Dallas, TX
Mark Daigneault Previews Dallas Mavericks Ahead of Second Round
The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially found out its second round opponents for the first time since 2016.
It’ll cross paths with the No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks, led by the star guard pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They got past the LA Clippers in six games the previous round, possessing loads of playoff experience and high-level offense.
It’s a much different look for the Thunder than the New Orleans Pelicans were, who were without their No.1 scoring option in Zion Williamson for the entirety of the series. The Mavericks had a top 10 offense in the NBA throughout the regular season, and are near at full capacity heading into the series, outside of the absence of Maxi Kleber from an AC joint injury.
“Our guess for them is to stay big, but we’re ready for everything.” Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault said on Kleber’s absence. “It definitely changes their looks in the frontcourt.”
Kleber has been an important piece in Dallas’ lineup for several seasons now at the power forward position, and although he only averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season, his ability to defend opposing forwards and space the floor is still providing crucial minutes in the rotation. It’ll be a significant loss against a team with great frontcourt talent, most notably in regards to Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
Still, the Mavericks are equipped with a fairly deep roster that can cover Kleber well enough. P.J. Washington has flourished since joining them at the trade deadline, Tim Hardaway Jr. is still giving close to 15 points per game and Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II make for a great center rotation.
“Anybody advancing in the playoffs is a really good team,” Daigneault said on Dallas. “We obviously have a lot of respect for them. They’ve been playing exceptionally … Post trade deadline I thought that really changed their team … Obviously a tall task for us.”
The Thunder will not underestimate its opponents just because it’s coming off a first round series sweep. The Mavericks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, making it a total of four playoff appearances in the Doncic era. They’re more than prepared for another stab at making it to the WCF, or even a NBA Finals run.
This second round matchup could easily reach seven games if both teams continue to play they did in the first round, and Oklahoma City knows that. Doncic is one of the largest talents the league has seen in the last decade, an unideal matchup for any team.
“[He’s] a great player,” Luguentz Dort said on Doncic. “Good ability to create shots. Makes a lot of tough shots. The ball is gonna be in his hands a lot so my main thing is to make everything tough.”
Doncic will be by far the most difficult matchup the Thunder has faced in the playoffs up to this point, but if any team can hold him to below his standards, it has one of the best shots. Dort is an elite on-ball defender on the perimeter that can make any guard have a difficult night, so most of the assignment can be expected to go to him. Even beyond him, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Cason Wallace can also give the 25-year-old troubles.
Oklahoma City’s first true test of the playoffs will begin Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CT , inside Paycom Center for Game 1.
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The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
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Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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