Where Does LeBron Best Fit?

It looks like LeBron James is down to three teams he is looking to sign with for the next season. The reported three teams are the Heat, 76ers and Cavs. I don't know why the Warriors are already out of it, maybe because the Wizards have said they don't want to move Anthony Davis, but this is the most updated thing I have seen so far. The three teams in the running all make sense to me.

The 76ers need a player like James. If they were able to add him to the team, they could be pretty lethal. The backcourt is set with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Both of those guys are legit. Maxey proved his all pro capability last season. He went to the next level. He is ascending to being a star at this point. The 76ers should build around him. They just added Jaylen Brown, in one of the wilder trades I've seen in recent history. He is going to be on another level this season. He is out to prove some people wrong, and Brown is too good a player not to show them up. He may have one of the better seasons we have seen in some time. Joel Embiid is the center. He cannot stay healthy, but he was an MVP as of late. When he was on the floor last season, the 76ers were great. With less of a load, Embiid could play more than usual, and that usually spells more victories for the 76ers. It's that 4 spot that seems lacking. All indications were that Dean Wade was going to start after they signed him as a free agent. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather have a 41 year old LeBron James starting than Dean Wade. James knows the East, he can help push the 76ers to make a deeper playoff push and would put them as a top 6 team right away if he signs there. I do think the fit next to Brown may be a little rough at first, but both guys are smart enough and good enough that they will figure it out. This team would be able to speed up games and slow teams down if need be. But, I do think that the 76ers want to go faster. Edgecombe and Maxey are speedy players, and when they pushed the tempo last season, they played much better basketball.

The Heat make sense if they want to push for a title right away. Need we forget, they just traded for Giannis. Pairing Giannis and LeBron would be pretty tight if you ask me. I'd love to see the two of them on the same team. The pick and roll would be dope. Giannis would get some great passes from James. Giannis and James could make some nice music defensively. Add in the rest of the starting five, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and Bam Adebayo, this team would be hellacious on defense. James also has capability with Erik Spoelstra, and apparently he has repaired his relationship with Pat Riley. The depth would still be an issue. I don't really know who comes off the bench. They would have to scrape the bottom of the barrell for league minimum guys. But James has made that work in the past. The problem though, this is not the past and both James and Giannis, especially Giannis as of late, are both often injured. Injuries would be the biggest and most pressing issue with this version of the Heat. I do think that this would push them up, past the 76ers in fact, if James were to sign on with the Heat. But the fear of injury may be too big of a risk for the Heat to actually pull this off. They also may not have the money to get him in the door anyway.

Finally we have the Cavs. This one makes the most sense for a myriad of reasons, and I think this is how it will actually play out in the end. Cleveland is his home. He is a legend there. He won them a title for the first time in 50 plus years back in 2016. He had some of his best years with the Cavs. And they have a solid roster for the first time since he went back in the mid 2010's. They just re-upped Dononvan Mitchell. He is the future of the team and he is the current best player on the team. James Harden is most likely going to come back. I know he wants to play with James, and I'm pretty sure James wants to play with him too, outside of Team USA basketball. Evan Mobley would find life much easier on the offensive end of the floor playing with James. He would get so many more open looks and runs to the rim. Max Strus could spell him for minutes. They are apparently leaving space open for Bronny to come play with them. They have some solid rookies and vets they can rely on coming off the bench. And Kenny Atkinson, for all his faults, is a solid NBA head coach. They would most likely have to let Jarrett Allen walk, which would sting, but if it means getting James to come back home, I bet they would do it in a heartbeat.

Going back home for James makes the most sense and I see this being the only outcome in the end. Time will tell, but I would be surprised if James isn't wearing a Cavs jersey to start the 2026-27 season. 

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.

Thoughts on Giannis and The Miami Heat

As mentioned yesterday, today I will give my take on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Miami Heat.

This appears to have been in the making for sometime now. I read before the trade that he was willing to go to two teams, the Heat or the Celtics. The Celtics did offer Jaylen Brown and picks, but the Bucks clearly wanted more players and more picks. I read that they were interested in Baylor Scheirman and Hugo Gonzalez, but the Celitcs deemed them unmovable in this deal. I am not so sure why they wouldn't include those guys, but I am not Brad Stevens and I do not work for the Celtics. I would have included both in the trade if it meant I would get to pair Giannis with Jayson Tatum next season, but that's just me. But the Heat, they gave up a haul to land Giannis. I wouldn't necessarily say they gave up most of their bench, but damn did the Bucks get a return.

Along with Giannis, the Heat did acquire Bobby Portis. But they had to trade Ke'el Ware, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jacquez Jr, Kasparas Jakucionis and a bunch of current and future draft picks. I know last night that the Bucks took Brayden Burries, and the Heat traded the rights to Nate Ament to the Bucks with their pick. So, not counting future picks, the Bucks gave up two guys, two very important guys, and got back five players. That's quite the haul for the Bucks. And they got young players that they are going to try and build around now.

I have seen that the Bucks may move Tyler Herro this offseason, and I think that may be in their best interest. Tyler Herro is an exceptional offensive basketball player. He has proven that he can shoot the rock and put in points at a very high rate. But he is an absolute zero on defense, and he is coming off of two seasons where he spent more time injured than playing. If they can turn him into future picks, or take a flyer on another young player that a contending team may not need, I'd say go for it. That would help in the rebuilding process for the Bucks.

As far as things go with Ware, Jacquez and Jakucionis, keep those guys and let them play a ton. The Bucks will not be a very good team next year, so I say they see what they have in these young guys. I like Ware a ton. He has looked to figure some things out in his first two seasons in the NBA. He has also become somewhat of a consistent scorer in the paint, and he can already protect the rim at a very high clip. Jacquez was close to winning sixth man of the year last season. He is instant offense off the bench, tries really hard on the defensive end of the court and he can shoot from pretty much anywhere on the floor. Jakucionis was a lottery pick last season, I heard he showed flashes during practices and just needed minutes to prove his worth. He should get minutes in spades now. The Bucks may even start him. Add on their picks last night, this team is going to go through a tough season or two, but they may end up being solid and a threat in the East in three years.

As for the Heat, if they did mortgage their depth, they got an absolute top of the line superstar in the deal. I love Giannis. He is one of my all time favorite players. He has won at the highest levels in the league. He gets better every year. I know he has been hurt a bit too much the past few years, but maybe that will go away now that he is in Miami, and they appear to have one of the best training staffs in all of professional sports. If they can get him right, and keep him on the court for 60 to 70 games every year, the Heat instantly become a threat in the East. The Knicks, Celtics and Cavs may be better than them right now, but the Heat are coming with this new starting five. Pairing Giannis in the frontcourt with Bam Adebayo is going to look like defense nirvana. Those two will contest every shot at the rim, grab almost every rebound and can both start fastbreaks off misses and blocks. They can both score at will as well. Bam put up 80 in a game last season. Giannis put up 50 in a Finals closeout game four years ago. They both love to attack the rim, and with Bam being a little bit of a better outside shooter, he will open up driving lanes for Giannis. You can play Portis at the three and have a super big frontcourt. And then I would imagine the Heat are going to start Davion Mitchell and Norm Powell, if they retain him, in the backcourt. Mitchell has revived his career since being added to the Heat, and Powell is the best scorer on the team. This is a formidable starting five, and if you want to swap out Portis for Andrew Wiggins at the three, be my guest. Wiggins is a better scorer and rim runner anyway.

The depth is the issue in Miami now. They gave up a ton to land Giannis. Let's say Wiggins starts, that leaves bench players like Bobby Portis, Nikola Jovic, Vlad Goldin, Pelle Larson, Dru Smith and Myron Gardner. That's not really much of a threat in the second unit. A lot of those guys were two way players last season. But they are on the Heat, and the Heat seem to squeeze every inch out of these guys. And Portis has always been a solid bench guy. But if a starter gets hurt and misses extended time, it may get dicey for the Heat.

In the end, the Heat got their guy. Erik Spoelstra now has a legit first option to put next to Bam. Spoelstra is an exceptional coach and he will put these guys in the best possible position to win. I like this deal for both teams. They each got what they wanted and I'm excited to see how it plays out in both Milwaukee and Miami. What a trade. The NBA is fun. 

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.

Thoughts on Where Giannis Plays Next - Part 2

With each passing day, and with it getting closer to the NBA draft, it looks more and more likely that Giannis Antentekoumpo is going to be traded. He wants out and has done everything short of asking to be traded. A while back I went through some teams that made sense to me. That has changed since then.

I know Giannis has some leverage, but so does Milwaukee. This is an interesting case of a star that has won it big with the team that drafted him, but has fallen on hard times as of late. The Bucks have tried to rebuild around him since they traded Jrue Holiday to the Celtics. Damian Lillard was never fully healthy, and the fit with him and Giannis wasn't great. I was on board with that trade at the time, but it never materialized in the way I hoped it would. They went out and signed Myles Turner last season, but his success seemed tied to Tyrese Haliburton more than anything else, and with the Bucks having no real point guard, his skillset never fully translated to the Bucks. The Bucks also let Brook Lopez walk so they could sign Turner, and he and Giannis were great buddies and running mates. They were the anchors of the defensive frontcourt for the Bucks. As expected, the Bucks limped to a rough season and during the year it looked like they were going to move Giannis. That never came, but now it seems inevitable. As I said though, both parties have leverage. Giannis won a title in Milwaukee. He also won many awards, including an MVP. He seemed to love the city from the moment he was drafted there, and they loved him back. He did it all with the Bucks, and if he wants to move on and try to win a title before retiring, he has that right. What more could Milwaukee want from him? But, the front office also signed him to an extension two years ago. He is, technically, still under contract with Milwaukee. They don't have to trade him if they don't get a deal to their liking. He has two years left, and in the end, the NBA is a business, and it is cutthroat. It would be awful if they wasted two more seasons for Giannis, but they can if they want.

In looking at who may be left in the Giannis sweepstakes, it looks like it is only the Heat and Celtics. These seem to be the only two teams with either the picks or young players, or both, that can trade for Giannis and are places he'd be happy to play for.

I understand why he wants to play for the Celtics. They are championship ready right now. They won a few years back, they overachieved without Jayson Tatum for most of the season and they have picks and one blue chip young player they may want to move. Jaylen Brown is awesome. He was in the MVP conversation for most of last season. He was an All NBA  player. He is a wonderful defender. He can create his own shot. And he showed that he could lead a team as the number one option last season. I believe a team like the Bucks covet a player like Jaylen Brown if they decide to move on from Giannis. Brown would make the Bucks, at the very least, a play-in caliber team right away. The Celtics also have future picks they can trade. The problem, those picks may not be super valuable because the Celtics are going to be pretty good for a while longer. Also, the Celtics may need a third team to get this deal done. They may have to add some other team that can add more, and better picks to the deal. And that may end up with Brown going somewhere else. The Bucks may have to just settle for a ton of picks. They may like that, they may not. But it seems unlikely that the Celtics would pull the trigger on trading Brown after he proved he can lead a team and still play quality defense. The future picks may be too much for Brad Stevens to swallow as well.

The Heat seem like the most likely landing spot for Giannis. They have the picks and the young guys to get it done. The only question is, will the Heat be willing to give up some of the younger talent to get Giannis. If the Heat are serious, and they want to do it, they are going to have to part ways with one of either Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr or Ke'el Ware. They are also going to have to give up their first round pick this season and Tyler Herro. I think the Tyler Herro of it all is not a big deal to the Heat. He may be a good offensive player, but he is a sieve on defense and he has become oft injured. I think the Bucks would welcome him because he is from Milwaukee and he would be the number one offensive option. But the Bucks would want the first round pick, to keep their own first round pick, and one of the young guys I mentioned before. Nikola Jovic is raw, but has potential. He would get to play a ton, but it would be frustrating to watch him play. Jaime Jacquez Jr is a solid bench player, but a higher usage rate may be tough for him to handle. I'm sure he would welcome it, but that also comes with expectations. He may not be ready for that. The most ideal, and best fit for the Bucks, in my opinion, is Ke'el Ware. He has proven that he is a solid number 5 in the NBA. He can score in the post, and has shown that he is capable of stretching the floor. He is a good defensive player and a solid rebounder. I think he would end up being the best asset in this possible deal and he could flourish with the Bucks.

I think the only team that can trade for Giannis, that would make the most sense, that would make him happy is the Heat. He and Bam Adebayo would be awesome. They could keep Norm Powell and let him create and score. They have the young kid from Illinois that showed flashes. They would be able to keep Jacquez and Jovic and let them stay in their current roles, which fit them best. I think the Heat will get it done and do it before the draft. That is what I see happening in the long run. 

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.

Bam Adebayo Had a Good Game Last Night

Bam Adebayo did something incredible last night.

The Heat have been a pretty run of the mill franchise since the pandemic. Yes, they made a run to the finals a few years back, where they were crushed in five games by the Nuggets. And they had a similar run to the Finals in The Bubble. Other than that, they've been a play-in team or a team that doesn't get out of the first round of the playoffs. They are in that same position right now. I believe that they're in either 7th or 8th place in the East, with no real sign of making that top 6.

Last night I guess Bam decided he was sick and tired of being an also ran. Granted they were playing the Wizards, but Adebayo's stat line was one for the ages. And I didn't turn on the game until late in the third to watch what was happening. I got an update on my phone that he had 31 points after the first quarter. He outscored the Wizards himself in the quarter. He went into halftime with 42 points and I remember thinking it would be cool if he went for something like 60 or 70 points. Not once in my mind did I think he would eclipse those numbers. Then I saw he had 62 after the third quarter. That was when I figured I had to see what was going to happen. Bam finished the game with 83 points, the second highest single game scoring record in the NBA. He surpassed the 81 Kobe Bryant had over a decade ago. The only player with more in one game is Wilt Chamberlain, who famously scored 100 in a game once.

For this to come from a modern big in the modern NBA is special. Guys like Bam don't score this in any game. Ever. This was wild. I didn't believe it when I saw it. I like Bam Adebayo enough as a player. He is an incredible defensive center. He's also undersized, but he hustles his ass off and plays hard. He is one of the few Kentucky players who I have grown to like in the NBA. I also like how understated and about his business he is when he has interviews or something of the sort. When the game ended I had to go and look at the stat sheet. I needed to see it with my own two eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming all of this. He shot almost 50 percent from the field, going 20-43. He took far too many threes for my liking, 22, and he made 7 of them. That's a lot for a player like Bam. I have to assume that when he realized he was on fire from the field, he decided he had to start bombing threes. But the biggest stat, the one that made my eyes bulge, he was 36-43 from the free throw line.

I have griped constantly on this site about fouls and free throws, and this stat should be exhibit number one on how bad it has gotten in the NBA. But when I saw this last night I simply didn't care. Sure, he took as many free throws as he did field goals. Yes, he took 14 more free throws than the entire Wizards team. And the Heat took 59 free throws in total. I'm sure this game lasted much, much longer than it needed to, but Bam was in his bag last night. And he made 36 of them. That is amazing, Just imagine if he was 100 percent from the line last as well. He would have had 90 points. And just for good measure, Bam added 9 rebounds and 3 assists. He also chipped in a couple of blocks and steals. And he only committed 3 fouls all game. That is an amazing stat line for a month of a season. Bam did it in one night.

I am just flabbergasted at this whole thing. Stuff like this doesn't happen all the time, and when it is a big man, that makes me so happy. And when it is a guy like Bam Adebayo, it just makes me happy. I can remember being mad when Kobe did it, thinking he was hogging the ball. I couldn't have been more wrong. When a pro is on fire like that, and when they feel almost unconscious from the floor, they need to be fed and they need to shoot as many times as possible.

This game is going to go down in history. Hell, it kind of already has. But people should not forget this game by Bam anytime soon. He scored 83 points. His team won by 30. They may move up the standings. He contributed rebounds, steals, blocks and assists. He embraced his girlfriend and mom after the game. I am so happy that this happened to a good dude like Bam Adebayo. I implore you, go look at his stat line and watch some of the highlights from this game. It was amazing and Bam Adebayo is now in the record books for all time. That's pretty cool. 

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.

Ty's 2025-2026 NBA Season Preview: Heat, Celtics, Mavericks

Welcome to day five of my preseason 2025-26 NBA countdown. We are officially in play-in/playoff territory with these teams. We made it through the dregs and we are at the good stuff finally.

At number 18 I have the Miami Heat. The Heat are an odd team to me. They have a great defense, but the offense leaves a ton to the imagination. Tyler Hero is hurt to start the season. I don't know that this is that much of a blow to them honestly. Sure, he is a decent offensive player, but he is a ball stopper and he does not play defense. He is attacked on defense too. I am very curious to see how they play without him. Bam Adebayo is still here and he is still very good. He is one of the better defenders in the league, and for being undersized, he more than holds his own. He has gotten a little better on offense every season, but he needs to stop settling for floaters and attack the rim. He is very good when he attacks the rim. Davion Mitchell finally showed that he belongs in the league. His defense has always been very good, and now it looks like he may have found a shot. If that continues, he could find himself becoming more and more important to the Heat. Andrew Wiggins has found a niche in his game, and he is a solid fit with the Heat. He is not the scorer he had the ability to be when he was the first overall pick, but his defense and rim running has always been solid. They acquired Norm Powell for next to nothing, and I think the absence of Herro will only further show that Powell is more important than him. He is a good player. I don't know what to expect from Nikola Jovic. He has flashes but he has never really put it all together. He has never really played steady minutes either. Terry Rozier is washed. Precious Achiuwa is a beast in the middle, but he cannot stay on the floor. Jaime Jacquez Jr took a big step back last season. And who knows how much or what they'll get out of rookie Kasparas Jakucionis. What I do know about the Heat is that they will play elite level defense and that they have the best coach in the NBA in Erik Spoelstra. He will find a way to get this team, at the very least, to the play-in.

At number 17 I have the Boston Celtics. The turnover in their roster and the injury to Jayson Tatum is going to make for a long season for Celtics fans. Tatum tearing his ACL was a brutal, brutal blow to this team. He is, by far, their best player and the guy that drives this team. People will get the full outline of his importance to this team this season. Let us not forget that Kristaps Porzinigs and Jrue Holiday were both traded too. The Celitcs will be using this season to see how some new guys and older vets play without three very important players. Jaylen Brown has all the skills in the world. He plays very well on both ends of the floor. He is great at getting to the rim and he brings his all every time he is on the floor. But he is oft injured and that can affect his play. Derrick White has more than proven his worth. I believe that he will be the most important player with Tatum out. People will see how valuable he is to this team. Payton Pritchard has proven himself to be a nice bench scorer in the league. I don't really know what they're going to do with Anfernee Simons. Simons is a proven scorer, but he has never been on a team that has been a truly winning team. He may need to add to his game this season. Xavier Tillman and Sam Hauser are no more than bench guys. And I have no idea why Chris Boucher is here. I don't know where he finds minutes, and if he does, what does he bring to this team? The Celtics have an insane head coach, Joe Mazzula, who will find a way to squeeze everything he can out of this roster. And that should be enough to get the Celtics, at the very least, to the play-in.

The final team for the day, at number 16 I have the Dallas Mavericks. This is a strange, strange team. But this team has talent. Anthony Davis has bulked up and I think he is going to dominate in the post this season. He is a top tier defender, and if he stops taking so many useless jumpers, he could be back into consideration for All NBA. I like that Davis will get to play in the front court with Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively. Lively will most likely start, and if he returns to the play he had in his rookie year, he could be great. He is super bouncy and plays solid defense. Gafford is a great backup 4 or 5. He can shoot a little, play some defense and rebound the ball. Kyrie Irving may miss the season, and that would be a bummer. If he does come back, he and Davis could make for a nice pick and roll duo. Cooper Flagg was the first overall pick and he seems like he is as pro ready as they come. He does need to improve his jump shooting, but he can do pretty much everything else he is asked of. He also looked good in two games in Summer League, and his first preseason game was even better. Dante Exum has found a place that allows him to do what he does best, play defense. Max Christis is a nice scoring option off the bench. D'Angelo Russell should be a less than okay place card until Irving gets back. And Russell will bring scoring, if he does nothing else. And I love the reclamation project of Dennis Smith Jr here. And PJ Washington was such a great trade, and he should get so many more touches and shots now. The Mavericks are funky, and they don't have a ton of spacing options, but they will play very good defense. And, if, and this is a big, big if, they stay healthy, they could make a deeper playoff run than others expect.

That's it for today and this week. Come back on Monday 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.

Thoughts on Where De'Aaron Fox Should Play Next

It looks like De'Aaron Fox wants a change of scenery. I read that the Kings have decided to field calls for a possible trade, and that Fox and his agent think this is the best path moving forward. Let’s discuss.

I don't get why the Kings continue to do stuff like this. They offloaded Tyrese Haliburton way too quickly. They let guys walk all the time. They take chances on draft picks and they usually don't pay off. Davion Mitchell is gone. Haliburton, as mentioned, is gone. Keegan Murray came out of the gates super fast, but he has since cooled off. The Kings get a little success and then they decide it's time to make a change. Fox seemed like the perfect cornerstone player to build around. He has come into his own and has led the Kings to two consecutive playoff appearances. He seems to like playing in Sacramento. But, for some reason he is now most likely out the door. I read today that the Kings want a good return, as they should. But, I'm still a little stunned that they are both ready to move on so fast from one another.

I also read about some of the teams on his "preferred" list, and also about the ones that didn't make the cut. I always chuckle a little when I read about the teams that didn't make the list. The Lakers are one of the teams not on the list. That makes perfect sense. They have nothing in the way of picks or the talent the Kings want in return. But, to keep up their image, the media cannot just say that, they have to put a shine on it. In fact, the Lakers are the only team that I've read about to this point that are not on his list. In fact I saw that "dozens" of teams have made contact with the Kings in regards to a possible trade. The most likely outcome, in my opinion and many others as well, there are four real possibilities, the Nets, Magic, Heat and Spurs, with the Spurs being Fox's preferred destination.

With the Nets, this comes down to money and an extension. If that is what Fox is after, the biggest payday, this would be his best bet. I don't know how this would help the Kings other than draft assets. The Nets have tons of picks to trade. In regards to "win now" players, that is the issue. They have Cam Johnson and Cam Thomas. Those guys are solid, but they are not on Fox's level. You could throw Nic Claxton in there, but the Kings already have enough bigs. If the Nets were to pursue a trade, this would be about getting the biggest payday possible for Fox.

I kind of like the fit with the Magic. The Magic would have to give up on players like Gary Harris or Anthony Black, or both. The Kings will want to try and replace Fox with many guards instead of just one. They could bring in those guards, shoot for some of the Magic's bench players, maybe Johnathan Issac or Mo Wagner. And the Magic could trade some future picks as well, If Fox were to join the Magic with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, they'd have three really good, really young guys that make them instant contenders in the East. But, this only works if the Kings are okay with taking late first round picks.

The Heat are an interesting team here. This would have to be a multiple team trade, but it is intriguing. If the Kings and Heat could get Phoenix or Milwaukee involved, that could make this wacky. Jimmy Butler could get his wish and wind up in Phoenix. The Suns would have to offload a bunch of the mid level guys they signed to pair with KD and Devin Booker, but I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. The Heat could then end up with Fox or Bradley Beal in this deal, but where does that leave the Kings? What do they get out of this trade? The Heat always pick late in the first round. So do the Suns. As for players, the mid level guys from the Suns are okay, but not playoff worthy players. The Heat always seem to have players that are successful for them, but that isn't always the case when they leave Miami. This trade only really benefits Jimmy Butler. De'Aaron Fox should be the focal point of any deal when he is involved.

Finally we have the Spurs. This one is the best fit and makes the most sense. Pairing Victor Webanyama with Fox would be wonderful. Chris Paul has been nice to have around Wemby, but Fox is younger and more on Wemby's timeline. They should fit like an absolute glove. In this deal, if the Kings want "win now" guys, they could get CP3 in this deal, and probably even guys like Malaki Branham or Keldon Johnson. The Spurs also have a ton of picks they can deal. The Kings could get a big name, some young names with real potential and picks. The Spurs get the ideal fit at point guard with Fox and Wemby is happy because they are on a faster track to compete. I love this trade for both teams. Now, will this actually happen, who knows.

The trade deadline is February 6th. That is about a week away. A lot is going to have to happen between now and then, but it could get done, and I think it will get done. This seems like it has been in the works for a bit and it is just a matter of time before it is announced. Time will tell, but I'm interested to see how it all shakes out. 

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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Thoughts on Jimmy Butler's Last Days in Miami

It appears Jimmy Butler's time on the Miami Heat is going to come to an end. He has asked for a trade, the team has suspended him for "conduct detrimental to the team", he has been very candid about wanting out and it just seems like a matter of time now.

I'm conflicted here. I love Jimmy Butler. He is one of my modern day favorite players. I like how aggressive he is on defense, everywhere he goes he helps that team win and become relevant, he has been to multiple finals and all star games and it appears he makes good coffee. But, the reasons that have been floated about as to why he wants out makes no sense to me.

I guess, from what has been reported, he didn't like the way Pat Riley called him out during last year's playoff run. Butler missed the first round, where the Celtics took the Heat down in five games, and he said that had he been out there it would have been different. Riley must have heard this and said something along the lines of, he needs to be on the court to prove what he says. It all seems very mild and mundane to me. Butler doesn't seem like the type of guy that would get too riled up about comments like that. Riley is also a known asshole. He always has been and always will be. But, what made this partnership so promising, and it almost paid off, was the fact that these two guys were pretty much the same. They both want the same things when it comes to basketball. I assumed Butler would finish his career with the Heat. I thought he would ride off into the Miami sunset and start a whole chain of coffee shops within the Miami area post basketball. But I guess that is not the way it's going to end. I still don't know that the comments from Riley were the only reason he wants out, but who's to say.

When I pull back and look at who might be able to trade for him, it's slim pickings. The Heat are going to go about this like they always do. They will want the deal that best suits them. They aren't going to trade him just because he wants out. This has nothing to do with representation or "trying to do right" by a player. The Heat want to be relevant and they want to compete. Butler may have preferred destinations, it seems like Phoenix is his number one spot, but if the deal from the Suns doesn't get better, the Heat aren't just going to trade him to get rid of him. I know the Heat have said they don't want Bradley Beal, and that makes sense to me. He isn't the player he once was, and he is so often injured. But other than Beal, the Suns cannot offer much. They don't have picks or any young guys that could be intriguing. I saw the Grizzlies were interested, and I got hyped on this news. It wasn't too much later that Butler publicly said he doesn't want to play there. I wish that weren't true. I think Butler would be a fine addition to the Grizz. I'd love to see a starting five of Ja, Desmond Bane, Butler, JJJ and Zach Edey. I love that lineup. And the Grizz could give the Heat picks and younger, more intriguing guys. Maybe Butler will reverse course on Memphis. I saw the Warriors had minimal interest, but that has seemed to wane. They cannot part with too much talent if they want to stay competitive, and they don't have much in the way of picks. Outside those three possible contenders, not too many other deals make sense. Denver doesn't need him. Neither do the Thunder. The Cavs are cruising with their core guys and they seem to have it all figured out. The Hawks are going young. The Knicks are set and the Magic are too young for him. The Mavs and Clippers could make a push, but they'd have to give up too much in my opinion. Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but Memphis makes the most sense to me, next to the Suns. The Grizzlies have better assets and appear to be a better team.

Time will tell, but I'm interested to see how this all plays out. 

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 2024-2025 NBA Preview: A Few Pieces Shy of Being a Champion Division

Welcome to day four of my 24-25 NBA countdown.

At number 15 I have the New Orleans Pelicans. I do this every year and it bites me in the butt every year. But, this team looks really good coming into this season. They seem to have everything you could want from a possible contender. It all depends on health, which is always an issue, but on paper this team is legit. Zion Williamson, when he plays, is unstoppable on offense. He can get to the rim anytime he pleases. He gets position and he just goes. He needs a better shot, and to turn it up on defense. But, when he is on the court he is a joy to watch. CJ McCollum has been the steady veteran this team hoped he would be when they traded for him. It's nice that he can come off the bench and be a reliable scorer too. I love the Dejounte Murray trade for them. The Pelicans haven't had a true point guard for years now, and now they do. Murray should fit in nicely and if he can return to his defensive days while in San Antonio, this trade will be a real win. Herb Jones and Trey Murphy are excellent defenders and solid three point shooters. Jose Alvarado may be the best pest in the NBA. The steals he gets are wild. Brandon Ingram's situation is odd here. He may be traded, he has complained about his role and no one offered him a big contract this offseason. But, he can come play this season with the Pelicans and possibly make some money back off a good season. Jordan Hawkins could be a good bench scorer for this team. And Antonio Reeves was a decent draft pick in my opinion. I'm all in on the Pelicans depending on health, and that is always the issue.

At 14 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are in a bit of a limbo, but being a perennial play-in/playoff threat has to feel way better than what they had for over a decade before. De'Aaron Fox is legit. He is so fast, so smart and so malleable on offense. I also respect him turning down money to come out and try and get an even bigger payday. Domantas Sabonis is a very good offensive big man. He is also a solid rebounder. Getting DeMar DeRozan is a nice addition. DeRozan is going to be loved so much more after he retires. But, for right now he adds a steady 15-18 points per game for this squad. Kevin Huerter had a moment, but that seems to have passed. He needs a good season. Alex Len is a fine backup center. Trey Lyles is a solid role player. Keegan Murray needs to be a full time starter. And Malik Monk is such a good sixth man. The Kings issue is defense. They are not very good on that end and that is what's holding them back. But, they should be much improved from last season.

At 13 I have the Miami Heat. I mean, at some point the Heat "magic" is going to wear off. It seemed like it was happening last season, and they didn't do much to improve their roster. That being said, they have a pretty good roster. Jimmy Butler is one of my favorite players. He is the gritty, tough superstar. He would fit into any generation. Jimmy Butler is legit. Bam Adebayo is one of the better centers in the NBA. He is tough to move, can score around the paint and is one of the best defenders in the league. After these two, this roster is okay, but old too. Terry Rozier is a good offensive player, but he is coming off injury and his best days may be behind him. Kevin Love is ancient and his best days are for sure behind him. Tyler Herro is overrated. Duncan Robinson is a good shooter, but he is a defensive liability. Josh Christopher and Haywood Highsmith intrigue me for some reason. And Nikol Jovic and Jaime Jacquez Jr are solid young guys. Erik Spoelstra is also one of the best coaches in the NBA. The Heat are annoyingly solid. But, if they hit an injury bug or Jimmy Butler gets frustrated, things could go sideways.

At 12 I have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are coming off a run to the East Finals and everyone is back and one year better. Tyrese Haliburton is a wonderful point guard and runs their system to perfection. He is no good on defense, and that is a running theme here. Andrew Nembhard is a good shooter and a surprisingly decent NBA player. Myles Turner has become a good overall offensive player, but his defense has regressed. Ben Mathurin blew up in his rookie season, but he took a step back last year. TJ McConnell is this eras Matthew Dellavedova. Aaron Nesmith has made himself a starter and a solid player. And I love Pascal Siakim's game. He is underrated in my opinion. The Pacers are a good team. This year will be the telling sign if last year was a fluke or not.

The final team for the day, at 11 I have the Orlando Magic. For all of the good offensive players and teams in the league, the Magic are the opposite. They're the best defensive team in the league, and some of the younger guys are starting to come into their own on offense. Paolo Banchero is awesome. He is on his way to being a perennial all star and he is going to become a face of the NBA sooner rather than later. Franz Wagner has fit it quite nicely next to Banchero. They are a nice 1-2 punch. He needs to improve his shooting though. Cole Anthony is a great hype guy who happens to bring a ton of energy to the floor. He is also a solid shooter. Wendall Carter Jr has found a home and a nice role with the Magic. Moe Wagner is a humongous pest and annoyance. He also happens to be a nice backup five. Signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a wonderful move. He fits in so nicely with this team. Johnathan Isaac is a goddamn weirdo who is a great defender, if he is healthy. Jalen Suggs is the perfect point guard for this team. The Magic are going to be around for awhile if they keep up this kind of defensive intensity.

That does 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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Best of 2023 - Sports

Finishing my week of best of lists, today I have my personal top 5 sports moments. Sports are a big deal to me. I love sports. I have played and been involved in sports for as long as I can remember. I love college football, basketball and playing and coaching my son in baseball. I'm all in as a runner now as well. Sports are important to me and I'm happy about that.

At number 5 I have Courtney Duwalter's excellent trail running season in 2023. She did some amazing things in some of the toughest trail races in the world this year. She set records, crushed goals and continues to be an inspiration. This year she won Western States, a 100 mile trail race. Then, to outdo herself, she won Ultra Trail Mont-Blanc. She also won Hardrock 100 earlier in the year. She set records in these races. She was also voted trail runner of the year. She did some of the most amazing things in trail running that I have ever witnessed from afar. And she did it with a smile on her face. Duwalter is the best trail runner in the world and she is only entering her prime. I'm excited to see so much more from her in the future.

At number 4 I have the Miami Heat's improbable run to the 2023 NBA Finals. They entered the playoffs as a play in team. They got beat by the Hawks in the 7-8 matchup. The Bulls, who were bad last year, held a late lead in the final play in matchup, only for the Heat to make a push and secure the 8 seed. They then proceeded to crush the 1 seed Buck, 4-1. They beat the Knicks in six games, but Jimmy Butler missed two of those games. They then went up 3-0 on the Celtics, only for the Celtics to tie the series. The Heat ended up running away with game 7, which was in Boston, to go to the Finals as an 8 seed that barely made the playoffs. The Nuggets beat them handily, but that run they had was very special. Jimmy Butler proved his worth in the playoffs. Bam Adebayo proved how good of a defender and low post player he can be. Duncan Robinson found his form. Caleb Martin played so well that he has forced himself into a starting role. And Erik Spoelstra showed us all why he is one of the greatest coaches to ever do it. I've never been a fan of the Heat, but I've never disliked them either. And this run was a total blast to watch as a fan of the NBA.

At 3 I have the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl. This game was pretty amazing. It started on a cool note too, with the Kelce Brothers playing each other, having two black starting QB's and an all black officiating crew. The game more than lived up to the hype too. These were the two best teams in the 2022 season, so it was fitting that they met in the championship game. Mahomes and Hurts went back and forth. Each team would go on efficient and fun scoring drives. The defenses made plays when they needed to. The refs did get involved a bit too much, but I was able to push past that since the on field competition was so elite. I had a blast watching the game and it was made so much better by how competitive and exciting it ended up being.

At 2 I have Michigan football winning the Big 10 for a third straight season. This was the first time in this run that I had high hopes and expectations from this football team. They lived up to them. I was skeptical of the schedule, but when they played the good teams, they beat them pretty handily. The Penn State final score was much closer than the actual game. They were up two scores early on Ohio State, and even when they came back and tied Michigan, I was never really worried. They then easily dispatched Iowa in the Big 10 title game. Add on all the off field "drama", this team showed maturity and an ability to close out the outside noise. The early season suspension of Jim Harbaugh was dumb, but not as dumb as the whole sign stealing thing. That was ridiculous, every team does it and these coaches that act like they don't, they are lying to us all. To see Michigan shut it all out, win games with relative ease all season long and end the regular season number 1, that was pretty dope for me as a fan. I'm excited, and nervous, for the playoff now.

Finishing my top sports moments, at number 1 I have the growth my son has made as a football player, particularly on the offensive line. My son has been playing tackle football for two years now. I was incredibly nervous when he started to play, and although I am still a ball of nerves when he plays, he is very, very into football, and he is getting pretty damn good at it too. He switched from d line to o line this season, and he has become a changed player. He had plays this year where he would maul a d lineman on the opposing team and I didn't believe it was my kid. He is a goofy, fun loving, sweet kid. But when he was on that football field, at certain moments, he was a blocking machine. He would pancake a player and then move on to another defender to block. He would get excited when he, or anyone on the o line, would make a block that would spring a big run. It is cool to see him play a sport he loves and to excel at said sport. He even missed time this year with a bruised collarbone, and his coaches would tell me how much they could use him as soon as he was cleared to play. And when he was cleared to return, he was inserted back into his starting o line spot.

That does it for my best ofs. I really enjoy writing these every year. They're a blast. Thank you for indulging me. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Is This the Start of a Nuggets Dynasty

The Denver Nuggets won their first title in the history of the franchise last night. The game was ugly at times, and even with the Heat up double figures after the first quarter, it felt inevitable that the Nuggets were going to bring it home on their home floor. They did enough to pull it out last night and the celebration was on. RD was traveling and he was still able to text me from an airport to let me know he saw the end of the game.

This Nuggets team felt kind of underrated all year if you listen to the way some sports analysts, all the white nerds at ESPN. But if you look at it, really dig deep, this team has been building and were one of the best teams in the league all season long. They had the fourth best overall record in the league. They were the best team in the West by a good margin. They have a two time MVP in Jokic. Jamal Murray was a lottery pick. Michael Porter Jr was a late lottery pick. They picked up Kentavious Caldwell Pope last season. That dude is a champ. They went out and got Bruce Brown who may be the best role player in the NBA. They traded for Aaron Gordon a few years back, and that was a homerun trade. Jeff Green is a tremendous vet. And Christian Braun is coming off an NCAA title.

This is not a team of slouches. This is not some underdog story. This is not the bad news Bears. This isn't some Cinderella. The Nuggets are a real team and they look to be a possible dynasty. This team is here to stay. They are not underrated. They are not a flash in the pan. This team is here to stay. Don't buy into ESPN stories about this team being "underdogs". Just because they are in a small market, the ESPN's of the world are going to try and make this some feel good story. This team is legit and they earned this title. They were the best team in the playoffs. They easily dispatched the Wolves in five. That series went about as expected. The Suns, who were supposed to be the true "contender" after they got KD, looked lost against the Nuggets in games 5 and 6. They smoked them in game 6 in Phoenix to head to the West Finals. They swept the Lakers, who were somehow being considered the top title threat at the time. And they disposed of the Heat in 5 games. This team went 16-4 in the playoffs and not many of the games were all that close. Jokic was spectacular. Murray was up and down, but when he was up he was dominant. Aaron Gordon may be the best on ball defender in the league. Bruce Brown came up clutch time after time. KCP was good enough while playing with a hurt wrist.

Again, this team was, and will be for a while, very dominant. They are the rightful champs. They did it the right way and they more than deserve this. The Heat were the real underdogs here, and they put up a fight until running into the Nuggets buzzsaw. They smoked my title pick, the Bucks, in five very easy games. Jimmy Butler was magnificent in that series. They let the Knicks get two games, but there was never a doubt in my mind they were going to win that series. They were the better team. They beat the Celtics in seven games. I figured the Celtics were going to destroy them, but Miami showed up and the Celtics didn't until it was too late. It was great to see the Heat win that series in game seven in Boston. But the Heat were tired and they were no match for the Nuggets. They tried a bunch of stuff and it never worked. The Nuggets were ready for it all and they responded to everything thrown their way. The Heat may be the greatest 8 seed ever, but the Nuggets were too good of a team for them to beat. It was a great playoff run for Miami, but the better team won. That was evident last night.

My hat is off to the Nuggets. They did it and they did it convincingly. Congratulations. Now it is time to celebrate.

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 2023 NBA Finals Preview

The Miami Heat closed out the Boston Celtics last night to advance to the NBA Finals. They are the second 8 seed and the first play in team to make it this far. They looked a little wobbly in the last three games, but they ran past the Celtics in the first quarter and never looked back. I heard all the excuses, Tatum rolled his ankle, one of their players was sick, they were tired from coming back to tie the series. All of that is nonsense.

The better team won last night. The Heat wanted it more, the Celtics looked scared by the moment and Erik Spoelstra is one of the best coaches the league has ever seen. The Celtics got beat. There is no viable excuse or excuses. They were beat and they were beat soundly. My hat is off to Miami. They were ready to go, the moment never got too big, they weren't frightened when the Celtics started to win and they kept plugging away. Jimmy Butler was the star of the series. He rightfully won the ECF MVP. He was amazing the whole time. He has carried this team thus far. But when he had a few clunkers, and boy he had a few, other guys stepped up. Caleb Martin was awesome. He made so many shots, played good defense and rose to the occasion. Kyle Lowry looked like the old Kyle Lowry. He played with pace and hit shots. Duncan Robinson hit some big threes. Bam Adebayo played some stout defense and laid some bone crushing picks. Gabe Vincent did a bunch of little things. Max Strus set the tone at the start of the game last night for all the role players. The Heat played as a team, and a team that wanted to win this game and keep on playing.

I am stoked for these finals. The two best teams in the playoffs are where they rightfully belong. Each team has had a gauntlet and they met and exceeded expectations. I know these aren't glamour city teams, but who cares. I don't need to see an LA team or a Boston team or a Philly team. I just want good basketball. And that is exactly what we are going to get. The Nuggets have been very good all year. They are consistent and they know who they are. Jokic is a beast and the offense runs through him. Jamal Murray is healthy and looks as good, if not better, than he did in the bubble. Michael Porter Jr is actually playing defense and he is impossible to guard from the outside because he is so big. KCP is a proven winner and does all the little things. Bruce Brown is an excellent cutter and finisher at the rim. The Nuggets do have it all. Their coach is great as well, he isn't at Spoelstra's level, but he is one of the better coaches in the league.

I already went through all the Heat have, and who knows what he will look like if he comes back, but Tyler Herro is going to try and play. At the very least he adds some outside shooting.

This should be a basketball nerds dream series. This series is big time analytics and shooting. I'm just happy we have new teams. Well, the Heat have been here a ton recently, but they don't have the "stars", although Jimmy Butler is highly underrated. The Nuggets, this is their first go round here. I love how they play like a team. I like all the movement and such. This is a big moment for the players and the franchise. I cannot wait to watch.

As for a prediction, I will go Nuggets in six. I will be rooting extra hard for the Heat but I just think they are too tired and too spent. The Nuggets have rested, they are on a mission and I do believe they will win it all. I want Jimmy Butler to get that ring, but this is not his time. Maybe next year, but who knows. Anyway, Thursday cannot come fast enough. I can't wait. 

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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Jimmy Butler is a Playoff God

As all the NBA fans who read my blog have seen, I picked the Bucks to win the title this season. I thought they were the best team. They have the best player in the league. They had all their guys back pretty much fully healthy. They were the overall number 1 seed. They had home court throughout the playoffs. They were getting a seemingly disinterested Heat team. It all seemed in their favor. They even have the experience.

It didn't work out for Milwaukee. Giannis got hurt in game 1, missed two games and was not the same when he came back. Khris Middleton didn't look like himself. Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez looked tired. The bench didn't help at all. And the Heat saw this and took advantage. They jumped all over the Bucks. They played swarming defense. They made shots. Guy who barely played all year came in and did their job. This "bad news bears" esque squad came out, did what they do best and destroyed the Bucks. It only took them five games. They jumped out and got a stranglehold as soon as they could. It was jarring, but also kind of fun to watch.

Sure, I like the Bucks, Giannis is one of my favorite players, but this Heat team is fun when they are on. Kyle Lowry looked great in this series. He looked like the old Lowry. Kevin Love was tremendous off the bench. He looks like the missing ingredient. Duncan Robinson was one of the guys who barely saw the floor during the regular season, but due to injury, he was thrust in and did his job very well. Gabe Vincent was awesome. Max Struss looked good again. Erik Spoelstra was using every trick he had. And it all worked.

Yet the real killer in this series, the guy who always shows up when the lights are brightest, one of the most underrated players of all time, was Jimmy Butler. His series was amazing. This is some of the best basketball I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Butler was incredible and he did it all for the Heat. In the last two games he had 56 points and 46 points. He had decent assist numbers. He was rebounding the ball at a very high level. He was getting to the free throw line a bunch. He was making threes. He was guarding every star the Bucks have. Hell, he was insisting on it. He was making some of the wildest shots I've ever seen. This was a masterful performance by a guy that never gets mentioned when people talk about the best players in the league at this time. No one ever brings up Jimmy Butler. He is a better player right now than guys like Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Ja Morant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown and James Harden. He is also a far, far superior playoff player still playing not named LeBron James. Butler is the heart and soul of this team. And when he is on, they are one of the best teams in the league. To watch what I just watched from him, I'm in awe. He was not going to let this team get beat. As soon as the Heat got a series lead, he smelled blood. And that is when Butler is at his best. I go back to his 56 point game as a point of reference. The Bucks seemed to be in control that whole game. I turned it back on near the end and the Bucks were up 10. They answered every shot. They never let it get too close, until Jimmy Butler decided it was time to take over. He made two big threes. He was getting to his spots. He hit every free throw he shot in the fourth quarter. He made plays in defense. And the Heat kept chipping away until they took the lead and eventually won. That would have been enough to cement him as an all time playoff great. But then he came out in game five, a closeout situation for them, and scored 46, looking every bit as good as he did in the previous game. Again, I was in awe. I couldn't believe my eyes. Jimmy Butler is amazing. He needs more shine.

Butler may rub some people the wrong way, but that dude shows up best when it matters most. Look at all the teams that let him go because they didn't like his "attitude". They are not as good as they were with him. Even the 76ers. Butler needs his shine and I will gladly drive this bandwagon. I may not be a fan of the Heat, but I am a superfan of Jimmy Butler. What a performance. 

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: Heat, Nuggets, Grizzlies

Welcome to day eight of my 22-23 NBA countdown. We are getting to the teams that I think all have the talent to make a deep playoff run. Hell, some of these teams could win it all and it would not surprise me one bit.

At number 9 I have the Miami Heat. They were one shot away from the finals last season and people said they weren't even whole. They get everyone back. Losing PJ Tucker will be a bummer, but pretty much everyone else is back and healthy. Jimmy Butler is awesome. He is old school mixed with new school. He wins everywhere he goes. He carries this team whenever he is asked. He is underrated and one of my favorite players. I love Bam Adebayo as well. He is a lunch pail dude. He does his work and he happens to be wildly athletic. He is also a great defender. Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson are both knock down shooters. They don't play defense, but they can shoot., Kyle Lowry is an amazing vet. He is also a very good point guard. He just has to stay on the floor. Victor Oladipo is in a prove it year, and he came on strong at the end of last season. He could feast on second units. Max Strus found a way into the starting lineup and never looked back. He is a two-way player, and he is solid. Caleb Martin has found a spot that works for him without his brother. Dewayne Dedmond fills in nicely as a backup center. And Udonis Haslem is another coach who happens to be on the team. The Heat have a system and that system works. They find ways to win, and they have for the last decade plus. This team is good. Do not be shocked if they find their way into the East Finals yet again.

At number 8 I have the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have the two-time MVP in Nikola Jokic. I did not think he deserved it last season, but here we are. Jokic is a very good passer and a solid guy to run the offense through. He is not much of a defender though. And I wish he would show up in shape. Jamal Murray is back, and if he can be 85 percent of who he was before the ACL tear, he should be great. He was becoming a go to scorer and leader for this team. He is an awesome player and I really like his game. Michael Porter Jr needs to shut up about vaccines, but he can shoot. He is tall, can score over anyone and likes to chuck it up there. Bones Hyland is a good microwave scorer. Aaron Gordon fits perfectly with this team and he is as high flying as ever. I like Aaron Gordon a ton. Bruce Brown is there, and he is solid. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has something to play for again and he thrives in that scenario. Zeke Nnaji is big and can shoot the three. Jeff Green is still there and still useful in certain games. I think, if he gets minutes, Christian Braun will contribute something. The Nuggets are a good team with potential to be great. They just need to stay on the floor and avoid long term injuries.

The final team for the day, at 7 I have my favorite team, the Memphis Grizzlies. Some say the Grizzlies overachieved last season, but I expect this to become the norm for this team. They should be expected to win upwards of 50 games every year. Ja Morant is a star. He does a bit of everything. His jumper can be better, but he can get to the rim with ease. He is also a wonderful team leader. Jaren Jackson Jr is hurt, again, but when he is out there, he is such a good defender and rebounder. He can also shoot. He needs to stop with the dumb fouls, but JJJ is one of my other favorite players. Steven Adams is big and imposing and a lunch pail guy. He is the enforcer. Desmond Bane continues to get better and better. He is a knock down shooter, is better at defense and becoming one of the Grizzlies best players. Dillon Brooks has a minor injury, but when he comes back, he is the team's best defender and can also shoot when asked. Brandon Clarke just got an extension, was awesome in the playoffs and does all the little things the Grizzlies want. Tyus Jones is an awesome backup guard. Ziaire Williams is getting better, and this team works. They like each other and have fun playing together. I expect big things this season. Now they have to deliver.

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.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Heat, Warriors, 76ers, Nuggets

Welcome to day six of my 2021 NBA countdown. We are in the top 10 now. These are the real good teams, the teams that have a real shot at the title if things go their way.

At 10 I have the Miami Heat. I loved their offseason. They got a great fit in Kyle Lowry. He will be added seamlessly to this lineup. He can run the offense, he will be a total menace on defense, he can score and distribute, he is in a great situation. I do not care that he is "old" in NBA terms. This is a great fit. Jimmy Butler is fast becoming one of my favorite players and people. He is a beast, he works his tail off, he is so much better than he has ever been in the NBA and he is hilarious. Jimmy Butler bet on himself in Minnesota and Philadelphia and it totally paid off for him. He was right and he has proven that tenfold. Bam Adebayo is also becoming one of my favorite players. In fact, besides Ja, Adebayo is probably my favorite player. He is so fast and quick and big and strong and plays so well. He is going to be an all star soon. Duncan Robinson has made it and now he got paid. He is a specialist, but what he does, shoot threes, he is one of the best in the league. He is a true sniper. Tyler Herro could have a bounce back season. He apparently put on some muscle, worked on his shot and everything coming out of camp seems to point to him getting better this offseason. Victor Oladipo is coming off another injury but he took a one year deal and he has to go out and prove he is as good as he used to be. He is a good slasher and cutter and plays solid defense. He just has to show that he is still able to do that. Getting PJ Tucker from Milwaukee makes this team even more of a nightmare on defense. Tucker adds zero on offense, but he is still an upper tier defender. Markieff Morris is tough and nasty. And Udonis Haslem is back as a player/coach essentially. Miami has a very good team that is going to be an elite defense. They will make some noise.

At 9 I have the Golden State Warriors. If they had a fully healthy Klay Thompson to start the season I'd probably have them in my top five. He will not be back until January so that is why they are here. Steph is the best shooter in the history of the league. He is pretty much un guardable. He can do it all and he is an all time great. He alone gets this team in the playoffs. Andrew Wiggins got vaxxed, finally, and while he is not as good as some thought when he was the first overall pick, he still brings value to this team. I am glad he got vaxxed, I just wish he wasn't such a baby about it. Draymond Green is still one of the best defenders in the league. He is also a very good facilitator and passer. He is nothing when it comes to scoring, but he is still elite at the things he does really well. Jordan Poole looks like he is going to take a leap. He looked great in the play-in, and he has been awesome in preseason games. Then it gets dicey for this team. Moses Moody and Johnathan Kuminga were both good picks, but I do not know where they are going to find minutes. Otto Porter Jr has not played in a year, looks to be out of shape, but people in Golden State say he looks good. Nemanja Bjelica can shoot, but he couldn't get minutes in Sacramento. Andre Iguodala is a finals MVP, a great player for the Warriors, but he is old. He is my age. James Wiseman can still be very good, but he needs to play through the run moments, and I do not know if Steve Kerr will be patient enough to let him. Juan Toscano Anderson has energy for days, but he is not much of a scorer. Kevon Looney cannot stay healthy. Damion Lee is a good shooter. And I like that they added Avery Bradley and Gary Payton Jr for defense. The Warriors have one of the all time greats, they should get Klay back and Draymond is still elite. They do need a ton of things to break their way, but they are still going to be in it until the end of the season.

At 8 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. Ben Simmons appears to be at camp, could be a full participant and may even play some games. I think he and his agent realized how much money they would lose if he didn't show up, and they want to up his trade value. Simmons is an otherworldly defender, but he has gone off a cliff in pretty much every other area of the game. I'd still keep him and see if they could figure it out, but maybe everyone involved is doing this to make a real trade. Joel Embiid is amazing. He is the best center in the league. He can do it all on both ends. He is elite. He is an MVP candidate. I just want him to play a full season. Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the league, and if Simmons does get traded, I could see him stepping into his role, with the exception of running the offense. Seth Curry has proven he belongs. He can shoot the hell out of the ball. Tyrese Maxey was so much fun to watch last season, and I could see him getting an expanded role. I like that they went out and got Andre Drummond for almost nothing. He could go out and feast on second units. He had moments in LA last year, and I could see that come back in Philly. Danny Green isn't as good as he used to be, but he can still shoot and guard. Tobias Harris may be overpaid, but the dude can fill it up. He is a solid NBA scorer. Furkan Korkmaz is a good bench player. And Shake Milton looks like he could take that next step to being the second unit's top scorer. Philadelphia is going to be good regardless of what happens to Ben Simmons. Honestly I do not see much of a difference if he is there or not. The 76ers are a 4 or 5 seed at the lowest.

The final team for today, at number 7 I have the Denver Nuggets. Full disclosure, they would have been number 3 if Jamal Murray was playing. He is not, probably won't for the whole season, so they land in the top 10 on my list. Nikola Jokic is the reigning MVP. He is a very good passer, he runs the offense, he can shoot and he is a nightmare to guard. Jokic is good. He is even better when he is in shape. Michael Porter Jr is a total dumbass and I am actively rooting against him. He's an idiot. He does not know what in the hell he is talking about. I do not care how good of a basketball player he is because every time he opens his mouth something idiotic comes out of it. Aaron Gordon got an extension, fit in great with this team last year and he looks like he is happy playing again. He can also still jump out of the gym, and people do not seem to realize how good of a defender he is. Gordon is great. Jeff Green keeps getting moved, but I like him on this team. He looked great in Brooklyn last year, and he will get more of a chance to play in Denver this year. Will Barton can shoot the ball, he just needs more shots. Austin Rivers has settled in as a role player. Monte Morris is another solid scorer. Bol Bol could be something if he got some real playing time. Facundo Campazzo is a hustler. Markus Howard was one of the best scorers in the NCAA for three years. And JaMychal Green is a good stretch big. The Nuggets are in their title window right now. They may have to pause for one season since Murray is out. But these guys are still young and good and can play. The Nuggets are a top five seed in the West for sure though.

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

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Good and the Bad of NBA Free Agency

Yesterday was all about how curious I am to watch the Lakers this upcoming season. Today I want to talk about some of the free agent signings I am high on and some I'm not so crazy about.

Let's get the "bad" out of the way first.

I am not a fan at all of what the Pelicans are doing. They let Lonzo Ball go in a sign and trade and only got Toma Satoransky and, I think, Thad Young in return. They then went out and got Davante Graham, who I like, but he does nothing to help them defensively which is what they lack the most. These moves all seem very parallel. It all started when they traded the 10th pick, Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams to the Grizzlies for the 17th pick, Jonas Valnciunas and someone else who barely played for the Grizzlies. Steven Adams to Valanciunas is not much of an upgrade. And the pick swap was of no significance. Maybe the Pelicans have something else up their sleeve that no one knows about, but right now these moves would worry me if I were Zion, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart.

I also am not crazy about what the Spurs are doing. I really like the young guys they have on the team and I want them to run it with those guys. They decided to go out and sign Doug McDermott, Brynn Fobes and Zach Collins. McDermott is no more than a three point shooter and so is Forbes except not as consistent. Zach Collins simply cannot stay healthy. He is so injury prone that I am kind of surprised he is still in the league. I did like their draft, but these free agent signings are odd. But they are the Spurs, and they know way more than I do.

Finally, I kind of loathe what the 76ers are doing with Simmons. I know he isn't a free agent, but the asking price in a trade has kind of handcuffed them as far as who they could have tried to get. They also missed out on Kyle Lowry and he would have been a perfect fit for them. The lack of anything, and the asking price for Simmons would have me worried if I were a 76ers fan.

Now for the good stuff.

Speaking of Kyle Lowry, I absolutely love what the Heat have done this offseason. They added Lowry and PJ Tucker and retained Duncan Robinson. Sure they had to trade Goran Dragic to get Lowry, but I'd do that trade ten times out of ten. The Heat are going to be grueling to play against. Their defense, with Butler, Adebayo and now Lowry and Tucker is going to get under opponents skin. They will grind the hell out of other teams. And on offense they have added a great floor general, kept their best three point shooter and re-signed Butler, who can create baskets out of absolutely nothing. While not on Brooklyn or Milwaukee's level, I think the Heat have pushed their way into the third spot in the East.

I also like what Atlanta has done. They have only brought in Delon Wright, but they also kept this team who went to the East Finals together after they gave Trae and John Collins big contracts. The Hawks are going to be a perennial playoff team, they have this young core intact which will keep them good for the next four or five years and they may become more attractive to future free agents if they keep winning like I expect them to. Sometimes less is more in the NBA.

Finally on the good side, my favorite offseason moves come from the Chicago Bulls. They are all in on making a push to, at the very least, the play in next season. They got Lonzo, they brought in Alex Caruso and they have now surrounded Zach Lavine with the playmakers that will further push him into the upper tier of an all star. This team is young, exciting, explosive, better defensively and should be so much fun to watch. Ball has gotten better and better every year and I think he will thrive playing next to Lavine. Caruso, for all the unnecessary love he gets, is a solid role player and will fit in just fine. Nikola Vucevic is a very skilled offensive player and he now knows the system. Coby White is so much fun to watch and he had a very good second season. Patrick Williams looks like the real deal. And Lavine is coming off an all star season and he has looked decent in the Olympics. The Bulls need to start winning and the moves they made this offseason should help them make a playoff push. I have been super impressed with their offseason.

I love NBA free agency and this year has been especially fun. I cannot wait to watch all these guys on their new teams. The new season cannot start soon enough.

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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Thoughts on Who Should Trade for Blake Griffin

Where we sit today, the NBA trade deadline is about three weeks away. There have already been massive moves, Harden to the Nets, and I think there will be a flurry of moves coming very soon. I could see upwards of a dozen or so guys being on a new team before the month is out.

If you are looking for an indicator why, look at all the players being sat right now so teams can try and find a trade partner. Guys like JJ Redick and Austin Rivers and Lonzo Ball and Kevin Love and Andre Drummond have all seen their playing time diminish to almost nothing. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean all these guys will be traded, but I suspect most of them will by March 7th.

One person who I was kind of shocked to be on the block was Blake Griffin. He has really kind of nose dived since the Clippers traded him to the Pistons. At the time it happened, I got it for both sides. The Clippers didn't want to pay him, they were going to go after Kawhi, they were offloading everyone they could and they wanted to make a push. For the Pistons, they wanted to get in the playoffs, they wanted a player that could sell tickets, Griffin could run the show there and he was going to be teamed up with Drummond, who was a Piston at the time, to form a solid front court. Well, it has worked okay for the Clippers, they got Kawhi and Paul George, and they are one of the top teams in the West. As for the Pistons and Griffin, well that is a different story. They were swept out of the playoffs in the first round his first season there. Then he got hurt again. Then the Pistons traded Drummond. And they waived Reggie Jackson, then they recently traded Derrick Rose and they are not very good. They are competitive, but I think only second to the Timberwolves, they have one of the worst records in the league. Jerami Grant has been exceptional, and rookie Saadiq Bey definitely has potential, but they are rebuilding.

Maybe I shouldn't be that shocked to see them sit Griffin, and try to find a trade partner for him. He is older, 31 now. He has been more injured in his pro career than not. He doesn't have the bounce he used to. He has never been a great rebounder or defender. He can shoot and handle okay, but he isn't the threat he once was. I never bought into the hype surrounding Griffin, but he does have some value to a team chasing the playoffs, or perhaps the title.

I have sat and thought about who I think would be the best fit for him, where he could go and do what he has become good at, and help a team get far in the playoffs. That means all the also rans, the Cavs and T'Wolves and Wizards are off the table. But there are some teams, in both conferences, that can use a point forward who can knock down a few threes per game, and force opponents to guard him because he is still somewhat of a scoring threat. Right away I take out the Lakers, Clippers, Nets, Jazz, Trailblazers and Nuggets. These teams already have players like him, or they don't have enough equity to get him. But that does leave some teams, teams near the top, that could use a guy like Blake Griffin to make a push. The 76ers could use him, but they will not give up enough to get him, and they shouldn't. What they are doing right now is working. The Bucks may like the idea of pairing him with Giannis, and while he is much better than Bobby Portis, I do not think Milwaukee has enough to make a trade for him, unless they are willing to part with a starter or two. I think he would work out well with the Spurs, but I don't think Pop wants to bring on a former "star" player. I think he likes what his youth is giving him right now. I'd be kind of interested to see him paired with Luka in Dallas, but they seem set with Porzingis, and that is a bummer. He is so soft, and does not play like a 7 footer. He is also as injury prone, if not more so, than Griffin. I don't think the Celtics will be willing to part with any of their youth, and the Knicks want a young big name, not a player in his waning years.

That leaves me with two teams that, while I do not think they will win the title, they will be in the playoffs and make a serious push. Those teams are the Pacers and Heat. Both are very middling right now. The Pacers are .500, and the Heat are below .500. That doesn't mean things won't change, and I think if either one adds Griffin, they could make their way to the upper half of the East. The Pacers would need to part ways with Myles Turner, which would be a bummer because he has been a defensive force this season. But, his name has been in trade talks the past two years. I think they could put Turner in the deal, add a younger guard and a pick, and they could add Griffin. That would pair him up with Sabonis. Sabonis does all the dirty work, he is a good defender and he is becoming a legit first option. Griffin could play off that pretty well. Then he would have shooters around him. Brogdon can knock down shots. TJ Warren is liable to go for 40 on any given night. Jeremy Lamb has moments. And when Caris Levert gets cleared to play, he is an offensive dynamo. Griffin would be surrounded by young guys that play hard on both ends and he could come in and be someone that can contribute offensively right away. It would be such a bummer to have to trade Turner, but as I said, it is not like they haven't shopped him yet.

As for the Heat, they are struggling right now. They're 11-16, which is 10th currently in the East, but a few wins here and there, and they are back in it. They are also almost at full health. They were ravaged by injury, they had COVID issues, and finally they are getting everyone back. The Heat also would not have to give up any of the young scorers that have been mentioned for bigger names. They could keep Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Bam is off the table obviously. Jimmy Butler isn't going anywhere. Dragic is there to stay. Hell, they could even hold onto Andre Igodala if they want. They would have to give up someone, or multiple someones, guys like Kendrick Nunn or Kelly Olnyk or Meyers Leonard or maybe, even though they don't want to, Precious Achiuwa. But I think they would, knowing they could keep the main core guys, and add Griffin to the team. I also think Griffin would love playing for the Heat, and he would definitely prefer Miami to Indiana due to outside interests. I also think he fits even better with the Heat. Bam is better than Damontas Sabonis. He is stronger, a better offensive player and just seems to have that "it" factor some star players show. Jimmy Butler could be Griffin's newer version of Chris Paul, keeping him in check. He has better, younger versions of JJ Reddick in Robinson and Herro. And He and Dragic could run a dangerous pick and roll against second units. The Heat, for a myriad of reasons, makes almost too much sense to me. I would be kind of stunned when/if he gets traded if it isn't to the Heat. I think both teams would benefit the most. And above all, I think Griffin would take this news with a tremendous smile and acclimate very nicely, and quickly, to Miami.

Miami. That is where Blake Griffin should end up. It is as near a perfect fit as there is in the NBA.

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: Can Win It All

Today is the final day of my NBA countdown. We are eight days away from the start of the regular season. I will do predictions tomorrow, but as far as my rankings, this is it. These are the best of the best. These are the teams that have the players, coaches, staff and fortitude to win it all. The only thing stopping these teams are COVID or injury. I hope neither happens to any of them.

At number 5 I have the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are loaded with great young talent, they have one of the better head coaches and they have, for such a young team, lots of playoff experience. They also got rid of an albatross contract. The only thing that worries me with this team is depth. But man is their starting five loaded. Jayson Tatum is a straight up star. He can score from anywhere, he is lethal, he has the killer mentality, he plays defense and he just gets better and better. I am a true believer that he is a future face of the league. Jaylen Brown is an elite defender, and he is hyper athletic. His jumper is improving and he is asserting himself as the firm number 2 on this team. He may waffle from time to time, but he always makes up for it. Marcus Smart is the new age Tony Allen. He is a menace on defense. He can guard pretty much all 5 positions and he can draw fouls and mess with opponents heads. He isn't great offensively, but he is good enough. When Kemba Walker is healthy he is one of the better scoring guards in the NBA. He is also a solid perimeter defender. He is a better fit on this team too. He is so much better fitting in than being the star. He is injured, and will miss a month or two, but when he is back, the Celtics have three guys in the starting five that can go for 20 every night. Robert Williams may float in and out of games, miss some meetings and over sleep. But when he is engaged, this kid is good. There is a reason he slipped to the Celtics in his draft, but there is also a reason he was considered a lottery pick. He is starting to show flashes, and if he can reach some of his potential, he will only help this team. Daniel Thies is a solid defender. He does the dirty things for this team. Jeff Teague is a fine player, and that is all he has to be here. Grant Williams got decent, important minutes in the playoffs, and that is big for him. After these guys is where it gets murky. They gave Tristan Thompson too good of a contract for him. Tacko Fall is more of a spectacle than a player. Carsen Edwards and Romeo Langford haven't done much in their two years. Semi Ojeyle seems to be getting passed over. This is the worry for me with this team. But that starting five, and first two off the bench are more than enough for me to like them as a contender out of the East.

At number 4 I have the Miami Heat. Some said it was the bubble, others said it was Jimmy Butler, but I just think the Heat are a very good team, and they deserved to be in the Finals last season. Jimmy Butler proved yet again how important and viable he is on a top team. He willed them to the Finals. He had them as prepared as one player could. Bam Adebayo just keeps ascending. He is one of my absolute favorite players to watch. He goes hard, he rebounds and plays defense and he is becoming a great low post player. Adebayo is awesome. Tyler Herro has done more at 20 than I could ever imagine. He averaged double figures in the Finals. He averaged double figures as a teenager in the early playoffs. This kid is a straight up scorer. Now he has to play defense. Duncan Robinson is one of the most lethal shooters in the game, and the kid has earned every minute he now gets. He has made a name for himself, and all he has to do is shoot. He too needs to improve defensively. Goran Dragic re-signed there, and he is a perfect sixth man on this team. He runs their second unit so well. Kendrick Nunn had some ups and downs, and didn't play as much in the Finals. But, he can heat up at any moment. Andre Iguodala and Udonis Haslem are old, and their primes are way past them, but I would love to have two guys like that on my team. They are additional coaches when on the floor. Getting Avery Bradley will help their already good defense. Meyers Leonard provides front court depth. This team is good, and a return trip to the Finals wouldn't surprise me at all. Jimmy Butler is that dude.

At number 3 I have the LA Clippers. I was so very high on this team last year, and they totally blew it. They ran out of steam, they let the bubble get to them, and they lost a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets. They led to Doc Rivers leaving, and them letting a few other players walk. But this team is still loaded, they have to have revenge on their minds and I love hiring Ty Lue to take over as the head coach. Kawhi Leonard is not going to break down like he did in the bubble again. He will be back and he will be back with a vengeance. I wouldn't be shocked to see him return to his Spurs and Raptors self. He is a robot, but a robot that will be out for revenge. Paul George just signed a max deal, he is engaged to be married and it looks like he is having fun again. I know he said some stuff about the coaches last year, but who cares. This guy is an elite scorer and an even better defender. He just needs to stay focused. They also have Patrick Beverly and Lou Williams and Reggie Jackson back. Beverly is still an upper tier defender and his shot is better, Lou Will is a great, great bench scorer and Jackson plays all out every night. He may shoot too much, but he goes hard. Marcus Morris is a good dude to have on your side, and his shot is solid. Ivica Zubac is an underrated, solid big man. I like replacing Montrezl Harrell with Serge Ibaka. He may be older, but he is taller, he is a better shooter and still a bit better around the rim on defense. Luke Kennard adds long range shooting. And Nic Batum can still do some little things. The Clippers should bounce back. I would not be surprised to see them really challenge the top of the West. Some guys will need to step up, and play better than they did in the bubble, which I think they will. The Clippers will be just fine.

At number 2 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have the two time reigning MVP. Giannis is one of the best players in the league, and listening to him in interviews only furthers my belief that he is still getting better. Once he starts to hit his outside shot a bit more consistently, he will be as unstoppable as Shaq. He is also the best defender in the league. I love the addition of Jrue Holiday. He is a major upgrade over Eric Bledsoe, and he and Giannis will be a very formidable duo. Khris Middleton is another lockdown defender, and he can really shoot the ball. He needs to play better this year, but he will have ample shot opportunities playing next to Giannis and Holiday. He just needs to knock them down. Brook Lopez adds size and shooting. Donte DiVincenzo is inconsistent, but he can light it up. I wonder if his name being in trade talks will affect his play. Same thing for DJ Wilson, except he was barely seeing the floor anyway. Giannis brother Thanasis is there, and while it is cool that they are on the same team, I don't know how much he will truly see the floor. Bobby Portis is okay, but he shoots a bit too much, and people still only really know him from punching out another teammate in Chicago. And adding DJ Augustin adds a nice veteran, but also age. This team will be all about Giannis and Jrue Holiday. If they coalesce as I expect them to, they will be on top of the East.

The final team, the best team going into the season is the defending champs, the LA Lakers. They are here, they deserve it and they are, at least on paper, a much better team than the one that just won the title. They have LeBron back, and that is humongous no matter what. He was amazing in the bubble, and especially in the Finals. I still like Jordan as the GOAT, but LeBron is definitely the second greatest player ever. And no disrespect to Dywane Wade and Chris Bosh and Kyrie Irving, but he will be playing with his best teammate ever again this year, Anthony Davis. The two of them were a devastating pair. And Davis actually played a little better without LeBron on the floor. Davis is one of the best defenders in the league, he is probably the best big on offense and he showed some strength and ability to not get injured last season. He is also just now entering his prime. If they just had these two guys, and three of my friends I hoop with starting, they'd be a playoff team. Lucky for them though they have real NBA players, and they are solid. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope took a major step last year, and I fully buy him as a solid third or fourth option. He was awesome in the Finals. They replaced guys they let go of, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, with Marc Gasol, Montezl Harrell and Dennis Schroeder. Gasol is a better defender and passer than both McGee and Howard. Harrell is a bull dog and a force on offense. Schroeder is a younger, and better offensive scoring version of Rondo. They upgraded all three of those positions. Alex Caruso is a solid player. I don't like the hype surrounding him, but that isn't him, that's the ESPN's of the world. He works well with LeBron's game. Talen Horton Tucker looks like a steal in the preseason. And Kyle Kuzma and Wes Matthews will be solid bench guys, if they keep them both. The Lakers only got better, and they should be the hands down favorites heading into this season.

There you have it, my teams ranked from 30-1. This feels right. I will be back tomorrow to wrap up my preseason NBA preview with predictions and award winners. Also, I want to wish my wife a very happy birthday. She is cooler than any other wife out there. That is just facts. Happy birthday, I love you.

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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Congrats to the Lakers and the NBA

The NBA proved they could finish the season during a global pandemic, and they did it perfectly.

The Lakers wrapped up their 17th title, although some of those came when they were in Minneapolis, but whatever, with a dominant game six win last night. From the second quarter on, the Lakers left no doubt that they were the best team in the NBA this year. I will fully eat crow and admit I was completely wrong about them. When I did my preseason ratings, which seems like decades ago, I had them as the number seven seed in the West. Then during the restart, I picked them to make the West Finals, but I had the Clippers winning. I wasn't high on their bench, I thought that Anthony Davis wouldn't stay healthy all season, I thought Frank Vogel was a lame duck hire and I thought, very stupidly, that LeBron had lost a step. Now, he is still not, nor will he ever be as great as Michael Jordan, but he is firmly the second greatest player of all time. I have Jordan ahead of him because he never left or formed any "super team". The guys he played with were better because of Jordan, and grew with Jordan. Dennis Rodman isn't Anthony Davis or even Kevin Love. Scottie Pippen isn't as great as Davis, and Dwyane Wade was a better offensive player. Jordan did it himself. He wanted to beat the best, not play with the best. But I was very wrong on LeBron being a step slow this season. He came out on fire, played committed defense most of the year and really handled the duties of a point guard perfectly. He orchestrated their offense great. And AD, he is a truly athletic unicorn. He is as smooth as KD, blocks shots like Hakeem and cuts to the rim like Barkley. AD is awesome. He is James best teammate ever, full stop. He was great in this series too. Some people were griping about his lack of scoring, but he more than made up for it on defense. He got into the Heat's heads, and he made these guys take extremely hard shots. He was amazing. The bench, mainly Rajon Rondo, showed up when they needed to. Rondo was outstanding everywhere. He did all the things in the playoffs that make him a great player, dare I say a hall of fame player. Alex Caruso was doing the little things. He plays solid defense and he cuts when he needs to. Danny Green may have missed a big shot in game five, and wasn't shooting good at all during the playoffs, played good defense and made solid plays when he passed the ball. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope played D and hit threes. Even Dwight Howard did all the little things asked of him to help this team win. And while I know that Erik Spoelstra is a far better coach, Frank Vogel did a solid job of letting his stars do their thing. He stayed out of the way, and that is exactly what he needed to do. He was a figurehead, and that is it. The Lakers won, and they deserved to win. They were the best team this year, they proved it time and time again, and they are the rightful champs.

As for the NBA, and the "bubble", this literally couldn't have gone any better. They had 22 teams show up right in the midst of a global pandemic in a hotspot in Florida. They had some teams there for a month, others for two and the final four teams spent four months there. They provided entertainment, they provided food, they had dedicated staff, doctors, trainers and hotel employees, they had COVID testers, they had a solid set of rules, and it all worked. There were zero positive COVID tests the whole time the teams and players and staff were there. That is truly amazing. Look at what the MLB, and now college football and NFL are going through. They can't go a week without a positive test. The NBA lasted over three months without one. It worked and it paid off. The basketball didn't suffer at all. The games were competitive, they were fast paced, the scores were high, it was way better than I thought. If you didn't know, you would have no idea that these guys were in limbo for almost three months, not knowing if they were going to play again or not.

Then we had the police brutality issue, where a white police officer shot another unarmed black man who was doing nothing wrong. I will say it forever, defund the police. The shooting of Jacob Blake almost stopped all of the playoffs. There was a league wide strike. Some teams, including the Lakers, were ready to go home that night. But Adam Silver listened to the players, met their demands and made a plan, and they were able to continue. They were able to finish. I loved in the bubble that the players were able to speak their minds, and talk about social and political things. I adore that players used their platforms to talk about such things, and not focus on solely basketball. That was so awesome and so great and prolific. That was, outside of the games, my favorite thing about the bubble. I love that players spoke their minds, urged people to vote, told people in their team's hometown to make changes. Hopefully this continues the movement in our country that I feel is happening now. We are fed up, and the NBA players in the bubble echoed that sentiment. I have always loved the NBA, and I always will. But what they did in Orlando, how they pulled it off and how they used the platform, it has made me even more of a fan. I am so happy to call myself an NBA fan. I am so happy they achieved their goal. I am happy that they let their voices be heard. I'm happy no one got COVID. And I am happy that the best team, in the end, won the title.

Congrats to the Lakers, to LeBron, to AD, to Adam Silver and to the NBA. This was a historic finish to a very odd and long 2019-20 NBA season. You guys did it, and you did it the best. I am more proud to be an NBA fan than I am to be an American., The NBA is a much better place than our country, and the bubble proved that. Congrats to all involved. You guys did it. 

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

Ty's NBA Finals Preview

It wasn't the NBA Finals I expected.

I also don't think a good amount of other people had this match up. I am sure a good amount of people picked the Lakers, although the Clippers were the heavy favorite when the season started, and then restarted, but they had yet another epic collapse. But I do not think many people had the Heat in the Finals. I know I didn't. I know big time websites and companies like ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report didn't. In fact, the only person/people who I have heard on a recording say the Heat would be in the title are the ladies that host the podcast "Dunktown", which is a great pod by the way. Most everyone else had Milwaukee or Boston or even Toronto. But the Heat have dominated almost, almost as much as the Lakers have on their way to the Finals. Let’s talk about this match-up.

The Lakers got to the Finals with relative ease, and with a few exceptions, they have steam rolled in every game. LeBron has been keyed in defensively, and it looks like he has now found his offensive groove, which is frightening. He also has the refs in his pocket after griping about lack of foul shooting. In the past two games, he alone has twenty-two free throw attempts. The Nuggets had forty-nine total in those games, as a team. LeBron had almost half that himself. It was a smart move from him to get in the refs head. Guys like him can do that, and he knows it, and he is using it. While it bogs the game down, makes it slow and there is nothing but glaring and complaining at officials, it has worked. LeBron and the Lakers own the refs.

The Heat have also done almost exactly the same thing, and they haven't needed to get in the refs heads. They cruised in the first round over Indiana, locking down Victor Oladipo and TJ Warren. Then they completely obliterated the Bucks. Even in the one win Milwaukee had, it wasn't because of anything they did spectacularly, Miami just had an off game. The fact that they made Giannis a non factor is testament enough to how well they communicate and play team defense. And while the Celtics series was closer, Miami won when it mattered. They closed them out in resounding fashion, and while I am sure most people wanted the "sexy" LA-Boston classic match up, Miami could have cared less about that. Boston is coming, but Miami is just a better team right now.

In all honesty, I think, of the four teams that made it to the conference finals, these are the two best, and these are the two most deserving teams, and I think they will give us the best series, at least I hope. I feel like they match up evenly almost everywhere, and this could be a very good, very close series. LeBron is currently the best player in the league. He isn't MJ, but he is close. Real quick, this is also his tenth finals appearance. That is monumental. He has been to the finals more than twenty-seven other franchises in their team history have. That is crazy. Also, on the Heat side, Andre Iguodala has now been to six straight NBA Finals. I know it has to do with the teams he has been on, but hey, six straight Finals appearances is nothing to sniff at. He may not be LeBron, but Iguodala is going to the Finals at a clip close to him. I just wanted to throw that out there for everyone. Anyway, LeBron is great, and seems to be finding his groove. Anthony Davis has been really, really good in the playoffs too. He does look like he may be wearing down a bit, he is playing a TON of minutes, but he is still one of the best, most versatile bigs in the league. And the rest of the Lakers are doing their jobs. Rondo is being playoff Rondo, and that is the best Rondo. Danny Green finally knocked down some jumpers and is playing passable defense. Dwight Howard has totally changed his game, and he has been a beast on the boards and a jump off the bench. The whole Alex Caruso cult isn't as loud, but that guy has LeBron's trust because he is closing out games. And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is hitting threes and hustling on defense.

Yet Miami has guys capable of matching up, doing what the Lakers are doing, and they are much, much younger. I have many differing opinions on Jimmy Butler, but when the guy is locked in, he is one of my favorite players to watch. He is a star, but he doesn't have to be the scoring star or the defense guy or the locker room guy. Butler is a do it all type star. If he isn't scoring, he makes up for it on defense. If he is tired on defense, he is making shots or getting to the line. When he likes his teammates, and feels like he can trust them, which he totally has this season, he is the best dude to have on your team. And I feel like he can guard LeBron, or at least harass him enough to make him shoot jumpers. He will make LeBron work. Bam Adebayo has had a total breakout year. He is a star. He is one of the best all around bigs. He shut down Giannis. He is a beast in the low post. He had one of the best blocks I have ever seen when he stopped Jayson Tatum's dunk in game one of the conference finals to seal the win. And he is a big that is a dependable shooter. Then we have Iguodala. He isn't the guy he was a few years back, but he brings veteran leadership and a willingness to sacrifice numbers to play defense, and play it well. Goran Dragic may not be the best defender, but he has been the one player on the Heat, besides Adebayo, that has been consistent on offense in these playoffs. And Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro are nearly automatic from deep. The Heat can match up. I am so stoked to watch Butler play LeBron and Adebayo to play Davis. I feel like Butler-LeBron will be a wash, those guys will cancel one another out. But Adebayo-Davis can make or break this series. Adebayo will try his best to bully Davis, and that has proven to be the best way to slow him down. He doesn't want to bang bodies that much. He'd much rather play finesse. But, if Davis can hit jumpers, make some threes, he could become lethal. He might not have to worry about being bullied in the post because he could drag Adebayo out of the lane. This is the player match up I am most excited to watch. It will be the deciding factor. As I said, LeBron and Butler will play equal, and the rest is a mishmash. I'm sure Herro and Robinson will have a solid game, but so will Danny Green and Rondo and Kyle Kuzma. The determining factor, what will decide this series, at least for me, is who wins out in the Adebayo-Davis match up.

I will be rooting for the Heat because of Adebayo, and because I like this version of Jimmy Butler, just full disclosure. But, I do think the Lakers will win in seven games. This will be a good, hard fought series. Sometimes it will look like a slog, the games will be slow, and there will be plenty of free throws. But I just think LeBron knows this is probably his last best chance, especially with Davis, to win another, possibly final, NBA title. The NBA will be so much more competitive and different next season, and LeBron has put in the work to get this team where they are now. I want the Heat to win, but I am pretty sure the Lakers will find a way. Let's get to it. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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