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Well, Sasaki did nothing to inspire the same euphoria, let alone confidence Wednesday, as he struggled in his spring training debut against theArizona Diamondbacks.

Sasaki was hit hard, hit often and struggled with his control. He gave up three hits, including two doubles, and three runs to the first fiveDiamondbacksbatters he faced. He threw only 17 of his 36 pitches for strikes, walking two batters with three strikeouts. He was scheduled to pitch two innings, but lasted just four outs.

"I thought he was overthrowing,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after their10-7victory, keeping them undefeated (5-0) this spring. "I haven't seen that all spring.''

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Roberts, who was gushing over Sasaki's bullpen sessions in his media session Wednesday morning, wasn't panicking over his performance, saying he could have simply been overwhelmed by an adrenaline rush in his first outing. But Roberts also isn't simply going to hand him a starting job until he proves he deserves it, either. Sasaki pitched only 36.2 innings for the Dodgers last season, spending four months in the minor leagues while overcoming a shoulder impingement injury.

"I think the first thing is,'' Roberts said, "is that he's just got to mix [pitches] better. He's got to command the fastball. … Honestly, I thought today was the first day he came out of his mechanics. He just didn't have the feel or control of that fastball.''

Scouts in attendance also criticized Sasaki's performance, saying he showed a lack of confidence with his body language, with one scouting saying, "He looked scared to death.''

Sasaki's fastball reached 98.6 mph, but there was no movement, with Sasaki giving up two of the hits with an exit velocity of 105 mph.

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"In the bullpen, I felt pretty good about the forkball,'' Sasaki said, "but once I got on the mound, it didn't go well. And the four-seam, I felt pretty good in the bullpen, but once I got on the mound, it felt a little off.''

Roberts has made it perfectly clear to Sasaki that he needs to command at least three pitches in his arsenal if he's going to be a regular in the Dodgers' ultra-talented starting rotation. Sasaki is trying to incorporate a slider to go along with the fastball and splitter, throwing his new pitch seven times in Wednesday's game.

"I'm really impressed by Roki in the sense that he's had a lot of success with the two pitches,'' Roberts said, "but he has to be open and understand that if he wants to be a great as a starting pitcher in the big leagues, that third pitch is important ...

"We're expecting him to be good, he's exepcting to be good, and to continue to get better.''

Opening day is one month away, and Sasaki must still prove that he can be a bona fide starter after making only eight starts (1-1, 4.72 ERA) and finishing the season in the bullpen. He was a critical piece to the Dodgers' bullpen in October, yielding just one earned run in 10.2 innings, while saving three postseason games.

Sasaki has made it clear that he wants to be a starter. The Dodgers want him to start. But he needs to prove he can do it.

Sasaki, who is staying in Dodgers camp and not pitching for Team Japan in theWorld Baseball Classic, conceded there was at least was one positive aspect of the day.

"I was able to finish my outing,'' he said, "without getting hurt.''

Follow Bob Nightengale onBlueskyand X@Bnightengale.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Roki Sasaki's rough Dodgers spring debut raises questions

How much do you believe in what you do? How many different ways can you get back to it?

With that in mind, I've been sitting and thinking about the Western Conference, where the Oklahoma City Thunder have fallen off their early historic pace and now have company at the top of the conference.

OKC and San Antonio: Battle for West's top seed

Injuries have defined this stretch for OKC, but the team has found a way to stay on the right course. We all have someone in our lives who looks out their window on the weekend, takes a deep breath and admires their work. That's the feel I've gotten from Mark Daigneault during this stretch.

OKC's focus on next man up, executing on offense and harassing teams defensively has held steady no matter who has been on the court. Casually adding Jared McCain's playmaking and shooting has helped, but the Thunder have been able to play through Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein to balance things on both ends of the floor with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams sidelined. Meanwhile, the lights may be brighter on Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and a host of others, but they have kept the ball (and effort) moving.

The tricky part for the Thunder isthatteam in San Antonio refuses to go away. It's one thing for the Spurs to have beaten the Thunder four out of five times this season, it's another for the Spurs to have not lost a game in the month of February (nine straight wins), meaning they are now only three games behind the Thunder for the top spot in the West.

It's easy to point to the play of Victor Wembanyama on both ends of the floor, but when you see the Spurs you see a team that is playing with more poise, more composure and more belief in what they are doing on both ends of the floor. Stephon Castle is willing to defend anyone on the planet, De'Aaron Fox has brought a consistent presence, and when you watch them you see a team that understands the assignment.

The Spurs may not have everything they need, but they have positioned themselves as a real threat that can make a run with how they defend and how they attack offensively.

That brings me to the rest of the playoff teams.

Big questions for rest of West contenders

The Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves have had me in a headlock for the last few days. If you look at the Western Conference standings you can see just how tight things are between them. With every night, a win or loss could send them to a different position in the standings.

At a time of year when you're supposed to be sharpening who you are as a team, the discomfort of the Western Conference delivers an alternate reality: two of these teams will advance and knock on the door of a conference finals run, two will go home early and disappointed, and there is a high likelihood they face each other to determine their fates.

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It does not help that this is also the time of year where the feeling of a fatal flaw begins to stick to you as a team. It could be an inability to perform in the clutch, an inability to defend consistently, an inability to put enough lineups out there to navigate difficult moments.

Houston Rockets:They are currently the 3-seed in the Western Conference and, at times, it doesn't feel that way. This is one of the top defensive units in the NBA, and they have used that as a base to put themselves in this position. But will that be enough to make up for the question marks they have offensively?

This is a team that is comfortable playing methodically in the half-court, but is that what hampers them in clutch time? Kevin Durant has accelerated their path and has the ability to take and make all of the shots that can throw a defense's scheme over the top rope, but what can boost that? How much does this team need Alperen Şengün to not only make plays, but be the type of offensive player that draws help from defenses? How will Amen Thompson adjust to alternating between spacing in the dunker spot and being an on-ball attacker when defenses are willing to switch and go under? Will Reed Sheppard, who has continued to grow, be able to find a consistency on offense to stay on the court when teams look to attack him defensively?

Denver Nuggets:They would seem like the team to elevate from this group on paper. Years of talking about the "non-Jokić minutes" have turned into a balanced roster that could thrive in those moments and went 10-6 when he was out due to an injury. That would be an unbelievable boost in most years, until you realize their recent 3-6 stretch has come with him back on the court.

This feels like a team that needs to get healthy more than anything (Denver is 8-2 with the starting lineup of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić), but what do the Nuggets do in the interim? How do they push themselves to prepare for the playoffs?

This stretch could be a reminder that, while they have worked to add more things defensively to adjust, they do not have the wiggle room on that end of the floor. An inability to contain dribble penetration, rough transition defense and breakdowns against cutters are things their defense simply can't afford. As good as Murray and Jokić are, the absence of Gordon has taken a bite out of their ability to punish teams in clutch moments. And as high as the highs have been for the Nuggets, how many little things are chipping at their ceiling as we approach the playoffs?

Minnesota Timberwolves:They have made back-to-back conference finals which should have themoutof this group, but questions remain. This is a team led by Anthony Edwards — who should have the Clutch Player of the Year sent to him by now — that features improved play from Julius Randle and Jalen McDaniels and the defensive presence of Rudy Gobert. The formula is there. The Wolves can beat anyone in the NBA. But it also feels like they can lose to anyone in the NBA.

Effort and focus should be raised come playoff time, but can they put themselves in a position to capitalize on it? Are they secretly a team built for the playoffs that understands the assignment, or do they have a fatal flaw as a team destined to knock on a door they are not meant to open?

Los Angeles Lakers:They boast Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, a trio that I maintain you don't want to have to deal with come playoff time. Availability has been the toughest part as they have waited for most of the season to have all of their big three healthy to find a level of consistency to match the potential. While most will point to the defensive end of the floor with this group, my eyes remain on the offense.

This is a group whose top players not only have to score, but have to score at a high enough level that defenses feel the need to help, which opens up plays for everyone else. When teams feel they can pressure and stay at home, will the Lakers be able to keep pressure on teams? When the offense slips, is that when you truly feel how little the defense can make things up in the moment?

This team has a high ceiling and a lot of firepower, but little margin for error. The Lakers have mixed in zone, switching, help and activity to disguise their defensive woes, but if the offense is not firing at 100%, they have a tough time masking those issues. The talent will always give them a shot, and a playoff game plan should open things up, but they have to make defenses blink consistently.

All of these teams have strengths, most have weaknesses. The question becomes: How can they poke at each other on their journey toward a championship? To navigate this conference you will have to do it on both ends, with the versatility to get back to who you are and an identity you can lean on. Only time will tell which teams are sharp enough to find a way come spring.

The new head coach is taking over a team that currently hasDeshaun Watson,Shedeur SandersandDillon Gabrielall hoping to move up the depth chart to the starting job before Week 1. While Watson is the most experienced and successful of the bunch, availability has been a problem for the quarterback.

Even with that in mind, Monken told reporters ahead of the NFL combine that it would be unfair to count him out of the competition at this point.

"I think any time that you have a player that, at one time, has exhibited the skillset at an elite level, I think you're always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of them again,"Monken said at the NFL combine on Feb. 25. "And I think that's how you should look at every player."

The coach added that he will let the situation play out, comparing it to taking a test in school.

"I think it'd be completely unfair, just like it would be in any classroom setting," Monken said. "Be it a history exam and all the students walk in, and before they're actually given the exam, you give them a grade. Well, how would you give them a grade? Based on male, female, race, how they look, how they're dressed, I think that's unfair."

2. New York Jets – Arvell Reese, LB/DE, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano, OT, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – David Bailey, DE/OLB, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – Makai Lemon, WR, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – Keldric Faulk, DE, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 23. Philadelphia Eagles – Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 27. San Francisco 49ers – Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 29. Los Angeles Rams – Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 30. Denver Broncos – CJ Allen, LB, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 31. New England Patriots – Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 32. Seattle Seahawks – Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection with order set after Super Bowl

Of course, there is plenty of time before Week 1 with the2026 NFL Draft,free agencyand more still to come. It's unclear what the Browns can expect from Watson this offseason, especially after the quarterback missed the entire 2025 season recovering from a torn Achilles.

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Aside from the drop in production, the former Houston Texans star has barely been on the field since being acquired by Cleveland ahead of the 2022 season. He has played in only 19 of the Browns' 68 regular season games during that time.

Monken acknowledged that there will some bias based on what they already know, that won't impact the final decision.

"Now you're going to have some preconceived notions, obviously, because we have prior evidence, but I don't decide who plays.

"The players decide who plays."

Todd Monken on Shedeur Sanders

Monken is expected to navigate a tricky situation with the Cleveland quarterback room, including whether or not Sanders should be the unchallenged QB1.

While Sanders might not have the inside track to start, the new head coach said he does see unique traits in Sanders, and named one on Wednesday.

"I think what you see is elite playmaking ability, that's in him," Monken said of Sanders. "You've seen it, we've seen it, you saw it in college, you saw it on tape last year. Sure there's a ways to go, but what rookie isn't? What first-year player doesn't have a long way to go?"

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Browns' Todd Monken says it's unfair to count out Deshaun Watson