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The New York Knicks' starting lineup will have the Wright stuff on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks (8 p.m. ET, MSG).
Delon Wright will make his first start as a Knick when the Knicks come to Fiserv Forum for a crucial Eastern Conference clash. The Knicks (45-27) are dealing with a rash of injuries in the backcourt: in addition to the continued absence of Jalen Brunson (ankle), New York is also missing Miles McBride (groin) and Cameron Payne (ankle) as they prepare to engage in the final 10 games of their regular season slate.
Taking on an important role in a Knicks-Bucks game is an ironic, if not appropriate role for Wright, who was the Knicks' primary trade deadline acquisition after New York picked up his services in exchange for center Jericho Sims. Wright has mostly engaged in mop-up duty since donning blue-and-orange, playing 36 minutes in seven appearance since reporting on Feb. 5. Twelve of those minutes came in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers after Payne was an in-game exit.
Some will no doubt be surprised to see Wright get the starting nod over rookie Tyler Kolek, who has dished out 24 assists over his last three games in an expanded opportunity. No rookie Knicks guard has received a starting assignment since Quentin Grimes in February 2022.
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Mavericks have another out-of-shape star
When the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis last season, the team was concerned about its young star's conditioning issues. Now, Doncic is on the cover of fitness magazines, and Davis is 15 pounds heavier than at last season's training camp. At last year's training camp, the Los Angeles Lakers listed Davis at 253 pounds. This season, the Mavericks listed him at 268 pounds, a dramatic increase from 12 months ago. He looks noticeably bigger, though "The Brow" still put up seven points and seven rebounds in the Mavericks' preseason opener Monday night, a 106-89 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony Davis spent the summer recovering from a serious surgery One reason Davis might not be in his usual condition is his offseason surgery to repair a detached retina, an injury he played through for most of last season. While the surgery was successful — Davis will wear protective goggles for the remainder of his career — he had to go weeks without exercising as part of his recovery. For his part, Davis claims he always likes to go into training camp a little heavy to avoid getting "too small" when he loses weight during the season. Being larger may be a conscious strategy for Davis, but he's still at least 10 pounds heavier than his previous efforts to come to training camp above his playing weight. Anthony Davis was a questionable choice for a team concerned with health It's not Davis' fault that he's suffered so many injuries, including an adductor strain in his very first game with the Mavericks that kept him out for the team's next 19 games. But it was a curious choice to swap Doncic for a player six years older than him. 2024-25 was the most injury-plagued season of Doncic's career, and he ended up playing just one fewer game than Davis. Over Doncic's seven-year career, he's played 450 games. In that same time span, Davis has played 377, roughly 10 fewer games per season. Doncic himself weighed in at 244 pounds for the Lakers, which is higher than his official weight of 230 pounds for most of his career, but far lower than his reported weight in the "high 260s" last season. Doncic clearly wasn't nearly as committed to fitness a year ago. But like Davis, much of Doncic's weight gain last season was a consequence of not being able to exercise after a severe calf strain. A player can have a fantastic regimen of exercise and preparation, but that goes out the window if injuries won't let him follow that routine. That's where the Mavericks seem to have had a blind spot with Davis. He may well drop the extra weight quickly and play himself into shape, but the odds are high that an injury will leave him off the court and out of shape again.
Rangers must address these details after season-opening loss to Penguins
The New York Rangers started the 2025-26 season poorly, as the opening night at Madison Square Garden ended with a 3-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This result overshadowed the official debut of Mike Sullivan as coach of the Rangers and the first game of J.T. Miller as captain of the franchise. That said, two empty net goals at the end masked a game that was closer than the score reflects. Justin Brazeau scored near the end of the first period, and then there were two empty netters in the final minutes, from Brazeau and Blake Lizotte. Igor Shesterkin saved 27 of 28, keeping the Rangers alive for a long period. The match was stuck and there were few clear chances, remaining at 1-0 for almost the entire game. Sullivan's team fell into the defensive pace proposed by the Penguins. What went wrong for the Rangers in their loss to the Penguins It was not a total tactical disaster for the Rangers, but there were specific details that can be linked to the result. There was a lack of offensive interiority from the Blueshirts. New York lived on the perimeter, without traffic, without second chances, and without backdoor runs. It became evident that a goaltender in rhythm, like Arturs Silovs, sees everything and shuts you down. Although Zibanejad and Lafreniere generated volume, the team did not produce the type of danger that moves the scoreboard. There were also misalignments in the defensive pair made up of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. The idea of Gavrikov operating as a physical stabilizer to free up Fox did not materialize. Whenever the first breakout fails, the team plays uphill, and the offense becomes more predictable. On the power play, there was a lack of timing and triangulation in the slot. And although on the penalty kill, new rotations were shown that worked in stretches, the defensive zone at five-on-five offered second chances that Shesterkin saved until he could no more. Decision-making under pressure is also an area of opportunity for the Rangers. In the final minutes, the pinches without backup showed anxiety more than an organized aggressiveness. Brazeau's goal came as a result of a lost face-off that was managed poorly, without clear guidance and roles. An elite team cannot afford to have that lack of synchronization. The goal resulted from a disorderly collapse toward the puck carrier, which led to a lost coverage and an open man in the slot. Had there been communication, a high F3, a quick switch to the netfront, and active sticks, that same pattern would have died in an outside shot without danger. It was many small details together that led to this defeat.
Browns Announce Myles Garrett News Ahead of Steelers Game
The Cleveland Browns are 1-4 on the season and just underwent a big change after they traded veteran quarterback Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, ahead of their Week 6 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they are facing some issues with their roster. On Wednesday, the Browns released their injury/participation report for their latest practice. One player (Shelby Harris) did not participate due to rest, while nine had limited participation due to various reasons. Among the players who were limited was Cleveland defensive star Myles Garrett, who is still nursing a nagging ankle injury. It's worth noting that Garrett missed a practice and was limited in two leading up to their Week 5 game against the Minnesota Vikings. With that said, there were concerns about his availability for the contest. The good news is that Garrett was able to play, recording three tackles in the 21-17 Cleveland loss. Sure enough, Garrett's condition will be worth monitoring heading into the showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. Garrett's defense remains a big weapon on a Browns team that is still figuring out its offense and quarterback of the future. The one-time Defensive Player of the Year already has 21 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, eight QB hits and four sacks. Even Rodgers himself admitted that the Steelers are wary of Garrett, whom he described as "one of the few players in the league" that "you game plan for and you watch the film," per 93.7 The Fan. The Browns really need Garrett to be at 100% if they want to beat the Steelers in Week 6. If he continues to be bothered by his ankle injury, it could spell trouble for the team once again. Cleveland plays Pittsburgh on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.
Steelers' Mason Rudolph Reveals Obvious Frustration Surrounding Quarterback Situations In The AFC
Bengals QB Jake Browning angry about being benched for Joe Flacco, but team had no choice
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning has officially been benched, and he is not taking it lightly. Browning has started the last three games for the Bengals in the wake of a toe injury that Joe Burrow suffered in Week 2. After going 0-3 in those games, the Bengals decided to acquire Joe Flacco in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced on Wednesday that Flacco will start in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. That means the new guy is taking Browning's job right away, which is hardly a surprise. Jake Browning is not happy about losing his job Browning spoke with reporters shortly after Taylor revealed that Flacco will start in Green Bay. The 29-year-old quarterback said the situation "sucks" but that he understands how the business of the NFL works. "I think it sucks but, like I said, everyone's in the middle of a season. I think, 'Welcome to pro football,'" Browning said. "If you don't play well, you're gonna get replaced, and that's what I'm going through." Browning also admitted he is angry over being benched. Though, he said he is not willing to shoulder the blame for everything that has gone wrong for Cincinnati since Burrow went down. "For me, I'm trying to respond the right way. Obviously, I'm pi--ed. If I wasn't pi--ed, then I shouldn't be in this locker room," Browning added. "I'm aware of the role I played in the offensive struggles over the last few weeks, but I'm also not shouldering the entire situation. I went through yesterday, watched my throws, tried to come up with some stuff I want to work on, and just doing that." Zac Taylor had no choice but to make a switch Browning threw three interceptions in Cincinnati's 37-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns as well, but anything positive that the veteran did came when the game was essentially out of hand. In his two starts prior to the Lions loss, Browning threw for a total of 265 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Bengals scored 13 points in the two games combined. Ja'Marr Chase looked extremely frustrated at times and even had a heated exchange with Taylor on the sideline. Taylor had been facing tremendous pressure from fans to make a quarterback change. It would not be a surprise if Cincinnati's front office and some players expressed a desire for Browning to be benched, as well.
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