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With just six games remaining in the regular season and the Western Conference standings as tight as ever, the Los Angeles Lakers have no room for error.
Following Thursday's 123-116 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers are now 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed and are just one game ahead of the Warriors, who are in t he No. 5 spot. Many fans and analysts walked away from Thursday's game concerned with the performance of All-NBA guard Luka Doncic.
He finished the game with 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field, and also missed all six of his threes. When discussing why Doncic struggled so much in the loss, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins cited concerns about his weight.
"Luka's biggest issue has to be addressed in the offseason," Perkins said. "He's out of shape. He needs to lose weight...That's not gonna happen no time soon. It's a reason that Golden State was searching him out defensively and it's gonna continue to happen even when they get into the postseason."
Concerns over Doncic's weight have followed him throughout his NBA career, and as revealed by a February ESPN report, this was actually one of the reasons that the Dallas Mavericks were willing to trade him.
"The Mavericks were motivated to move Doncic because of his constant conditioning concerns," reported Tim MacMahon. "There had been significant frustration within the organization about Doncic's lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which t eam sources considered a major factor in his injury issues."
The same report also revealed that Doncic's weight had risen to the "high 260s" early this season.
Only 1.5 games separate the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, currently the No. 7 seed, which is the NBA Play-In Tournament territory. If the Lakers can hold onto a top-six seed, the first round begins on April 19, if they fall into the dreaded Play-In Tournament, it will take place from April 15-18.
Needless to say, they will need Doncic at his best in the coming weeks.
More must-reads:
- Report reveals how hard Warriors tried to trade for LeBron James
- Five NBA teams that aced the offseason
- The '2024-25 NFL rushing touchdown leaders' quiz
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Report reveals how hard Warriors tried to trade for LeBron James
The Golden State Warriors have been linked to LeBron James on occasion over the last 18 months, but their interest in trying to trade for the Los Angeles Lakers star may be stronger than has been previously reported. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported this week that the Warriors would likely have some interest in James if the Lakers were ever to entertain a trade. To that end, the Warriors have called the Lakers on “multiple occasions” over the last 18 months to gauge the Lakers’ willingness to trade James. The report adds that there is a strong belief that James and Steph Curry very much enjoyed their time together as teammates during the 2024 Summer Olympics, which is one motivator for Golden State. The Lakers, of course, have not been willing to trade James, even though there were some hints of trouble between the two sides this summer. It is fair to question whether the Warriors would have the resources to pull off such a trade even if it were plausible. It is accurate that the Warriors are likely to be linked to James in any case where he is perceived to be available. Pairing him and Curry together would likely be a result of the Warriors trying to make one last run at a championship during the twilight of Curry’s career.
Angry Mike Vrabel vows to find 'rats' within Patriots organization who leaked major news
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wasn't mad about how the backups performed in the team's 42-10 preseason loss to the New York Giants. He was angry that someone had leaked the news that wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk would need season-ending shoulder surgery. When asked if he had anything to add to the reports that Polk would miss the season, Vrabel didn't give the media anything aside from his unvarnished feelings. "I'd like to find out where some of these [reports] come from. Some of these rats around here. So, we'll figure that out," he added in a news conference on Thursday. Coaches and reporters are hardly the best of friends on a good day. Often, a coach will deflect if they don't want to add fuel to a report the team hasn't made official, but usually they won't deflect and promise to get the "rats" providing this information. NFL insider Jordan Schultz broke the news ahead of the Patriots' preseason finale against the Giants. According to Schultz, the decision for Polk to undergo surgery was made to ensure the 2024 second-round pick would be healthy for the 2026 season. Polk dealt with health issues throughout the offseason. It was during the second quarter of New England's preseason opener against the Washington Commanders that he took a nasty hit on a one-yard run, leading to the shoulder injury that will sideline him for 2025. Last season, Polk had a tough rookie debut, catching just 12 receptions for 87 yards and recording two touchdowns. The hope for 2025 was that he could redeem himself and become a reliable enough target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. Expectations for Maye are much higher now with the return of Tom Brady's old offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels. Without Polk to run routes, though, the already-thin wide receiver room is nearly devoid of talent behind veteran receiver Stefon Diggs. The Patriots signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. However, Diggs has brought some unwanted attention to the team through his offseason antics and is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his time with the Houston Texans. While Patriot fans should feel some hope in the direction of the team under Vrabel — a former defensive star for New England during the dynasty years — this roster is still in the midst of a rebuild. And with such a troubled roster, losses may pile up, and the team's relationship with the media could worsen if another season feels like a waste. So, Vrabel being upset by Polk's injury is fair, but what doesn't feel fair is to single out Patriots staff and players who are potentially talking to reporters as hostile to the organization. It's perhaps not surprising that Vrabel is willing to voice his frustrations, as he's shown no fear when breaking up practice scrums. Still, it's the job of any journalist to build relationships with staff and team members to gain reliable sources who can help them accurately report the news. While the "rats" moniker for those in the building talking to NFL insiders and the New England sports media will be swallowed up by all the other headlines as Week 1 nears, it's notable that Vrabel's time as head coach in New England is already off to a contentious start.
Buccaneers' Shilo Sanders may have jeopardized chance to make 53-man roster
Saturday was not a good day for Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, two players competing for a spot on the 53-man roster of their respective teams, the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hours after Shedeur took more sacks (five) than completions (three) and had a heated moment with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Shilo was ejected from the Buccaneers' preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. "Bucs S Shilo Sanders has been ejected from tonight's game following an unnecessary roughness penalty," Scott Smith of the Buccaneers posted on X. Shilo appeared to take exception to Zach Davidson hitting and blocking him after a play had ended before the rookie took a swing at the Bills' tight end. The ejection came at a bad time for Shilo, who was competing with Kaevon Merriweather and Rashad Wisdom for the No. 4 safety spot on the depth chart. Before the game, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that Shilo's output against the Bills would be big in his evaluation before the team has to trim the roster to 53 players by Tuesday. "Shilo's very aggressive, very young, very hungry," Bowles said. "He can make plays in the box and we know he can run down and give us 100% on special teams, so this last week is going to be very important for those guys to show up." Following the ejection, Shilo lost critical playing time to show his strengths on the field. He also showed the coaching staff a short temper and cost Tampa Bay with an unnecessary penalty. Shilo will end his preseason with four total tackles. He has shown he has the talent to be in the league, but Shilo's role will likely be as a practice squad player until his play and mental strength develop.
Raiders, Vikings Could Work Out Trade After Aidan O’Connell Injury
The Minnesota Vikings sent the 142nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Seattle Seahawks for Sam Howell and the 172nd overall pick, but the quarterback may not even make the Week 1 roster. With roster cuts right around the corner, nobody should be too surprised if Minnesota cuts the former late-round pick and moves forward with a different option behind J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy is clearly entrenched atop the depth chart, and undrafted free agent Max Brosmer has played well against admittedly weak competition. While entrusting him to be the full-time backup would be dangerous, he might not make it through waivers if the team cuts him. He’d be an ideal third quarterback for the 2025 season with the potential to grow into a long-term backup. Sam Howell, however, has struggled for the Vikings. While he had a good drive or two, the overall body of work leaves a lot to be desired. Minnesota recently brought in Carson Wentz for a visit, and he’d be a capable QB2 for the season. Cutting Howell would be surprising, but perhaps they could trade him to the Las Vegas Raiders to be their backup quarterback while Aidan O’Connell recovers from a wrist injury. Vikings, Raiders Could Agree to Aidan O’Connell Trade Aidan O’Connell is not a starting-caliber quarterback, but he is one of the league’s better backups. The former fourth-round pick has started 17 games over the past two seasons, going 7-10 on a weak roster while completing 62.6% of his passes for 3,830 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Again, he’s clearly an inferior option to Geno Smith, but he’s more than capable of filling in and keeping the offense afloat. Unfortunately, he’s going to miss some time thanks to a wrist injury sustained in the preseason finale. Reports indicate he will miss 6-8 weeks with this injury, and Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team reports Vegas will look for a new quarterback. Howell could be the ideal choice, as Cam Miller is the only other quarterback on the roster. Much like O’Connell, Howell is not a starting-caliber quarterback in this league, but he possesses starting experience. The fifth-round pick led the Washington Commanders in 2023, starting all 17 games while finishing the year with 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. Again, there’s a reason he spent the 2024 season as a backup, but he could be a valuable insurance policy for a team that believes they can compete in 2025.
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