The NBA Trade Deadline Changed Nothing

The trade clock struck midnight on almost every NBA team

The NBA trade deadline came and went with a whimper yesterday. There were bigger trades a week ago, Serge Ibaka, and the biggest one happened an hour after the All Star game on Sunday night, Boogie Cousins, but yesterday there was a ton of build up, but nothing really happened.

As far as winners and losers go, I do not do that type of thing because there is not enough time in the season to declare if a team "won" or "lost" a trade. Sure, the Pelicans may have "won" the trade, they completely robbed the Kings, but what is their prize? A possible first round sweep at the hands of the Warriors if they are lucky enough to grab the 8 seed from the Nuggets, Trailblazers, Timberwolves or Mavericks. Yeah, the Celtics may have "lost" because they did nothing, but they are currently the second best team in the East, so no big deal.

Look, I thought that maybe Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Carmelo Anthony would get moved, but it did not happen. So what. Sure, it would have been exciting if at least one of those guys moved, but like most trade deadlines, nothing big happened. It really looked like George or Butler were going to be a Celtic in the waning moments of the deadline, but as is their new norm, the Celtics would not give up any high picks and did nothing. Danny Ainge always claims to have some big deal in place for a super star, but he is becoming the boy who cried wolf. I just do not believe any reports I read about the Celtics getting a big named player anymore. Someone always floats a story that the Celtics are finally going to make the move, but when the time comes, nothing ever happens. I'm sick of the stories and I'm sick of Danny Ainge always claiming that he is going to make a move.

What better time than now for the Celtics? Imagine if they got Paul George or Jimmy Butler. That immediately makes them a legitimate title threat. Pairing up either of those guys with Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford gives them a legit team. Both George and Butler are top 10 defenders, and they can score. This would have made it so much easier to hide Thomas on defense in the playoffs. If they were to face Toronto in a series, stick Marcus Smart on Kyle Lowry and Butler or George on DeMar DeRozan. Then, Thomas can guard some random guy like Corey Joseph. This would have made the Celtics lethal. I know they would have had to give up the coveted Nets picks they own and some young, possible stars like Jaylen Brown, Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder, but the chance to get one of these guys that are already proven, you cannot pass that up.

Sorry, that is my long winded way of saying that the Celtics missed a golden opportunity.

But, as I said, I do not pick "winners" and "losers" from the trade deadline. I like to point out which teams possibly helped themselves and who hurt themselves. We all already know that the Kings are a garbage franchise run by people who have no clue what they are doing, but they looked so god damn stupid after this deadline. They're toast. Sure, they won last night, but just wait, they will be going on something like a 10 or 12 game losing streak real soon.

I was also confused by what the 76ers and Bulls did. The 76ers have this glut of big men, but the only one they traded was Nerlens Noel. I thought for sure that Jahlil Okafor was done in Philadelphia, but he is still a 76er as we speak. The return they got for Noel was nothing too. They got Andrew Bogut, who they will buy out and release, and Justin Anderson, who may be a fine role player some day, but who knows. The Mavericks got a great defensive and rebounding big. I like this move for Dallas and hate it for the 76ers. The 76ers also traded Ersan Ilaysova for Tiago Splitter and some picks to the Hawks. Again, they traded for a big man that they're going to buy out and some second round picks. Makes no sense to me.

The Bulls, who should have moved Butler, instead sent Doug McDermott and Taj Gibson to the Thunder for Cam Payne and some dude named Joffrey. What the hell is this trade? Taj Gibson is one of the most beloved veterans in the league, and Doug McDermott isn't great, but he will hit open threes. The Bulls got a second year point guard that never plays and a dude that was the 10th or 11th guy off the bench for the Thunder. It seems like something is missing here. This trade really helps bring some more toughness and shooting to OKC. It brings nothing but questions for Chicago. Much like the 76ers stuff, this feels like it was part 1 of a 3 or 4 part deal that didn't pan out.

The Rockets made some good moves I thought, at least for the regular season. They went out and got Lou Williams for Corey Brewer and a late first rounder, and trimmed some more cap space to possibly sign a guy like Andrew Bogut by trading Tyler Ennis to the Lakers for Marcus Huertas, who they will immediately waive. Williams gives the yet another shooter. Now, at most times on the floor, the Rockets will have James Harden, Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson and Lou Williams shooting the ball. They could go for 130 a game and I would not be surprised. The only problem, none of these guys play defense, and in the playoffs, that could spell doom. Still though, good moves for the regular season.

Besides the trades I mentioned, nothing else that big happened. Some irrelevant guys got traded for other irrelevant guys. Carmelo Anthony is still a Knick, Paul George is still a Pacer and Jimmy Butler is still a Bull. The Boogie deal was the biggest deal no matter what else happened, but I expected more from this particular deadline after Boogie got traded. I thought, especially in the East that some big time, All NBA caliber players would get moved. As I stated, Boston should have made some moves, but they are the boy who cried wolf franchise to me now. I like what Toronto did with the Ibaka trade, and don't sleep on their move to land PJ Tucker, that should look good in the long run, especially the playoffs. But, the Wizards only added one bench guy, the Hawks only added Ilaysova and every other playoff team pretty much stayed pat. I still think the Cavs are a lock to represent the East in the finals, but Toronto, not Boston anymore, looks like their biggest threat.

As for the West, no matter what the Rockets or Thunder did, doesn't matter, the Warriors are winning. Even if the Clippers added Carmelo, they cannot beat the Warriors, they proved that last night, blowing a 12 point half time lead. The Spurs never make moves because they don't have to, so them doing nothing was not surprising. The Pelicans made THE move, but, as I said, if they make the playoffs, their "reward" is a thrashing at the hands of the Warriors.

We had another trade deadline that was very ho hum, but I expected more. I expected better. Oh well, I guess we will have to wait until summer to see if some of these big names finally get moved.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty thinks the only hope for the Celtics now is if some crazy fans go out and try to kidnap LeBron James. It worked out so well in "Celtic Pride". Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The Biggest Trade Has Already Happened in the NBA

The NBA trade deadline is approaching fast, but I think the biggest name to be traded has already happened.

There is always rumors and speculation surrounding big name players that will be the move, but I do not think that any of the big names being thrown out this year are going anywhere. I've heard Paul Milsap, Jimmy Butler, Dwayne Wade, Blake Griffin and, of course, Carmelo Anthony and Boogie Cousins possibly changing uniforms. Well, Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks head coach and director of player personnel, said he isn't going anywhere. The price that the Bulls will be asking for Jimmy Butler and Dwayne Wade will be much to high, especially for Wade, who is clearly on his last legs. Blake Griffin is not going anywhere until he is a free agent because the Clippers ownership is insane and they seem to think they can win a title with guys that have never gotten out of the second round of the playoffs. Boogie is not leaving unless a team offers the Kings an offer to great to pass up. It would have to be some big name guys and some very high draft picks. The teams that have the ability to offer those things won't. And the Knicks, try as they might, will not be able to unload Carmelo. They want to trade him so bad, but he has a no trade clause, so he can veto almost any deal he doesn't like, and teams that may want him won't give up what the Knicks are asking for in a trade. The Knicks want a good young player and draft picks, and Carmelo Anthony doesn't command that steep a price anymore. He is old, in NBA terms, doesn't pass the ball, doesn't play defense and can mess up team chemistry. Sorry Knicks fans, you guys are stuck with Anthony.

The big trade that already happened? Serge Ibaka to the Raptors. I think that the Serge Ibaka trade to the Raptors is the only "big name" deal that will be made. The Magic are clearly going nowhere and they knew that Ibaka would not resign with them this offseason, he will be a free agent at the end of the year.

With all that being said, and the fact that the Magic needed to move a player like Ibaka to make more minutes for Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezjona, they totally got fleeced by the Raptors. The Raptors won this trade by a mile. All they had to give up was Terrence Ross, who is a decent young player that could flourish now that he will be a main option, and a very low first round pick. I think they could have gotten more from a team like the Raptors, who want to win now, but it seems like they settled for the first deal that Toronto offered. Like I said, Ross is a fine player, but maybe the Magic should have, at the very least, mentioned names like Jonas Valenciunas, Corey Joseph or Demarre Carroll. This may have killed the deal, but I still think they should have at least asked.

On the other hand, the Raptors got one hell of a player to team up with guys like Valenciunas, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Demarre Carroll, as well as Patrick Patterson. The Raptors, at least on paper with this trade, look to be real contenders in the East. I know that they are in fifth place right now, but I think this trade could easily move them up a few spots, giving them a decided edge in the playoffs. The Cavs were just dealt an enormous blow with the news of Kevin Love's injury, the Celtics are playing great, but this move should put them on notice, the Wizards are currently playing out of their minds, but Scott Brooks will find some way to screw it up, and Atlanta will not keep up this pace for the whole season. I definitely see Toronto passing the Wizards and the Hawks, pushing them up to third. Then, what if Boston takes over the one seed from Cleveland due to the Love injury, and the Cavs decide that they don't really care about seeding in the playoffs? That could put Toronto as high as number 2, which I think is a real possibility now. It all doesn't matter, the Cavs will still represent the East in the finals, but Toronto is at least trying to make it interesting.

I love the fact that the Raptors went out and got Ibaka. He is in the perfect spot again, much like when he played with Durant and Westbrook in OKC. He will be able to fit in perfectly playing the four, next to Valenciunas. Valenciunas likes to play in the post and rebound, so that leaves Ibaka the ability to spread the floor and block shots as a help defender, which is what he does best. He has also become a decent jump shooter and three point shooter. This will help DeRozan and Lowry. They will be able to drive and kick and have the confidence that one of their big men will be able to knock down open threes and mid range jumpers. Valenciunas is not consistent enough to do this, but Ibaka is. And, as I have already stated, he is going to help them out tremendously on the defensive end of the floor. Ibaka and Valenciunas as rim protectors will put fear in opponents trying to attack the rim. Valenciunas is not great on the defensive end, but he is serviceable, and with the help coming from Ibaka, he may begin to look like a much better defender. Ibaka's presence will also help the back court. DeRozan and Lowry aren't the greatest defenders, but now with Ibaka back there they can take more chances on steals and play closer man to man defense on their opponents. DeMarre Carroll is already a very good defender, so he won't need the help, but he will get it from Ibaka anyway.

This deal has made the Raptors a much, much better team, and has further made the Magic's rebuilding stage that much longer. The Raptors definitely won this trade, and I think it is the only trade that will make any difference in the regular season. Ibaka fits in wonderfully, and he needed this trade and the Magic let him go for hardly anything. This will be the only big time deal that happens in the NBA this year, mark my words.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is ticked off that his NBA2K games never let him get away with what the Raptors got away with in this trade. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Suns, Magic, and Nuggets

Before I continue with my NBA countdown today, I want to wish my beautiful little baby girl a very happy first birthday. I can't believe that she is already one. Happy birthday princess, I love you.

Now, back to the countdown.

Coming in at number 27, the Phoenix Suns. First off, I heard some story yesterday that they are utilizing the "high five" because it will grow strength between teammates and make for a better work environment. They did a study on this. That statement alone should show you how far behind most of the league the Suns really are. Studying the good things about high fives. Yeesh. This was a team that just a few years ago barely missed out on the playoffs in the hyper competitive Western Conference. But now, that roster has been ravaged and there are only few holdovers. This was also the same team that went all in on LaMarcus Aldridge when no one thought they had a chance to sign him. Guess what, he signed elsewhere. The back court is the strength, but it is filled with untapped potential. Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe cannot stay healthy, and their style of play seem to clash when they are on the court at the same time. Devin Booker is a great, great shooter, but until he gets some more help, it will be for moot. But man, is he a great shooter. The rest of the roster is very mediocre and old. Tyson Chandler peaked about 4 years ago. I love Chandler, but he is done in the NBA. Jared Dudley, while being a good dude, he doesn't really have it anymore. PJ Tucker can't stay out of trouble on and off the court. Alex Len is a bust. And Archie Goodwin doesn't seem to have what it takes to make it in the NBA. They drafted Tyler Ullis and Dragan Bender. Ullis is lightning fast, but he is so tiny, and he couldn't really score that much in college. Bender may or may not be good, but this preseason, he has seemed more interested in his hair looking good as opposed to his jumper looking good. He also got owned by undrafted opponents in the summer league. The Suns are in the midst of a massive rebuild. They are pretty terrible, not as bad as the three teams from yesterday, but still pretty bad. They will win between 20-25 games.

So Ty, how will the Suns win the title? The Suns only shot at the title is if Bledsoe and Knight find a way to blend their skills and become all NBA caliber and the rest of the roster plays the best basketball of their lives. That isn't happening.

At number 26, I have the Orlando Magic. I thought that they may be on the up, but not so much after this offseason. Sure, they added Serge Ibaka, but is he a real threat anymore? Was he ever a threat? Now, he is the first option on this team. Yikes. Scott Skiles also quit on this team after one year. I think that speaks volumes on both ends. Skiles couldn't handle the new NBA, and the Magic didn't like his old school approach. They also traded away Victor Oladipo. While not great, he was still a double digit scorer and a very good defender. The Thunder won that trade. Aaron Gordon is a very good leaper, but he doesn't do much else. He needs to develop a jumper and play better defense. Elfrid Payton is just not living up to the hype. the game seems to fast for him. Nikola Vucivic is a stat stuffer, but that doesn't make him great. He fills the stat sheet, but it doesn't really matter. Evan Fournier is garbage. Mario Hezjona hasn't really had a real shot to prove himself. Jeff Green is a total anomaly, and one of the more frustrating players in the NBA. DJ Augustin is a career back up, and after that, all no names. I do like the Frank Vogel hiring, the dude is a good coach, but this team is a few years away from truly competing. 25-30 wins seems to be their ceiling. 

So Ty, how will the Magic win the title? The Magic can win the title if Ibaka returns to his old dominant self on defense, and stops settling for jumpers, and the rest of the team plays much, much better than they have since they've been in the league. The Magic are a team filled with players that have not lived up to their hype and draft position. Vogel will make a difference, but it will be in a year or two.

At number 25, I have the Denver Nuggets. I really, really like Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay. The problem is with the rest of their roster, it is junk. Danilo Gallinari has never lived up to his expectations, and he is always hurt. Their first round pick, Jamal Murray, barely scored in college. I don't care that he made a bunch of un guarded jumpers in his workouts, what I saw in his short college career, he had a tough time scoring. Wilson Chandler is on the back end of his career, and the front end wasn't all that great to begin with. Mike Miller is one million years old. Why doesn't he just retire? Gary Harris is now getting into trouble left and right off the court. Jameer Nelson's career was over 3 or 4 years ago. And Darrell Arthur is a very below average NBA player. I like Faried and Mudiay, but my like for them is completely outweighed by my dislike for the rest of the roster. Mike Malone is a good coach, but I don't think even Gregg Poppovich could win with this roster. They may win 28 or 29 games, but that is it.

So Ty, how will the Nuggets win the title? The Nuggets could win the title if Faried develops a deadly offensive game, and Mudiay gets a legit jumper. Oh, and that dumpster fire of a roster actually plays good basketball. That is not happening.

That's it for today. Come back next week for my next 3 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the X Millennial Man Podcast. His daughter is a prodigy since she is able to read at the age of one. Why else would Ty write a happy birthday message. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Is it Time to Give Up on The OKC Thunder?

The hoop is a symbol of the current state of the Thunder

I know that in my NBA mid season review and my NBA preseason preview I had the OKC Thunder as a dark horse championship contender. Yes, they're my favorite team, but I legitimately thought, at full strength, they could compete with the Warriors, Spurs and Cavs. They have two of the five best players in the game on their team. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are lights out. They are superior scorers and a threat to anyone that the opposition puts on the floor. After those two guys, with Serge Ibaka being the lone exception, they're pretty thin. Sure, Steven Adams is a good defender and rebounder and Anthony Morrow is a good shooter, but guys like Dion Waiters, Kyke Singler and Enes Kanter do not make a title contending team.

The Thunder do have the third best record in the West, and in the league I believe, but last nights game, that they absolutely blew to the Clippers, shut down any hopes of winning a title that I had. The hopes were pretty fleeting to begin with, the Warriors are historically good and the Spurs are the Spurs, but I still had hope because of Durant and Westbrook. They both played good last night, except for the dumb three that Westbrook took with 10 seconds left, but they always perform. It's the rest of the team that concerns me. In the first half of last nights game, they couldn't miss. Same couldn't be said in the second half, they were ice cold. Not only were they missing shots, but they were playing no defense and looked undisciplined. It was frustrating. They are so Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde. The Thunder will look unbeatable during one half, but then they turn a switch and they look like a mid level Eastern Conference team the next half.

Last nights game wasn't the only time this has happened. They've looked very mediocre since the all star break ended. They can't close teams out, i.e. The Warriors game last week. They had that game won multiple times, but they couldn't close it out. Sure, Curry hit a miraculous shot to win, but the Thunder should've never been in that position. They had that game won, but they found a way to blow it. They also have trouble putting away, or even beating teams they should beat. Take the recent Pelicans game. The Pelicans have no one besides Anthony Davis, but the Thunder decided they didn't have to play hard and decided to not play defense and they lost to a very mediocre team. They've looked downright bad since the break. I don't know if it's coaching or they don't have what it takes or the talent drops off way too much after Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka, but something is wrong.

Yes, the Thunder will make the playoff and even win a round or two, but when they have to play the Spurs or Warriors, they will get scorched. I want to believe in them, but they've done nothing lately that lets me believe in them. They're in a bad funk and they need to get out of it before they get trounced in the playoffs to an inferior team.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He wants to believe in the Thunder, but reality keeps getting in the way. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty tells you how each NBA team can win the title: Clippers, Thunder, Rockets

Did I mention yet that I love the NBA?

Now we are in the upper crust of the NBA. These teams today are legitimate title contenders and have a very real shot at winning the championship this year. Once again, it depends on health and breaks going their way, but each of these three teams have a real chance. Today I'm going to reveal my number 6, 5 and 4th ranked teams in the NBA.

Coming in at number 6 I have the Los Angeles Clippers. Everyone who reads my blogs knows how I feel about the Clippers. I wrote a very long piece on my irrational hatred for this team. I loathe them. I'm going to put that all aside today and judge them strictly on their recent playoff history and their current roster. Here goes nothing. The Clippers had an epic collapse in last years playoffs. They choked away a 20 point lead in the second half of a close out game and went on to lose the series. Their "stars" couldn't come through in the clutch and their coach made poor decision after poor decision. They were failures last year and I think last year was their best shot at the Finals. Sure they would have had to beat the Warriors in the West Finals, but they had their chance and blew it. Their roster is still very talented and while I really like the addition of Paul Pierce, I hate the acquisition of Lance Stephenson, and the dirty tactics they went to in keeping DeAndre Jordan. Resigning Austin Rivers was a HUGE mistake and the most blatant form of nepotism that I've ever seen and Josh Smith is no savior. With all that being said, the Clippers still have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. As you all well know, I think both of these guys are overrated, but they are very good NBA players. Chris Paul, while moody and whiny, is one of the best point guards in the game today. He can shoot, but he'd rather find the open man for an easy basket, as a point guard should do. He's also a pretty decent defender, but watching Steph Curry destroy him with a crossover lasts season was a huge delight. He is getting older and whinier and he's played a lot of minutes in the NBA. Blake Griffin is the most puzzling "superstar" I've ever watched. Some nights he looks unstoppable, but in the playoffs, in critical moments, he fades away. Superstars rise to the challenge, but Blake Griffin does not. He's the Alex Ovechkin or Andy Dalton (ed note: The currently 6-0 Andy Dalton) of the NBA. He's great in the regular season, but shits the bed when it matters most (ed note: good point). DeAndre Jordan is a glorified rebounder and rim protector. The only reason people talk about him, or that he was offered a max contract was, ESPN puts him on their highlight reel every night. Spoiler alert ESPN, he's 7 feet tall, I'd sure hope that he'd be able to finish an alley oop. Dwight Howard owned him in the playoffs last year and he has been a top tier center since he left Orlando. He also proved how childish he truly is this offseason with the whole backing out of a contract to return to a team that he openly complained about being on. You're a joke DeAndre Jordan. JJ Redick is still just a haircut, but he's also a good shooter. That's it, just a shooter. He's a lousy defender and cannot get to the basket. Lance Stephenson replaces Matt Barnes in the starting lineup, but is that really an upgrade? The Hornets and Pacers couldn't get rid of him fast enough and now he thinks the Clippers will turn him into the "star" he claims to be. He's a classic under achiever who believes his own hype. He's mediocre at best. The addition of Paul Pierce was great. He has a great repertoire with Doc Rivers and is a clutch player. That being said, he's very, very old and I don't think he has a lot of life left in his legs. The rest of the bench is really bad for a "contending" team. When Austin Rivers is the sixth or seventh man off the bench, you have a huge problem. Jamal Crawford is still a good offensive player, but gives this team nothing else. Josh Smith, the same Josh Smith that complained about taking a pay cut this offseason, is not that good. His time in Houston last season was an anomaly. He will still shoot way too many threes and air ball free throws, but this time around it will be all over TV since he's playing in LA now. Other than those guys, and those guys aren't very good, with Pierce being the exception, the rest of the bench is god awful. The Clippers will win 48 or 49 games, but that will be a step back for them and they will be the fifth, maybe fourth seed in the West, probably the fifth though and will have a rough season. The players don't like each other, and that will finally bubble over and there will be a lot of in fighting in the Clippers locker room.

How the Clippers will win it all.

The Clippers will win the title if they can somehow forget about last years playoff collapse, all come together and leave their woes and whining at home. This team complains way too much and they're not that good anymore and they missed their best chance at a title last year.

Coming in at number 5, I have the Oklahoma City Thunder. Full disclosure, this is my favorite team in the NBA. I'm a Thunder fan. This team's shot at a title fully depends on health. They haven't had their three star players all healthy, at the same time, in about three years. If healthy, the Thunder are one of the best teams in the NBA. When three of your starting five include Kevin Durant. Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, that's pretty damn impressive. Durant was the MVP of the league two years ago, but rushed back from offseason foot surgery last year and ended up missing most of last season trying to fully heal. He looks good right now, and can easily get back to being one of the three best players in the NBA, but he needs to string together a lot of games healthy before he is fully back. Russell Westbrook is a beast in every sense of the word. I used to think he was an out of control ball hog, but after watching him last year, without Durant and Ibaka for a lot of the year, I have a newfound respect in him. He's still kind of a ball hog, but he's the most in control out of control player. When he explodes to the rim, or starts a fast break, watch out, because he is going to do something special. He is the new Allen Iverson in my opinion. Serge Ibaka is one of the best defenders in basketball and can give the Thunder 17 or 18 points a night. He's worked on his outside shot and, while I feel he uses it a bit too much, he makes it at about 50 percent. I wished he played a bit more back to the basket, but that's not his game. Enes Kanter is a very good offensive player, but he cannot play professional level defense. He may be the worst defender in the NBA. Steven Adams is a good, young player still fully learning the game of basketball,  but he can be a nuisance at times, and if he wasn't on the Thunder, I probably wouldn't like him all that much. People say he's this generations Bill Laimbeer, but I feel like that's a slight to Laimbeer. Sure, he was a nuisance as well, but he was a good scorer and rebounder. He was much better at this point in his career than Adams is right now. The bench is fine. Guys like DJ Augustin, a good back up point guard, but getting older, Kyle Singler, a hustler, but not very good at any one skill, Mitch McGary, another guy with an unstoppable motor, but can't stay healthy and Nick Collison, an elder statesmen in the league, are good enough to help steal a few minutes here and there from the starters. Anthony Morrow is super interesting coming off the bench for the Thunder. He's an excellent three point shooter and can catch fire at any time, but he's a liability on defense. I think their draft pick Cameron Payne will soon take over Augustin's spot as the second team point guard, and I think he will become a valuable bench player for the Thunder. Like I said before, if the Thunder can stay healthy, they can compete with anyone at anytime or place. Their title chances lie solely on health and I see them winning 50 or 51 games and being the four seed in the West.

How the Thunder will win it all.

The Thunder will win the title if their "big three" can stay healthy and produce like they're supposed to all season and Enes Kanter and Steven Adams become unstoppable at the things they're best at, Adams being a pest on defense and Kanter scoring double figures every night. They'll need help from their bench as well, but that's a very real possibility. Thunder Up.

My number four team is the Houston Rockets. This team has all the potential in the world, it's just a matter of putting it together at the right time. James Harden leads this team and while he's a tremendous scorer, he is a lot like Blake Griffin and fades when the spotlight is on him. When playing for OKC, he was great all the way through their run to the Finals in 2012, but then he crapped out in the Finals, averaging less than 10 points per game. Same thing happened last season in the West Finals. He was bested every night by MVP Steph Curry. He's also dating a Kardashian now, so he's bound to take a dip in production, just ask Kris Humphries or Reggie Bush. Dwight Howard was, at one time, the most unstoppable force at center since Shaq. Now, he is constantly injured and making excuses. When he puts his mind to it, he's a really good player, but his head isn't always in the game. Houston needs him to focus on basketball. They have Patrick Beverly coming back at point guard, and he's a good point guard, but they traded for Ty Lawson this offseason, and he's an upgrade. Lawson will be starting over Beverly by midseason. Donatas Motiejunas is a good power forward, and if he and Howard can both stay healthy, their front court is as good, if not better than most. Trevor Ariza is still there and he's still a lock down defender and an excellent three point shooter. Ariza is a very underrated player. Jason Terry is still playing basketball, and he's still hitting clutch shots. He can't keep up on defense, but Houston doesn't ask him to do that, they need him to hit big threes. Corey Brewer is a great bench player in the NBA and people finally get to see that since he's on a good team. Both draft picks, Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell can be valuable to this team. Dekker is very athletic and can step back and hit the three and Harrell will do all the dirty work and do it happily. The Rockets are good and got a taste of a deep postseason run last year. They will win somewhere in the mid fifties, maybe 55 or 56 games and fight the Thunder for that third spot in the West.

How the Rockets can win it all.

The Rockets will win the title if Harden can perform in the clutch and Howard stays healthy and focuses on basketball solely, all season. The rest of the roster needs to keep doing what they do and the Rockets will be very good. I love the addition of Ty Lawson and I feel that he makes this team a very real threat to compete for a title.

There you have it, teams 6, 5 and 4. Tomorrow is my final NBA preseason piece and I'll give you my top three teams and all my predictions.

Who will be the champion?

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He once held court 100 straight times against the editor on NBA Street. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.