標籤: chances

After the Arizona Cardinals made Jeremiah Love the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, many feel like he is the early favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. After all, running backs typically don’t have as steep a learning curve as some of their peers.

While Love isn’t your average running back prospect, he’s also entering a pretty stacked backfield that also includes two-time Pro Bowler James Connor and Tyler Allger, who recorded over 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie in 2022 and signed a $12.5 million contract with the Cardinals this offseason.

Love is expected to claim the Cardinals’ starting running back job, but Connor and Allger will certainly still be in the mix. His presence may diminish Love’s impact in his rookie season.

Sports IllustratedAlbert Breer believes Love’s low workload makes him an outside bet to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award. This was his response when asked which rookie would make the biggest impact as a rookie.

While Love will likely return, he will have to share some of the workload, unless the Cardinals plan to trade or cut Connor and/or Alger. Nevertheless, a partnership with Alger is unlikely, given that he only signed his contract in March. With less stuff to go around, it may take a year or two for Love to become the superstar that many envision.

RELATED: Ranking the 2026 NFL rookie offensive candidates

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

The Green Bay Packers do not have a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, complicating the team’s ability to address some glaring needs ahead of a season with Super Bowl aspirations. However, the other day there is someone their front office would reportedly love to get.

According to ESPN’s NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller, Green Bay has been “widely linked” to cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft and has spent a potential Day 2 pick at the position. According to Miller, one name worth keeping in mind is San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, who has “a lot of fans” in the scouting department.

RELATED: Packers GM reveals team will add key positions in 2026 NFL Draft

Packers reporter Rob Demowski also shared that cornerback is widely viewed within the organization as one of the top Packers draft needs. While Green Bay still likes KeySean Nixon, they want to add another “impact player” to start opposite him.

Corner is an obvious issue on the Packers’ depth chart. For now, the team will start Nixon and Carrington Valentine on the outside, with only Benjamin Saint-Juste, Kamal Hayden and Shemar Bartholomew as boundary corner options behind them.

RELATED: Potential Green Bay Packers backup QB options

For a team already facing questions about its ability to generate pressure while Micah Parsons (ACL tear) is sidelined, and he’s also thin on the interior, help in the secondary is vital. Of course, it’s far from certain that Johnson is still available at the 52nd overall pick.

Coming out of San Diego State, Johnson certainly matches the length requirements that Green Bay prioritizes at 6-foot and 193 pounds with 30 5/8″ arms. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to cornerback Byron Murphy, highlighting Johnson’s scheme versatility with good footwork, excellent ability to mirror into coverage, and good ball skills.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Crystal Palace fans can rest assured; Bayern Munich are not currently interested in Maxence Lacroix.

Sportbild reports on today’s situation. Journalist expert Christian Falk has weighed in on the recent headlines about the Crystal Palace defender.

Bayern angle blown out of proportion

Maxence Lacroix is ​​in focus again this week. Bayern Munich, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool are all eyeing a potential €40m move this summer, reports claim.

But according to Falk, the Bayern angle is being blown out of proportion.

“FC Bayern is not currently looking for another centre-back,” he said of the Crystal Palace player.

“In addition to Upamecano, Tah, Kim and Eto’o, Stanisic is also planned for the upcoming season in central defence.

“Sporting director Max Eberl sees more pressing needs in the team, namely a backup on the left wing and a new right-back, on which the Munich club’s limited transfer budget has to be spent.”

Falk goes even further. He stressed that Bayern’s stance was unlikely to change unless something dramatic happened internally.

“Bayern wants to save money,” He added.

“Their stance will only change if Kim approaches the Bayern owners with a desire to leave and offers a transfer fee. This has not happened yet.”

A Premier League regular, but not Bayern-bound

Christian Falk’s news regarding the situation at Bayern Munich will certainly be good news for Crystal Palace.

Getting a major club off the list of interested clubs would be a boost, even if they face a battle to keep hold of the 25-year-old Frenchman this summer.

His consistency in England has cemented his reputation and there is likely to be interest either way.

In fact, it would be surprising if he wasn’t the next high-profile departure, especially if he goes to the World Cup with France. He is certainly looking forward to making it to the tournament this summer.

But have to switch to Bayern Munich ‘No solid possibility’ For now. According to Falk, his priorities lie elsewhere.

The first three rounds of the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament are in the rearview, and now we head to the Elite 8. On Saturday night, the biggest and best tournament in American sports resumes with only eight teams still standing. But who are the best teams left in the tournament?

We aim to answer that question with our rankings of the Elite 8 teams that will take the court this weekend.

RELATED: 2026 Elite Eight Predictions – Guessing Which Teams Will Make the Final Four

8.Iowa

While they were lost in the shadow of Iowa State during the regular season, Iowa returned to the big dance for the first time in three years this month and now have their state’s full attention after reaching the Elite 8. The main reason for an improbable run is a defense that allowed only 66.0 points to opponents during the season.

This played a major role in big wins against Clemson, Florida and then Nebraska in the Sweet 16.

7. Tennessee

Tennessee did not give the impression that they might be a problem in the NCAA Tournament as they went into the bracket having lost four of their last six. However, the six-seeds silenced their opponents with some very impressive play.

Led by future NBA draft pick Nate Ament and senior guard Ja’Coby Gillespie, the Volunteers defeated 3-seed Virginia and title contender Iowa State to reach the Elite 8 this weekend.

6. UConn

UConn looked to be a serious title contender once again for most of the season. However, in the last month of their campaign, they began to struggle and lost twice to St. John’s, including a blowout loss in the Big East Tournament.

However, under the bright lights of March Madness, Dan Hurley’s team has played much better and clinched their spot in the Elite 8 with a tough win over Michigan State.

5. Illinois

Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a force in the Big Ten and a frequent tournament participant. However, a major reason they are in the Elite 8 for the second time in three years is breakout star Keaton Wagler.

After a slow finish to the regular season, they have made their way through the NCAA Tournament. Scoring a trio of key wins, including an unexpected 10-point win over title contender Houston in the Sweet 16.

4. Purdue

Purdue has something most elite schools lack: top players with experience. It came up big when the Boilermakers needed it most, as after a tough end to the regular season, they were impressive en route to a Big Ten Tournament victory, and have continued that momentum into March Madness.

While their Sweet 16 win over Texas wasn’t easy, their veteran team heads into the Elite 8 for the second time in three seasons this weekend.

3.Michigan

Michigan has shown all season that head coach Dusty Mays has a team that can win the program’s first championship in nearly 40 years next week. Big Ten freshman Yaxel Lendeborg leads a dominant front court, in which the Wolverines were one of the 10 best scoring teams in the country during the regular season.

In their first three games of March Madness, they dominated their foes, including a dangerous Alabama team. However, the big thing on the Wolverines is that they have one of the easier paths to the Elite 8.

2. Duke

Duke had a vintage Blue Devils regular season due to the outstanding performance of ACC pitcher Cameron Boozer. The freshman, who stepped in to replace Cooper Flagg, led the team in points (he was also ninth best in the country), rebounds and assists during the regular season.

The potential No. 1 pick in the draft has been a huge accomplishment for his team in March Madness, especially in wins over St. John’s and Siena. While they have faced real resistance in the first three rounds, Duke continues to prove that they are at their best in crunch time.

1. Arizona

Arizona has been impressive throughout the 2025-26 season. Led by some stellar play from freshman Braden Burries and Big 12 player of the year Jaden Bradley, the Wildcats recorded wins over 12 top-25 teams during the season.

He has continued his excellent play in the NCAA Tournament. Posting dominant wins in every round, including a devastating 109-88 win over Final Four dark horse Arkansas.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

After the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to eight games with a 134-126 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green offered a measured assessment of their championship outlook.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, Green pointed to Luka Doncic’s influence on the Lakers’ recent surge, while also casting doubt on whether Los Angeles is strong enough defensively to make a deep title run.

“Luka is playing absolutely incredible. The irony is the Lakers are playing absolutely incredible, the irony is DeAndre Ayton is playing better, the irony is Marcus Smart is playing better. Because that’s the magic of Luka Doncic. Luka makes everybody around him better at the top of their game. So, you ask yourself how dangerous can they be in the playoffs? And other than me I’d say absolutely dangerous. No, but the other side of me knows better. You got Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same time, you always have a chance against anybody.”

Green’s comments come as the Lakers continue to gain momentum heading into the season behind their star duo of Doncic and LeBron James. Los Angeles has looked increasingly dangerous offensively in its recent run, with Doncic producing at a high level and James providing consistent playmaking, rebounding and veteran leadership.

Draymond Green likely to be a real contender on the Lakers:

“You ask yourself how dangerous they can be during the playoffs, besides me I want to say not dangerous at all but the other side of me knows better. You put Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the court at the same time… pic.twitter.com/kYEsPPMj43

– NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) 20 March 2026

Draymond Green evaluates Lakers’ title chances with LeBron James, Luka Doncic

The Lakers’ recent performance has solidified their position atop the Western Conference standings and reinforced the ceiling many have created with a roster built around two of the league’s most efficient offensive players. Doncic’s ability to control the pace, set up for teammates and generate efficient offense has added a different dimension to a team that already relies heavily on James in key moments.

Still, Green made it clear his main concern with the Lakers focuses on the other end of the floor.

“The teams that will put pressure on them that will make it difficult for them in the playoffs are making them guard. They’re not a great defensive team at all, do some fake things like some fake zone turns that turn into a guy. And in a playoff series if you’re doing that for maybe a game, maybe two games they figure out some plays to dice up and then you have to play routine defense and then it takes us back to the core issues of the Lakers. It’s been like this since the beginning of the season. I don’t know if they’re good enough defensively to ultimately win it, but they’ll always be dangerous in the playoffs.

This assessment captures the central question surrounding Los Angeles as the postseason approaches. The Lakers have enough offensive star power to challenge any opponent in a playoff series, but concerns remain about whether they can hold off consistently against the conference’s top teams in seven-game matchups.

For now, the Lakers continue their upward trend at a key point on the schedule. With the leadership of James and Doncic, Los Angeles has built momentum and positioned itself to enter the postseason as one of the Western Conference’s most intriguing teams, even if questions about its defensive ceiling remain unresolved.

It seems like many scouts and executives around the NBA aren’t too excited about the New York Knicks’ chances of reaching the NBA Finals this spring.

There is no doubt that the NY Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA at the moment. They have the fifth-best record in the league (42-25) and are in the top 10 in scoring (117.2) and points (110.9). Additionally, they have won over elite teams in the West like the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.

But that’s the regular season. The question on many NY Knicks fans’ minds is whether the inconsistent team can put everything together when it matters most in the playoffs. On Friday, SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley spoke with several NBA scouts and executives about how the team stacks up against other playoff teams in the East, and the reactions weren’t good.

Scouts and executives don’t like the NY Knicks’ chances against the East Elite this spring

First up, the Detroit Pistons. “(For the Knicks), how do you slow down (Cade) Cunningham? When he played at MSG (to start the second half of the season) he had his way against entire defenses, including (OG) Anunoby,” one scout said. New York lost the season series against Detroit 3–0 this season, often losing badly.

When it comes to the Boston Celtics, scouts and executives are leaning heavily on superstar Jayson Tatum following his return from rehabbing his torn ACL. He feels, despite being in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, Boston is now the team to beat this spring.

An executive told Begley, “Yes, there will be an adjustment period (from Tatum’s return), but they have won together in the past. I don’t think it will hurt them in any way.” “If Tatum gets his groove back, they’ll be the team to beat in the East. No disrespect to (the Knicks), but they’ve shown during the regular season that they’re the better team. If Tatum gets back to even 80 percent, that makes them obviously better.”

Another interesting opinion coming out of the report is that while the NY Knicks have the third-best record in the conference and will be favorites in the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, there is a real possibility of an upset if they meet in the conference semi-finals.

“History says you don’t have to worry about (James) Harden in big playoff games, but he’s playing at a high level for them. I wouldn’t want to deal with (Harden and Donovan Mitchell) for seven games,” one scout said.

So when it comes to matchups against the three teams that will be the biggest threats in the conference, the game’s scouts and executives aren’t feeling confident about the NY Knicks’ chances in this year’s playoffs.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

As experts and fans continue to ponder whether the San Antonio Spurs are actually true NBA Championship contenders, one team after another is indicating that they are. The performance of the young core on the franchise’s annual rodeo road trip highlights another sign – at least by their standards – that they are taking the next step.

The annual excursion that takes the Spurs away from their home for a month began during the 2002–2003 season when the organization moved to a new arena. The Spurs went 8-1 that year as the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo took over their building. This is a road trip mark that no Silver and Black team has ever been able to surpass. In ’03, the Silver and Black used it down the stretch to reach the franchise’s second championship.

Two years later, the Spurs claimed a third title after going 5–2, representing the third Rodeo Road Trip in franchise history. In June 2007, the Spurs again held the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Four months earlier, he had posted 4-4 marks within February. Seven years after that, they went 6-3 in a 28-day span en route to the 2014 championship.

Between and immediately following their fifth title, the franchise never held a losing record on the Rodeo Road Trip:

2004: 6-1
2006: 6-2
2008: 6-3
2009: 5-3

2010: 4-4
2011: 6-3
2012: 8-1
2013: 7-2
2015: 4-5
2016: 7-1
2017: 6-2

It’s probably not a coincidence that ’17 also marks the last time the Spurs advanced to the conference finals. Beginning with the Rodeo Road Trip in 2003 and thereafter, the organization reached the league semi-finals nine times.

Rodeo road trip success declines for Spurs

From the 2017-’18 season through the campaign ending in the spring of 2023, the Spurs never once achieved a winning record — other than a three-game trip in 2021 that was significantly shortened due to COVID restrictions. Otherwise, the organization struggled every February:

2018: 2-4

2019: 1-7

2020: 2-6

2022: 4-4

2023: 1-8

The Spurs qualified for the playoffs in ’18 before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the first round. The following season they again made the postseason, taking on the second-seeded Denver Nuggets before losing in Game 7.

The franchise has not made the playoffs, breaking the NBA record of 22 consecutive appearances.

Victor Wembanyama’s first experience with the franchise’s two-decade tradition also represented one of its worst performances as the Silver and Black went 1–8 for the second consecutive rodeo road trip.

Then they went 3-7 last year.

This time, February included an impressive 11–0 record, marking the third time in franchise history that the team has gone undefeated in a calendar month (minimum ten games) and the club’s longest winning streak since 2015–16. Seven of those 11 wins came on the road, including wins against the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers.

Officially, the Spurs went 6-1 on the Rodeo Road Trip this year. In reality, they won eight of nine away from the Frost Bank Center when their two annual ‘home’ games in Austin were included in the expansion.

That 8–1 mark matched the 2002–03 team’s record. Now we wait to see if these Spurs match that Championship team in any other way.

Despite their up-and-down campaign, Stephen Curry remains adamant that if the Golden State Warriors qualify for the playoffs, it will be a tough fight for anyone.

warriors want to capture the fort Curry still out with knee injury. Although his MRI revealed no structural damage, the two-time MVP will remain out and will be reevaluated in 10 days, according to the Warriors.

The Warriors remain in eighth place in the team standings with a 29-27 record after losing to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Jimmy Butler is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Kristaps Porzingis is still trying to adjust to the team after being acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline.

However, the 37-year-old Curry has full confidence in the Warriors.

“It’s been a unique year, but as long as we can find our way into a playoff series, we think we’re going to be tough for anybody at the top of the West,” Curry said in an interview with ESPN.

“With Porzingis here, hopefully, he’s healthy and able to be out there consistently because we know what he’s capable of.”

The 30-year-old Porzingis made his debut for the Warriors against the Celtics and scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 17 minutes off the bench.

The oft-injured star, who is recovering from a long illness, could be the interior threat Golden State has been waiting for. He has also proven to be a reliable rim protector.

The Warriors still have a chance to avoid the play-in tournament, but they need added urgency to get more wins even without Curry.

On Sunday, the NBA All-Star Game begins at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, with Lakers star LeBron James taking part in the festivities. James was recently made ineligible for the All-NBA team this year due to his absence from the lineup this season, but he will still be in uniform for fans during All-Star weekend.

It’s been an up-and-down season so far for the Lakers, and recently, James has been 100% honest on his team’s title chances entering the extension of the campaign.

According to Brett Siegel, formerly of ClutchPoints, on Twitter, James said, “Our success will depend on our health.”

Health has actually been a major question mark for the Lakers at times this season, as James missed the early portion of the campaign, and Austin Reaves was recently sidelined for nearly a month in the midst of his breakout campaign.

Lakers star Luka Doncic has also been out of the lineup for the past few games, although he will be able to participate in Sunday’s All-Star Game.

Even when fully healthy, many pundits are skeptical of the Lakers’ ability to compete for a championship, given the lack of two-way players on the roster. While Los Angeles has the offensive firepower to compete with anyone, there aren’t many above-average defenders on the roster, a problem that was fully exposed by the Minnesota Timberwolves during last year’s playoffs.

Still, as James said, staying healthy will greatly help this Lakers team maximize its chances in April, and so far, that has been a big challenge for the team in 2025-26.

In any case, the All-Star Game is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 5:00 PM ET. Meanwhile, the Lakers will next be at home against the Clippers on Friday.