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Though fans might worry about Victor Wembanyama's injury risk because of his slender 7'2" frame, NBA scouts aren't concerned about the clear top prospect in the 2023 NBA draft.

"Some people compared his physique with Chet Holmgren, but Victor's shoulders and frame are better," a scout told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. "You don't pass on him [at] No. 1 because you're worried about an injury at his size."

Wembanyama has caught the attention of nearly everyone in NBA circles, with even current stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo praising the top prospect. The versatile player has an impressive handle for his size and can score in different ways while remaining an elite shot-blocker.

The upside is enough to overlook nearly any risk, making him a near-lock to go No. 1 overall in the June draft.

At just 229 pounds, durability could still be an issue in his career. Chet Holmgren (7'0", 195 lbs) will miss the entire 2022-23 season because of a foot injury after being taken No. 2 overall in the last draft. Kristaps Porziņģis (7'3", 240 lbs) has also been limited by injuries throughout his career, playing fewer than 60 games in six straight years.

Wembanyama will hope for better injury luck once he reaches the NBA.

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones reportedly will be fined $11,139 for his low hit on Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple on Saturday, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network had previously reported Jones would not be suspended.

Jones appeared to go out of his way to take out Apple's legs after a Cincinnati fumble recovery. He was chasing linebacker Germaine Pratt, who had scooped up the ball, and then appeared to target Apple behind the play.

Apple accused Jones of being a dirty player after the game.

"Of course I did [notice it]. He tripped me," he told NESN's Sean T. McGuire. "I thought it was a dirty play. He's done that before; I've seen it."

NFL Twitter sided with Apple:

Jones provided his take on the play during an appearance on WEEI, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

"I went down in front of him to kind of get in the way to stop him from slowing down Tyquan, who obviously could make the tackle there. So just kind of went down in front of him, trying to stop a fast guy from getting to another fast guy.

"It's a split-second decision and there's a lot that goes into it. You're out there trying to compete, it's a physical game. So just trying to help the team win.

"I have all the respect for Eli and the Bengals. They played a great game. So, there's no hard feelings and definitely no intention to hurt anybody on that play. Nor do I believe that when I'm playing quarterback, that's what [the defense is intending to do]; I get hit a lot, too. We're all out there playing hard. It's just part of the game."

It isn't the first time Jones has been accused of dirty play by an opponent. In 2021, Carolina Panthers edge-rusher Brian Burns called him out for grabbing at his leg after a strip-sack:

"Watching the replay and watching all the angles and everything, I think it's some bull. I think it's some bull for him to take his legs—because my main thing is he took his legs and he swept the one leg I had up, you know what I mean? I think it's some bull. And his explanation for it—because he thought I had the ball—I don't think you could think a person has the ball. Soon as I sacked you, you grabbed my arm. And then everybody ran past us.

"Even if you thought I had the ball, it's not legal to trip somebody or leg sweep somebody, let alone twist [an] ankle; it's not legal to do that. Everybody else ran past us. If I had the ball, don't you think I'd be getting tackled? Or your teammate would help? So, I don't think it's cool, but it's whatever."

It isn't a reputation Jones will want to foster around the league.

In the short term, however, the bigger concern is that the Patriots have lost four of their past five games and are a game back of the Miami Dolphins for the final playoff spot in the AFC.

The mediocre play of Jones (2,550 passing yards, nine touchdowns, eight interceptions, 65.6 completion percentage, 30 sacks taken) during his sophomore campaign has played a huge part in New England's struggles.

Huge AFC East showdowns with the Dolphins and Buffalo Bills loom. It's a tough way to finish the season for a team—and quarterback—looking to salvage postseason aspirations.

Mac Jones may be developing a reputation as a dirty player.

Bengals cornerback Eli Apple criticized Jones after the Patriots quarterback was called for a low block in Cincinnati's 22-18 win over New England on Saturday.

"Of course I did [notice it]. He tripped me," Apple said, per Sean T. McGuire of NESN. "I thought it was a dirty play. He's done that before, I've seen it."

It's hard to not agree with Apple's assessment of the play in question. The two were not particularly close to the play when Jones drove into Apple's knees during a Bengals fumble return that was later ruled an incomplete pass.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the NFL will review the play to determine if Jones should face any discipline. The league has increasingly cracked down on plays below the knees, hoping to avoid serious leg injuries.

Jones dove at Apple's knees and risked injuring him in what appeared to be an outburst of frustration. Patriots fans loudly booed their second-year quarterback and chanted for fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe as Jones struggled early in the loss.

This is not Jones' first time being accused of dirty play, either. Carolina Panthers linebacker Brian Burns called Jones out for twisting his ankle in a pile last season. Jones said he believed Burns had the ball and was ultimately not punished by the league.

Jae Crowder's ongoing holdout from the Phoenix Suns is reportedly not winning him any fans around the NBA.

One anonymous general manager ripped into the Suns forward, saying Crowder has alienated teams by choosing to sit out over frustration with his contract.

"He just didn't show up," the general manager told Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. "He said he's not playing unless he gets a contract extension that he wants. I think a lot of teams are turned off by that in and of itself. Like, 'What? You don't want to play for one of the best teams in the NBA and PROVE that you're worth it so you can get a contract next year? Like, you're not that good, bro. What are you doing?' It's a weird dynamic. It's one thing if Kevin Durant's holding out because he's not getting paid enough, but Jae Crowder? Seriously?"

Crowder seemingly responded to the comments via a post on his Twitter account:

Crowder is in the final year of his contract and is being paid $10.2 million this season. He is coming off a largely unspectacular 2021-22 campaign, which saw him average 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting just 39.9 percent from the field.

While Crowder is a solid role player who provides rugged defense on the perimeter, the anonymous general manager isn't particularly wrong in this case. If the market for Crowder was what he expected it to be, he'd already be wearing a different uniform.

Instead, Crowder is wasting the final year of his contract and doing nothing to help out his value on the open market. Rather than proving his worth on the court, he chose to make his stand after a largely shaky season.

The Suns have also played just fine without him, sitting at 19-14 despite missing Chris Paul for much of the season.

This gamble has already backfired in a major way for Crowder.