The Dion Waiters marijuana edible situation, explained

Waiters was just suspended for 10 games.

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The Miami Heat recently suspended guard Dion Waiters 10 games for what was called “conduct detrimental to the team” after reports of an incident involving a marijuana edible on the team plane.

It ended days of reporting and speculation about just what happened with the NBA veteran on that plane as everyone is piecing together reports about the incident that was considering detrimental conduct.

Here are some questions you might have and as many answers as we’ve gotten in the last few days about what exactly happened:

Who is Dion Waiters?

He’s a 27-year-old shooting guard for the Miami Heat who has averaged 13.2 points per game in a seven-year career after he was drafted out of Syracuse by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the fourth overall pick in 2012.

And what’s this now about marijuana edibles?

Well, marijuana is a substance that —

No no, what does that have to do with Waiters?

Oh, okay! There was a report on Friday from a Fox Sports radio host Andy Slater that a Heat player had a “medical emergency” on their flight out of Phoenix:

Slater added this:

Did that really happen?!

According to another report from ESPN, Waiters had a “panic attack” after consuming the edible.

Did the Heat confirm that was the case?

Not fully. In a statement that came with the 10-game suspension, the Heat said “Dion’s actions this season (included) the very scary situation on Thursday night,” and that the team was “grateful that the outcome wasn’t worse.”

They also mentioned there were other actions that were detrimental to the team this year.

Like what?

That might have been a reference to him being suspended for the home opener because of — per a Pat Riley statement via the Sun-Sentinel — “unprofessional conduct on the bench” during a preseason game.

Where did he get an edible from?

It’s unclear, but per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Heat believe it came from a teammate, although he won’t say:

How costly was this suspension?

Extremely:

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Texans eager for imminent return of receiver Will Fuller

The Houston Texans could be receiving wide receiver Will Fuller back into the lineup again. Naturally, they are excited about that.

The Houston Texans have adjusted well to the absence of wide receiver Will Fuller. Since the speed merchant suffered a hamstring injury in Week 7, Houston has won back-to-back games, averaging 413 yards per in the process.

However, when Houston can get Fuller back, they will. Though oft-injured and prone to drops, his speed, chemistry with Deshaun Watson and route-running adds an extra dynamic to the offense.

“Having a healthy a Will Fuller is no question a positive for the Houston Texans. Helps everybody in the room. Helps the team,” said wide receivers coach John Perry on Nov. 5.

On the season, Fuller has recorded 34 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns. His 17 deep targets rank second in the NFL, per PlayerProfiler, despite the missed time while his average target distance of 15 yards sits at 12th.

“It’s just good for him,” Perry continued, “because he’s such a good person who’s worked so hard. You just hate to see guys be injured at all. We’re excited to get the opportunity to have him back in the second half of the year.”

Fuller’s hamstring injury suffered in Week 7’s loss was expected to sideline him for a few weeks. However, his time table to return did not warrant a placement on the injured reserve.

Houston has employed the help of Kenny Stills to fill-in for Fuller. In his two weeks in the starting lineup, Stills has eight receptions for 74 yards.

Houston’s Week 10 bye may have allowed Fuller the adequate time to return to the lineup. Before the team went mute for the week, coach Bill O’Brien alluded to him trending in the right direction for his return.

Whether or not Fuller does return for Week 11’s tilt with the Baltimore Ravens will be known throughout the week. The first indication of his availability will be Wednesday’s practice, followed by reports on Thursday and Friday.

Lions week 10 snap counts: Jarrad Davis thrives on lower snap counts

Detroit Lions Week 10 snap counts observations include Jarrad Davis’ having his best game of the year in a game where he saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

When examining the Detroit Lions (3-5-1) snap counts from Week 10, one glaring thing stood out: Jarrad Davis’ had his best game of the year in a game where he saw his lowest snap counts of the season.

That and more takeaways from this week’s snap counts below:

No Matthew Stafford means it’s Jeff Driskel time

Jeff Driskel — 83, 100-percent

With Stafford’s status moving forward very much in question, we may see a lot more of Driskel in the near future.

Guard rotation declines, Tyrell Crosby steps up

LT Taylor Decker — 83, 100-percent
LG Joe Dahl — 75, 90-percent
C Frank Ragnow — 83, 100-percent
RG Graham Glasgow — 79, 95-percent
RT Rick Wagner — 28, 34-percent
RT Tyrell Crosby — 56, 67-percent
OG Kenny Wiggins — 15, 18-percent

Wiggins saw one series filling in for Glasgow and one for Dahl, down from the two series he had seen in previous weeks.

Crosby took over for Wagner when he left the game due to a concussion and Crosby will likely hold down this position as Wagner moves through the NFL protocol.

The Lions continued to use six offensive linemen sets — four times in this game — beginning with Crosby in his typical role. But when Crosby was needed to take over at right tackle, Wiggins took over this role for the final three snaps.

Ty Johnson’s exit forces J.D. McKissic into the spotlight

J.D. McKissic — 58, 70-percent
Paul Perkins — 15, 18-percent
Ty Johnson — 12, 14-percent
Nick Bawden — 11, 13-percent

Depending on the severity of Johnson’s concussion, we could see a roster move at the position sometime this week. Regardless of what happens, McKissic has proven himself as Driskel’s preferred safety valve — he saw seven targets in the passing game — and will likely be holding down an extensive role moving forward.

Three receiver sets see the majority of the snaps

Kenny Golladay — 78, 94-percent
Marvin Jones Jr. — 76, 92-percent
Danny Amendola — 56, 67-percent
Marvin Hall — 11, 13-percent

Golladay and Jones rarely left the field, while Amendola has now put together four games in a row of over 60-percent of offensive snaps.

Hall’s numbers were down a bit from normal, but with Driskel at the helm — and coaches keeping things simple for him in his first start — it’s not overly surprising. As Driskel gets more comfortable in this offense, expect him to take more deep shots downfield — he has the arm strength to do it — and that means more opportunities for Hall.

Tight end snaps declining

T.J. Hockenson — 48, 58-percent
Jesse James — 28, 34-percent
Logan Thomas — 18, 22-percent

With the Bears’ weakness covering the tight end, these numbers were surprisingly low. Over the last month, Hockenson has seen about two-thirds of snaps, while James has leveled off at around one-third.

Lions DL snaps down due to injury

A’Shawn Robinson — 29, 51-percent
Damon Harrison — 25, 44-percent
Mike Daniels — 21, 37-percent
John Atkins — 20, 35-percent
Kevin Strong — 12, 21-percent

Every player on this list either (save Atkins) entered the game with an injury, suffered an injury during the game, or both. Expect these numbers to increase with their health.

Flowers snaps rise, Kennard’s decline

Trey Flowers — 50, 88-percent
Devon Kennard — 39, 68-percent

With no Romeo Okwara available and injuries on the interior, Flowers saw a significant increase to snap count — his highest of the season.

Kennard has seen his snap percentage drop from the 90-percentile to the 80-percentile, but this week was a season-low. The Lions use a heavy rotation at linebacker in this game and Kennard’s usage reflected that.

Jarrad Davis sees lowest snaps of season, thrives

Jarrad Davis — 44, 77-percent
Christian Jones — 41, 72-percent
Jahlani Tavai — 38, 67-percent

Davis, like Kennard, saw his lowest snap percentage of the season, but Davis responded with his best game of the year. Maybe the light bulb turned on for Davis in this one, but with less responsibility on his plate — Tavai was calling plays at different points during this game —  he responded in a positive way.

Jones snaps stayed close to his average snap total, while Tavai’s streak of seeing over 50-percent of defensive snaps is now at five games in a row. Tavai’s increase in responsibilities and consistent snap counts suggest a larger role for him in the near future.

3 and 4 corner sets rise

Rashaan Melvin — 57, 100-percent
Darius Slay — 55, 96-percent
Justin Coleman — 46, 81-percent
Mike Ford — 15, 26-percent

Slay and Melvin were back to their starting cornerback roles, while Coleman settled back into his typical nickel corner role. Coleman was replaced on the field at times by Ford in an apparent effort to exploit a speed-on-speed matchup.

3 safety sets return to average

Will Harris — 57, 100-percent
Tavon Wilson — 56, 98-percent
C.J. Moore — 22, 39-percent

Despite Tracy Walker missing another game, the Lions returned to their standard three safety rotation usage, with undrafted rookie Moore taking on his highest defensive snap counts of the season.

Moore also led the team in special teams snaps. As usual, he and Dee Virgin are one-two in third-phase snaps.

Special teams

C.J. Moore — 27
Dee Virgin — 26
Jalen Reeves-Maybin — 23
Steve Longa — 23
Nick Bawden — 22
Logan Thomas — 22
Mike Ford — 20
Will Harris — 19
Jamal Agnew — 17
Paul Perkins — 16
Christian Jones — 11
Amani Oruwariye — 9
Tavon  Wilson — 9
Jesse James — 6
Jahlani Tavai — 5
Justin Coleman — 5
Jarrad Davis — 4
Devon Kennard — 4
Trey Flowers — 4
Marvin Hall — 4

LeBron on seeing his sons rundown from AAU tournaments: ‘This isn’t right’

LeBron James said that he sees the toll of AAU basketball first-hand, with his two sons, and says the status quo bothers him.

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When it comes to his own load management, LeBron James has a pretty simple approach. But when it comes to the well-being of his children and the thousands of kids that play youth basketball on the summer tournament circuit, James has many more thoughts as a parent of two hoops hopefuls.

In an interview with Yahoo’s Chris Haynes, James tackled the issue of youth players coming into the league rundown and with injuries. He discussed seeing his sons being forced to play three games in one session at an AAU tournament this year and how jarring it was for him to see his kids rundown, explaining:

Because a lot of these tournaments don’t have the best interest of these kids, man. I see it. It’s like one time, they had to play a quarterfinal game, a semifinal game and a championship game starting at 9 a.m., and the championship game was at 12:30 p.m. Three games. I was like, ‘Oh, hell no.’ And my kids were dead tired. My kids were dead tired. This isn’t right. This is an issue.

Over the summer, the issue of youth basketball wearing down the game’s most promising young players was the topic of a phenomenal expose by ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. And as if the topic didn’t need anymore support, No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson needed knee surgery days before the season began and No. 2 pick Ja Morant had a knee procedure over the summer.

The issue of players entering the league with chronic injuries is not one that will go away soon. And while LeBron can only influence the workloads of his two sons, it’s clear he doesn’t like the non-stop cycle that often chews up and spits out players before they get a chance to be fully-formed.

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Injury report: Enes Kanter cleared to play for first time since season opener

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is finally ready to return from a knee contusion that kept him out for nearly three weeks of action.

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If it seems like Enes Kanter hasn’t played much for the Boston Celtics this season, that’s because he hasn’t.

After signing a two-year deal with the Celtics over the offseason, seeking to team up with Kemba Walker and play for Boston’s revered franchise, the nine-year veteran has been out since the team’s regular season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 23 due to a left knee contusion.

Kanter, who started the game in a rather unexpected move by Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, recorded 12 points, six rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.

The team has been hopeful Kanter would be cleared since last week but it wouldn’t be until Monday,  Nov. 11 — the day of Boston’s nationally-televised matchup against the Dallas Mavericks — that Kanter would be cleared by the Celtics’ medical staff.

Per the Athletic’s Jay King, Kanter told reporters that the training staff had cleared him after shootaround, “so [he’s] good to go tonight.”

Kanter may not start against the Mavericks considering he’s been out for nearly three weeks and the Celtics have won seven straight games without him.

However, with Gordon Hayward’s scoring punch set to be missing from the starting lineup for a few weeks after the versatile forward fractured his hand against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, Stevens may want to have Kanter in the starting unit as an experienced offensive threat in place of the longtime Utah Jazz star.

Falcons TE Austin Hooper to have MRI on knee, expected to miss time

The Falcons may have lost two of their starters during the game, but still managed to pull off an upset win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The Falcons may have lost two of their starters during the game, but still managed to pull off an upset win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Tight end Austin Hooper hurt his knee and running back Devonta Freeman went down with a foot injury. Both players will have MRIs on Monday to determine the severity of their injuries, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Atlanta hasn’t gotten a ton out of Freeman this season, while the running game as a whole has struggled to find room behind the team’s new-look offensive line.

Backup Ito Smith was just placed on the injured reserve last weekend, so keep your eyes on Brian Hill and Kenjon Barner to get some extra work.

Hooper, on the other hand, was having a breakout year. Through nine games, he was on a career-best pace with 56 catches, 608 yards and 6 touchdowns. Even if the injury causes him to miss time, he is probably on his way to a earning a hefty new contract with the Falcons or someone else in the very near future.

Hopefully, Atlanta won’t be without its star tight end for very long as he’s been one of the few bright spots this season.

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Which QB would former Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum covet as QB1?

Mike Tannenbaum appeared this morning on ‘The Golic and Wingo Show’ to discuss which 2020 NFL Draft QB he would covet as QB1.

The Dolphins made the decision this offseason to relieve former Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum of his duties with the team, instead electing to elevate general manager Chris Grier to total control over the Dolphins’ direction and philosophy as a football team. That decision has yielded a drastic change versus what Dolphins fans have been accustomed to for nearly a decade — an intriguing shift into unfamiliar territory that will provide Miami with much more flexibility in how they choose to approach their roster rebuild.

But what would the Dolphins’ quarterback preferences look like if Tannenbaum were still on the team? Would he like the hot new name, Joe Burrow? Or what about the Alabama prodigy, Tua Tagovailoa?

The correct answer? None of the above.

Tannenbaum preferring Oregon’s Justin Herbert to both Tagovailoa and Burrow is hardly surprising — but is a clear indication that the Dolphins made the right decision to elevate Chris Grier within the organization. This isn’t to say that Herbert will be a bad professional quarterback, he very well may be a very good one. But the justification of the position for Tannenbaum? It stems all around Herbert’s size, while ignoring that Joe Burrow is listed at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds and Tua Tagovailoa checked in last March at 230 pounds, according to Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl.

Never mind the fact that Justin Herbert has experienced a broken collarbone and a concussion thus far in his college career. To presume Herbert is durable and “built to last” because of his frame while ignoring Burrow’s frame and Tagovailoa only missing 6 quarters of action over two years of action is an old-school way of thinking — and quite frankly in ineffective one. The NFL has drafted “smaller” quarterbacks 1st-overall in each of the last two seasons, to prioritize a player over other contenders based on height and a misplaced faith in durability is all Miami fans need to know about the man who used to call the shots.

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