Kenya 159 for 3 (Karim 71*, Gandhi 50, Mahmood 2-30) beat Singapore 157 for 9 (Chandramohan 40, David 29, Otieno 3-29, Oluoch 3-22, Ngoche 2-32) by 7 wickets

Irfan Karim and 19-year-old debutant Aman Gandhi propelled Kenya's chase with a 110-run opening stand at ICC Academy Oval 2, setting the platform for a seven-wicket win over Singapore to keep Group A wide open.

Karim was named Man of the Match for his chanceless unbeaten 71, but Lucas Oluoch was an unsung hero on the day, giving Kenya a huge momentum lift into the break with a triple-wicket maiden in the final over of Singapore's innings. All of Singapore's No. 2-6 batsmen crossed 20 in a fine composite innings from the squad. Tim David provided the early momentum with a series of sweeps for boundaries in his 29 off 19 balls before he was second man out to make it 36 for 2.

Surendran Chandramohan carted Nelson Odhiambo for a six and two fours as part of a 20-run 11th over to put Singapore in the ascendancy at 84 for 2 before he fell to Shem Ngoche, driving to long-off for a top-score of 40 off 30 balls in the innings. Manpreet Singh replaced him at No. 5 and provided an excellent knock scoring off his first 16 deliveries, pinching a series of well run twos through midwicket along the way to keep the pressure on Kenya in the field as Singapore entered the final over on 156 for 6 and Manpreet on 24.

But the wheels came off against Oluoch at the death. Sidhant Singh was bounced out edging a pull through to the keeper off the first ball. After a bye was stolen next ball to get Manpreet back on strike, he failed to get bat on ball on the third delivery before hooking to deep square leg on the fourth. Captain Amjad Mahboob missed a wild slog on the fifth ball before he was bowled missing another heave off the last ball to give Oluoch his third, ending one of the overs of the tournament.

Karim and Gandhi started off the chase in brisk fashion. The pair swept Vinoth Baskaran's left-arm spin for a boundary each in the fourth over before Gandhi flicked Sidhant's medium pace for six over midwicket in the sixth to end the Powerplay at 50 for 0. Karim scored at least one boundary in seven of the first 10 overs, taking command after the Powerplay as he brought up his 50 off 32 balls in the 12th over.

MCCU-Cardiff student Gandhi took a bit longer, reaching his half-century off 45 balls to end the 14th over. It was the last run in their partnership as Gandhi began the 15th over slogging a catch to long-on off Mahboob. As Karim began to tire in the stifling heat, his new partners took care of the lusty hitting to get Kenya across the line. Dhiren Gondaria slammed a straight six off Tim David as part of a 15-run 16th over before he was run out in the 17th by a direct hit from midwicket by Rezza Gaznavi.

Singapore's last hope of a turnaround disappeared when Aahan Achar spilled Collins Obuya over the rope at deep third man for six on Obuya's first ball. Another six was straight driven off Mahboob in the 18th over before he fell at cow corner with the target in single digits. Rakep Patel ended the match on the fifth ball of the 19th over, scooping Janak Prakash over fine leg. The result moves Kenya level on points with Singapore but ahead of them in fourth place on the net run rate tiebreaker, with two matches left to go in Group A.

Cricket South Africa is facing a third legal battle after the South African Cricketers Association (SACA) launched a formal dispute over unpaid fees relating to last year's Mzansi Super League (MSL). This comes after SACA already has another case against CSA over the restructuring of the domestic setup and the Western Province Cricket Association has taken CSA to court for putting it under administration amid concerns over its financial affairs.

The latest saga is over CSA's alleged failure to pay an agreed amount for use of the players' commercial rights. In a statement, SACA explained that the agreement was made between CSA and the Players Trust and granted CSA rights to the players images to be used for the tournament. In return CSA were obliged to pay money to the Trust so that the players could be paid.

"Unfortunately CSA has persistently refused to pay an agreed amount relating to the use of the players commercial rights and consequently the players have yet to be paid for these. This has occurred despite CSA having benefited from the use of the rights in last year's MSL," SACA CEO Tony Irish said.

"We have been trying to resolve this with CSA for many months but have now reached the point where formal steps have to be taken as players remain out of pocket."

The second edition of the MSL starts next month.

SACA also confirmed there have been delays with the progression of its other matter against CSA, regarding the restructure. According to SACA, CSA have not struck to the timelines to enable the matter to be finalised swiftly.

"In normal circumstances one would have expected the court application to be heard in or around October this year," Irish said. "However, failures on the part of CSA to comply with the time periods provided for in the rules of court have led to unnecessary delays. CSA also failed to respond for a long period to attempts to establish a process aimed at resolving the issues around the domestic restructure. All of this has obviously been very frustrating for SACA and it creates uncertainty for the players."

SACA are opposing CSA's plans to dismantle the current six team franchise structure and instead have a 12-team provincial structure which will effectively mean there is only one tier of domestic cricket. At the moment, there are two, with the players in provincial structure considered semi-professional and therefore paid less. In merging the two tiers, CSA hopes to have a uniform structure but SACA believes up to 70 players could then lose their jobs.

"SACA remains committed to the court application as this is necessary to deal with CSA's decision to unilaterally impose a new domestic structure on the players without consultation and in clear breach of signed agreements between SACA and CSA. This imposed structure, if allowed, would lead to a very significant number of provincial players losing their careers as professional cricketers and it would also give rise to the likelihood of substantial cuts in the earnings and benefits of franchises players. In addition we believe that it will weaken the standard of our top flight domestic cricket across playing formats, at a time when we can ill afford to do this."

SACA also continue to state communication with CSA remains rocky despite CSA's assertions to the contrary. "None of our concerns on this front have been dealt with," Irish said. "Instead we are now excluded from attending CSA's finance and commercial committee meetings.

"I wish to emphasise that despite all of this SACA remains willing to sit down with CSA in a genuine and good faith attempt to resolve these issues. We wish to play a responsible role in dealing with the financial picture and we know that many of the issues require mutually agreed solutions. This has to happen however in the context of good faith engagement between us, as the representative of the players, and CSA."

Karnataka 223 for 1 (Padikkal 92, Rahul 88*) beat Chhattisgarh (Amandeep Khare 78, Koushik 4-46) by nine wickets

Are you an engineer stuck behind a desk nursing a passion for cricket? Are you someone who grew up playing tennis-ball cricket in streets, maidans, rooftops with the dream of representing India one day? Are you someone who still manages to find time from the busy life whenever there is an opportunity to play the sport? If the answer to any of these is a yes, you will relate to the story of Karnataka's V Koushik.

Once a mechanical engineer who later worked for Amazon, Koushik grew up playing cricket on the grounds of Bangalore. Until the age of 17, he was an offspinner but bowled medium pace in tennis-ball matches. Around 2009, towards the end of his school life, he got hammered in a game that forced him to switch to medium pace even with the hard ball.

Fast forward to 2019, he is opening the bowling for his state in the semi-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Playing in his just fifth List A game, he ends up with 4 for 46 to orchestrate a nine-wicket win to take Karnataka into the final.

Tall, lanky, bowling right-arm over, Koushik is just floating the ball on a length around fifth stump. He looks totally harmless, hovering around the 127kph mark with hardly any followthrough. As a batsman, you can be fooled into thinking you can face him the whole day without any trouble. But when the Chhattisgarh batsmen tried to take advantage, those innocuous-looking deliveries stung. And there was enough venom in them to leave the opposition reeling at 35 for 3 at the end of 11 overs. Despite Amandeep Khare's laboured 78, Chhattisgarh could never recover and were dismissed for 223, with Koushik taking the final wicket.

The target was hardly a challenging one for Karnataka's mighty batting line-up, which was further boosted by the inclusion of Mayank Agarwal. Whatever little hope Chhattisgarh had was further shattered by a 155-run opening standing between Devdutt Padikkal and KL Rahul. Padikkal posted his fifth successive fifty-plus score, and en route to his 98-ball 92 also became the leading run-scorer of the tournament, going past Yashasvi Jaiswal and is now just two short of 600 mark.

Rahul though took his time and even had a life on 25 when Khare put him down at point off Shashank Singh. But once settled, he showed his class and finished unbeaten on 88. Agarwal, coming in at No. 3, took full advantage of the dispirited Chhattisgarh attack, hitting three fours and four sixes in his 47 off 33 balls, and along with Rahul finished the game with ten overs to spare.

But make no mistake, the victory was set up by Koushik. Pitching around the fifth-stump line and moving the ball both ways, he accounted for Chhattisgarh's top three. In his first over, he found the outside edge of Shashank Singh with an outswinger. Jiwanjot Singh tried to drive one on the up and was pouched at second slip. Ashutosh Singh nicked off to one that left the batsman after pitching. At the end of his first spell, Koushik had figures of 7-0-18-3.

The overcast conditions in Bengaluru certainly helped in making a simple medium pace bowler seem unplayable but Koushik's discipline should not be understated. "I basically stick to my strength," he said after the game, "which is to stick to that line and move the ball in and out from there. I think even the best batsmen will struggle if I bowl that way.

"Usually my stock ball is the one that goes away. The one that comes in off the wicket, that's not on purpose."

Talking about his journey, Koushik said: "I used to play cricket just for passion, I didn't know about the league structure or club structure until I was 17. At 17, I started playing league cricket. Later when I joined engineering, I used to miss out on many games due to exams. And because of that, my returns were not good enough to get me selected for zonals.

"After I finished engineering, I took a break of eight months and that's when I played for U-23 Karnataka. I did well that year and from there it picked up.

"Later I joined Amazon, I worked for one-and-a-half year as a content developer. During that time, I used to play all kind of matches, league matches, corporate matches, whichever matches I could get, I used to play."

In 2010, he was picked by Shamanoor Davangere Diamonds for the Karnataka Premier League but it wasn't until last season that he got a chance to represent Karnataka. Playing in the 2018-19 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he starred with 17 wickets in ten games at an economy of 6.36 in Karnataka's title run. And at the start of this month, he made his List A debut during the league game against Chhattisgarh.

On Friday, Koushik will be playing another domestic final. Will this too end in a victory for his side, we will get to know soon.

Canada 156 for 5 (Dhaliwal 69, Nitish 53, Rankin 2-32) beat Ireland 146 for 7 (Thompson 28*, Zafar 2-31, Eranga 2-32) by ten runs

Nitish Kumar produced a third straight Man-of-the-Match performance and Canada continued their unbeaten run, beating Ireland by ten runs to go top of the table with six points.

Nitish, who hadn't made a single T20I fifty before the start of the tournament, made his third in a row, the latest a 35-ball 53 at No. 3 that came in a 111-run stand with opener and captain Navneet Dhaliwal, who made 69 off 51. Although Canada's innings dipped after that stand - from 124 for 1 in 15 overs they only managed 156 for 5 - the runs were enough against Ireland who batted their full 20 overs and lost seven wickets.

This was largely down to the fact that Ireland had been reduced to 54 for 4 at the start of the eighth over. Having lost Kevin O'Brien in the first over, they had recovered to be 44 for 1 in the fifth over. But No. 3 Gareth Delany's run out by Nitish was followed next ball by Andy Balbirnie's wicket to left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar, who hit the middle stump. A drop in run rate ensued and just under three overs later, Zafar had Paul Stirling caught behind attempting to cut. At 54 for 4, Ireland captain Gary Wilson had to steady the innings with 19-year-old Harry Tector. But by the 13th over, Ireland fell to 85 for 6. Offspinner Nikhil Dutta's three overs for 12 didn't help Ireland's cause.

The eight-wicket pair of Stuart Thompson and George Dockrell had to make 51 off the last 25 balls. It proved to be 11 runs too many.

Western Australia 9 for 281 (Bancroft 76, Stoinis 45, Matthew Short 2-32) beat Victoria 8 for 165 (Handscomb 73*, Kelly 3-8, Stoinis 3-20) by nine runs (DLS method)

Western Australia consolidated their position at the top of the table in the Marsh Cup with a 9-run win (DLS method) in a rain-truncated contest in Perth. The match was initially reduced to 42 overs and later the minimum required 20, with Victoria falling short despite captain Peter Handscomb's unbeaten 73 off 54 balls. Marcus Stoinis starred with both bat and ball to secure the result in Western Australia's favour.

Having opted to bat, Western Australia were in early trouble after the loss of openers Josh Philippe and D'Arcy Short with just 27 on the board, Will Sutherland accounting for both. But the middle order fired for the home team, the likes of Shaun Marsh (30 off 39), Stoinis (45 off 44) and captain Ashton Turner (39 off 27) playing an able support cast to top scorer Cameron Bancroft (76 off 70).

A flurry of wickets towards the end, in particular the one of the aggressive Turner, meant that Western Australia couldn't take full toll of the final few overs, but the revised target of 175 in 20 overs was still a stiff one after the hosts finished their 42 overs at 9 for 281.

Seamer Mathew Kelly made it even harder as he ripped through Victoria's top order, picking up 3 for 7 in his two-over opening burst to reduce the visitors to 3 for 29, and when Jhye Richardson cleaned up Glenn Maxwell for 2 two overs later, a Western Australia win seemed like a foregone conclusion.

But first in the company of Nic Maddinson, who struck a 9-ball 28 and later with support from Matthew Short (15 off 12), Handscomb kept his team in the hunt. At one point, the equation had come down to 67 off 48, before Stoinis trapped Short lbw, and struck twice more in quick succession to leave Victoria eight down. While 50 needed from the last five still wasn't impossible, Stoinis bowled excellent 17th and 19th overs to leave Andrew Tye 17 to defend in the final over, which went for just eight despite a no-ball.

Jim Harbaugh is refuting reports of interest in NFL jobs by sending a letter to parents of current players and commitments that addresses recent rumors of an exit strategy from Michigan.

The letter was first reported by The Michigan Insider and was confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

Harbaugh writes in the letter that recent reports of him pursuing an exit strategy are "total crap," and that it is "an annual strategy driven by Michigan's enemies to cause disruption to our program and to negatively recruit."

Harbaugh goes on to write that he doesn't have an agent or a representative. Reports said his representatives were gauging interest from NFL teams for any head-coaching opportunities.

A source close to Michigan said Harbaugh was angry about the reports and that they were "fabricated to hurt in recruiting."

It's not the first time Harbaugh has reportedly been linked to NFL jobs, and it's not the first time he has shot down such reports. As early as December 2016, Harbaugh has denied rumors about his interest in returning to the NFL.

In 2018, he spoke to ESPN's Adam Schefter about them resurfacing and the intent to harm his program.

"This is a choreographed message that comes up at this time every year before signing day," Harbaugh told Schefter then. "It's people spreading messages to further their own personal agenda. But I'm on record right here, right now: I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying at Michigan. We have big plans here, and there's a lot we want to accomplish."

Michigan is 5-2 this season and still has Notre Dame, Michigan State and Ohio State on the schedule. The Wolverines are recruiting well, holding on to the No. 8-ranked class in 2020 with eight ESPN 300 commitments.

The rumors have not had a major impact on recruiting in the past. A source close to one of Michigan's ESPN 300 commitments told ESPN that the reports aren't a concern for the recruit and he understands, even if Harbaugh were to eventually leave, that coaching changes happen.

Wake up to the best sports story you'll hear all day. Monday through Friday, host Mina Kimes brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet, from the breaking news of SportsCenter to the deep dive storytelling of 30 for 30. Get the very best of ESPN -- daily.

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Oct. 23: From Three? Ben Simmons' Woes from Behind the Arc

76ers star Ben Simmons' lack of a 3 point shot has other teams around the league daring him to shoot. But if he turns his struggle into success - what will it mean for Philadelphia's season going forward? Mina Kimes and Tim Bontemps tap into what it will take for Simmons to tackle his white whale.

Oct. 22: King James vs. Kawhi: How LA's New Neighbors Ignited the NBA's Hottest Rivalry

As the NBA tips off tonight, all eyes turn to the Staples Center in LA. Lakers versus Clippers. LeBron versus Kawhi. Two superstars that could've ended up on the same team, now battling each other for league dominance. Basketball insider Ramona Shelburne breaks down this new rivalry and its implications for LA's sports scene - and basketball at large.

Oct. 21: Season Saved: Can the Cowboys keep Jerry Jones' dream alive?

It was do-or-die for Dallas last night, and the Cowboys decided to do. Big time. But a win over Philadelphia might not be the turning point everyone assumes it is. Have the Cowboys really saved their season -- and Jason Garrett's head-coaching job -- in the process? Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Don Van Natta explains, reminding us that Dallas' owner and GM is Jerry Jones.

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Host Mina Kimes introduces ESPN Daily. Sports never sounded so good.

PHILADELPHIA -- Few things in the NBA have been talked about more, and happen less, than Ben Simmons jump shots.

Don't expect that to change just yet.

"It's not that I don't need to do it," Simmons said this preseason when asked about his lack of shooting. "I'm confident in saying I'm not a great shooter. I'm getting better, though."

Simmons spent the summer in the gym -- working out twice a day, six days a week -- to improve his jump shot. But until it's ready for NBA games, he'll continue relying on everything else that made him a first-time All-Star last season at 22 years old.

"I lack something that I'm not as great at, but in other areas I'm very great," Simmons said. "I run the floor as well as anybody. I'm physical. I can rebound at 6-foot-10. I'm a point guard that can guard 1 through 5. That's just one thing that's coming into my game, which I'm excited about."

While the Philadelphia 76ers are excited about what Simmons already is, the topic of what he isn't won't go away. It's why Simmons' merely attempting a 3-pointer last season became big news. It's why video of Simmons taking 3-pointers in pickup games this summer was endlessly dissected. And when Simmons made a 3-pointer in a preseason game this month, pandemonium ensued.

But for now, that's just a tease, a trending topic for others outside the organization to latch on to. Inside it, team officials have made clear the constant chatter about Simmons' shooting -- or lack thereof -- hasn't shaken their faith in Simmons and his future. Philadelphia bestowed him with a five-year, $170 million maximum contract extension this summer, officially making Simmons and Joel Embiid the franchise pillars.

And as the Sixers begin their season Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, both Simmons and the Sixers are betting that, outside shot or not, he is good enough to lead Philadelphia to the NBA Finals for the first time in nearly two decades.

In today's NBA, where perimeter stars dominate and 3-pointers are primary offensive weapons, the Sixers offer something different.

"I just think that with our roster, we have no choice but to play that big style," Sixers center Kyle O'Quinn said.

This summer, the 76ers sent Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade for Josh Richardson, saw JJ Redick go to New Orleans as a free agent and signed Al Horford away from the Celtics. That left Philadelphia with a lineup composed of players who are 6-foot-6 (Richardson), 6-8 (Tobias Harris), 6-10 (Simmons and Horford) and 7 feet (Embiid) tall. That's before Philadelphia turns to a bench that includes O'Quinn, rookie Matisse Thybulle and forward Mike Scott, all of whom are at least 6-7. Philadelphia's opening-night roster features only three players under 6-4.

That size is primarily considered a virtue -- especially on defense -- and has helped make the Sixers co-favorites with the Milwaukee Bucks to win the Eastern Conference title.

But with that collection of size comes a lack of proven 3-point shooters. Among high-minutes players, only Harris and Scott are projected to be above average in terms of 3-point shooting percentage (36% or better) and attempts (4.6 or more per game), according to ESPN's Kevin Pelton. Which means on some nights, Philly's offense will be defined by a lack of shooting and spacing.

That Simmons serves as the team's point guard only magnifies the problem, with his lack of a jump shot -- along with his size -- making him stand out from today's generation of scoring floor generals.

Of course, it's Simmons' other skills -- combining the talents of a lead ball handler and inside force -- that led to his being Rookie of the Year in 2018 and an All-Star in 2019, despite being a threat to shoot only inside the restricted area.

"I want to continue to be better at everything," Simmons said. "From my left-hand layups to my left-hand floaters to my right-hand floaters to my right-hand layups, dribbling the ball, my footwork.

"There's a lot more than just shooting the ball that goes into the game."

But Simmons' lack of shooting has the potential to undermine what the 76ers want to do on offense. During Philadelphia's seven-game loss to the Toronto Raptors in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals, Simmons took a grand total of six fourth-quarter shots. None came farther than 6 feet from the basket. A year earlier, the Celtics limited his effectiveness by dropping a defender far off him and clogging the paint.

"I think you're going to start seeing more of that and people literally playing inside the foul line and daring him to shoot, like we did with [Rajon] Rondo at the beginning of his career," said Brendan Suhr, a longtime NBA assistant coach who served as an assistant at LSU for Simmons' lone collegiate season. "What's going to happen is sometimes when you get embarrassed, or when you lose, that's when all of a sudden things happen. And I think he's at that point right now."

Last season, with Butler taking over the offense late in games, Simmons often found himself without the ball and relegated to the "dunker spot" -- on the baseline, between the paint and the corner. The result was a lot of Simmons standing around and clogging up the team's spacing around Embiid.

Sixers coach Brett Brown has already said that's going to change this season, Simmons instead moving to the corner -- the closest and thus easiest spot on the court from which to make a 3-point shot.

"I'm spacing him to give him a chance," Brown said. "I'm not burying him under the backboard. I've got to participate."

The shot Simmons made earlier this preseason -- the first he has ever made in any NBA game -- came off the dribble. It also came against the Guangzhou Long-Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association, in a game the Sixers led by 38 in the final seconds of the first half.

Saint Joseph's coach Billy Lange, who spent the past six seasons as an assistant with the Sixers, said the ability to catch and shoot from deep, either from those corner spots or elsewhere, is what Simmons must focus on this season.

"When people talk about, 'He's got to make 3s,' it's not about the 3 he took [against Guangzhou]," Lange said.

"It is all about the catch-and-shoot. That's it."

Simmons has been as one-dimensional a shooter as the NBA has seen the past two years.

He has attempted 2,199 field goals over 182 regular-season and playoff games in his NBA career. Only 18 -- less than 1% of them -- have been from beyond the 3-point arc.

Being that ineffective from distance and becoming a shooter is not an easy task.

Just ask Jason Kidd.

The Hall of Famer, who now serves as a Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach, came into the league 25 years ago with a jump shot so ineffective that people famously referred to him as "Ason Kidd" -- no J. By the time he retired in 2013, he ranked third all time in 3-pointers made.

"It was always a topic, I guess, once I got to the league that I couldn't shoot," Kidd said. "But that was never something that I harped on. I didn't spend a lot of time on it, because I relied on my strengths."

That is the same place that Simmons finds himself in now.

David Patrick is the head coach at UC Riverside and served as an assistant at LSU during Simmons' lone collegiate season. He also happens to be Simmons' godfather.

"When you're a young kid and you can run faster and jump higher than everybody, you're going to keep doing that until you get stopped, you know?" Patrick said. "That's kind of where he's at in his headspace."

That's where Kidd was too, until the then-New Jersey Nets acquired Vince Carter, taking the ball out of Kidd's hands more and forcing him to become a deep threat. With the help of shooting coach Bob Thate, Kidd rebuilt his shot.

"A lot of it was mechanics," Kidd said. "Starting from the foundation of your legs, using your legs, getting in the right position with your foundation. I spent a lot of time doing a lot of tedious drills that weren't fun."

Patrick said that while Simmons was in Los Angeles this summer, he noticed a difference in how his godson prepared for the upcoming season. He saw him stay in a more regular workout routine, particularly in terms of incorporating playing more pickup ball along with his shooting work with trainer Chris Johnson.

He also said that when Simmons came to Australia for vacation, he spent part of it working out with the Australian national team. That work has translated to Simmons' being viewed by people, both close to Simmons and around the team, as being both more confident in his shooting ability and more willing to actually do it.

"Now he's a staple of the organization," Patrick said, referring to Simmons' contract extension. "With that comes responsibility. Ben understands that and really [understood] that responsibility this summer living in the gym.

"You've got to learn to be a pro, right? He's done that going into this year."

Changing that much long-term muscle memory, though, is no easy feat. Take, for example, San Antonio Spurs swingman DeMar DeRozan, a four-time All-Star shooting guard who has never become a threat from beyond the arc. Instead, he has remained far more comfortable taking midrange shots.

"He worked on it," said Dwane Casey, who was DeRozan's coach for several seasons in Toronto. "Every summer he worked on his 3-point shooting, got up thousands of shots in the summertime.

"But when it got to [crunch] time, he went to his wheelhouse."

Simmons remains most comfortable shooting the ball with his left hand. It's what he has done his whole life, and despite calls from outside the organization for him to change to shooting with his right, no one in Philadelphia is interested in entertaining that.

"That's never going to happen," Brown said. "He would look at you cross-eyed [if you asked]. It's just never going to happen, and it shouldn't happen.

"When he starts getting older, you're going to start seeing him hit some 3s, and that question will be sort of put into the, 'Are you serious?' basket that it deserves to be put in."

While no one who was asked remembers exactly why the ambidextrous Simmons began shooting with his left hand (as opposed to, for example, throwing a baseball with his right), his propensity to use his right when he's near the basket has led to the idea that he should try switching.

But even Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson -- who himself changed shooting hands several years ago -- isn't so sure Simmons should follow in his footsteps.

"I mean, it's something to explore. But it's worked out so far, being an All-Star and getting $170 [million]," Thompson said with a laugh. "So he might be too far in now."

Simmons isn't close to being a finished product. And he knows that. But for now, the Sixers say they believe he's good enough as is to lead this city back to the Finals for the first time since Allen Iverson's heyday.

"This is his city," Brown said. "It's his program. He signed a new contract. We showed him how we value him.

"It doesn't minimize the pride he has in fixing [his shot]. You could have a 50-year contract and get as many millions as these guys get nowadays, and it doesn't water down competitiveness, or pride. That still exists."

It's why Simmons spent the summer in the gym working on his shot. It's why the Sixers are putting the ball back in his hands full time. It's why Brown is moving Simmons outside the 3-point line when he doesn't have it. And it's why so many people got so excited about a made 3-pointer in a preseason game.

And until Simmons takes -- let alone makes -- 3-pointers with regularity, his shooting is going to be discussed. Whether the 76ers want to discuss it or not.

The NBA is officially back.

After Tuesday night's debut featuring the two L.A. squads, the defending champs and the revamped New Orleans Pelicans, it's time for the rest of the league to get things started.

An offseason full of unpredictable player movement means we're probably in store for one of the tightest NBA races in years. To get ready for all the action, ESPN's NBA experts highlight the one question they're looking to see get answered during the first week of games -- including Wednesday night's doubleheader on ESPN/WatchESPN featuring Celtics-76ers (7:30 p.m. ET) and Nuggets-Blazers (10 p.m. ET).

Are the Celtics for real?

Tim Bontemps: It will take only a week for us to get a real first impression of the new-look Boston Celtics. They face the other three teams that advanced in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season -- the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks -- within the first eight days of the regular season.

It will be an instant test of Boston's new group, particularly its rotation of centers hoping to try to fill the very large shoes of departed All-Star Al Horford. That was a work in progress during the preseason and probably will remain one for quite some time. Just how much work Boston has to do on both ends should be clear after one of the league's most difficult opening slates.

Is the Warriors' defense good enough?

Chris Herring: For the first time in five years, the Golden State Warriors won't begin the season as favorites in the West. Many wonder how they'll look on offense without Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson, whose timetable for a return from his ACL tear is in question. But the defense -- with D'Angelo Russell and without Andre Iguodala, Durant or Klay -- could take a considerable step back, too.

Golden State's ability to get stops will be tested out of the gate Thursday as the Warriors host Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, who have arguably replaced the Dubs as the league's top title contender.

How -- and when -- will coaches use their brand-new challenges?

Andrew Lopez: The NBA's one-year experiment with coaches' challenges got off to a rocky start Tuesday night, with Nick Nurse and Alvin Gentry going a collective 0-for-2. Nurse dropped his in the first quarter while Gentry used his in the third.

What will be interesting in the first week is how other coaches use theirs. Will they use it out of pure frustration on a timeout that is already coming? Will they save it for a key play in the fourth quarter? Or will they forget about it altogether and hope it goes away?

Will a Russ transformation last?

Royce Young: Russell Westbrook is almost assuredly going to open his Houston Rockets tenure trying to play a different way. He's going to defer to James Harden. He's going to spot-up and cut and screen. He's going to play the analytical game. He's going to try to fit in. This isn't atypical for Westbrook in changing situations; he has done it before with new teammates.

The question is: What's the over/under on it lasting? One week? One month? One season? The chemistry and motivation to make it work is there for Westbrook and Harden, but can it mechanically? Is it destined to malfunction, or can two of the most ball-dominant stat-stuffers ever actually play together?

How does Kyrie fit in with the Nets?

Baxter Holmes: Chemistry can be forged over a season, but first impressions -- as with anything in life -- can be lasting. By any measure, Kyrie Irving wore his teammates thin in Boston last season, creating vast sums of friction with his postgame comments.

Irving has a new roster in Brooklyn and how he meshes with those players early could be key in helping establish himself as a leader for the franchise down the road. There's no doubt the pressure will be on Irving right away given how poorly things worked out last season.

Can the Bucks rely on their bench?

Malika Andrews: Save for swapping Malcolm Brogdon for Wesley Matthews, the Bucks' starting lineup looks largely the same. It's the team's new supporting cast that I am excited to see in the opening week. In the playoffs last season, it was Milwaukee's bench -- primarily Pat Connaughton and George Hill -- that helped propel the Bucks to the Eastern Conference finals. Now, they've added Kyle Korver, another sharpshooter who boosts the Bucks' space-and-pace system. Robin Lopez will add an imposing defensive presence off the bench.

Milwaukee's depth is its secret sauce. How will this season's sauce compare to the flavor of last season?

Does Miami look like an East contender?

Dave McMenamin: I'm really curious about the Miami Heat. During the offseason when I had to get my basketball fix from podcasts, I heard smart people I respect like Zach Lowe and Doris Burke tout Miami as a sleeper to make some noise in the East.

They get the Bucks this weekend, which is an early eye test. Can the Jimmy Butler-infused version of the Heat -- with tough, switchable guys around him in Justise Winslow, Bam Adebayo and Derrick Jones Jr., sprinkled in with some shooting from Goran Dragic and rookie darling Tyler Herro -- keep up with a contender?

Can the Clippers actually score?

Andrew Han: Preseason is by no means a projection, but the Clippers struggled to generate efficient offense as a group. Granted, Paul George is sidelined for the first few weeks as he recovers from shoulder surgery, but his return would only add another solo shot maker.

When Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams are on the court, offense is generated through them. But unless Montrezl Harrell is rim-rolling, it remains to be seen whether the Clippers can make teams pay for loading up against their prodigious scorers.

Will Luka and Porzingis click?

Mike Schmitz: On paper, Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic are one of the most exciting under-25 duos in the NBA. Coach Rick Carlisle can employ a variety of different Doncic-Zinger pick-and-rolls, with either as the ball handler. Even so, I'm curious to see how the 20-year-old Doncic balances getting his own with allowing Porzingis to isolate out of the post the way he did so often in New York.

Both are ultra-confident competitors, and I'm fascinated to follow the on- and off-court chemistry between the international stars. If they click, the Mavs figure to be a League Pass darling and playoff sleeper.

How ugly will things get in Charlotte?

Bobby Marks: There are no closed-door team meetings (yet) and the job security of head coach James Borrego is safe, but circle the Charlotte Hornets' first two home games against Chicago and Minnesota. Things could get ugly if the Hornets drop both contests.

Predicted to finish in the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Charlotte could be 0-10 before we even hit mid-November. After hosting the Bulls and Wolves, the Hornets head out on the road to face both Los Angeles teams, Sacramento and Golden State, then they return home for Indiana, Boston and New Orleans before finally playing at Philadelphia. If the Hornets don't win in the first week of the season, the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets' steak of 18 straight losses to start a season could be in jeopardy.

Do KAT and the Wolves surprise?

André Snellings: Is Minnesota ready for a leap? Two seasons ago, the Timberwolves entered March at No. 3 in the Western Conference, but then they lost nine of 15 games with Jimmy Butler injured, limping into the playoffs. Last season was doomed from the start when Butler forced his way out of town.

But Karl-Anthony Towns played at an MVP level after the Butler trade and he's approaching his peak. When healthy, Robert Covington is a defensive force with two-way ability. Add in some talented perimeter players and defensive strides from Towns and this season's Wolves could be sneakily formidable.

How comfortable is Golden State's new All-Star?

Nick Friedell: I want to see how D'Angelo Russell fits into the Warriors' system. Stephen Curry and his teammates are trying to make sure Russell gets comfortable early.

If Russell can take some of the offensive burden off Curry in the first few weeks, it will help the organization navigate all this time without Klay Thompson.

Who's winning the L.A. sneaker battle?

Nick DePaula: The retooled Clippers and Lakers may be battling on the court for local bragging rights, but the star players on each team have also found themselves in a marketing tug-of-war throughout the region. Nike's massive 18,000 square foot digital billboard engulfed the corner of Figueroa Street near Staples Center this week, featuring taglines over the respective shoulders of Paul George and Anthony Davis: "Everything shines brighter in LA," read George's. It was opposite AD's: "Write your own Hollywood ending."

New Balance launched its own "Kawhi's Funhouse" pop-up over the weekend, selling Leonard's OMN1S sneaker for the first time at retail. And LeBron's legacy with Nike continues with the upcoming launch of his 17th signature model, the longest consecutive series for an active player. Tracking which star has the advantage in this loaded market will be fascinating early on and all season long.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have parted ways with longtime team president Frank Coonelly, who said that "change was necessary" after the team's second-half swoon this season.

The Pirates announced the decision Wednesday, saying that Coonelly's replacement will be introduced next Monday.

"Frank and I both agreed that it was clear a change in the day-to-day leadership of the Club is needed," Pirates chairman of the board Bob Nutting said in a statement. "This leadership transition gives us the opportunity to refresh our entire operations."

The Pirates finished last in the NL Central this season, going 69-93 and missing the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. Pittsburgh was 42-43 on July 3 and was only three games out of first place in the division at the time.

But the Pirates lost 26 of their next 32 games, essentially dashing their postseason hopes and ultimately leading to the firing of manager Clint Hurdle, who was dismissed in September after nine seasons with the team.

"The second half of our season was disappointing to our fans and to all of us in the organization," Coonelly said in a statement. "Results matter and our results simply were not acceptable. It was clear that change was necessary.

"As we worked through a comprehensive assessment of everything that we do, I undertook an honest self-valuation. While not an easy conclusion to reach, I ultimately decided that the best interests of the Pirates would be served if the cub had a new leader who would bring new ideas and a new direction."

Coonelly joined the Pirates in September 2007 and -- along with Hurdle and general manager Neal Huntington -- helped oversee the franchise's rebuild that culminated in three consecutive postseason appearances from 2013 to 2015.