerry Bembry: Clippers over 76ers

Nick Friedell: Clippers over 76ers

Kirk Goldsberry: Bucks over Warriors

Israel Gutierrez: Clippers over Bucks

Andrew Han: Clippers over 76ers

Chris Herring: Clippers over Bucks

Andrew Lopez: Clippers over Bucks

Tim MacMahon: Clippers over Bucks

Jackie MacMullan: Clippers over 76ers

Bobby Marks: Nuggets over Bucks

Dave McMenamin: 76ers over Clippers

Kevin Pelton: Clippers over Bucks

Jorge Sedano: Lakers over 76ers

Ramona Shelburne: Lakers over 76ers

André Snellings: Bucks over Rockets

Marc Spears: Clippers over 76ers

Eric Woodyard: Clippers over Bucks

Royce Young: Clippers over 76ers

Ohm Youngmisuk: Lakers over Bucks

Final tally (NBA champs): LA Clippers (13 votes), Los Angeles Lakers (3), Milwaukee Bucks (2), Denver Nuggets (1), Philadelphia 76ers (1)

The Houston Astros had baseball's best record (107-55) and are looking for their second title in three years. The Washington Nationals rebounded from 12 games under .500 in late May and will try to win the first title for a Washington baseball team since 1924, when they were the Senators and played in the American League.

With the series starting Tuesday in Houston (8:08 p.m. ET, Fox), we asked 29 of our experts -- from ESPN.com, TV, Stats & Information and more -- to give their predictions: World Series winner, how many games and MVP.

Below are the vote totals, along with analysis from some of our experts.

World Series winner

Astros: 22 votes
Nationals: 7 votes

Astros in 7 (3 votes)
Astros in 6 (11 votes)
Astros in 5 (7 votes)
Astros in 4 (1 vote)

Nationals in 7 (1 vote)
Nationals in 6 (3 votes)
Nationals in 5 (3 votes)

What is your pick and why?

Jeff Passan: Astros in six. Great starting pitching. Great lineup. Great fielding. Great baserunning. Sufficient bullpen. The Astros aren't just some modern baseball marvel. They are a team that would be great in any era. And that greatness will manifest itself for a second time in three years against a Nationals team that is excellent in its own right but simply won't match the firepower Houston offers.

David Schoenfield: Astros in six. Well, there is an easy reason to support this: My preseason pick was Astros over Nationals. Why change now? It would have been a more difficult choice if the Astros had needed seven games to beat the Yankees, but they now have Gerrit Cole lined up for Game 1 instead of Game 3. The lineup is a little deeper than Washington's and the bullpen is obviously much deeper.

Sam Miller: Astros in five. The Nationals' rotation makes them a genuine threat -- they'll arguably have the (slightly) better starting pitcher in five of the seven games -- but the rest of the roster counts, too, and the Astros bring the better offense, the better defense, the better bullpen aces, the better bullpen depth, the more accomplished and postseason-tested manager and, for that matter, home-field advantage. There's no shame in being underdogs to these Astros, perhaps the most talented team of this century.

Bradford Doolittle: Astros in six. The end points are arbitrary, but we're talking about a large swath of the schedule: After the Nationals' low-water point of 12 games under on May 23, Washington went 74-38 with a Pythagorean win percentage of .651; Houston was 74-37 and .653. Pretty much dead even. But the Astros have more star-level hitters, strike out less, walk more and hit more homers. The starting rotations negate each other, despite Houston's fourth-starter quandary. The Astros have a better bullpen. In the end, both teams won pennants by mixing in little stuff with the big stuff, but Houston does more of the big stuff.

Dan Mullen: Astros in six. Washington's starting pitching is good enough to make this series interesting, but it's tough to find anything the Nationals really do better than the Astros do. And over the course of a longer series than the Nats have played so far this October, the underbelly of the bullpen is going to get exposed once or twice.

Jesse Rogers: Nationals in seven. Among their frontline players, the Nationals are every bit as good as the Astros. And with the rest they've had since the NLCS, their starters can reduce the bullpen's exposure by going deeper into games, especially in Houston, where a potent lineup will add an extra hitter while eliminating the need to pinch hit for their star pitchers.

Marly Rivera: Nationals in five. I was wrong when I thought that offense would dictate this year's postseason results. I have corrected the error of my ways, and since the Yankees' questionable rotation was able to keep the Astros' bats in check, I believe the Nationals' top three starters, led by Max Scherzer, should be able to do the same, if not better.

MVP

Gerrit Cole (14)
Max Scherzer (3)
Alex Bregman (2)
George Springer (2)
Carlos Correa (2)
Anthony Rendon (2)
Yuli Gurriel (1)
Justin Verlander (1)
Juan Soto (1)
Stephen Strasburg (1)

Who did you pick for MVP and why?

Passan: Alex Bregman. The best player on the best team gets an MVP award to match the one he deserves from the regular season.

Schoenfield: Gerrit Cole. He has won 19 consecutive decisions and the Astros haven't lost a game he has started since July 12. He has allowed one run in 22.2 innings in his three postseason starts. In his "bad" start against the Yankees, he didn't allow a run. His two potential matchups against Max Scherzer could end up being World Series classics, but I'm betting on the hottest pitcher on the planet.

Miller: Cole. Recent history is screaming "pick a hitter!" at me -- position players have won it 15 times in 19 years this century -- but it's a lot harder to predict who will be This Year's Steve Pearce (random hitter who gets hot) than who will be This Year's Madison Bumgarner (ace starter who takes over two games entirely and, perhaps, closes out another). So I'll take Cole. Pick any two back-to-back starts he has made since the All-Star break, and they'd almost surely make him the MVP.

Mullen: George Springer. With the starting pitchers going in this World Series, playing with a lead is going to be crucial, and Springer has the power to put Houston in front from the very start batting leadoff.

Rogers: Juan Soto. He is already one of the better hitters in the game as there is simply no arm-side advantage against him. His on-base percentage will hover around .500 for the series and the disciplined 20-year-old will take home the hardware.

Stuart Hogg believes Gregor Townsend should continue as Scotland boss despite failing to lead the side out of the World Cup group phase.

Scotland were beaten by Japan and Ireland as they finished third in their pool - missing out the knockout stages for just the second time.

Hogg has just moved to English Premiership side Exeter, having left Glasgow at the end of last season.

"I think Gregor's the right man," Hogg, 27, told BBC Sport.

"Gregor and the rest of the coaching staff will look at themselves first and foremost and then come back to the players, because it'll hurt them just as much as us because they'll think to themselves did they get everything right before even looking at the players."

'Hard truths'

Hogg and his Scotland teammates were convincingly beaten 27-3 by Ireland in their opening World Cup pool game.

After bonus-point wins over Russia and Samoa they lost a tense final group game 28-21 to the hosts - the first time the Scots had ever been beaten by Japan.

Hogg says the earlier-than-expected journey home led to frank discussions among the squad about what went wrong.

He said: "We come back and we learn and we'll say we'll be better for this experience, yes we will be in some parts, but how long can we keep saying that?

"That's something we've had the hard truth and the hard facts, we said it openly to each other, by the look of it we'll get back on the horse come Six Nations time and make the most of it then."

He added: "We pride ourselves on our defence and our defence wasn't anywhere where it needs to be.

"We coughed up a lot of ball at vital times and didn't make the most of our opportunities and we didn't apply as much pressure to the opposition as we're used to.

"It wasn't to be for us and the most frustrating thing for us is we didn't reach our potential, but you've got to do that in every single game, you can't wait for another challenge a week or two after, you've got to take it there and then, and unfortunately we didn't do that."

Exeter ambitions

Having made the move south, Hogg became one of the biggest summer signings in the Premiership.

Exeter have topped the Premiership table for the past two years and reached three of the last four Premiership finals but have won just one title, while in Europe they have made the knockout stages of the Champions Cup just once.

Hogg's arrival is seen by many as one of the final pieces of a jigsaw being put in place to build a side capable of succeeding on both fronts.

"For me to excel as a rugby player I believe I've picked for the correct place," he said after a training session at Sandy Park which saw him score a blistering try from distance.

"I truly believe we've got the coaching side and the players here who are going to help me along the way.

"Ultimately the club is looking to win trophies and we're excited at the challenges that are in front of us."

And Hogg has already hit the ground running, studying Exeter's set-plays while at the World Cup and moving his family down to the club soon after returning from Japan.

"He's come in with an absolutely fantastic attitude," director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport.

"He's done everything he can professionally to prepare himself and I thought today in particular he looked very sharp, talked very well, introduced himself onto the field very well, had some really good touches and showed some really good pace."

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Are we witnessing a new era of no-holds-barred racing in Formula One?

Charles Leclerc seems to think so and that has convinced Lewis Hamilton that he will be more ruthless out on the track as well.

During the Austrian Grand Prix, round nine of 21, Leclerc and Max Verstappen had a wheel-banging duel as Verstappen forced his way into the lead. Both were summoned to see the stewards after the race, but no further action was taken.

“While exiting the corner, there was contact between the two cars,” the stewards said in a statement. “In the totality of the circumstances, we did not consider that either driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for the incident. We consider that this is a racing incident.”

Verstappen’s opinion: “It’s hard racing, otherwise we have to stay at home. If those things are not allowed in racing, then what’s the point of being in F-1?”

Leclerc says the incident in Austria changed the way he races. He certainly was ruthless in defending the lead from the attacking Hamilton during round 14 in Italy.

They were side by side heading toward the second chicane and Leclerc elbowed Hamilton into the runoff area. Then, at the Curva Grande, Hamilton was on the outside and Leclerc moved to his left. Hamilton was not upset but philosophical.

“I don’t think there is an issue,” Hamilton said. “If that’s how we are allowed to race, then I will race like that. As long as we know that you are allowed to not leave a car width (of space for the car of the other driver) for example, as long as you are not contradicting us and there is a clear message.

“You are allowed to run wide even if someone is there and you only get a warning flag (as happened with Leclerc in Italy), you only need that once to potentially keep the guy behind you. As long as it is clear that that’s the way moving forward, it’s fine, so I know how to go into battle and it’s the same for all the drivers.”

The black-and-white warning flag, also known as the bad sportsmanship flag, has not been used for years in F-1, but the FIA’s race director Michael Masi has reintroduced it this season.

The first time it is shown (it is actually an electronic board) is a warning to the driver. The warning is also conveyed to members of the team who pass it on to the driver. If the driver commits a similar offense, it is reviewed by the stewards who then decide what penalty to give to the driver. While it is Masi’s decision to issue the warning, the stewards can also decide to warn a driver.

The first time it was used this year was when Pierre Gasly was warned about moving in the braking zone during the Belgian Grand Prix. The second time it was used was a week later in Italy for Leclerc. Neither driver repeated the foul, so both drivers escaped any sort of penalty.

There is no carryover, so any offense a driver commits in one race does not “count” at the next event. So there are concerns that drivers will pull off some stunt knowing they will only receive a warning the first time around.

Does Leclerc’s change in his attitude on aggression since Austria concern Masi?

“I don’t think aggression is probably the right word,” Masi said. “That might be his words, but I think is it hard racing? Yes.”

Will the use of the black-and-white flag change the dynamics of Formula One racing?

“It changes the dynamic,” Masi said. “There are various factors of the ‘let them race’ principles. And the ongoing discussions that have been happening throughout the year, they’ve all played a part in that.”

During the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend, the second race of the season, the FIA had a meeting with the team principals, drivers and team sporting directors about the FIA being more lenient in allowing the drivers to race each other more aggressively.

Hamilton did not seek out Leclerc for a talk after the Italian Grand Prix.

“If we get a moment together,” Hamilton said, “we might chat, just reverse roles and make sure that he is cool with that.”

It seems that we are indeed seeing a new era of hard racing in F-1.

The reigning Masters champ is competing this week in the inaugural Zozo Championship. Here's a look at some of the marquee, early-round groupings as Tiger Woods headlines the field for the PGA Tour's first-ever official event in Japan (all times ET):

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Thursday: Jason Day, Patrick Reed, Tony Finau

Day was the top earner Monday at The Challenge: Japan Skins, and he'll hope that some of the short-game prowess he flashed will translate to the tournament itself. He'll play the first two rounds with two Americans who are both vying for captain's picks for the upcoming Presidents Cup, with Reed making his first start since Medinah and Finau coming off a pair of worldwide top-10 finishes in the last month.

7:40 p.m. Wednesday, 8:40 p.m. Thursday: Tiger Woods, Tommy Fleetwood, Satoshi Kodaira

Woods hasn't played an official competitive round since the BMW Championship more than two months ago, but he did kick some rust off Monday during a four-man exhibition. He'll receive plenty of attention in his first start in Japan in more than a decade, where he'll play alongside Fleetwood, who tied for 20th last week in South Korea. Rounding out the trio will be Kodaira, one of nine Japanese players in the field whose lone PGA Tour win came at the 2018 RBC Heritage.

8:30 p.m. Wednesday, 7:20 p.m. Thursday: Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott

As the highest-ranked Japanese player in the world, Matsuyama will surely relish the opportunity to play an official event in front of the home crowd. Spieth got his new season off to a strong start last week with a T-8 finish at the CJ Cup, while Scott got to Japan a little early and finished T-5 at last week's Japan Open instead of playing in Korea.

8:40 p.m. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday: Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele

Thomas will look to keep the hot streak going, with four straight top-10 finishes including a pair of wins highlighted by his two-shot victory Sunday in Korea. He'll be joined by McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field whose last official start came a month ago in Scotland, and Schauffele, who will defend his WGC-HSBC title next week in China and last played at the Porsche European Open where he finished T-46.