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The NBA playoffs are currently in what should shape up to be a competitive second round, as the final eight teams are competing for glory.
One NBA team that had expected to be in the mix way back when the season began was the Dallas Mavericks, who had fallen to the Boston Celtics in last year's NBA Finals.
Those hopes went down the drain when Dallas dealt away its franchise player and an NBA-caliber superstar in Luka Doncic.
One of the bright spots of the blockbuster trade that brought in veteran Anthony Davis was former Michigan State Spartan Max Christie, a young player who had been having a breakout season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Christie was Michigan State's last one-and-done before Jase Richardson, and based on where the Mavericks could be slated in this summer's NBA Draft, there's a solid chance these two Spartans could be united.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Dallas picking Richardson with the No. 12 overall pick in his latest NBA mock draft.
"Scouts admired Jase Richardson's scoring efficiency and decision-making, which could help a team like the Mavericks see a more NBA-ready prospect," Wasserman wrote. "He managed to produce consistently on low usage, making open threes, picking the right spots to attack and finishing plays with advanced adjustments and instincts at the rim.
"But It also became clear that he offers more creativity than the numbers suggest. Richardson was one of the nation's most efficient ball-screen scorers whose self-creation shined more and more as his role increased."
The only issue with this is that Christie is an already proven guard who shares many of the same traits Richardson does. And Dallas' starting backcourt is set with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.
It doesn't really seem like there would be a fit for Richardson, at least one where he could make an immediate impact, which is what you expect from your lottery pick.
Regardless, with stars like Irving, Thompson and Davis, Dallas is a place you'd like to be if you want to win. Injuries plagued Irving and Davis, who had previously battled significant injuries in the past, which limited the group from reaching its potential, but a healthy Mavericks roster is one that, on paper, can compete with anyone.
More must-reads:
- Dream (but realistic) trade targets for every MLB team this offseason
- Week 9 fantasy football takeaways: Rico Dowdle makes a statement
- The 'NFL Passing YPG leaders' quiz
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Dolphins considering drastic Tua Tagovailoa move
Tua Tagovailoa's future as the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback may be on shaky ground. Through nine starts, Tagovailoa is 2-7 and has posted a below-average 43.6 QBR. If his play doesn't improve soon, the team may make a drastic move. Dolphins are reportedly considering benching Tua Tagovailoa In a story published Sunday, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported the Dolphins could bench Tagovailoa in favor of Zach Wilson or rookie Quinn Ewers later this season. Rapoport added, "Tagovailoa's play would really have to fall off for Miami to turn to either Wilson or Ewers." However, the QB may be nearing that point. In his past four games, the 2020 first-round pick has tossed seven of his 11 interceptions. Wilson and Ewers have both filled in for Tagovailoa during blowout losses this season. Former New York Jets flop Wilson completed 5-of-8 passes for 32 yards in a 33-8 Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Ewers, a seventh-round pick out of Texas, finished 5-of-8 passing for 53 yards in a 31-6 Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns. What would happen if the Dolphins benched Tua Tagovailoa? The Dolphins' benching of Tagovailoa would signal they want to move on from the QB, but that would be challenging. In July 2024, the former Alabama star signed a four-year, $212.4M contract extension with $167.1M guaranteed. The deal is now an albatross for the franchise. According to Rapoport, Miami would incur an NFL-record $99.2M cap hit if it released him this offseason. The Dolphins could designate him as a post-June 1 cut to spread the amount out over the next two seasons ($67.4M in 2026 and $31.8M in 2027). The Denver Broncos did the same in March 2024, after taking an $85M cap hit following the release of former starting QB Russell Wilson. To avoid these expenses, the Dolphins could consider trading Tagovailoa with a post-June 1 designation. A pre-June 1 trade would leave $45.2M in dead money against Miami's salary cap. But a declining and injury-prone Tagovailoa shouldn't attract many suitors. The sixth-year veteran has had four documented concussions in his NFL career. The Dolphins should hope Tagovailoa gets his act together. Per Over The Cap, his deal runs out of guaranteed salary in 2027. Until then, they're likely stuck with the 27-year-old passer.
Did Micah Parsons take jab at the Packers offense?
The Green Bay Packers' decision to trade for Micah Parsons was undeniably a good one. They already had an up-and-coming defense and a stacked offense, and adding a superstar pass-rusher who had yet to reach his physical prime was a no-brainer. However, as great a player as Parsons is, he's also drawn some negative attention for running his mouth a little. It took him nine weeks, but he may have finally given the Packers a taste of that. Micah Parsons takes a subtle jab at the Packers Following the shocking 16-13 home loss to the Carolina Panthers, Parsons pointed out that the defense did a good job of limiting Dave Canales' team. "He threw for 100 yards," Parsons said in the locker room, per Packers beat writer Ryan Wood. “If we lose a game like that in the NFL, we just didn’t play good. Not too many quarterbacks are throwing for 100 yards and winning.” The underlying message there is that someone else didn't do a good job, whether it's head coach Matt LaFleur, who called an over-conservative game again, the offense, Jordan Love, or all of the above. Parsons and the Packers defense held the Panthers to 265 total yards. They picked Bryce Young off once and sacked him once for a loss of eight yards, so he does have a valid point. Then again, given his history of stirring the pot during his days with the Dallas Cowboys, it's hard not to be worried about the toll this might take on his relationship with the organization.
Mike Vrabel responds to accusation that Patriots simulated Falcons' snap on key fourth-quarter play
Steelers' Questionable 2nd Half Decision Slowed Down Strong Offensive Attack
The Pittsburgh Steelers got crushed in the second half of their Week 8 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The defense allowed 28 points after halftime alone and had no answers overall. The offense has done well throughout the 2025 campaign, but they also sputtered to end the contest, as they put up just nine points after grabbing a 16-7 lead. A garbage-time touchdown down 35-19 does not make anyone feel better. It was a complete and total failure on both sides of the ball. One of the main concerns offensively was the play-calling. In his article on X, Mark Kaboly brought up an issue that shockingly popped up after halftime. "Jaylen Warren was running roughshod until they stopped giving him the ball," Kaboly said. "He ran for 50 yards in the first half and then touched it three times the rest of the game." Jaylen Warren continues to show the world that he is a starting caliber running back, as he kept running over people like a human bowling ball against the Packers. Things were working so well that the Steelers were telegraphing the runs they were going to do, and they still went for a quality gains. They ran the same exact toss play back-to-back, and it led to success. Up 16-7 at halftime, the Steelers completely abandoned the run game. As Kaboly said, Warren was essentially phased out of the offense as Aaron Rodgers had to deal with a strong pass rush and a secondary that thrived off of stopping the short passes. In a postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin mentioned that the team was "behind the sticks" more than they wanted to be later in the game. That tends to create more passing situations. Regardless, Pittsburgh still has a tendency to run the ball on 2nd and long to try and set up a manageable third down situation. The pass protection constantly broke down on Sunday night, along with numerous penalties, which forced the Steelers to get off schedule. On the other hand, the Steelers may have been scared off from their usual running strategy due to an injury. Left guard Isaac Seumalo left the game early due to a pectoral strain. Spencer Anderson, who has been the swing tackle for the past month, was put in the normal lineup to replace him. That likely made Smith over-adjust, as Pittsburgh struggled to run the football before the emergence of this overpowered jumbo formation that helped make the whole offensive line look good. Steelers Can't Let One Injury Derail Their Season With Anderson moving to guard, they still could have put 300-pound Calvin Anderson in as the swing tackle. That was his role in 2024 when he signed with Pittsburgh. He could have still lined up next to Darnell Washington to help create rushing lanes, but they did not want to try that until they lined up for a two-point conversion late in the game. It worked, but Jonnu Smith dropped the pass. If Seumalo has to miss time due to injury, veteran lineman Andrus Peat will likely get a helmet for the first time. At 316 pounds, he could also come in and act as the extra offensive lineman next to Washington. He could also come in as the left guard and kick Spencer Anderson back to the role that has made him a star in Pittsburgh. Seumalo may be a great mentor and a quality lineman, but losing him should not completely change the offense. Tomlin keeps talking about "next man up." That should be the case for the swing tackle as well, even if many teams see it as irrelevant. Teams have not been able to stop this jumbo formation, so Pittsburgh should seemingly keep using it with different bodies.
Five worst Week 9 performances: Patrick Mahomes flops in heavyweight Chiefs-Bills showdown
After a Week 8 defined by blowouts, the pendulum swung in the other direction in Week 9, with nine of the 11 games in the 1 p.m. ET or 4 p.m. ET window decided by a touchdown or less. The razor-thin margin between losing and winning magnified the significance of this week's worst performances. Here are five that stood out most. Cincinnati Bengals defense The Bengals defense is the gift that keeps on giving to opposing offenses. On Sunday, the unit reached its nadir (things can't possibly get any worse, right? Right?) in a wild 47-42 home loss to the Chicago Bears (5-3). Cincinnati's miraculous comeback, which included a successful onside kick attempt with 1:43 remaining and quarterback Joe Flacco throwing for 470 yards, was undone by a 58-yard touchdown pass from Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to rookie tight end Colston Loveland. At the season's midway point, the Bengals (3-6) have once again dug themselves into a hole that appears too steep to get out of. And just like last season, their horrid defense is why. Detroit Lions offensive line Lions quarterback Jared Goff was constantly harassed in a 27-24 upset home loss to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings (4-4). Detroit's line had arguably its worst game of the season, with Goff being sacked five times. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery averaged 3.3 yards per carry, combining for 65 yards on 20 carries. Injuries played a role as Detroit fell to 5-3, but that's also a concerning sign for the future. Starting left guard Christian Mahogany suffered a knee injury, and after the game, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters the 2024 sixth-rounder would be out "for a long time, probably." Starting tackles Taylor Decker (knee) and Penei Sewell (shoulder) also suffered injury scares that must be monitored, as did starting right guard Tate Ratledge (shoulder). Green Bay Packers red-zone offense The Packers (5-2-1) suffered the most unexpected loss of Week 9, falling at home, 16-13, to the Carolina Panthers (5-4). With better red-zone production, Green Bay might have easily walked away with a win. The offense sputtered numerous times inside Carolina's 20-yard line, scoring one touchdown in five opportunities. Green Bay settled for two field goals, had a turnover on downs and a fumble, and another possession that stalled at the Panthers' 25-yard line ended with a missed field goal. The Packers out-gained the Panthers, 369-265, including 265-102 through the air, but thanks to their inability to finish drives, the game was much tighter than it had any business being. It cost Green Bay a victory and control of the NFC's 1-seed. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones Did the clock strike midnight on Jones' incredible 2025 comeback? The former first-round pick looked more like the quarterback who was benched by the New York Giants last season than the one who guided the Colts to seven wins in their first eight games during a 27-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3). Jones ended 31-of-50 for 342 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He also lost two fumbles and was sacked five times, losing 29 yards. ESPN NFL writer Benjamin Solak shared some troubling numbers after the game, revealing that Jones has seen an alarming uptick in pressure-to-sack rate over the past two weeks (33.3 percent, 27.8 percent) after managing pressure well through his first seven games. Sunday may have simply been a blip, but it could also be an ominous sign for the back-half of the season. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes At least one quarterback showed in the hyped 2025 chapter of the Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen rivalry. The Buffalo Bills quarterback and 2024 league MVP was nearly flawless, going 23-of-26 for 273 yards and three total touchdowns. Mahomes, meanwhile, had his worst NFL game, at least in terms of completion percentage. He was 15-of-34, completing fewer than 50 percent of his pass attempts for the first time in eight seasons as a starting quarterback, for 250 yards and an interception. Mahomes' 57.2 passer rating was the second-lowest of his career. We're used to seeing Mahomes play his best on the biggest stages, making his flop in the high-stakes AFC showdown especially jarring. He's still the best quarterback in football, but Sunday was a reminder that even the greats aren't always great.
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