Month: February 2025

Tyon Grant-Foster scores 19 as GCU secures win over Tarleton State

STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — Tyon Grant-Foster had 19 points in Grand Canyon’s 64-60 victory over Tarleton State on Thursday night.

Grant-Foster also added eight rebounds for the Antelopes (18-6, 8-2 Western Athletic Conference). Duke Brennan scored 12 points and added 14 rebounds. JaKobe Coles shot 4 of 10 from the field and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points, while adding five rebounds and three blocks.

The Texans (10-16, 5-6) were led by Dantwan Grimes, who posted 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals. Jordan Mizell added 15 points, six rebounds and two steals for Tarleton State. Izzy Miles had 15 points.

GCU’s win on Thursday keeps the ‘Lopes within reach of Utah Valley (17-7, 9-1) for first place in the WAC.

Next up

Both teams play on Saturday. Grand Canyon visits UT Arlington while Tarleton State hosts Seattle.




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Judge dismisses defamation claims made by ex-Cardinals exec

A federal judge in district court in Arizona on Thursday dismissed claims of defamation made by former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough, his wife and daughter against the team, its law firm and public relations firm.

Judge Dominic Lanza also granted the motion to compel arbitration made by the law firm and PR firm regarding McDonough’s claims of defamation, removing them from federal court.

Last year, an NFL arbitrator ordered the Cardinals to pay nearly $3 million to McDonough for making “false and defamatory” statements about him to the media.

Jeffrey Mishkin, the arbitrator appointed by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, determined Arizona defamed McDonough in a CounterPoint Statement that accused him of “extreme domestic violence” and claimed he “abandoned responsibility” for his daughter and “cut her off financially.”

McDonough’s claims for unlawful retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy were dismissed. He sought up to $125 million in total damages.

Following the decision, McDonough, his wife, Lynette, and daughter, Caroline, filed a lawsuit alleging defamation and other related claims by the defendants: the Cardinals, their external law firm (Gallagher & Kennedy) and external PR firm (Counterpoint).

Judge Lanza determined the claims were unwarranted.

“We are pleased with the federal court ruling today in which a United States District Judge dismissed all of the McDonough claims against the team,” a team spokesman said in a statement.

McDonough worked 10 seasons for Arizona’s front office, including several years as vice president of player personnel.




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2025 NFL mock draft tracker: Arizona Cardinals

The book is officially closed on the Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 campaign.

You know what that means? It’s NFL mock draft season!

There are plenty of shapes Arizona’s No. 16 overall pick can take given the team’s needs.

Does Arizona focus on a pass rusher? Does it trade the selection altogether for added draft capital? Maybe some premium veteran talent?

There’s definitely a lot of ways this can go, making for an eventful — and potentially chaotic — pre-draft season.

But don’t you worry! To help keep your head from spinning, our annual Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker is back up and running.

Here you’ll find a boatload of mocks from analysts around the NFL, leading up to the first round of the draft.


2025 Arizona Sports NFL Mock Draft Tracker: Who will the Arizona pick?

Player Position School Mocked to Arizona (number of times)
James Pearce EDGE Tennessee 13
Jalon Walker LB/EDGE Georgia 10
Derrick Harmon DT Oregon 8
Kenneth Grant DL Michigan 7
Mykel Williams EDGE Georgia 4
Mike Green EDGE Marshall 4
Tyler Booker OG Alabama 3
Shemar Stewart DL Texas A&M 3
Walter Nolen DL Ole Miss 3
Josh Simmons OT Ohio State 2
Armand Membou OT Missouri 2
Benjamin Morrison CB Notre Dame 1
Princely Umanmielen EDGE Ole Miss 1
Nic Scourton EDGE Texas A&M 1
Luther Burden III WR Missouri 1
Kelvin Banks OT Texas 1
Trade 1
Jahdae Barron CB Texas 1
Matthew Golden WR Texas 1

Feb. 12

FTN (Mike Randle) Mike Randle’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 — Grant

Feb. 11

Pro Football Network (Owain Jones) Browns Select Abdul Carter as Myles Garrett’s Replacement, Ashton Jeanty Goes Top 10, and More — Pearce

NFL.com (Chad Reuter) Jets make deal for quarterback in one of five first-round trades — The Broncos send the No. 20 overall pick and a third- and sixth-round selection to the Cardinals in exchange for the No. 16 pick and fifth-rounder.

33rd Team (Kyle Crabbs) Post-Super Bowl Predictions For Entire First Round — Grant

CBS Sports (Mike Renner) Browns, Giants pass on Shedeur Sanders; Chiefs get Patrick Mahomes protection — Stewart

Feb. 10

SB Nation (Joseph Acosta) New No. 1 pick to Titans shapes post-Super Bowl projection — Harmon

USA Today (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz) Could Abdul Carter threaten for top spot with first-round order set? — Nolen

Bleacher Report (staff) B/R NFL Scouting Dept.’s Post-Super Bowl Picks — Barron

The Athletic (Nick Baumgardner) After Super Bowl LIX, how might first three rounds look? — Green

Feb. 9

Pro Football Network (Ian Cummings) Cam Ward Goes First Overall, Ashton Jeanty Joins Tom Brady — Pearce

PFF (Trevor Sikkema) Abdul Carter goes No. 1, Chiefs target the trenches — Pearce

The Draft Network (Ryan Fowler) NFL Mock Draft 2025: Super Bowl LIX Edition — Golden

Feb. 8

Covers (Andrew Caley) 2025 NFL Mock Draft Version 1: Titans Grab Miami QB Cam Ward at No. 1 — Walker

Feb. 7

NFL Network (Cynthia Frelund) 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Shedeur Sanders to Saints; Steelers among 5 teams to go WR — Pearce

CBS Sports (Tom Fornelli) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Every NFC East club addresses offense except Eagles; Ashton Jeanty falls to surprise team — Pearce

Pro Football Network (Marco Enriquez) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Browns Replace Myles Garrett, Giants Land Shedeur Sanders, Bears Add to Their Offense — Walker

Feb. 6

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Raiders trade up to secure a QB, Colorado star lands in the Big Apple — Nolen

Feb. 4

Pro Football Network (Reese Decker) 3-Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders Heads to Broadway, Browns Get Their QB, and Raiders Add a Blue-Chip and a QB — Pearce

Feb. 3

For The Win (Christian D’Andrea) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders, welcome to Cleveland — Pearce

Pro Football Focus (Mason Cameron) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Penn State’s Abdul Carter goes No. 1, Browns select QB Cam Ward at No. 2 — Walker

Bleacher Report (Erik Beaston) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Pro Bowl Projections for 1st-Round Prospects — Membou

NFL Network (Lance Zierlein) Lance Zierlein 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Giants land Travis Hunter; Bengals add WR for Joe Burrow — Booker

CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson) 2025 NFL mock draft: Browns select Mason Graham to shore up D-line; Giants pick Shedeur Sanders at No. 3 — Stewart

Feb. 2

The Draft Network (Justin Melo) NFL Mock Draft 2025: Post-Senior Bowl — Green

Pro Football Network (Jacob Infante) Titans Surprise and Pass on QB, Raiders Land Shedeur Sanders in Dream Scenario, and More — Walker

Feb. 1

For The Numbers (Jeff Ratcliffe) Jeff Ratcliffe’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 — Grant

Jan. 31

NFL.com (Eric Edholm) Eric Edholm 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders to New York! A top-five tight end? — Williams

Jan. 30

RotoBaller (Matt Donnelly) 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 – Pre-Senior Bowl Mock for First Round — Walker

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Titans punt on taking QB in first round; Patriots, Raiders select skill players in top 10 — Pearce

Arizona Republic (Theo Mackie) NFL mock draft 2025: Tennessee Titans aim for a top QB at No. 1, Penn State star moves up — Green

Pro Football Network (staff) Titans Make Massive Deal To Shake Up Round 1, Shedeur Sanders Slides, Ashton Jeanty Cracks Top 10 — Pearce

Jan. 29

Yahoo! Sports (Nate Tice and Charles McDonald) 2025 NFL mock draft 5.0: Titans take ‘generational’ talent, while QBs go 2-3 and Jets get a steal — Walker

NFL.com (Bucky Brooks) Bucky Brooks 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Titans take Shedeur Sanders at No. 1; Ashton Jeanty to Dallas — Pearce

Jan. 28

The Athletic (Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman) How many QBs in Rounds 1-2? Could Abdul Carter be Titans’ top pick? — Harmon

Pro Football Network (staff) Shedeur Sanders Lands in Tennessee, Ashton Jeanty New RB1 for the Cowboys — Grant

Jan. 27

CBS Sports (Josh Edwards) Commanders invest in protecting Jayden Daniels; Cowboys get Dak Prescott a new playmaker — Pearce

Pro Football Focus (Max Chadwick) Travis Hunter goes No. 1, Cam Ward joins Browns and more — Membou

The 33rd Team (Kyle Crabbs) Updated Predictions For Every First-Round Pick — Simmons

Draft Wire (Curt Popejoy) 2025 NFL draft: Post conference championship 2-round mock draft update — Banks

Jan. 26

The Draft Network (Keith Sanchez) NFL Mock Draft 2025: Pre-Senior Bowl — Pearce

Jan. 25

NFL Network (Daniel Jeremiah) – Daniel Jeremiah 2025 NFL mock draft 1.0: Titans boost defense with first pick; Giants, Raiders select QBs — Walker

ESPN (Mel Kiper Jr.) – 2025 NFL mock draft: Mel Kiper’s Round 1 pick predictions — Booker

Jan. 14




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Shorthanded Suns put up fight, lose steam vs. Rockets

The Phoenix Suns fought like hell in Wednesday’s 119-111 loss to the Houston Rockets, an admirable effort while so shorthanded but still a performance when their key problems persisted.

Houston scored 28 points off Phoenix’s 18 turnovers. Tyus Jones had a career-high six of them, the majority of which came on passes to Kevin Durant that were free points the other way. Durant’s shot-making was sublime, but he had seven of his own to go with 37 points (15-for-22) and nine assists. The Suns were +5 in his 42 minutes.

Jones has gone through some rough struggles in each of the last two months, especially on defense where teams have been relentless hunting him. While he’s being asked to not play a role he ever has as an off-ball offensive player, he has to make shots and take care of the ball like anyone else in those spots. The logical decision is to move Jones to the bench but that is when things get awkward, with the potential guarantees the Suns made him to bring him in on a veteran’s minimum contract coming into the fold.

The Rockets also won second-chance points 19-14, areas where Phoenix continues to not finish possessions and lose focus for other easy opportunities.

The Suns were without their three best guards, making any semblance of offensive rhythm a monumental task.

Devin Booker played 26 straight games to start the year before missing five and then was at 22 in a row prior to getting ruled out for Wednesday’s last game before the All-Star break due to a low back contusion. Booker was bracing for contact after landing with both feet on a finish around the rim on Tuesday, and when falling afterward, landed on his back.

This is the eighth patch of games Bradley Beal has been out for, now at four fixtures in a row due to a sprain in his left big toe. With 53 games played last year and 37 this season, Beal has missed 35% of his possible games for Phoenix since arriving. It might be worse that none of this is due to a serious long-term injury and instead smaller nagging stuff. For reference and those saying to your screen, “What did you expect?”, Beal played 79% of his possible games for the Washington Wizards in 11 seasons.

Grayson Allen has had a bothersome left knee for the past two seasons and sees it flare up from time to time. He was listed as probable for Tuesday’s loss and logged just 20 minutes, so it was reasonable to expect he wasn’t going to suit up in Houston.

For the Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. (right metacarpal fracture) and Fred VanVleet (right ankle strain) remain out.

This was not as lopsided of a matchup coming in as you’d think.

Houston snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday in a deplorable basketball contest against the Toronto Raptors. For the standard sports trope of “they sure look like they could use the break coming up,” that is the Rockets. Head coach Ime Udoka has criticized his team over this stretch, at one point saying they looked like one of the softest teams in the league.

VanVleet is not having a good year but Houston’s offense is completely aimless without him. While Jalen Green and Amen Thompson are two highly talented players, there is no rhythm or consistent ball movement when playing through the pair.

Across the opening 8:35 during which Houston scored 22 points, only five of those came when it was not via a foul, offensive rebound, turnover or in transition. The Rockets’ half-court offense was as bad as expected and this is how they’ve made up for it all year. Phoenix shot over 50% in that opening burst but had just a two-point lead, the game script in many Suns losses the last two years.

But Phoenix halted those types of giveaways to Houston in the second quarter, and all it took was a brief spurt offensively at the end of the half to lead by six.

Durant reignited to begin his heater to open the second half and extend the lead to 11 before the Suns’ bad habits emerged expeditiously. Houston went on a 13-1 run in 2:32 to reclaim the lead.

Take away both of those back-breaking stretches in the beginning quarters of each half that were totally self-inflicted and the Suns would have been up over 20.

For the second straight quarter, though, Phoenix put up a giant spurt at the end of a period to snatch it. This one was 11-2 to go up eight entering the fourth quarter.

With Durant at 32 minutes and having played 43 the night prior, the question would be how long the Suns could afford to be without him on the floor. Phoenix missed a few jump shots and the Rockets got comfortable shots to immediately go on a 6-0 run in under 90 seconds. A Suns timeout was called and Durant checked back in.

If the Suns weren’t on the second game of a back-to-back, that would have been fine and they would have been able to grind out a closely contested finish. But the cracks were going to start, erm, cracking further to make things easier for Houston if it just kept trying to win in its usual areas.

Back-to-back Phoenix turnovers put Houston up three with under eight minutes remaining, its largest lead of the game since the mid-second quarter.

Another live-ball turnover two minutes later got the Rockets back ahead by three before a Bol Bol 3 tied it up. But then he committed goaltending and traveled, which led to a Green pull-up 3 out of a timeout to see the Houston lead grow to five at 3:28 remaining.

Durant missed an iso baseline fallaway and Houston’s Alperen Sengun bullied his way into free throws, only to whiff on both. Durant found a driving lane for a dunk to make it a one-score game but Dillon Brooks drilled a 3 to officially put the Suns into catch-up territory they are not equipped to survive in.

Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer went with two-way contract members in Collin Gillespie and TyTy Washington Jr. as part of a nine-man rotation. Gillespie provided nine points and three assists while Washington added 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. Both guys played well.

Houston’s Tari Eason had 25 points (11-of-16) with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. He was one of five Rockets starters with at least 17 points. Durant was the only Suns starter to go beyond 15.

The Rockets own by far the worst assist percentage in the NBA and amounted to 32 assists in this game, while the Suns had just 25. Phoenix’s 26 3-pont attempts to Houston’s 42 was further indicative of that gap.




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Eagles’ Super Bowl solidifies Cardinals’ biggest need

“Defense wins championships.” The Philadelphia Eagles proved just that in Super Bowl LIX behind an impressive 40-22 beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rattling quarterback Patrick Mahomes through four full quarters of action, Philadelphia left no doubt that it was the superior team on Sunday.

The showing also left little doubt in what the Arizona Cardinals must accomplish this offseason if they hope to continue their upward trend with a postseason berth in Year 3 of the current regime.

While offensive line and a vertical deep threat are among positions of need for Arizona ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, upgrading the team’s defensive front sits well above the rest.

As Arizona Sports’ Ron Wolfley likes to say, “the game is won at the line of scrimmage.”

He’s not wrong. The Eagles defense only helped solidify that with this one massive stat against a tough Chiefs offense:

Across Mahomes’ 42 dropbacks on Sunday, Philadelphia racked up 16 pressures and six sacks without a single blitz. Per Next Gen Stats, that’s only the fourth instance a defense didn’t blitz in a game in the Next Gen Stats era.

This wasn’t accomplished by some massive free agent overhaul, either.

The Eagles’ main contributors up front — Josh Sweat (2018), Milton Williams (2021), Jordan Davis (2023) and Jalyx Hunt (2024) — all came over as draft picks in recent years. They accounted for all six of Philadelphia’s sacks on Sunday. And that’s before mentioning cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell (2024) and Cooper DeJean (2024).

For the Cardinals to continue their positive trajectory, it’s all about using those lottery tickets we all call draft picks much like the Eagles did to bolster the front.

It’s not like Arizona hasn’t already begun that process, either.

Dante Stills has exceeded expectations and carved out a nice rotational role for himself these past two seasons. Only Zaven Collins had more sacks for Arizona this season with five, compared to Stills’ 4.5.

2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson saw his rookie season delayed due to a calf injury and the passing of his mother but had flashes across a six-game sample size.

Still, reinforcements are needed for a defense that came in 28th in pass-rush win rate (33%) and 20th in run-stop win rate (30%). The NFL Draft, which is shaping up to have tons of interior defensive line depth, is a great starting point.

But for as much as Arizona needs to hit on young defenders in the draft, general manager Monti Ossenfort must take a swing or two in free agency or via trade.

Myles Garrett might be the biggest fish in the acquisition pond this offseason (and for good reason) but he’s far from the only defender Arizona should be keeping tabs on, especially after what we all watched Sweat and Williams do to Mahomes and the Chiefs offensive line.

Adding either would be an instant upgrade while also giving head coach Jonathan Gannon a familiar face from his defensive coordinator days in Philadelphia. In addition to Sweat’s championship showing, the pass rusher racked up eight sacks, nine tackles for loss and 15 QB hits across 16 regular season games. Milton chipped in 5.0, seven TFLs and 10 QB hits in 17 games.

And with $67.8 million in effective cap space as of Tuesday, according to OverTheCap, Arizona has money to spend in 2025. That being said, Sweat and Williams are likely going to command a big number. Think four-year, $80 million range.

The potential overpay might be worth it, though, after seeing what defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was able to conjure up as the season progressed. Despite being at a talent deficit defensively, Rallis saw the unit improve as the season went behind his creativity and players stepping up into roles.

Can you imagine getting a guy like Sweat or Williams for Rallis to throw into the mix? I can just see the added turnovers — something Arizona must improve upon after registering 17 in 2024 — caused by their ruckus in the backfield now.

The benefits go beyond the defense

Not only would adding a game wrecker like Sweat or Williams improve Arizona’s defense, it could also have an impact on the offense.

With Mahomes and the Chiefs in check, quarterback Jalen Hurts didn’t have to put the team on his back, play hero ball or force things.

Instead, he served as an All-Star point guard picking and choosing his moments while the defense did its thing.

Complementary football was on display at its finest on Sunday.

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has talked time and time again about not having to be Superman. Now, he’s still got to pull his weight offensively heading into Year 7 but getting him some help on the other side of the football could do wonders for the signal caller and unit as a whole.




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Arizona goes cold from deep in loss at Kansas State

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Arizona missed a desperation heave at the buzzer, and Dug McDaniel scored a season-high 24 points to lead Kansas State past No. 13 Arizona 73-70 on Tuesday night for its sixth straight victory — four against ranked opponents.

The loss ended Arizona’s six-game winning streak. It falls out of pace with No. 6 Houston for first place in the conference, but a matchup between the two sides will come on Saturday in Tucson.

David N’Guessan had 16 points and seven rebounds for the resurgent K-State (13-11, 7-6 Big 12), who lost six in a row right before this winning streak. C.J. Jones added 10 points, and McDaniel finished with five steals, four rebounds and three assists.

KJ Lewis led his team (17-7, 11-2) with 15 points off the bench. He bullied K-State’s Max Jones into a turnover and took it the other way to give his team the lead midway through the second half, but it wasn’t able to sustain.

Jaden Bradley had 13 points, Henri Veesaar scored 12 and Tobe Awaka added 10 for Arizona, which lost for only the second time since Dec. 14.

It shot 9.1% as a team from 3, with Caleb Love’s 0-for-7 night standing out. Love surpassed 2,500 career points with six (3-for-15 shooting) on the night.

Arizona caught a break late in the first half with a goaltending call from about 90 seconds earlier getting reversed at a timeout when it was clear as day that freshman forward Carter Bryant hit the ball off the backboard. However, when Arizona took a seven-point advantage shortly after for its largest lead of the game, K-State responded with a 13-0 run to take a six-point lead at the break.


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Rotation quibbles hang over Suns’ fight for postseason spot

PHOENIX — The dueling forces for what direction the Phoenix Suns should go in the future are actively playing a role in their current season.

Phoenix is 26-26, certifiably mid, as the kids say. Ever since starting the year 9-2, it has become clearer by the day that the Suns are not even an eagle’s eyesight within fulfilling their potential. It has inspired constant conversations about how they need to move forward.

It’s not just what they do with the roster in the offseason, though. It’s what they do with it for the remaining 30 games this year on the court.

Rotation choices are often a tiring and inconsequential subplot that annoyingly make up the majority of criticism from fans, but to stop being the old man telling you to get off my lawn, the protests this season have more meaning than they did previously.

Phoenix has to get bigger and more athletic. Look at the Suns’ direct competition at the top of the Western Conference for how they have to catch up in this department. You can also watch even the worst teams in the league like Charlotte, Toronto, Utah and Washington, where you’ll see those types of players too.

The Suns have added two recently in rookie wing Ryan Dunn and center Nick Richards. But because the two lack experience and are prone to the small mental mistakes that come with that, they are getting passed over for knowledgeable veterans by a coach trying to maximize every bit he can so his team is playing in the postseason.

Dunn and Richards, however, will only learn with, well, experience. Richards is older at 27 in his fifth NBA season but lacks reps in winning situations where execution triumphs everything, while Dunn’s ultra valuable to a Suns as a first-round pick for a franchise lacking homegrown talent.

The blueprint for how the Suns have to start winning games in this stretch run was a defiant win over the Warriors in which the energy from that pair to begin the second half swung the game.

To start with Richards, in the five non-blowouts he’s played in since starting, he’s only closed one of them. In those five games, he’s played a combined 14:05 in the fourth quarter. And over the last eight total contests, he’s at 22.3 minutes per game while backup Mason Plumlee is close behind at 19.7.

For long-time pod listeners, they will be well versed in “The Abdul Nader Rule,” a reference point for whenever you can’t exactly tell why a player is getting run, like Nader did under Monty Williams. That is because, like Nader, they are doing exactly what the coaching staff wants. Or, more accurately, needs.

Plumlee, a 12-year veteran, has 1,050 career minutes in the postseason alone. While he can’t move like Richards and lacks Richards’ explosion around the basket, Plumlee knows where to be. Richards is still figuring that out.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer was asked after practice on Monday some areas of improvement for Richards in order for him to close games more frequently.

“Part of it is I think just familiarly and knowing everything,” he said. “You have to have more reps, you have to have more time, you have to have more time of hearing what we’re calling, running a side out of bounds, and underneath out of bounds, a defensive coverage, an adjustment to a defensive coverage. You can’t make up for a training camp and makeup for all that time just instantaneously.

“So I think he’s just gotta continue to get as many reps as he can, take it all in, process it and be ready to do it to close a game. I think there is decision-making, passing, when to go get a basket, things like that where he’s gotta continue to grow. Defensively, communicating, letting people know where he is and what he’s doing. But he’s overall been good. To finish is probably maybe that next level.”

Despite what the eye test says with Plumlee’s proclivity for frustrating fans, in the 12 games Richards has played, Plumlee has the team’s highest net rating at 3.3. Richards, meanwhile, has the second lowest on the team at -5.8, per NBA Stats.

On offense, even if Plumlee has those bizarre rolls to the basket when he has a fairly clear lane to shoot and will instead pass, he’s making those passes on the move with relative consistency while finding those pockets of space routinely. Richards is not a playmaking big, so that’s a part of the Suns offense that came into the season with only playmaking centers Richards will have to keep improving at.

On defense, opposing teams have been targeting Richards more often. Portland in the blowout Suns loss ran a lob to Deandre Ayton to open each half, so Richards wound up defending Toumani Camara, only for Camara to then find himself the beneficiary.

From the untrained eye, one of the minor mistakes Richards can make is going for too many opportunities to block shots, leaving the Suns compromised from a rebounding perspective.

But in an example of how the Suns want Richards to play and how even some of the above clips are not totally on Richards, Budenholzer shut down that notion entirely.

“No I want him to go block shots,” he said. “I would like for the guys maybe in front of him to be better and not put him in those spots. We gotta be good defensively as a group and maybe rely less on him. But if there’s opportunity and there’s need for him to protect the rim, we need other guys that have his back and are getting hits and taking care of him when he does come to block shots.”

With a question based around the weak-side defender that has to help take on Richards’ rebounding position when he contests shots, Budenholzer started with dribble penetration. He confirmed that’s just as much of the problem, if not more.

“Yeah, if there’s penetration — and this league’s hard,” he said. “We want to keep the ball in front of us, we want to keep the ball out of the paint but there’s a realistic side to where he’s gotta be a weak-side shot-blocker. He’s gotta come and make an impact there and we gotta help him on that weak-side glass.”

Dunn’s lack of minutes has been far more befuddling. The Suns need exactly what he is, a large wing that denies dribble penetration. And he’s also showing progress!

Dunn is at 14.4 minutes per game over his last five. Some of this does have to do with a recent ankle injury for Dunn, but he said after Saturday’s loss it feels 100%, so scratch that now.

Like Richards, there is still some catching up to do for Dunn. He’s a rookie picking things up. Dunn’s net rating is the only one over these dozen games lower than Richards’ and it’s way down there at -11.3. On the entire season, it’s a far more tolerable -3.5.

Dunn has been a good NBA defender as a rookie through the learning curve, a legitimate feat for newbies, and obviously is going to grow into much more. The encouragement for his growth began building with his initial burst of confidence as a shooter offensively before it has now turned into how viable Dunn is as a contributor scoring the ball.

His 3-point shot is around where it was expected to land, 31.4%, and that is what is likely eating at his minutes the most since Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones are all guys who play off Kevin Durant and Devin Booker with far more reliable 3-point shots that all sit above 40%.

But a lot of the pessimism for how Dunn looked as a prospect and could earn the ill-fated “zero” label on offense has not come to fruition at all.

Dunn has benefitted greatly from the league’s space, something hypothesized last summer thanks to his school Virginia’s plodding pace.

His best offensive skill in two collegiate seasons was as a play finisher, a position he played in by getting used as a screener. Phoenix has wisely put him there more often.

The key shot for him to continue to grow more efficient with is his floater. Both Dunn and fellow rookie Oso Ighodaro are not looking to barrel into the lane to finish through contact and draw a foul. That can still be overcome by having touch in front of the rim protectors, and Dunn is shooting a very good 31-for-62 (50%) from 5-14 feet, per Cleaning the Glass.

The screening actions allow him to get to that floater.

Dunn has began piecing together when to take advantage of his lack of gravity as a poor shooter. Ironically enough, the guy he was potentially nearly traded for in Jimmy Butler is who he should be watching more tape of this summer. Players are taught to maximize spacing and stretch the floor but there is always a window to slash into the space once the ball-handler begins attacking. The guy guarding Dunn is naturally going to be lackadaisical and drift away at times, so he has to be aggressive with that.

Dunn’s improvement with this has been great to see.

And the golden ticket has been more straight-line driving, a skill every NBA wing must have. These have to be rapid and decisive, the exact descriptors Dunn’s Virginia tape would have told you is going to be too much of an ask. But he’s doing it more.

Add those with opportunities in transition and on the offensive glass, plus the 3s that drop, and that’s how simple it can be to go from a guy struggling to touch double digits to being there nearly every night. In the 12 games Dunn has reached ’em, he’s made over two triples just four times, a testament to him finding other areas to score.

Across an 11-game spurt from late December to mid-January, Dunn was averaging 11.6 points per game and shooting 52% from the field. Two games later, he sprained his ankle. As Dunn will learn, that’s life in the NBA. Now that his ankle is OK, the Suns have to get Dunn back on track with the quite frankly amazing offensive progress he was showing.

There are no easy answers for how the Suns achieve this. The solution for Richards to get more time is easy enough. But more Dunn means less Allen, O’Neale or Jones, valuable veterans. That’s before getting to the newly acquired Cody Martin, who should play too. And then there’s Bol Bol, who has sparked the team in back-to-back outings and is still only 25 years old! Time will tell if the Suns are able to embrace development while desperately trying to hang around in the postseason picture.




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Jayden Quaintance ‘out for period of time’ with ankle sprain

Arizona State Sun Devils center Jayden Quaintance is going to miss some time after rolling his ankle in Sunday’s loss against Oklahoma State, head coach Bobby Hurley told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday.

“Feel awful for Jayden. He was just sprinting down the middle of the floor and kind of got taken out and his legs undercut,” Hurley said. “He rolled his ankle pretty good. There was quite a bit of swelling in there. Was just hoping for the best when we got him to campus for his doctor’s appointment yesterday and the imaging that we took.

“Everything was fairly positive on that end, but he’s going to be out for a period of time now to let all that swelling quiet down. He’s got an ankle sprain right now.”

The freshman recorded three points, three steals and a block in nine minutes before leaving Sunday’s matchup.

It’s the same ankle Quaintance tweaked in practice ahead of ASU’s loss to then-No.3 Iowa State in January. Quaintance ended up playing through the injury against Iowa State, but missed ASU’s following game at Colorado.

In 22 games played (all starts), Quaintance is averaging 9.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 blocks across 30.4 minutes per game.

Reinforcements on the way with Quaintance sidelined

While Quaintance’s timeline for a return is up in the air, the same can’t be said for senior guards Adam Miller and BJ Freeman.

Hurley expects the pair back for ASU’s game against Texas Tech on Wednesday after both were suspended for the Oklahoma State game.

“We saw both guys yesterday at the facility. Both guys got some work in on their own. We’ve moved past that,” Hurley said. “It’s been a tough stretch. A lot of frustration, a lot of close losses. Both guys were very contrite about how they felt about the situation. They’re just excited to get back with the group today and practice.”

Miller was ejected during the Sun Devils’ 71-70 loss to Kansas State and received a flagrant 2 foul. It was ruled a fighting ejection, implementing the suspension.

Freeman sat out against the Cowboys due to conduct detrimental to the team.




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Suns facing pressure post-NBA trade deadline

The Phoenix Suns’ NBA trade deadline was far from what a lot of people had in mind after missing out on now-Golden State Warrior Jimmy Butler.

As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst put it Monday, Phoenix’s deadline “fell flat.” Throwing out Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal as potential trade pieces didn’t help matters, either.

Because of those factors — plus Phoenix’s luxury tax situation — Windhorst has the Suns among five teams facing the most pressure post-NBA trade deadline.

They’re mired in the second apron of the luxury tax, limiting ways to change the roster, and sit at .500 with the toughest remaining schedule in the league. Beal’s no-trade clause is padlocked in place, and Durant has just a year left on his contract and appears headed for a showdown with the team if he doesn’t want to extend this summer.

What’s worse than underachieving? Being expensive and inflexible, too. The story writes itself. Getting out of this will be a chore.

Following Saturday’s 122-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Suns at 26-26 head into this week hanging onto the final play-in tournament spot by a thread.

Golden State is right behind Phoenix at 26-26. The Suns sit ahead of the Warriors thanks to their 2-1 head-to-head mark.

And it’s not going to get any easier for the Suns having the toughest remaining schedule in the league on top of what could be an eventful summer.

The Suns’ actions indicate they know they’re in trouble, and they’re examining how to dig themselves out. They needed to — and did — explore trading Durant even though it upset him, and they needed to offload salary to get some future flexibility. And they moved in this direction, trading Jusuf Nurkic with a first-round pick on deadline day, saving $130 million in salary and taxes this year and next.

There will likely be more unsavory medicine to ingest this summer, when Durant’s future with the franchise comes back into question. How the Suns handle it and how well they execute a possible Durant trade is vital to their future.

Suns not the only NBA team facing the pressure

In addition to Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks rounded out Windhorst’s pressure list.

Seeing Dallas crack the top five shouldn’t come as a big surprise following its surprise dealing of star Luka Doncic to L.A. in exchange for a trade package centered around Anthony Davis.

Davis left his Mavericks debut with a non-contact injury and will reportedly miss multiple weeks with a left adductor strain.

Before exiting, Davis had racked up 29 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks across 31 minutes.

Doncic, meanwhile, will make his Lakers debut Monday night against the Utah Jazz.




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Thomas Detry wins WM Phoenix Open in 7-shot romp

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Thomas Detry nearly aced the rowdy 16th hole in a stretch of four closing birdies, shooting a 6-under 65 on Sunday to win the Phoenix Open by seven shots for his first PGA Tour victory.

A year after soggy conditions led to multiple delays, perfect weather greeted players at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. The fans also were on their best behavior — as much as they can be at the PGA Tour’s wildest stop — following a mayhem-filled 2024 tournament.

Detry took advantage of the ideal conditions and navigated the rowdiness to enter the final round with a five-shot lead. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger all made charges, but Detry hit it to 16 inches on 16 to seal his first win in 68 PGA Tour starts.

Detry added two more birdies to finish at 24-under 260, becoming the first Belgian to win on the PGA Tour.

Berger shot 67 and tied for second with Michael Kim (67) at 17 under. Spieth shot 68 to tie for fourth at 16 under in his second tournament since wrist surgery last summer.

Justin Thomas holed out from 103 yards for eagle on 18 to shoot 65, finishing tied for sixth at 15 under.

Detry had been waiting for this moment.

The 32-year-old won the European tour’s Bridgestone Challenge in 2016, twice represented Belgium at the Olympics and had two runner-up finishes on the PGA Tour — most recently at the 2024 Houston Open.

All that was missing was a PGA Tour win.

Detry put himself in position with stellar ball-striking and putting in the desert. He entered the final round at 18 under and wasted no time adding to it, dropping a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 1. He couldn’t get up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the par-4 second, but bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 third.

Detry shot 1-under 34 on the front nine and still had a four-shot lead heading to the back. He reached 20 under with a birdie on the hardest hole on the course, the 470-yard, par-4 11th, and added a two-putt birdie on 15 before his near-ace on 16.

Several players put pressure on Detry as they climbed the leaderboard.

Berger made the latest charge.

He pulled within three shots with birdies on No. 12 and 13, then chipped in for par on 14 after barely getting his third shot out of a greenside bunker. He briefly cut into the lead with a birdie on the par-5 15th, but Detry poured in one on top of his to keep it at three.

Berger bogeyed No. 16 after bouncing his tee shot through the green, ending his comeback bid.

Spieth shot 33 on the front to get to 15 under, but had one birdie over his final 11 holes of his second start since offseason wrist surgery.

Scheffler shot 31 on the front nine to reach 14 under, only to fade. He shot a 5-over 41 on the back nine to finish with a 72, dropping all the way to 25th in his second start since he injured his hand on broken wineglass while making ravioli for Christmas.




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