Bob Stoops Retirement Comes with a lot of Unanswered Questions

There is a new sign on Bob Stoops Old Office

Because Ty is the most boss of all internet writers he refuses to stop creating awesome content, even when he is on a family vacation. His loquaciousness will be blunted while he enjoys his undisclosed tropical getaway. Each piece will be some quick thoughts on some current things going on, nothing political of course.

Yesterday, in very shocking news, Bob Stoops suddenly retired. That makes 2 pretty famous coaches this week that have either walked away or "resigned" from high profile jobs. You can read my Thad Matta thoughts from earlier this week. But, this whole Bob Stoops thing really threw me for a loop.

Stoops had a very, very good team coming back from a decent season last year. Yeah, he lost Semaji Perine and Dede Westbrook, but they still have Baker Mayfield, a Heisman front runner, and it's Oklahoma, they are one of the "reload, not rebuild" teams I always talk about. Oklahoma was also, as they have been for about a decade now, the odds on favorites to win the Big 12, and possibly go to the College Football Playoff this season. They are to the Big 12 in football what Kansas is to basketball. If they do not win the Big 12, I am always shocked.

For Stoops to just walk away, at only 56 years old, after 18 years of some really good football, I just can't seem to wrap my head around it. Sure, his family has past heart issues, and the Oklahoma fan base can be rabid and unforgiving, and, no matter how good you may look in the preseason, there is always the Alabama monster out there, but why so sudden? Does he have heart issues? Is there a possible violation that we may not know about? Was he giving a Thad Matta ultimatum? Does he truly want to "live a life"? Or, is there some other high profile job he may be angling for in a year or 2, a la what Urban Meyer did after he left Florida due to "health concerns", only to take one year off and jump on the University of Ohio State board. I feel like it is the last question, but I will quickly answer the others first.

I do not think he has any type of health concerns. He has been at Oklahoma for almost 2 decades, so if he did truly have a health scare, we would have heard about it already. The violation thing, who knows. Every big time team bends the rules to get some of the best players in the country to constantly go there. I am not aware of any possible violations at Oklahoma, but they did have the whole Joe Mixon thing last year, so I wonder if there is more of that horrible stuff going on that they are trying to cover up. That would be truly awful. I do not think he was given an ultimatum because, as I have already stated, his team is stacked this year. They are going to be lights out on offense, and I feel like they will be much improved on defense. They are the clear cut favorites in the Big 12, and he has won 10 plus games 14 of his 18 years there. He's earned the right to leave when he wants. Oklahoma was nothing when Stoops took over and look at them now. There is no way he was told he has to win the title this year or he was going to be let go.

As far as the "live a life" thing that he said, I feel like this is the only life he knows. He comes from a family of coaches, and he has basically been around football as a player and a coach his entire life. I fully understand if he wants to go be with his family, but to say that now, going into a season where Oklahoma will be a real threat, I don't buy it. Also, his family seems to fully understand and not mind being the wife and kids of a coach. That is a taxing job, and they have stood by his side his whole career.

Now, the last question, the big question. Is there another, possibly higher profile job out there that he may want in a year or two, if that school doesn't vastly improve? I read it on 247sports.com, and I think it may be true, that if the Notre Dame job opens up, Stoops and the people there would want to hire him. I feel like it is setting up exactly like the Urban Meyer situation. I don't think Notre Dame will be any real threat, and I feel like the higher ups at Notre Dame have grown weary of Brian Kelly's demeanor and the way he grates on players and fans. The team has gotten worse every year since Alabama crushed them in the title game, and Kelly is throwing everyone under the bus, blaming anyone in earshot, except himself. I feel like they want Bob Stoops there real bad, and his sudden retirement sets that up very nicely. I also think Stoops kind of wants a big time job like Notre Dame as well. Oklahoma is great now, due to Stoops, but they are not historic, like Notre Dame. I feel like Stoops wants to go to a school like that to build up his personal resume. He is a great coach, and if he can go to Notre Dame and win as big there as he did at Oklahoma, he'd become legendary. That is where I feel like all this is headed.

Time will tell, but for Stoops to leave Oklahoma so abruptly, that just doesn't sit right with me. We'll see.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is thinking about taking a detour to Norman after his vacation. Do they still need a coach? Oh, somebody has that job. Is the Buckeye job still available?

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Stupid Ohio State Makes a Stupid Basketball Decision

Because Ty is the most boss of all internet writers he refuses to stop creating awesome content, even when he is on a family vacation. His loquaciousness will be blunted while he enjoys his undisclosed tropical getaway. Each piece will be some quick thoughts on some current things going on, nothing political of course.

Before I get into today's topic, I need to say a very happy anniversary to my very beautiful, smart and wonderful wife. It's been 8 great years as a married couple, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. I love you.

Okay, today's topic is the "resignation" of the University of Ohio State's basketball coach, Thad Matta. I have very complicated feelings on this. As you all know, I HATE HATE HATE that school. They are the WORST. But, was this really the proper timing to make Matta "resign"? I don't think so. Sure, they haven't been that great at basketball lately, but they still post a winning record every year, for the most part. And, don't forget that this team was going to title games and multiple final four's just a few years back. Hell, they were one of the Big Ten's best team, and a top team in the country.

We all know that the University of Ohio State is a football school, their players say that much when interviewed for nationally televised games, or say that, "people don't come here to watch me play school", but Matta turned them into a basketball power. Before he got there, they were a pretty mediocre team. They hovered around .500 and were lucky to get an NIT invite. Then, Matta came in, recruited like a mad man, either legally or, more likely, illegally, and had some great teams. Remember, at one time they had a team led by Mike Conley Jr and anchored in the middle by Greg Oden. A few years after that, they had the top player in the NCAA in Evan Turner. The University of Ohio State was a national power due to the players that Matta was bringing in.

But, as of late, they have "fallen on hard times" so to say. They don't have as great players as they once did. They are getting out recruited by other Big Ten teams like Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue and even Indiana, who just hired a new head coach. But, I remember a few years back, when Michigan was going to be led by Caris Levert, he got hurt and Michigan limped to a 15-17 finish. I heard some rumblings from people saying that Belein may not be the guy to coach Michigan back to relevance. Never mind that they were only a few years removed from a title game appearance and an elite eight showing. Even during this season, when Michigan struggled mightily in the middle of the year, a lot of people were calling out the team, and Belein as well, myself included, although I was much harder on the team. Then, Michigan had a magical run in the Big Ten tournament and a great run to the sweet sixteen in the NCAA tournament. All the talk of getting rid of Belein was done. This should be the case with Matta. Coaches who have had major success at major universities should get a few bad seasons here and there. It is bound to happen. Look at Tom Izzo and Michigan State recently. They aren't the dominant force that they have been, but no one, and I mean no one is calling for Izzo to be fired. Matta got a raw deal from a shady university. That is what all this "resignation" means to me.

What makes me conflicted the most is, as I mentioned, I HATE the team, but I think Matta is a very good basketball coach. He will land on is feet somewhere, and I would bet a lot of money that he will succeed. Also, who does the University of Ohio State think they can get? Do they really expect Billy Donovan, who I read was their top candidate, to just leave a playoff team to go back to college? That is wishful thinking. They can't even get Archie Miller because he left Dayton for Indiana. They would be lucky to get a guy like John Groce, who was fired by Illinois this offseason, but I think he already got another head coaching job.

This was a stupid, holier than thou, quick reaction to one bad season. I hope this makes them even worse for the next couple of years because this was too rash and too quick. Matta should land on his feet, the University of Ohio State, I hope they have a lot more bad seasons ahead of them. That is what they deserve.

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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It Would Be Nice to Have a Competitive NBA Finals

Because Ty is the most boss of all internet writers he refuses to stop creating awesome content, even when he is on a family vacation. His loquaciousness will be blunted while he enjoys his undisclosed tropical getaway. Each piece will be some quick thoughts on some current things going on, nothing political of course.

Today, I have some quick thoughts on the first 2 games of the NBA Finals. So far, Golden State has dominated. In game one, they were all over the Cavs and they could not be stopped. They scored at will, and after the first quarter, basically, it was pretty clear that the Warriors were going to win going away. The first quarter was great though. It was fantastic basketball, with the best players in the game, currently, playing their best. LeBron was awesome, as always. Kyrie looked great in bursts. Steph looked like Steph from 2 years ago. KD was on a whole other level from everyone else that night though. He looked unstoppable, reigning threes and dunking the ball with authority any time the lane was open, which was often. The Cavs tried to play the Warriors game, and by the third quarter, they were tired and they looked beat. LeBron can only do so much, and his only teammate that helped even a little bit was Kyrie. Love rebounded a ton, but only scored about 15 points. Tristan Thompson, JR Smith, Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert, they were all useless. They might as well not even suited up.

I figured, much like everyone else, that the Cavs would come out with a better game plan in game 2, and they did, but only for the first half. The game was a ton of fun for 24 minutes. LeBron was attacking the rim, Kyrie was going to the rim as well. They were both going hard and either getting lay ups or getting fouled and going to the free throw line. Kevin Love was on fire too. He was making all his open jumpers, he was rebounding like he did when he was in Minnesota and he looked halfway decent on defense, which is all you can really ask of him. Golden State was just as good. Better, actually. KD quietly scored 17 in the first half, and was an absolute monster on defense. Draymond was in early foul trouble, but that didn't stop him from making crisp passes, guarding multiple positions and starting fast breaks. Klay Thompson looked to be getting out of his slump, making a lot more shots than he has all of the 2017 playoffs. Most importantly, Steph was otherworldly. He was matching LeBron's layups with threes, or free throws. He wasn't hitting the three like he usually does, and he was a bit careless with the ball, but he shot 10 free throws in the first quarter, and when he did hang on to the ball, he was dropping dimes. The Warriors led by 3 at the half. Both teams looked really good, and the Cavs looked like they may have figured something out on defense. 

Then the second half happened. The Cavs, once again unable to play Tristan Thompson at all, tried to play small and fast, and the Warriors destroyed them. They had almost 40 points in the third, taking an almost 20 point lead into the fourth. Steph was dominant. KD started to hit threes and blocked any shot that came near him. Klay was hitting jumpers again. David West was even contributing, as was Zaza Pachulia. The scariest thing about their third quarter, Draymond barely played and the Warriors still gained an enormous lead.

The Cavs need to make a big change. They were in this same spot last year, but Steph was hurt, Klay was starting to go cold and they did not have KD, they had Harrison Barnes. This looks a whole lot different. Two games in, two blow outs, and I don't know what the Cavs can do to even it up, or even win one game for that matter. LeBron is playing out of his mind, but it just doesn't seem to matter, and he has not been good on defense. The Cavs can't play small because that is what the Warriors want, and they can't play their bigs together, so I don't know what the solution is. I'm still a bit hopeful that this series can get better. I know I picked a sweep, but come on, the Cavs have LeBron. But after 2 games, the Warriors have looked absolutely dominant, and I do not know what the Cavs can do. LeBron is playing great, Kyrie and Love have both had really good games, and the Warriors have still blown them out in the first 2 games.

We will see what happens Wednesday night back in Cleveland. A win by the Cavs can completely turn this series around, but I do not know if that will happen. The Cavs have played pretty decent, the Warriors are just a far superior team. LeBron cannot do it all alone, and the Warriors have 4 of the top 15 players in the game, 2 of which are top 5 players, and they look unbeatable right now. We will see if something changes in a few days, or if the Warriors are going to cruise to a title.

Ty

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

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The SeedSing 2017 NBA Finals Preview

Tomorrow we finally, mercifully, get a return to some real basketball. It will have been 9 full days before the NBA Finals finally tips off. I remember when I was younger, the Finals would have been over by now, but money talks, and I guess, even though the NBA is more popular than ever, they need to make as much as they can by spreading this out over an almost 3 month stretch. The NBA playoffs really needs a retooling because this is ridiculous. There are too many teams, games and time off in between these games. I cannot believe that they will not have played the first game of the Finals until June 1st. That is utterly ridiculous.

Anyway, I'm here to break down the Finals and give my prediction, as I do every year. We have a trilogy upon us. This is the matchup that pretty much everyone was expecting when KD signed with the Warriors almost a year ago. I know in my 2017 playoff preview I picked the Warriors to face the Wizards, and I was wrong. But every other time I did some kind of talk and a piece I wrote on the NBA, I said that it would inevitably be the Warriors and Cavs. We all knew it was coming down to this. They are clearly the 2 best teams in all of the NBA.

Combined the two teams have 7 guys that were All Stars this year. I saw a thing the other day that said, between the 2 teams, there are 11 guys that have been to at least one All Star game. We have the best player in the game right now, and probably the third or fourth best player ever in LeBron. We have the best pure shooter I have ever seen in Steph. KD, who is incredible offensively, has decided that defense is important, and he has become a force on both ends of the floor. Draymond Green is, far and away, the most versatile player in the NBA. Kyrie Irving can get ridiculously hot at any time, and he may have the best handles in the game. Kevin Love has found his niche with the Cavs, and it seems to be finally coming together for him. Tristan Thompson does all the dirty work for the Cavs, and he does it better than anyone else. But, what I think should be the scariest thing to the Cavs chances at a repeat is the fact that Klay hasn't really started to make his shots yet. It is going to happen soon, and that should frighten everyone involved with the Cleveland organization.

This is a very star studded Finals that, on paper, could be as competitive as last seasons championship series. I sure hope it is at least mildly competitive because, as I have stated before, these NBA playoffs have been incredibly mediocre. They have been filled with blowouts and stupid skirmishes and it has all just been one long and boring wait for the Warriors and Cavs to finally meet up. We got that, and it starts tomorrow night.

When looking at the rosters, I think the Warriors is much better than the Cavs. Yes, the Cavs have LeBron, and Kyrie Irving loves to play the Warriors, but that is about it. I have no faith in guys like Deron Williams, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Kyle Korver and anyone else that starts or plays meaningful minutes. In all seriousness, the Cavs defense is horrendous, and it is because they have a roster of super old vets that are only good offensive players, and Kyrie and Kevin Love are liabilities on the defensive end of the floor. They can score a whole of points, but they give up a whole lot of points as well. That is all well and good when you are playing the Raptors, Pacers and Celtics, but that won't work against the Warriors. With that being said, the Warriors do have flaws of their own. Steph and Klay have been virtually non existent in the last 2 Finals appearances for the Warriors. they have missed a ton of open shots. Draymond has played great, but he needs to keep his temper in check. If he gets suspended again, that could spell doom. LeBron owns KD on the court. I think, both with the Warriors and Thunder, KD has only won 5 games against him, and he will have to guard LeBron, and LeBron will guard him. Then we have guys like Patrick McCaw and James Michael McAdoo who have not been in very high pressure situations because they are young. Also, the Warriors front court is very mediocre. Zaza Pachulia and David West are fine players, but they are no match for Tristan Thompson. Thompson will crush them on the boards.

Then when I look at coaching, honestly, neither of these teams need a coach. First of all, LeBron is the coach of the Cavs. Ty Lue may have the title of coach, but he is just a figure head. LeBron calls every play, tells the front office who to sign and makes all the important decisions in important games. That is the truth. Steve Kerr is a very good coach, but he has some crazy illness, and he will not be able to coach in the Finals, according to recent reports. That leaves the Warriors with Mike Brown. Yes, he has been fired by three different times, and he has coached LeBron, but, while the Warriors do not have an alpha like LeBron, they have a great core group that feed off each other. It is pretty simple to draw up a play that gets Steph, Klay or KD an open three. Then, there is Draymond, who is just a bad matchup everywhere. So, while Lue was the coach of the Cavs last year when they won, I don't see him as giving Cleveland any advantage. And Mike Brown, well, Luke Walton won a ton of games when he stepped in for Kerr last year, and this is just more of the same. Kerr surrounds himself with smart basketball people, but again, he has 3 of the best 5 shooters in the game right now on his team.

With all this being said, I really, really want a good, hard fought, competitive series. I want this to go 7 games. I want these teams and their super stars to trade blows and make it fun. I want it to go long so I do have some basketball to watch while I'm on vacation next week. I want all these things, but I do not think it will happen. I think the Cavs are a bit too mouthy right now and a little too big for their britches. They are laughing off the fact that they're the underdog when they are unequivocally the underdog. Some anonymous player on the Cavs, who is clearly a coward, is saying that Javale McGee is not "smart enough to play in the Finals". LeBron's teammates, mainly Richard Jefferson, are making excuses for him as to why he played so poorly in game 3 of the East Finals. They are just popping off a bit too much. They almost have too much swagger. Where with the Warriors, I have not heard anything except Mike Brown commenting on what Ty Lue said about the fact that Celtics are harder to prepare for than the Warriors. Everyone involved with Golden State has been pretty quiet leading up to these Finals. Also, Steph seems to have his mojo back, KD is engaged at both ends of the floor and Draymond is being Draymond, without all the dick punching and whining. And, as I stated earlier, Klay is gong to break out of this slump at any time now, and this Warriors team will be unguardable then. As much as I'd personally love to see KD get denied a ring after choosing to join the Warriors, instead of trying to beat them, I just do not see any way that the Cavs can beat them. They're a horrendous defensive team. They are talking way too much shit. I don't think Kyrie will be able to replicate what he did last year. Kevin Love is a horrible defender, and he will be tasked with guarding one of the Warriors many shooters. It just doesn't seem to be in the cards for a Cavs repeat this year. In fact, I think the Warriors will finish this postseason off undefeated and sweep their way to a Finals victory. They have too many shooters on the floor, they play just as good defense as they do offense and they will crush the Cavs. The Cavs have LeBron, but I don't think it will matter this year. The Warriors have Steph, Klay, Draymond, and they basically traded Harrison Barnes for KD. They are just too good. If they do lose this Finals, I think it will be a bigger upset than blowing a 3-1 lead last year.

As far as Finals MVP, I think Steph and KD will cancel each other out, and if Klay finds his stroke, I think he will win it. If he doesn't find his shot, I think Draymond, with his all around play, will win it.

Anyway, the Finals will probably be just as rough as this whole playoffs has been, and I think the Warriors will sweep their way to a title. They look like a team on a mission right now.

Ty

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

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The Missouri Tigers are Assembling an Incredibly Talented Basketball Team. Will it Work?

Are you questioning my talent basketball writer guy?

The University of Missouri basketball program is putting together a recruiting class on the same level as a Kentucky, Duke or any other program that has bought into the "one and done" culture. This comes a few seasons after Missouri basketball has been downright dreadful. Last year they won 8 games total. That is abysmal.

The tigers did the right thing and fired the coach and brought in a great coach in Cuonzo Martin. They rid themselves of a guy that should be a D-2 coach, which he was before he took the Missouri job after Frank Haith left. Cuonzo Martin has won everywhere that he has been, and I think he will do the same at Missouri. He is a very, very good coach.

Then, this class that he has brought in with him so far is amazing. He has the top player in the state, and one of the top 5 players in the country in Michael Porter Jr. This was a big, big get for Martin. Missouri was finally able to get the best in state player to stay home. This wasn't the case a few months ago though. Porter Jr was originally committed to Washington, but they have been a trash program, and Lorenzo Romar finally got the axe this offseason.

Being a smart coach, Martin brought Romar on as an assistant once he took the Missouri job. This happens all the time in college, and it is not illegal. It is shady, but not illegal. My man, Jim Harbaugh, has done this same stuff since he took the job at Michigan three years ago. So, the hiring of Romar got Porter Jr's attention.

Martin then went out and hired Michael Porter SR as an assistant as well. Again, shady, but not illegal. Porter SR was a respected high school coach, and the next logical step was to move up to the college ranks. After Missouri hired Porter SR, it was a done deal that Porter Jr would be wearing black and gold next year.

Martin and company have been reeling in 4 and 5 star guys left and right. They have some great player from East Saint Louis coming in, some of Porter Jr's buddies who he is openly recruiting, and recently, they got Porter Jr's brother reclassified, and he is now eligible to play at Missouri next year. I will say it again, it is all shady, but it happens all the time in college athletics, especially in college basketball. Anyone who thinks that schools like Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State or any other blue blood that recruits "one and done" guys doesn't do the same stuff that Martin is doing right now, you're an idiot. This is the world we live in for college basketball right now.

What I hope does not happen for Missouri and Cuonzo Martin is, either an LSU and Washington scenario where these guys don't mesh and the team wins between 15-18 games and misses all tournaments, or what happened at Michigan after the Fab Five split and all the accusations came. Those accusations, which were found to be true, crippled the Michigan basketball program for over a decade. I am not a fan of any of the University of Missouri sports, hell, I have written a whole thing about how I hate their football program, but I do not wish what happened to Michigan basketball to happen to anyone.

Michigan cheated to get the guys they got, and they paid for it. When they signed Juwan Howard then Jimmy King then Ray Jackson then Jalen Rose and finally the cherry on top, Chris Webber, I couldn't believe it. Sure, I was a naïve pre teen that just loved to see these guys play together, but the older I got, the more curious I became as to how they got all this great talent in one single recruiting class. It was boosters and money and homes and jobs being given illegally to family members and friends of these elite athletes.

College sports has become a win at all costs game, and it can get sickening at times. These are young kids, going to play a sport for which they receive no financial incentive, and they seem to cannot wait to get out of there. Webber was known for openly complaining that he couldn't buy himself a meal, but the University was selling a jersey with his number on it for 40 plus dollars. It is a common and relatable gripe. These players do not see the benefits until they leave for the pros. The college coaches will continue to do anything and everything to bring in top talent. All they have to do is win games, and the boosters and fans are happy. They don't really care about these kids. The same can be said for Calipari and Coach K. They may say they care, but they don't. They bring in new kids every year, and they could care less about their well being. They just want them for basketball.

I hope this doesn't happen at Missouri. I also hope, for the fans sake, mainly my two brothers, Ross and RD, that this actually works. It worked for Michigan. They went to 2 straight Final Fours and 2 straight title games. These kids, luckily, meshed and played well together. But, look at what happened at LSU 2 years ago when Ben Simmons committed there. He was supposed to be the best thing to happen to that program since Shaq was there. Well, he was an inconsistent shooter, got hurt here and there and checked out when it was clear they wouldn't be a tournament team. LSU won 18 games with an incredible recruiting class. Or, look at Markelle Fultz and Washington last year. Fultz was one of the best point guards in the country, and will most likely be the first pick in the upcoming draft, and Washington won 9 games. One more than Missouri did last year. Fultz was in a crummy situation with a coach that didn't use him properly. The same thing happened the year before with Washington when they had Marquess Chriss. Chriss is an other worldly athlete, and Washington couldn't even make the NIT. Arizona is another example. They are a little better, they are a tournament team, but they always flame out. A few years ago they had Rondae Hollis Jefferson and Stanley Johnson, and I think they were bounced in the second round. California is another team that just couldn't do much with a few great recruits. Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb came there 2 years ago with super high expectations, and in year one, they got beat in the first round and Brown left for the draft. And last year, with Rabb as the guy, they were marginal at best.

So yeah, in the 90's it worked for Michigan. Sure, Duke won the title a few years ago with 4 freshman being the core. Calipari has won one title with a mostly freshman laden squad, but great recruits does not make for great teams all the time. All these kids are the stars at their school, and they expect to be the star in college. We have way more examples of freshman led teams flaming out than we do of them going deep in the NCAA tournament.

I hope it works out, not so much for Missouri, but for Cuonzo Martin. I think he is a really good coach, and I hope these 18 and 19 year olds listen to him. And, I hope Martin and Missouri do not get hit with the same type punishment Michigan got after the Fab Five was gone. I hope he is doing his recruiting as fairly and properly as possible. Time will only tell. Until then though, holy cow does Missouri have the kids to turn this team back around. Let's see them do it on the court now.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

LaMarcus Aldridge and the Spurs are Better Together

The Spurs and Aldridge need to put a ring on it

With the Warriors sweeping the Spurs out of the playoffs last night, to no one's surprise, the question of trading LaMarcus Aldridge has been at the top of a lot of sports websites today. And we here at SeedSing are no different. I want to talk about how I think this is not a viable option for a team like the Spurs.

Yes, Aldridge has not been as productive in the 2 years he's been with the Spurs as he was in his first 7 with the Trailblazers. Sure, he has disappeared in the playoffs. Yeah, when Kawhi went out and he was the focal point of the offense, he struggled. But, what do the Spurs think they could get for him, and it is just not in the Spurs nature to do something like this. When was the last time they just traded away a very good player? They traded George Hill away a few years back, but that was to get Kawhi. Other than that, nothing comes to my mind. This is a team that builds through the draft and signs players near the end of their career that can give them one or two more years. They also love to take foreign players in the draft, stash them and have them come over in a few years. They also always draft late in the first round, and they take guys that fit their system that can sit behind an already established NBA player. The Spurs are a smart team is what I am saying. 

When they signed Aldridge 2 years ago, that was the biggest move I have seen them make since tanking and taking Tim Duncan first overall. Aldridge was supposed to be the heir apparent, but it is wildly clear that Kawhi is the guy now for the Spurs. But, Aldridge is still a very good and competent big man in the modern NBA. He can shoot, rebound and is an okay defender. He is also very coachable and doesn't seem to complain too much behind the scenes, at least to the public's knowledge. He is also best fit to be a second or third option on a team. He is the second guy in San Antonio, and he was the second fiddle in Portland. Some may say that he was the first option, but that team was being built around Damien Lillard. That should have been made very clear when he was free to walk 2 seasons ago. Portland always wanted Lillard to be the guy. 

If they do trade him, who could the Spurs go out and get that can replicate what Aldridge brings to the team? Like I said, he is a modern NBA center. So, if the Spurs want to trade him, who should they look at getting? I'm sure they would want a young guy like Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Davis or Boogie Cousins. That is not happening in a million years. Those guys are number one guys, and I don't think they'd want to leave to go be the second option behind Kawhi.

So maybe a second tier center you say. Okay, Nerlens Noel is very happy and fits perfectly in Dallas. None of the 76ers young guys fit what the Spurs want to do, and Embiid is not available. The Rockets aren't going to trade away Clint Capela or Nene, they are great fits in Houston. Steven Adams is not leaving OKC. He is beloved there, and while his style of play is a fit for the Spurs, OKC is not giving him up for Aldridge.

That would leave the Spurs with guys that aren't a tenth of the player who Aldridge is for them. They could go out and get a Zaza Pachulia, Al Horford, Marcin Gortat or a Willy Cauley Stein type guy. That is not the route I think the Spurs would want to go. It is definitely not the route that Pop wants to take.

The Spurs need to keep Aldridge. They are most likely going to lose guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli to retirement. And when those 2 do officially retire, I will write pieces on them and how great they were. Patty Mills will most likely leave in free agency. Pau Gasol is probably gone, either to retiring or signing elsewhere. And, Johnny Simmons and Dewayne Dedmond might get extremely overpaid this offseason. If they were to trade Aldridge, and lose all these guys, they'd be very, very thin, especially in the front court. If they do trade Aldridge, I'm sure they'd do everything to keep Dedmond, but he is not LaMarcus Aldridge. The Spurs have guys to replace the Ginobli's and Parker's of the world. Dejounte Murray and Kyle Anderson are ready to be starters in the NBA. Brinn Forbes is a decent defender and three point shooter. Johnny Simmons, as long as they keep him, is extreme energy off the bench and can score and defend. I'm sure they have some guys on their deep bench that are just awaiting their turn. But, they do not have that front court depth. Gasol will be gone. David Lee is done. Dedmond is inconsistent and unplayable at times. In my opinion, they need to keep Aldridge no matter what.

I've grown tired of hearing about how LaMarcus Aldridge is a trash player and a choker. How is his playoff performances in the past couple of years any different than James Harden? Harden has laid 3 straight eggs in the playoffs, yet no one is saying that the Rockets need to trade him. All this, "we need to trade guys after 2 years because they aren't who they were with their first team" is nonsense. LaMarcus Aldridge is a damn good NBA player. Give him at least one more season, paired up with Kawhi, and I bet he will play his role to near perfection. It wasn't his fault that Kawhi got hurt. It's not his fault that he plays a mid range game. He is too good, and young, to give up on right now. I hope the Spurs keep him because he and Kawhi are the West's best shot to beat the Warriors. The Rockets don't play enough defense. The Thunder only have Westbrook. The Clippers are about to blow it up. The Jazz are good, but not that good, and they may lose some key guys this offseason. The Spurs though, they can play with the Warriors when fully healthy. They would have won game one if not for Kawhi's injury. But, Aldridge was also very good in that game.

Don't give up on Aldridge San Antonio and your fans. He is still a very, very good NBA player.

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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LeBron Will Never, Ever, Be as Good as Jordan.

Today was supposed to be about how dominant both the Warriors and Cavs have looked so far in the playoffs. Granted, they're both going to meet in the Finals for a third time, but the Cavs, and LeBron, laid a total egg last night. Let's talk about it.

LeBron had 11 points after going for 30 plus in 9 straight games. He just flat out disappeared last night. Sure, he wasn't needed in the first half, the Cavs were up by as many as 21 points. Kevin Love was hitting threes, Kyrie was making jumpers and getting to the rim and Thompson was out rebounding everyone. Then, the third quarter happened. Yes, the Celtics started making shots and playing very good defense, but where in the world was LeBron?

This is why I don't think LeBron will ever surpass Michael Jordan as the GOAT. Jordan never disappeared like LeBron always seems too, especially in the playoffs. This isn't a one time thing with LeBron either. He's been in the league for 14 years, and there's been multiple times that he just seems out of it or even disinterested. He's an incredible, wonderful, awesome basketball player, but sometimes, he just doesn't feel like playing. That's a problem when you want to be the best. Try to find one time Jordan had moments, in the playoffs, where he just decided to mail it in. He not only never had these moments, he only ever thrived. Even when the Bulls weren't the dynasty Bulls, he still showed out. He was the guy that put up 63 in Boston Garden against a vaunted Celtics team, led by Larry Bird. He came to play every night against the "Bad Boys" Pistons team, no matter how many times they put him on the floor, cheap shot or not. Jordan not only gavemaximum effort always, he also wanted to destroy you.

LeBron doesn't seem to have that side to him. He is fake tough when he wants to be. Jordan was real tough and dominant. LeBron is the best player now, but he has too many friends in the league. No one was Jordan's friend, especially on the court. Jordan was never hugging other players and high fiving opponents before and after games. He wanted to rip their throats and then stomp on them. LeBron, and most modern stars, are too friendly.

That is another reason there will never be another MJ. Jordan is the best. LeBron's performance last night further proved that to me. Like I said at the top, I was ready to heap a ton of praise on him. He looked locked in like never before, which is saying something for him. He was demoralizing everyone in his path. He was ruthless. But, we got fake tough, whiny, disinterested LeBron last night, and that stinks. Look, the Cavs are still going to beat the Celtics, probably in 5 games, but that performance by him left a bad taste in my mouth. LeBron is great, probably top 5 ever. But, if he continues to have games like last night in the playoffs, he will never surpass Jordan. Jordan is the best, and the most ruthless. LeBron is incredible, but he comes and goes as he wishes, and he's too friendly to be the best.

The fact are as follows, LeBron is still incredible, but he's not Michael Jordan, and he never will be.

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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Colin Kaepernick Deserves to be on an NFL Team

First off, I have to say a very happy birthday to our head editor, and my brother, RD. Hope you have a great day big bro.

Anyway, where we sit today, on May 19th at 2:35pm in the Midwest, Colin Kaepernick still remains unsigned. Now, I have been, equal parts hard and supportive of Kaepernick. I think, as a football player, he is marginal, at best. I also think, as a person, he is more American than most people and he has done wonderful things to bring to light some big time social injustices.

With that being said, I am shocked that he is not on a football roster right now. Yes, I already said that he is a marginal player, but he has an overall record as a starter of 32-32 and he has been to a Super Bowl. He almost won that Super Bowl single handily for the 49ers as well. He is better than a decent amount of the starters in the league right now, and I think he would be an incredible backup QB, on the right team.

First off, let's look at some of the starters right now going into 2017. I'd much rather have a guy like Kaepernick leading my team than say, Tom Savage, Brock Osweiler, Mike Glennon, Jared Goff or Sam Bradford. Those guys have never done anything of importance in the NFL, let alone making a Super Bowl. Sure, some of those teams may not fit his style of play, but he changed the way he played from college to the NFL, so I'm pretty sure he could manage a shift to a more traditional NFL offense. Hell, if I were the Vikings, I'd try as hard as I could to sign him. They play a west coast offense, which Kaepernick excelled in in San Francisco, and he is way, way better, and more reliable, than Sam freaking Bradford.

Those are just some of the starters that I think he is much better than. He would be the best back up in the NFL if that's the route, which is most likely, that he should choose. He is a million miles better than guys like Charlie Whitehurst, Mark Sanchez, Trevoyne Boykin, Connor Cook, Matt Schaub or Chase Daniel, just to name a few. I'm sure a team like the Saints, Titans, Seahawks, basically any fringe playoff team, would love to have him. The only back ups that come to my mind that are better than Kaepernick are, Jimmy Garropolo, possibly Alex Smith and maybe even, hell, I cannot think of any other back ups that are better than him.

While Kaepernick's best days as a player may be well over, he is still a viable option as a roster player in the NFL. I'm puzzled as to why no team has even brought him in to talk. I've heard a bunch of the Seahawks players want him, and even though I loathe that team, that would be the most ideal spot for him. It is almost too perfect. He is a taller version of Russell Wilson, and he is consistently more healthy. I actually kind of hope this happens because I am now a fan of Kaepernick's, and he deserves to be on a team.

The other reason he may not be getting signed is the kneeling during the anthem, and that is utter bull shit. He kneeled during a song, who cares?! He protested, which is well within his rights, and he is now being black balled for this? That is so, so stupid. And, by all accounts, this did not cause any type of split or friction in the 49ers locker room last year. In fact, the vast majority of his teammates, coaches and opponents stood by him and protested along with him. He started a movement of sorts with his protest. I loved it. Some of the police are maniacal monsters drunk on power, for the most part, and they are especially brutal to people of color. Kaepernick had every right to do what he did. I do not like the fact that he didn't vote, but that is another topic for another day. He is allowed to do this due to free speech. As I have already said, he is more American than most dumbass police officers that stereotype and racial profile. Also, look at all the great things he has been doing this offseason. Just go out and google Colin Kaepernick charity, and you will be blown away.

I am just baffled that he remains unsigned. I already named a bunch of starters and back ups that he is better than, and all he did with his kneeling was peaceful protesting. The fact that a guy like Adrian Peterson, who physically beat a 4 year old, or Richie Incognito, who is a racist bully, or Riley Cooper, who uses racial slurs at country shows, or Greg Hardy, who abuses women far too much, keep getting chances, and Kaepernick does not is utterly ridiculous.

The NFL, Roger Goodell and a lot of GM's are out of their minds and making me question one of my favorite sports to watch. The fact that Kaepernick is unsigned is stupidity at its highest, and hopefully this gets corrected. He is too good a player and a great person. He is the type of athlete that deserves a "second chance".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His ass kissing at the top should be rewarded with dollars. Help Ty get his dollars by donating to SeedSing. 

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Even a Fixed NBA Lottery Cannot Save the Lakers from Themselves

Amidst the Warriors blowing out the Kawhi less Spurs last night, we also had the NBA Draft Lottery Show. Now, just to put it out there, I did not watch the show. I was playing basketball. I think the lottery show is pointless, and I can see where every team picks on the internet later in the night.

With that being said, I do think that this lottery was fixed, much like the 2003 and the 1985 lottery shows. I was only 3 in 1985, but I know my NBA history. This was the year that Patrick Ewing was becoming a pro, and I have heard, and agree with, all the theories that the envelope was frozen, or at least cold, and it was fixed so the Knicks could take him. I fully believe this to be the truth. I also like the fact that Ewing was a Knick. It made all the sense in the world, and I rooted for the Ewing led Knicks team when I was a kid. The Sonics were my team, but I also enjoyed the Knicks back then.

The other fixed lottery, the 2003 one, was so blatant, people just bypass even talking about it. This was the LeBron year, and of course the hometown Cavs got the number one pick. Why would the NBA want it any other way? Of course this was great for the league, for LeBron, for David Stern, for the Eastern Conference, it was all just a little to perfect. Again, I had no real problem with this either. It's always nice when a hometown kid can stay home and turn the team around. LeBron was going to thrive anywhere, but it was nice that he was able to start his professional career in Cleveland.

Well, last night's lottery now has me convinced they fixed it for, at least, the third time in my life. And no, I'm not talking about the Celtics getting the first overall pick. They earned that right when they fleeced the Nets a few years ago. That is what happens when you give up asset after asset to try and chase a title with an aging Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. The Celtics did the exact right thing, and they reaped the benefits last year, getting the third pick, and even more so last night, getting the first pick. I'm also not talking about the 76ers getting the third pick. This has been their "process" for the past 5 years, and they keep getting top 3 picks every year. I'm also not talking about the Kings getting 2 top ten picks. They, much like the Celtics, earned that right when they traded Boogie to the Pelicans, and asked for an unprotected top 10 pick. All of that stuff, and all the other teams, like the T'Wolves, Knicks, Suns, they all "earned" their right to draft in the top 10. That's is what teams get for tanking nowadays. As much as I dislike the whole tanking thing, it works for these teams.

The reason I think this particular lottery was fixed was the fact that the Lakers got the second overall pick. Yes, they were bad. Yes, they "earned" the right to pick top 5. Yes, they can get a possible transformative player in this upcoming draft, which is loaded. But, they could have lost a whole lot if they didn't get a top 3 pick. The NBA did not want their beloved Lakers to have to go through a full on rebuild, even though that is currently what they are doing, and they made sure they did not lose this pick. Had they been given the fourth pick, they would have had to give it up, and they would have lost their first round picks for the next 2 years. That would have been a brutal blow to this blue blood franchise. Can you imagine how angry Magic Johnson, Adam Silver and Jeanie Buss would have been had they not gotten their top 3 pick? It would have been an absolute nightmare. So yes, I do think the people involved with the NBA and the lottery made sure that the Lakers got one of the top 3 picks.

The NBA is still trying to deal with the Knicks being horrendous, the Bulls constantly being in flux, the 76ers being one of the worst franchises in all of sports. They could not have the Lakers going through a massive rebuild as well. Never mind the fact that the NBA is as popular as ever, the powers that be want the Lakers to, at least, be relevant. Teams like the Warriors, Cavs, Spurs, Celtics, they are all great, but the NBA does not want the almighty Lakers to continue to be a 20 win team.

I do not care about them fixing the lottery, and I think it is fine. I also think it will be hilarious when they draft Lonzo Ball second overall. This is going to cause almost as much drama as if they lost a top 3 pick. There are much better players that fit what the Lakers want to do, but they will be told to take Ball. The NBA, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV will want to have the Ball family in LA. They will make it so.

To make things even more interesting, the Lakers already have a point guard. Sure, D'Angelo Russell is inconsistent, but he is only 21, he has only been in the league for 2 years and he showed flashes of being a decent point guard last year. Players need time to grow, especially guys that are only 21.

The Celtics will either trade the first pick for a superstar, or take Markelle Fultz. So, when the Lakers pick, Fultz will most likely be gone. That opens up a lot of options for the Lakers. Ball will be there, but so will guys like Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Johnathan Issac, Lauri Markenien, De'Aron Fox and Malik Monk. A lot of these guys would be a much better fit on the Lakers than Ball, and from what we know, they don't bring the baggage of Lavar Ball.

I think a guy like Josh Jackson would be a perfect fit in LA. He is long, can guard, will learn to shoot and seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I also love pairing Brandon Ingram with Johnathan Issac. Issac is another long guy that can defend, he's a better shooter and, again, brings no known baggage. Hell, I'd even look at Jayson Tatum before Ball. Tatum didn't really show out, but he looks like he could be a poor mans Carmelo Anthony in the NBA. He can get his own shot and usually knocks it down. If I were the Lakers and Luke Walton, I'd look at someone in the front court as opposed to a back court guy in this draft.

Now that I gave LA some sound advice, I would bet a whole lot of money that the Lakers will take Ball, trade Russell and that will put them back even further. No one will want to sign there because no bona fide star will want to deal with the circus that is the Ball family. Luke Walton, who looks like he will be a good coach, will get very irritated and aggravated at having to deal with Lavar Ball. And, this means they will have to break up their young core of Russell, Julius Randall, Brandon Ingram and Jordan Clarkson to make room for Ball. The Ball family will not settle for his son sitting and learning, he will demand playing time right away. This will be the main problem with this pick. Lonzo Ball will set the Lakers back.

Congratulations Lakers. You guys got your top 3 pick, but I'm pretty sure you will blow it by drafting Lonzo Ball. The NBA did what they could to keep you relevant, but your front office will most likely screw it up. I guess that is what happens when you fix a lottery.

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

James Harden and Mike D'Antoni Choked in the Playoffs, Again

Maybe some playground hoop practice will help D'Antoni and Harden next time

I, much like any NBA fan, assumed that the Rockets would win game 6 last night. Kawhi was ruled out for the game. The game was in Houston. The Rockets were going to make a million threes. Tony Parker has been out since game 2. Everything was in the Rockets favor. Then, the Spurs went out and won by 39 points.

The Rockets, in a potential season ending game, at home, with one of the 2 MVP favorites, the Spurs down their 2 best players, lost by 39 god damn points. That is pitiful. I already wrote yesterday about how bad these NBA playoffs have been and last night was a prime example why. So no, the Rockets loss is not the basis of my piece today. The question I want to pose this afternoon, is James Harden and Mike D'Antoni overrated, and why do they always choke in the playoffs?

First, let's take a look at D'Antoni. Mike D'Antoni will be the Coach of the Year this season. There is no doubt about that. The Rockets had a great regular season. They played a real fun style of basketball and they won a lot more games than I, or a lot of people, foresaw. His decision to put Harden at point guard and surround him with great three point shooters and great bigs that are perfect for pick and roll basketball was genius. But, when he needed a great game from everyone last night, himself included, he laid a total egg. D'Antoni had that game on a silver platter for him. I already mentioned all the reasons as to why they should have been the team to win by 39 points. But, by the middle of the third quarter, D'Antoni looked beat. Go check out the memes and everything on the internet from last night. There is a picture of him where he just looks like he had given up.

So, we have last night as a reminder of his notorious choke jobs in the playoffs. His time in both, LA with the Lakers and New York with the Knicks, are not something we need to look at. He was put in bad situations in both places and he did not use his personnel correctly. Both he, and those franchises, are to blame for his failures as the head coach. But, when he was with the Suns in the mid 2000's, those teams were fun as hell to watch. They were like watching this current iteration of the Rockets. Steve Nash was the perfect point guard for his system. He had guys like Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Raja Bell that played their specific roles perfectly. But, those Suns teams never made it out of the West Finals. Yes, they were royally screwed by the refs one season, but other than that, those Suns teams had great regular seasons only to bow out of the playoffs with a whimper.

D'Antoni has won coach of the year awards and has a great offensive mind, but his defense is atrocious, and he sticks to his style of play to a fault. That Rockets team had no shot from the tip last night. But, even when they were down 20 plus points, they just kept jacking three after three. They could have cut into the lead if they ran some more pick and roll or drove to the basket looking to score or draw a foul. But, they just kept bombing threes, no matter how many they were clanking. To me, that is on Mike D'Antoni. He is a good regular season coach, but I do not think he is a good playoff coach. He couldn't beat Phil Jackson or Rick Carlisle when he was in Phoenix, and now, Greg Poppovich absolutely owns him. I guarantee that D'Antoni has nightmares about coaching against Poppovich.

The coach only draws up the game plan. He does not play in the game. That is on the players, and the Rockets best player, an MVP favorite, James Harden was MIA last night. He was absolutely abysmal. This was probably the worst game by a "top ten" player that I have ever witnessed. I do not know what he was thinking, but to have only attempted 2 shots by halftime, what was he thinking? I don't know if he was hurt, scared, playing possum, shaving points or just mad at his teammates and the media for saying how shitty he has been all playoffs. Don't get it twisted either, he was garbage throughout the 11 games the Rockets played in the 2017 playoffs. He was a complete disaster. After witnessing his 10 point, 6 assist and 7 turnover game on something like 2 of 10 shooting, I started to think back to his time in OKC and his first couple of years in Houston, and I remembered how unreliable he is in crucial games.

Lets first look at his 2 years at Arizona State. In is freshman year he was fine, but ASU went 21-13 and lost in the third round of the NIT. I do not even remember him during his freshman year. Then he exploded as a sophomore, averaging around 20 ppg and guiding ASU back to the tournament. But, in the second round he shot 2 of 12, or something like that, and ASU bounced out of the tournament with little to no consequence. So, we should have known that maybe he wasn't a prime time player back then.

Then, while with OKC, he was a great sixth man. He was instant offense off the bench. When came in and teamed up with KD and Westbrook, man were they fun and hard to stop. In his third year he won sixth man of the year and the Thunder made it to the Finals, in large part due to Harden's play early in those playoffs. But, when he was looked upon to come in and neutralize the Heat, he was a no show. He was so bad in those Finals. He disappeared. It got so bad, he looked scared to shoot whenever LeBron or Wade would come out and guard him.

Harden was traded, much to the chagrin of a lot of people, most notably Bill Simmons who still won't stop talking about it. He wanted to be "the man", and Houston provided him that option. He has had 5 great regular seasons with the Rockets. Well, maybe only 4, but still, he has been good to great in the regular season. He has made 5 All Star games, been on the All NBA first team a couple of times, and has been in the MVP conversation 2 of his 5 years there. But, every year, when he gets his chance to shine, he chokes.

One of his first playoffs with the Rockets, they played the Thunder, and the Thunder wiped the floor with them. This was the series where Patrick Beverly cheap shot Westbrook and knocked him out for the playoffs, but KD won that series. Harden was so so, and couldn't capitalize on Westbrook's backups that came in to guard him. Then, with the Rockets looking dead, mainly due to Harden's play, Kevin McHale benched him and the Rockets came back fro down 3-1 against the Clippers. The "Clippers Collapse" had nothing to due with James Harden. It had more to due with guys like Josh Smith, Corey Brewer and dare I even say, Dwight Howard. When the Rockets completed the comeback, they faced the Warriors in the West Finals, and we saw all we needed to see from Harden in game 1. He had multiple chances to win that game, but both Steph and Klay flat out stopped him. He was busy looking for his mouth piece as opposed to hitting big shots. The season after that, when Harden came in out of shape and dated a Kardashian, he was bad all year, and so were the Rockets. That season was dreadful and they bowed out easily in round one. The team followed the lead of their leader, Harden, that whole season, and they stunk.

Coming into this year no one knew what to expect from Harden and the Rockets. Well, Harden looked locked in and the Rockets were humming. The Rockets and Harden looked awesome. He was putting up great numbers and leading his team to 50 plus wins. He is a legit MVP candidate. But, then the playoffs started, and he played like garbage, as I have said. Yes, the Rockets beat the Thunder in 5, but it wasn't anything that Harden did. He played well in game 1, but that was it. Westbrook balled out, but he had zero help. I wrote an article about that last week. Looking back at that series, I still feel like Westbrook was the MVP.

Then, after the last 6 games, I am even more certain that Westbrook deserves the MVP. Harden never really played all that great. He never seemed locked in. The block in game 5 was tremendous for many reasons. Harden got a good look. He probably offensively fouled to get open. He played half decent in that game. But, 40 year old Manu Ginobli perfectly timed his jump and ripped the ball out of Harden's hands with no time left. I think that stayed with him, especially after watching him last night. Harden was just dreadful last night. I cannot state that strong enough. He looks so terrible. I still am baffled at his play. I guarantee that Westbrook wouldn't have gone out like that. Hell, in game 5 against the Rockets, Westbrook did all he could, he just had no help. What Harden did last night further proves to me that he is not a prime time, big shot, the guy that strikes fear in opponents hearts type of player. He doesn't seem to care how his team does in the playoffs. He just looks kind of aloof and careless in the most important moments of the biggest games on the biggest stage.

Finally, last night proved to me that Mike D'Antoni is an okay coach, in the regular season. Last night also showed me that James Harden is a great player, in the regular season as well. But, the main thing I took away from last night, both guys are chokers and cannot handle when the most important games ae happening. They are not clutch. They are not MVP caliber player and coach. They just cannot be counted on to win the big time. They no show when they are needed most. Maybe this will change, but it hasn't changed for D'Antoni since 2004, and it hasn't changed for Harden since 2008. I think they are who they are, and that is 2 guys that clam up when they are counted on most.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The NBA Playoffs have Sucked, and I am Still Going to Watch

Tonight there is a pivotal game 6 in the NBA playoffs between Houston and San Antonio. If San Antonio wins, they move on to face the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. If the Rockets win, there will be a game 7 this weekend. With all this being said, I am not looking forward to any game 7.

This NBA postseason has been wildly disappointing. The games and series, for the most part, have been blowouts and have gone as expected. Both Cleveland and Golden State have breezed, as they should, through their first 2 series. The Warriors have not faced any real competition to this point so far, especially since they are at full strength. The Blazers, try as they might, do not have a team that is a threat to any playoff team in the West. I love Lillard and McCollum, but outside of those 2, there is not much else. It was a telltale sign of how that series would go when, in game 1, both Lillard and McCollum went for almost 85 points, and the Blazers still lost by double digits. They then breezed through the Jazz with no problem at all. The Cavs crushed the Pacers. The Pacers looked like they did not even want to be there, and Paul George was throwing his teammates under the bus left and right. They laid a total egg in game 4. The Raptors, who I thought could give the Cavs a series, were just awful. Their bigs couldn't stay on the floor, Lowry played hurt, then didn't play at all, DeRozan was wildly inconsistent, basically, the Raptors got tremendously outplayed by the Cavs. The 2 best teams have done what they should have done so far.

I expected a lot more from the first round of the NBA playoffs. I was pumped for OKC-Houston. I thought that it was going to be a great 7 game series with Harden and Westbrook trading blows. I expected high scoring games and tremendous efforts from the top 2 MVP candidates. Well, the Rockets won in 5, Westbrook got no help and the Rockets, even though they won, didn't play exceptionally well. It was a rough series to watch. Westbrook did what he could, but he also tried to take over way too often, especially in the fourth quarter. But, the Thunder have nothing else around him, no matter what some other sports writers say. Oladipo was a no show, Adams was ineffective, Taj Gibson had one good game, the Thunder's bench and other 4 starters stunk. The Rockets and James Harden weren't much better either. They shot very low percentages from 3. Harden was inconsistent. Ryan Anderson was horrible. Eric Gordon was a non factor. Lou Williams was the only Rocket that played semi decent basketball.

The Spurs-Grizzlies series was okay, but it went as expected. Kawhi was the best player, by a wide, wide margin on the floor, and after a few hiccups, they figured it out and beat the Grizzlies in 6. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol played fine, but when you are counting on guys like Wayne Selden Jr and Vince Carter, that is not going to win you many series. They got 2 because they are a prideful team, but the Spurs were clearly the better team.

The Clippers-Jazz series was the only first round to get to a game 7, but the game 7 was never in doubt. The Clippers did what they always do and blow a game they could have easily won. Chris Paul looked gassed. Blake Griffin was injured again. Deandre Jordan, once Rudy Gobert came back, was rendered useless. The Clippers are perpetual underachievers, and they showed that in this series. The Jazz played okay, but there were times that Gordon Hayward was out or inconsistent. Gobert missed the first 3 games, yet the Jazz found a way to win 2 of those games. George Hill played fine, but not great. Rodney Hood's shot was way, way off. Joe Johnson was great, but that was about it. Game 7 of this series was a total dud, with the Jazz absolutely dominating, from the tip, the Clippers.

As far as the first round in the East, I already mentioned Cleveland and their run to the conference finals. But, other than that, no real drama. Yes, the Bulls took a 2-0 lead against the Celtics, but Isiah Thomas was dealing with a horrific tragedy, they weren't hitting threes, and Rajon Rondo remembered that he was once a top 10 point guard in the league. Dwayne Wade and Jimmy Butler were playing very good basketball as well. Then, Rondo got hurt, the Celtics started to hit their threes, they played better defense, they rallied around Thomas and they won the next 4 games, by a lot, to advance to the second round.

The Raptors-Buck series was entertaining for the single reason that we got to see Giannis Antetokoumpo's first playoff experience. He was awesome. The Bucks will be good for awhile if they stay together, but the Raptors veterans and playoff experience won out in the long run and they closed the Bucks out in 6 games. DeRozan scored better in that series and Lowry played well. Ibaka looked good and a guy like Norman Powell exploded to have a big game out of nowhere.

The Wizards-Hawks series was very bland. Each team won their first 2 home games, then the Wizards realized how much better they are than the Hawks, and they crushed them in the next 2 games, including a thumping in Atlanta in game 6. John Wall was fun to watch, but that was about it from that series.

Now, we are currently in the second round. We already have 2 teams, the aforementioned Warriors and Cavs, set to play in the conference finals. The other 2 series are still going on, but with the exception of 2 games, it has been one blowout after another. The other night was the best game I have seen so far, when Manu Ginobli blocked Harden's game tying three attempt in overtime. That was a fun back and forth game, and the balance was always in doubt. Even without Kawhi in overtime, the Spurs still found a way to win. But, the other 4 games, I believe each team has won by double digits, including each team winning a game by 20 plus points. The Rockets are deadly when they make threes like they did in games 1 and 4, but when they play like they did in games 2 and 3, anyone, including the Lakers and 76ers, can beat them. Harden has looked bad, Kawhi is not dominating, LaMarcus Aldridge has been very subpar, the Rockets shooters aren't really hitting shots, D'Antoni is playing too small a rotation and Poppovich needs to quit playing David Lee and Pau Gasol and play Dwayne Dedmond and Johnny Simmons more.

The other series in the East has been the biggest disappointment to me of the entire playoffs. I was more so looking forward to the Celtics-Wizards matchup than the Thunder-Rockets. These two teams hate each other, and that has shown, but this has been a piss poor series. Yes, game 2 was phenomenal and Thomas and Wall were otherworldly, but the other 4 games, especially last night, have been terrible. Neither team seems to want to play defense. The Celtics were up about a million at halftime last night, and scored 67 points in a half. The other night, after halftime, the Wizards went on a 26-0 run to blow away the Celtics. The series has not lived up to the hype. Yes, we had a "fight", but that was about as weak a fight that I have ever seen. But, other than that, very ho hum, filled with blowouts and bad defensive basketball. I picked the Wizards to not only win this series, but I also picked them to beat the Cavs. In 6 games. With the way they are playing right now, especially on defense, and Bradley Beal personally, they will be lucky to get one game off the Cavs. I need to amend that pick and take the Cavs in a sweep.

Which leads me to my final point. Yes, these playoffs have been dreadfully bad, but does any other teams besides the Cavs and Warriors really matter? They will meet for a third straight time in the Finals. It is absolutely inevitable after what I have watched for what seems like months now in the NBA playoffs. The Cavs and the Warriors are the only 2 teams that matter, and they will, and need, to match up again in the Finals. If it is any other team from either conference, I will be disappointed. So, if you are as disenfranchised with what you've seen so far, at least, hopefully, we will get the rubber match between the 2 teams that are far and away the best 2 teams in the NBA Finals. Here's hoping.

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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What is Kyle Lowry Worth in Free Agency?

I'll touch on how dominant the Warriors and Cavs have looked in the playoffs so far in a day or 2. Today, I want to talk about Kyle Lowry and his pending free agency.

First off, I have to state that I'm a Kyle Lowry fan. I like his game a lot, and I feel like he's an intense dude. I needed to say this because what I'm about to write might sound like I don't think he's a great player. He's a very, very good player.

With that being said, I do not think the market is going to be as open to him as he and his agent may think it will, or even should be. He will not be in that high demand. While he is a great regular season player, he has choked time and time again in the playoffs. His numbers dip dramatically during the playoffs. Teams that are perennial playoff teams probably won't go out of their way to sign him. The only regular in the playoffs that might try to sign him is his current team, the Raptors. I don't see someone like the Spurs, Thunder or even the Rockets trying to get him. I only named Western Conference teams because he's said he wants to go out West.

The only team on that list that truly needs a point guard is the Spurs, but the Chris Paul rumors keep getting stronger and stronger, and even though he's 4 years older, I'd rather have Paul than Lowry. Both are playoff chokers, but Paul's fate is more about the team and Lowry's is all on him. The Thunder have Westbrook and the Rockets have Harden and Patrick Beverly. Any other West playoff team is set at guard. The Warriors have Steph, Klay and Draymond. The Blazers have McCollum and Lillard. The Grizzlies have Conley. And teams just on the outside, like the T'Wolves and Nuggets have Wiggins, Rubio, Dunn, Mudiay and Murray. They also each have high draft choices in a draft filled with guards.

The market in the East isn't much better. The Cavs have Kyrie and LeBron. The Celtics have Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, just a plethora of guards. The Wizards have Wall and Beal. Even the Pacers have a guy like Jeff Teague. The East playoff teams, save for Toronto, are set at guard.

Another problem, Kyle Lowry is also hitting the free agent market at 31. That's old in the NBA. He is well past his prime, especially with the awful "one and done" culture taking over. I do not hear a high demand to give a big contract, especially the max, to a guy that may only have 2 or 3 more years left.

Lowry would be best, if it's all about the money, to just go back home and play for the 76ers. He's from the Philadelphia area and played his college basketball at Villanova. That makes the most sense. It's the very low rent version of going home, a la LeBron 3 years ago. He would be given a hero's welcome if he signed with the 76ers. He'd even make them semi competitive, if Embiid can stay healthy for half a season.

If he doesn't want to play for Philadelphia, his choices will be slim. He can sign for much less money, and a diminished role, if he wants to go to a contender. If he wants the big contract, it has to be a team like the 76ers, or another low rent team. He could go to Orlando or the Lakers, the Knicks or even the Suns. They'll give him the money, but the playoffs will be a distant memory.

I wish Kyle Lowry would've performed better in the playoffs this year, it would make his free agency much more interesting this summer, but he did what he has done his whole career. That will be his undoing. I hope he does well, as I stated, I'm a fan, but his best days, and being the second option on a good team are done. He's older, slower and not clutch. That's the bottom line.

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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Terrible Lavar Ball is Causing Me to Root Against His Kids

Artist diepiction of Ty when he hears Lavar Ball talk about anything

Try as I might, I just cannot escape the madness that is Lavar Ball. I've written before about how he is the worst type of sports parent. But, after writing that, I was kind of able to avoid him. I'd see something that would have his name in the story, and I'd just click right by it. No fuss, no muss.

Then, a story about Lonzo Ball came out that he was going to skip the NBA combine. Now, I am not a fan of combine results and how it inflates a major prospect, but, it is a given that the big time prospects always attend. It happens in football, if baseball has one, I'm sure the top prospects show up to it, and you always have, unless they are injured, the main guys at the NBA combine. I'm pretty sure guys like Markelle Fultz, Josh Jackson, Johnathan Issac, basically any top prospect, is attending. But, for some illogical reason, Lonzo Ball doesn't think that he needs to go. He is just assuming that he will be a top pick, which I'm sure he still will be.

Aside from the skipping the combine, he has done some other stuff that I feel like his father is making him do. Immediately, and I mean immediately after UCLA got beat in the tournament, Ball's first comment was that he was going pro. He didn't seem to care at all that is team just got beat and that he was wildly outplayed by DeArron Fox. Then, he was showing up on crappy midday ESPN shows with his father to "expand his brand". Then, he declared that he only wanted to play for the Lakers. No other team that takes him would make him happy. He basically declared that he would only play for the Lakers. Like I said, all this seems like it was orchestrated by his father. So, while I was easily bypassing stories directly about Lavar Ball, I could not escape his son, and his son's comment.

Then, the thing that has really riled me up as of late, was Lavar Ball's recent comments that his son, Lonzo's, first signature shoe will be 200 dollars a pair. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NONSENSE! No one's shoes cost 200 dollars a pair. The new LeBron's seem to average around 125-180 dollars a pair. KD's shoes are never more than 150 dollars. Kyrie Irving's shoes are usually 125 dollars. Even Air Jordan's, unless they are classic throwback shoes in mint condition, average around 160-175 dollars. These are all extremely established NBA super stars, with Jordan being the GOAT, and none of them charge 200 dollars per pair of shoes. That is asinine that Lavar Ball thinks anyone would ever pay 200 dollars for one pair of shoes. Also, who does he think is going to produce and market these shoes? He was laughed out of the Nike offices, with one of their major guys saying that he "the worst person I have ever had to deal with". Both Under Armor and Adidas have also said that they want nothing to do with the Ball family, specifically Lavar Ball. So, I ask again, who is going to sell, market, produce, create and get these 200 dollar shoes out to the public? Does he honestly think that his Big Baller Brand is going to become a thing that people will want to be a part of?

If I was a business owner of any kind I would stay away from him and his family with a 1,000 foot pole. I would want absolutely nothing to do with the Ball family, and it is all because of the father. He is a blowhard and I think he is insane. The words that come out of his mouth are just utterly ridiculous and pointless and flat out stupid. I usually like to give a player a chance. I want to watch them as pros, but I am now in the very large group of people that are actively rooting against anyone from the Ball family. I want Lonzo Ball to be a bust, and it has nothing to do with him, it is because of his father. I hope his 2 other sons never materialize to anything more than rotational college players. Lonzo Ball will be a high draft pick, he is a good player, but no one knows about his other 2 kids. I mean one of them is a sophomore, so who knows what will happen to him in 2 years. He may end up hating basketball.

I try not to actively root against kids, I'm a 34 year old with 2 kids of my own, but Lavar Ball has made the worst come out in me. He has made me an avid member of the anti Ball fan club. I want these kids to flame out as college players, and in Lonzo's case, as a pro. Lavar Ball is out of his god damn mind, and those 2 to 3 weeks where I did not even think about him were glorious. But, I just could not get the bad taste out of my mouth of this most recent outrageous declaration. No one, and I mean absolutely no one in their right minds will pay 200 dollars for shoes. That's just absurd.  Please stop talking Lavar Ball. Every time you open your mouth, you say something more ridiculous, and it makes you sound and look that much more stupid. Just please, for the love of whatever, stop.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His five year old son is pretty good at basketball right now. Any company interested in producing his $500 shoes?  

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It is Long Past Time to Blow Up the LA Clippers

The best cure for the current Clippers roster sheet

Something incredible happened yesterday. And by incredible, I mean that it was such a great sight to see the Los Angeles Clippers, once again, bow out very early in the NBA playoffs. They got beat, handily I might add, by the Jazz in the seventh game of their first round matchup.

The Clippers had everything, minus one Blake Griffin injury, in their favor to easily win this series and advance to face the Warriors. They had the home court. They had the best overall player in the series, Chris Paul. They had what many presumed was the better back court and front court. They won a pivotal game 6 on the Jazz home floor. They should have won. Instead, they played some of the most uninspired basketball that I have ever seen. They looked defeated from the get go. Chris Paul looked tired. DeAndre Jordan was a complete non factor. Austin Rivers horrific offense was on full display. JJ Redick cannot shoot the three with any real consistency anymore, and he has become a total liability on defense. Jamal Crawford never found a rhythm in this series ever. Luc Mbah A Moute is a horrific offensive player, and his defense is not much better. Wesley Johnson could not get on the floor due to several matchup problems. Paul Pierce, as much as I love him as a basketball player, looked done in game 41 this year. The Clippers just stunk up the court last night.

I was happy by this, but I at least thought the Clippers would put up some kind of fight. The Jazz controlled everything about that game yesterday. Rudy Gobert was an absolute beast in the post. Gordon Hayward was doing what he has done all season long. George Hill was running their offense to near perfection. Joe Johnson looked so much better than any Clipper, save for Chris Paul. Derrick Favors looked awesome yesterday too. Hell, even Quinn Snyder outcoached Doc Rivers yesterday. It was so crazy. Doc Rivers is a NBA champion, and he got outcoached by a guy that got fired by the University of Missouri once upon a time. Now, Quinn Snyder is a much better coach now than he was back then, but still, for him to have a much better game plan than Doc Rivers was baffling.

I've said it way more than once on the site and I will say it once again, time to blow this shit up LA Clippers. This team is going nowhere, and they will continue to go nowhere as long as they keep this core group together. First off, Chris Paul is their best player, far and away, and one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA, but he is old and getting to the point in his career where he cannot be the unequivocal leader of a title contender. He would be better suited going to a team like San Antonio or Miami this offseason, but I'm sure he will resign with the Clippers because they can offer him the most money. This summer will prove to us what he cares about more, money or titles. Resigning with the Clippers is a clear sign because they are not going to be a contender, especially in the West. Blake Griffin is an unrestricted free agent, and many teams will want him to come play for them, but he is oft injured, and I think his best days are behind him. Go back and read my piece from last Monday to get my full thoughts on Blake Griffin. He's done. DeAndre Jordan is who he will always be in the NBA. He is a decent pick and roll guy that can dunk the ball, but that is it. He is not a great rebounder, he is a subpar rim protector, an awful free throw shooter, cannot shoot outside the lane and seems disinterested in big time games. He is very big and strong, but he plays very small. JJ Redick is a free agent, just like Blake Griffin, but if Griffin is washed up, where does that put JJ Redick? He used to be a reliable three point shooter, but he doesn't even have that anymore. He is also a horrid defender. Good luck to whatever sub .500 team gives him 15 million a year. Paul Pierce, thankfully and mercifully, is retired now. He was so great once, but since he left Boston, save for one season in Washington, he has looked like a shell of himself. He looked completely washed up when I watched him play yesterday. I love you Paul Pierce, but that was painful.

Other than that, who do the Clippers have that will scare the Warriors, Rockets, Spurs, hell even the Thunder and Jazz now? All those teams are better, and I think that Portland is going to surpass them next season as well. So, if they stay pat with their "big three" of Paul, Jordan and Griffin, I still think, at the very best, they will be a 7 seed in the West. They cannot compete with those other teams, plain and simple. I know that Steve Ballmer, who I loathe, and the front office and Doc Rivers the GM wants to resign all these guys, just don't. It is an exercise in futility. As the saying goes, if you keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome, that's the sign that you're a crazy person, or something like that. As I already stated, Chris Paul would be better suited going to a team in the East, or to a Western Conference team like the Spurs or Rockets. Blake Griffin needs a change of scenery something fierce. He doesn't have the drive that a guy like Chris Paul demands from his teammates and he has always seemed to clash with him. They need to breakup. DeAndre Jordan will stick around most likely, but he will never be the star that some thought he would be. I don't see Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick, Mbah A Moute or Wesley Johnson coming back or making any contribution of note if they do. Austin Rivers is, unfortunately for Clippers fans, probably the "future" at point guard. That is a scary thought. The Clippers also have no real depth or young guys that they have helped to get better.

The LA CLippers are a team begging for a tear down. I thought they should have done it after they blew a 3-1 lead to the Rockets 3 seasons ago, but after seeing them play yesterday, I am more than certain that they need a full rebuild. We will see what the offseason brings, but I do not want to hear anymore sports writers proclaim that next year is the Clippers year. They are so far behind, at the very least, 5 teams in their own conference. They are also never going to beat a team like Cleveland, Boston or even Washington or Toronto from the East. They are a middle of the pack team at best right now, so why bring this group back? It makes no sense, and I say, blow it the hell up. That is the best thing for the future of this team, in my opinion. Chris Paul deserves better, Blake Griffin needs a change of scenery, and I think Doc Rivers does too. I say RIP to the Clippers "big three", and their "shot at a title". It is done. They are finished.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He takes joy in three things, his family, his food, and being right about the LA CLippers.

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The Idiot Bears Liven Up a Competent NFL Draft

Artist Depiction of Bears fans today

This past Wednesday I made a bold claim and assumed that the Browns would make another horrific draft mistake. It is in their nature to screw things up. They have not been relevant or even competitive pretty much since they came back to the NFL.

In a big time shocker, the Browns made the right choice and took Myles Garrett number one overall. I was surprised, but the pick also gave me a little bit of confidence that maybe Hue Jackson and the Browns front office are possibly going in the right direction. Later in the first round they took my guy, Jabrill Peppers, and to be honest, I like this pick by them. I liked it even more when I heard Hue Jackson say that they will most definitely use him on offense. They also took David Njoku, who was the second best tight end in the draft, a few picks after Peppers. The Browns actually made competent choices that could benefit them in the long run.

With that being said, there were some head scratchers for sure in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. The receiver from Western Michigan, Corey Davis, going number 5 overall to the Titans was weird. They could have gotten him easily at 18. Then there was a run on receivers in the first round, which I thought this class of receivers was very thin. Mike Williams went at 7 and John Ross went at 9. That was crazy. I thought, contrary to a lot of NFL "insiders", that McCaffery going at number 8 was a bit of a reach. I do think he will be good, but number 8, I do not get it. Sure, he is a decent fit in Carolina, but he still has a ways to go before he is a real threat all over the field.

As far as some good things I liked from the first round, OJ Howard to Tampa was incredible for both parties. Howard gives them what they need at the tight end position, and I think he immediately makes them a perennial playoff contender. Leonard Fournette to the Jaguars is great. I'm sure they will get a QB in later rounds to usurp Blake Bortles, but for the time being, they have Fournette, and I think he is going to be an All Pro from day one. Jamal Adams to the Jets was a sound pick. He was my personal favorite non Wolverine in the draft, and I think he will fit in well in New York. I also liked both the Chiefs and Texans trading up to get their QB's of the future. Mahomes should fit in nicely in Kansas City, and he will get to learn for at least one year. Deshaun Watson to the Texans is a homerun. The Texans need a QB, and I think they found one that will help them become a real threat to the Patriots in the AFC. The Titans did make a great pick, taking Adoree Jackson at 18. He's an awesome cornerback and a great returner. He will help them immediately. I also really like Jarrad Davis to the Lions. He is a good linebacker and will help that defense get much better.

All of this leads me to the biggest surprise of the night. First off, I love Solomon Thomas to the 49ers. He was the best interior defensive lineman in the draft, and he will be the cornerstone for the 49ers young defense. And, all they had to do was trade down one spot to number three to get him. You may be reading this and asking, why did they only have to trade down one pick? Well, the Bears had their hearts set on a player, and they gave up a whole lot to the 49ers to draft this certain player. The Bears gave up a lot of future picks, let John Lynch fleece them and made just a horrible, terrible, stupid and appalling selection at number 2. They gave up all of this to take Mitch Trubisky.

You read that right.

The Bears gave up the farm to take Mitch god damn Trubisky. I am on record, both on the podcast and the site, saying that I think Trubisky will be a bust of Ryan Leaf proportions. Also, why did the Bears even need to take a QB? They gave Mike Glennon a 3 year, 45 million dollar deal this offseason, signed Mark Sanchez and I believe that Matt Barkley is still on their roster. I know those guys aren't the best QB's in the world, but Glennon was once a starter, Mark Sanchez has fallen on rough times, but was a capable QB at one point and Matt Barkley looked halfway decent at the end of last season. So I ask again, why give up so much to draft Mitch Trubisky at number 2 overall? This is bafflingly stupid. I loved the reactions that were all over the internet last night of Bears fans reacting to this pick. It was as funny as some great comedies that I have watched in the past couple of years.

The Bears are absolutely going to regret this. The fans that like this pick will make their voices known very loudly at home games to put Trubisky in, no matter how well any of the other QB's on their roster are playing. The front office will push to make him play because they will want to see their high pick on the field. Trubisky is going to stink when he does get in there. He is simply not ready for the job of being a starting QB in the NFL, let alone the starter for a once proud blue blood NFL franchise. This was stupefying, but also made for some great laughs.

Being a Packers fan, I'm thrilled that one of their chief rivals made a pick this bad. But, for friends and family that are Bears fans, I feel for you guys and girls. This will not wash out the bad taste of Jay Cutler, and if I were one of the other QB's on the roster, I'd be very pissed, especially if I were Mike Glennon. This was, by far, the worst draft decision I have seen since Ryan Leaf was taken second overall by the Chargers in the 1997 draft. What an abomination.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has a bag of beans for the Bears if they are still interested in boneheaded trades. 

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I am Going to Say it One More Time, Russell Westbrook is the NBA MVP.

If need be, will start speaking this truth out of air raid sirens

Now that the Thunder's season is officially over, I have to write one more piece as to why I think, without anymore doubt, that Russell Westbrook is definitely the MVP of the NBA this year.

Yes, his team lost in 5 games, and yes, he took a lot of shots. But, I watched every minute of all 5 of those games and I was left with the thought of, who else was going to score, or do anything of worth on offense for the Thunder? I mean Andre Roberson was their second leading scorer for gods sake. Steven Adams offense completely disappeared in the 5 games. Victor Oladipo just could never get his outside shot to go down with any consistency. Enes Kanter is such a liability on defense, the coaching staff could not count on him to play any big time minutes. After those guys, there is no one else, at all. Norris Cole was playing big minutes for them. That is a problem.

So, for the Bill Simmons of the world to go on Twitter rants after game 5 about what he would have done, I say, shut your god damn mouth. First off, Simmons has had it out for the Thunder since they traded Harden a million years ago. He has bashed them at every opportunity that he has had, and he has a lot of them. He clearly hates this team, and I'm pretty sure he dislikes Russell Westbrook the basketball player. But, for him to sit there and still argue that Westbrook's supporting cast was just fine, enough with that nonsense. They lost the third best player in the league, and it was Westbrook that single handily made that team a 47 win regular season team.

But, just to be some kind of hot take douchebag, Simmons continues to talk about how right he was all along that the Thunder just can't win a title this way, as if he was the only writer in America that predicted this. I'm a Thunder fan, at least I was until KD left them high and dry, and I picked the Rockets to win this first round series. In fact, I'd say about 95 percent of the basketball writers across the country picked the Rockets. So no Bill Simmons, you are not some kind of cleric that was the only one to pick the Rockets. The majority of people that write about and watch basketball picked the Rockets, and it is solely because they have a much, much better supporting cast. Flip these 2 players Harden and Westbrook, and I think the Rockets are just as good, and the Thunder would be lucky to be a .500 team. James Harden is an elite talent, a great scorer and very good at drawing fouls, but he plays no defense, doesn't have the heart that Westbrook has, and has proven to be a choker in big games up to this point in his career. Harden is not a closer, Westbrook is.

Another point that needs to be made, Harden has so much more around him now. His supporting cast is miles and miles ahead of the Thunder. He has shooters all over the floor, plus some big men that don't mind rebounding, playing defense and getting the occasional lob or 2 a game. When you compare the rosters, Harden has guys like Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Nene, Clint Capela and Lou Williams. That sounds a hell of a lot more enticing to me than the Thunder players I mentioned earlier. Russell Westbrook did everything that he could possibly do for this team. He scored a ton, I know he took a lot of shots, but he was still pouring in 51, 32, and 47 in 3 different playoff games. He was still attacking the glass as he has done his whole career. He was still somehow, with piss poor shooters everywhere around him, getting 10 assists a game. There were only 2 guys, Taj Gibson and Roberson, that were doing anything, and Roberson is one of the worst shooters in the league, statistically speaking. And while I love Taj Gibson and the toughness he brings to this team, he is a million years old. Steven Adams was just flat out a no show. That was disappointing to me because I thought he's take the next step. He did not. The bright lights of the playoffs seemed to have gotten to Oladipo. And, imagine how tired Roberson was from guarding Harden.

Also, imagine how tired Westbrook was from carrying this team for 87 games. People will gripe about his field goal percentage, but coming from a guy that plays basketball once a week, by the end of the night my legs are gone. The fact that Westbrook was still out there giving his all makes me love him and his game that much more, and also solidifies the fact that he is the MVP.

The MVP is a regular season award given out to the player that is their team's most valuable guy. No one this year was more valuable than Westbrook was to the Thunder. If he had skipped town like Durant did, the Thunder would have been a 15 win team at the absolute best. But, he stuck with the team that drafted him, averaged a triple double, led the league in scoring and was the guy in every game, especially their 47 regular season wins. So, I do not care what Bill Simmons, Howard Beck, Zach Lowe, Joe House, Tony Kornheiser, any of those guys have to say about him being selfish, a ball hog or obsessed with stats. Westbrook is the MVP, and a damn deserving one at that. I will argue anyone on this.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When writing about other basketball writers, Ty always puts on his "Come At Me Bro" t-shirt. 

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The SeedSing 2017 Mock NFL Draft

Tomorrow night is the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Today, for the first time, I will do my own version of a "mock" draft. This mock will look different from other mocks that are out there. I will predict what I think will happen, not what should happen, including trades and all. I am only going to do the first round as well. I love college football, I think everyone knows this by now, but a 7 round mock is way too much. I'll give one or two sentences as to why I see the particular team drafting or trading their player or pick. I'm very excited about writing this, so let's get to it.

1. Cleveland Browns- Mitch Trubisky. Once again, the Browns will find a way to screw this up because that is what they do. This will be no fault of Hue Jackson's, but I guarantee that the Browns front office want a "sexy" pick, and not the sure thing. Trubisky is going to be a bust on the level of Ryan Leaf, so why wouldn't it be the Browns that make this horrific selection.

2. San Francisco 49ers- Myles Garrett. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will be the big winners from the Browns blunder. Garrett is the safest bet in this entire draft. He is also the best player too. Shanahan has time to build, and he will get his QB eventually and install his offense, but the chance to take Garrett will be too enticing, and the correct choice, and he will be a corner stone for this new era of 49ers defense. Absolute homerun pick for the 49ers.

3. Chicago Bears- Jamal Adams. Adams is the best secondary player in the draft, and while the Bears need help everywhere on the field, Adams can come in immediately and solidify the defensive backfield. He may be a bit raw in coverage, but he is a hard hitter, he's coachable, and he is a workaholic. Adams will be a very good player for a long time in the NFL, and the Bears will be lucky to have him.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars- Leonard Fournette. I was going to go defense here, but the Jaguars actually have a decent defense. Fournette is the best running back in the draft, and while Blake Bortles is atrocious, Fournette can immediately take the pressure off him. I love Fournette and think he can be a better Adrian Peterson. He is big, fast and will run over dudes left and right. Fournette is going to be great.

5. Tennessee Titans- Solomon Thomas. The titans are a team on the rise. They have a QB, a running back, a decent O line and some good defensive players. They do need receivers, but no one on this draft warrants this high a pick at receiver. Solomon Thomas is a great defensive tackle, and he will help the Titans pass rush and in run support right away. Thomas played in a pro style defense at Stanford, so he is ready for the NFL. He will be a very good defensive lineman for awhile, and this will only make the Titans better.

6. New York Jets- Malik Hooker. The Jets need help everywhere, and I should expect them to take a QB or receiver this high because they have made some terrible picks as of late, but they will look to shore up their secondary right away. Hooker is a good defensive back from the University of Ohio State, but he does have hamstring issues. This could hurt him in the long run, but he is a ball hawking safety that the Jets could build their secondary around over the next few years. Time will tell with him, but he can help as a rookie.

7. Los Angeles Chargers- Marshon Lattimore. Two University of Ohio State players in the a row, and cornerbacks for that matter. The Chargers do need a QB to replace Phil Rivers soon and they need receivers, but they will look at defense this high in the draft. Lattimore is a fine corner and should start right away. I do not know how good he will be, is he more Stephon Gilmore, or any number of corners that can't translate college success to the NFL? We will have to see, but the Chargers will take a chance.

8. Carolina Panthers- Johnathan Allen. The Panthers do need offensive help for Cam Newton, but with Allen being the best D lineman in the draft, that will be too enticing to pass up. He can plug up the holes in their rush defense, and I think he will be a great pro. He will solidify that line which will open things up for the linebackers and secondary in Carolina. The Panthers will be very happy with Allen "falling" to them in this draft.

9. Cincinnati Bengals- Hassan Reddick. I see some saying that Rueben Foster, the linebacker from Alabama going here, but after his incident at the combine, and the fact that Reddick is better, I think this is a perfect spot for Reddick to go. He can start from day one, and will shore up the linebacking unit. He is a good tackler, can get better in coverage, but will work on his game and fit in very well in the NFL. I love Reddick and he is going to be a good foundation for the Bengals defense.

10. Buffalo Bills- Trade. The Bills have a QB, a good running back, a decent receiver, a good line and a decent defense. I think they can trade this pick for some later picks and maybe even a veteran. They don't need much in a draft, and I think they will trade this pick away. They need to replace Stephon Gilmore, so maybe they trade the pick for a vet cornerback and some later picks.

11. New Orleans Saints- Do whatever you can to trade for Malcom Butler. The Saints need help on defense, and Butler immediately does that. He is a very good corner and will instantly make one side of the field unplayable. He will shut down big time receivers, and make this team instantly better. They need Butler, and I think it will take the 11th pick to get him.

12. Cleveland Browns- John Ross. With their blunder at number one, the Browns will panic and take the fastest guy in the draft because they will assume that they need to pair Trubisky with a receiver. This will be brutal for both guys. Ross will not get a chance to use his gifts because the Browns are so bad, and Trubisky is not going to be good. The Browns 2017 draft will just continue to get worse and worse. They are going to blow this draft.

13. Arizona Cardinals- Deshaun Watson. The Cardinals need a QB to replace Carson Palmer, who maybe only has one or 2 more years, and Watson is the best QB in the entire draft. I think Bruce Arians realizes this, and he will pounce on Watson. I love Deshaun Watson, and I feel like this will be a perfect situation for him. He can sit back for one or 2 seasons. learn the NFL speed and game, and come in and be a very good starter after backing up a decent veteran QB. This is a perfect fit in this draft.

14. Philadelphia Eagles- Takkarist McKinley. The Eagles do not need any offensive players, but they do need defense, and McKinley would be a good fit for them at outside linebacker. He is a good pass rusher and would fit in perfectly. Honestly they could take any defensive player available, but I like McKinley best of the remaining defensive players.

15. Indianapolis Colts- Cam Robinson. The Colts need something everywhere, except QB, but they need to protect that QB first and foremost. Robinson is the best O lineman in the draft. I hate his love for guns, but the NFL and the Colts will overlook that because they need protection for Andrew Luck. Robinson can do that, and the Colts will take him as fast as they can.

16. Baltimore Ravens- OJ Howard. The Ravens need some kind of help offensively, and OJ Howard is the best tight end in the draft. He is big, strong, fast and can catch the ball. He will help out Flacco, who I think is awful, but he will make Flacco look as good as he can. This will be a very good pick for the Ravens and John Harbaugh. He could help put them back in the playoffs very quickly.

17. The Washington Football Team- Derek Barnett. Washington needs help everywhere on defense, and while I think Barnett will be just average, he will help out on the line. He is an okay pass rusher, and I think plugging him in on the D line will work for a bit. Barnett needs to care a little more about getting better, but he is very talented, and Washington won't let him go past the 17th pick.

18. Tennessee Titans- Mike Williams. Tennessee inexplicably has 2 first round picks, and 18 is where they will get some help on the outside. Williams is a big, strong receiver, that runs nice routes and can catch the ball He will become one of Mariota's primary guys right away. Williams proved how good he was in last year's title game, and theTitans will get a very good value pick here.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Christian McCaffery. McCaffery is a very versatile running back that will also be able to play the slot. He is exactly what Winston and the rest of that offense will need to push them back to a possible playoff berth. Tampa has good players everywhere on offense, except running back, and McCaffery will help make the running game a threat.

20. Denver Broncos- Trade for a QB. Somehow, some way, the Broncos need to offload this pick to get a QB. They have pretty much everything else, including a great, great defense. But, they need someone to com in and be a competent QB. I feel like making a draft pick now would be a waste. They should go out and try to get someone like Jimmy Garropolo or AJ McCarron, or someone else's backup to come in and game manage. That is what Denver needs.

21. Detroit Lions- Charles Harris. Harris is a great edge rusher that played on a bad Missouri football team. He was the lone standout, and that will pay off by him being a first round pick. He will pair great with Ezekial Ansah and they will form a very good pass rush duo. Detroit should need very little time to make this pick.

22. Miami Dolphins- Zach Cunningham. The Dolphins are set on offense, but they could use some defensive help. Cunningham reminds me a lot of Harris from Missouri, except he is a linebacker that played on a mediocre Vanderbilt team. But, he was awesome and I think the Dolphins would love to have him come in and play for them. He is a very good linebacker that can cover guys out of the backfield a little bit. This pick will really help the Dolphins.

23. New York Giants- Ryan Ramcyzk. The Giants need help on the O line, and Ramcyzk will do his best to help them. He is the second best offensive lineman in this draft, behind Cam Robinson, but this is a weak O line class. That being said, that is what the Giants need, and they will snatch up Ramcyzk late in the first round.

24. Oakland- Just take the best player available. The Raiders are pretty much set everywhere right now. They have a franchise QB, they are getting Marshawn Lynch, they have Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, a great O line and a passable defense. If they do need anything, I'd say take David Njoku, the tight end from Miami. He would be a good fit and I think Carr would throw to him a lot. He's not a great blocker, but he is a very good pas catcher.

25. Houston- Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is the second best QB in the draft, and the Texans will snatch a QB if Mahomes or Watson is available. He might have to play right away which could be a hindrance, but he could sit behind Tom Savage for a half a season, or even a whole one, then take over. He looks like he could be a good QB, and I think the Texans would be very pleased if he was still available at 25.

26. Seattle- Forrest Lamp. Seattle needs offensive line help, and while some think Lamp is the best lineman available, I do not, he will help on the O line right away. This team cannot protect Russell Wilson, but Lamp can help with that. Seattle has other needs, i.e., running back, receiver and in the secondary, but O line is their most glaring weakness.

27. Kansas City- Dalvin Cook. The Chiefs need a QB. Alex Smith just cannot get it done, but they can go out and sign a veteran, or wait until later rounds to draft one. That leaves them with a need at running back. Jamaal Charles cannot stay healthy, and I think Cook would be a good fit in KC. He is very fast and waits for holes to open up before he explodes through them. Cook would be a big step up at the running back position for the Chiefs.

28. Dallas- Jabrill Peppers. As much as this pains me, I love Peppers, but I loathe the Cowboys, he fits what they need. Peppers is a versatile defender that the Cowboys can plug into a lot of spots in their secondary. He can also help in their return game. The Cowboys are set on offense, but they need a lot of help on defense, especially in the secondary, and they will go out and get Peppers, "diluted sample" be damned.

29. Green Bay- Get a legit running back. I want them to trade for someone that is already a pro. As much as I like Ty Montgomery and Christine Michael, they are not starting running backs. They are backups at best, and Montgomery is a receiver anyway. Do whatever you have to do and go out and get a legit running back. That is the one position that could put the Packers over the top.

30. Pittsburgh- TJ Watt. The Steelers have a great offense and a bad defense. While he is not his brother, I watched a lot of TJ Watt this year, and he is a good pass rusher, a great tackler and has a "high motor". He seems like a Steeler already, and I feel like this is a match made in heaven for both the team and player.

31. Atlanta- Taco Charlton. The Falcons need some more pass rushers, and Charlton is a very good one. I watched him get better for four straight years at Michigan, and I think he would be a perfect fir for the Falcons. Let us not forget that they had a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl, and I feel like some more edge rushers would be great for them and would have helped them keep their lead. Charlton got better for four years, and I do not even think he is at his best yet. He will only get better.

32. New Orleans- Just like with the 11th pick, do whatever they can to get Malcom Butler. Trade both these picks if they have to. They need veteran help on defense and no one is better, and possibly available, than Butler. Do anything and everything possible to get Butler New Orleans. That is what you need.

There you have it, my first ever mock draft. I hope everyone has some thoughts and feelings about my choices, and if you do, please let me know in the comment section. Tomorrow starts the ten thousand year long coverage of the 2017 draft on ESPN, so tune in to that to see if I'm right about the Browns making horrible choices, or if they do the right thing and take Garrett first overall. This was fun.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. His mock draft submission was held until we could get a less diluted urine sample to test. 

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Who are the Real Top Players in the NFL Draft?

We have our own data to make semi-intelligent guesses.

The NFL draft is 2 days from now. Well, the first round that is. ESPN drags this damn thing out for like 5 days, but the big time guys will be coming off the board in the next couple of days. Tomorrow I will have my version of a "mock" draft for everyone. Today though, I want to talk about some of the prospects that are getting a little too much attention, or not enough.

First off, lets go straight to a few guys that played for my team, Michigan. What Jordan Lewis did was inexcusable and despicable. To put your hands on a woman is one of the, if not the, worst things a man can do. That should never, ever be tolerated, and I hope his stock falls massively in the draft. This was very upsetting to me because he seemed like a good kid. Then, he goes out and hits a woman. That is wrong on so many levels. It is frightening and appalling. Shame on you Jordan Lewis.

The next Wolverine I want to talk about is Jabrill Peppers. Yesterday it was reported that he had a "diluted sample" at the combine. Why is it coming out now, I have no idea. But, he has this "diluted sample". I have read and read about what this means, and I have to say, I do not think it is that big a deal. There are no steroids or illegal drugs that we know of yet. His people said that he was feeling ill and drank a ton of water while flying in for the combine. Again, I do not know if that is true, or why that would dilute someone's urine. All this being said, I feel like the people at ESPN, who have been covering this upcoming draft for what seems like years now, are trying to find anything and everything they can to discredit Peppers. I think he is very raw as a corner or safety, but I watched him play for the last 2 years, and that kid can play. He is never going to be on the level of the Ed Reed, Eric Berry and Troy Paulamalu, but I think he will be a fine nickel corner/safety, and a great return specialist.

As I said, I feel like ESPN has gone out of their way to chastise Peppers since he declared for the draft. They only had one story on Reuben Foster, who was asked to leave the combine because of how he handled himself during interviews at the combine, but he is an Alabama kid. ESPN will not attack the "almighty Nick Saban". Same can be said for Cam Robinson. Robinson is probably the best offensive lineman in the draft, but let us not forget, no matter how much ESPN refuses to talk about it, that he was caught in the offseason with unlicensed firearms. I'd rather have a kid that has a diluted piss test than a kid that had unlicensed firearms on my team. But, if you watch any ESPN coverage, you'd think Peppers broke the law and did the most horrific thing imaginable. But, their coverage of Foster and Robinson is only about how great of talents they both are, not the fact that Foster had to be removed from the combine and that Robinson likes to dick around with guns. It's almost like ESPN and Alabama are each dipping their hands in each other's honey pot. It is really rather disturbing.

I want to move on.

Lets look at the QB class this year next. I think that Deshaun Watson is unequivocally the best QB prospect in the draft. He won on the biggest stage during his college career, and the year he didn't win, it wasn't his fault, he was dynamic. He may throw a lot of picks, but so did Brett Favre and Tony Romo and Cam Newton. Watson is an incredible talent, and I think he will be a great pro. The fact that the draft "experts" rate a guy like Mitch Trubsiky ahead of him is laughable to me. Trubisky only played one full season, and when he was in a big game, he tightened up and looked afraid. He didn't play up to his competition. He did not win anything of importance his lone year as the starter at UNC. He has the look of a Tim Couch or Christian Ponder to me. Patrick Mahomes will be good, as long as he goes to a team where he can sit for a year or two and learn from a seasoned vet. He played in that crazy air raid offense at Texas Tech, so if he can have that time to be a backup and learn the NFL game, I think he can be a quality starter. I have no faith in DeShone Kizer. That kid is out of his god damn mind with the quotes he's been making lately. I'm all for guys that believe in themselves, but this kid has done nothing to back up that talk. He is a average to mediocre QB. I do not think he will ever start in the NFL.

Running back is about 2 dudes and then everyone else. Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffery are the 2 running backs in this draft. They can both be transformative players for whoever takes them. I like Fournette more, but McCaffery should be a good pro too. Guys like D'Onta Foreman, Dalvin Cook and Jordan Howard will be okay pros, but not on the level that Fournette and McCaffery have the ability to be. I will not discuss the other back that everyone in the sports media is trying to redeem.

Receiver is very ho hum to me. The only guy that stands out as a first round talent is John Ross from Washington. He is lighting fast and can change the game as a returner as well.

Flipping over to the defensive side, this draft is stacked with defensive talent. As far a D line goes, I love Johnathan Allen and Solomon Thomas, just like everyone else. The linebackers are good, led by Hassan Reddick. Secondary is loaded, but I think Jamal Adams from LSU is the stand out, along with Adoree Jackson. I've heard a lot of talk about a couple of the University of Ohio State(I know what I wrote) guys, Malik Hooker and some other corner who's name escapes me because I hate that team. Hooker is good, but he is oft injured. He had hamstring surgery in high school. I've never heard of that before. Both these guys will go in round one though. But, if I had a pick, I'd do whatever I could to get Adams. He is a workaholic that will only get better with professional coaching. And how Adoree Jackson is not a lock first rounder is baffling to me. He is a better version of Jabrill Peppers, and I am as big a Peppers fan as there is. Jackson is a very physical corner and can cover. He is also an excellent returner as well. He is going to be great.

These are just some of my quick thoughts on some guys I like and others I'm not so high on. Come back tomorrow for my "mock" draft to see where I think these kids will end up, or what I think certain teams should do in the first round.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is dumbfounded by ESPN's draft "experts". Those guys get paid to be dumb and wrong. How can he score an easy gig like that.

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This is the End of Blake Griffin's Clippers Career

The time has closed on Griffin and LA

With the news coming out this weekend that Blake Griffin will miss the remainder of the playoffs, I want to try and answer 2 questions. Is his career with the Clippers done? And, is he done as an "upper echelon" player in the NBA?

I have not been kind to Blake Griffin. I think he is wildly overrated in fact. I've never bought into the nonsense that ESPN, Bill Simmons, basically any sports writer from LA, saying that he is one of the best players currently in the game, and he is one of the best power forwards ever. That is utterly ridiculous. As far as the forward position goes, I'd say he is not even in the top ten of current players. As far as an all time great, there is no god damn way that's true. In the current NBA, I'd take guys like Giannis, Kawhi, LeBron, KD, Draymond, Hassan Whiteside, Kristaps Porzingis, Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony Towns, Boogie, Anthony Davis, and many, many more before I'd take Blake Griffin. All those guys are unequivocally better than he is at basketball. I will argue anyone on this. Hell, I'd even take LaMarcus Aldridge, and he is playing very poorly right now. Same goes for a guy like Robin Lopez or Al Horford. At least they will get on the court.

With all this being said, he was a decent player once upon a time. He is nowhere near the explosive player he showed as a rookie, but he can still jump. His jumper looks disgusting, and it is not as reliable as one would want, but it goes in more now than it ever has. He has decent court vision too. He is an okay passer. Not this great post passer like Zach Lowe believes, but he is fine throwing lobs. But, even with the Clippers winning game three, then getting beat last night in game four against the Jazz, I do not think he will be in a Clippers jersey next season. The Clippers will probably get out of the first round, Chris Paul is playing out of his mind, and DeAndre Jordan is more than capable of making up for Griffin's lack of rebounding, but they won't go any further than the second round. They just don't have anyone else around Jordan and Paul, especially with Griffin out. Griffin wouldn't have made much of a difference, but it would have been one more guy for the Warriors to have to, at least, think about.

So to answer my first question, I think the other night was his last night in a Clippers uniform. He may love LA, but I'm pretty sure he despises playing with Chris Paul, and the Clippers have shown they are fine without him. Griffin is not the "super star", or leader of this team that he may have been 2 years ago when they were blowing a 3-1 lead to the Rockets in the second round of the playoffs. That was his best year, 2 seasons ago. That should be telling enough for the Clippers front office to be okay letting him go. That, and the fact that they play fine without him. The Clippers and Doc Rivers should focus on keeping Jordan and Paul, building the bench and getting a nice return for Griffin. I'm sure a team like OKC would let almost anyone, Westbrook being the lone exception, go in a trade for Griffin. If I were the Clippers I'd ask for a pick, Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson and a bench guy and I bet the Thunder would happily make that trade. I'm sure the Knicks would be more than happy to part ways with Carmelo for Griffin straight up. I'm sure it won't happen because Phil Jackson would find some way to screw it up, but they should still try. I bet a lot of other teams would take a chance on Griffin. He is oft injured, but if he could ever stay healthy, he could help a contender as an instant offense off the bench guy, or be the "guy" on a middling playoff team.

This leads me to my second question I asked at the top. I never thought he was a top ten player in the league. I still think he is incredibly overrated. I was watching their playoff game the other night, and whoever the commentator was for ESPN said that the Clippers were "without their super star". That is so disrespectful to Chris Paul. When I think of the Clippers, I think of Paul, not Griffin. Even 2 seasons ago when Griffin was playing his best professional basketball, I still thought that team ran whatever Paul wanted them to do. He has been the leader, no matter how annoying and whiny he may be, the moment he was traded to the Clippers. So, not only do I not think he is a top tier NBA player, I think he is the third best player on his current team, behind Paul and DeAndre Jordan. Yes, Jordan cannot shoot free throws, and only dunks, but he is a better rebounder and defender, and I don't even think Jordan is that good at either of those things. But, he is better than Griffin.

Chris Paul is legitimately in the conversation as one of the best point guards to ever play. He is a big time pain in the ass for everyone, but he is good. Even I can't deny this no matter how much he bitches and moans or how dirty of a player he is. He is very good regardless of those things.

Another bad mark for Griffin is the constant injuries. He missed his entire rookie year with an injury. He seems to get small nicks and bruises that cause him to miss time. Other players will more likely than not play through this stuff, but not Griffin. He has also missed extended time in the last 2 playoffs. He cannot be counted on anymore to be healthy. That takes him out of the conversation immediately as an "all time great". There are so many younger, healthier, hungrier and coachable guys in the league that are going to, if they haven't already, surpass Blake Griffin.

I know the media wants to keep talking about him because he plays in LA, but he is irrelevant to those of us outside of the LA media bubble. I also, and I HATE the Clippers, think they are much more fun to watch when he is not on the court. They seem to be more cohesive. No one has to give him the ball because he just needs to touch it. The ball movement is much slicker and just flat out better. Griffin had his chance 2 years ago to jump into the upper level of NBA guys like LeBron, KD, Russ and Steph. He instead regressed and other guys like Harden, Kawhi, Giannis and Jimmy Butler are starting to become the "next generation".

I think Griffin is done being a "super star" if he ever was one. His time in the sun has come and gone. He also seems to be disinterested in basketball now too. He seems more focused on doing commercials and going to stand up and improv shows, which is fine. Follow your dreams Blake Griffin. I just want the Bill Simmons of the NBA world to stop telling me and everyone else how great of a player he is. He had one very good season. After that, he has either been a disappointment, below average or injured. I don't trust Blake Griffin as an NBA player anymore. He is done for all I'm concerned.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is looking forward to the annual Clippers second round playoff flame out. It let's Ty know that there is order in the universe.

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The First Round of the NBA Playoffs Have Gone as Expected, Except for One Series

Every NBA playoff series has played 2 games so far. I have some quick takes on all of them, then a very hot take on what is going on between the Bulls and Celtics. Lets look at the West first.

Golden State is doing exactly what everyone thought they would do. In the first game, both CJ McCollum and Damien Lillard went off, McCollum had 41 and Lillard had 34. The rest of the team scored 34 points. The game was close, then the Warriors pulled away late in the fourth. Last night, with Durant out with a calf strain, the Warriors throttled the Blazers. The Blazers gave the Warriors their best in game 1, and they lost by double digits. This is a sweep.

San Antonio may be getting a lot of calls, go watch David Fizdale's rant, it is tremendous, but the Spurs are clearly the better team. Memphis is old, and Mike Conley is really the only guy that has showed up. Marc Gasol has been rendered moot, Tony Allen is injured, Vince Carter is old and no one else is doing anything. The Grizzlies had a decent run, but with this as their nucleus, they will not win a title, and they won't get out of the first round this year. Kawhi is a beast and he is dominating this series, as expected.

Houston and OKC has not had the excitement that I expected. The Rockets smoked OKC in the first game. Last night was better, but even with Russ having a 51 point, 10 rebound and 13 assist game, it didn't matter because no one else is showing up for the Thunder. James Harden has been great, and this series has even furthered my belief that Westbrook is the MVP. Harden has a much better supporting cast, and it is showing. I still think OKC will win 2 games, but I do not think it will go 7. Guys like Enes Kanter, Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo need to start playing much better if they have any shot at pulling an upset.

The Clippers-Jazz series is very hard for me to get a grasp on. When Rudy Gobert went out in game one I figured the Jazz were done. Then, they won. The other night, the Clippers came out blazing, but the Jazz made it close, then Chris Paul made some big shots to pull out the win for the Clippers. I don't know if Gobert is coming back, but I don't think it matters. Blake Griffin looks awkward, DeAndre Jordan isn't doing much, but Chris Paul is the best player in the series. Gordon Hayward has been ice cold, George Hill cannot guard Chris Paul, and without Gobert, the low post is wide open for the Clippers.. I still have the Clippers in 7.

Now, the East. I'll save the Celtics-Bulls for last. So, lets look at Cleveland-Indiana. Cleveland is up 2-0, and it looks like they will sweep. I know the Pacers had a shot to win game one, and the final score of game 2 looked close, but I do not feel like the Pacers are any threat. And what's with Paul George calling out his teammates all of the sudden? Sure, he should usually get the last shot, he is their best player, but CJ Miles, who was wide open and is a good shooter, took the right shot in game 1. George should have never publicly called him out. Then, to throw the whole team under the bus after game 2, that was wild. He clearly wants out of Indiana. The Cavs are still horrible at defense, but I still see them winning in 4 or 5.

So far the best series of the first round, in either conference, has been the Milwaukee-Toronto series. It's tied at 1-1, and both game shave been good. Game 1, Milwaukee used a great, great game from Giannis Antetokoumpo and pulled away late to win by double digits. Game 2 came down to the very end, but Kyle Lowry hit a big shot to help the Raptors pull away late in game 2. There are good players all over the floor. Thon Maker has been playing great for Milwaukee. Giannis is cementing himself as a bona fide star and the rest of the team is doing their jobs. Kyle Lowry was horrible in game one, but bounced back in game 2. DeMar DeRozan has been steady. Serge Ibaka has been good and PJ Tucker is doing what they brought him in to do. This series is going 7, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bucks or Raptors won. But, the Bucks look like they will be a very, very good team in a season or two, especially if this core stays together. This series is their coming out party. They are a ton of fun to watch.

The Wizards have looked better than the Hawks so far. Well, I should say that John Wall has looked better than anyone in the series so far. He is a man on a mission and he is showing out. I picked the Wizards to sweep, and I still feel like it could happen. John Wall is on fire right now and he just looks unstoppable.

Now, for the most surprising first round series. The Bulls and Celtics has not gone accordingly. I assumed that the Celtics were going to cruise. They had a better team, a better coach and are the one seed. The Bulls came in with a plethora of problems. They were a mess to be honest. Fred Hoiberg looked like a coach begging to be fired. Rajon Rondo was barely playing and looked disengaged. Dwayne Wade was coming off an injury. Jimmy Butler was disgruntled. This looked like an easy 5 game win for the Celtics. Then, tragedy struck. Isaish Thomas' sister died in a one car accident one day before game one. I cannot imagine the pain and sense of loss that he is feeling right now. This is a horrific, terrible tragedy. I am shocked that he is out there playing. And what Charles Barkley said, and I love Barkley, was wrong and insensitive and mean and uncalled for about Thomas crying on the floor during shoot around. Thomas can cry and grieve however he wants anywhere he wants. He lost a sibling. That being said, he is the only Celtic that has shown up. He is doing exactly what he has done all year. He may have had a subpar game 2, but he is facing double and triple teams, and no one is making open shots when he passes the ball. Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley are ice cold from three. In fact, they can't seem to hit a shot from anywhere. Then, the Celtics frontcourt has been an abomination. This was the thing that all Celtics fans worried about the most, their rebounding, but the Bulls are crushing them on the glass. I was listening to "The Lowe Post" podcast this morning, and Tom Haberstoh said that Rajon Rondo has grabbed more offensive rebounds than Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olnyk and Amir Johnson combined. That is appalling. The Celtics are being exposed. They are a poor defensive team, they can't rebound, Isaish Thomas is scoring, but can't defend anyone and they look like they have already been beaten. Jimmy Butler is clearly the best player on the floor. Playoff Dwayne Wade has shown up, and that is the best Wade. Rondo has all of the sudden remembered that he is a good point guard. And the Bulls front court, mainly Robin Lopez, are dominating the Celtics frontcourt. I am shocked most by this series of all the first round series.

With all this being said, all of these are best of 7, and a lot can change over the course of 5 more games. These are just my takes from the first 2 weeks of the never ending first round of the NBA playoffs. Most of my predictions are still in tact, minus the Celtics-Bulls, and I cannot wait to see where we go from here. I love the NBA playoffs.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest NBA writer on this planet we call Earth.

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