Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker had his knee drained and received a Synvisc injection to help with swelling and soreness, coach Brad Stevens said Friday.

Stevens said it is not likely to be a long-term issue.

"He had another scan," Stevens told reporters. "Knee looks good structurally. But he's going to be managing it and dealing with it, as he has all year."

Walker had already been ruled out for Friday night's game against the Timberwolves in Minnesota.

In his first season with the Celtics, Walker is averaging 21.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

In the Celtics' final game before the All-Star break, he played 46 minutes in a double-overtime win over the LA Clippers. He played 29 minutes on Team LeBron in the All-Star Game.

One-third of the NBA season to go, and 10 things to think about:

1. The new NBA All-Star Game

With Sunday's All-Star Game tied at 146, Kyle Lowry ran a pick-and-roll with Giannis Antetokounmpo, drawing a switch of Chris Paul onto the MVP. As Antetokounmpo burrowed into position for an entry pass at the foul line, James Harden shot up from the left corner to rescue Paul from the Antetokounmpo matchup. They executed that switch before Lowry even picked up his dribble.

It was real basketball -- calculated and predatory, the kind real teams play in real games. That it involved the best players made it even more delicious. How do run-of-the-mill actions flow when every player -- even the dudes chilling in the corners -- is freaking awesome? Who handles the ball? Who gets targeted as the weakest defensive link?

Lowry took multiple charges! LeBron James and Antetokounmpo enveloped each other. Team Giannis ran much of its late-game offense through Joel Embiid, and wow was that juicy: When it had to manufacture points against five elite defenders, the team decided -- organically, in the moment -- that a post-up behemoth (and not, you know, Giannis) represented its best hope.

Paul and Lowry -- backups Sunday -- finishing the game said something about what their coaches and peers value amid the highest possible competition: toughness, sacrifice, smarts. You don't have to reserve any brain space worrying about Paul and Lowry making mistakes.

The Elam Ending, and the absence of a ticking clock, created the atmosphere of a race someone had to win.

The quirks added intrigue. Ahead and three points from the target score, Team LeBron scrapped its offense to hunt 3s. Would that backfire? LeBron clanked a triple from two steps inside midcourt. Every living being -- plants, animals, humans -- knew Harden would hurl a step-back on Team LeBron's next possession; Lowry knew, too, and drew a charge.

LeBron finally accepted an uncontested dunk to get to within a point of victory. Was that the right move? It appeared so when Anthony Davis won the game on a free throw.

Elam skeptics worried too many games would end on foul shots. The process leading to Davis' free throw -- the strategic uncertainties, the feeling you were watching something new and maybe awesome -- imbued the free throw with excitement. Imagine if he had missed both?

Some commentators were disappointed the game finished on a non-shooting foul. In some cases that might leave a sour taste, though it's not a big or unsolvable problem. This wasn't such a case. Lowry dragged Davis down as LeBron's entry pass was in midair. Without that foul, Davis catches and scores in one motion. Lowry's hack was about as close to in-the-act as a non-shooting foul can get.

It won't be like this every time. Blowouts are boring no matter how you end the game. The novelty will wear off.

But I thought the Elam Ending was worth trying at lower levels when I first wrote about it three years ago. League officials told me then the idea was too "aggressive" for the G League, and they still don't seem interested in adopting it there beyond maybe someday using it at the G League showcase. Why? What exactly do they have to lose?

League officials argue it is dangerous to differentiate the G League too much from the NBA. That is not persuasive. The NBA has already introduced several key rules-based differences between the leagues. Crunch time under the Elam Ending is still basketball. G Leaguers are not going to forget how a clock works.

Having every quarter Sunday count as a standalone game for charity was a hit, too. If the first two had been close, the last few minutes of each would have been as competitive as the end of the third.

2. All-Star Chris Paul

Paul's perfectionism and obsessive competitiveness can make him a killjoy. I mean, he tattled on Jordan Bell for entering a game with his jersey untucked. A Paul team in the bonus is borderline unwatchable, unless you love rip-through moves.

That ruthlessness augments the Point God character -- the maniacal genius in winter chasing every edge. That image of an aging, implacable Paul outwitting opponents has started to obscure how dynamic Prime CP3 was in the most visceral senses: a blur who could explode to the rim and absolutely humiliate people.

Paul summons that spirit in All-Star games. The league's ultimate curmudgeon becomes a showman again, without dialing back his drive to win. He clowns people with pitter-pat dribble moves. He hunts fancy assists; lob him the ball, and Paul will search in midair (mind you!) for a second lob -- the rare double-lob. (He might also just dunk, as he did in one of Sunday's best moments.)

I love this Paul -- love being reminded of the monster athlete undergirding the classic pick-and-roll maestro.

3. Dennis Smith Jr. is lost

Smith was a worthy reclamation project when New York acquired him as one of the centerpieces -- and that's how they conceived of Smith then -- in The Trade That Shall Not Be Named.

Smith has lost touch with his game in New York. It's as if he contracted whatever Markelle Fultz had, only it spread to Smith's spatial awareness. I cannot recall a nominal point guard bonking transition chances so often, in every possible way: missing teammates running the wing; dribbling ahead of the action; failing to anticipate open trailers; forgetting defenders exist behind and around him.

Someone should have alerted Smith to Troy Brown Jr.'s presence, but Smith's dribble is high and oblivious.

Smith bounds along a path there that doesn't pry open any passing lane. He doesn't appear aware of Kevin Knox II trailing.

Things haven't been any better in the half court, minus the occasional glimpse of lob chemistry with Mitchell Robinson. Smith is shooting 29% on 3s and 36% on 2s, and sports the league's third-highest turnover rate.

Related: Who is New York's starting point guard next season? The Knicks are going nowhere until they have a reasonable answer. And, no, Frank Ntilikina has not looked ready for that role.

4. Landry Shamet, growing a midrange game

Shamet's shot distribution hasn't changed much, but the eye test over the past month reveals a player growing more confident exploring the midrange.

This, from just before the All-Star break, is a handy backend option on one set intended to spring Kawhi Leonard:

Shamet has even run a few smooth pick-and-rolls, and pulled long 2s against drop-back defenses:

Life gets harder in the playoffs for long-range specialists. Defenses dial in on cute off-ball actions that work in the regular season. The long 2 isn't a sexy shot, but it is a playoff shot.

Shamet is shooting 72% in the restricted area, up from 55% last season. The sample sizes are tiny, but Shamet is finishing with more oomph; last month in New Orleans, he drew Jaxson Hayes on a switch, roasted Hayes baseline, and whipped out a nifty up-and-under.

Shamet rounding out his game gives the Clippers more flexibility around the three set-in-stone members of their crunch-time five: Leonard, Paul George, and Montrezl Harrell. (If the Clippers draw the Rockets, I could see LA playing stretches without a center -- matching Houston's super-small alignment. With Marcus Morris Sr. aboard, the Clippers are equipped to beat Houston at its own game.)

Shamet is rangier and more reliable on defense than Lou Williams and the newly acquired Reggie Jackson, and he doesn't need the ball. He's a much more dangerous shooter than Patrick Beverley.

Doc Rivers' crunch-time lineups will feature at most two of those four guards, and often just one. Depending on time, score, and other variables, Shamet might be the right answer here and there. He has won a place in that conversation.

5. Reggie Jackson's defense

One of the big debates within the league is whether the Clippers need a traditional floor general to help their offense coalesce. Jackson in theory replicates Williams' ballhandling while providing more defense than Williams or Shamet -- and perhaps more reliable long-range shooting than Beverley.

The real Jackson -- at least the one who lived through four-plus seasons of Detroit Pistons purgatory -- is a different story. Jackson regressed on defense in Detroit. He had trouble avoiding screens on and off the ball:

Dynamic guards didn't even need a screen to burn him:

Perhaps better health and joining a contender will invigorate Jackson. The Jackson of recent vintage is a slight upgrade on defense over Williams, but not nearly enough to justify stealing real playing time from him -- let alone taking the ball from George or Leonard. Shamet has been better than Jackson on defense, and is in a different universe as a spot-up threat. Jackson is roughly equivalent to Beverley in that regard, but Beverley is obviously the far superior defender.

Jackson is a buzzy name by buyout standards, but barring some unexpected improvement, it's hard to see him playing a real role.

6. Trae Young, begging for fouls

I like Trae Young fine. I put him on my All-Star roster even though he plays zero defense and his team is terrible. The idea that Young passes only to record assists -- not totally off-base, but a bit overblown -- has seeped into NBA discourse to the point that he is on the verge of being criminally underrated as a passer. His shooting bends defenses; the Hawks have been a legitimately good offensive team with Young on the floor -- no easy feat given injuries, inexperience, and John Collins' suspension. Young eviscerated Miami Thursday with a 50-spot.

Just stop dry-heaving in search of 3-shot fouls, please.

You know whom I miss even more in the face of such blasphemy? Klay Thompson. One of the half-dozen greatest shooters ever flat refuses to chase fouls, even when he pump-fakes defenders out of their shoes and his coaches beg him to lean into contact. Thompson is a man of honor. The basketball gods shall reward him upon his return.

7. Crashin' Torrey Craig

Craig does all the dirty work. He can defend four positions, and works like hell on the glass -- on both ends of the floor.

Half-ass it with some flat-footed faux box-out, and Craig will zip around you for offensive rebounds:

He is liable to fly in from beyond the arc if he sees a crease. Craig snags many more offensive rebounds than expected based on his positioning when shots go up, per Second Spectrum data.

Craig has filled in as a starter in 15 of Denver's past 16 games, and the Nuggets are 11-5 in that stretch. He started Denver's final 11 playoff games last season, and his defense on Damian Lillard was a key factor in the Nuggets stretching their second-round series against Portland to seven games.

Craig hit 17-of-36 (47%) from deep in those playoffs, way above his career mark of 32%. Shooting holds Craig back. Opponents ignore him to muck up Denver's spacing; its offense is worse with Craig on the floor.

But the postseason is a small sample size. A few more makes than usual, and Craig becomes a net plus. He looms as a potentially important role player against the biggest and strongest wings in the West: Leonard, George, LeBron, maybe Harden. The Gary Harris-Will Barton duo is undersized against that type. Harris has struggled horribly on offense.

The Nuggets have sometimes used Jerami Grant on Leonard and James, even if it requires playing Grant, Paul Millsap, and Nikola Jokic together. Denver could also try Michael Porter Jr.; he's shooting 43% from deep, and is big enough to jostle with physical wings -- or opposing power forwards if Michael Malone prefers Millsap or Grant guarding LeBron/Kawhi types.

Porter has logged only 556 career minutes. Will Malone trust Porter's defense in the playoffs?

He trusts Craig, perhaps more than he should given Craig's limitations as a shooter. But Craig has earned that trust, and he might get his chance at some key postseason moments.

8. Brooklyn's one-pass possessions

Only three teams -- the Clippers, Rockets, and Blazers -- attempt more shots than Brooklyn after no passes or one pass, and the Nets have the league's worst effective field goal percentage on such shots, per Second Spectrum.

The Rockets and Blazers have a track record of playing this way. The Clippers acquired one of the league's best one-on-one players in Leonard. Brooklyn exchanged one ball-dominant point guard (D'Angelo Russell) for another (Kyrie Irving, now out for the season) and fell from eighth to 26th in passes per game. (The Nets ranked third two seasons ago.)

Passing does not on its own cause good offense; failing to pass does not cause bad offense. But Brooklyn's year-over-year passing stats suggest Kenny Atkinson does not want to play this way. Something isn't clicking. The Nets rank 22nd in points per possession.

The broad numbers suggest you can't blame Irving. Brooklyn scored 112.7 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor, and 104.7 otherwise. Their passing frequency barely ticks up without him. Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert pound the ball, too.

Irving, Dinwiddie, and LeVert will end this season having logged only 67 minutes together over 15 games. Even if you understand all the context, that number is stunning.

They don't seem to amplify one another. It was rare for all three to play well in the same game. Dinwiddie and LeVert are below-average 3-point shooters for their careers; they might not draw enough attention to let Irving do his thing in open space.

I also wonder if the cumulation of possessions like this creates some unquantifiable drag:

That is purposeful by Irving's standards. He loves to dance with the ball. He leads the league in drawing "ooooohs" from the crowd with magical dribble moves, and then missing. We need a name for that. It is a very specific thing that elicits a specific crowd noise: higher-pitched anticipatory "ooooohs," followed by a resigned collective groan.

Maybe it was hard for the other Nets to snap into a rhythm when Irving hit the bench.

Lillard gets zero flak for no-pass possessions. He is regarded as one of the best leaders in sports. He is one of the best leaders in sports. We never hear about locker-room dysfunction in Portland.

Lillard also shoots way more 3s and free throws than Irving. Those marginal advantages add up to a lot over one full game.

The Nets were 8-12 with Irving, and are 17-17 without him, and it will be fascinating to monitor their record the rest of this season. They have (predictably) been stingier on defense without him, though as Kevin Pelton pointed out Thursday, some of that could be the luck of opponents missing open shots with Irving on the bench. Still: The sample size of Irving's teams functioning well in his absence is growing to the point where it cannot be dismissed as empty hot-take ammunition.

Next season, with Kevin Durant back, will be a defining career moment for Irving as he slides into the weird role -- the one he should play, provided he can strike the right balance -- of star point guard who is also the distant No. 2 option.

In the meantime, the Nets face tough questions about which players fit around the Irving/Durant duo.

9. The rest of Brook Lopez's game

One of the subtle things that makes Antetokounmpo such a unique weapon -- and the Bucks a nightmare matchup: It is really hard to go small against Milwaukee. Conceding size against Antetokounmpo is a no-go. More opponents go the other way, and slide centers onto him.

That leaves smaller guys on Lopez, and Mike Budenholzer deserves credit in those circumstances for remembering what once made Lopez an All-Star. He lets the big fella mash. Milwaukee has scored 1.14 points per possession anytime Lopez shoots from the post, or passes to a teammate who fires -- 10th among 111 guys who have recorded at least 25 post-ups, per Second Spectrum.

Budenholzer also allows Lopez to stretch his off-the-bounce game; Lopez is nimbler than you think attacking closeouts and picking out cutters:

He doesn't need to beat wings off the dribble. He just sort of snowplows them until help swarms. That extra attention opens up offensive rebounding chances:

Last season, the Bucks scored 1.23 points per possession on any shot stemming directly from a Lopez drive -- the best mark in the entire stinking league among players who piled up at least 200 drives, per Second Spectrum. He's near the top again.

Lopez has hit just 29.6% from deep, but that hasn't really sapped his overall effectiveness -- a tribute to his two-way skill.

10. Two cool uniforms

Red is usually the side dish in Philly, so it's nice to see it take center stage:

That red is muted and almost soothing against the white and blue. The shadowing of the numbers is subtle, avoiding the cartoonish, blocky look that more garish shadowing can bring. The Wilt-era "PHILA" and cascading stars are always welcome.

The Pelicans always nail their Mardi Gras duds. They have used bolder base colors, but I might prefer this quieter version. The white lets the triple stripe sing. Four gorgeous touches: the indisputably cool "NOLA" wordmark; off-center numbers; the classic fleur-de-lis logo -- pelican head in the middle! -- on the belt buckle; and the faux medallion meant to mimic a Mardi Gras krewe ducal.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Cleveland Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco has been diagnosed with a mild strain of his right hip flexor after feeling discomfort while doing squats in the weight room during spring training.

The team said Friday that Carrasco was considered day-to-day after an MRI revealed the strain.

Manager Terry Francona said Carrasco felt something in his upper leg when squatting on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old pitcher made an inspiring comeback last season after being diagnosed with leukemia. He revealed that in June and returned as a reliever in September after treatment.

Carrasco had said earlier in camp that his health was good and that he was excited about the upcoming season, when he is expected to move back into the rotation.

The Indians, who traded two-time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber this winter, were already down one starter this spring with right-hander Mike Clevinger recovering from knee surgery and out until mid-April.

PHOENIX -- Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Archie Bradley won the final salary arbitration case of the year, leaving teams with a 7-5 advantage over players.

Bradley, a 27-year right-hander, was given a raise from $1.83 million to $4.1 million Friday by arbitrators Andrew Strongin, Steven Wolf and Jules Bloch. The Diamondbacks had argued for $3,625,000.

Bradley was 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 65 relief appearances and one start last year. He struck out 87 and walked 36 in 71⅔ innings.

Teams won six of the first seven decisions, and players won four of the last five. Teams have had a winning record in four of the past five years, the exception a 12-10 margin for players in 2019.

A relatively small percentage of players went to hearings among the 162 who were eligible after teams offered contracts on Dec. 2. Just 20 players exchanged proposed salaries with their clubs on Jan. 10, and nearly half of them wound up with agreements.

Clubs defeated Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, Minnesota Twins pitcher Jose Berrios, Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader, Atlanta Braves reliever Shane Greene and Colorado Rockies catcher Tony Wolters.

Winning players included Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez, Houston Astros infielder Aledmys Diaz, Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Brian Goodwin.

Phillies reliever Hector Neris agreed Thursday night to a one-year, $4.6 million deal, avoiding a hearing. His deal includes a $7 million team option for 2021 with no buyout. Neris can earn an additional $1.2 million this year in performance bonuses for games finished: $50,000 each for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35; $100,000 apiece for 40, 45 and 50; and $200,000 each for 55, 60 and 63.

Neris was Philadelphia's most reliable reliever last year, leading the team with a career-high 28 saves in 34 chances. He had a 2.93 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 67⅔ innings, earning $1.8 million.

He is 67-for-83 in save opportunities in his career.

This has been the busiest spring training in memory -- and it has nothing to do with the action on the field. Baseball has been buzzing with talk of sign stealing and commissioner Rob Manfred's handling of the Houston Astros' transgressions, a proposed change to the playoff format and trade rumors involving some of the game's biggest names.

ESPN baseball reporters Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez made the rounds during media day at the Cactus League in Arizona, asking managers and GMs for their takes on some of the hot-button issues.

How are you addressing sign stealing as spring training opens?

Milwaukee Brewers GM David Stearns: "This is a topic of conversation in every clubhouse, and it's a topic of conversation with every fan base. And through these conversations, I think there's an awareness of it. I don't know that we're necessarily doing anything systematically different than we have in the past, but there's certainly an awareness of it."

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: "We've been working on getting a handle on multiple sign systems, and probably getting some type of card that [the pitcher] and the catcher have to be able to kind of choose which system they use, and can be able to change it at any point in time, whether it be within an at-bat or change of an inning, whenever they want."

Oakland Athletics GM David Forst: "I don't know that we're doing anything differently. We've had these concerns for the last couple seasons, not only going into Houston but other places. I think Bob [Melvin] and the catchers, the pitching staff, I think they've had an ongoing conversation about how to change this up or how to do it. I don't think this is something new that has to be addressed for the first time."

Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto: "It's not like sign stealing is new to baseball. This is a much different thing, but we have adopted multiple sets of signs, we changed them very frequently, and made sure that we never got too stale. I remember coming up as a player, you had one set of signs on Opening Day and you didn't change the signs again until the All-Star break, and through the year you'd go through two sets of signs. We're doing four and five a game, just to make sure that there's a constant flow."

Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward: "Making sure our guys abide by the rules. We're very aware of what happened with the Astros. Obviously that was probably the height of how bad you could do it. But teams are always going to try to get away with as much as they can. So we tell our guys, 'Let's not even border on getting close to the [line].' Teams are going to get as close to the line as they can. We do that in other ways as far as just preparing, trying to do the best we can with the numbers and do everything we can with our players and our staff to give ourselves the best advantage. But in that way, a line's been drawn."

San Diego Padres manager Jayce Tingler: "You don't want to get too far out in front until we know exactly what the rules are, as far as video and things like that. I feel it's our responsibility to be versatile and be able to protect our signs, and besides that, we're just waiting to hear the rules."

Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer: "You have a responsibility to protect yourself from legal sign stealing. That's on us. You can't blame that on anyone else. We have to be vigilant. It's important to classify those things differently. The real-time, trash-banging stuff, you can't have that, but if it's based on the night before or the last start or whatever, that's legal and we have to come up with ways to prevent that."

What is your preferred playoff format?

Major League Baseball is considering a new playoff format that would add two more wild-card teams in each league, with the top team in each league getting a bye and the other six teams playing best-of-three series.

Forst: "My preference is to go back in time and get rid of the one-game wild card the last two seasons. ... We [the A's] obviously are victims of that game three times now. I'm open to any proposal that changes that format."

Dipoto: "I think more teams in the playoffs is a good thing. I vote yes. That's fun. It's fun to imagine more teams competing. I go back to 1994, as an active player -- when they went to the new three-division leagues and added a wild card, who had ever heard of such a thing? It was, like, blasphemy. And it made the postseason so much more exciting. I don't see why the next layer isn't going to do the very same thing."

Tingler: "I just want to see the Padres in it."

Woodward: "I'm all for more teams, not because our team right now doesn't grade out as a top-three team. Regardless of whether I had the best team in baseball or the worst team in baseball, it's healthy for the game. We do it in other sports."

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell: "It's something I thought about for sure. One idea I've had for years is making the first round longer, a best-of-seven. I like the wild card. It's been good, but if there is a way to improve it, I'm all for it. More playoffs is a good thing."

Stearns: "There's a benefit from a competitive balance standpoint to having more teams in the race. That's clear. It's potentially going to lead to strong engagement, it can help out in some other areas as well. I certainly understand the purist argument that increasing the number of teams potentially dilutes the regular season. I'm still digesting it. ... I'm interested to hear the debate on this. I'm glad we're thinking about these things. As an industry, we haven't been great at implementing change."

Roberts: "I think an ideal playoff format, for me, is three seven-game series. I think that the wild-card system, as is, is great. But that first division series should be seven games. I just think that over the course of a seven-game series, it shows the better team. I just think it's harder to steal a series."

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Kansas City Royals GM Dayton Moore: "I view it real simple. This is my 27th year in pro baseball. I grew up in the game very traditional. Whatever the commissioner says, we do. Whatever the rules are, we do. I wasn't for instant replay. I wasn't for interleague play, but I don't get caught up with it. If the commish says this is best for baseball, then we're going to work like heck to make sure it is the best for baseball."

Hoyer: "I would lean toward maintaining the importance of the regular season. That's what makes baseball special. It matters. The marathon is really important. The more playoff teams we have, the more we sort of get away from that a little bit. If we go that route, I would hope they would do something to preserve that, whether it's making a big deal out of the team that finishes with the best record or whatever it might be. The marathon is why we do this. It's why we look at the standings every day. We don't look at the standings every day in other sports in the same way."

What's the most exciting thing at your spring training camp?

Cleveland Indians GM Chris Antonetti: "Francisco Lindor's hair. The blue/silver combination is something you won't see in any other camp."

Forst: "We don't often get to return the majority of our club. I'm excited that we have a group that knows each other, that has played together, and that can actually build on the previous season, and that we didn't have to do quite as much turnover this offseason."

Dipoto: "Watching the young players grow. We have so much young talent. If I were to flash back two years, it's night and day -- what's happening in our organization, the quality of the prospect system, the quality of the young guys that are at the big league level. I think we're going to wind up as the youngest team in the American League, and what's exciting to me is watching them get better every single day."

Woodward: "The belief. Our group has a lot of optimism. There's a lot of belief in our clubhouse that we're gonna be good. And they expect to be."

Stearns: "I'm excited about our depth as a team. We took an approach to this offseason where we believe we created a really talented roster from 1 to 30 that we think can help us throughout the entirety of the season. I think it's about as deep a team as we've had since I have been here, so I'm excited about seeing that depth come together and seeing some of our different puzzle pieces fit together."

Moore: "We have great energy and a hunger with our players that, truthfully, I haven't seen over the last couple of years. Mike Matheny is a tremendous man and great leader. We had an interesting offseason. We've had an ownership change and a managerial change. The neat thing about our ownership group is they live in K.C. or have strong ties to K.C. That gives us a competitive advantage going forward. They don't view this as an investment. They view this as a mission."

Chicago White Sox GM Rick Hahn: "We're on the precipice of an extended run of success. This rebuild was never aimed at jumping up and winning for just one year. It was aimed at putting us in a position to contend for multiple years. From our standpoint, we view this as just a start."

Bell: "What's exciting in camp is the culmination of a lot of different work over the last couple of years putting this foundation together. It's the excitement of having a player from Japan [Shogo Akiyama] and the media that comes with that. It's added an element. And veterans like [Mike] Moustakas and Wade Miley and Nick Castellanos."

Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon: "We have several great athletes, I'm finding out very quickly. There's more there than I knew. Billy Eppler has done a wonderful job in the draft. We have athletes. It's very interesting."

Roberts: "The one thing I'm most excited about in our camp is to watch Mookie Betts every day."

A guide to this weekend’s action in Glasgow, including ones to watch, a timetable and TV info

A week after hosting the Müller Indoor Grand Prix, Glasgow’s Emirates Arena stages the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships for the first time (February 22-23).

There might now be no major championships to qualify for after the postponement until next year of the World Indoors in China due to the coronavirus outbreak but there are still prestigious national titles at stake and world ranking points up for grabs.

Our three-page preview to the action can be found in the latest edition of AW magazine, which is available digitally here or to order in print here, with that issue also including a look ahead to English, Scottish and Welsh cross-country championships and more.

Here we highlight some of the stars set to compete in Glasgow and how you can follow the action.

Timetable and preview

Saturday February 22

12:20 W 60m heats
Cheyanne Evans-Gray, who won the BUCS title last weekend in 7.28 from Alisha Rees, plus Amy Hunt, who impressed in the Müller Grand Prix, lead the 60m entries.

12:30 M long jump final
This winter’s UK No.1 is Reynold Banigo with 7.85m.

12:55 M 60m heats
The entries are led by Andrew Robertson, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Oliver Bromby and veteran and former multiple winner Dwain Chambers.

13:50 M 400m heats
James Williams, with his 47.26 PB, is fastest on paper going into the 400m.

14:15 W pole vault final
British record-holder Holly Bradshaw is not competing and Sophie Cook, who has jumped 4.46m this winter, should be way out on her own.

14:20 M 60m hurdles heats
David King faces the likes of Ethan Akanni and Cameron Fillery.

14:45 W 60m hurdles heats
Yasmin Miller, Heather Paton, Marilyn Nwawulor-Kazemaks and up-and-coming Marcia Sey will start as favourites.

15:15 W 60m semi-finals

15:30 M 60m semi-finals

15:50 W long jump final
Abigail Irozuru and Jazmin Sawyers were closely matched in Glasgow last week and should again be competitive.

15:55 M 800m heats
Guy Learmonth will hope for another good run on home soil and he faces fellow Scot Josh Kerr, Alex Botterill, Piers Copeland and Andrew Osagie in one of the most intriguing events of the weekend.

READ MORE: Guy Learmonth ready to put on a show in Glasgow

16:25 W 800m heats
The entries are led by Adelle Tracey, who has clocked 2:00.23 this winter, and the new European under-20 record-holder Keely Hodgkinson, who won in Vienna in an impressive 2:01.16.

READ MORE: Keely Hodgkinson hopes to build on ‘Super Saturday’

16:45 M 60m hurdles final

16:57 W 60m hurdles final

17:09 W 60m final

17:20 M 60m final

17:30 M 1500m heats
Tom Keen, James McMurray and George Mills are among those likely to be battling it out for medals.

READ MORE: Tom Keen takes Birmingham move in his stride

17:50 M 3000m final
Jonny Davies, Jamaine Coleman and Phil Sesemann look set to be among the main contenders.

18:05 W 400m heats
After her fantastic breakthrough 51.57 win in Glasgow, hurdler Jessie Knight should be all out on her own in this event.

18:16 M shot put final
Scott Lincoln will be one of the biggest favourites of the weekend as he goes for gold.

18:25 M 400m semi-finals

18:40 W 1500m heats
The new British indoor record-holder Jemma Reekie has decided to give the event a miss so the fastest on paper going into the championships is Kirsty Fraser thanks to her 4:20.81 at the start of the year.

Sunday February 23

12:00 W shot put final
Sophie McKinna (17.56m this season) and Amelia Strickler (17.51m) look evenly matched on 2020 form.

12:20 W triple jump final
Naomi Ogbeta is the stand-out talent.

12:45 W 200m heats
Based on the 2019 rankings, Ami Pipi, who has run 23.33 this season, should have it all her own way in the women’s one-lap race.

13:10 W high jump final
On past form Olympic finalist Morgan Lake would be favourite – and she will be going for her fifth straight title – but both Nikki Manson and Beth Partridge have jumped higher this winter.

13:20 M 200m heats
All eyes will be on Andrew Morgan-Harrison after his fast 20.66 win at the BUCS Championships last weekend.

13:52 M pole vault final
Charlie Myers takes on Adam Hague.

13:55 M 5000m walk final
Tom Bosworth heads the entries.

13:55 W 5000m walk final
Beth Davies looks to be the favourite.

14:30 W 200m semi-finals

14:40 M triple jump final
Nathan Douglas is no longer competing but Julian Reid, Nathan Fox and Jonathan Llori are all set to be in action.

14:45 M 200m semi-finals

15:00 M 400m final

15:05 M high jump final
Tom Gale is a strong favourite given his great form this winter with a 2.33m mark achieved in the Czech Republic.

15:10 W 400m final

15:20 W 3000m final
Top-ranked Rosie Clarke and European bronze medallist Melissa Courtney-Bryant have accepted their entries and look well-matched on their 8:49 bests.

15:37 M 800m final

15:47 W 1500m final

15:58 W 200m final

16:07 M 200m final

16:16 W 800m final

16:25 M 1500m final

TV guide

The weekend’s action is set to be streamed live via britishathletics.org.uk and the BBC Sport website with commentary provided by Kris Temple and world 800m medallist Jenny Meadows.

Keep an eye on our social media channels and website for updates and see next week’s magazine for in-depth coverage.

The historic Saucony English National Cross Country Championships heads back to Wollaton Park this weekend

After debuting at Harewood House near Leeds last year, the Saucony-sponsored English National Cross Country Championships, which for many is the highlight of the domestic calendar, returns to more familiar territory at Wollaton Park in Nottingham on Saturday (February 22).

A total of 7683 entries have been received for the 10 races and while way down on the record 9500 at Parliament Hill two years ago, this is on a par with recent championships held in the Midlands.

Here we highlight some of the athletes set to compete. For our full preview, see the latest edition of AW magazine, which is available digitally here or to order in print here.

Senior men’s 12km and women’s 8km

The top three men from last year are expected to return. At Harewood, Mahamed Mahamed beat Emile Cairess by a second, with Carl Avery in third.

Mahamed recently won the BUCS title and will start as favourite.

Midlands winner Omer Ahmed, South of England winner Adam Hickey and the 2009 and 2010 junior winner Nick Goolab, now British 5km record-holder, are also among the contenders.

In the women’s race the reigning champion Emily Hosker-Thornhill is not racing but BUCS winner Anna Emilie Møller leads a strong line-up.

The 2018 winner Jess Judd, who was third last year, is also entered and clearly in good form judging by her Northern win, as is Midlands champion Gemma Steel.

The 2019 Midlands champion Kate Holt and South of England champion Jess Gibbon will also be looking to make their mark.

Junior men’s 10km and women’s 6km

Matt Willis and Zak Mahamed,who were ninth and 12th in the Europeans, should be in the medal battle in the men’s under-20 race, while the 2019 under-17 champion Sam Charlton moves up to the junior ranks.

Though she dropped out of the BUCS Championships in Edinburgh, the 2019 winner and this year’s Southern champion Amelia Quirk will be the obvious favourite if she runs in the women’s event.

Izzy Fry, a superb sixth in the European Championships, is bound to be a challenger, as is last year’s under-17 winner Olivia Mason.

Under-17/15/13 races

The under-17 men’s 6km sees South of England winner Matt Taylor and the runner-up from Parliament Hill, Will Barnicoat, among the favourites.

In the under-17 women’s 5km it could be between Northern champion Lara Crawford, Midlands winner Georgina Campbell and Parliament Hill runner-up Kirsten Stilwell.

English Schools and South of England champion Lewis Sullivan has been unbeatable this winter and starts favourite in the under-15 boys 4km after additional wins at Cardiff and Liverpool.

The under-15 girls 4km features 2019 runner-up Kiya Dee who has gained wins this winter at Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Liverpool and Stirling and will be keen to go one better than last year.

Both under-13 races are over 3km, with Alden Collier and Francesca Baxter among the leading names.

Timetable

11:00am: under-17 women’s 5km
11:25am: under-15 boys 4km
11:45am: under-13 girls 3km
12:05pm: under-17 men’s 6km
12:30pm: under-13 boys 3km
12:45pm: under-15 girls 4km
1:05pm: junior women’s 6km
1:35pm: senior women’s 8km
2:20pm: junior men’s 10km
3:00pm: senior men’s 12km

Callendar Park will welcome thousands of runners, with Central AC going for 10 senior men’s titles in a row

This year’s edition of the Lindsays Scottish National Cross Country Championships looks set to be the largest in more than 25 years, with 2460 names entered ahead of Saturday’s event.

It’s the biggest number of entries since men’s and women’s national cross country championships were combined into one event in 1994.

Falkirk’s Callendar Park will provide the familiar backdrop once again, for the 15th year, though the recent bad weather means the course may be less familiar.

When it comes to the senior men’s contest, Stirling-based club Central AC will be going for their 10th consecutive team title and will include Jamie Crowe among their number.

Inverclyde’s Andy Douglas and Shettleston Harrier Lachlan Oates could also contend for the individual title won by Adam Craig last year.

Looking at the women’s race, the 2018 champion Mhairi Maclennan has been struggling with illness but the likes of Fife’s Steph Pennycook – runner-up to Maclennan two years ago – and last year’s second placer Moira Stewart, of Cambuslang, look set to feature prominently.

Steph Twell was the women’s champion in 2019 but, with marathon matters much more at the front of her mind in Olympic year, will not feature this time around.

“Once again we are really looking forward to the Lindsays National XC at Falkirk this weekend as one of the great days in the year for athletics in Scotland,” said Scottish Athletics chief executive Mark Munro.

“The weather recently has given us a number of real challenges in the organisation of the event but hopefully things go off to plan and we have some great cross country action.”

World Rugby is preparing for a "comprehensive review" of the sport's policies on transgender players.

The governing body will hold a forum next week to consult "expert voices" and is seeking elite players' views.

As a reason for the review, World Rugby cites research suggesting that reducing testosterone does not lower strength and power proportionately.

"World Rugby's vision is 'a sport for all, true to its values'," said World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont.

"There is growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society and all sports are currently evaluating their policies to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose in the modern sporting and societal landscape.

"Rugby is no different and this forum makes it possible to explore the best available evidence and hear the relevant expert opinions."

World Rugby follows the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) policy. Guidelines issued by the IOC in November 2015 stated that transgender women must suppress testosterone levels for at least 12 months before competition. Testosterone is a hormone that increases muscle mass.

Athletes transitioning from female to male are allowed to participate without restrictions, but the IOC is currently developing new guidelines.

"It is important for contact sports, such as rugby, to find an appropriate position for player welfare and risk," a World Rugby statement said.