Big picture

Both teams are already through to the playoffs, but places in the top two are still up for grabs, and any slip-ups in the closing stages of the league phase could land either Delhi Capitals or Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator. It's not a situation either team wants to be in. Capitals have considerable momentum behind them, having won six of their last seven matches, but Super Kings come to this meeting with defeats in three of their last four games.

This slump in form can be read as a season-long weakness finally beginning to reflect in their results. Of all teams in the competition, Super Kings have been the slowest-scoring team in the Powerplay, with a run rate of 6.4 in that phase, and in the middle overs (7-15), where they have gone at 6.9. Two of their key batsmen, Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav, are this season's slowest scorers among all batsmen with a minimum of 100 runs to their name, with strike rates of 89.49 and 96.42 respectively. In third place, at 110.49, is another Super King - Faf du Plessis.

MS Dhoni's form (his 314 runs this season have come at an average of 104.66 and a strike rate of 137.11) could only cover these cracks for so long. It wasn't surprising that Super Kings, minus Dhoni, slumped to 109 all out, and their first home defeat of the season, in their last match against Mumbai Indians.

Apart from the fever that kept him out of the game against Mumbai, Dhoni has also had to deal with back trouble this season. Will he be back on Tuesday? We don't know yet.

"Dhoni is progressing," Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said on the eve of the match. "He's been pretty sick during the week. We'll make a call on him tomorrow but he's progressing, which is good."

Whether Dhoni plays or not, Capitals will know it's never an easy task to play Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Their away record - five wins in six games this season - should give them confidence, but if they haven't been quite as good at home - three wins in six games - it's because they haven't enjoyed batting on the slow, grippy surface at Feroz Shah Kotla. Only one surface this season has been slower and grippier this season - the one they'll play on tomorrow.

Previous meeting

Dwayne Bravo picked up three wickets at the death, and Capitals only managed 29 in their last five overs, leaving Super Kings a not-hugely-challenging 147 to chase. Shane Watson's 26-ball 44 gave them the early impetus, but the win took until the last over to arrive, thanks to a leisurely stand of 48 in 53 balls between Dhoni and Jadhav.

In the news

Like Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and du Plessis were also absent ill from the match against Mumbai. Unlike Dhoni, both have recovered fully. "Faf's been fine. Jadeja's also training well," Fleming said. "Definitely in consideration for tomorrow."

Likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Faf du Plessis/M Vijay, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni/Dhruv Shorey, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Ravindra Jadeja/Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Harbhajan Singh, 11 Imran Tahir

Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Colin Ingram, 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sandeep Lamichhane, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Ishant Sharma

Strategy punt

• Kagiso Rabada has played 18 games for Capitals/Daredevils in the IPL, and he's picked up two or more wickets in 11 of those matches. Of those 11 games, his team has won eight and lost three. When he's picked up less than two wickets, however, they've only won two out of five. These numbers suggest that teams are unable to go after the other Capitals bowlers if they suffer too much damage at the hands of their main strike weapon; perhaps there is a case for Super Kings to play Rabada out watchfully.

• Colin Ingram has had an excellent IPL season against spin, scoring 91 off 64 balls while only being dismissed once. He's not been great against pace, though, scoring 80 off 62 while being dismissed six times. Rishabh Pant has been pretty good against spin - 152 off 108 balls, four dismissals - but devastating against pace - 191 off 105 balls, six dismissals. Spinners always bowl plenty of overs in Chennai, and which of these two left-handers bats at No. 4 and which one is held back to No. 5 could well depend on the phase of the innings and which bowlers are operating.

• Jadeja has bowled 165 balls to right-hand batsmen in IPL 2019, conceding 161 runs and taking nine wickets. Against left-hand batsmen, he has bowled 75 balls, conceding 104 runs and taking no wickets. Mitchell Santner, on the other hand, has been excellent against left-hand batsmen (14 balls, nine runs, two wickets), albeit from a small sample size. Given the number of left-handers in Delhi's top order, however, Super Kings might be tempted to retain Santner even though Jadeja should be available, even if they aren't able to bring back du Plessis as a result.

Stats that matter

• Super Kings have won 13 and lost six of their matches against Capitals.

• If du Plessis features, he will be playing his 200th T20 match.

• Dwayne Bravo is one short of 300 T20 sixes, and also one short of 50 T20 wickets at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

• Suresh Raina has 49 fifties in T20 cricket.

Toss Rajasthan Royals chose to bowl v Royal Challengers Bangalore

Rajasthan Royals captain Steven Smith chose to field after winning the toss against Royal Challengers Bangalore. His opposite number Virat Kohli, who rued his luck at losing the tenth toss in the tournament, said that he would have preferred to chase given the dew factor.

Royals dropped Ashton Turner and included Mahipal Lomror, the 19-year-old allrounder, who is making his IPL debut.

Royal Challengers brought in Pawan Negi and Kulwant Khejroliya, by dropping Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 Gurkeerat Singh, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Kulwant Khejroliya, 8 Pawan Negi, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Navdeep Saini

Rajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Liam Livingstone, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Sanju Samson (wk), 5 Mahipal Lomror, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Oshane Thomas

Alex Hepburn, the former Worcestershire allrounder, has been jailed for five years at Hereford Crown Court after being found guilty of raping a sleeping women in his team-mate's bed.

Hepburn, 23, had been warned at the conclusion of his retrial earlier this month that a jail sentence was inevitable, after he had been found guilty on one count of oral rape, relating to an attack that took place at his flat in Worcester in April 2017.

In the course of the four-day trial at Worcester Crown Court, the jury heard from the prosecution how Hepburn had "dehumanised" women, rating them in text messages to his team-mates in a "sexual conquest competition" on the social media app WhatsApp.

Hepburn, it was alleged, had been "fired up" by the contest and took advantage of his victim after finding her alone on a mattress on the floor of the the flat that he shared with Clarke.

The victim had initially believed she was having sex with Clarke, and only realised Hepburn's identity after 10 minutes.

Giving evidence, Hepburn had told the court: "She was engaging in the act so I presumed she was enjoying it."

In handing down his sentence, judge Jim Tindal said: "I sentence you on the basis the jury were sure the victim was woken by you but was still barely awake and in the dark thought you were Joe Clarke.

"You thought you were God's gift to women. You saw the victim as a piece of meat, not another human entitled to respect."

After the verdict, the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) had released a statement emphasising the importance of players participating in its personal development programmes.

"This public case provides a stark reminder to all PCA members of all requirements and behaviours demanded of a professional cricketer, provided through its Personal Development and welfare Programme, which is facilitated closely alongside the ECB and first-class counties.

"Throughout the criminal investigations, we have provided suitable advice and assistance to Alex. As the game's player association, offering support and guidance to players in times of turbulence is a fundamental responsibility for the PCA."

The Indianapolis Colts have signed free-agent running back Spencer Ware, the team announced Tuesday.

Ware's signing comes after the Colts didn't select a running back in the 2019 NFL draft. He joins a backfield led by Marlon Mack. The Colts also have Nyheim Hines, Jordan Wilkins and Jonathan Williams on the depth chart.

The 27-year-old Ware has rushed for 1,580 yards and 11 touchdowns in his four NFL seasons, including the last three with the Kansas City Chiefs.

He joined the Chiefs as a free agent in 2015 after spending parts of two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He immediately helped the Chiefs fill the running back void left by a season-ending knee injury to Jamaal Charles by rushing for 403 yards and six touchdowns.

Ware went on to lead the Chiefs in rushing in 2016 with 921 yards. But a preseason knee injury cost him the entire 2017 season and, by the time he returned last year, Kareem Hunt had established himself as the Chiefs' featured back.

When the Chiefs released Hunt late in the season, Ware suffered a hamstring injury and lost an opportunity to reclaim the starting job. By the time he returned, Damien Williams was playing well and had been installed as the featured back.

The Colts waived safety Isaiah Johnson and defensive tackle DeShawn Williams. The team also released wide receiver James Wright.

ESPN's Adam Teicher contributed to this report.

With the 2019 NFL draft now concluded and 254 rookies having been selected by their new teams (plus hundreds of other first-year players who will sign as free agents over the next week), the 2019 versions of each NFL franchise are starting to take focus. But that doesn't mean there aren't questions for each team going forward.

Our NFL Nation reporters were asked to identify the biggest question for each team. Whether the teams answer those questions between now and Week 1 is out of our control, but, hey, it doesn't hurt to ask.

Scan through all 32 teams by division, or click here to jump ahead to your team:

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Who is the No. 1 receiver? The Bills addressed several areas of need during the draft but did not select a wide receiver. That leaves the Bills with a mix of No. 2 or No. 3 options in Zay Jones, John Brown and Cole Beasley but no bona fide top target for Josh Allen. -- Mike Rodak

Miami Dolphins

Who is going to rush the quarterback? The Dolphins had too many needs to address all of them in the draft, but edge rusher sticks out in a big way. Fifth-round pick Andrew Van Ginkel could eventually work his way into a situational role, but he is the top addition for a team that finished 29th in sacks (31) last season and lost its best three edge rushers. Disappointing 2017 first-round pick Charles Harris is the team's top defensive end. Look for Miami to examine the free-agency market in this area after the compensatory formula ends May 8 and again after post-June 1 cuts. -- Cameron Wolfe

New England Patriots

Did the Patriots do enough at TE as they enter the post-Gronk era? This was viewed by some as a deep tight end class, but the Patriots didn't select a player at the position. That leaves Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jacob Hollister, Stephen Anderson, Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo on the depth chart, which means someone under the radar will have to emerge unless the team has another personnel move in mind (e.g., trade for Kyle Rudolph or lure Benjamin Watson out of retirement). Izzo was a 2018 seventh-round draft choice from Florida State who flashed last training camp and thus could be someone to watch after spending his rookie season on injured reserve. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

Did the Jets err by not drafting a center? Right now, they're counting on Jonotthan Harrison, who began last season on the bench before stepping into the lineup as an injury replacement. Team officials say they're OK with Harrison, based on the offense showing some signs of life late in the season, but it's still a gamble. Ideally, they should have a seasoned center who can help second-year QB Sam Darnold navigate the pre-snap issues every quarterback faces. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

What are the Ravens going to do at inside linebacker? After losing C.J. Mosley in free agency, Baltimore didn't add a replacement for its leading tackler with any of its eight draft picks. The Ravens didn't find much value with this inside linebacker class, which was thinner than other positions. Team officials appear comfortable going with Patrick Onwuasor, who finished strong, and Kenny Young, a fourth-round pick from a year ago, in the middle of their retooled defense. The Ravens have a history of finding quality undrafted inside linebackers and also could sign a veteran who's still available. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

Did the Bengals do enough to fix the defense? The Bengals surprised quite a few when they waited until the third round to draft a linebacker, a huge area of need. Considering the Bengals were once on pace to have the worst defense in league history last season, they've got a lot of work to do. The draft might not have been enough to fix the holes on that side of the ball. -- Katherine Terrell

Cleveland Browns

Is Freddie Kitchens up for this? The Browns have put together a talented roster with some spicy personalities and several others who are trying to move past previous character concerns. We know that Kitchens can scheme a dynamic offense. But his ability to manage Cleveland's complex locker room is largely unknown after he's spent a career as a position coach -- the biggest variable when projecting the Browns' season. -- Kevin Seifert

Pittsburgh Steelers

Who is the Steelers' No. 2 wide receiver? JuJu Smith-Schuster is the unquestioned top target for Ben Roethlisberger, but the secondary option remains up in the air. James Washington is an unknown commodity after a lackluster rookie season, and free-agent pickup Donte Moncrief hasn't caught more than 50 passes since 2015. The wild card will be Diontae Johnson, who was selected in the third round (with the pick Pittsburgh acquired in the trade for Antonio Brown). He looks like a clone of Brown, from his size (5-foot-10) to his strengths (slippery in the open field and dependable hands). -- Jamison Hensley

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Are two rookies going to be enough to vastly improve the offensive line? The Texans drafted two versatile tackles in Tytus Howard (No. 23) and Max Scharping (No. 55), but only time will tell whether those additions will help sufficiently protect Deshaun Watson. The third-year quarterback was sacked an NFL-high 62 times last season. -- Sarah Barshop

Indianapolis Colts

Who will be the third starting linebacker alongside Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker? The Colts selected three outside linebackers in the draft, including using their second-round pick on TCU's Ben Banogu. Banogu, Bobby Okereke (third round) and Gerri Green (sixth round) will be competing with returners such as Matthew Adams and Zaire Franklin for that spot. -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

What do the Jaguars do about safety depth? The team cut Tashaun Gipson, which means Ronnie Harrison and Jarrod Wilson are the starters, but there isn't much experienced depth behind them. Cody Davis is a special-teams player, and C.J. Reavis didn't play much as a rookie. That doesn't bode well if there are any injuries. The Jaguars seem to be willing to gamble a bit there, though they will certainly keep an eye open for veteran cuts between now and the start of the season. -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

Did the Titans properly address the OLB spot opposite Harold Landry? Even though a lot of analysts thought the Titans would use an early pick on an OLB/DE, the team waited until the fifth round to do so. OLB D'Andre Walker fell to the Titans in the fifth round, but he was the only edge prospect who was selected. Landry will definitely be one of the starters, but Walker needs to emerge as a candidate opposite Landry. -- Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Do the Broncos have the patience and discipline to let Drew Lock find his way? The Broncos' decision-makers made it clear this past weekend: Lock has plenty to work on and needs time to address those things as the "quarterback of the future," as John Elway put it. Elway and coach Vic Fangio have been adamant that Joe Flacco is the starter. Everybody involved will have to stick to that, through any losses, Flacco interceptions and the general swirl that usually surrounds a quarterback in waiting. And Flacco, who already has won over his new Broncos teammates, will need to be at his composed best to handle the questions sure to come his way about Lock. In the end, the Broncos will be at their best if Flacco is the quarterback Elway and Fangio think he is and if Lock gets the time he needs to grow into the player he can be. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

Did the Chiefs adequately prepare for the potential loss of Tyreek Hill? The Chiefs traded up in the second round to draft Georgia WR Mecole Hardman, but he might not be enough to cover for the loss of Hill, who is suspended and might eventually be released. Without Hill, the Chiefs would go with Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson as their starting receivers. The speedy Hardman will have to contribute in a significant way. -- Adam Teicher

Los Angeles Chargers

Will the Chargers regret passing on adding immediate help for the O-line? Young offensive linemen such as right tackle Sam Tevi and left guard Dan Feeney struggled at times in pass protection in 2018, but the Chargers added just one offensive lineman in the draft -- developmental prospect Trey Pipkins in the third round. A product of Division II Sioux Falls, Pipkins is raw and unlikely to see meaningful minutes in 2019, so the Chargers will rely on the return of guard Forrest Lamp from an ACL injury and continuity along the offensive line for improvement in 2019. -- Eric D. Williams

Oakland Raiders

Did the Raiders do enough in the draft to address the lack of a pass rush? True, Oakland, which had a league-low 13 sacks last season, did use six of its nine picks on defensive players, with three of those being defensive ends. And although first-rounder Clelin Ferrell had 27 sacks in his Clemson career, fourth-rounder Maxx Crosby had 20 career sacks at Eastern Michigan and seventh-rounder Quinton Bell got 7.5 sacks in his lone season at the position after switching from receiver at Prairie View A&M, questions abound. Especially since the four defensive ends already on the roster -- Benson Mayowa (13), Josh Mauro (3), Arden Key (1) and Alex Barrett (0) -- have a combined 17 sacks in the NFL. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Do the Cowboys still need help at safety? They considered Juan Thornhill in the second round but went with defensive tackle Trysten Hill instead. They were considering Will Harris in the third, but he was plucked before the 90th pick. They added Donovan Wilson in the sixth round. At present, the Cowboys have Xavier Woods and Jeff Heath as their starters, just like last year, although George Iloka will have a chance to compete for a starting spot. The Cowboys continue to follow Rod Marinelli's belief that a safety is not one of the most important pieces to the defense. "We felt better than people from the outside looking in feel about our safety position," executive vice president Stephen Jones said. "I've mentioned time and time again that we don't have as much resources allocated to that position, and it is probably not by accident." But will that turn into the soft spot that prevents the Cowboys from taking the next step in 2019? -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

When will we see Daniel Jones? The Giants invested the No. 6 overall pick in a quarterback, but the intention is to start Eli Manning this season. Jones could enter the lineup midway through his rookie season like Manning did, sit like Patrick Mahomes did for almost all of his rookie year with the Chiefs or wait multiple years like Aaron Rodgers did. Only time will tell. -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

Who is going to replace Jordan Hicks? The Eagles' middle linebacker for parts of the past four seasons is now in Arizona, and though they did pick up L.J. Fort in free agency, the linebacker position still feels light. Executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman noted post-draft that talent acquisition season is not over. Look for them to add via trade or signing before the offseason is through. -- Tim McManus

Washington Redskins

When will Dwayne Haskins be ready? The Redskins have long considered him to have big upside; he has arm talent, is smart and is willing to work. But they know it will take some time due to his inexperience, with only 14 starts in college. They want to see how he handles the transition to an NFL offense and throwing with a different level of anticipation to succeed. Because he's a true pocket passer, they want to make sure he's adept at those areas before taking over. The key will be having a fan base and ownership that remains patient and allows him to develop the right way. To help that, Case Keenum must produce enough early to win games. Haskins could pay off big time for Washington, but he shouldn't be rushed. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Who will be the place-kicker? This is a hot-button issue for the Bears after the Cody Parkey debacle last season. General manager Ryan Pace said over the weekend that Chicago intends to have four kickers on its offseason roster. There are currently no clear-cut favorites to win the job, and the competition is wide open. Coach Matt Nagy believes the entire situation will eventually "work itself out." Bears fans certainly hope he's right. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Who plays right guard? This wasn't necessarily going to be solved during the draft, but the Lions ignored the offensive line with their nine selections. Although it's entirely possible the right guard isn't on the roster yet, based on what Detroit has now, the club will have a pretty open competition between Kenny Wiggins, Joe Dahl, Oday Aboushi and perhaps Tyrell Crosby during training camp. An outside possibility, if the Lions end up in a real pinch, is moving Graham Glasgow back to guard and starting Leo Koloamatangi at center -- but that would seem like a last resort. Pay attention the next few weeks because signing a veteran guard is a possibility. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

Do the Packers still need another receiver? Some mock drafts had them taking one in the first round. They didn't take one at all. It leaves Davante Adams without the aid of a true No. 2. The Packers clearly are banking on the return of Geronimo Allison, who was off to a hot start before an injury ruined his 2018 season, as well as the second-year development of the young receivers -- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, J'Mon Moore and Jake Kumerow. Said GM Brian Gutekunst after the draft: "I'm really content with the three guys we drafted last year. I think they have huge upsides; I thought they took really good steps last year. Obviously, Geronimo coming back, he's kind of a veteran guy stepping into that role, and I do like some of our guys that are kind of competing for some spots there as well. It's not like we wouldn't add one if we thought the right guy was there, but I like that group." -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

How are the Vikings going to pay everyone? Minnesota was dead last in salary-cap space prior to the draft and went on to select 12 players. Though it's unlikely that all of these new players stick, the Vikings need to figure out how they're going to get the estimated $4 million needed to pay their draft class. Since a trade involving Kyle Rudolph didn't pan out, Minnesota could ask the veteran tight end to take a restructure (something he said he's willing to discuss) or cut him to save $7.625 million against the cap. The Vikings also could look to release one of their veterans with a post-June 1 designation. For example, if they went that route with LT Riley Reiff, they could get $9.5 million in savings. -- Courtney Cronin

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Are the Falcons really set at right tackle? Sure, they traded up into the end of the first round to take Kaleb McGary out of Washington, but coaches and scouts around the league believe McGary is "raw" and incapable of handling top pass-rushers right now. The Falcons signed Ty Sambrailo to a three-year extension after he replaced the released Ryan Schraeder at right tackle, but Sambrailo is viewed around the league as more of a backup. Stay tuned. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

Do the Panthers still need to address the secondary, specifically safety? Eric Reid is the starter at strong safety, and the options at free safety are Da'Norris Searcy (who missed most of last season with a concussion) and second-year player Rashaan Gaulden. There are other options as well, but none with a lot of experience. The same goes at cornerback behind starters James Bradberry and Donte Jackson. There are decent pieces, but according to Pro Football Focus, no Carolina defensive back finished with a coverage grade in the top 100. Perhaps all the effort to upgrade the pass rush will help, but it's still something to keep an eye on. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

Do the Saints have good enough targets for Drew Brees? New Orleans' biggest issue down the stretch of last season was a lack of reliable pass-catchers behind Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Signing TE Jared Cook in free agency and getting WR Ted Ginn Jr. back healthy should help, but the Saints didn't add any receivers in free agency or the draft. So they need to decide if they want to add another veteran or count on the development of young receivers such as Cameron Meredith, Tre'Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood and Austin Carr. -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

What will the Bucs do with Gerald McCoy, since there was no draft trade and they didn't address defensive tackle until the seventh round? Having him on the books for $13 million means the Bucs have less than $2 million to spend on their draft picks, and they need roughly $10.4 million to sign them (it was $9.2 million, but having an additional third-round pick boosted this figure). McCoy also hasn't been present for any of the offseason workouts. When I asked general manager Jason Licht about clearing up cap space to sign their draft picks, he said, "There's always ways." I then asked if he foresaw having to make a lot of roster moves to free up money. "We don't have to," he said. The big question is, "How?" So far, there have been no indications of McCoy accepting a pay cut, and there have been no indications that he'd even be willing to. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

Are three new receivers enough for the Cardinals? One of Arizona's biggest liabilities last season was its receiving corps. Beyond Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, the Cardinals were thin and inexperienced, as the team's next-leading receivers were tight ends and running backs. Arizona addressed the need in this year's draft with Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson. All three are talented and have the potential to be impact players in Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid offense. But are they enough? Besides the need to stock the roster with offensive resources for new quarterback Kyler Murray, the Cardinals need enough receivers to keep them coming in waves -- almost like hockey lines. And that would mean their draft haul is a good first step but still not enough. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

How will running back Darrell Henderson fit into the offense? The Rams' decision to move up to No. 70 to take Henderson raises more questions about the health of Todd Gurley's knee. Sean McVay said Henderson was the change-of-pace back he has been seeking for the past two seasons and that Henderson will be a complement to Gurley and backup Malcolm Brown. But, naturally, as uncertainty looms around Gurley, it's easy to wonder if Henderson was selected as an insurance policy. -- Lindsey Thiry

San Francisco 49ers

Can the 49ers' secondary make enough internal improvement to complement their improved front seven? The Niners are basically running it back with the same group of defensive backs that had just two interceptions last season, save for cornerback Jason Verrett, who has a long history of injury issues. Veteran cornerback Richard Sherman is another year removed from his Achilles injury but is surrounded by question marks. The Niners hope their amped-up pass rush will make things easier on the secondary, but that group is going to need to take a significant step forward under new position coach Joe Woods to maximize their investments up front and for them to take the next step as a defense. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

Is this it for Doug Baldwin? GM John Schneider said Baldwin's increasingly uncertain future didn't weigh into the decision to draft DK Metcalf in the second round, perhaps because Metcalf is the type of big receiver they would have wanted to add under any circumstances. But the fact that they drafted two more receivers -- Gary Jennings Jr. in Round 4 and John Ursua in Round 7 -- does not give the impression that they're expecting Baldwin to be back. Ursua gives them an option to replace Baldwin in the slot. -- Brady Henderson

With the draft having wrapped up on Saturday, the NFL's primary player acquisition window is now over. There are still a few stray veteran free agents available, and we've yet to see how the hundreds of players drafted and signed as undrafted free agents will impact the league during their collective rookie season, but the league is about to enter a relative lull for the next two months before training camps kick off in July.

When you look at the league's best teams, though, you'll see rosters filled with players who were acquired outside the draft or amid the first few days of free agency. Think about how the Rams were kept afloat in December and January by C.J. Anderson, whom they signed off the street late in the season. Their starters included players such as Mark Barron, Dante Fowler Jr. and Aqib Talib, all of whom were acquired via trade at distressed prices. The Patriots did the same thing with guys such as Trent Brown and Kyle Van Noy, though the Brown trade did take place during draft weekend.

The various additions made by each team hint at how they feel about the players they've kept on their rosters. In some cases, those moves will end up displacing a contributor who might have otherwise had a roster spot locked up.

To that end, let's run through each of the league's 32 teams and identify a player who might not have the job security he enjoyed before the offseason began. Some of these guys will be cut -- one was released as I was writing this piece on Monday -- and others will be trade candidates, either now or before the midseason trade deadline.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

LeSean McCoy, RB

No, this isn't because McCoy tweeted Avengers spoilers. I know Bills general manager Brandon Beane has suggested that McCoy is still the starter in Buffalo, but I'm skeptical that he'll make it through the 2019 season in upstate New York. He will enter the final year of his five-year, $40 million deal, and the Bills invested in running backs this offseason by signing Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon before drafting Devin Singletary in the third round. McCoy will have about $3.3 million in base salary left on his deal when the trade deadline approaches; unless the Bills are in playoff contention, it wouldn't be shocking to see McCoy moved at the end of October. Could a reunion with Andy Reid make sense if the Chiefs are struggling with injuries at halfback?

Miami Dolphins

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB

The rebuilding Dolphins don't need to move on from anyone, but after their trade for Josh Rosen, Fitzpatrick seems like an unnecessary piece of the puzzle. The Dolphins need to use 2019 to evaluate Rosen before deciding whether to draft a quarterback in 2020. Fitzpatrick might serve as a mentor, but with his base salary of just $1.5 million, the Dolphins could net a midround pick from a team in need of an upper-tier backup or an emergency starter this fall.

New England Patriots

Ryan Allen, P

You don't think Bill Belichick traded up to draft punter Ryan Bailey in the fifth round by accident, do you? I'd also worry a bit about Demaryius Thomas' spot on the roster after the Patriots drafted 6-foot-2 wideout N'Keal Harry in the first round. The former Broncos standout was guaranteed only a $150,000 signing bonus when he joined the team, and if Thomas' rehab from a torn Achilles doesn't go well, the Pats might be more inclined to hand him an injury settlement in August.

New York Jets

Darron Lee, ILB

It's a bit of a surprise that Lee is still on the roster, given that the Jets are quite clearly set at inside linebacker after signing Avery Williamson and C.J. Mosley in consecutive offseasons. Lee had his best season in 2018, but the Mosley signing seemingly took the former first-round pick's job. The Jets have to decide whether to pick up Lee's fifth-year option by Thursday, which is probably about when they'll want to make a deal. I wonder if a team playing in a 4-3 base might try to acquire Lee in hopes of using him as a weakside linebacker and as part of its sub packages, given his range.

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Kenneth Dixon, RB

Dixon has been generally productive as a pro, but knee injuries have limited the 2016 fourth-rounder to 18 games in three seasons. The Ravens buried Dixon on their depth chart this year by signing Mark Ingram and using a fourth-round pick on speedy Oklahoma State back Justice Hill. With Dixon entering the final year of his rookie contract, a team such as the Buccaneers or Jaguars could take a flier on Dixon for a late-round pick in hopes of finding an impact young starter.

Cincinnati Bengals

Bobby Hart, OT

Fans often rush to defend signings that address positions of weakness, even if the deals seem curious to outsiders. It's telling, then, that the Bengals' decision to re-sign Hart to a three-year, $16.2 million contract was met by outright derision from Cincy fans. The Bengals guaranteed Hart $5 million but subsequently used a first-round pick on Alabama's Jonah Williams, who is presumably ticketed for Hart's starting job at right tackle. Cincy could keep Hart as a swing option, but with a $900,000 base salary, the Bengals could shop him as a seventh lineman, given how badly some of the league needs even middling offensive linemen.

Cleveland Browns

Duke Johnson Jr., RB

Seemingly not a favorite of the John Dorsey regime, Johnson has been the subject of trade rumors for nearly a year now. The 25-year-old requested a trade after the Browns signed Kareem Hunt, and while Hunt will be suspended for the first half of the 2019 season, Johnson would be in a limited role behind starter Nick Chubb until Hunt returns. Johnson still holds some value to the Browns, with just $2.2 million in 2019 compensation coming, so it would probably take a meaningful trade offer from a team that loses a running back to injury to pry Johnson free before 2020.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Artie Burns, CB

This time last year, the Steelers were hoping Burns would emerge as their No. 1 cornerback in 2018. He instead played so poorly that Pittsburgh benched him for virtually all of the second half of its disappointing campaign. The Steelers followed up by making a rare foray into unrestricted free agency to sign Steven Nelson before using a third-round pick on Michigan State corner Justin Layne. Pittsburgh will likely decline Burns' fifth-year option, though teams that remember how Kyle Fuller managed to turn his career around after the Bears declined his fifth-year option could be interested in taking a shot on a corner who turns 24 this week.

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Seantrel Henderson, OT

The Texans might not have come away with a sorely needed guaranteed upgrade at tackle this offseason, but they certainly added options to address the weakest spot on their roster. GM Brian Gaine signed Matt Kalil to a one-year deal before using two of his first three picks on tackles Tytus Howard and Max Scharping. Both could be considered developmental prospects, but the 6-foot-7 Henderson isn't exactly a finished product either. He signed with the Texans last year, only to break his ankle during the season-opening loss to the Patriots. Even if the Texans move Martinas Rankin to guard, the presence of Howard and Scharping on the roster could push Henderson off of it.

Indianapolis Colts

Jihad Ward, DL

There isn't much in the way of fluff on Indy's roster, given that the Colts didn't spend much in free agency and will continue to rely on the drafts of general manager Chris Ballard. After they kept Margus Hunt and used a second-round pick on an edge rusher by drafting TCU's Ben Banogu, I wonder if the Colts might not have room for Ward, who racked up three sacks in six games last season.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Keelan Cole, WR

While the Jags are publicly unhappy with Telvin Smith for daring to treat voluntary workouts as such, they've already guaranteed $5 million of his $9.8 million base salary for 2019 and would incur the wrath of the NFLPA if they did cut Smith. Leonard Fournette's future is also in question, but Jacksonville made only minor additions at halfback this offseason. I would be paying closer attention to Cole, who fell down the depth chart after a promising second half in 2017 and might lose his spot as the fourth wideout to Chris Conley. The former undrafted free agent should have a trade market if that happens, even given his drop issues from a season ago.

Tennessee Titans

Tajae Sharpe, WR

I might have gone for Austin Johnson if Jeffery Simmons were going to be healthy for Week 1, but with the Titans signing Adam Humphries and drafting A.J. Brown in the second round, there aren't going to be many reps left for Sharpe. The 24-year-old started 13 games last season, but he lined up for only five special-teams snaps. Most teams ask their No. 4 or 5 wideouts to play special teams, so if Sharpe isn't starting, the UMass product might not be able to justify his roster spot.

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Jake Butt, TE

The Broncos have been hoping for Butt to turn into the receiving threat they've lacked at tight end since the Julius Thomas era, but knee injuries have sidelined him. Butt has played just three games across his first two pro seasons, thanks to his second and third ACL tears. When John Elway traded down and subsequently used his first-round pick on Noah Fant out of Iowa, it blocked Butt's path to a role in the starting lineup. Butt could stick as a third tight end behind Fant and Jeff Heuerman, but it's difficult to see him lasting the full season in Denver.

Kansas City Chiefs

Tyreek Hill, WR

Obviously, the horrific audio recording involving Hill that surfaced on Thursday has created significant doubts about the 25-year-old receiver's NFL future. The Chiefs clearly prepared to replace Hill by using a second-round pick -- the team's first selection in the draft -- on 5-foot-10 Georgia wideout Mecole Hardman, who profiles as a downfield burner and return man in Hill's image.

Los Angeles Chargers

Cardale Jones, QB

The makeup of the Chargers' roster means they don't have many obvious candidates for release or trade after this offseason; they still need to add a punter after making it through free agency and the draft without bringing one aboard. I'm tempted by the idea of a Philip Rivers-led offense never punting, but that's another story for another day. The Chargers did add passers behind Rivers by signing Tyrod Taylor and using a fourth-round pick on Easton Stick, which would seemingly push Jones out of a job.

Oakland Raiders

Karl Joseph, S

Every Raiders player who was acquired before Jon Gruden came to town is on perpetually thin ice. That's doubly true for Joseph, who hasn't lived up to expectations since the Raiders drafted him in the first round in 2016. Gruden's starting safeties in 2019 will likely be Lamarcus Joyner and first-round pick Johnathan Abram, and though Joseph could theoretically feature if the Raiders go with a big nickel look and play three safeties at a time, I wouldn't count on the Raiders making him a priority this offseason. They might even consider declining Joseph's fifth-year option later this week.

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Tavon Austin, WR

The Cowboys head into 2019 with Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup entrenched as their top two wideouts. After that, the depth chart pivots on the availability of Allen Hurns, who suffered a serious ankle injury during the postseason. The Cowboys picked up Hurns' $5 million option for 2019, suggesting that either they think he's going to play or his option was quietly guaranteed for injury. With Hurns in the fold, the Cowboys might not have a need for Austin, who signed a one-year deal to remain with the team. Austin could figure as Dallas' punt returner, but the Cowboys drafted Memphis weapon Tony Pollard in the fourth round and could very well see whether a return man who scored seven times on kickoffs in three years could extend himself to punt duties.

New York Giants

Janoris Jenkins, CB

Much as is the case with Gruden and the Raiders, any Giants player who wasn't acquired by GM Dave Gettleman has to be looking over his shoulder at all times. Jenkins has generally played well during his time in New York, but the Giants drafted three cornerbacks this year and return supplemental third-round pick Sam Beal, who missed all of his rookie season with a shoulder injury. The 30-year-old Jenkins has a reasonable $22.5 million left in the final two years of his deal, which would make him a trade candidate for a team in need of help at corner.

Philadelphia Eagles

Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OT

There are several players we could pick here, including wideout Nelson Agholor and running backs Wendell Smallwood and Josh Adams, but the drafting of Andre Dillard pushes Vaitai onto the trading block. The 25-year-old swing tackle filled in capably on the left side when Jason Peters went down in 2017, and with just $2 million due to Vaitai in the final year of his rookie deal, Vaitai would have a meaningful market. The Eagles might prefer to cash in on a trade offer now, in lieu of waiting for a compensatory pick in 2021.

Washington

Colt McCoy, QB

Nobody in the league has a more crowded quarterback room than Washington. Drafting Dwayne Haskins with the 15th pick added a clear quarterback of the future for a group that already included Case Keenum, McCoy and Alex Smith, who is likely out for the 2019 season. It would be a surprise if Washington carried both McCoy and Keenum into Week 1, given that their two salaries combine to about $6.5 million. With Keenum's more recent success, my guess is Washington will keep the former Vikings standout and save $3 million by cutting or trading McCoy.

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Taquan Mizzell, RB

Mostly sitting out free agency and with no picks in the first two rounds of the draft, the Bears don't have a notable player who stands out as a possible target to move on from. The only option that comes to mind is Mizzell, whose role in the lineup could be threatened by the selections of David Montgomery and Kerrith Whyte Jr. in this year's draft. Even then, I'd figure that Mizzell beats Whyte for a roster spot.

Detroit Lions

Theo Riddick, RB

Riddick is yet another running back whose role might be limited by a move to a new offense. It seems likely that the Lions will rely more heavily on the duo of Kerryon Johnson and C.J. Anderson under Darrell Bevell. Detroit also brought back Zach Zenner and used a sixth-round pick on Ty Johnson, which could squeeze Riddick's chances at meaningful reps. Riddick has a $3.5 million base salary in the final year of his deal, which isn't palatable for a third or fourth back.

Green Bay Packers

Josh Jones, S

The 2017 second-round pick has to be on notice after this offseason. Brian Gutekunst signed Adrian Amos from the Bears in free agency to take over at one safety spot and moved up to draft Darnell Savage Jr. with the 21st pick in the first round. Jones could figure as a third safety, but the Packers might prefer Tramon Williams in that role. The Packers could look to move Jones to a team looking for help against the run.

Minnesota Vikings

Laquon Treadwell, WR

Trade rumors circulated around several Vikings starters during the draft, including tight end Kyle Rudolph and corners Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. I suspect one or more of those players will be off the roster come 2020, but the Vikings can afford to keep them around for one more season. By drafting Irv Smith Jr., though, I suspect Minnesota will be inclined to use more two-tight-end sets in 2019. In doing so, the Vikings will be taking the disappointing Treadwell off the field. The former first-round pick might not make the roster in 2019.

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Brandon Fusco, G

The Falcons went all over the place to add offensive line help this offseason. They signed Jamon Brown and James Carpenter in free agency and used a pair of first-round picks to draft Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. The Falcons can't fit all of those guys with Jake Matthews and Alex Mack inked as starters, so it's likely that one of them will fill in as the sixth lineman. The Falcons weren't going to pay Fusco $4 million to serve as their seventh lineman, and they responded by releasing the former Vikings starter on Monday.

Carolina Panthers

Torrey Smith, WR

The veteran downfield threat is an excellent locker room presence, but Smith has seen his yards per catch drop in four consecutive seasons and racked up just 190 receiving yards on 31 targets a year ago. Smith has a $5 million base salary due in 2019 and is likely to cede snaps to Chris Hogan and Curtis Samuel.

New Orleans Saints

Ken Crawley, CB

A starter for the Saints heading into 2018, Crawley struggled to begin the season and lost his job when New Orleans traded for Eli Apple. With Patrick Robinson returning from injury and the Saints re-signing P.J. Williams, Crawley's role as the fifth cornerback would be dependent upon his playing special teams. Unfortunately for Crawley, though, the Saints signed former Vikings standout Marcus Sherels to take over that spot in the lineup.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cairo Santos, K

Tampa used a fifth-round pick on kicker Matt Gay, who admitted afterward that even he was surprised the Bucs took him that early. When you're a kicker and you think you were overdrafted, it's not a good sign. The Bucs have been beyond awful at identifying and developing kickers the past few years, but by drafting Gay, it's likely that they'll be giving the rookie the inside edge in a competition with Santos.

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

Chad Williams, WR

The Cardinals are going to need plenty of receiving weapons for new quarterback Kyler Murray in Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid offense. After drafting Murray, Steve Keim added a trio of weapons for him by drafting Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson. 2018 second-round pick Christian Kirk pieced together a promising three-game stretch before getting injured in December, and he could be a breakout candidate. And, of course, Larry Fitzgerald is Larry Fitzgerald. Williams caught just 37 percent of the passes thrown in his direction last season, and it's no guarantee that the 2017 third-rounder beats someone such as Malachi Dupre or Pharoh Cooper for a roster spot.

Los Angeles Rams

John Kelly, RB

Kelly attracted some deep fantasy league interest after running for 197 yards and three touchdowns in the preseason, but the Rams signed C.J. Anderson off the street in lieu of giving Kelly the starting role in December last season. Sean McVay & Co. signaled their lack of interest in Kelly by matching an offer sheet for Malcolm Brown and drafting Darrell Henderson in the third round. His path to playing time is murky at best.

San Francisco 49ers

Arik Armstead, DL

The 49ers have moved Armstead around the lineup and eventually settled on using him as a rush-stopping defensive end last season, which is a position teams generally fill relatively cheaply. San Francisco reloaded on the edge by trading for Dee Ford and drafting Nick Bosa with the second pick, and both of those guys will start at defensive end as the 49ers begin to show more wide-nine looks from their ends next season. Armstead is set to make $9 million in the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, which is a lot to pay for a guy who would be playing 30 to 40 percent of the defensive snaps in 2019.

Seattle Seahawks

C.J. Prosise, RB

Once seen as a promising halfback with the floor of contributing as a back within the passing game, Prosise's career has been waylaid by injuries. The Notre Dame product has played just 16 games in his first three pro seasons and has fallen down the depth chart in the process. He's currently buried behind Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, and the Seahawks drafted Travis Homer in the sixth round with the intention of finding a more reliable replacement for Prosise. J.D. McKissic also could beat Prosise for his roster spot.

DENVER -- Nikola Jokic saw an opening and was dribbling toward the basket with a head of steam when Portland's CJ McCollum tried to knock the ball away but instead got a piece of Jokic's face.

The Denver Nuggets center was temporarily dazed by the foul with 7 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but as the San Antonio Spurs discovered the hard way, it's going to take a lot more than that to slow him down.

For the second time in three playoff games, Jokic dominated his opponent offensively, pouring in 37 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists to lead Denver to a 121-113 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Like the Spurs in the first round, Portland learned that Jokic is adjusting to whatever defenses try to take away from the triple-double threat. Take away his passing, and he will score. Double-team him, and he will find the open man.

"Everything," Denver forward Paul Millsap said when asked what defenses are trying to do that isn't working against Jokic. "... He sees how people are playing and guarding him. He makes the right play every time. ... He doesn't force anything."

"He's like a quarterback out there," Millsap added. "I consider him like a Tom Brady. He's always going to pick you apart and make the right reads. Commend him for doing that at this stage in his career. It's unbelievable."

The New England Patriots' decorated quarterback may not be the best guy to liken Jokic to in these parts around the Rocky Mountains. But in his first postseason, Jokic is dissecting defenses as if he were Peyton Manning scanning the field at the line of scrimmage.

In Game 1 of the first round, San Antonio tried doubling Jokic and held him to a playoff-low 10 points. But Jokic also had 14 rebounds and 14 assists to become just the fourth player in NBA history to have a triple-double in his first playoff game.

In Game 6 at San Antonio, Jokic had a career-high 43 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists. He followed that up in Game 7 with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists -- the first triple-double in a Game 7 since LeBron James' in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Against Portland, the Nuggets made 50.6 percent from the field, including 12-of-29 from 3-point range as Jamal Murray added 23 points and eight assists. Millsap scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half, but Jokic couldn't be stopped inside the entire game.

"I think I can read everything," Jokic said. "So I just need to know what they're going to do. I think San Antonio was playing one way, Portland is playing one way, it's completely different games. But I think I am capable of reading those defenses."

Enes Kanter, who had 26 points despite playing with an injured left shoulder, was no match defensively for Jokic. The All-Star center is the first Nuggets player with multiple 30-point games in a single postseason since Carmelo Anthony in 2010, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Jokic made 11 of 18 shots, and when Portland tried to go under on pick-and-rolls, the Denver big man sank 3 of 5 from behind the arc. Fouling him didn't work, as Jokic made 12 of 12 from the line while Maurice Harkless fouled out trying to stop Jokic in the paint.

"He's a great player," Lillard said. "It's got to be a team effort. You're not going to completely take him out. But you got to make things difficult for him. We got to make him see bodies, we got to be physical. We got to be ready to help big on the post and get back to our man, but we also got to make sure that when he's putting up shots that we are keeping him off the glass. Because he is one of the best at shooting the ball and following his shot, and the second attempt is usually easier than the first one is for him."

The Blazers came into this game saying they wanted to put some pressure on Jokic and take away his passes, holding him to his lowest assist output in a game so far this postseason. But Jokic found other ways to hurt the Blazers with his hands, collecting three steals and two blocks on defense.

Murray and Jokic have been finding different ways to hurt defenses with their pick-and-rolls, whether it is Murray or Jokic acting as the passer and the other taking on the scoring role. Murray assisted on seven of Jokic's made field goals on Monday.

When asked what advantage the Nuggets felt they had going into the series at the team's morning shootaround, Murray didn't need to think long and hard about one strength.

"I think Joker has got a matchup," Murray said. "I mean he always has a matchup."

DENVER -- It was a source of pride for Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers the way they held their composure with the officials in a heated series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In some ways, they believe that's why they won the series. They kept their cool. They maintained their focus and concentrated on themselves and no one else.

In Monday's 121-113 Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Lillard conceded that the Blazers might have gotten distracted at times.

"I think it was a little bit more of that, probably more than we needed," he said. "Maybe we needed to not say as much. Any time you see guys wanting it that bad, you're going to say stuff sometimes, but we might've had a little too much of that tonight."

Lillard was more animated and agitated with the officials in this game than he was at any point in the previous series, showing frustration after not getting calls driving to the rim. The Blazers also were visibly frustrated with some of the calls that went Nikola Jokic's way as he scored 37 points, including going 12-of-12 from the free throw line.

After Game 4 against the Thunder, Lillard said he told his team not to talk to anyone unless they were wearing black and gray jerseys, and the Blazers held true to that through Game 5.

Officiating has been under intense scrutiny this postseason, boiling over in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors that had both teams upset after Golden State's win. Chris Paul was ejected with four seconds left. Game officials have ejected 12 players from games this postseason, equaling a record set in 1994 and 2003. The playoffs have averaged 6.3 ejections in 28 seasons since ejections were first tracked in the 1991-92 postseason. There were only three ejections in last year's playoffs.

"It was a little bit of a heated game when it came to the whistle for us. We'd say something when something needed to be said," Lillard said. "Nobody got a tech, so it wasn't anything disrespectful. But when your season is on the line, you've got to be willing to challenge what's happening out there and try to put your team in the best position to win."

Lillard led the Blazers with 39 points, and for a minute, it felt like a "Dame Time" moment was on its way. One possession after he hit a straightaway 3 to cut the Nuggets' lead to nine with 2:23 left, Lillard rolled off a high screen some 30 feet from the basket and was clear to launch another. Everyone in the building felt it; it was about to be a two-possession game with two minutes to go, and Lillard was ticking.

Instead, Gary Harris stopped the clock, chasing down Lillard's 3 and blocking it from behind. Two more Jokic free throws 20 seconds later, and the Nuggets had Game 1 in hand.

It didn't help Lillard's frustration with the amount of attention the Nuggets gave him basically anytime he had the ball. They made it a priority to try to get the ball out of his hands, trapping and blitzing him on pick-and-rolls.

"I think it was more similar than I thought [it would be]," Lillard said of Denver's defensive approach compared to OKC's.

The Nuggets picked Lillard up full-court at almost all times, using multiple defenders -- Malik Beasley, Torrey Craig and Harris -- to hound him. Lillard finished with six turnovers, and the Blazers had 18 as a team -- two areas they thought were significant factors in their losing Game 1.

"That was a huge part of it. I know I had six myself," Lillard said. "As much as I have the ball, I'm responsible for valuing possessions. On the road, against a team that plays much faster, much better at home, especially when they get out in transition and shoot 3s and get the ball moving, just gave them too many opportunities. Twenty-three points off turnovers, that's always going to hurt you."

Scott Foster, the referee most reviled by the Houston Rockets, has been assigned to call Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

Foster, a 25-year NBA veteran, has not worked a Rockets game since James Harden publicly criticized him after the superstar fouled out of Houston's Feb. 21 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Harden, who was fined $25,000 by the NBA the next day, declared then that Foster should not be assigned to any more Rockets games because of his personal issues with the team.

"It's lingering, and it's something that has to be looked at for sure," said Harden, who described Foster as "just rude and arrogant" when interacting with players. "For sure, it's personal. For sure. I don't think he should be able to even officiate our games anymore, honestly."

The NBA assigns officials for the first four games of a series before the series begins, but does not announce which officials are working until the morning of each game.

There was already an intense focus on officiating in the Rockets-Warriors series, due primarily to Houston's complaints about missed foul calls on several Harden 3-point attempts during Golden State's 104-100 win in Game 1.

As Harden mentioned in February, Foster officiated two of the Rockets' losses to the Warriors in last season's West finals. That includes a 101-92 loss in Game 7, the subject of a report by the Rockets sent to the league office and obtained by ESPN that argues that incorrect calls and no-calls cost the Rockets an estimated 18.6 points.

Foster also officiated the Rockets' lone loss to the Utah Jazz in last season's West semifinals.

Harden isn't the only Rockets star who has gone public regarding his problems with Foster. Chris Paul mockingly referred to Foster as "the man" and "who they pay to see" after Foster called Paul for a technical foul in a January 2018 Houston win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Paul also complained then about Foster's unwillingness to communicate with players. The league office did not announce a fine for those comments.

Paul, who also fouled out of the Feb. 21 loss to the Lakers and was assessed a technical foul by Foster for arguing a call with 33 seconds remaining in the game, said then that he had met with the league regarding his issues with the referee.

"I don't know what else to do," Paul said.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Foster issued 18 fouls (personal or technical) in the Feb. 21 game -- 12 against the Rockets and six against the Lakers. Seven of the fouls against the Rockets, who blew a 19-point lead in the second half, occurred in the fourth quarter. Houston did not attempt a free throw in the final 20 minutes of the game, compared to 17 free throws for the Lakers during that span.

Editor's note: The following excerpt from the new book "SprawlBall: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA," by ESPN NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry, has been updated and edited for length and clarity.

As the second round of the NBA playoffs kicks into high gear, the most star-studded series features two unprecedented MVPs in James Harden and Stephen Curry. Both players leveraged the power of the 3-point shot more than any superstars in league history.

Consider these factoids:

• Prior to 2015-16, no NBA player had ever made 300 3-pointers in a single season. That season, Curry sank 402.

• At age 29, Harden is already the all-time leader in unassisted 3-point makes.

Curry and Harden are the definitive superstars of the moment, and 3-point prowess is their signature weapon. But as the NBA leans more and more into the 3-point era, it leans less and less into everything else. Not everyone is smitten. Just ask Gregg Popovich.

"There's no basketball anymore, there's no beauty in it," Popovich said back in November. "Now you look at a stat sheet after a game and the first thing you look at is the 3s. If you made 3s and the other team didn't, you win. You don't even look at the rebounds or the turnovers or how much transition D was involved. You don't even care."

Pop is right. Not only has the analytics era of the NBA dramatically reshaped shot selection across the league, but shooting is by far the most important component of winning games. Teams with a higher effective field goal percentage (eFG%) than their opponents won 81 percent of their games during the regular season, and they're winning 90 percent of them in the playoffs.

When most of us talk about how analytics has changed hoops, we hone in on the dramatic increases in 3-point scoring. But in a zero-sum game, if you're doing a lot more of one thing, you must be doing less and less of something else. The rapid rises in perimeter shooting necessarily come at the expense of other basketball behaviors. As we continue to be increasingly seduced by the 3, what parts of basketball are we leaving behind?

The NBA has now had the 3-point shot for a longer time than it has not. With the exception of a brief three-year window in the 1990s when the league moved it in, the line has remained in the exact same position. In fact, the current configuration of the NBA court has been in place longer than any previous configuration. For many us, 3s are losing their luster. The shooters are too good and too comfortable, and the shots are too common.

Consider this crazy stat: During the 2018- 2019 regular season, NBA shooters made 27,955 3-point shots. That's more than they made during the entire 1980s (23,871).

Historically, the league has demonstrated an impressive willingness to change its rulebook and its playing surface to keep game play diverse and interesting. In 1947, when the league outlawed the zone defenses that were stagnating flow, one of the main defensive tactics in the sport disappeared.

In 1950, to reduce roughness and deliberate fouling, the league added jump balls after every made free throw that occurred in the last three minutes -- as opposed to simply giving possession to the fouling team after the free throw.

In 1951, the so-called Mikan rule drastically changed the appearance of NBA courts by doubling the width of the lane from six feet to 12 feet, primarily to reduce the unprecedented post-up dominance of George Mikan. Thirteen years later, in 1964, the league widened the lane again, to 16 feet, this time to reduce the post-up dominance of Wilt Chamberlain.

Is it time for a Mikan Rule to reduce the dominance of the 3? Let's explore some ways to change the thing, beyond the simplest adjustment of moving the line back -- a logical idea with precedents in college basketball, the WNBA, and even in the NBA itself.

Custom lines

Warning: The following idea has often been ridiculed as the dumbest thing I ever proposed. However, a few people have told me it's brilliant. I present it again here, and will let you decide for yourself:

What if every team in the NBA could draw the 3-point line wherever they wanted?

Ever since the inception of the sport, basketball courts have been the same shape with equal dimensions no matter what city you played in. This consistency separates the sport from baseball and soccer, which both have different dimensions in different arenas.

When you walk into Fenway Park for the first time, you are greeted by the famed Green Monster, the left-field wall that is one of the most iconic images in baseball. Now imagine the same thing in basketball. What if different NBA teams had different dimensions on their 3-point lines?

For generations, Major League Baseball teams have accounted for park factors as they assemble their rosters. The Red Sox love right-handed power hitters who can take advantage of the Green Monster, and the Yankees love left-handed power hitters who can exploit the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. What if basketball teams could do the reverse? What if every season each NBA team delineated its own 3-point line based on the strengths and weaknesses of its roster?

Where would Golden State put its line? What about Houston? You might think that Golden State would put their line closer in to get more 3s; however, their shooters all thrive from deep. Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson all hit from 25-plus feet with relative ease. By drawing their line at, say, 26 feet, they would emphasize their skills while challenging their opponents to swim in the deep end.

Other teams might choose to move the line closer or to feature asymmetries that keep opponents off-balance.

What if a team didn't want a 3-point line at all on its home court? This might be the choice of a team with a dominant shot blocker, like Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. Having no 3-point line would force opponents to beat them near the basket rather than from beyond the arc.

That would be the most drastic option. But if dispensing with the 3-point line altogether is too extreme, the league could easily institute some geometric constraints on the delineation of these lines. For example, the line would have to be no closer than 22 feet and no farther away than 30 feet at all locations, or the lines would have to be symmetrical and identical on both ends of the court.

The data-driven line

Here's an interesting fact: An average NBA field goal attempt is worth almost exactly one point. What a magical analytical convenience! This one-point average is very helpful as we compare and contrast efficiency across teams and players, not to mention shot types.

But what if we used that baseline to optimize the placement of the 3-point line? What if the actual shooting and scoring abilities of NBA players informed the layout of the league's playing surface? For generations, the league has adjusted its playing surface as a way to make sure the game remains as entertaining and competitive as possible. In the so-called Moneyball era, when every team in the league has begun to leverage data to strategize, the league itself has opportunities to do the same thing.

The invention of the 3-point line made 33.33 percent a sort of magical number in NBA analyses. Anyone who can make a third of their 3s can turn 3-point shots into one point on average. It's the same as making half of your 2s. But as a generation of shooters has warmed up to long-range shooting, NBA shooters are making 36 percent of their triples, and specialists regularly convert over 40 percent of them. That's the same as making 60 percent of your 2s.

That slight increase in efficiency and the major increase in the population of players who can achieve that efficiency at high-volume levels are two defining drivers of the SprawlBall era.

For individual players, these efficiency upticks may seem small, but at the league level they're massive. When a whole population of shooters are sinking 36 percent of their 3s, the economic behaviors of shot selection at the population level completely change. There was a time when 3-point shots weren't the smartest jump shots on the floor for most shooters in the league. That time is gone now. Also, we now have data and analyses capable of mapping out with great precision where NBA shooters make and miss. These maps should inform how and where the league places its 3-point line.

It's a logical approach based on the guiding principle that shots get harder with distance (duh!) and field goal percentage decreases. Using contemporary shooting data, we can estimate where the line would have to be for the league to convert exactly one third of its 3-point attempts.

Consider the 2017-18 season. By studying league averages at different shot distances, we can hone in on where the league as a whole made about one-third of its 3s. As you can see here, the shortest 3s -- those short ones in the corners -- went in over 39 percent of the time:

But the graphic doesn't answer this key question: Where would the line have to be so that the cumulative set of NBA 3-point tries would go in 33.33 percent of the time? That's a hard question to answer, but by studying the nearly 70,000 non-heave 3-point tries from 2017-18, we can make an estimate. During the 2017-18 season, excluding heaves, NBA shooters made exactly 33.33 percent of their 3s from beyond 25.773 feet, a distance almost exactly two feet beyond the current line.

So why not place the line there?

One cool thing about this approach is that we could refresh it annually. As shooters change, so could the line. Why not conduct this survey and delineation process after every season? Every summer we could look at the previous season's data and redraw the line based on empirical data. We could forever make 3s worth about one point around the league. Everybody's 3-point percentage would suffer, but the league's best shooters would still be valuable. In fact, they might be way more valuable.

As the shot got farther out, players who could hit it 37 percent of the time would remain among the most prized commodities in the league. And make no mistake, Curry would still be among the most valuable players in the NBA. In 2017-18, 36 shooters tried at least 100 3s from beyond 25.773 feet, but only one converted more than 40 percent of them. Curry made a ridiculous 43.6 percent of 172 3s from beyond that hypothetical data-driven line. His ability to be that good from that far out would make him stand out even more than he currently does in the sea of basic bros hitting 40 percent or better from the conventional distance.

As it currently stands, many of the league's most active spot-up guys are only marginally efficient, and moving the line back two feet would make them even less so. Suddenly the population capable of making 3s efficiently would decline, and the league would have to restore attention to the 2-point areas and the players who could succeed there. Nikola Jokic may have to give up his stretchy ways and bang around the blocks more often. Some 3-point specialists would lose playing time, fadeaways would rise again, and the diversity of shot selection would surge. Some midrangers would be cool again -- at least for some players. Many 3-point shots would be dumb shots. And it would all be due to analytics.

Man, Daryl Morey bitten by his own snake.

The corner 3

Ray Allen's incredible 3-point shot in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals was arguably one of the great shots in league history. But here's the thing: That place where Ray took the shot from -- that little spot along the baseline where the 3-point line is straight -- is generally regarded as the "smartest jump shot on the floor."

In fact, that place might actually be the silliest shot on the floor. The corner 3 is based on an analytical loophole, a seemingly minor decision in 1961 that now influences almost every half-court possession in the NBA.

If you watch the game these days, you'll see almost every team station at least one, often two, players in the remote corners of the offensive chessboard. The rooks in the corners are a signature part of the SprawlBall era. All they do is stand around waiting for shot opportunities that usually don't come. So most of the time 20 to 40 percent of offensive players in the NBA are just standing around picking dandelions like little league right fielders. But unlike 10-year-old outfielders, who rarely affect the game, even when these rooks don't get a look, they influence most possessions by stretching out defenses and preventing help defenders from helping. They keep defenses honest, and they accomplish all of this by standing still.

The stationary rooks in the corners effectively turn many NBA possessions into three-on-three. The cornermen and their defenders are reduced to bit players -- unless of course one of the rook's defenders dares to play help defense on a driving player after a ball screen. In that case, a future corner 3 happens via the drive-and-kick.

But is this interesting? Is it good for the league to place such a high value on two stationary shooting specialists camping out in the corners? Maybe, who knows. But one thing is for sure: Outside of dunks and layups, rooks in the corners are yielding the cheapest points on the chessboard, and the numbers leave little doubt that the league is now chock-full of guys who can drain these shots at such high rates that teams would be crazy not to station them every time down the floor. Moreover, the ability to make that shot is now a prerequisite for almost every off-ball player in the NBA. But does anyone go to NBA arenas to watch these guys stand still in the corners?

One simple way to bring more movement back into the game and breathe more life into the 2-point area is to make it a little harder on these loitering bros along the baseline. Drawing a consistent 23.75-foot 3-point boundary wouldn't completely eliminate baseline triples, but it would get rid of the loophole 3 -- the corner triple with a shot distance of between 22 and 23.75 feet.

Loophole 3s not only account for a vast majority of all corner tries, but they're also the league's favorite 3-point shooting location by a landslide:

So what would happen if we eliminated the loophole 3?

1. By shrinking the spot-up habitat for corner-3 shooters, we'd make their lives harder and their shots longer. Womp, womp. In turn, that would disincentivize loitering. A consistent 23.75-foot arc would easily fit within the current court. However, it wouldn't leave much room for spotting up. These tall fellas with big feet would have to slide up or down along the arc before they could find enough space to comfortably spot up, and even then they'd need more balance, more skill, and better offensive timing to generate corner 3s. This simple change could make the game more exciting and the NBA's shot economy more fair.

2. The most annoying side effect might be a lot more foot-on-the-line moments. This would mean more tedious reviews, which nobody would like. Incidentally, we could also widen the court from 50 to, say, 54 feet, but that would cause major nightmares for every arena manager in the league and force them to reconfigure their entire seating plan.

3. We would see a slight reduction in shooting efficiency from the corner.

4. We would incentivize other kinds of behavior on the offensive end. Fewer rooks, more bishops, knights, etc. How do we create the perfect blend of perimeter action, slashing drives, post-up actions, and fast breaks? That's a hard question, but one way to reduce loitering on the perimeter is to enact the same rules the league has applied to interior players. For instance, what if we simply added the three-second rule to the corner-3 zone? We could encourage movement on the perimeter and discourage all that standing around.

Allow goaltending on 3s

Many of the NBA's first major rule changes were aimed directly at Mikan. Defensive goaltending was added in the 1950s to prevent Mikan from blocking shots right before they went into the hoop. Prior to Mikan, goaltending wasn't an issue, in part because no players could do it. But Mikan could do it, he did do it, and he quickly became the most ferocious defender the NBA had ever seen because of that ability. So the NBA outlawed it, and perhaps no rule change in the history of the game has done more to devalue big men.

What if we revisited that rule change and let defenders block 3-point shots on their way down?

This may sound crazy -- and it might be -- but goaltending was legal before it wasn't. And speaking of crazy, so was adding a freaking 3-point shot, which was yet another way the league intentionally devalued big men. By allowing goaltending on 3s but not on 2s, we would breathe some life back into the center position and into the 2-point area.

It would be just like Kevin Garnett swatting those after-the-whistle jumpers, but in regulation. Every time a shooter got ready to release a 3, there would be a flurry of activity near the basket as offensive guys and defenders toiled not just for rebounding position but also for shot-blocking position. Suddenly open 3s would be much harder to come by.

Offensive bigs would have to position themselves to box out potential shot blockers. Catch-and-shoot specialists would have one more thing to worry about before they fired off a jumper. It would be exciting, and it would make catch-and-shoot specialists a lot less dominant than they are now.

Just as Tom Brady has to worry about a lineman deflecting passes at the line of scrimmage and free safeties intercepting them downfield, 3-point goaltending would place a similar onus on Eric Gordon and immediately bring back the relevance of height and athleticism in the NBA.

But would those 3-point blocks be too easy? Some rules would have to apply, such as not being able to simply put your arm through the rim and block every shot that comes near it. Still, if the league found a decent way to sanction goaltending, how many 3s would get swatted? Ten percent? Thirty-three percent? Seventy-five percent? It's hard to say. Maybe we could pilot the idea in the G League to get the bugs out, but it's clear that such a change would add a lot of risk to every potential 3-point attempt.

In today's NBA, catch-and-shoot guys are among the most potent offensive threats on the floor, despite the fact that their signature play is arguably the least risky way to score. As revolutionary as 3-point shooting may seem, from a basic economics perspective, it's actually very conservative. But if goaltending were allowed, these guys would feel real pressure and have tougher decisions to make. Suddenly they'd have to gauge whether the downward arc of their ball could beat the bigs in a race to the rim.

You could imagine an incredulous Jeff Van Gundy: "What was Gordon thinking? He shot that ball even though Gobert was clearly in the basket area!"

Not only would shooters have tougher decisions on their hands, but the value of athletic centers like Clint Capela and Gobert would return. Smallball wouldn't make as much sense, and jump shooters wouldn't be so potent. The game could float back above the rim.

Illustrations by Aaron Dana. Excerpted from SPRAWLBALL: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA by Kirk Goldsberry. Copyright © 2019 by Kirk Goldsberry. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.