11/12/2019 0 Comments Who's Where Through Ten GamesIt's Week 3 in the NBA season, and just about every team has played ten games. Which means we're already 12% through the regular season. So we are able to collect data and have a general idea of where most teams stand heading forward. Let's dive into some Surprises, Disappointments, and Things to keep an eye on. Surprises Every player in the NBA are professionals, so it should never really be surprising when a guy is playing great. Yet, we still get that feeling of shock when players we slept on play better than we expected. - Brandon Ingram Brandon Ingram was a top pick for the Lakers just a few years ago. But his inconsistent play in his first couple years left people wondering what he could become. But let's not forget, this guy had a life-threatening blood clot issue that was cause for concern. It was similar to the issue that ultimately ended Chris Bosh's career. But Ingram's youth allowed him for a full recovery, and he's coming out this season like he has something to prove. We can look at his stats and see that he's got career highs across the board with 26 PPG, 4 APG, and 7.3 RPG. But we can also look at his Advanced stats and see that he's having an even bigger effect on his team. He's accounting for 20% of the Pelicans Defensive Rebounds as well as teams Assists. - Phoenix Suns Every year, a bad team wins a few games early to trick us into thinking they're actually good. But this Phoenix Suns team looks different when you watch them play. The additions of Dario Saric, Ricky Rubio, and Aaron Baynes have given them a veteran presence that is probably holding this young squad accountable. Their new head coach Monty Williams has them playing fast and moving the ball more than they ever had in the Devin Booker era. They are still leading the league in Assists per game with 28.1 and field goal percentage with 48.1%. This is no flash in the pan. Any team that can play at a Pace of Play that is good enough for top ten in the league, share the ball, and buy into the coaches philosophy will have an opportunity to be successful. - New York Knicks Every year, the Knicks are a dumpster fire and a magnet for disfunction. But this season, they've already topped themselves! We're only ten games into the season and the ownership is already starting to point fingers at coaching and the players. Congratulations Knicks! You're ahead of schedule! Disappointments - Portland Trail Blazers The injury bug has hit a team that is already battling injuries as it is. We still don't know when Jusuf Nurkic is coming back, and Zach Collins was supposed to fill in for him. But the unfortunate news of him needed shoulder surgery is going to keep him out for at least four months. CJ McCollum has gotten out to a very slow start. His worst performances came against the short-handed Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets. He went a combined 10/35 from the field and totaled 22 points. He finally hit a big shot in their overtime win against the Hawks, and immediately after the shot he looked to the sky and threw his hands up and shouted "Finally!" They're sitting at 4-6 right now, so hopefully they'll be up to at least 11 wins by the 20 game mark. - Zion Williamson's injury We have gotten good play from a couple of rookies we expected to be good, and some other guys who have been pleasant surprises. But it still feels like something is missing without Zion on the floor. His explosiveness and highlight ability has been missed in this young season. Here's to hoping he heals sooner than later. Things to Keep an Eye On - Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have raced out to league best 8-1 record, despite lacking size and losing Gordon Hayward for 2 months. Brad Stevens is proving why he will continue to be one of the best coaches in the NBA. Not only keeping this team afloat, but making this roster look like a potential contender. But are they for real? Or have they had the blessing of an easy schedule to open up the season? They have wins against the Hornets, Cavaliers, and two against the Knicks. According to Strength of Schedule, they are 16th. So they may continue to win a lot of regular season games against lesser opponents, but pay attention to them against the better teams in the league. - High individual scoring performances We have already had thirteen 40-point performances! And those teams are 8-5 when those individuals have scored 40+ points. Damian Lillard scored 60 points and home, and his team still lost. In an era where scoring is at an all-time high, it'll be interesting to see if defenses either find a way to slow these guys down or they let them jack the ball up 40 times in a game and just shut everyone else down and take the win.
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On October 27, 2012 the Oklahoma City Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets. With just four days until the NBA season started, both sides were left with a disagreement on the contract extension and they parted ways. Thus giving James Harden the opportunity to take his game to another level. All he needed was his own squad to prove to the world that he was capable of being one of the best players in the game. His MVP campaign, and deep runs into the playoffs have been successful as well as disappointing. But it has always been entertaining. So who is the next guy to have this Harden-style rise to power? It was Game three of the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Milwaukee Bucks were already up 2-0 in the series. As the ball tipped off in Double Overtime, the Bucks were looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Instead, Kawhi Leonard took the reins of the series and reeled off four straight victories. The Bucks were right there. Two or three plays away from having a chance to really win this series. So a big change to the roster didn't seem to be necessary, especially when you're a franchise like Milwaukee. A franchise that is desperate for a championship, and will do whatever it takes to win while they have potentially the best player in their franchise history in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They paid Eric Bledsoe last season, and then they paid Khris Middleton in the offseason. Leaving Malcolm Brogdon as the only player left to get paid on that championship caliber core. Instead, The Milwaukee Bucks chose not to bite into the luxury tax. Choosing to stay under the salary cap, and give their team more flexibility moving forward. But could moving forward without Malcolm Brogdon be what ultimately drives Giannis away from Milwaukee? Forcing Giannis to make a Kevin Durant-like decision to go win a championship somewhere else. In 64 games last season, Malcolm Brogdon joined the 50-40-90 Club. Which is 50+% from the field, 40+% from the three, and 90+% from the free throw line. Thats some real shooting numbers. Only seen by the likes of Larry Bird, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Reggie Miller. Through ten games this season, he looks like he'll be able to reach those numbers again. His current free throw percentage is sitting an NBA high at 98%, while scoring a career high 21 points per game. Yet it hasn't been his scoring that has helped the Indiana Pacers to a winning record without Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, and Damontas Sabonis for a few games. It's been his ability to share the basketball. He is currently second in the NBA in assists with 81. When you watch this Indiana Pacers team, the first thing you notice is how hot the ball is. Those guys keep it bouncing around as if the ball is smothered in hot lava. And it all starts with Malcolm Brogdon. His passing has led to 39.8% of his teams scoring, and his scoring has attributed to 20% of the teams scoring. So nearly 60% of the team's scoring is directly attributed to Brogdon thus far. And that doesn't even contribute to the many other ways he affects the offense off ball. Defenses can't simply leave him open on any spot on the floor because of his sharp-shooting ability. And most defenders can't handle him one-on-one because he can pull up or drive to the lane against most guards. His size, speed, and shooting ability give him the tools he needs to turn a new page on his career. If there are any players that have the ability and opportunity to make a leap from a star to a superstar so far this season, Malcolm Brogdon is on that short list. 10/19/2019 0 Comments NBA Eastern Conference RankingsIt's finally here. No more waiting. The NBA season officially starts tonight! So here's some reading material for the commercial breaks. Playoff Teams 1. Milwaukee Bucks (Projected record 60-22) The reigning MVP has never stopped improving from season too season. And after losing Malcolm Brogdon, Giannis is going to have shoulder even more of the load for his team. But that is going to be no problem for him and the Bucks. If they stick to the same strategy of spacing the floor and letting shooters shoot, they will replicate their 60 win season. They also united Brook and Robin Lopez together for the first time in their NBA careers, so that's gotta be some good karma. 2. Philadelphia 76ers (56-26) In Ben Simmons first two seasons, the 76ers entered the playoffs as a 3 seed. But now with a reloaded roster, they look like the best team on paper in the Eastern Conference. The addition of Al Horford will be the veteran presence and defensive mind they needed in the front court. Joel Embiid has been one of the top ten players in the league, but the 76ers lack of depth with big men in the past has made his job all too difficult. The trade for Josh Richardson gives them another shooter who can defend just about anyone in the league at the guard position, similar to what they have in Tobias Harris. Their size and overall defensive dominance will carry them to a lot of victories this season. 3. Brooklyn Nets (50-32) Even without Kevin Durant this season, the Nets still have the third best roster in the East. Replacing D'Angelo Russel with Kyrie Irving now gives them the best point guard in the conference. And putting him alongside Caris LeVert gives them a dangerous set backcourt that only a couple of teams will be able to defend. It'll be interesting to see who they decide to start on a night-to-night basis. Rodions Kurucs, Joe Harris, Jarret Allen, and newly acquired Taurean Prince will all be fighting for minutes on a team with plenty of options. And if all else fails, they can turn to Spencer Dinwiddie to score for them in bunches off the bench. Watch for Head Coach Kenny Atkinson to get some attention for the Coach of the Year award. 4. Miami Heat (48-34) Pat Riley really pulled this roster together in unbelievable fashion this summer. They were capped out on a roster that was constantly going to be a .500 team. But due to Jimmy Butler's desire to play there, and Portland's desire for a big man, they were able to swing a couple moves to put themselves right back into the playoff conversation. They gave Jimmy the max contract and shipped Hassan Whiteside off to the Pacific Northwest. And the fact that they were able to get Meyers Leonard back in that trade just made it all that much sweeter. Goran Dragic still has a lot left in the tank, even if he hasn't lived up to his price tag. And rookie Tyler Herro is the exact kind of scorer they needed to fit their ongoing puzzle. I wouldn't be surprised if they continued to make moves as the season progresses. 5. Indiana Pacers (46-36) Last year the Indiana Pacers were the 5 seed even though they only had Victor Oladipo for about half of the season. This season will be the same, but they will have him for the second half of the season. Which could possibly make them the most dangerous team come playoff time. They made some sneaky good moves that may not impress the casual fan, but basketball nerds love this team. The additions of T.J. Warren and T.J. McConnell give them the two best T.J.'s in the NBA. But the addition of Malcolm Brogdon is the move that really gave them a successful summer. A one-two punch in Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis will give the opposing team no breaks as these two go hard every minute they're on the court. Another brother duo in Aaron and Justin Holiday will help build a family relationship in the locker room. And scorers Doug McDermott and Jeremy Lamb will make life easier for Oladipo when he finally does return with a vengeance. 6. Boston Celtics (46-36) This Celtics team lost a lot more than they gained this summer. Losing Kyrie, Horford, and Aaron Baynes took a lot of the heart and soul out of their roster. They replaced that heart and soul with Kemba Walker, who has yet to prove himself as a consistent winner in the NBA. Their only addition to their front court was Enes Kanter, who looked amazing in his time with Portland. But after him, their depth in big men is alarming. Best case scenario is that Daniel Theis is their second best big man, which isn't a recipe for a championship. But their best move came just one day before the season, when they gave Jaylen Brown a four year extension. Out of all the young talent they have on their roster, I believe that he is the one guy with the potential to be an All-Star caliber player for years to come. 7. Toronto Raptors (43-39) The reigning NBA Champions haven't lost all hope after losing the best player in franchise history. This team still has talent and has one of the best coaches in the NBA in Nick Nurse. Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka all exorcised some demons of past failures when they finally achieved the championship they've been longing for. Their veteran leadership is going to carry this team with their positive mindset. And while the old guys will be leading by example, young guys in Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam will take on a bigger challenge on both sides of the court. This may end up being the most carefree team in the NBA because nobody will expect them to be successful without that guy who moved out West. 8. Detroit Pistons (42-40) Blake Griffin's second full season with the Pistons should be a fun one. Last year, he made the All-Star game and was on the All-NBA team. He has refined his game and become a guy who can shoot the ball from any spot on the court and can guard any position. He seems to be doing just fine without the spotlight of LA. There's nothing anyone loves more than a story of the resiliency of the human spirit. And Derrick Rose embodies every part of that. His ability to continue to fight every single year to play in this league is unbelievable. The people of Detroit are going to love his tenacity and work ethic, if they don't already. A possible breakout season for Luke Kennard is going to be the difference between them being or not being a playoff team. Bubble Teams - Atlanta Hawks The depth of young talent on this team should have any Hawks fan excited. Trae Young is already the leader of this squad. And adding rookies Cam Reddish and De'Andre Hunter should help them get on House of Highlights more than a few times. Look for John Collins and Kevin Huerter to have breakout seasons. - Orlando Magic The Magic are like that fly in your house that you can't seem to get rid of. You can hear them fly by you, and everytime you get ready to kill it, it somehow gets out of your reach. They're annoying as hell and I have no idea how they're still here, but they'll be in the mix for the playoffs all the way up until the final game of the season. Middle of the Pack - Washington Wizards This team would be in the "Hopeless Teams" section if it wasn't for Bradley Beal. That guy is an unbelievable talent. And if you're a Wizards fan, you better cherish every second you have with him. - Chicago Bulls This roster is actually very heavy with talent at the top end. Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, and Wendell Carter Jr. are a good young trio to build your franchise around. But head coach Jim Boylen is more of an authoritative figure than a great basketball mind. So expect them to be very disciplined on the court, but all the wind sprints in the world won't help get them to the playoffs. Hopeless Teams - Cleveland Cavaliers I have no idea what this team is doing. One year later they drafted Colin Sexton, they draft Darrius Garland. They're stuck with Tristan Thompson forever. And they won't free JR Smith. But at least they have Cedi Osman. Hopefully they trade Kevin Love to a good team so he doesn't have to rot there forever. - New York Knicks The Knicks haven't been relevant since Carmelo's first couple seasons with them. And they haven't been good since they made the Finals as an 8 seed. Don't expect them to be good anytime soon. But watching RJ Barret shoot the ball 25 times a game should be fun. - Charlotte Hornets I should've created an entire category for them called "The Worst Team of All-Time." This team has the potential to lose 60+ games. It'll be like watching a little kid hurt themselves. You won't be able to stop laughing, no matter how mean it actually may be. The Eastern Conference may not have the depth of superstar talent like the Western Conference. But those playoff teams will make the conference worth watching.
However, I do highly recommend that when the Cavaliers play the Hornets we should all get together and watch what I am dubbing The Worst Game of Basketball Ever Played. I may even write a screenplay about it. 10/17/2019 0 Comments NBA Western Conference Team RankingsNBA season is back! It never really ends, but regular season basketball is back. This offseason shook up the landscape of who could be representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals next June. It's time for our Western Conference team rankings! Playoff Teams 1. Portland Trail Blazers (Projected Record 58-24) We're very high on the Blazers this season. So high in fact that we think they'll be the best team in the Western Conference. Damian Lillard finally got a taste of a Conference Finals last year, but he couldn't lead his team to a single victory in that series. The constant hunger for more will drive him and the Blazers to give it everything they got for 82 games. Barring any setbacks in the Jusuf Nurkic recovery process, the Blazers will return with stability and a chance to solidify themselves as a consistent winner in the Western Conference. 2. Denver Nuggets (56-22) Nikola Jokic was in the MVP conversation last season, but was still not quite on the level of the highest individual honor in the NBA. His constant improvement will only continue to trend upwards. Especially with this roster. Their depth at every position is all a matter of whether or not this young squad can continue to live up to their potential. The team will only go as far as Jamal Murray and Jokic take them. But guys like Gary Harris, Will Barton, Paul Millsap, Torey Craig, Jerami Grant and Monte Morris make them the team with the most options. And everyone is waiting to see what they can get from rookies Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol. *Insert Mile High expectations pun here* 3. Los Angeles Clippers (55-27) The Clippers have easily put themselves in position to be the NBA Champions after its all said and done. However, the Paul George shoulder injury still leaves us questioning when he'll return. And will they use load management on both him and Kawhi even when they're healthy? Even if both of those guys only play 60 games together, that'll still be enough to put them in the top half of the Western Conference. 4. Utah Jazz (54-28) The Jazz have been on the brink of a breakthrough in the last couple of seasons, but there has been something they've been lacking. It turns out that Mike Conley was exactly what they were missing. Donovan Mitchell successfully avoided a sophomore slump. If the Jazz want to advance in the playoffs, he will have to live up to his constant comparison to Dwyane Wade. 5. Houston Rockets (51-31) Daryl Morey said that he wasn't going to trade Chris Paul, and then exactly one week later he did just that. So maybe don't take this guy's words so seriously. The backcourt of Russel Westbrook and James Harden is probably the most passionate duo in the NBA. A lot of swagger, a lot of dancing, and a lot of forceful offense. This is either going to be a reunion for the ages, or it's going to blow up in their face like a bad tweet. 6. Los Angeles Lakers (51-31) The addition of Anthony Davis will lift the Lakers to their first playoff berth in the Lebron James era. But it may take them a while to find their stride. Their lack of depth at the point guard and center positions are going to make it a tough task for new head coach Frank Vogel. But their top end talent alone will help them get to the playoffs. 7. Golden State Warriors (48-34) Losing Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson is definitely going to make Steph Curry and Draymond Green's job a lot more difficult. But if there's any franchise in the NBA that can win in any situation, it's the Warriors. The addition of D'Angelo Russel is somehow an underrated move. They were able to salvage losing Durant by replacing him with an All-Star caliber shooting guard, who should fit right into the Warriors fast pace of play. 8. San Antonio Spurs (46-36) Until Greg Poppovich and the Spurs don't make the playoffs, I am just going to automatically assume they will make the playoffs every year. They will bring back a healthy Lamarcus Aldridge and Demar Derozan as their leaders. Plus, they will be getting big minutes from Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker. This team will bore the hell out of you and mid-range their opponents to death. But they will find a way to make it into the playoffs once again. Bubble Teams - New Orleans Pelicans JJ Redick has never missed the playoffs in his entire career, so adding him should be a good omen for the Pelicans. With so much youth, it is going to be tough for them to make such a huge leap in Zion's first season. However, this may be the best team to watch on League Pass. - Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are a match made in overseas basketball heaven. As long as Kristaps can stay healthy, they will be a team with a winning record. But without a third guy to lean on, this duo will have far too much weight on their shoulders. Middle of the Pack - Oklahoma City Thunder Regardless of how his contract is structured, Chris Paul is still a very good basketball player. In the Eastern Conference, he would be the third best point guard. Unfortunately for him and the Thunder, they are in a loaded Western Conference. Going .500 would be a successful season and would keep them in the playoff hunt for most of it. - Sacramento Kings We are big believers in Buddy Hield, De'Aaron Fox, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Luke Walton may not be the guy for the job, but just a big name they felt they needed. The Kings front office will find a way to screw this roster up halfway through the season. Buddy Hield has already said if he doesn't get his contract extension soon, he's gone. Hopeless Teams - Minnesota Timberwolves Not only have they had the worst attendance in the league for the past two seasons, but they've been quite possibly the most disappointing. They've wasted Karl-Anthony Towns' prime years by trying to make Andrew Wiggins his sidekick. Here's to another losing record. - Memphis Grizzlies A young team with a seemingly bright future. Jaren Jackson Jr. has already shown that he can play, but we'll still have to wait and see with Ja Morant. With the flattened odds in the Lottery, they will be able to play hard all season, and still have a chance to land a top pick. - Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns will be the worst team in the Western Conference, what else is new? This loaded Western Conference is going to be a fun watch all season. Teams will be moving up and down drastically with every win and loss because of how tight the race will be at the top.
If there's one thing we know for sure, it's that no matter how much basketball we watch, we'll probably still be wrong. Getting swept out of the playoffs for three consecutive seasons has got to be a tough thing to bounce back from. But if any team can do it, it’s the boys from the Pacific Northwest. Every year, the Portland Trail Blazers are met with doubt from the mainstream media. But just like they’re city, they keep progressing forward with positivity. As we approach this new season, many teams have question marks. But the Portland Trail Blazers are the one rare case of sustained stability. The Portland Trail Blazers have taken the gradual approach to success. They didn’t tank to draft superstars. They took what was given to them and have cherished the guys who have put everything on the line for them. Damian Lillard was rewarded with the Super Max contract, while CJ McCollum got a hefty extension of his own. As failure to reach the NBA Finals has fell upon them, everyone from the outside continued to ask if these two were going to remain paired with each other. As a pair, they have reached the playoffs every single season. And in a loaded Western Conference, that is no small feat for a small market team who was supposed to be going through a transition phase when they drafted these guys. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. While many teams have made huge moves to bring in superstars for a chance at just one title, the Blazers have chosen to build stability in hopes to maintain a winning culture for the next 5-10 years. Growth isn’t always surface level. Sure, we can say that the Blazers reaching the Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years shows great growth. But it goes deeper than that. Building a roster to fit the two stars they have has changed drastically over these last few years. And the moves they have made since the 2018 Draft shows promise for their best season yet. Anfernee Simons didn’t play much in his rookie season, but his potential is what makes this kid an intriguing piece to their puzzle. Deciding to forgo college and play an extra year of Prep School basketball with IMG Academy shows how invested this kid is. It’s always been just about basketball for him, and a leap in his sophomore season could help incredibly to their guard depth with the loss of Seth Curry. But waiting around for Simons to develop isn’t the only basket their putting their eggs into. Rodney Hood had flashes of massive improvement over the course of the postseason. Including a huge performance in the final overtime of pivotal game against the Denver Nuggets. His talent was never in question wherever he went, it was just a matter of a team finding a way to utilize his skill set as a guy who can shoot off the catch or create his own shot when the time is winding down. The Blazers love running the pick and roll with their two stars and big men who can get to the basket, or shoot 20 foot jump shots. They are nearly impossible to guard when their wings are hitting their shots. They came up on possibly the biggest steak in the draft with Nassir Little. He didn’t hav the luxury of having the offense run through him at UNC because of all the talent they had on that roster. But his skill set fits perfectly with what the Blazers need. A guy with a high motor, who can defend, run the pick and roll, and shoots nearly 80% from the free throw line. As they are still waiting to see what they will ultimately get out of Zach Collins and Skal Labissière, they decided to make a move and pick up Hassan Whiteside for next to nothing. Besides his overpriced contract of course. But as a small market team that rarely signs free agents to big contracts, this contract isn’t much of a risk. Anything positive from Whiteside is a win. Their move to replace Evan Turner with Kent Bazmore seems like a lateral move. He does almost everything Turner does to a T, except for the fact that he can shoot three’s from time to time. Him and Mario Hezonja will eat up minutes off the bench, but they have the luxury of not asking much from these guys. With this immense amount of youth, they took a flyer on Pau Gasol. If not for his play, then strictly for his veteran leadership and championship pedigree. They desperately needed a locker room presence with someone who has done it at the highest level before. He will make an impact even if he doesn’t play a second for them all season. The biggest question mark they have is when Jusuf Nurkic will be ready. He is the key to them reaching their highest potential. This team is built for him to be successful alongside their two stars. When he was healthy last season, he had flashes where he looked unstoppable.
Including his historic 5x5 game in Sacramento where he was the first player ever to record at least five steal, blocks, points, rebounds, and assists in a single game. His health could make them the best team in the Western Conference. Stability is what separates the Portland Trail Blazers from the rest of the league. While many of the top teams such as the Jazz, Rockets, Warriors, Lakers, Clippers, and Sixers all will have to figure out their new rosters as the season progresses, the Blazers will be a smooth sailing ship from the jump. With all the hoopla going around in the league, it’s easy to forget about this team. But chances are that they’re stable culture is going to carry them throughout the season. And it won’t just be another good year. The Portland Trail Blazers will be the one seed in the Western Conference. It's 1991, and you're an NBA fan. You're flipping through the channels on your television that range from 00-99. It was virtually impossible for you to be a fan of some random team not in your region, unless that team was the Lakers, Knicks, or Celtics. These big market teams dominated the nationally televised games, while teams like the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, or Cleveland Cavaliers only made it to your television maybe 4-5 times a year. And it was probably only because they were playing those big market teams. Fast forward to 2019, and now you can be a fan of any team or player and follow them 24/7. So this notion that players all want to go to a "big market" may be outdated. Just look at the Milwaukee Bucks who were the #1 team in the NBA, had the MVP in Giannis who also had one of the top selling jerseys in the world. Or look at the Portland Trail Blazers, who made it to the Western Conference Finals and were able to retain All-NBA Damian Lillard and his sidekick CJ McCollum. So while cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and even Chicago are “big markets” any team can make themselves into a big market in this social media driven world. When Anthony Davis found a way to force himself out of New Orleans, many thought that no matter what kind of trade the Pelicans got it wouldn’t amount to the talent the had with Davis. And in many ways, that would have been true. Until the draft lottery happened. In a crazy twist of fate, and maybe good karma, the Pelicans got their future back. The ping pong ball bounced their way, and they were gifted Zion Williamson. The Pelicans then had even more leverage than they already did. They could’ve done whatever they wanted at that point. They could’ve held on to Anthony Davis and made him wait a whole extra year if he really wanted to leave a situation with Zion. They could've traded him to a crappy team like the Chicago Bulls just to spite him. But instead, they continued believing in good karma and gave Anthony Davis what he wanted by sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers. All the assets that the Lakers had been drafting throughout their rebuilding process now belonged to the Pelicans. And by acquiring all those young guys who were the spotlight in a big market, along with Zion, they became one of the most talked about teams in the NBA. Thus becoming the social media world's favorite young team. We've seen everything that Zion can do. He is arguably the most popular high school basketball player to ever play the game when you consider how his highlights have been seen worldwide since he was in 8th grade. But he's not the only one who will be making New Orleans worthy of their own House of Highlights page. Their second pick in the draft was Jaxson Hayes out of Texas. He hasn't played a minute of NBA basketball yet and he may already have the best dunk of the 2019 calendar year. He turned heads at the Summer League when he elevated over a defender who was underestimating Hayes' power. *See video below* Nickeil Walker-Alexander was the third pick for the Pelicans, and he just happens to be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's cousin. Game runs in the family, as Nickeil wowed viewers with his ball handling ability at Summer League. He had an unbelievable highlight of his own when he hit a Harden-like step-back jumper off of the opposite foot, that had the fans and Pelicans bench going crazy. *See other video below-low* In addition to adding young talent through the draft, they also acquired just about all of the Lakers assets. Josh Hart may be the only player who will be forgotten out of this trade package. Lonzo Ball is known to drop highlights of his own, but more of in a full game sense. He and Lebron became just the ninth pair of teammates to drop a triple-double in the same game. His defensive ability is going to make it very easy for guys like Zion and Hayes in the paint. Brandon Ingram has had his moments and has shown flashes of stardom. His poster on Corey Brewer still has fans wondering what the hell Brewer was thinking by trying to get in his way. At just 22 years old, Ingram's game has sky-high potential when you think about his size and shooting ability. But the Pelicans talent doesn't just begin and end with youth. They still have Jrue Holiday, who has been a staple of the team for years, will continue to be the leader of the franchise. This has got to be the most athletic team he has ever played with. And for a guy who lives off of the pick and roll, expect to see more alley-oops than jump shots from Jrue. They added a couple of veterans to help guide this young team. JJ Redick chose to leave Philadelphia and join another young team on the come up, and he got a hefty payday. Derrick Favors also left a playoff team in the Utah Jazz to hop on the New Orleans bandwagon. Usually, we like to hit you with stats to show why a team is going to be good. But this is any entirely new team.
They have started a monopoly on young talent in the game, and are looking to remain one of the most talked about teams every night. There will be nights where they are just running up and down the court and will be creating jaw-dropping moments. Living up to the hype is just the first step in this young team's journey. But most of these kids have had the cameras in their face since they were going through puberty, so this moment will be nothing new. You're going to be sending highlights on Instagram to your friends with captions like "WTF" "OMG" and "SHEESH" followed by some fire emojis. And although New Orleans does not have the biggest fan base right now, they will be gaining new fans everyday as they create their own market. Jordan brand recently had a big win when they signed Zion Williamson to his first shoe deal. They haven't had a good shoe in about 20 years, and they were still able to land the most marketable rookie since Derrick Rose. Michael Jordan's basketball team however, is terrible. He has proven time and time again that he is the worst owner in the NBA and possibly across all American major sports franchises. And guess what, he's not going anywhere. And neither are the Charlotte Hornets. Their 2019-20 season has potential to be one of the worst seasons in NBA history. Unless teams such as the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Phoenix Suns don't get anything from their young talent, the Hornets will definitely have the worst record in the NBA. Let's start from the top and work our way down to the roster and see if there is anything to be excited about. The Stadium Last season, the Spectrum Center hosted the NBA All-Star Game. As far as we know, everything went well. The city of Charlotte invested $34 million towards renovations to the arena to make sure it could accommodate all needs for All-Star Weekend. Hopefully, nobody ate the stadium food. According to a study on stadium food safety, Spectrum Center had the most health code violations out of any arena in the NBA. They were by far the worst as they had committed a league-high 92% health code violation rate. So let's hope whoever ate the food there got some of the 8% of food that was handled correctly. Front Office Michael Jordan has never really been known as the nice or generous guy. He had Kemba Walker for eight seasons and the best players he was able to acquire during that time was Nicolas Batum and Dwight Howard past his prime. He never paid Kemba Walker a max contract, as Walker got paid exactly $12 million a year for the final four years of his contract in Charlotte. And if you're not a big Walker believer, that's fine. But when you realize that Marvin Williams, Cody Zeller, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all made more than him last season as his teammates, you understand how delusional Jordan is as an owner. And their GM's haven't been much better. Let's flash back to 2011 when their GM Rich Cho traded Tobias Harris, Stephen Jackson, and Shaun Livingston for Corey Maggette and Bismack Biyambo. My goodness. But now with Mitch Kupchak at GM, they have acquired a handful of future draft picks. So maybe that's something to look forward too. Unless Jordan just decides to keep drafting the Cody Zeller's of the world. The Roster
After losing Walker, the Hornets are $34 million over the NBA Maximum Salary Cap. THIRTY-FOUR MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE SALARY CAP. With no All-NBA caliber players, no All-Stars, and no chance at a playoff spot. They can't even make any trades because nobody is going to want any of these contracts. Nicolas Batum at $25 million, Bismack Biyombo at $17 million, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller at $15 million each, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at $13 million, and they just signed Terry Rozier to a maximum contract which will pay him $20 million this season and go up from there. And none of these guys would be starters on other teams. Most teams wouldn't even want these guys are their roster at all. Yet here the Hornets are, paying the luxury tax for the worst team in the NBA. There may be a team with a worse record this upcoming season, but they are the worst constructed team hands down. The Fans I'm sorry. I have no idea what you have to look forward too. I guess at this point all you can hope for is a bright future. Miles Bridges could be the one guy I could see people seeing as a potential future star, but there's a long way to go on that one. Who's jersey are y'all even buying? It has to be Cody Zeller, only to prove that you are truly a Hornets fan. The immediate future of the team looks terrible, and until Michael Jordan decides to hand the keys over to someone who is competent enough to make smart basketball decisions, the longterm future will continue to look terrible. And for all 9,000 of you who decide to go to games next season, don't eat the stadium food. There’s a variety of ways to build a championship contending team. Sometimes it takes years of planning, and sometimes it’s just pure luck. If the team is in a big city or marquee destination, they can use location as a way to persuade players about coming to a bigger market. We saw this with Lebron James and his move to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers weren’t better than the Blazers, Rockets, or Sixers. But Los Angeles offers everything and more for a guy who owns his own television production company. A team can try to tank and just start a roster from scratch with young talent and draft picks. But this rarely works. That same Lakers team was going nowhere with their young core that came from their rebuild. The Phoenix Suns have been unintentionally tanking since Steve Nash left and they’ve gone nowhere. The Philadelphia 76ers are the rare case where deciding to tank for 3 years actually did put them in the best position to build a championship contender. Another way is to consistently try to be the best team you can possibly be and hope that it works out for the best. The San Antonio Spurs have been the model for this mindset for the last 25 years. The Miami Heat dedicated the self to their culture and even with a below average roster and no cap space, and still found a way to land Jimmy Butler and possibly Russel Westbrook. And while a team can choose whichever path they believe will most benefit themselves, building a winning culture is the most respectable way to do it. The Utah Jazz have been trying to create a winning culture for as long as anyone can remember. Even going back to the 90’s when they constantly ran into great teams and players such as Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and of course Michael Jordan. The years with Deron Williams and Andre Kirilenko in their prime were a lot of fun. Being in Utah, there really isn’t any way to build a contender besides building through the draft and hoping a free agent or two decide to come join a winning team. But even in the best hopes, it’ll most likely never be the top free agents. And while building through the draft sounds all good, it makes it even more difficult when they’ve been dedicated to always trying to be the best they can possibly be. So while they’ve been in the lottery a few times, they’ve only drafted in the top ten three times in the last ten years. Those picks were Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, and the only guy left from these picks in Dante Exum. They didn’t even draft their two best players in Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell. Both of those players were received in draft day trades with the Denver Nuggets on two separate occasions. And in their two years together, they’ve made the playoffs both times and have looked like one of the best young duos in the league. In just one week, the Utah Jazz have changed their look as a perennial playoff team into a team that could contend for a title in a wide open Western Conference. When Mike Conley signed the biggest contract in NBA history, at the time it seemed like a huge number. And while it was and still is, it’s not bad in comparison to a lot of the deals out there right now. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, and Kyle Lowry all are making more per year. And Otto Porter only makes $5 million less, yes Otto Porter. So for a team like the Utah Jazz who only have two players in Gobert and Joe Ingles making over $10 million a year, taking on Conley’s contract is no problem at all. So trading for him wasn’t even a question, it was just a matter of making it happen. Whether you believe that Mike Conley is the guy that can lead his team to a championship is all personal opinion, because his numbers throughout his career have always made him one of the top point guards in the league. But contrary to how his teams were built in Memphis, he won’t have to be the guy or even one of the top two scoring options. This move alone would’ve elevated the Jazz’ ceiling for next season, but they knew they needed to strike the iron while it is hot. They signed an under the radar free agent that’ll add another dimension to their team. After Victor Oladipo went down with injury last season, it was expected that the Indiana Pacers would have a steep decline. But instead of faltering, the Pacers maintained their winning ways and Bojan Bogdanovic was one of the main reasons why. In 34 games without Oladipo, he averaged 20.7 points per games, was a 41% three point shooter, and 50% from the field. And this was all as the number one option with a lineup that didn’t really have many offensive threats. The Utah Jazz added him as soon as free agency opened for about $17 million a year. A team was once looked at as team with just a few scoring options has now turned themselves into a team with limitless potential. A starting lineup of Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Rudy Gobert should make them one of the top four teams in the Western Conference if they remain healthy. Their dedication to a winning culture has rewarded them this team. Their commitment to contstantly trading for players they believe in has created a lineup that was attractive to veterans who are looking to make a deep run in the playoffs. But now there are expectations. Guys like Conley, Jeff Green, and Ed Davis who have all made deep playoff runs in their career will help this young core continue to move forward. So while tanking wasn’t an option for them, and since they knew they weren’t going to convince any big free agents to come hang out in Utah for all the riches they can offer, they still found a way to take advantage of Donovan Mitchell while he’s still on a rookie contract. Utah is known for it’s scenery, so in 2020 let’s sit back and enjoy the beautiful show. 6/13/2019 0 Comments The NBA has a Doctor IssueAs the Golden State Warriors faced elimination, Kevin Durant and the team doctors agreed that he was suitable to play. Both parties knew that he was going to be playing through injury, but as far as we know, he was cleared to be good to go. His calf injury turned into a ruptured achilles in the matter of 20 minutes of gametime. And an injury that was deemed "minor" by team doctors turned into a career altering injury. So who is to blame for this? The player and his team of advisors? The team and their medical staff? The answer is a little bit more complicated, as he is not the only player to suffer from this kind of predicament. As fans, it's easy for anyone on the outside to tell a player what to do when they're injured. We can sit back and say a guy should tough it out and come back, or he should push his pride aside and sit on the sidelines while his team goes to battle. But the people it actually should be easy for are doctors and medical professionals. And throughout the years, it seems like they are either becoming less knowledgeable or have less say in the decisions of player injuries. We'll look at a couple of guys just as examples. Let's start with Joel Embiid. The guy misses his first two seasons due to injuries. He finally comes back in his third season and the team decides to only allow him to play certain games with a minutes restriction. And it worked. He didn't have any major setbacks, and it allowed him to be healthy for the offseason. However, his injuries never really went away. So this past season, he decided that it was in his best interest to go 100% for the whole season. This turned out to be the wrong decision because he ran into many problems that could've been avoided. Such as back spasms, sore knees, and fatigue. By the time the playoffs came, he found himself battling just to get out onto the floor every night that he could. This could have been avoided by giving him more rest throughout the season, and having a better understanding of his body and what it was going through in recovery from the years of injuries. Another example of this was with Victor Oladipo this season. He suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his knee after he returned from an injury on the same knee. The Pacers knew it could lead to a more serious injury, but they allowed Victor to continue to play. Team doctors ignored the fact that his injuries could return or that it could even lead to other issues. But instead of doing what was in the player's best interest, they decided to allow the player to dictate what he wanted to do. Now let's look at an even bigger story in Kawhi Leonard. The San Antonio Spurs and Greg Poppovich have actually gotten in trouble for resting guys too much. So their mismanagement of Kawhi was a rare occurrence. But this rare occurrence ended their hopes of years as title contenders. Kawhi has battled quite a few injuries throughout his young career, but his leg injury two years ago changed everything. He had been rehabbing to get back and was cleared by team doctors to go ahead and play. Kawhi played nine games, and he couldn't go anymore. He told the team and the doctors that his body didn't feel right. So as the season went on, the team stood by their medical team's side and claimed that Kawhi was cleared to play and that not playing was his own personal decision. One would think that nobody knows their body better than the athlete themselves, yet the Spur's team doctors ignored this. Teammates and coaches in the organization thought of it as Kawhi against the team, when in reality it was just him fighting for his own health. And as we saw him this season with the Toronto Raptors, we could see that he was able to get his body right by working with the team and taking scheduled nights off to maintain his health. He played just 57 games in the regular season, and prepared his body for a run at the championship. So why don't team doctors actually know what's going on? The NBA has grown exponentially over the last 20 years. And with the forward thinking commissioner in Adam Silver, they have made great strides in player health and safety. Giving players more rest days, a longer break in the middle of the season, and more off days during the playoffs. But the next step that must be taken is adding top level medical team talent to the league. So do they accomplish it? Private doctors always make the most money. And as the NBA grows as a global sport, they are recruiting more and more players from other countries to come and play professional ball here. They need to treat their medical teams the same way. They must dedicate themselves to finding the best doctors in the world and training them specifically on basketball related injuries. The more knowledge these doctors have on occurring and reoccurring basketball injuries, the better chance players will have at maintaining long and healthy careers. But along with teaching and training these medical teams, the next step that must be taken is by paying top dollar for the best available sports doctors. The NBA is a multi-billion dollar industry and their outreach is larger than it's ever been. And until they dedicate themselves to securing the best doctors in the world and paying them more than what they could earn elsewhere, we will continue to have players in a constant battle with their medical teams. There was no better duo than Batman and Robin. But what happens when Robin wants just as much glory Batman? Answer is, It ain't never finna happen Robin! So eventually, Robin will leave and become his own superhero. But when he realizes he can't beat anyone on his own besides villains like the Killer Moth and Kite Man, he'll probably contemplate joining Batman again. And as his decision awaits, he will dream of the good ol' days when they took down the toughest villains in the world. Side by side. NBA Free Agency looms large for many teams on the cusp of being great. And Kyrie Irving may possibly be linking up with a Lebron James again to rekindle their Batman and Robin relationship. But instead of looking to the future, let’s fall in love again with the past. With the Warriors down 3-1 in the current NBA Finals, it reminds us of the only time any team has overcame that deficit. The tandem of Irving and James could’ve been great for years to come. But alas, they could not continue together. So let’s look at the one night where it all worked. With their backs against the wall, and the world doubting them, they delivered a performance for the ages. The Warriors had just won Game 4 in a blowout in Cleveland, and were supposed to come back home to Oracle and finish the series at home. It was simply supposed to be a formality. And they played like they thought it was. The Warriors got out to a 12-5 lead with Klay Thompson and Steph Curry both raining down three’s. They started to look to the crowd like “Oh yeah we got this.” But with every punch thrown by the Warriors, the Cavs we’re ready to respond. The pace looked like it was favoring the Warriors, but the Cavs somehow had the game tied at half on the back of Lebron James. James led the Cavs with 25 points, Klay led both teams with 26 points, and the score was 61-61 the highest scoring half in an NBA Finals game since 1987. The Warriors has more made three pointers than two pointers. Everything was shaping up to fall into place for the Warriors to go back-to-back as champions. The Cavs continued their aggressive offense in the third quarter. Through three quarters, Lebron and Irving has combined for 8 three pointers and seemingly could not be stopped. Their hot shooting gave them a 9 point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter was all Irving’s. He had always been a great clutch player, but he took it to the next level in this game. With the Warriors trying to close the gap, they began playing physical with Kyrie. In one play, he told the Warriors “I ain’t going home today!” He put on a beautiful display of dribbling, he split a double team of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, got deep into the post, hit a full spin move into a fade-away shot, banked it in and got fouled. He let out a loud roar that could be heard from the rafters as he quieted the crowd with a single shot. Then Lebron did his duties by hitting a dagger and-1 of his own. For some reason, Brandon Rush was on an island against Lebron. James took him to the paint, pump faked, took the contact and hit the jumper. This gave them a 16 point lead with 3 minutes left and left no doubt of who the best team was that night. The first time ever a pair of teammates dropped 40+ points each in an NBA Finals game couldn’t have come at a better time. This was the beginning of the end of the historic season for the Warriors.
Batman could not take down these villains without Robin. And Lebron could not have scored 82 points by himself. This was the moment that started a new wave in the NBA. Without this historic performance, Kevin Durant would’ve never went to Golden State. And while Game 7 was incredible as well, Game 5 is what started it all. |
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July 2020
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