Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Watching a Pretty Good Cover Band Division

Day four of my preseason NBA countdown continues with five teams that I feel have real, legitimate playoff spots. They should avoid the play in and be in the top six in their respective conference.

At 15 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I was very high on them last season but they kind of fell on their face. They never really got it together all season, but they did make the play in and they played the Nuggets kind of tough in round one. This team has massive talent, but I want to see how it comes together, if it does at all, this season. Anthony Edwards is awesome. He is one of my new favorite players in the league. He has major confidence, he had a wonderful summer and he has gotten better every year. Karl Anthony Towns is a great shooter, but he is kind of soft everywhere else. He also missed a ton of time last season. I'll be curious to see if he sticks with the team all season, but while they have him he needs to let it fly. Rudy Gobert is not close to the player he was in Utah. He never fully melded with the team last season and he had a tough summer. I think he may struggle even more. I like Naz Reid as a backup five. He needs more playing time, and if he were to get more, he could do some nice things. Mike Conley is a good point guard, and he has camaraderie with Gobert, but he is older. I like that they got Nickiel Alexander Walker on a good contract. I think he can help this team. Shake Milton was a decent addition as well. The Timberwolves should be a very good regular season team that parlays that into a top six spot in the West. We will see.

At 14 I have the Atlanta Hawks. This team is a mystery. They have loads of talent, but they had an even tougher time playing together than the T'Wolves last season. Trae Young is a great scorer and passer. He is also a complainer. He seems to rub teammates the wrong way far too often. Dejounte Murray is lethal, but he seems to be not as good as he was when he was in San Antonio. He is still an awesome defender. Clint Capela is a great pick and roll guy, as long as Young is a willing passer and Capela stays on the floor. De'Andre Hunter is an okay player, but his skills from college haven't translated to the NBA yet. I like that they went out and got Saddiq Bey last year. He is a good, tough addition to this team. Onyeka Okongwu needs to play to show he is a good five in the league. I think Kobe Bufkin was a very good, smart pick for this team. Jalen Johnson has some solid skills, he just doesn't see the floor enough. This team is highly talented, but they have chemistry issues. They should win enough to get in the playoffs, but it may look ugly at times.

At 13 I have the New York Knicks. This is a very solidly built team with very solid NBA players. They don't have any super duper stars, but they have good team players. Jalen Brunson proved his worth tenfold last season. He is a very good point guard with ice in his veins. He's awesome. Julius Randle is a very good regular season player. He can score a ton. Josh Hart does all the little things really well. He is also a fan favorite. RJ Barrett may be the player he will always be already, and that is fine. He is a solid 16 ppg game guy. No more, no less. Immanuel Quickly had an up and down year, but the dude can score. Mitchell Robinson is a very good defender and rebounder. He is a menace too. They have high hopes for Quentin Grimes. And they went out and got Donte DiVincenzo on a good deal. He can really let it fly. The Knicks are built for regular season wins. They can also give a few teams a run for their money in the East.

At 12 I have the Miami Heat. Remember how they made the finals as an 8 seed last season? That was nuts. It shouldn't have been that surprising though. Jimmy Butler is one of the best, and most underrated superstars in the NBA. He is a killer and a winner. Tyler Herro is a good shooter and shot creator. Duncan Robinson is a knock down 3 point shooter. Neither plays a lick of defense. Kyle Lowry is a great veteran leader, but he is older. He was so good in the playoffs last season. Caleb Martin really showed out last season in the playoffs last season. Bam Adebayo is one of the best modern centers in the league. He is a tank as well. Kevin Love is still here and he is still a great outlet passer and rebounder. Josh Richardson might find his form being back with his original team. And the people I listen to are very high on Jaime Jacquez Jr and Nikola Jovic. The Heat are about as solid as they get in the NBA. They aren't going anywhere.

The final team for the day, at 11 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell is a legit scorer. He can shoot from every level. He is almost impossible to guard. He just needs to do that in the playoffs. Evan Mobley is a great young player. He has shown strides both years in the league and I think being humbled by Mitchell Robinson in the playoffs last season will be highly beneficial for him. Jarrett Allen is a great old fashioned center. He is tough to guard and is willing to take on anyone. Darius Garland is so good. I was so wrong about him and I am happy about that. Garland is one of the better up and coming guards. Caris Levert provides scoring from the perimeter. I like that they went out and signed Georges Niang for bench scoring, Ty Jerome as a solid backup point guard and Max Strus as a three and d guy. I am also a big fan of the Emoni Bates draft pick. He will do some nice things off their deep bench this year. The Cavs are a fun team to watch.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty's 2022 - 2023 NBA Season Preview: Cavaliers, Mavericks, Nets

Welcome to day seven of my 22-23 NBA countdown. We are at the teams that I look at as locks to make the playoffs as long as nothing goes too haywire.

At number 12 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. They made a big time offseason splash when they went out and traded for Donovan Mitchell. He makes this backcourt especially explosive. Mitchell can score from anywhere. He can take on any defender. He is a walking bucket. His defense leaves a lot to be desired, but he will have another anchor helping him out. I was low on Darius Garland when he came into the draft a few years ago but he has proven me wrong. He is as good as advertised. He is an all star. He is a top point guard in the league. He does what you want a modern point guard to do. Evan Mobley is awesome. He was instantly one of my favorite players when he entered the league. He is so smooth. He is great in the post. He is a wonderful defender. He is an excellent rebounder. He has superstar quality written all over him. Jarrett Allen is great as well. Allen is a perfect modern big. He does not care about his stats as well. He just wants to win. Caris Levert is a pure scorer off the bench. He can feast on second units. Kevin Love was close to winning sixth man of the year. He has moved to his bench role with no problems. Ricky Rubio is coming off injury, but he is as good a passer as he ever was. Robin Lopez brings toughness off the bench in the low post. Isaac Okoro needs minutes, but he has the tools to be solid. The Cavs were close last year. They were in the play in, but they got hurt and faltered at the end of last season. They went out and got a big name and I think it will benefit them greatly. They are a playoff lock for me.

At number 11 I have the Dallas Mavericks. They do have Luka Doncic. I think he is wildly overrated personally. I think he gets far too much credit from every white sports writer in the country. I don't buy it and I don't buy him. But he is a solid basketball player. He is good on offense, but poor on defense. Christian Wood was a nice trade, but how will he mesh on a winning team? How will he feel coming off the bench? How will he deal with less touches? Time will tell. Spencer Dinwiddie shot the lights out last season, especially in the playoffs. I wonder which Dinwiddie we will see this year. Will it be the Brooklyn/playoff Dallas version, or the Washington Wizards version? Mavs fans should hope for playoff Dinwiddie. Tim Hardaway Jr is back from injury, and he is a solid scorer. Reggie Bullock plays wonderful defense and can shoot open threes. JaVale McGee has gotten all the bad basketball out of his system and has become a good bench player. Dwight Powell is barely playable anymore. Frank Ntilikina is very good on defense, but he is a zero on offense. Dorian Finney-Smith is solid. Maxi Kleber is fine. And Davis Bertans can still kind of shoot. I think making the West Finals was a bit of a mirage. But this team should still compete and make the playoffs.

The final team for the day, at 10 I have the Brooklyn Nets. On paper this team looks like a title contender. You look at the stars and they are big. You look at the city and it is enormous. The coach is famous, the owners are famous and this team should be a title contender. Hell, I had them winning it all with ease last season. And then last season happened. It was rough. Kevin Durant is still amazing. He is unguardable. He can score from anywhere. He is long and switchable on defense. But he doesn't always seem to be fully stable. He fights with internet trolls. He gets too much hate online, but he doesn't always have to respond. Kyrie Irving is a mess. He is a flat earther, he is anti vax, he sages the court. He is nuts. But the dude can hoop. Ben Simmons hasn't played in over a year. He says he has mental health issues. He has complained about former teammates and coaches. The last time he was on a basketball court he passed up a wide open dunk. He can't shoot free throws. But he is an amazing defender. He can run the point. He can do some things great and some things not so great. Seth Curry and Joe Harris are wonderful shooters, but both are hurt. Nic Claxton is a good rim runner, but barely touches the ball. TJ Warren hasn't played in forever. Patty Mills fell off a cliff last season. Markieff Morris is an okay enough vet who brings toughness. Look, the Nets have the guys, but those guys are so flaky that they can never be counted on. I mean both Kyrie and KD wanted out before the season and now we are to believe that everything is cool? No way. This team is a mess, but it is a talented mess.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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I Love This Donovan Mitchell Trade

Donovan Mitchell was finally traded. And it wasn't to the Knicks or Lakers or the Warriors. He is going to the Cavs.

This is shocking to me. I love it, but it is wild. Donovan Mitchell got what he wanted, the Cavs got instantly better and the Jazz got a young guy trying to repair his game and a bunch of more picks. Now Utah just has to find a trade partner for Mike Conley and they can go into full rebuild mode. But let's look at this trade primarily.

I love, love, love this deal for the Cavs. I was, and still am, a Collin Sexton fan. But his time in Cleveland was over the moment Darius Garland became an all star last season. The backcourt was going to be Garland's from here on out. They are going to build the backcourt around him. Adding Donovan Mitchell makes them an immediate threat. He and Garland can both handle the ball, score at will, find scoring lanes where there may not be any and are a matchup nightmare for other teams. This instantly props the Cavs as a playoff contender. Hell, I'd say you could write it in pen. They will be a playoff team and could be a top four seed. This puts them on par with Miami, Toronto, Chicago and Atlanta, all playoff teams last season. I'd only put the Bucks, 76ers and Celtics ahead of them now with the addition of Mitchell. What makes it even better is they got to keep their core guys. I mentioned Garland, but they also kept Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. They still have Cedi Osman and Caris Levert coming off the bench. They only had to give up Sexton and three unprotected picks, which will most likely be later first round picks since the Cavs should be good for awhile now.

This is the best the Cavs have looked since LeBron James was there. I love that the Cavs are going for it and trying to be relevant again. They have this great group of young guys, a great frontcourt and, now, one of the best backcourts in the East, hell, maybe even the NBA. This is an absolute homerun.

As for the Jazz, they traded a disgruntled all star, got more picks and got a reclamation project in Sexton. Sexton will get all the shots and touches he could ever want. He should, and most likely will, be their number one guy. He will be the focal point of the offense. He will get every single chance to redeem himself and show everyone why he was such a prize draft pick. I love that for him. But the Jazz also got more picks, which I think is what they wanted even more. With these three unprotected picks, the Jazz now have thirteen picks through 2029. That is a goldmine of picks that only the Thunder can match right now. The Jazz want to start over and build through the draft. They get to do just that. And I wonder how many picks they can get for Conley at some point. After trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, I cannot imagine a world where they keep Conley around. That would be a nightmare for him, and a mistake by the Jazz. They can definitely get more picks and maybe another young player.

This trade is a win-win for both squads. Both teams got what they wanted. And if I were Mitchell I would be absolutely stoked to go play for this up and coming Cavs team. They are going to be one fun team to watch next season. I love this so very much and it makes me even more excited to watch the NBA this year. What a deal. Wow.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Cavs, Kings, Timberwolves, Hornets

Welcome to day two of my NBA countdown.

Coming in at 26 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs do have a feeling of a team trying to win, but it’s just not working out. I’m a big Colin Sexton fan. The kid can play ball. He’s a good scorer, good at getting to the rim and has improved both of his years in the NBA. All the trade talk and everything else surrounding him is nonsense. Darius Garland is proving me wrong. I thought he’d need more time, but he’s shown he belongs. He’s a good guard and I feel like he’s going to take a leap. I love love love Evan Mobley. I fear he’ll get buried on the bench but this kid needs to play. He’s got all the gifts and tools to be a great modern big in the NBA. Isaac Okoro had a solid rookie year. I’m a big Jarrett Allen fan. I love his Afro but I love his rim protecting even more. Then it gets iffy. Denzel Valentine is not great. They need to trade Kevin Love. I don’t like the Lauri Markannen signing because he’s taking minutes from Mobley. I don’t get why they signed Ricky Rubio. They already have better, younger guards. Tacko Fall will barely see the floor. And Dylan Windler is just Jimmer Fredette 2.0. This is a weird roster. They need to go fully young and build around those guys. The off-season suggests they may go in a different direction though. Either way they’re a lottery team.

At 25 I have the Sacramento Kings. This team is in purgatory. They’re stuck. De’Aron Fox deserves so much better. He is so good but he’s going to go nowhere with the Kings. He’s an all star stuck on a very poorly run team. Buddy Hield clearly wants out. He almost got his way, but now he’s back to shoot threes and do little else. Richaun Holmes should be a glue guy on a playoff team. In Sacramento he’s a starter playing far too many minutes. Marvin Bagley cannot stay healthy and it seems like he wants out. Davion Mitchell was a good pick, if this team didn’t have Fox. He’s barely going to play. Tyrese Haliburton had a great rookie year, and I see him blossoming if he gets to leave this team. Harrison Barnes’ talent is being wasted. And then it’s a bunch of G League guys. The Kings need to make a ton of changes to get this team back to relevance. Maybe a trade for Ben Simmons could wake this franchise up.

At number 24 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I think they could be in the play in with their talent. Their talent just cannot stay on the floor together. Karl Anthony Towns is amazing. He went through hell this past year too. He’s so skilled offensively. He knows how to score. He’s a great rebounder too. He’s just not very good on defense. He needs to be better. D’Angelo Russell can score and run an offense, but he’s been injured more than not, and he’s a zero on defense. I am a big time Anthony Edwards fan. That kid is awesome. He’s got the right attitude for the NBA. He dunks the hell out of the ball. His shot got better. He went toe to toe with Steph in a game last year. I have nothing bad to say about him. Patrick Beverly was a nice addition who will play a ton of defense. He’s no good on offense. Taurean Prince had one solid season but he hasn’t played that well in awhile. Malik Beasley is a good bench scorer but he thinks he should start. Josh Okogie played so much better with Team Nigeria in the Olympics than he ever had with Minnesota. Naz Reid is a good big man, he just needs more time. Like I said, this team can make the play in if they stay healthy. That’s a big if.

The final team for today, at number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is legit. That kid can play. He is the player to build around. On the other hand I despise Gordon Hayward for so many reasons. The main one is that he’s not that good anymore. He’s oft injured and seems to have a bad attitude. I love that they took James Bouknight in the draft. He’s instant offense off the bench for them. He’s going to light it up. Miles Bridges is a good pick and roll guy who works great next to Ball. Terry Rozier made bank after one good season. He hasn’t lived up to that season, but he’s still getting paid she he can still score. I like that they’re taking a chance on Kelly Oubre Jr. He’s got some good skills, he just needs to okay more. He’ll get that opportunity in Charlotte. PJ Washington is a solid reserve. He usually starts in Charlotte. Mason Plummer was a wasted signing. Kai Jones will bounce between the G League and the NBA, but he has a ton of upside. Other than that it’s all question marks. The Hornets were in the play in last year, and they were crushed by the Pacers. If Ball takes a leap I could see them back in the thick of the play in again. That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: The Worst of the Worst

As wild as it seems, the next NBA season starts in 15 days. We are two weeks away from the season.

This is wild to me, but I am stoked. I love the NBA, I loved the bubble, I am stoked to see some of the rookies that were drafted, want to see some of the guys that switched teams and am just happy that pro basketball is back. They proved they can do a season during this pandemic, and while I am sure they will run into some problems, I do not envision the NBA having the same issues as the NFL or MLB or college sports. The people in charge know what they are doing, and they have already laid out a 158 page rule book for the upcoming season. The pandemic is still raging, with no signs of slowing down any time soon, but I think the NBA can pull this off again. I am also a big fan of the 72 game sprint, with no all star game or any other distraction.

With all this being said, I am going to do my traditional NBA season countdown of teams, from worst to best. I love doing this. I will do five teams a day, explain why I have them where I do and after I am done counting all the teams down, I will do predictions, including awards, possible stoppages and my finals pick. Let's get to it.

Coming in at 30, the bottom of the barrel, I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs just don't seem to really have a plan right now. They have talent, but it is young and they have too many similar players. They also totally whiffed on the John Beilein hire. I do think JB Bickerstaff is a solid head coach, but he doesn't have much to work with. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are good, but not that good. They aren't guys to build around. I am a big Sexton fan, but he is very inconsistent. Garland looked like a guy that barely played in college last season. Kevin Love clearly wants out, and he is older. Larry Nance Jr is hyper athletic, but he isn't really anymore than a dunker. Andre Drummond is in purgatory there, and I think he wants out. Isaac Okoro is an okay pick, but he doesn't move the needle for me yet. And the rest of the roster has older vets that haven’t done much. Guys like Matthew Dellavedova, Javale McGee, Thon Maker and Dante Exum fill out the roster. Sure, a couple of them have rings, but it has nothing to do with them. The Cavs will be a lottery team yet again.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. I mean, I trashed the Cavs roster for having older vets, but the Pistons make that look tame. Derrick Rose is the point guard. He is good, and has improved, but I have to imagine he will be gone soon. Blake Griffin is the 4, but he has lost his explosiveness, and he is now a guy teams don't want to trade for. Jahlil Okafor just signed there, but he has never figured out the NBA. He should have played in a different era. Josh Jackson, who I absolutely loved when he was in his draft, has been a total bust. And this has to be something like the tenth team Trevor Ariza has played on. The Pistons have some youth, but it isn't team building youth. Sekou Dembouya has some skills, but he barely sees the floor. Svi Mykhaliuik has already been traded three times, and he has been in the league for 3 years. I like the Saadiq Bey pick, but he may not get enough playing time to flourish. And poor Zhaire Smith can't seem to catch a break. The Pistons may be the least desirable team in the NBA right now. They are better than Cleveland because Derrick Rose proved he is on his way back, but just barely better.

At number 28 I have the OKC Thunder. I know they were a playoff team, and they pushed the Rockets to seven games last season, but they offloaded two of their best guys. I understand why, but still, losing Chris Paul and Steven Adams is going to take a toll. I love love love Shai Gilgeous Alexander, and he has gotten better each of his two seasons. Now we will have to see how he does as the main guy every night. He is going to have the keys to run this offense. Lugentz Dort was a revelation in the bubble as a defensive force. But he is not a great shooter, and he will have to guard the other team's best guy every night. That takes a toll. Andre Roberson came back last year, in the bubble in fact, but he looked like a shell of himself. Hamidou Diallo is a freak athlete, but that is it. He isn't much of a shooter or defender. Darius Bazley can hit threes, but he will be a starter on this team. And while it is nice to have Danny Green and George Hill, they aren't Chris Paul and Steven Adams. The Thunder are going to take a major step back. But, they have SGA and a gang of draft picks. They won't be down for very long.

At number 27 I have the New York Knicks. Now, I usually pick on the Knicks with just cause. But, I actually like the direction they could be headed in. I am not a fan of the Tom Thibodeau hiring. But maybe it will be better since he is just the coach. He is not the GM like he was in Minnesota. I also love the pick of Obi Toppin. I think pairing him with Mitchell Robinson is going to make their front court a very formidable one, especially if Toppin can play semi serviceable defense. Robinson can take care of the rest. But after that, this is where they fall off for me. RJ Barrett proved he could score, but he takes far too many shots, is inconsistent and not a willing passer yet. Kevin Knox is not nearly as good as I thought he would be. He is actually, according to statisticians, one of the worst players in the league. Frank Ntilikina is a solid defender, but he is a mess on offense. Dennis Smith Jr, another player I really rooted for as a rookie, has never really found his place in the league. Julius Randle is a good scorer, but nothing more. Signing Austin Rivers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was so ho hum I actually forgot they were on the team until I did some research. The Knicks are a ways away from being relevant again. But, if Toppin and Robinson find a way to coexist and share the court, they could be a duo that older stars might want to come play with. The Knicks have two guys that they can build off of. The only question, or questions, will it work, and will they be willing to wait? Time will tell.

My final team for the day, at number 26, I have the Chicago Bulls. I saw some rankings that had them as high as the late teens, and people are praising the Billy Donovan hire, which I agree is a solid hire, but this roster leaves a TON to be desired. I really like Coby White, and I think he has the tools to be an all star. He just needs to have a coach that will let him play through mistakes. After him though, I am not sold, at all, on this roster. Zach Lavine is their "guy", but he is so average to me. He is an excellent leaper, and his jumper has gotten way better, but he shows no effort on defense, and he is clearly not a player to build a roster around. Lauri Markanen had a solid rookie year, then got hurt and really struggled last year. I feel like last year is more indicative of the type of player he will be. Wendell Carter Jr never got the chance to be himself under Jim Boylen. Maybe Donovan changes that, but Carter has got to get that killer instinct back. I am not a big fan of the Patrick Williams pick. He is very talented, but also very raw. I also do not want to see him take minutes away from Wendell Carter Jr. And in looking at the rest of the roster, it is very blah. At least when Donovan took the Thunder job he had a player of Russell Westbrook's talent. He doesn't have any player near his level, and the vets are total also rans. Otto Porter Jr and Noah Vonleh and Denzel Valentine and Daniel Gafford and Thad Young, those names just don't jump off the page. Billy Donovan has his work cut out for him, and so does Coby White. I think those two will be fine, it is the rest of the roster that worries me, and should worry Bulls fans. They are not a playoff team yet, as some have predicted.

That does it for day one. This rules. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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John Beilein and Cleveland Did Not Work

I know that I have talked a ton about John Beilein on this site ever since he shockingly took the Cavs job last summer, but I have to talk about him yet again. Look, I made it very, very clear that I didn’t think he would make it the full five years of his contract, but for him to resign fifty-four games into the first season of his contract, during All Star break, is as shocking as him taking the job.

The Cavs job is clearly a wasteland. Hell, they fired a coach that took them to the Finals in his first season. They have had, I believe, six coaches in the past seven seasons. If I’m being totally honest, I don’t know who the coach was before Beilein took this job in the summer. In fact, besides David Blatt and Tyron Lue, I cannot name one other coach except for Beilein. But, this seemed like a good hire got them at the time, and man did it deteriorate much faster than anyone expected.

When Beilein was hired there was support all over the place. Apparently Cleveland did their homework and found a guy that is good at rebuilds. He was also considered a guy that could coax the best out of guys that may not be the greatest. I even thought they would give him time to build the roster his way. Then a bunch of wild stuff happened. His son resigned from Niagara University before coaching a single game. The Cavs, as expected, started very, very slow. In fact, they sit at 14-40 as I write this today. Then we have Kevin Love throwing fits during games. Look no further than him yelling at Collin Sexton to pass, getting the pass, chucking the ball at Cedi Osmann and then yelling at the whole team right before halftime. We also have Tristan Thompson coming to Beilein’s defense after the Love thing, then one night later, the two of them are caught on camera yelling at each other. Then we have anonymous players questioning his tactics to media and teammates. Then we have the “slugs/thugs” thing. Then we have a report a few days ago claiming that Beilein was “miserable”. And then the reports came out during All Star weekend that the two sides were coming to a decision for him to resign. Oh, and in the midst of all of this they kept Love and Thompson during the trade deadline, and inexplicably traded for Andre Drummond, who I am a fan of, he just doesn’t fit on this god awful Cavs team. Then yesterday Beilen announced he was stepping down.

This, I guess, was doomed from the start. Some guys aren’t pro head coaches. They don’t have the mindset. They’re used to being the judge, juror and executioner. They are the end all be all. Beilein was used to this way. He coached college for, pretty much, his entire career. Then, in his mid 60’s, he decides its time to try the NBA. I don’t fault him, but his ways are not conducive to professional basketball players. He’s too rah rah, too focused on fundamentals, too entrenched in getting time to develop. That doesn’t happen in the NBA for many reasons. Kevin Love doesn’t need to work on passing and rebounding. He’s already proven he can do that. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are way too young, and have never been told that they need work. Cedi Osman is a vet, why would he listen to a career college coach. Andre Drummond is an All Star and a great low post guy. Why would he want to sit around and watch game tape for hours on end? And that Cavs front office is a total mess. They’ve proven multiple times that, sans LeBron, they’re a garbage NBA team. It has happened twice now.

I’m sure Beilein will have his pick of college jobs, some that may not even be open yet. I’ve already heard that schools like Indiana, Northwestern and Vanderbilt, all with coaches, are interested. But this NBA experiment has been an unmitigated disaster, and it will be one thing that’s always mentioned now. I mean, he couldn’t even get through one season. That is rough stuff. This is one of the predictions I got right that I wished I would be wrong. I’m still a little stunned he already gave up.

What a rough, downer half a season for Beilein. This is a stain on an otherwise stainless coaching career.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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Andre Drummond Deserves Better

I know that I touched on the NBA trade deadline yesterday, and RD even put up the fact that D’Angelo Russell got traded to the Timberwolves much to the delight of Karl Anthony Towns, and that the Warriors are ready to turn Andrew Wiggins around, but there’s one other trade that I want to focus on today, and it’s an egregious one. Russell was probably the biggest name moved, you could throw in Clint Capela maybe, but he has not been an all star, but that Andre Drummond was traded, to Cleveland, for what amounts to peanuts, has me shaking my head.

I get that Drummond is a dinosaur in the modern NBA. He might be the 21st century version of Roy Hibbert, except not as good on defense. He also has tried, but he simply isn’t a good enough shooter to become a stretch player. But, Drummond has been an all star. He’s been on the US national team. He’s been to the playoffs a few times. He is a savage rebounder. He’s relentless on the boards. He does have a solid low post game. Drummond isn’t great, but he’s no slouch. I actually feel kind of mean calling him a modern Roy Hibbert. Hibbert was good for maybe two seasons. Drummond has been a solid player his whole career. He’s just been languished on a team that is in NBA purgatory, and I think that has clouded people’s judgement on him as a player. If he was playing in a bigger market, or on a better team, Drummond would be a commodity. Mitchell Robinson, who I really, really like, is a similar player, but since he’s the only decent Knick, the media adores him. He plays a very similar game, is only a few years younger, and is on a very bad team as well, but he plays in New York, and people look at him like a prized possession. Drummond on the other hand, he’s a player that I’ve heard media members describe as a “stat hunter”, “lazy”, “not willing to adjust to the modern NBA” or “not good”. I don’t agree with any of that. I still believe that Drummond is a good player if he’s put in the right situation. I don’t think he’s a stat hunter. He’s a big guy that has been trained his whole life to rebound. That’s what’s in him. I don’t think he’s lazy at all. I watch too many Pistons games, I am a League Pass subscriber, and he looks like he’s going hard all game. He just doesn’t yell or scream or show up dudes. He does his job, and he does it well. I already said that he’s tried to get a jump shot, but I go back to the fact that he’s a big man. I’m sure he was big when he was young, and I’m sure he was told to rebound, block shots and stay in the post. It’s hard to move on from that when it’s been your identity forever.

The whole not good stuff, that’s just blasphemy. Drummond is a very good NBA player. A guy that’s no good wouldn’t be able to consistently grab 20 rebounds and pour in 20 points. I really think the people who say he’s no good are these analytical and stat nerds. They have no respect or sympathy for throw back centers. These are the same people who don’t think prime Shaq would be a good modern NBA player. Prime Shaq would dominate in the modern game. Giannis is like prime Shaq, just skinnier, and he’s looking at possible back to back MVP seasons. I don’t like that analytics have become such a part of the NBA. To me, it’s ruining the game.

Back to Drummond. I’ve already stated many reasons why I think he’s a solid player, but this trade is a slap in the face to him. He’s solid, and he was traded for two salary dump guys and a second round pick. That’s ridiculous. He is worth so much more than that. I personally think it should have been a comparable player swap, or multiple role player swap. A team like the Celtics could’ve used him. They would have had to give up Marcus Smart, or Daniel Thiess, or a few bench guys, but it would’ve been worth it. The Rockets would’ve been better off going Capela for Drummond straight up. I think the Clippers could’ve used Drummond, and they would have only had to part with players like Ivan Zubac and Mo Harkless, maybe Derrick Walton Jr too. Hell, Denver could’ve put him next to Jokic, and that would be a better front court pairing than Jokic and Paul Milsap.

I don’t like this trade for either team, and I feel bad for Drummond now. I hope he balls the hell out and gets a nice contract offer from a playoff team for next season. He’s a consummate pro, so I know he’ll try, and play hard. The Cavs are so bad, it might not matter. But, if Drummond goes out there and gets 20 and 20 every night, someone smart will sign him ASAP this offseason. I promise you that.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Can John Beilein and the Cleveland Cavaliers Really Work?

This past NBA offseason, myself and a lot of other people were kind of stunned when John Beilein left Michigan to take the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching job. He had a good group of players coming back, Michigan was a perennial top 20 and NCAA tournament team, and after flirting with the NBA the season before, he said something along the lines of wanting to retire at Michigan. So, for him to leave, and to choose Cleveland, as I said, it was a stunner. I’m happy with how things have turned out for Michigan. They got Juwan Howard, and they’ve already beaten 2 top 10 opponents in their first 10 games. Also, Howard seems like he’s going to be a great recruiter.

Back to Beilein though. When he left, I wrote a whole thing about how I’m rooting for him, and, after a few days to think about it, kind of understanding why he took the job and how I didn’t think it would go so well. But, I didn’t see it turning this bad this fast.

Recently some of his players, who I think were anonymous, called out his coaching, his tactics and kind of said, this isn’t college anymore. They seemed to be irritated with his play calling, and what he named his plays. Now some players have come out and said they don’t agree, and think he’s going to be a good coach, but when this stuff leaks, and it’s coming from reputable sources, I feel like the damage is done. I kind of fall on both sides of this argument. I get why some of the players on the team may not be so into Beilein’s approach as a head coach. In college, you’re the top dog. The players come to your school to play for you. You have all the power. In the pros, the coach is simply a figure head, picked because someone in the front office thinks they can manage talent. That’s not John Beilein’s strength. He was known for getting under the radar players to excel in college. Now, he’s coaching former champs, former all stars and lottery picks chosen to be franchise players. These guys are making much much more money than him, they have way more pull and they’re more essential. No one is going to Cavs games to watch John Beilein coach. They want to see Kevin Love, Darius Garland and Colin Sexton fly up and down the floor and figure the game out. So I can see why some of the current players may not be so down with watching film for hours, working on fundamentals and practicing as much as Beilein may want them to. I may not agree, but I can understand them tuning him out. Especially the veterans, mainly Kevin Love who just wants out, doing so.

I also find myself sympathetic towards Beilein. Look, he was chosen to coach this team because they’re so young and need to be taught the game. Any NBA fan knew going into this year that the Cavs were going to be one of the worst teams in the league. They are too young to be a real threat. Their best veteran is Love, and as I said, he has one foot out the door already. This team needs to run plays, be re taught fundamentals, have sets they can go to in times of need. They need an adult in the room, and Beilein proved to be one in college. He also proved to be a damn good coach with less than ideal recruits. He turned guys like Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas into lottery picks. He helped Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III get drafted. Hell, he had two guys get picked in the most recent draft. He can develop talent, he just needs time. So, for some to call him out after only 21 or 22 games, chill out. Give him time. If you take his coaching, it may benefit you in the long run. If he is given time, I could see the Cavs winning 30 plus games as early as next season.

So, while I don’t like that Beilein thinks he can use a college coaches mentality in the NBA, I still think he needs more time to be truly judged as an NBA coach. We will see if the Cavs brass gives him the time needed, or if they side with the players sooner rather than later.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. It’s also Ty’s birthday today. The best basketball writer in all the internets never takes a day off.

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Ty's 2019-2020 NBA Preview: Hornets, Wizards, Cavaliers, Grizzlies

We are mere weeks away from the NBA starting, so that means, you guessed it, I’ll be counting down the teams from 30 to 1 for the next 8 days. The 2 days after that I’ll do predictions and a men’s college basketball preview. And not to worry, I’ll sprinkle it some smaller blogs not pertaining to basketball over the next 2 week. I mean, I have to still do my NFL quick hits and concert, TV and movie reviews. Anyway, let’s start with the bottom of the barrel NBA teams.

At number 30 I have the Charlotte Hornets. I think pretty much every NBA person thinks they’ll be the worst team in the league by a wide margin. They lost their best, and most reliable player, Kemba Walker, and even with him, they couldn’t make the playoffs, in the East. And they replaced him with nothing. The Hornets are a weird mix of youth and veterans, but it doesn’t fit. They are the square peg, round hole team of the NBA. They guys they’ve drafted haven’t really panned our yet. Miles Bridges looked more lost than good last year. Malik Monk has been a disaster. Marvin Williams has never lived up to the hype. And they finally got rid of Frank Kaminsky. The vets are well past their prime, or overrated. Nic Batum is toast. I will never understand why they gave Terry Rozier so much money. The Hornets are, quite simply, a mess. I would be stunned, stunned I tell you, if they win 20 games this year. They’re going to stink.

At 29 I have a team that might be as bad as the Hornets, if they trade their star player. That team is the Washington Wizards. Oof, this team has fallen on hard times. I picked them to make the Finals just 2 years ago, and now, they’re one of the worst teams in the league. And it’s not like they traded all their good guys, it’s just that the good guys got old, hurt or want out. John Wall was a supernova, one of my favorite players in the league and a blast to watch 2 years ago. Now, he missed most of last year, and will miss all of this year. And his contract is an albatross. I can’t see anyone, right now, trying to trade for him. That’s a shame. Bradley Beal is so, so good offensively. He’s also gotten much better on D. He just has zero help. He could score 40 a game this year, and the Wizards would still lose by 20 points on any given night. They were lucky enough to get off Jeff Green and Dwight Howard, but those guys don’t make a difference. And they have replaced them with G League level guys. I was puzzled by them taking Rui Hachimura in the lottery. While he may prove me wrong, he still has some work to do to get better. And he will not demand defenders to open up space for Beal. Then we have Scotty Brooks. I didn’t think this was a good hire to begin with, and it’s coming to fruition. He is not a very good coach, and he’s proven that twice now.

At number 28 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Man has this team fallen flat again after losing LeBron. Kevin Love barely played last year, and seems marginal now. Tristan Thompson is more focused on cheating on girlfriends. Colin Sexton started off poorly, and only leveled out. Cedi Osman looks like a role player at best. I don’t get why they took Darius Garland a season after taking Sexton, and by the way, he hasn’t played meaningful basketball since high school. And they took John Beilen from Michigan. I mean, he chose to leave, but still. Also, why the Cleveland job, I’ll never know. I’ve even written about how puzzling this choice was for me. The Cavs are a lottery team, and will be for awhile. Beilen may make them more fundamentally sound, but this is the NBA, not college basketball. If he tries to coach like he’s still at Michigan, he will get eaten alive. The Cavs may be good one day again soon. But, for the time being, they’re no more than a 22 or 23 win team.

My final team today is a team I actually like, but they’re going through a total revamped youth movement, and while they’ll be fun to watch, the Memphis Grizzlies will not win a ton of games, and they are my 27th ranked team. I love the young dudes on the team. Ja Morant was my number one prospect in the most recent draft. He is super athletic, and when he gets a jumper, he can be as good as Russell Westbrook. Brandon Clarke was a great late first round pick. He’s big and athletic, can protect the rim, get rebounds and shoot from outside. He’s a steal. Jaren Jackson Jr was having a solid year before he got hurt. With Morant, they could be a deadly puck and roll duo. It’s just going to take time. I feel like those three guys are a solid building block for a future contender. But they’re all under 22 years old. Also, the Grizzlies play in the West. That’s tough when you have a good veteran team. So, while I like what the Grizzlies are doing right now, they need time to gel and learn to play in the NBA. They won’t win many games this year, or the next. But, in 3 years, if they stay together and improve each year, I could see Memphis in my top 10-15. Just not yet.

That’s it did today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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Why John Beilein, Why

A lot of stuff happened over the weekend in sports and movies and TV. But the story I awoke to this morning takes precedence over all the other stuff I want to write about.

I was resting in my bed, my son was playing video games, my daughter was sleeping and my wife left for work when the news buzzed across my phone. John Beilein, the head basketball coach at Michigan for the last 12 years, was leaving to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

I didn't believe it at first. I thought it might have been a joke, or a wrongly reported story. I thought maybe the people got the name wrong. After he flirted with the Pistons last year, I assumed that he was going to stick in college for the rest of his career. But, after doing a good amount of research, I found out that it was true. Whenever you see Woj has reported the story, when it comes to NBA news, you know it's true. Beilein then went on Twitter to confirm the news himself.

I was stunned. I took this a lot harder than I thought I was going to. I think it hit me so hard because I did not see this coming, at all. Every year I have to hear about how overrated a football coach Jim Harbaugh is, but that this NFL team or that NFL team was going to lure him away from Michigan. Harbaugh has been there for five years now, and after every season, he is mentioned in open NFL head coaching jobs. It is something I have come to expect. But John Beilein has been a staple.

Beilein came to this team 12 years ago, when they were in the toilet, and he has built them up to a perennial Big Ten power. He has led them to tons of Sweet Sixteen's. He has been to 2 Final Fours and 2 title games. He has gone to the NCAA tourney in 9 of his 12 years. He turned guys like Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, Mo Wagner and Mitch McGary into first round NBA picks. He helped Glenn Robinson III to the NBA. He has been able to replace top notch point guards year after year. He has added great assistants every year. He has adjusted his teams to fit their strengths. They were all offense when he first got there, then they had super athletes, then they became a deadly three point shooting team, then he made his big men become stretch 5's, and this past season, he helped turn them into a defensive powerhouse. And they looked to be pretty solid heading into the 2019-20 season.

And then this news appeared this morning.

As I said, I have read a ton of stuff since hearing the news, and I still am a bit shook. I heard that he is leaving because he doesn't like the state of college basketball recruiting. He is not a fan of the "one and done" culture. I get that. I mean, Iggy Brazdeikes is good, but he is not NBA ready. But, he has decided to test the waters. He is also losing Jordan Poole because Poole had a few good games and some GM's said he could be a pick. I love Jordan Poole, but I do not think he is even close to being ready for the NBA. And even earlier in his career, guys like Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III and Daruis Morris all left much earlier than they should have. This is a problem with college basketball. I get that. But, he is going to have to deal with guys that make much more money than him, and if he doesn't produce soon, he will be gone.

Which leads me to another thing I read. He chose the Cavs because he will be able to rebuild. Sure, that sounds nice, but like I just said, how patient will that fan base be if they don't get the number one pick this year, and win 20 games over the next three years? That will not be fun. The 76ers fired a ton of coaches during the process era. The Lakers are on their third coach in 5 years because that fan base is hungry for wins. The Knicks have gone through a ton of coaches because they can't, or aren't willing to try, to win games. This could very well happen to Beilein. Cleveland is not a good team. They have one solid player in Colin Sexton, and nothing much else. I know Kevin Love is there, but he is only getting older, and he is always injured. I also think they are going to trade him. I like Cedi Osman, but he is still a work in progress. Tristan Thompson is a bum. Matthew Dellavedova is a scrub. I mean, this roster is rough. And if they don't get Zion Williamson, they will be probably take someone like RJ Barrett or Cam Reddish. Those guys are the definition of a project. I don't know if Beilein wants to take on that task.

The one thing I heard that has me not questioning his move was Beilein wants to try at the highest level. That actually makes sense. He is 66 years old, making him the third oldest coach in the NBA now. If he was going to try, now is the best, and possibly only, chance he has. When this contract is up, if he makes it all the way through, he will be 71, and, I'd assume, ready to retire. This is the only reason I, right now, will accept as to why he took this job.

I'm still stunned. I am upset because I adored him as the Michigan basketball coach. He made them a power again. He restored this team. They have been far superior to the football team for some time now. They have won big games. They have played on big stages. They did everything, minus a national title, that any fan would want to see. And now he is leaving to coach the Cavs. I just cannot wrap my head around that. I get the lure of the NBA, but if he really wanted to go, why not take the Pistons or Magic job that he interviewed for last year? They were both playoff teams with solid rosters this year. I just do not get the choice to take the Cavs job. He could've stayed at Michigan and been poised for another deep tourney run this year. He had some good recruits coming in. He had a great core returning. Now he gets to coach the remains of a team LeBron left in shambles a year ago.

I really do wish John Beilein nothing but the best, I always want to see former Wolverines shine at the highest level. I'm trying to not be so skeptical and cynical. But, this move is bizarre. This team is bad and he, if he doesn't show improvement very soon, will not finish out this contract. I've watched enough NBA to know that the Cavs front office is volatile, and while they like you today, they may hate you in a month, especially if you don't win games. I'm upset and bummed, but I hope John Beilein succeeds. I don't think he will, but I'm rooting for him.

What a bummer of a day to be a Michigan basketball fan. I'm curious to see who they hire next because it will set the tone for awhile. They don't necessarily need to make a "splash" hire. But, they need to make a very, very solid hire. I want to keep believing in this team like I did when Beilein was hired, and after what he has done for 12 seasons.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are a Dumpster Fire

I usually like to wait until I do my mid season redo of the sports I wrote about until it is near, or past mid season of said sport. But today, I have to eat a ton of crow because the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the worst basketball teams that I have watched this year.

For those that may have forgotten already, I picked them to finish 8th in the East and make the playoffs. That, most certainly, is not going to happen. They stink. They look like a group of people that hate playing the game of basketball together.

I purchased NBA League Pass a week ago and have made it a point to watch as much NBA as possible. I have tried to watch all 30 teams, if only for a few minutes. So far, I think I have seen about 20-22 of the teams play. The other day I happened upon a Cavs game. This was when Ty Lue was still their coach, and Kevin Love's health status was in question. People thought he may come back, others knew it was going to be awhile. So, I decided that I was going to watch this team that I picked to make the playoffs. Yes, they lost LeBron James, and that was a brutal blow, but they still had the majority of guys that played in the NBA Finals last year.

Well, this team, the way it is currently constructed, is abysmal. They stink. They do not know how to do the simplest things on a basketball court. They are ruining their young talent. They have already fired Ty Lue, who, good for him for getting out of that toxic place. The game that I watched, for about 5 minutes, was a mess. They looked discombobulated. As I said, they couldn't run the easiest of plays.

I have watched them one more time since, after Lue was let go, and it hasn't gotten better. And now, they have all these vets asking to be traded or let go. JR Smith was the first. He openly said he doesn't like playing there. He pulled an Eric Bledsoe, but did it in person, speaking from his own mouth. Now Kyle Korver is asking out. He doesn't want to be there anymore. Kevin Love is going to miss up to 6 weeks with his injury. The vets on this team are trashing their lottery pick, Collin Sexton, claiming he "doesn't know how to play at this level". Tristan Thompson, who is a scumbag, is not nearly the defender or rebounder he was a couple years ago. He has become a major liability on the offensive end of the court. Cedi Osmann plays hard, but he is not the dual threat the team thought he could be. Sam Dekker stinks. The team is in shambles.

This is what happens when LeBron leaves Cleveland. Notice that this didn't happen in Miami. That is because Erik Spoelstra is a hell of a good coach. The coaches before in Cleveland thrived with LeBron, but the moment he left, the team died. This team though, at least to me, wasn't supposed to die this easily. I legitimately thought they could put a playoff team, from the East, on the court. I didn't expect Kevin Love to get hurt immediately and miss so much time. He is well past his prime now. It is kind of sad how far he has fallen since he was traded to Cleveland. Sure, he has been an All Star as recent as last year, but he us not the guy he was in Minnesota. That is blatantly clear. JR Smith is cashed. He might be, might, able to help out a contending team with instant offense off the bench, but probably not. I'd rather have Jamal Crawford than him. Kyle Korver was cashed 2 years ago. I remember watching him in the Finals last year, and his shots were so short and he was so outmatched on defense it was sad. He should retire. Tristan Thompson is DONE too. He is an old school big man who would have been torched in the old school. I'm sure the Cavs regret that contract they gave him. Sam Dekker is a bust. Cedi Osmann is, at best, an 8th or 9th man off the bench on any NBA team.

And then there is Collin Sexton. I have made no bones about how much I like this kid, but I hate him being on this team. These vets, who aren't shit for real, are talking openly about him not being an NBA level point guard. That is insane. Sexton is a good basketball player, I will go to my grave believing this. He is in the exact wrong situation for him as an NBA player. This team is toxic. This front office is horrific. He is not going to get the chance he needs to play because of the vets and the front office. Playing in Cleveland will only stunt his growth as an NBA player. He will not be able to work through the kinks and the struggles that come to almost every rookie. And it is because the Cavs and Dan Gilbert and Tristan Thompson and Kyle Korver all stink and are horrible teammates and owners and GM's. He is the only good thing they have and they are on the path to making him hate basketball.

I'm sorry that I thought this team could win 35-40 games. I'm sorry that I picked them to make the playoffs. I'm sorry for Collin Sexton. This is a messed up situation, and it is only going to get worse. This team is awful. They have made horrible front office decisions. Their GM is atrocious.

The Cavs stink, and I would be shocked if they won 20 games this year. They are that bad. I will fully eat my crow for counting on this team. They're the worst team in the NBA. And it isn't even close.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

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Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Cavaliers, Mavericks, Grizzlies

Lets get back to the NBA.

At number 21 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whenever you lose a player like LeBron James, you are going to take a tumble. With that being said, I don't think they will be as bad as some think, but I still think they will miss the playoffs. They decided to give Kevin Love the mega extension, and they are making him the face of the team now, but we have seen this movie before, and it is mediocre. The Timberwolves did the exact same thing, and they never made the playoffs. Kevin Love put up numbers, which I fully expect him to again, but he is not a guy to build a team around. George Hill is only getting older, and his shooting and point guard play in general, is getting worse. They drafted his replacement, Collin Sexton, and I hope he takes over very soon. Sexton was my favorite player in the draft last year, I pined for him to go first overall, and I think he will be a star. He has the potential to be this year's Donovan Mitchell. I love Collin Sexton. Tristan Thompson is a scum bag as a person and a mediocre, over paid big. He also said some dumb ass stuff at media day. JR Smith is still there, and still making odd headlines. He was talked about more for being shirtless and getting a tattoo on his calf than anything about his game. He may be done. Jordan Clarkson became a shell of himself when he was traded there. Kyle Korver is somehow still in the NBA. Larry Nance Jr is going to be wasted on this team, playing behind Love. They resigned Channing Frye for some unknown reason. Rodney Hood is in a make or break year, and I would bet dollars to donuts he gets hurt. And Cedi Osman will not get the playing time he needs and deserves. Like I said, we have seen the highest a Kevin Love led team can do, and that is win 41 games. The Cavs are going to take a big step back.

At number 20, I have the Dallas Mavericks. Now, I think the Mavs will be better, but the people picking them to fight for a playoff spot, in the West, need to chill out. Look, I love Luka Doncic as much as anyone. I think he will end up being one of the better players in the draft. I feel like he is the most NBA ready player. He has been playing pro ball overseas for a few years now. But, he is still a rookie, he is still 19 and he still needs to get in shape. Give him time. Dirk Nowitzki is on the team he can still score, but he is old, plays no defense, cannot jump and cannot really run. His roster spot is simply because he is a legend in Dallas. They finally got Deandre Jordan, but it is about 3 years too late. He is still a solid rim runner and defender, but he brings nothing else, at all, to the team. Dennis Smith Jr is a budding star. He and Doncic can become one of the best back courts in the NBA. He is hyper athletic. He can get to the rim with ease. He is a hard defender. His jumper will get better. I love Dennis Smith Jr. Harrison Barnes is who he is. He is a 13-15 point a night guy. He will play solid defense. He will do what is asked of him. But, he is not the star we all thought he could be. He is an okay NBA player, but not a star, not a franchise builder. JJ Barea is on the team, but I think that is simply because he and Dirk are buddies. They also drafted Jalen Brunson, but Doncic is a much better player at the same position. Wes Matthews still hasn't fully recovered from his ACL injury, and you can tell when you watch him play. He was so great, but in a flash, he lost that athletic ability that separated him while he was in Portland. Outside of those guys, it is a bunch of youngsters and old vets. Devin Harris is still on this team. They drafted Giannis' younger brother. And they have no one else of note. The Mavericks, with Doncic and Smith Jr, will be good soon, but they are not ready yet, especially in the West.

My final team for the day, at number 19, I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is another team, just like the Mavs, that are getting possible playoff buzz in the West. That all depends on the health of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. I don't have any faith that both can stay healthy. They will try, but one or both, will eventually get hurt. Conley is a great point guard, but he is older, not as bouncy and coming off an injury. Gasol is a great modern big, but he to is older and coming off a bad injury. He also doesn't get along with some upper office people. I think Jaren Jackson will be great, and the city will love him. He plays hard, can play defense, can shoot and play in the low post. They need to build around this kid for sure. But, just like Doncic, he is only 19, it will take some time. Chandler Parsons will get hurt. I do not care that he looks healthy now, he will get hurt. I really like the pick of Jevon Carter. He is the heir apparent to Conley, but Carter, in NBA terms, is old. He is already 22. But, he is the perfect fit for the city They signed Kyle Anderson away from San Antonio, and while I don't think he will be as bad as others to leave the Spurs, but I don't think he will play as they are expecting. He will do fine, but he is not the instant offense guy they need. JaMychal Green is in a contract year, but he hasn't really translated his game to modern NBA. Dillon Brooks had a solid rookie year, but he was just solid. H doesn't do much wrong, but he also isn't spectacular. I like Ivan Raab on this team, but he won't get the playing time he needs. And they signed Garrett Temple, who couldn't get on the floor with the Kings last year. The Grizzlies, just like the Mavs, will be good soon, once they turn the team over to Carter and Jackson, but it will take some time. I like this team, but their stars, Conley and Gasol, are old, and they cannot stay healthy. I wouldn't be shocked if both are on different teams before this season ends.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 3 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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If LeBron Joins the Warriors there Will Be No Reason to Watch the NBA

Yesterday a report, coming from Stephen A Smith so take it with the biggest grain of salt you can find, came out that LeBron James will meet with the Warriors this offseason. If this happens, and I'm speaking of the meeting, I will be very, very pissed off. If it goes any further than a meeting, there will be absolutely no point to even watch the NBA next season, a sport I adore.

It is not new news that LeBron is a free agent when this season ends, probably tonight, and he is free to go anywhere. The speculation has been all over the map. At first, it was only the Lakers. He was seen spotted in LA looking at private schools, and he owns a very nice home there. But, doesn't every NBA player, or major NBA players, live in LA in the offseason? All the big time guys have outside interests, mostly in the entertainment industry, and LA is the best place to be to develop connections and make the most money you can. I take zero stock in the fact that he was looking at schools, and he has a home there. Since the middle of the season, the Lakers have kind of fallen off. There is a bit of a resurgence recently, but the Lakers seem unlikely.

After them, it was the Rockets. He was going to go play with his best friend in the league, Chris Paul, and they would finally be able to challenge the mighty Warriors. The three headed monster of LeBron, CP3 and Harden would be more than enough. But, they realized that they would have to get rid of some important people, mainly Clint Capela, and those talks have died down. I know that Vegas still thinks the Rockets have a good shot at getting him, but recent reports have said they will need a max deal to keep Paul, that shouldn't happen, and Capela is going to get paid by someone, and the Rockets better hope it is them because he is about to become a multiple All Star.

Recently it has been the Cavs and 76ers at the front of all the talks. In Cleveland he can do whatever he wants. He is Thanos, he is all powerful. He can snap his fingers and anyone he wants gone, they are gone. He can also bring in whoever he wants. He has carte blanche. He was instrumental in bringing in Kevin Love, Kyle Korver, JR Smith, and countless other veterans that he wants to have on his team. He is also the guy that runs everything on the floor. He controls the offense and he makes the decisions. He calls the timeouts and he picks when and where he wants to come out ad rest, or if he wants to play all 48 minutes. He controls the Cavs. As far as the 76ers goes, he could go to a young, but hyper talented team, and easily lead them to the finals every year. Me personally, I am not a fan of this, but if he wants that easy path to a shot at a title every year, the 76ers are in the East, they have the best young players in the league, and he could come in and be the super duper star that they need to push them over the top. Philadelphia, in theory, makes the most sense outside of him staying in Cleveland.

If all LeBron wants is an easy path, and to spend the rest of his career playing 28 minutes a game, and not having to worry about competition, then by all means, join the Warriors. This would be a brutal blow to the NBA. But, as I said, if LeBron doesn't want a challenge, and just wants to be one of the guys, not "the guy", then join the Warriors. If he were to do this, that Warriors team, even if they only had their 5 starters and 2 bench guys, could easily win 80 games, and sweep their way to a title. The starting five would be Steph, Klay. KD, LeBron and Draymond Green. All five All Star starters. They could throw RD and I on their bench and we would win the title. It would make for must see TV for about a week, but after that, watching games would be pointless. Would anyone really want to go see a midseason game between Golden State and say, I'll even pick a decent team, the Rockets? Not anyone outside those 2 cities. And I think even the Rockets fans might pass on that game. The great thing about sports is how dramatic it can be, but if LeBron were to join the Warriors, all that dram would be gone. The Warriors would easily win every game, even if they only gave 50 percent.

I also think it is terrible because LeBron is used to being the alpha. He is used to being the guy with the ball in his hands. He is used to getting every big shot. He is used to being catered by his teammates. That would destroy everything that Golden State has built these past three seasons. While I don't like the Warriors, I love their style of play. They are a newer, better and younger version of vintage Spurs. They play pure basketball, getting the ball to open shooters for the best possible shot. LeBron would halt all of that. He needs the ball in his hands to be as effective as he can be. Also, this is Steph's team. Sure, some may say that KD has taken over, but he hasn't. Steph is who the fans come to see. Steph is the one with the ball in his hands at the end of the game. More kids have Steph's jersey than any other player in the NBA. Then, second is KD. Then third is Klay. If LeBron signs there, he would be fighting with Draymond as the fourth most important player. Can he handle that? No freaking way.

This is a horrible idea on so many levels, and I really, truly hope it doesn't happen. I don't think it will, but I also didn't think that KD would join the Warriors 2 years ago. If the NBA gods have any sense, they won't let this happen.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

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Game One of the 2018 NBA Finals Was One for the History Books

Game one of the NBA Finals was great last night.

It surprised me very much. I did not see this effort coming from the Cavs. I figured LeBron would be great, as he has been his entire career, and especially in these playoffs, but I did not expect his supporting cast to play as well as they did. Larry Nance provided that spark that he is so good at doing. Kevin Love finally showed up. George Hill was solid. I mean, the players LeBron has surrounded himself stepped up, for the most part.

Before I really dig into the game, LeBron's performance last night was otherworldly. He was absolutely amazing. He was so efficient and played hard and did everything that he could do to push his team to a victory. My problem with LeBron last night, I hate that fake ass tough guy he tries to be when the game is over. He blocked a Steph layup attempt with less than a minute left in overtime, and proceeded to shit talk him. Steph came right back and him, and Klay joined in as well. What I loved is that Steph didn't back down, he held his own, and seeing Klay laugh in his face and shrug his shoulders at him was amazing. LeBron is a sore loser. I get it, I hate losing too, but that fake tough guy bull shit needs to stop. We all know you are the best player in the game right now, but stop it with the fake tough guy attitude. It is tiring and annoying and looks really bad, especially when you let a game slip away that you should have won. LeBron was great, amazing and dominated, but he is a very, very sore loser and fake tough.

The Warriors did last night what they have done all year. They dicked around for the entirety of the game, until it went into overtime. That was when they locked in, and they dominated. But, the first 4 quarters had to be so frustrating for all the Warriors fans out there. They just seem to go out there, disrespect the opponent and expect to win. KD was awful on offense last night. I know he had 28 or so, but it was not at all efficient, and he took way too many jumpers. Steph had a good scoring game, but he was throwing bad passes and dribbling way too much. He was also exposed time and time again on defense. Klay had a rough scoring night and he was hurt early on in the game. You'd never know because he is so even keeled, but he needs to score more. Draymond was probably the only Warrior that really showed up last night, and he had a very solid game, and kept his shit talking to a minimum. The rest of the team, Shaun Livingston, Kevon Looney, Nick Young and Patrick McCaw, were all non factors, as expected.

Now, we have to go to that final minute or so of play last night. First thing, the block/charge call. When I saw it in real time I thought it was a block. LeBron's feet looked to be shuffling over, and KD was not out of control on his drive. The refs initially called it a charge, and I thought, okay, he is a super star, and he has earned those calls. When they overturned it, I was shocked. I never, ever expected that, especially a call to go against LeBron in the Finals. It was very surprising. Even with that call going the Warriors way, the Cavs kept scoring and took a lead very late in the fourth, like under a minute left. Then, Steph hit a floater and was fouled, or maybe not, and made the free throw to grab the lead for the Warriors. I figured that was it, the Warriors were going to close it out in the fourth quarter up 1 point with about 25 seconds left. Well, George Hill made a fantastic cut, and while cutting he got fouled by Klay, and it was definitely a foul. So Hill, who is around an 80 percent free throw shooter went to the line for a chance to win the game with 4 seconds left. He easily sunk the first free throw, and then the second one happened. Hill left the shot very short, but JR Smith, somehow, got the rebound over KD, and instead of shooting or kicking it out to LeBron, he dribbled out the clock.

I have never, ever seen anything like that. It ranks right up there with Webber calling timeout in the title game when Michigan didn't have any timeouts. When pushed, Smith said he thought the Cavs were winning. If he thought that, why was LeBron yelling at him? Why didn't he check the clock or scoreboard? Why did he think everyone was yelling at him? Why would the Warriors not foul him? I have so many questions for JR Smith. This will be one of those infamous plays that will be showed on highlight shows for eternity. And even after the game, Smith tried to say that he knew the game was tied, but we all know that is some bull shit. He blew it.

After Smith's blunder, overtime started, and that was when the Warriors finally woke up. They dominated every second of overtime, scoring the first seven points and eventually winning the game by 8. But, it wasn't without drama. We had the fake tough LeBron show up. Tristan Thompson, who is a scumbag, also became fake tough. Draymond started to yap more. Steph and Klay laughed in LeBron's face. And KD was quiet as usual when it comes to this type of stuff.

For as well as the Cavs played last night, they really blew a golden opportunity, and they are more doomed now than I thought they were at the start of the Finals. The Cavs will not play any better than they did last night, and they still lost. LeBron may have another game or 2 like he had last night, but will Love show up again? Are they really going to count on Nance to give them spark minutes? How will JR Smith react to his horrible end of game blunder? Where was Kyle Korver last night? Are they going to give Clarkson another 20 minute game? Will Ty Lue ever outcoach Steve Kerr again?

My simple answer to all of these questions, no. Hell, the Warriors may still come out and dick around, but they are so, so, so much better than the Cavs, and I think they will want to brutalize them now. And for the Cavs fans blaming the refs today, take that heat and put it towards JR Smith or George Hill. They each had a chance to win that game, and they both blew it big time. Game one was awesome, but I do not think we will see another one like it. The Cavs don't have it in them to play like that once again.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The 2018 NBA Finals and Our New Basketball Normal

We all knew it would come to this, and starting tomorrow night, the Cavs and Warriors will face off for the fourth straight NBA Finals matchup.

I think most of us knew this was going to happen, but at the very least, there was a teeny tiny bit of drama. Cleveland had to survive a very tough fight from Indiana in the first round. In reality, I thought the had a real chance to win. I would not have been shocked if they beat Cleveland in Cleveland. But, they just aren't there yet. The Raptors put up nothing. They looked awful. The Cavs must really be in their heads. They were the one seed, and it was so lopsided, LeBron was clipping his fingernails during one of the games. It was one of the easiest sweeps I have ever seen in the playoffs. And while the Celtics put up great effort minus their 2 best players, I don't think anyone in their right minds really thought this particular Celtics team would beat LeBron in a game 7. All that being said, what LeBron has done this playoffs is remarkable. The team around, much of it his doing, is awful, and he dragged them to his 8th straight Finals appearance. That is incredible. He is clearly the best player in the game right now. He did a wonderful job with a bunch of too young or too old or just flat out scrubs around him. My hats off.

The Warriors kind of just dicked around the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, like they have done all year. They drew the Spurs, who didn't have Kawhi Leonard all year, and their 3 best guys were Tony Parker, who is a million years old, Manu Ginobli, who is even older, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who I like, but he is not equipped for the modern NBA. They won that series pretty handily in 5. They then drew the Pelicans, who were coming off a thrashing of the Blazers, and everyone said this was the one team no one wanted to face, and disposed of them in 5. Anthony Davis was great, but the Warriors made everyone else beat them, and everyone around Davis is not that good. They did have a hell of a fight from the Rockets though in the West Finals. Sure, some of the games were blow outs, but games 4, 5 and most of game 7, were all close. It may not have been pretty, but they were close. But, in the end, KD and Steph stepped up, and Harden disappeared and Chris Paul got hurt. That is their destiny. This was probably their best shot to beat the Warriors, and they just couldn't do it. And to miss 37 threes, 26 in a row, that is downright embarrassing. Just stop shooting them for awhile. Man, that was brutal.

All of this led to the inevitable. We all picked this before the season. Sure, there were moments during the season when the Cavs were questioned, but they don't play for the regular season. Sure, the Warriors dicked around all year, but when you have 2 MVP's and 4 All Stars you can get away with that. There was never a doubt in my mind. I know that I wrote the Warriors were in trouble a week ago, but I didn't pick them to lose. In fact, I doubled down. I figured they would start to care, and when they did, they provided that knock out punch. I was more skeptical of the Cavs, but LeBron did what he does, and here he is again. My son has only been alive for 6 years and he knows no one other than LeBron always in the Finals. It is starting to get that way with the Warriors too. He asked me this morning if we will see the same 2 teams he saw when he was three, and I told him yes and he sighed. This is the NBA now. This will continue to be the NBA. These are the 2 teams that everyone else will have to look up to until LeBron leaves and the Warriors can't afford their team anymore.

Since the Finals start tomorrow, I figured I would give a pick. If the Warriors don't sweep, I will be very, very surprised. They are so much better in every aspect of the game than the Cavs. The Cavs do have LeBron, who is the best player, but they can let him get his and make the rest of the Cavs beat them, just like the Pelicans series. The Cavs have no one around to help LeBron. Kevin Love is a shell of himself, and he is hurt. JR Smith has admitted how tired he is. Kyle Korver cannot hit the ocean right now. Jeff Green is Jeff Green. Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance are non factors. Tristan Thompson is a scumbag, and he is too slow to play in this series. George Hill comes and goes. They just don't have the horses to keep up with the Warriors. KD, Steph, Klay and Draymond are going to destroy the Cavs. This series is so lopsided, it should be on NBA TV. And I'm sorry saying this because LeBron is so great. He is so gassed though from carrying this team, and if he continues to play defense in the Finals like he has the entirety of the playoff, it will offset anything he does on offense. This is going to be a bloodbath, and I wouldn't be shocked id the Warriors win the first 4 games of the series by 10-15 points a piece.

Warriors in 4, no question.

Editor's Pick: LeBron gets one, Warriors in 5.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

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The Raptors are a Frustrating, and Predictable, Playoff Team

I feeling embarrassed that I had faith in the Raptors going into the playoffs this year. They had a great regular season, got the one seed in the East, changed their style of play to be more modern and just looked like a real threat. And even though Washington took 2 games from them, I was impressed by how they closed out that series. They were matched up with Cleveland, who was coming off a rough 7 game series with Indiana, and I figured they had a chance. I know I picked the Cavs, but I thought it would go 6 or 7 games.

Once the games started, and the Raptors reverted to being the Raptors. It was tough to watch. They stopped doing what was so successful all year long, and they let LeBron get in their head. They haven’t been able to beat him, and that has stuck. LeBron was amazing in this series. He had one “bad” outing, game one, but other than that, he was incredible. The Raptors had zero answer for him. They had a rookie on him, OG Anounoby, but he’s a solid defender. What was so frustrating though, they gave him zero help. He was one on one with the best player in the game right now, a rookie, and the Raptors never adjusted. I’ll never understand that as long as I live. And LeBron carried that team for those first three games. He did any and everything that was asked of him. He scored at will. He made amazing buzzer beaters. He got to the rim with ease. He was amazing.

Then, last night in game 4, he got the help he’s been waiting for. Everyone, be it JR Smith, Kevin Love or George Hill, they all contributed last night. What helped them was how poorly the Raptors came out and played last night. They were an embarrassment. They phoned it in. They gave up. They bought into the fact that LeBron owns them. Kyle Lowry was horrendous all series, and he was horrible last night. DeMar DeRozan decides it would be better to watch from the locker room and got himself ejected in the second quarter. Jonas Valenciunas was unplayable in this whole series. Same for Jakob Poertle. Serge Ibaka was a no show. Hell, the only guys who seemed to be trying where Anounoby and Fred Van Vleet. That shouldn’t be the case in a potential season ending game. They needed their best players, and none of them showed up. In fact, they all gave up. That’s sad. To lose that game, by that much, that’s pathetic.

I don’t know where the Raptors go from here. They can’t run it back because it will be fools gold again. But they also can’t really trade anyone because they won’t get a good return. I wouldn’t fire Dewayne Casey because he’s a good coach, but man does he choke in the playoffs. The Raptors are the 21st century’s version of the Sonics, but even they made a Finals appearance. This team needs to really look within and find out what they can do to compete at a higher level. After last night, they need to do a deep soul search.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The SeedSing 2018 NBA Playoff Preview

The NBA playoffs are set, and the games kick off on Saturday. I'm am here today for my annual playoff preview. I'll go through the East and the West, pick a winner for each series all the way down to the finals. I will give my finals matchup, the winner and the MVP of the series. Tomorrow I will do all my awards, but today is strictly for just the playoffs. Alright, here we go.

In the East the seeding is as follows, Toronto is 1, Celtics 2, 76ers 3, Cavs 4, Pacers 5, Heat 6, Bucks 7 and Wizards 8. So, that gives us first round series of Toronto-Washington, Boston-Milwaukee, Philadelphia-Miami and Cleveland-Indiana. Truth be told, these are some good series. In the Toronto-Washington matchup, I am going with Toronto, but it will be tough. I know Washington is dysfunctional, everyone on that team seems to dislike John Wall, they have limped to the playoffs, they don't play great defense, but they will make it tough on Toronto. They have always struggled with this team because Wall and Beal give Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan all they can handle on both ends. But, I think the mixture of Toronto's bench and the mess that is the Wizards right now will give the Raptors the series in 6 games. They will be 6 tough games though.

In the Boston-Milwaukee series, it would be so much easier to pick if Kyrie Irving was still healthy. I'm still going with Boston, but Milwaukee, mostly Giannis Antentekoumpo, will make it hard. Giannis is a beast. He is an upper echelon star now. And, with Irving out, he is, far and away, the best player in this series. He can single handily win 3 games. The fourth one will be the problem. Also, Boston has Brad Stevens as head coach, Al Horford is still out there, Jaylen Brown is playing good basketball and Jayson Tatum seems to have gotten past the rookie wall. Boston will win, but it will take 7 games.

I love the 3-6 matchup of Philly and Miami. Miami can matchup with Philadelphia everywhere. Miami can play any style of basketball needed to win. Miami has more playoff experience. Miami has the much, much better coach. And, Joel Embiid may not play in the first round. But, Ben Simmons is on a whole other level right now. He doesn't seem like he is going to be taken down by the moment. He might be forced to shoot jumpers, but the dude can get out of that by driving and kicking. And, the shooters around him are hitting shots at the right time. Again, this will be a long, hard fought series, but I have fully bought into the 76ers hype, and I have them in 7 games, 6 if Embiid plays at all in the series.

Finally in the East's first round we have Cleveland-Indiana. This series could go a number of different ways. Cleveland can steam roll them. Indiana can muddy it up and make it a slog. Cleveland could decide to not play defense. Cleveland is almost as dysfunctional as Washington. Indiana was not even supposed to be here. They are young. They have surprised everyone this year. Now, I like the Cavs simply because of playoff LeBron. He will not allow his team to lose in the first round. If they do, he is gone. But, he will not let that happen, and I have the Cavs in 5. LeBron is just too good and he is great in the playoffs.

The second round will pit Toronto against Cleveland and Boston against Philly. Toronto is stuck with another team that they struggle with. Cleveland owns Toronto, and I don't see that changing now. Again, LeBron will impose his will, and the Cavs will outscore Toronto on their way to a fourth straight Eastern Conference finals appearance.

In Philly-Boston, I have to say, I love the 76ers. Irving is out, as previously mentioned. Embiid will be back 100 percent. No one on Boston can guard Ben Simmons. Philadelphia's shooters will be open. The Celtics just don't have the guys to compete this year. I have Philly in 6 in this series.

So that would pit the 76ers against the Cavs in the East Finals. The 76ers are way ahead of schedule, but this is where all the hype ends. Cleveland has LeBron, and LeBron will not allow his team to get beat by such a young team. These 2 teams played a great regular season game a couple weeks ago, but it was regular season. The game didn't really matter. LeBron will once again be in the Finals. That would make it 8 straight.

Now, the West. The seeding in the West is as follows, Houston 1, Golden State 2, Portland 3, OKC 4, Utah 5, New Orleans 6, San Antonio 7 and Minnesota 8. The matchups are Houston-Minnesota, Golden State-San Antonio, Portland-New Orleans and OKC-Utah. Houston will beat Minnesota, but it will be tougher than expected. I guarantee they wanted Denver because of their lack of defense. While Minnesota isn't much better, they do at least try on that end. Also, Towns is much better than Clint Capela. Jimmy Butler can give James Harden fits. But, Chris Paul will be there to help out Harden, Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza will hit threes and the discrepancy in talent on the rosters is widely in Houston's favor. They are also having a "magical" year. The Rockets will win in 6 games, but it will be a bloodbath.

Golden State is going to blow the doors off the Spurs, and I love the Spurs. But, no Kawhi is going to kill them against he Warriors. And I know that Steph isn't playing in the first round, but KD, Klay and Draymond are all there. I also think the Warriors are playing possum right now, and I think they are going to come into the playoffs with their heads on fire. I have the Warriors in a sweep.

Portland-New Orleans is going to be a good series, with very high scoring games. The Pelicans have no one that can stop Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but who do the Trailblazers have that can stop Anthony Davis? No one. He is going to EXPLODE in the playoffs. I'm so excited to watch him play. I'm excited to see Lillard and McCollum too. This is going to be the best first round series in my opinion, and I think the Pelicans will win in 7 simply because Anthony Davis is playing on a whole other level right now.

OKC-Utah is the second best series. These 2 teams couldn't be more different, and it will make for a fun matchup. Russell Westbrook is playing pretty great right now. But, he will find it hard to get open looks at the rim with Rudy Gobert down low. Donovan Mitchell has had an amazing season, but he will have to beat Paul George on defense. Steven Adams can stop Gobert down low, but Gobert can do the same to him. Carmelo has been dreadful this year, but maybe he turns it on for the playoffs. He hasn't been in awhile too. This is going to be a fun series, and I have OKC grinding out a 7 game series victory. Westbrook is too good, and Paul George is one of the better defenders in the league. I love Mitchell and Gobert, but they aren't ready just yet.

That gives us a second round of Houston-OKC and Golden State-New Orleans. Houston-OKC will be fun. OKC gets up for the better teams in the league, and they just beat Houston in a game, but Houston trounced them in the playoffs last year, and the Rockets didn't have Chris Paul last year. Also, Adams is way too slow to keep up with Capela, and Carmelo will be torched on defense. Chris Paul will finally make his first trip to a conference final in his career, as the Rockets will win in 6.

Golden State is again, much like their first round matchup, going to squash the Pelicans. Sure, AD will go off, but who is going to stop KD, Klay and Steph, who will be back? Oh, and Draymond too. This series will be a wash. Golden State in a sweep once again.

These outcomes will give us the much anticipated Houston-Golden State West Finals. And we all know how poorly Harden, Paul and Mike D'Antoni play and coach in the most important series. The Rockets will choke. Everyone wants to pick them. Everyone says they are finally ready to take the throne from the Warriors. Everyone seems to think that D'Antoni is doing a better job than Kerr. Well, D'Antoni's recent remarks, the whole "winning a title does not define how good this season was" said all I needed to hear. He is already bracing himself for when his team gets beat. Golden State will take their first 2 playoff losses, but I have them winning the series in 6.

This gives us a fourth straight Cleveland-Golden State finals. And, much like last year, Golden State is going to smoke them. I think they will sweep them out this year, and it won't even be that close. Golden State is so much better, they play defense, they will care and they will crush the Cavs to win their third title in 4 years. As far as the Finals MVP, I will go with Steph. It is his turn.

There you have it, my 2018 NBA playoff preview. I love this time of year.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

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SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Where Should LeBron Play Basketball Next Year?

I was supposed to see Vince Staples last night, but I hurt my back doing some house work and had to sell my tickets, So, unfortunately I do not have a review of his show. Next time he comes through, I will be sure to check him out. But, I do have a basketball story I want to talk about today.

Earlier today, LeBron James listed the 4 teams he would consider in free agency. Now, this is nowhere near the circus that was "The Decision". I'm pretty sure he remembers how bad that was, but there are some quality teams on his list. He has his current team, the Cavs, and the other 3 were the Lakers, Rockets and 76ers. I want to give a few reasons as to why I think his fit with all four of these teams would be good and bad.

Lets start with the Lakers first. The reasons to join the Lakers are fairly simple. One is the history. They, along with the Celtics, are the most storied franchises in all of NBA history. This would be a nice spot to finish up his career. Everyone, even if you don't like the players or coaches they have had, remembers Lakers. I despise them, but guys like Magic, Worthy, Kobe and Shaq, just to name a few, I remember them all as great Lakers. Another good reason, the keys to the team will be given to him, no questions asked. He will run everything on the court. Magic and the front office will do anything that he asks of them as well. The down sides, one, this team is very young. I personally think they should eschew adding LeBron, and stick with the youth movement. As much as I don't like him, Lonzo Ball looks like he will be a quality NBA point guard. Kyle Kuzma is in a mini slump, but the dude can score. Brandon Ingram is becoming the all around talent people assumed he could be. I'd like to see them stick with these guys. If LeBron comes in, I feel like he would stunt their growth for a year or two. The Lakers are also in the West, and they aren't the Rockets, Warriors or Spurs. They are very far off from being in that upper echelon of the conference, and I don't know if LeBron should spend the rest of his career fighting to be a 6 seed every season. If I were LeBron, unless they have a verbal agreement from either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George to come play there next year, or both, I would not choose the Lakers. They are too young and they don't have enough shooters to put around him right now.

Lets look at the other Western Conference team on his list, the Rockets. This would form a super duper three if he comes through. LeBron, Harden and Paul would be a great, great trio to have. Paul and LeBron already have a great friendship, and I'm pretty sure Harden would buy in, if all he cares about is titles. He also brings instant playoff credibility. Paul and Harden are known chokers. LeBron though, he gets to the Finals every year. He would make people stop talking about Harden and Paul in the playoffs, and that would benefit them greatly. And Clint Capela would immediately be the best pure center LeBron will have ever played with. I know he and Shaq were on the same Cavs team for a minute, but Shaq was toast. The downsides of joining the Rockets are many. This would only further fuel Golden State's fire to beat them. This would mean they would try every night, and that is a scary thing to think about. They would space the hell out of them, and Harden would get toasted. Also, there is only one ball. Now, Paul and Harden have made it work, but adding LeBron would be a serious wrinkle. He needs the ball in his hands at crucial moments. So do Paul and Harden. They are both used to having the ball whenever they are on the court. The Rockets do have shooters, but how many would they have to give up to clear room for LeBron? Ryan Anderson would be cut. I'm pretty sure they'd have to move Eric Gordon. I don't think Trevor Ariza would stay unless he took a massive pay cut. That is 3 of their better three point shooters. If LeBron joined the Rockets it would also crush their bench. They would have to peel dudes off the scrap heap. While I love the idea of Harden, Paul and James play together, add Capela to that list, I think if he chose the Rockets it would cripple that team far too much. I still think the Warriors would be better too.

Now for the East. Lets look at the 76ers. Personally, this is the team I want him to join. I don't think he will, but I would love it. To see him team up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would be amazing. I still have faith, albeit very little, in Markelle Fultz too. I do think he can turn it around, and I think having a teammate like LeBron would do wonders for him. LeBron would instantly put the 76ers back on the map. They have been a laughingstock, until this season, for about 5 years. With LeBron though, they are instantly relevant, big time, again. They would be instant title contenders. I think it would greatly benefit Simmons. I think Embiid would love playing with him. Imagine the great passes he could throw to Embiid in the high post. It would be beautiful. But, I look at the 76ers like the Lakers in this scenario. They are fun now because of the talent they drafted, sat out, and groomed from within. Simmons and Embiid are also the future of this team, and possibly, the league. I think a year or two of LeBron might stunt that. They would have to get rid of guys like Dario Saric and Robert Covington to sign LeBron. That would stink for those guys. They have earned the right to be a part of this turnaround. They have a solid team in place already, and if I were a 76ers fan, I would grit my teeth and have to pass on signing him. LeBron is one of the greatest to ever play, but the 76ers have great young talent that could/probably be the future of the East. I like their core too much to shake it up by adding LeBron.

Finally, his current team, the Cavs. Look, he has carte blanche there. He can literally do whatever he wants. They will sign, trade or draft anyone he wants them to. They will let him personally pick whoever he wants to have the title of "coach". He will constantly be in title contention. He has played his entire career in the East, so he knows the landscape. He is a hometown kid who has brought a title back to Cleveland. Every sign points to why he should stay. Hell, they unloaded half the roster just to appease him for 1/4 of this season. That franchise has bent over backwards for him, as they should. Now, I know he hates Dan Gilbert, and rightfully so. Dan Gilbert is a dip shit blowhard that has done nothing but undermine LeBron any chance he gets. But, he does give in to him in the long run. I know that LeBron doesn't really like Kevin Love, but when he is healthy, they have found a way to coexist. The team got much younger after the trade deadline too. I like Rodney Hood, especially playing with LeBron. Larry Nance Jr is a much, much better version of guys that LeBron has played with before like Anderson Varejo or Zydrunas Ilgauskas. George Hill is a competent point guard that knows his limitations. They have super high draft pick, and this incoming draft is stacked. Everything points to why he should stay in Cleveland. Just end your career where you started. You are a legend, and a homegrown legend at that. I also think Cleveland is the best fit by a mile.

So, if I had any say, I'd tell him to stay in Cleveland. They give him the best chance to play for a title every year that he has left, and that front office will do whatever he says. The Cavs are his destiny, at least to me.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on all the internet.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Some Quick Thoughts on a Wild, And Cavalier Changing, NBA Trade Deadline

Yesterday the NBA trade deadline came and went, and boy oh boy was there some movement. Not as much movement as I expected, but movement nonetheless.

I should clarify, I thought big names would be moved. And yes, Blake Griffin was moved, but before the deadline. I fully expected DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams to be on new teams. Well, the Clippers gave Williams to a 3 year extension, and by all accounts, the DeAndre to Cleveland talks stalled. I also expected, and while he may not be a big name to the common NBA fan, Avery Bradley to be on a different team. I heard the Spurs and Thunder were hot on his trail. Well, he is still a Clipper today. Stuff can happen after the "deadline", but if these guys were to be moved they would have been moved yesterday. Even a guy like Tyreke Evans, who is having a career year in Memphis, didn't get moved, and the Grizzlies have purposefully sat him out in preparation for him to be traded. They can, and probably will, buy him out. But, as of today, he is still a Grizzly. There were some other big time names I thought may get moved, guys like Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol, even a Julius Randle, but their respective teams kept them on board.

With all of that being said, there was still a ton of movement. I have already written about the Blake Griffin trade. He was the first of a pretty wild week. A few days later the Pelicans traded for Nikola Mirotic, and while that doesn't sound that big, Mirotic has been really good so far this year, and this does give the Pelicans a very potent outside shooter. While he won't come close to putting up any kind of numbers to try and replace Boogie, he can still fill it up from time to time. After the Mirotic trade, it was relatively quiet. The Nets and Bucks made a trade on Feb 5(Bucks got Tyler Zeller and the Nets got Rashad Vaughn and a pick). On Feb 7th, the Knicks traded Willy Hernangomez, who I like, to the Hornets for Johnny O'Bryant and 2 future second round picks.

Then yesterday happened. I'm going to save the Cavs for last because they have totally overhauled their lineup. Lets get to some of the other trades first. Jameer Nelson, who I am shocked that he is still in the league, is now a Piston in a deal that sent Willie Reed to the Grizzlies. Luke Babbitt was reunited with the Heat in a trade that sent the Hawks, who are continuing their epic tank, a guy named Okaro White. The Kings got rid of Malachi Richardson, sending him to the Raptors for Bruno Cabococlo, who the Kings will release. The Wizards offloaded Sheldon Mac to the Hawks for cash. The Blazers got rid of the epic bust that is Noah Vonleh, sending him to the Bulls for the rights to Milocan Rakovic. Dante Cunningham was traded from the Pelicans to the Nets for Rashad Vaughn, his second team of the week. Now, we are finally going to get some recognizable names. The Knicks, Nuggets and Mavericks swung a three way deal that sent Emmanuel Mudiay to New York, Devin Harris and a pick to the Nuggets and Doug McDermott and a pick to the Mavericks. I like this move for Mudiay, because he has not lived up to the hype. Maybe a place like New York will bring it out of him. While Harris is old, he can still shoot, and that will help the Nuggets. And Dougie McBuckets, well, I guess he just won't be that good of a pro. But, at least he will get a shot to play in Dallas. And then Elfrid Payton, another monumental bust, was traded to the Suns for a second round pick. This kid was supposed to be the future for the Magic and he has just flat out stunk. Maybe he will do better in Phoenix, but only getting a second round pick for a lottery player, that is rough.

Now, lets get to the Cavs. The Cavs did a complete overhaul. They have totally changed this roster. And while I agree that they got better in the short run, I do not think they did enough to keep LeBron, or even make the finals again. They are going to have to gel much faster than expected if they want to get back to the Finals. So, I want to name all the players traded, where they went and who they got in return, then I will give a one or two sentence explanation as to why I like or dislike the trade.

Okay, here goes.

First the Cavs traded Dwayne Wade to the Heat for a second round pick. Then, in a three team deal the Cavs acquired Rodney Hood and George Hill, the Jazz got Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose and the Kings got Joe Johnson, Iman Shumpert and a 2020 second round pick. Finally, the Cavs traded Isiash Thomas and Channing Frye, along with their 2018 first round pick to the Lakers for Larry Nance Jr and Jordan Clarkson.

That is a lot to unpack with some big time names. The Cavs first deal was their biggest, trading Thomas and Frye and their pick to the Lakers for Nance Jr and Clarkson. I love this trade for the Cavs. Clarkson is a great shooter, and he will get a ton of open looks from LeBron. Nance Jr is an electric young player and a highlight reel dunker. He will be fun to watch play with LeBron. Thomas has to be thrilled to be out of Cleveland, but I feel bad that he is playing for the Lakers. He has taken a hard fall in less than a year. He was an MVP finalist last year, now he is happy to be a Laker. Yikes. And Channing Frye, blah. But, the Cavs first round pick this year is a big get for the Lakers. They can continue to build for the future. The Cavs definitely won this trade though. The next move was almost as good as the first. They were able to acquire a real point guard, George Hill, and a streaky good and young scorer in Rodney Hood. They also got off some terrible contracts in this trade. They finally rid themselves of Derrick Rose, who will be bought out by the Jazz, oh how the mighty have fallen, and they got rid of the 10 million that Iman Shumpert will make this year. Shumpert is also toast as a legit NBA defender. I love the addition of Hood. He, like Clarkson, is a very good shooter that will get a ton of great looks. George Hill is good, but very injury prone. He is much older than his actual age as a basketball player. That being said, he is better than any other point guard the Cavs had. And, getting off of Jae Crowder, great move. I thought he would be a great fit and a solid defender for the Cavs, but he was not. He couldn't shoot and he neglected to play defense on this team. The only thing left now from the Kyrie Irving trade this past offseason is the Nets pick. That's wild. But, the Cavs won this three team deal as well. Finally, they mercy traded LeBron's buddy Dwayne Wade back to Miami. Wade was doing nothing for the Cavs, there were rumors that he was not a good clubhouse guy and he is just too old to be elite anymore. This needed to be done, and I think he is happy to be going back to Miami. I don't think either team won this trade, but both teams are happy with the outcome.

With all this movement that happened, the Cavs roster will be very different for the last quarter of the year. As I said, they got better in the intermediate. They have shooters now that can space the floor. If Hood can stay healthy, he could thrive. And if Jordan Clarkson thought he got good looks in LA, wait until he plays one game with LeBron. Nance Jr will bring some toughness and rebounding to this team, and he will be fun to watch. Unfortunately for the Cavs, even though they did unload some bad contracts, they still took on some bad contracts. They will not be able to lure free agents, especially if LeBron leaves after this year. But, they also got rid of a bunch of head cases and guys that didn't want to be there. Derrick Rose came and went as he pleased. Isaish Thomas seemed to bad mouth Tyron Lue every night. Iman Shumpert is toast. So is Channing Frye. And D-Wade, as much as I like him, and as much as he is a first ballot Hall of Famer, he is in the twilight of his career. But, the Cavs still have to deal with Tristan Thompson who has been horrendous. They still have Kevin Love, who is injured and LeBron seems to hate him. They still have JR Smith who has been a disaster this year. The Cavs, while making some necessary moves yesterday, still have some problems on their hands. I don't necessarily think that these trades instantly makes them a better defensive team either. But, they will be able to fill it up, if they can gel quickly.

Yesterday was a wild NBA trade deadline, and I had a blast with every update I got from Bleacher Report. I love when the trade deadline is this crazy. It makes for a fun day and I'm excited to see these guys play for their new teams. Also, I'm very curious to see how this all plays out for the Cavs. What they did yesterday was unprecedented, and I want to see how it all eventually unfolds.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Note to all the Podcasting Fanboys, The NBA Season is a Long Way from Being Over

I listen to a ton of podcasts, and most of those podcasts are sports related. I do love comedy podcasts, but other than that, it is either college football or the NFL, NCAA basketball and the NBA. Since the NBA started about 3 weeks ago, I have pretty much exclusively listened to NBA podcasts now. And 3 weeks into this season, these hosts of the podcasts I listen to need to chill the hell out. People are already, only after most teams have played, at most, 11 games, making outrageous claims.

I was listening to the Ringer NBA Show this morning, and one of the co hosts said that he thinks the Knicks will make the playoffs. After 9 god damn games. That is nuts. First off, it is only 9 games. They still have 73 games left to play. They have only won 5 of those 9 games. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis has been great so far, but I say again, it is 9 games. Also, who else do the Knicks have on that roster that can propel them to the playoffs, even in the East? Tim Hardaway Jr? Frank Ntilikina? Jarrett Jack? Enes Kanter? None of those guys, and I like Hardaway Jr and Kanter, are that great. So, no, I do not think the Knicks will push for a playoff spot. They are only 5-4, and I'd be shocked if they win more than 32-35 games this year.

Also, these same guys that are all over the Knicks, they crap all over the Pistons, who are off to a much better start, and more equipped for a playoff run, especially in the East. They say all the things about the Pistons that I say about the Knicks. They say it is just a fast start and that they will level out. They say they don't have any stars. They do not like the coach. They do not like the roster. That is everything I say about the Knicks. But, I like the Pistons much, much more. The Pistons do not have a Porzingis, but they have a pretty decent roster construct. I am a big Andre Drummond fan. He is a classic throwback big, and he is actually making free throws now. I don't like Reggie Jackson, but he is playing some good basketball right now. Avery Bradley has been an exceptional addition to the team. I do think they will be right around .500 when the year ends, but they are so much better than the Knicks, yet they do not get the same love.

Orlando is another team that people are saying can push for the playoffs. What? How? Who do they have? Frank Vogel is a good coach, but this team is not even close to playoff ready. Aaron Gordon is a blast to watch dunk, but isn't he just a poor man's Blake Griffin, without the jump shot? Elfrid Payton has not lived up to the expectations. He has been very subpar as a pro. Johnathan Issac is long and athletic, but he is still a rookie, and we will have to wait and see if his rail thin body can hold up for 82 games. The best thing about the Magic though, Johnathan Simmons. He has been a revelation since signing there this offseason. But he is not enough to make the Magic a playoff team.

These podcast hosts are already trashing the Cavs because of their "slow start". The Cavs are 5-6 right now, and they do look bad on defense. But, they have LeBron, and they will be just fine when it matters. In fact, if you look at the wins they have, they are good wins. Sure, losing to the Pelicans and Hawks isn't great. But, they have wins over the Celtics, Wizards and Bucks, all playoff teams. The Cavs roster is very poorly put together, but they have LeBron, and he is the best player in the game right now. He can turn it on when needed, and I am done being one of the people saying that this is the year that the Cavs take a slide. Hell, they only won 51 games last year and still made the Finals.

Same can be said for the Warriors. The Rockets beat them on opening night, and then they lost 2 more games after that. Since then, I believe they have won every single game that they have played. The Warriors are so god damn good that when they get beat it is jarring, but they will be just fine.

The Thunder are off to a "slow" start, sitting at 4-6. But, I said in my preseason preview that it would take a month or 2 for Carmelo, Paul George and Russell Westbrook to figure out how to play together. They are going to be just fine. In fact, I am pleasantly surprised at how much Russell Westbrook has been passing the ball. George and Carmelo are cold right now, but they will start to make shots, and this team will start to put together stretches of 5 wins in 7 games or 9 wins in 11 games. They are going to be a 50 plus win team by season's end.

The Spurs have started okay, but Kawhi Leonard has yet to see the floor. Same thing for Tony Parker. LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing very well, but he needs Kawhi and Parker. And when those guys come back, the Spurs will 50 plus games again.

I've heard a ton about this rookie class so far on these podcasts too. And while I think this class will go down as one of the greatest, people again need to chill the hell out. Markelle Fultz is hurt. People are already calling him a bust, but he is hurt. Something is wrong with his shoulder. Also, isn't this the way of the 76ers? Don't they always sit their top draft picks for, at least, one year? I think Fultz will be just fine. I believe he is going to be a decent NBA player with a 10 plus year career. Lonzo Ball seems to be on TV every night, and from what I have seen, the dude can pass, but he cannot shoot, dribble or play defense. He also looks very disengaged during games, especially when someone puts pressure on him when he has the ball. He can learn how to dribble and play defense, but that shot is trash. His form is straight garbage. He needs to work on that. He will be a quality player, but he is no franchise savior, and the ESPN's of the world need to stop putting the Lakers on TV all the time. They are not a good team. There are some other rookies that have been playing well so far, but time will tell. Donovan Mitchell seems to be putting it together. Lauri Markannen has completely surprised me with his scoring. DeAron Fox is so fast and such a good distributor. Dennis Smith Jr seems to have a highlight play every night. These guys are good, but lets give it a bit more time before we put these guys in the Hall of Fame, with the exception being Ben Simmons. He has been absolutely amazing. He is as advertised, and if he ever gets a jump shot, he will be great.

My final thought of the first 3 weeks in the NBA, Bill Simmons needs to chill the hell out on the Celtics. Yes, they are 10-2. Yes, Kyrie Irving looks very good. Yes, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been very, very good. Yes, Brad Stevens can coach. And yes, they have recovered quite nicely from Gordon Hayward's horrific injury on opening night. But, it is 12 games. They lost their first 2 games, and they have won every game since. But, what decent teams have they beaten? I know for a fact that they struggled a bit with the Lakers last night, before finally pulling away late. But again, it is 12 games. If you look at Bill Simmons Twitter feed, you'd think that they are getting ready to hang a banner already. They have the best record after 12 games, but I scream, IT IS ONLY 12 GAMES! They need to do it all year long before I buy in. This is the first time Jaylen Brown has been a priority player since high school. Jayson Tatum is a rookie who missed a ton of time his lone season in college. I don't trust Aron Baynes as far as I could throw him, and that isn't that far. The Morris twin is fine, but he is losing minutes to younger guys. And Kyrie, while he is distributing now, will he do that in critical games? I don't know. I watched him jack up an awful three in game 3 of the Finals last year, when he could have pushed for a 2 for 1 opportunity, or get the ball to an open shooter. Kyrie wants to be the guy to shoot the ball at the end of the game, for better or worse. Calm down Bill Simmons, and the entire Ringer staff for that matter, pertaining to the Celtics hot start. It is only 3 weeks into the year, and if I were asked who would win a 7 game series right now between Boston and Cleveland, I'd take Cleveland in 5 or 6 games. Just remember, the Lakers started 10-10 last year, and people thought they might push for the playoffs, and I think they won something like 15 games the rest of the year.

So while some of these teams are hot, and some are starting slow, it is an 82 game season, and nothing is decided after 3 weeks. Nothing at all. Chill out everyone, the NBA is a long, long season, and the Warriors will still be the champions at the end of the year.  

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.