LiAngelo Ball and Michael Porter Jr are Not Ready for the NBA

Two 19 year old basketball players have just declared for the draft. I know last week I talked about 5 “one and done” players, but I believe all 5 of those have a chance to have decent NBA careers, if not great careers. These 2 players I am extremely skeptical about. I’ll talk about each individually, and what makes their decision so confounding for me.

The first player is LiAngelo Ball. Now, I am extremely hard on the entire Ball family due to their outrageous father. I do have to say, Lonzo has exceeded my expectations. He looks like he will be a quality player for a good decade. He’s not the best rookie, not by a mile, but he’s not the worst either. He is right down the middle. But, his brother LiAngelo declaring for the draft is insane to me. This kid, by all accounts, doesn’t really seem to have a future in the NBA, G League, or any other overseas league, except the one he played in this year. I’ve heard things like, he’s too slow, not good enough of a shooter, has a bad first step, isn’t a good enough defender, and so on and so forth. From what I’ve heard, it is going to take this kid a long, long time before he is ready for major professional basketball. This is clearly a case of a father essentially forcing his child to do what he wants him to do. Lavar Ball is clearly living through his children, and now it will cause problems. I’m 100 percent certain that LiAngelo will go undrafted. Even if he has one amazing workout, he will still get passed by this amazing draft class. It is no secret how good this upcoming draft class is too. People have stated, and I’ve watched a ton of college basketball this year, that this class can be special. I agree with them all. And for a player of LiAngelo’s “talent”, he is going to get passed upon for all 60 picks. As I stated, I’m one hundred percent certain he won’t get picked. If he does somehow, he will not get a contract. I also do not think he’s good enough for the G League either. This is a horrible decision, and will make LiAngelo Ball a footnote, or a cautionary tale.

The next player will get picked, probably in the late lottery, but if he came back to school for one more year, I think he’d easily be a top 5 pick. That player is Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr has the talent. The kid can play basketball. Sure, his first step can be better and he needs to work on his man defense. But, he can shoot and he can find ways to score. He will find a team somewhere in the NBA, and he will be on a pro team for, at least, a decade. My qualms with his decision is, why now? Why not return to Missouri for one more year to work on his game? The worst thing he could have done this season was comeback for the SEC and NCAA tournament. This gave scouts a chance to really scrutinize his game. Had he taken the whole season off, I think he would easily be a top 10 pick this year. The potential would have been more than enough for some team drafting early to take a chance. Teams draft based on potential now. But, he came back, pressed too hard, missed too many shots and got beat too much on defense. Now NBA teams have this film on him, and it will go against his favor. They are going to think long and hard before drafting him. And I know people say stuff like, he can get hurt, or what if he plays the same that he played in his 2 college games. To that I say, a full season will provide glimpses of what he can do at the next level, and you can get hurt anytime. Hell, he could get hurt during s private workout. Those are poor excuses. Also, if he came back, next year’s draft class isn’t nearly as good as this year. He could have potentially pushed to be the number one overall pick next year if he came back. The money will still be there no matter what.

These choices really surprised me. I do wish them both the best of luck, but time will tell. LiAngelo will definitely be searching for some team because he won’t get picked. Porter Jr will get picked, but they are going to have to bring him along very slowly. These were odd choices by these two guys.

Ty

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

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The 2018 Final Four Predictions

The Final Four is set. We have 2 number 1 seeds, a 3 seed and an 11 seed. So, chalk, pretty much, all around, except one.

I will say, and I’ve been really hard on this team, props to Loyola Chicago. I never thought they’d make it this far, but here we are. They have proven that they can win tight games, and on Saturday, they proved they can blow a team out. They crushed KSU. It was pretty much a wire to wire win. They dominated every facet of the game. Even when KSU would make a little run, or a push, Loyola had an answer. They weren’t not going to get beat, and they proved that. I have a ton of respect for what they’ve done so far, and for what they can still do.

My team, Michigan, tried to find ways to blow their game on Saturday, but they didn’t, and now they’re in the Final Four for the second time in 5 years. I’m still in a little shock. I didn’t even know if this team would make the tournament when the season started. There were a ton of questions, and a lot of youth coming in. Well, they have played beyond my wildest expectations. Hell, I thought they were toast in round 2, then Jordan Poole made a miracle shot. They then proceeded to hammer Texas A&m the following week. Then on Saturday, in a very ugly game, they still found a way to win. As I said, I still have a hard team seeing them as a Final Four team and accepting it, but it’s real. John Beilein has truly turned this team around.

Villanova has done exactly what they’re supposed to do. I had doubts about them, but they have answered every call, and then some. They have throttled every team they’ve played. I know the game yesterday, against Texas Tech, got as close as 5 points, but it was never really that close. Villanova has been playing lights out this whole tournament. They look like the best team right now, and honestly, I don’t think it’s even close. This team has now earned the right to not be disrespected. They won it all 2 years ago, and now they’re back in the Final Four, and they should be the favorite.

And, finally, we have Kansas. They have quietly played very well so far. I know they’ve had some “close calls”, but they’ve won every game they’ve played. Sure, they struggled a bit with Penn before pulling away late. Yeah, they only beat Clemson by 4, but Clemson has a decent squad. And yesterday, they beat mighty Duke in overtime. That was a hell of a game, and KU deserved to win. I know there’s been some controversy about a call in overtime that went against Duke, but I don’t think that swung that game in either direction. KU was going to win when that kid hit that three in regulation to tie the game. It just had that feeling. Also, I love when Duke gets knocked out in heartbreaking fashion. It is a joy to watch. The fact that Grayson Allen is done as a college player brings me an unusual amount of joy. KU looked as good as I have seen them play all year yesterday. They truly earned that victory.

The games are set for Saturday, and I have, at least, one more prediction for you. The first game is Loyola Chicago-Michigan. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified by this game. Michigan has been up and down, but they’ve won every way you can. So has Loyola. Loyola is the “team of destiny” according to every other journalist or blogger right now. They are on a mission. These 2 teams are both playing good enough basketball to win. But, which Michigan team will show up is my biggest question. I hope the one that hammered A&M cones through. But, if we see the team that struggled with Montana or FSU, Loyola will be in the title game. I’m going to hope that the Michigan that hits open shots shows up. But, I have, unfortunately bought into the Loyola hype, and I think they will find a way to make the title game. They are having the more “magical” year and tournament after all. I also think the public wants them in too. As far as Villanova-KU goes, I don’t see how Villanova doesn’t win. They played their worst game yesterday and still won by double figures. KU played great in beating Duke, but that means they are destined to play poorly now. Everyone is believing in them now, and that’s when they usually blow it. And this is no knock on Villanova. I don’t think they’re going to win just because KU will hand them the game. I think they’ll win because they have a better team and coach. Villanova is a very, very good basketball team. They’ve proved that tenfold this tournament. I think they will win, and win handily on Saturday. So that would put Loyola Chicago and Villanova in the title game next Monday. This is where the “magical” run ends. I picked Villanova a week ago when I thought they’d be playing Kentucky, and even though one team has changed, my mind hasn’t. Villanova is going to hammer Loyola. It will be a bloodbath.

All that being said, I’m excited to watch the games on Saturday. I’ll be pulling for the Wolverines, and I hope they win. We will have to wait and see.

Ty

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

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Kentucky, and John Calipari, Make Another Embarrassing Exit from the NCAA Tournament

I was going to write about something different today, but after that horrendous Kentucky-Kansas State game last night, I have to give my take.

First off, the Nevada-Loyola Chicago game was great. It was back and forth, both teams blew double digit leads and it came down to one final possession. Michigan steamrolled Texas A&M. I, obviously, watched that game intently, and I was able to relax with about 8 minutes left. Lets hope that carries over to tomorrow. And the FSU-Gonzaga game was pretty much not in doubt at all. FSU really did whatever they wanted to against Gonzaga. But, the Kentucky-Kansas State game was something else. 

Kentucky, at least on paper, had the easiest path of any team left to make the final Four. They had also, up until last night, looked like they were playing their best basketball all year. It looked like it was finally starting to click for all the freshman. Then last night happened. I wasn't watching the game too closely, more checking on the score time to time from my phone. I was kind of shocked the first time I checked to see that KSU was up 13-1. That was surprising. I thought though, it was early, Kentucky can come back and they are primed for a Final Four run. And, when I checked back a little later, KSU was only up 4 at the half. I still didn't tune in because I figured that Kentucky would pull away. Well, that did not happen either. Every time I checked the score from there on out it was close, but very low scoring. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't watch the game because it sounds like it was a lot like most games this tournament.

This year's tournament games have been pretty rough, and the low score made me think that this was a rough game too. I went to sleep with about 7 minutes left in the game still thinking Kentucky would find a way to win and face off against Loyola-Chicago tomorrow. Well, when I woke up my phone told me a different story. Apparently the game was pretty wretched the rest of the way and KSU won ugly, which is what they have done all tournament long. And to make matters worse, apparently Kentucky wouldn't shake hands with KSU after the game. I know that it is crummy to go out the way Kentucky did, especially when most thought they were a near shoe in for the Final Four, but come on. You have to, at the very least, shake hands with your opponent. That is good sportsmanship that is taught from the age of 3 all the way up to the professional ranks. That is low class, and I fully put the blame on John Calipari for that. I see that Calipari has tried to backtrack and say some nonsense today, but it is too little too late. He showed horrific sportsmanship, and he got beat.

This is not as nearly as big as UMBC beating Virginia or Buffalo beating Arizona, but this is right up there, as far as big time upsets in this tournament filled with upsets. Before the tournament started Kentucky and Calipari were griping about their seed and the region they were put in. The four teams ahead of them were Virginia, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Arizona. Well, all four of those teams lost during the first weekend. Hell, Virginia was done after their first game. Cincy blew a 22 point lead in the second half. Tennessee got beat on a last second shot against Loyola Chicago and Arizona got blown out by Buffalo. So, Kentucky had it made in the shade. They were clearly, at least on paper, the best team left in their region. Every media member and writer that I read or listen to were sure they were going to the Final Four. I picked them to get to the title game. And, they absolutely blew it, and I still can't believe it.

I do not think it is a case of the freshman not living up to the hype because they had just won the SEC tournament and 2 games in the NCAA tournament. What I think happened was, Kentucky expected to win because they heard everyone saying they were going to win. They bought into their own hype, and you cannot do that come tournament time. It is single game elimination. You have to play well enough, or you are going home. And it doesn't have to be pretty, as long as you win. That was how KSU played last night, from what I have read. They didn't care how they won, they just wanted the win.

Now I think comes the question of Calipari being a choker in the tournament. He has only won one title. He hasn't been to that many Final Four's. A few of the Final Four's he has been to have been taken away due to violations. And his recent teams at Kentucky, while they constantly make the Sweet Sixteen, they never seem to push through. He has not been able to recapture what he had with Anthony Davis. He has had super star NBA players blow through Kentucky in one year, and all he has is one title. That's great that he has one title, but with names like Boogie Cousins, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker, the list can go on and on and on, come through there and you only have one title, I don't know. Maybe Calipari, who I kind of like, isn't the greatest basketball coach. He is a hell of a recruiter. But, maybe the X's and O's part is a bit too much for him.

This is an embarrassing loss, and it now means that either KSU or Loyola Chicago is going to the Final Four. That statement should speak volumes about how not great this tournament has ben. No disrespect, but either an 11 or an 8 seed is going to the Final Four. Ouch. This should leave a very sour taste in Kentucky fans mouth for a long, long time. They should have easily won that game, but they blew it. That is rough.

Ty

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

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Let's Breakdown This Years' Group of NCAA Basketball One and Dones

With the news that Trae Young declared for the NBA draft today, I want to take a peek at some of the "one and done" guys that are most likely going to declare for the draft, if they haven't already. I am not a fan of the "one and done" culture in basketball. These colleges that do this are basically basketball factories, and these kids do not see a dime off the colleges making money hand over fist. It has also made the college game not nearly as good as it used to be, and as it could. It is a bummer, and I do not like it. I'd rather they adopt the MLB rule of, if you declare for the draft straight out of high school, you can go. But, if you decide that you need college, you have to stay for at least 2 years. It would be so much better for all involved.

Anyway, lets take a look at five "one and done" players that I think, given the situation they may be drafted in, how I think they will fare in the pros. The five players I have chosen are Trae Young, Deandre Ayton, Mo Bamba, Marvin Bagley and Jaren Jackson Jr. Now, I think 3 of these 5 kids will have solid, to really good, NBA careers. The two I am most curious about are Young and Bamba, so I will save them for last. I want to start with the only player on my list that is left in the tournament, Marvin Bagley. This kid has the potential to be special. Duke players, save for Kyrie Irving, that are one and done, usually don't strive in the NBA. Austin Rivers is a bench player, Jahlil Okafor is a bust, Justice Winslow is not as good as many thought, me included, he could be and Tyus Jones is finally out of the G League and on a roster, but it took awhile. Bagley is better than all these guys. He is an explosive athlete that can hit open shots with ease. He is also a lefty, and that is an advantage in and of itself. He attacks the rim and he can do some highlight reel dunks. But, some has reported that he is a bit selfish. He is kind of out there to get his stats and move up on draft boards. The kid is already super high on most boards, so I don't know why he would do this. I will say, the few times I have watched him play, I have not seen him pass the ball. He either shoots a pull up shot, catches a lob or grabs a rebound and goes. This is a good and bad thing. Believing in yourself is great, to an extent. If he thinks this will fly in the NBA, he will be in for a rude awakening, unless the Kings draft him. In fact, if the Kings draft any of these kids, their careers will be very blah. But, say a team like Chicago or even the Nets draft him, that could be what is best for him. He could go into Chicago and team up with Kris Dunn, Lauri Markannen and Zach Lavine, and that would be a fun, young team to watch. In Brooklyn, he could be the guy to build the team around. They have some talent, Caris Levert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Bagley would only ad to that. If he gets picked by one of these two teams, I think he will have a fine career. Any other team, he might be more Brandon Ingram than anyone else.

Next, Jaren Jackson Jr. This kid is good, thick and can run and shoot. He is a beast on the block and the boards. He can shoot the ball very well. He is already big enough for the pounding in the NBA. He comes from a family of athletes. I think Jackson Jr may have the brightest future of all these "one and done" players. I think he would be a great fit for any team, except the Kings and the Suns. Again, the Kings franchise is a dumpster fire with a very gloomy future. Every kid they seem to draft either gets traded or flames out, or both. I don't want any of these kids to get picked by the Kings. As far as the Suns, I like their young core, and they have very good players already at his position. I don't want them to take another 19 year old and stunt the growth of the 19, 20 and 21 year olds on that team. That would hurt every player involved, especially Jackson Jr. He would be relegated to "learn" from someone who has only been in the league one or two years more than him, and that is no way to learn how to be a professional athlete. I would love to see Jackson Jr go to a team like Memphis or Cleveland, if LeBron stays. I think he would fit it perfectly in Memphis, they'd love him immediately. Cleveland, with LeBron, might even be better. He would be the ideal replacement for Tristan Thompson, and he can stretch the defense more than Thompson can right now.

My favorite player in this upcoming draft is Deandre Ayton. He was the reason I picked Arizona to win it all. What a dumb choice by me. But, that is besides the point. Ayton has a very, very bright future. He could be the modern day Patrick Ewing. This kid can pretty much do it all right now, and do it very well. He is an excellent rim protector and rebounder. He can fill up the stat sheet. He is super fast. He was the guy for Arizona this year. He, honestly, has no real flaws in his game to me. The kid was made to play basketball. I would love if he ended up on a team like Minnesota or San Antonio or even OKC, but they will all be picking way too late. He will, most likely, be the first pick. So, that means he is going to end up on a team like Phoenix, Chicago, Memphis, Boston or, possibly, the Knicks. Truthfully, I would love to see him in New York, playing next to a healthy Porzingis. That would be quite the front court. Imagine trying to score on 2 7 plus footers. It would be a nightmare. They would also be great on the offensive end. It could be a modern day Tim Duncan and David Robinson situation. I am really talking myself into Ayton being a Knick. I don't necessarily like the Memphis fit because Gasol is their big guy. Chicago would be okay because of their youth movement. Phoenix has some young big men, buy Ayton is already better than all of them. If Boston somehow got him that would be unfair. He and Horford is better than him and Porzingis. Just don't let the Kings get this kid because I don't want to see him get ruined by the age of 22.

Now, the 2 biggest question marks for me. First, Mo Bamba. I have to say, I like Bamba as a player, I just do not think he is ready for the NBA. There were games where he flat out disappeared on offense this year at Texas. He was always great defensively. He altered so many shots, or just blocked them. I remember earlier this season when Michigan played at Texas, they just decided pretty soon that it was a jump shooting night for them because of Bamba's presence in the lane. But, as I said, he goes MIA on offense far too much. He is also very skinny for his 7'1 frame. He looks like a twig out there. When he has to go up against centers like Gasol, Clint Capela, Deandre Jordan and Anthony Davis, he is going to get abused. I think it would be best for him to come back for one more year, bulk up and work on his offense. I don't think he will because he is pretty much guaranteed to be a lottery pick, and that is a lot of money to pass up. But, I think he needs, at least, one more year to develop before he is fully ready for the NBA.

Which leads me to my final guy for the day, Trae Young. The things Young did on the court this year were amazing, and never before seen in college hoops, at least not recently. The kid scored 20 plus points and dished out nearly 10 assists a game. He was truly all Oklahoma had. He was the end all be all for that team. For awhile, it worked, then teams started to game plan for him, and Young and Oklahoma kind of took a tumble. They looked pretty bad the rest of the season after reaching the top 5 of the polls. But, even while "struggling", Young still was putting up 20 and 9 a night. People seemed to think he petered out, but he didn't. It just wasn't 40 points and 15 assists every night anymore. We began to expect too much from an 18 year old leading his college team. What I fear for him is the same thing that happened to Shabazz Napier. The thing with Napier though, he was a senior, and he handled his situation a little better. What I mean by this, LeBron fell in love with Napier during his last year in Miami, and basically told them they had to draft Napier, and then he left. Now, he has been on the Trae Young bandwagon from day one and has made it clear he wants the Cavs to draft him. But, what if he decides to bolt for another team again? Then Trae Young is in the same situation that Kyrie Irving was in, except he isn't nearly as good as Irving was/is. Young can do a lot of great things on the floor, but he is not Kyrie Irving. Irving is a transcendent player. He is one of the better point guards now. He has proven he can perform on the biggest stages all the most crucial moments. Young couldn't do that in college, and if the Cavs take him, then LeBron leaves, the city of Cleveland will be counting on him to be their new "savior". He does not deserve that. I would love him to go to a team with a good starting point guard right now, a team like Memphis or Boston, play bench minutes and learn the game. That would be ideal for him. I think Young has a future, but if he ends up in Cleveland and LeBron bolts, that would be very jarring.

I hope all these kids have long careers because I think they can be good, they just need to be put in the right position. Only time will tell.

Ty

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

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A Wild Weekend of March Madness Means We Need to Reset Our Championship Picks

The first weekend of the men's NCAA tournament has passed, and boy was it a wild one. The games all started last Thursday, and the madness started that night. During the early run of games, it was status quo. KU struggled a bit with Penn before pulling away late. Duke crushed Iona. Texas Tech pulled away late on Stephen F Austin. The early games, for the most part, went accordingly. Then that night, the craziness started.

First, Gonzaga really struggled with UNC Greensboro, only winning by 4. Nevada stormed back down 13 against Texas to win in the end. Kentucky and Davidson traded blows until Kentucky pulled away. Michigan really struggled with Montana, only scoring 61 in their win. But, Arizona, which I wrote about last week, really got trashed. I said all I really had to say about that game last week, but still, it looked to be the biggest upset of the tournament. Even Loyola Chicago beating Miami wasn't as big an upset as the Arizona-Buffalo game. 

Then last Friday happened. That day was nuts. Some teams that were expected to win did. Teams like Michigan State, Auburn, Clemson, Purdue, West Virginia and UNC won with relative ease. But, Marshall beat Wichita State, giving us two 13 seeds over 4 seeds games. Butler crushed Arkansas at its own game. Syracuse, who I believe had no business being in this tournament, beat up on TCU. Florida, who was kind of hot, hammered, shockingly to me, by St. Bonaventure. Florida State hammered Missouri.

But, the biggest upset in the history of the tournament happened that night. I went to bed, I was tired from the Michigan game the night before, and woke up to the news that a 16 seed finally beat a one seed. And, not only was it a one seed, it was the number one seed overall. Virginia, who lost 2 games all season, got beat, badly I might add, by UMBC. I was shocked. I could not believe that it happened. I had to watch highlights to believe it. And it was all true. Not only did Virginia get beat, they got absolutely crushed. UMBC won by 20 points. That is so bizarre. I don't think Virginia is going to give up on Tony Bennett, but his tournament history is not good at all. And now, he is the first coach to lose to a 16 seed. That will be what he is remembered for forever. No matter what happens, say Virginia goes on to win a few titles, when Tony Bennett retires, it will always be said that he was the first coach to lose to a 16 seed. This is a big deal.

After the 16 seed taking down a number 1, I thought it couldn't get any wilder. The second round happened and totally threw me for a loop. That is not to say that some of the blue bloods and one seeds left did not take care of business. Villanova hammered Alabama. I thought Alabama could give them a game, but that didn't happen at all. Duke manhandled Rhode Island. I hate to say it, but Duke truly looks like the best team left in the tournament. Kentucky was given a game for about 35 minutes against Buffalo, but then they won by 20. But, there were 3 games on Saturday that were pretty wild.

First was the University of Ohio State and Gonzaga played a hell of a game. The Zags jumped out to a big lead, but the University of Ohio State came back before the Zags finally pulled away at the end. Loyola Chicago then proceeded to continue their improbable run by hitting a game winning jumper to beat Tennessee. Then, we had the Houston-Michigan game to close the night. The game itself wasn't great, there were a lot of missed shots and piss poor foul calls. But, the shot that Jordan Poole hit to win the game I will never forget. It was amazing, and it was so nice to see my team win a game like that. I did not think they had a chance, especially with Houston going to free throw line with 4 seconds left to win the game. But, magic happened. I'm excited to see how they respond after an ending like that, but for now, I will bask in the glory of that shot.

Yesterday was almost as wild as Friday. Nothing will top Friday, again, a 16 beat a 1, but nonetheless, it was crazy. The only game that wasn't too nuts was Auburn-Clemson, but that is only because Clemson handed Auburn's ass to them. Other than that, it was all crazy. Purdue beat Butler, but it was a big time struggle. They only won by three, but it was tough. Texas A&M came out and put a beat down on the defending champs. UNC had no answer for A&M's big men. That game actually has me kind of worried about Michigan next. KSU ended UMBC's never before seen run. The game was ugly and bad,  but KSU ended up winning by 7. Then the real madness started.

Cincinnati somehow managed to blow a 20 point lead with 10 minutes left, and let Nevada storm back to win. Michigan State, a presumed title favorite, got completely flummoxed by Syracuse's zone, and a team I still don't think belongs, Syracuse, improbably moved on to the Sweet Sixteen. And then we saw our second number one seed go down in Xavier. This was a rough weekend for the state of Ohio in basketball. I did say that Xavier was the "softest" one seed, but I thought they could make the Sweet Sixteen at the very least. Well, Florida State had other plans and knocked them out. It was just a wild, wild weekend.

Now that the first weekend is done, and we have our Sweet Sixteen, I am left with somewhat of a hollow feeling. There are some teams that I never thought would be here right now. The fact that KSU, Loyola Chicago, FSU, Nevada, Texas A&M and Syracuse, that is 1/3 of the Sweet Sixteen, is bizarre. No disrespect to those schools, but wow. I just cannot believe that they are here now. We do have some bluebloods, KU, Duke, Kentucky, Purdue and Villanova is kind of a relief, but not really. The rest of the Sweet Sixteen is either up and coming teams or teams that have had a good year. We have Michigan, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Clemson. All of those teams were ranked pretty much all year. They do belong.

So, when I look at the matchups left, I honestly have no idea what will happen. I will give it a shot today and pick, but honestly, my guess is as good or as bad as anyone else's in the world. My Elite Eight is Kentucky, Nevada, Gonzaga, Michigan, Villanova, Purdue, Clemson and Duke. In fact I think all these teams will win with ease. Then for the Final Four I have Kentucky, Gonzaga, Villanova and Duke. That would pit Kentucky versus Gonzaga and Duke versus Villanova. Lets be honest, Duke-Villanova is the real title game. The winner of that game should easily win the title. That, if it happens, will be the best game for sure. I have Villanova beating Duke, then crushing Kentucky in the title game. This will have people calling Villanova a "dynasty", but to me, this title will be a lot like when Kevin Ollie led Connecticut to the championship in 2014. It will be hollow.

While this has been a fun tournament to bear witness to, it has not been the best. Maybe this weekend will bring us some more craziness, but hopefully it brings us better basketball. And the refs need to chill out on the whistles.

Ty

Ed Note: I did pick the University of Cincinnati Bearcats to win the title. I went the homer route, and I lost. To make matters worse, Xavier lays an egg right after UC, and the Queen City once again experienced massive sports heartbreak. I have often asked what city has experienced the worst sports heartbreak. Chicago and Boston used to have that title, but they only held it because the sports media is filled with idiots. Cleveland has had some rough times, but the Cavs won an improbable title a few years ago. Cincinnati won the World Series in 1990, then a whole lot of nothing. We have Kenyon Martin breaking his leg, Carson Palmer getting his knee wrecked, a decade worth of Marvin Lewis making the Bengals just ok, the Reds wasting Joey Votto, and now we have our basketball teams having magical seasons just to see them lose in terrible fashion. 

Being a Cincy sports fan sucks. I hope I do not get suckered again.

Since there is no hope left, I am picking Duke to win it all.

RD

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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It is Time for Arizona Basketball to Let Sean Miller Go

The tournament officially started last night, and just like every other year, a contender got beat by a mid major. The reason this one feels different is how it happened, and to who it happened. Most people, me included, thought that this was finally the time that Arizona was going to push through. They have the presumably number one pick in the upcoming draft in DeAndre Ayton, they have Lonzo Trier, they have very good role players, and they came into the tournament on fire.

Well, none of that mattered to Buffalo last night. They absolutely throttled Arizona, especially in the second half. Buffalo seemingly could not miss from three in the second half. And Arizona had no answer. I was half watching the game because Michigan was playing at the same time. The Wolverine's game was brutal, boring, long and just all around bad basketball, but Michigan found a way to win. So, I was more interested in scoreboard watching the Arizona game. It was close in the first half too. I believe Buffalo held a halftime lead, but it was only 2 points. I figured that Arizona, with all the talent they have, would cruise in the second half after some adjustments.

That was how the second half kind of started. I kept checking the score and Arizona would go up 2, but Buffalo always had an answer. Then, with about 7 minutes to go, I checked on the game and Buffalo was suddenly up 14. As I said, they could not miss from 3. They were also out hustling and just played a much, much better game overall. Buffalo’s coach completely out coached Sean Miller. And that is where I think the problem with Arizona starts and ends.

Sean Miller is one of the biggest chokers in the tournament every year. Never mind the fact that he has this whole FBI thing going on, because he was basically cleared. This should have lit a fire under him and his players, but clearly it did not. They laid a total egg. No one, not even Ayton, could do anything to stop Buffalo. I feel like Arizona walked onto the court and just expected to win. To me, that is on the coach. He did not have his players ready to play. He expected a win. He didn’t prepare them for a fight. He thought they could just walk onto the court, let Ayton do his thing, and they would easily win. The exact opposite happened. I don’t know, maybe Miller isn’t the guy to bring Arizona back to their glory days of the early 90’s. Every year he has coached there they have been no lower than a 4 or 5 seed, but they always come up short. And the collection of talent they have this year, to get blown out in round one by a 13 seed is rough. Look, I’m not even a fan of Arizona basketball, but I expected them to at least make it to the second weekend. They are just too good.

Now, after last night, it is clear that Ayton is going to the NBA. I would be shocked if Trier didn’t do the same. Then, who will Miller have next year? I don’t know, but I don’t think it will matter. As long as Sean Miller is the head coach there, I think Arizona will continue to choke. He cannot get this team over the hump, and that is a shame. I filled out a good amount of brackets for this tournament, and on most of them I had Arizona, at least, in the Sweet Sixteen. Hell, every year my wife and I fill out brackets, make a bet, and I picked Arizona to win it all. I bought in, and that was my mistake. This has to be one of the bigger upsets in tournament history because of how badly Buffalo beat them. This is also frustrating as a college basketball fan that wanted to see Ayton play in a few more college games before going pro. Unfortunately, that won’t happen, and I blame Sean Miller.

This was disappointing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Arizona decides that he may not be the right person to lead Arizona back to glory. He is one of the biggest chokers, at the head coaching level, in all of college basketball. He really messed up last night, and it could be his undoing. What a disappointment.

Ty

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

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Do Not Worry, the Spurs Will Make the Playoffs this Year

I listen to a lot of sports podcasts, as I have mentioned many times before, and NBA podcasts are my favorite. The NBA is probably my second favorite sport, to college football, but the podcasts for the NBA are so much better than any other sports podcasts out there in my humble opinion. So, in my many listens to multiple NBA podcasts, one recurring theme keeps popping up that is baffling, and kind of hilarious to me. The majority of the hosts seem to think that the San Antonio Spurs will not make the playoffs this year, but a team like the Clippers or Jazz will take their place.

Now, I fully realize that at the time of writing this, the Spurs are technically out of the playoffs, if they started today. Well, the playoffs don't start today. In fact, we have about 2-3 weeks before the playoffs begin, if not more time. And, I have watched more than enough NBA, and the San Antonio Spurs, to know that they will find some way to make the playoffs, even if it is as an 8 seed.

First off, the Spurs have been without their best player pretty much all year, and they are still in the hunt. If you watch any NBA, or even ESPN for that matter, the fact that Kawhi Leonard has only played 9 games all year is a definite factor as to why this current team is struggling to stay in the hunt. Well, he should be back in action as early as next week. The moment he steps on the floor, if he is at least 70 percent, his presence will easily put them team right back into the hunt. He is such a transcendent talent on both ends, he will ail what hurts them right now.

I know of all the talk, talk of him wanting out of San Antonio, him waiting until he is fully healthy, some rift between him and management and Jordan brand, all that stuff is out there, but I think it is all nonsense. Leonard is just a quiet dude. I get that. I do not like being the face of anything. I'm happy to just blend into a crowd. I'm happy to do the stuff no one wants to do on a basketball court. I'm happy to kind of just stay in my little bubble of the people that I care about. I'm sure that Kawhi Leonard is the same, he just happens to be an exceptional basketball player, a world champ and a NBA Finals MVP. That has got to be hard for him to just kind of want to stay in his lane with social media and major sports networks proclaiming him to be the next big thing. So while some of those stories may be true and some may be false, I just think the fact that he is a soft spoken dude that never changes his facial expression has made some in the media, I'm looking at you ESPN and The Ringer Network, to make these claims about him. When he comes back, and the Spurs start to look like the Spurs again, they will all be singing a different tune.

Another thing, LaMarcus Aldridge is having a much better season this season, he was dreadful last year, but he too is down with an ankle injury. He will be back soon, but not having Kawhi, and now LMA, that is a problem. When you don't have your 2 best players, unless you are the Warriors, it is going to be hard to find win streaks. That is just the truth.  

I have also heard all the things about the rest of their roster too, that it is either too old or unproven. Give me a break. Guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli will find that extra gear at the right moment. They always have, so why doubt them now. I really like Dejonte Murray too. I remember when Tony Parker came up and people said he was going too fast and needed to slow down. Well, Murray is doing that right now, but, shouts out to Shea Serrano for pointing this out, he looks like he is the next Tony Parker for this team. He will be the point guard the moment that Parker decides he cannot play anymore. I also like guys like Kyle Anderson and Pau Gasol for this team. Anderson is the type of role player that the Spurs covet, and Gasol, he, much like Parker and Ginobli, can turn that switch when it is needed.

The thing I always go back to when talking about the Spurs, and hearing the whole, "is this it" narrative, they still have the greatest NBA coach of all time on their sideline. Greg Poppovich is a genius when it comes to basketball, and he will always find a way to get his team in the playoffs, and give their opponents headaches. Poppovich has been doing this at such a high level for such a long time, I am never, ever going to write any team he coaches off. Ever. He is that good and he has earned that reputation.

So no, I do not see the Spurs missing the playoffs this year. I think they will grab either the 6, 7 or 8 seed with relative ease when Leonard returns. Also, for those people saying they are out of the playoffs right now, yeah, buy like one game, so ease the hell up. This team has earned the right to not be given up on at any time. They will make the playoffs, and hell, they might even win a round or two. I know the Rockets and Mike D'Antoni sure as hell don't want to see them in round one.

Ty

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

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Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings Make No Sense

NFL free agency kicked off with a bang today when the Vikings gave QB Kirk Cousins a 3 year, 84 million dollar contract, that is fully guaranteed.

You read that right.

I have to say, I was very stunned when I read this news. I do not believe, and this is not my Michigan Wolverines biased coming into play, that he is worth even half that money to be a starting QB in the NFL. What makes it even more shocking to me is that ALL of it is guaranteed. This means that he will get every single dime, no matter what may happen while he is in a Vikings uniform. He could get hurt in his first game, miss two plus seasons and still get all 84 million. He could demand a trade after a year and he still gets all 84 million. He could decide that he wants to retire after one season and he still gets all 84 million. The Vikings could decide to cut him if they don't go far enough in the playoffs and he still gets all 84 millions dollars. This is a truly unprecedented deal, the likes of which we have never seen. Props to whoever Cousins agent is, because they just made history.

This Kirk Cousin's contract is also going to set a very weird, and possibly franchise crippling direction for any "franchise" QB now. No other QB has a deal like this, but some that will be free agents soon will start to get fully guaranteed contracts. I know for a fact that Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to sign anything with Green Bay until the Cousins stuff got done. Now, he is going to want more than him, and he will want it all guaranteed. And what are the Packers going to do? Would they say no and go with Deshon Kizer or some late round rookie? No way. They are going to give him what he wants because he is a much, much, much better QB than Kirk Cousins. What will the Panthers do when Cam Newton's contract is up? Are they going to let him walk and pay a lesser QB? No way. He is going to get paid, and then some. How about teams like the Eagles and Rams that have Carson Wentz and Jared Goff on rookie contracts. What are they going to do when those deals are up? These kids will expect to get Kirk Cousins money, and I think that the Eagles and Rams will have to pony up to stay relevant. And Russell Wilson, what with the teardown going on in Seattle right now, the Seahawks will have to give him whatever he wants and they better damn well make sure it is fully guaranteed.

This deal is just so bizarre on so many levels to me. I mean, the Vikings made it all the way to the NFC title game last year with Case freaking Keenum. This is a team built on defense. Sure, people will remember that "Minnesota Miracle" against the Saints more than anything else. But, this current Vikings team won because they had one of the best defenses in all of football. They straight up shut teams down, wore them down and pulled away late. I don't think adding Kirk Cousins is the "missing piece" that this team needs. Hell, even though all three are free agents, they still had Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. If they had stuck with any three of those guys I still think they would have been a contender. Again, I don't see Cousins pushing the needle for them in any sort of direction.

Quite honestly, I do not understand the love that has surrounded Kirk Cousins since he took over for Robert Griffin III a few years back. He has never won a playoff game. In fact, he has only been to the playoffs once, and my Packers crushed him and Washington in Washington. He seems to put up big numbers at the start of the year, but peter out when it gets to crunch time. He is way too hot headed and way too cocky for a guy that has not done anything of importance in the NFL. To me, he is a starting level QB, but I honestly believe that he is right in line, right now, with guys like Eli Manning, Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill. He is just good enough for people to talk about him for a few months, then when it comes to stretch run time, he chokes. I do not think that Kirk Cousins is a QB that can lead a team to, and win, a Super Bowl. I have never seen that in him as a QB. And again, he is a fine player, but how soon until diehard Vikings fans, RD I'm talking to you, are regretting this team making this decision. They are now stuck with him for three years, no matter what. They have put all their eggs into the Kirk Cousins basket. There is no going back now. He will expect to be the team leader, and that could screw up the locker room there. As I have stated many times, this team wins with defense and running the ball. They didn't need to go out and spend so much useless money on a mid tier, at best, QB.

I'm still scratching me head with this deal and with the media saying this now makes the Vikings instant Super Bowl contenders. Prove me wrong Kirk Cousins. But, up to this point in your career you have done absolutely nothing to warrant this type of deal from any team anywhere.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. To answer Ty's question, I was regretting the signing a week ago when it is being rumored. 

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The SeedSing 2018 Men's College Basketball Tournament Preview

The field of 68 was released for the NCAA men's basketball tournament yesterday. There were some surprises, snubs and proper seeding, as always. The top 4 seeds, I feel like, they got right. Virginia, Villanova, Xavier and Kansas are all deserving. But, there were some weird snubs, and teams I felt like should have been in the tournament, just like everyone else.

As far as teams that don't belong, how on Earth are Oklahoma and Syracuse at large bids? That is insane to me. I mean, Oklahoma is in because of Trae Young. But, watching them recently, they are horrid. They have, I believe, lost 11 of their last 13, and finished the year with either 18 or 19 wins. I'm one of those people that feel, unless you win your conference tournament, that you need at least 20 wins to be an at large team. Oklahoma isn't close, and they have stunk, as I said. Trae Young will bring viewers, but a team from the same conference that was more deserving was Oklahoma State. They had 20 plus wins, they beat KU twice to Oklahoma's one win, and they are just a better overall team. Oklahoma is only there because of Young. Syracuse is an absolute horrific pick to me. They are just bad. They have not looked like a competent team all year.

Dare I say, the game looks to have passed by Jim Boeheim. While I have always liked Syracuse, there is no way they belong in the NIT, let alone the NCAA tournament. I will never, ever understand this choice. It is appalling from a basketball standpoint. I'm still in a little bit of shock that they are actually in the tournament. A few teams that I thought should have made it, I've already mentioned Oklahoma State. I also feel like Penn State and Nebraska has a little bit of a beef to be in this tournament. Penn State beat the University of Ohio State three times this year and finished at .500 in conference and had 20 plus wins. Nebraska was well over 20 wins and finished fourth overall in the Big Ten during the regular season. By their standards, they had an excellent year.

The biggest snub to me was Saint Mary's. This is a team that, I think, only lost 4 games all year. They were well over 20 wins, I think close to 30 wins. Sure, they play in a crummy conference, with Gonzaga being the only threat, but come on. They have a great record, they were ranked almost all year, and because they had one bad game in the WCC tournament, they get left out. That is so dumb to me.

Okay, got that off my chest.

For my preview today I will pick each region's winner, who they will face to make the Final Four and the championship game and the winner. Lets get to it. Lets look at the South Region first. Virginia is the number one seed here, as well as the overall number one seed. I feel like they have a fairly "easy" path to the Final Four, but they are Virginia, and they tend to choke. If they win their first game they will have a very tough time with the 8-9 winner, be it Creighton or Kansas State. But, if they get through that game the winner of Kentucky-Arizona, if they meet up, will be tough, but Virginia can beat both of them. The team I like from the South to really push Virginia is Cincinnati. They play just as tough defense, and I think they match up well. But, in the long run, I like Virginia, if they get passed the 8-9 winner, to make it to the Final Four from the South.

Next we will look at the West. Xavier is the one seed in the West. I know I picked them to go to the title game in my 3/4 season redo, but sorry to RD, I think they are the "softest" of the one seeds. They really struggle to win, but they did win enough to be a number one seed. But, the West has teams like Gonzaga, Michigan, Houston and UNC. I feel like all four of those teams could fairly easily beat Xavier. Gonzaga is on fire right now. Michigan looked like one of the best teams in the country a week ago when they won the Big Ten tournament. Houston can score, unless they play Cincy and UNC is the defending champs and just came off a throttling of Duke before getting bested by Virginia. I feel like Gonzaga will meet Michigan in the Elite Eight, and Gonzaga will find a way to score on Michigan's stout defense just enough to return to the Final Four. I love how Michigan was playing a week ago, but I think the week off will eventually be their undoing.

I feel like the East is a very tough, very solid region. Villanova is the one seed here, but I feel like they are going down in round 2 against either Alabama or Virginia Tech, personally I think it will be Alabama because Collin Sexton rules. With Villanova gone that opens the door for teams like Wichita State, Texas Tech and Purdue. Wichita State is not as good as they used to be, but they can get hot come the start of the tournament. Texas Tech has been pretty solid all year, but they have struggled as of late. The very same thing can be said about Purdue, the team I picked to win it all in my 3/4 season redo. And, even though they have struggled a little bit as of late, I like Purdue ending Alabama's Cinderella run in the Elite Eight and move on to the Final Four. Lukas Haas is too big to stop and Carsen Edwards and Vince Edwards are just begging to bust out of their slumps. I think that will happen in the tournament.

Finally we have the Midwest. KU is the one seed, but I feel the same about them as I do Xavier. They will probably make the Sweet Sixteen, but they will go no further. I'm done believing in KU come March. The Final Four representative from the Midwest will be whoever wins the Michigan State-Duke game, when that inevitably happens. I despise both teams, but I feel like Duke will find a way, ahem, ahem, the refs and free throws, to win that game. I think they will face Auburn in the Elite Eight, but they will be firing on all cylinders after beating MSU. Duke unfortunately takes the Midwest region. 

My Final Four is Virginia, Gonzaga, Purdue and Duke. Honestly, I don't really like any of these teams, except for maybe Gonzaga. They will have to face Virginia, and I think Virginia will beat them pretty handily. They will be able to shut them down and they look like a team of destiny right now. In the Duke-Purdue game, I just think Duke is way more talented. Purdue has length and experience, which I love, but Duke has athletes everywhere, and I don't think Purdue will be able to keep up. As much as I want a Big Ten team in the title, I just don't see it happening. That means we will have an all ACC final. I like Virginia to win. They have already shown that they can shut down Duke when they beat them earlier this year in Durham. Virginia plays stout defense, and they will confuse all of Duke's freshman, and I guarantee that Grayson Allen will pull some kind of bull shit trip or flagrant foul that will have the entire nation talking the next day.

So, I have Virginia winning the 2018 tournament. I'm very excited for the games to start. Lets get to it.

Ty

Ed Note: Duke will lose to Michigan State, and the path will then be clear for Kansas or Michigan State to go to the Final Four. Despite their coach, and history in the tournament, Kansas will take the Midwest with only one tough game.

The East could have a big Cinderella run, the top seeds are not scary. I could see West Virginia or Florida having a magical run, but I am going the easy route and have Villanova beating Purdue and winning the East bracket.

I agree on the West, Xavier is a questionable 1 seed. The Muskateers have not shown up in the biggest games (i.e. Villanova twice). Missouri is an unknown in this tournament, Gonzaga is rolling, North Carolina is the defending champ, and Michigan is hot and rested. In a wide open west bracket, Ty's Michigan Wolverines will win.

There are only three worthwhile teams in the East bracket. I could make a case for Virginia, Cincinnati, or Kentucky (you can never count them out). I am going with some home town pride and taking the Cincinnati Bearcats as the winners int he east. Maybe people in this town will shut up about Bob Huggins since Mick Cronin will now have a final four appearance.

The terrible game guaranteed from Kansas in the tournament will come in the final four against Villanova. The Wildcats will meet Cincinnati, after the Bearcats and the Wolverines have an epic game that could go either way. The 2018 Men's College Basketball championship will go to my hometown Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Queen City will finally have a champion to be proud of. 

Before you take my word, remember that I picked the Bengals in the Super Bowl two years ago. You have been warned.

RD

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Where Should LeBron Play Basketball Next Year?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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The Stupid Seattle Seahawks are Doing Some Stupid Things

I’ve made it very clear how I feel about the Seattle Seahawks on this website and the podcast. I despise them. I think they are sore losers and sore winners. I think they feel like they are above the rules in the NFL. I think they’re extremely overrated. I hate when people give themselves nickname, and they called their secondary, “The Legion of Boom”. They gave themselves that stupid nickname. I think their fans, while loyal and lifelong, are super annoying when the team is successful. And when they aren’t good, there always seems to be an excuse. I’ve grown to despise Russell Wilson, the football player. I think he’s pretty annoying as a person, but I loathe Russell Wilson, the “franchise” QB. I don’t care, at all, for Pete Carroll. He was a cheater in college and he’s a cheater in the pros. I also think his accomplishments don’t really have much to do with his coaching, more so his circumstance. I think they talk too much shit, and they haven’t earned it. I think that is more than enough reasons why I dislike this team.

But some recent stories about players on the team that have been released lately have confused the hell out of me. First off, signing Eddie Lacy last year was an enormous mistake that blew up in their face. I knew it, and so did most of the sports media. Not surprisingly, the people in Seattle have never talked about what a mess that signing turned out to be. And I know I was fully on board with the Packers signing Martellus Bennett last year, and that blew up too, but I am fully aware that was horrible in retrospect. Seahawks fans won’t cop to the fact that Eddie Lacy just isn’t that good.

More recently though, I read a story that said they were shopping Matellus’ brother, Michael Bennett. That’s kind of nuts to me. He is the heart and soul of the best part of that defense. The D line, not the secondary, is why they are a frightening defense. That is mainly due to Bennett. He is an excellent, sometimes otherworldly, defensive lineman. He wreaks havoc pretty much every snap. He needs to be specifically game planned for. He gives opposing offensive coaches nightmares. He is very, very good at what he does. He also seems to be a leader in the locker room and off the field. He is a guy that other players go to for advice. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he mentors rookies. He has to be a captain on that team. He’s just a good all around player. He does act a little too often on emotion, but the dude is an awesome defensive football player.

So the fact he’s being shopped is bizarre. And, I don’t think this is just a rumor. I think he will be on a different team next year. I’ve heard something about the Falcons, which would be a nice fit. I’d love for the Packers to go after him. They need all the help they can get on defense. I think the Raiders would be a nice fit. But, when I really sit down and think about it, I bet he ends up on the Patriots. This seems to be the move. And he would thrive there. He’d really shore up their D line and make them respectable. It would also keep them as contenders, and I think that’s what Bennett wants for the rest of his career.

While the Bennett stuff is crazy, earlier today I read a story that said Richard Sherman is going around the complex and saying goodbye to everyone. Now this could mean many things. Hell, maybe he’s just done with his workout for today and he said goodbye, followed by see you tomorrow, but they didn’t report that. Or maybe he is just not going to live in Seattle anymore and he’s letting people know he’s looking for a new home. But, I think there is much more to this story because Sherman was heavily involved in trade talks last year. I thought he was going to be moved before last season started. He wasn’t, but he also didn’t seem happy with the team, and then he tore his ACL near the end of last season. It is a well known fact that he and Russell Wilson don’t get along, and maybe Sherman has had enough and he’s asked to be moved. They seem to have been at each other’s throats since Wilson took over as the starting QB. Wilson gets all the media love, unfairly I might add, and Sherman knows this and he is probably cooked with it. He knows that it was their defense that won the Super Bowl 5 years ago, and led them back the next season. Sherman knows that this team cannot win big without this defense. But, to the majority of the main media, all the Seahawks success has to do with Russell Wilson. That’s bull shit.

If Russell Wilson is the reason Sherman wants out, I do not blame him at all. He, much like Bennett, is a guy, if they move him, that the Seahawks will greatly miss on and off the field. He’s another team leader. He is more important to their success than Wilson is, for sure. I just don’t get what is going on in Seattle right now. If they’re hitching their wagon to Wilson and the offense, they will be the same 8, 9 win team that they looked like last year. Offense wins games, defense wins championships.

Things are going to get super messy in Seattle, and while I may get some weird joy, I actually do feel for the true Seahawks fans. Your team is about to be a forgotten squad. You still have Russell Wilson, which will keep you relevant on ESPN, but not anywhere else really. Enjoy your multiple 8-8 seasons coming up because you picked Wilson over Bennett and Sherman. Man, this is some weird stuff.

Note: While I was editing this piece, Michael Bennett was traded to the Eagles. The tear down of an elite defense has begun.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is quite sore that the Seahawks get all this love, and the Supersonics were shuffled out of town unceremoniously by a bunch of rich pricks. Seattle needs it's Sonics back.

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The Stupid NFL Combine is Asking Lamar Jackson to Do Stupid Things

The NFL combine is currently going on as we speak.

I despise the combine. It is a waste of time. It is a meat market. It doesn't really prove anything that really translates to being in a game on the field. None of the guys wear pads. They don't really do true one on one drills. They have no one covering them when route running. The QB's have no stress or pressure on them when throwing. Even that dumbass test, I can't think of the name of it right now, is pointless. I mean, Ryan Fitzpatrick has one of the highest scores ever, and while he has made a career for himself, I don't think the Wonderlic, I remembered it, has anything to do with why he has stuck around for a decade plus. Basically, the combine is a useless waste of time. It is just a spot for older gentleman to gush over young athletic guys.

As much as I try to avoid anything involved with the combine I cannot get away from the stories circulating that a bunch of NFL teams representatives that were sent there have been asking Heisman winning QB Lamar Jackson to try playing wide receiver.

This is absolutely asinine.

Like I just said, he won the Heisman 2 years ago as a QB. I don't think I ever even saw him play any wide out while he was at Louisville. He probably didn't play it much in high school either since he was recruited as a QB. So I am flabbergasted as to why these reps think they have the nerve to ask this kid that has been a QB all his life to play wide out, a position that he isn't fully familiar with. I honestly do not know what to make of this, outside of the fact that he is a hyper athletic player that is a bit slight for the position he has played his whole life. But, you look at where the NFL is heading, because of the college game, the run pass option offense is more en vogue now. Hell, the Eagles just won the Super Bowl with a backup QB running the RPO offense. Lamar Jackson excels at this type of game. He put up incredible, almost video game like numbers, in the past 2 seasons. Two years ago, his Heisman year, he had ridiculous numbers. I'm pretty sure he threw for over 4,000 yards, ran for another 1,500 and had right around 40 TD passes and another 15-20 TD runs. Then this past season, which some considered a bit of a letdown, he still went for 3,500 plus pass yards, 1,000 plus rush yards, 36 TD's passing and another 10-12 rushing. Oh yeah, he was a finalist for the Heisman in his "down year". That is some outrageous stat lines. And now these "geniuses" that run teams want him to switch to being a wide out?

Get the hell out of here.

Again, I am amazed that they have the nerve to even suggest this. I first heard Bill Polian, who is a million years old and far too removed from the game, say that he should consider the switch on ESPN. I say to Polian, shut the hell up. Why do you even think you have the right to say this? What team are you the GM for right now? How is this take any different from the bull shit that is spewed out of Skip Bayless' on the daily? Bill Polian is an old man has been. No one working in an NFL front office right now should listen to any nonsense he has to say. But, as the draft is getting closer and the combine is here, more and more reports are surfacing that other teams have asked him to try wide out.

That is ludicrous.

No one asked Deshaun Watson, the guy Jackson beat in the Heisman race 2 years ago, to switch to wide out last year at the combine. No one asked Eric Crouch if he wanted to play running back or receiver when he left Nebraska. Tommie Frazier was never asked to switch positions when he was done at Nebraska. No one wanted Tim Tebow to switch to tight end when he came in the league. No one was questioning Johnny Manziel after he left Texas A&M to play receiver. Denard Robinson only willfully switched to running back after he left Michigan because he wasn't a 1/10 the passer that Jackson is. The list could go on and on and on. If this had come up when Michael Vick was the number one overall pick, imagine the hysteria that would have followed. Even in this upcoming draft, the only QB who is being asked to think about switching positions is Jackson.

What makes a guy like Baker Mayfield a better option at QB than Jackson? He played in a RPO offense at Oklahoma. He doesn't have the strength to get the ball out of his hands like Jackson does. And he isn't nearly as dynamic as Jackson is with the ball. Yet no one is asking him to try a new position. Or why is this Allen kid from Wyoming a better prospect at QB than Jackson. He played in a lesser conference and didn't put up numbers that even came close to approaching what Jackson did over the last 2 years as a QB. Yet, all the "experts" have this Allen kid as the top QB prospect.

This is all absurd and a joke.

I think we all really know why the team reps are doing this, and it is a shame that this sort of racism still exists, especially in the professional sports world. Take one look at Lamar Jackson, then do the same at Baker Mayfield, and you hear 2 different stories about why Mayfield can make it as a QB, then the other side of that story is why Jackson has to switch positions if he wants to have a NFL career. It is disgusting if you ask me.

I hope Jackson blows off the reps asking him to try wide out and lights it up as a QB at the combine and all his pre draft workouts. I am now openly rooting for Lamar Jackson to not only make it as a QB, but he be one of the better QB's in the NFL. I would love nothing more than to see him shove it in these assholes faces that seem to think he has to play a different position. The kid has been a QB his whole life, and he deserves just as much a shot as Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold and Baker freaking Mayfield. I personally think he is better than all three of those guys.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He remembers back when ESPN "draft experts" were debating if Blaine Gabbert would have a better career than Cam Newton. Why does these guys at ESPN still have a job?

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The Latest College Basketball Scandal is Completely Worthless

I have been trying my best to not write about the whole FBI investigation into NCAA basketball, but I have heard so many different theories, I just have to put mine out there.

For those of you that may or may not know, the FBI launched a big time investigation into college basketball players getting "impermissible benefits". This basically means that players were given money to go and play for certain colleges. Some big time programs are involved with this whole thing too. I'm talking the Duke's, UNC's, Michigan State's, Kansas' and Kentucky's of the college basketball world. There are many more schools involved, but when blue bloods like that are being named, it becomes a big deal. The money that is being tossed around ranges anywhere from 40 dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a mess.

Now, for the entirety of my young adult life, my early to mid 20's, I thought that a full scholarship was more than enough for these kids. I figured, if med students have to pay for school, but athletes don't, what more do they need? But, the older I get, the less I think that is true. Lets get something straight right off the bat, yes these kids are getting full rides to play basketball at these schools, and when you break it down, 4 year tuition to these schools can be as much as 70 to 80,000 dollars a year. But, look at all the money the schools make off the athletes. It is millions, if not billions, of dollars. The schools sell these kids jerseys in their stores for upwards of 75 dollars a pop, and these kids see none of that money. That is bull shit. Imagine that happening in the pros. Imagine LeBron or Steph or KD not seeing a dime from the sale of their jerseys. It would be ludicrous. Why is there is a double standard when it comes to these scholar athletes? They should see some kind of money off the schools using their likeness, shouldn't they? And for people like I used to be, the whole tuition is more than enough people, get the hell out of here. That isn't even close to being enough money for what the schools are pulling in.

What I went back to after this story broke was Michigan and the Fab Five stuff. Yes, they got hammered for paying those guys, mainly Chris Webber, and at the time I was mad. But, looking back on it, I had a number 4 Michigan jersey. I wore black socks. I wore Nikes. I wore Michigan shorts. And my parents got all the stuff from the University. All that money they spent to put me into all the things Webber and the rest of the Fab Five wore had to cost them more than 100 bucks. That was going on all over the country. And to crush a program for years because a kid who was making the school more money than they could print for taking 250,000 dollars, that's insane to me. That is a drop in the bucket compared to what Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King brought into that school, and still do. I still see people wearing their throwback jerseys at games. The same can be said for the football program at Michigan. This is my school, so that is why I'm using them as an example. I still see those dumbass "throwback" jerseys with Denard Robinson's number 16 on the front and back when I go to games. Do you think Denard saw a dime from those jersey sales? Hell no. But, the University of Michigan easily made six figures off of those dumbass jerseys.

So when I'm looking at the schools being mentioned, and the players being named and what they supposedly took, or their parents took, it drives me nuts that they are being investigated by the FBI. The FBI has much bigger fish to fry, (clears throat), the current "government". But, they are choosing to go after college kids. I mean, Michigan State should be getting investigated by the FBI, but not for giving Miles Bridges 40 bucks. They have the entire athletic department involved in a massive sexual assault scandal, but Miles Bridges is being raked over the coals for taking 40 dollars? What a crock. And the other blue bloods involved, why is it so surprising that they are giving elite prospects money to come to their schools now? Of course Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Kansas, and so on and so forth are giving young kids and their family something to come play ball there. Don't try and tell me, and I loathe Duke, that they weren't giving guys like Christian Laettner money, just like I'm sure they gave Jahlil Okafor, Justice Winslow and now Marvin Bagley and the other star freshman they have and had money and other stuff. Same with KU. I'm not shocked that Josh Jackson's mom took 2 grand from them. I'm sure Danny Manning got some money from KU. I'm sure Mario Chalmers got stuff he couldn't afford from KU. I'm pretty sure Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins got stuff too. Who cares? Roy Williams and UNC have been doing this for years, so no, it doesn't surprise me that they were named. And I say again, who cares? John Calipari is one of college basketball biggest cheaters of all time. So, for Kentucky to named, of course they were named. They are giving these kids money to come there. And again, who cares? Even with the supposed phone tapped conversation of Arizona head coach Sean Miller saying that he wanted to give DeAndre Ayton 100,000 dollars to come there doesn't surprise me. And I think, if Ayton took the money, he did the right thing. Arizona is cashing in on him being there right now. I told my father after this story came out that if my son or daughter goes to school on an athletic scholarship, becomes a star and the school makes millions off using their likeness, I would fully support them taking money from agents if they were given the opportunity. Let these kids get theirs. I cannot say it enough. The schools are making tons and tons and tons of money off these athletes, so why not let these kids get something more than a full scholarship.

This has been going on forever, and if you think this is a new thing, you are wrong. Now, the FBI is involved. That is the only difference, and that is absurd. The FBI needs to deal with bigger problems, not cheating in college athletics. And for those of you that think this story will crush college basketball, you are wrong too. None of the blue bloods are going to face any real punishment, save for Michigan State, which should get hit for the horrific sexual assault stuff. Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Arizona will be just fine. Hell, some of the players named have already been cleared to play. This whole "breaking scandal" is stupid and pointless. This is being blown way too far out of proportion and in a month or two, we will have all forgotten about it. That is how I feel about this whole "scandal".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty one time took 10 bucks from a representative at Whatsamatter U. 

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Who is Going to Fix Michigan Football's Terrible Offense

Tim Drevno resigned as the offensive coordinator at Michigan today.

To me, this is a bit of a shock. Don’t get me wrong, he has not done a very good job since he signed on when Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh. Drevno has been with Harbaugh at almost every stop he has been a head coach. But, his three offenses at Michigan have gotten progressively worse. Michigan’s offense was never the threat it could have been under Drevno and Harbaugh. Drevno’s best season was probably 2 years ago, but I think that had more to do with the experience and athletes they had as opposed to his play calling. He was very predictable as a play caller. My dad and I could call most things he was going to do before he did them. Opponents echoed this same sentiment. You knew on third and long that he was going to call a draw or screen. It was too easy to tell.

This past season with a ton of new, and inexperienced, but also very talented players, the offense really struggled, and Drevno was part of the problem. He never really trusted his QB, be it Wilton Speight, John O’Korn or Brandon Peters. He almost always gave way to the running backs on crucial downs. O’Korn got markedly worse under Drevno’s watch. Peters played fine, but his play book was very small. Hell, even Speight, before his injury, looked rough with all the new receivers.

I also was frustrated at his lack for picking a bell cow running back. Karan Higdon should have been the guy, with a little Chris Evans sprinkled in here and there. But no, he pushed guys like Ty Issac and Kareem Walker. Those guys are fine, but Higdon is far better. Drevno also totally went away from Khalid Hill, which drove me nuts.

The worst thing though, he did not have a single good call for third and long. As I stated before, he almost always ran a screen or draw. He was basically giving up the bank without a fight. He became a very frustrating coordinator for me to watch by the end of last season.

Where this move has me a bit confused, who will be the new play caller? Will it be Harbaugh? Will it be one of the many new assistants they’ve hired this offseason? I don’t know. I feel like Harbaugh already has a hand in what the offense does, so I’m sure that won’t change at all. But, who from the new staff could he possibly pick? The name that I’ve heard all day today is new receivers coach Jim McElewain.

I’m very conflicted about this. He was a very mediocre head coach at Florida, and the problem was the offense. Michigan was bad on offense last year, but Florida was much worse. He did an okay job at Colorado State, but never set the world on fire. Where he did excel was at Alabama as an offensive coordinator. That was what propelled him to be a head coach. So maybe, this will be the same, but I wouldn’t count on it. Where Michigan has big time talent on offense, Alabama gets the best of the best. They turned Lane Kiffin into a decent head coach. I just don’t know which McElwain Michigan will get. Will he be happy to be a coordinator, of is he just positioning himself to be a head coach again? I don’t know, and I’m a little scared to see. Maybe they will hire another person, a prominent person, to run their offense, but all of that will have to wait to see if Shea Patterson gets cleared to play.

Therein lies the biggest question. Did Drevno leave because Patterson won’t get cleared and he doesn’t want to deal with who is left behind? Or can he not work with Patterson because he is more of a dual threat guy and he’s used to pro style QB’s? Did he leave because of McElwain? Maybe.

This is all very confusing, and I hope Michigan and Harbaugh have a plan in place. Next season is a big season for everyone involved with the Michigan football program, and today’s news has other furthered my skepticism. We will see how this all plays out, but for now, I’m just scratching my head.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. May we recommend Ty as the new Wolverines Offensive Coordinator. He does have about 100 straight National titles with Michigan on NCAA Football for the X-Box. 

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The NBA All Star Weekend Was Kind of a Dud

As I promised yesterday, today I will break down all the other things from the NBA All Star weekend. Friday and Saturday, leading up to the game on Sunday, was kind of a bore, if I am being honest.

I, for some unknown reason, watched the celebrity "all star" game on Friday night. I don't know what possessed me to watch. Maybe it was the fact that my trip to Chicago was cancelled, maybe it was because my mom was injured, maybe it was because that was the only thing that was on at my folks house when we went to visit them that night. I will never be able to pinpoint why, but I watched. As it is with most of these celebrity games, it was a mess. The basketball was mediocre at best. When the pros got in, Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce, they didn't care enough to even try, which is their right. They have played tons of NBA minutes, so they don't need to go all out in a dumbass game. But, when they were announcing who was on the floor, I didn't know who most of these "celebrities" were. Sure, I new Justin Bieber and Jaime Foxx. Those guys are bona fide stars. I also knew Candace Parker because she is probably the best female player right now. But, some names like Quavo, Katie DeMita, the K-pop singer, the little kid from "Black-ish", and many others, I had no idea. I think it is a mixture of 2 things. One, I am getting older, and I honestly do not know who younger kids look up to anymore. Second, the people involved with the celebrity game have a very loose meaning of the word "celebrity". I know that Winn Butler is in a very popular band, but would I call him a celebrity, absolutely not. That is how I felt with pretty much everyone involved except for Foxx, Bieber, Parker and McGrady and Pierce. Everyone else was non existent in my pop culture lexicon. After the game my only take away was that this Quavo fella can play a little ball. Besides the male and female pros, he was the best player on the court. The dude can play. The celebrity game was a complete waste of time. It was boring, bad and a rough watch.

I figured Saturday night would be better, and while it was, it wasn't that much better. I expected great things from the 3 challenges, and they all kind of ended up very blah. The night started off with the skills competition. I kind of like this game. I like seeing the big men weave through stations and make crisp passes and hit three pointers. It is even better when you see the guards do it. Well, the skills competition this year was very ho hum. I think Spencer Dinwiddie, of the Brooklyn Nets won, beating Lauri Markanen. I was not stoked to see those 2 guys in the finals. I would have rather seen Joel Embiid make it. Or Andre Drummond. Or Jamal Murray. Those guys are more widely known than Dinwiddie and Markanen. It was kind of boring.

The three point competition was better, but not by much. There were some big names this year in the three point contest. Guys like Klay Thompson, Paul George, Bradley Beal and Eric Gordon. Three of those 4 guys were all stars, and Gordon won sixth man of the year last year, and the three point contest last year. There were other guys, guys like Tobias Harris and Devin Booker. But, I was all in for watching the all stars. Paul George laid an egg. Eric Gordon didn't even come close to repeating. Brad Beal was ice cold in the last half of the first round. But, Klay did put up some decent numbers. So did Harris and Booker. The final came down to Thompson and Booker, and this was the best part of the contest. Both guys really showed out in the finals. Booker went first and got 28 points, hitting all of his "money ball" rack, and breaking a record. Thompson had his chance to win, and while he put up a great effort, he only got 25. Both of these guys proved why they are elite shooters and great deep threats in the NBA. This final was the one saving grace of the three point contest.

To end the night they had the slam dunk contest. This is the event I look most forward to every year during the all star break. There were four really good competitors this year. We had Victor Oladipo, Dennis Smith Jr, Larry Nance Jr and Donovan Mitchell. These are four young, hyper athletic guys that could easily be the future of the NBA. And, while 3 of them didn't disappoint, the judging was horrendous. First off, Oladipo tried a nearly impossible dunk in the first round and missed all three attempts. Then in the second round, he put on a Black Panther mask, which was cool as hell. But, he did, for him, a very easy dunk after missing his first attempt. He had 5 chances and only made one dunk. Dennis Smith Jr had an okay first round dunk. His second round dunk should have put him in the finals. He did a reverse 360, put the ball through his legs and dunked with his off hand. It was truly amazing. Donovan Mitchell did a very cool first round dunk, where he bounced a ball off a different backboard than he dunked on. His second round dunk was good too, he paid homage to Eddie Griffith, AKA Dr. Dunkenstein, and put down a solid dunk, but Smith Jr's second dunk was better. Larry Nance Jr paid homage to his dad, even donning his old Suns jersey, and that dunk was incredible. Then, he had his dad come out and throw him a pass and proceeded to windmill the shit out of the dunk. His first 2 dunks were better than anyone else's. He made it to the finals, deservedly, and his opponent was Mitchell. While Mitchell had 2 solid dunks, Smith Jr's were better. He should have made it. Then in the finals, both Nance Jr and Mitchell had solid dunks. Mitchell did another throwback, wearing Vince Carter's Raptors jersey from when he won the contest, but it wasn't as impressive as it could have been. Larry Nance Jr did a double tap off the backboard, which is insanely hard, but he didn't get the win that he deserved. That brings me to the judging. The fact that they felt they needed 3 other judges besides Lisa Leslie and Dr. J was astonishing to me. Those 2 were more than enough to judge dunks. But, to put Chris Rock, who I love but is admittedly not an athlete, Marky Mark, which why is he even relevant anymore, and the worst of the bunch, DJ Khaled, who should never, ever judge anyone doing something athletic, was just wrong. Those three had no idea what they were doing. It was kind of embarrassing. Donovan Mitchell ending up winning, even though I think Nance Jr deserved it. The dunk contest, while being the best part of the night, was very ho hum, much like the rest of the stuff leading to the all star game.

I usually look forward to all the stuff leading up to the all star game, but this year was kind of a dud. Hopefully it gets better next year.

Ty

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

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Defense, and LeBron, Showed Up in the 2017 NBA All Star Game

Sunday night was the NBA All Star game. This was the first time with the new format, LeBron vs Steph. I'll get to the All Star weekend stuff, i.e., the skills competition, the celebrity game, the three point contest and the dunk contest tomorrow. Today though, I want to just focus on the game itself.

First though, I have to talk about Fergie's "rendition" of the national anthem. It was horrendous. It was a train wreck. It was, possibly, the worst performance I have ever seen. It was so awful. I don't know what she was doing, why she thought this was a good idea, why her people thought this was a good idea and why she thought she nailed it. The national anthem is a hard enough song to sing, but to try and make it a jazzy lounge song, get the hell out of here. The faces of the players was point enough to how bad she did. The people in the crowd, like Chris Rock, Chance the Rapper and Jimmy Kimmel's expressions spoke volumes to how horrible her performance was. It was just horrific, and I hope she gets another chance so she can make up for the travesty that was her performance on Sunday night. God it was bad. Okay, now to the game.

I have said before, and I still feel this way, I had no problem with the lack of defense played in previous all star games. I have always wanted, and still want, to see both teams get 200 plus points. It is an exhibition, these guys don't need to get hurt, and I want highlight reel dunk and shot after highlight reel dunk and shot. It is an all star game after all. But, I will say, a part of me liked seeing these guys at least attempt to play some defense. Sure, James Harden and DeMar DeRozan didn't really give full effort on that end, but they aren't known for their defense. Same with Curry, but he was able to hide himself, just like he does in the regular season and playoffs. But guys like Joel Embiid, Paul George, KD, LeBron, Giannis and Kyle Lowry put forth some defensive effort. It was nice to see some blocked shots, steals and guys bodying up other guys. I have to say, it was a bit of a breath of fresh air.

With that being said though, there were a ton of missed shots. The score could have been higher if some of the players were actually hitting their wide open threes. Westbrook and Bradley Beal must have bricked 3/4 of their three point attempts. Embiid was playing like a 2 guard at times, and while he made half his threes, he took way too many. Same with Towns. He can shoot it, but he was taking too many. I look at a guy like Anthony Davis, who is a solid three point shooter, and I think he only took one three. He was more focused on rebounding and alley oops. Same thing goes for Andre Drummond. He was either rebounding, or trying to tear the rim off. That is what I like to see from big men. Playing with their back to the basket, and maybe occasionally putting up a three pointer or two. So, even with some effort on defense, there was still a ton of missed shots, and some of those shots falling could have changed the entire perception of this game.

Some stuff I really liked, LeBron and KD were going hard. They looked like they were putting real effort into the game. LeBron was sweating like it was a regular season game. KD was shooting his threes, but he was also attacking the rim, just like he does in games that count. Embiid may have taken too many threes, but he was playing some defense. When he made the three pointer at one end, then blocked Westbrook at the other end, I was impressed. Westbrook, who took far too many threes, finally started attacking when his outside shot wasn't falling. He was also passing a lot more, and that was nice to see. Klay Thompson looked legitimately mad at the refs when he wasn't getting calls when he may or may not have been hit on his jumpers. Kyrie was doing his wizardry with the ball and going to the hoop, which he does better than almost anyone else in the NBA. DeRozan, while not playing defense, showed why he belonged. He was hitting jumpers and going to the hoop at will. When Davis finally started to catch passes, he was going up for some big dunks. Even guys who didn't play much, the Goran Dragic's, LMA's and Al Horford's, when they got in, they tried. 

Through all of this, LeBron showed us why he is still the best player in the NBA. As I said earlier, he actually tried. He broke a real sweat. He wanted to win this game. He wanted his teammates to win this game. When he wasn't in the game, he was leading the cheers on the bench. This is the LeBron that I love to watch. He left his ego and his want to be the GM, coach and player at home. He got everyone involved. And, the defense he and KD played on Steph to win the game, that was great. In fact, the last 8 minutes of the game was pretty intense, good basketball and showed why LeBron still owns the league right now. He rightfully was named the MVP of the game. 

While the final score wasn't as high as I might have wanted, the game was pretty okay. Players tried. Players wanted to win. Players wanted to play defense at times. I think this idea of letting the top vote getters pick their teams, then saying that the winning team would get money towards their favorite charities was great. Now, they just need to televise the top vote getters picking their teams, which it sounds like Adam Silver is going to do next year. I felt like the game was a success. It appeased the old generation, and it showed the younger generation that, even in short bursts and exhibition games, defense is an important part to a basketball game. Well done NBA, you guys did a good job with the new format. Now, lets keep making it better and better.

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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Another Look at Who Will Matter in, and Win, March Madness

I know that we are more than halfway through the college basketball season, but I am still going to do a checkup. I guess we will call this one the 3/4 mark checkup. After all, there is still about 4 weeks until selection Sunday. I'm going to quickly go through each conference and pick a new winner. I will also name a few surprise teams, both disappointing and good. Okay, lets go.

I'll start with the SEC. Wow was I way off. I, much like everyone else, thought Kentucky would cruise. Kentucky stinks. They have lost 4 straight. This might be one of Calipari's "worst" teams. A few other teams that I had high hopes for, Missouri and Texas A&M, have been subpar. Part of that is injury, Missouri, and part is a very slow conference start, A&M. Texas A&M has turned it around lately, and Missouri may be getting Michael Porter Jr back, but it might be too little too late. A few teams in the SEC that have really surprised me, in a good way, are Auburn and Tennessee. I don't think i even mentioned either of them, and both are ranked. Auburn is a top 10 team in fact. I'm sure they will be sanctioned soon, Bruce Pearl is their coach, but Auburn is playing great right now. Tennessee has hovered around the top 20, but they have steadily been ranked almost all year. Besides the teams I have mentioned, no none else in the SEC has really stood out. South Carolina won't be making another miracle run, LSU is lousy, Vanderbilt stinks, Georgia is blah and Florida just doesn't seem to have it going right now. So, at this point, i do not see how Auburn doesn't easily win the conference. They will have to probably vacate it soon, but good for them right now.

Next, lets go to the Big 12. KU is still leading, but they have not been the force that they usually are. They have won 12 straight Big 12 titles, and 13 is possible, but it will be harder. Oklahoma and Trae Young looked like a real threat, but they have stumbled lately. They look to be a flash in the pan. West Virginia made it all the way up to number 2 in the country earlier this year, but they have fallen back to earth recently. TCU is better, but not as good as some thought they could be. Baylor is very hit and miss. Same with KSU. And Texas, even with Mo Bamba, isn't that great. No, KU biggest threat is Texas Tech. They have been awesome this year. Kudos to them for the way they have come out and play. This has been a wonderful year for them so far. I'm still going to go with KU, but it wouldn't shock me is Texas Tech finally took the crown from them.

Now lets look at the Pac 12. There is not one team that really stands out to me. Arizona and Arizona State are the 2 best teams, but they have really had up and down years. Arizona lost 3 of their first 7 games, but started to win again, but have faltered lately. ASU, much like WVU started super hot, raised to number 3, but they are barely still in the top 25. The usual powers in the conference, UCLA and Stanford, they are mediocre. Washington is better, but still not good. Washington State stinks. Oregon is really bad, and I thought they might find some sustained success. Oregon State may as well not even have a basketball program. The rest of the conference is blah. I would not be shocked if the Arizona schools are the only ones that make the tournament. For now, I'll go with Arizona to win because they have DeAndre Ayton, and he is amazing.

The ACC is good as usual, but maybe a tad overrated, in my opinion. Duke is great offensively, and Marvin Bagley Jr is incredible, but they are horrendous defensively. Also, if they aren't hitting threes, they struggle. I have also loved watching Grayson Allen play very poorly this year. Coach K has a good squad, but if he doesn't get these kids, the freshman he recruits just like John Calipari, to play defense, they can be bounced early. Virginia plays the best defense in the country, but their offense is bad. They are the opposite of Duke. They can win games with defense, but if they don't hit shots, they are susceptible to lose any given night. UNC, the defending champs, have been very hit or miss this year. Some nights they look great, other night, blah. They have seniors too, which baffles me as to why they are so up and down. Clemson has been awesome this season. They are fun to watch, and I think they can surprise some people. Louisville is somehow near the top, but none of their games matter because they are a bunch of cheaters. Miami is solid, but being a top 10 team earlier this year was a bit of a stretch. Virginia Tech and FSU are okay, and they will fight for a win, but they will be bubble teams the rest of the year. The rest of the conference is a clutter of teams with anywhere from 11-15 wins. The ACC isn't as tough as it usually is. I'm still going to pick Duke, they have the most talent. But, I would love to see Clemson pull it out somehow.

The Big East is a 2 team race. Either Xavier or Villanova is going to win. Creighton is okay, so is Providence, and shouts out to Butler for always playing hard. But, they won't matter in the end. Seton Hall has been a disappointment this year. They were supposed to be better. But, both Xavier and Villanova are top 5 teams and they have earned that ranking. I'm going to go with Xavier just to appease RD, but they better go further than the second round in the NCAA tournament. They are hyper talented this year.

The AAC is like the Big East, a 2 team league. Those 2 teams, Cincinnati and Wichita State. While both have squandered a few games recently, Cincy is better and they could be as high as a 2 seed in the tournament. I know Houston has 20 wins, and 10 in conference, but Cincy and WSU are better. Again, to appease RD, I'll go with the Bearcats, but they better do good in the tournament too.

Finally, as far as major conferences go, the Big Ten. This conference is between 5 teams. The University of Ohio State, MSU, Nebraska(WHAT!), Purdue and Michigan. Everyone else is very ho hum. PSU has 19 wins, and have played really well, but i do not think they are a tourney team. Northwestern has stumbled. Iowa, Wisconsin and Rutgers all stink. Illinois is god awful. The Big Ten, near the bottom, is really down this year. But, those 5 teams at the top are solid. The University of Ohio State is the biggest surprise to me. I expected very little of them, but they have been very good. MSU, while I think they should get the death penalty, still has some very solid players, and they know how to win. They will always be a tough out. Nebraska has been a total surprise to me as well. They have 11 wins in conference. That is awesome. They could easily make the tournament this year. Purdue, and I know they have lost 3 straight, is still very, very good. They have upperclassmen everywhere, and it is good to get the losing out of the way now. They did win 19 straight after all, and that is a sign of a great team. Michigan has 21 wins, and 10 in conference, but they have been wildly inconsistent on offense, which is kind of a shock. They do play solid defense though. Even though MSU beat them recently, I'm going to go with Purdue. They are having a special year.

A few teams outside of major conferences i want to single out are Rhode Island, St Mary's and, of course, Gonzaga. These teams are all very good, they are ranked, and they can make deep tourney runs. Every year a mid major does, and these are the three best suspects to do that this March.

As far as my Final Four, I'll go with Duke, Purdue, Texas Tech(my wild card) and Xavier. The title game will pit Purdue against Xavier, making this a real "Sophie's Choice" for RD. I'll go with Purdue to win the title. Like I said, they are having a magical year, even with their recent "slide". My Player of the Year will be Trae Young. Everyone loves this kid, and he is great. He has struggled as of late, but he will catch fire again, and he has built up a great reputation all year long. I think Matt Painter will win a much deserved Coach of the Year this year as well.

Okay, there is my 3/4 NCAA men's basketball checkup. As far as the women's game, UCONN is on a war path and will obliterate every team in their way. They will be the women's champ easily. Now lets get to some March Madness.

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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Lavar Ball is Nonsense

shut up, shut up, shut up

I read recently, and I had successfully kept this idiot out of my brain until now, that Lavar Ball said that if the Lakers don’t sign his 2 other kids, Lonzo will not re sign with them.

This is insane!

Who in the hell does Lavar Ball think he is? Who is he to demand these outrageous things? Why does he think he can demand these outrageous things? Why haven’t the Lakers done more to quiet this buffoon? I feel like all of these are valid questions.

I won’t go into why Lavar Ball is terrible, I’ve already done that. Instead, I’m going to give the Lakers other options to deal with this nonsense. First off, both the other Ball children will, most likely, not be NBA players. The one that was just at UCLA was, by all accounts, not even a viable pro prospect. Apparently he was slow, didn’t play defense, was a shaky spot up shooter at best and just average. I don’t think he would’ve started if his last name wasn’t Ball. He also screwed himself when he shoplifted in China. He seemed doomed from the start. The youngest brother is 16. Sure, he loves basketball now, and I know he’s playing professionally overseas, but let’s see what happens in a year or 2. By all accounts, the league these 2 brothers are playing in isn’t even the best pro league in Lithuania. Sure, it’s professional, but very low level. Thankfully I don’t know how they’re doing because I decided to stop caring about this family when Lonzo Ball came out slow.

Back to the 16 year old. I think what Lavar did with this kid was horrendous. To “home school” him, to take him away from a good high school basketball program, to basically try and live through him, it left a very bad taste in my mouth. Also, he may never get any better than he is now because his dad always tells him how great he is. He doesn’t coach, he only pops off at the mouth. He’s a malcontent, and a disturbance. So while the youngest brother may be an okay player, I don’t know if he will be an NBA type player. He’s still much too young and way too small.

So, for Lavar to say what he said, just stop. Magic Johnson, Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka need to nip this in the bud. They’ve let Lavar get away with way too much, i.e., calling out Luke Walton, saying his son needs more time, calling out other Lakers and so on and so forth. This recent statement is too far. In fact, if I were the Lakers, with the way they d recently cleared a ton of cap space, I’d trade Lonzo if he is on board with what his dad said. Why would LeBron, Paul George or Kawhi Leonard want to go play for a team that allows a player’s dad to say whatever he wants whenever he wants? Those guys are superstars that have made it on their own. They didn’t need mommy or daddy to speak on their behalf. They don’t need the nonsense. Hell, if I were a mid level free agent, the Lakers with Lonzo would be very far down my list if desired teams. The Lakers should trade him now. Don’t let him finish out this rookie contract. They’ve shown recently that they can win without him. Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma are much better building blocks than Lonzo Ball. I also think free agents, big time ones, would agree with me.

This is what happens when you let an unstable person say whatever is in their feeble brain. I mean, look at the bull shit going on at the White House right now. Lavar Ball bit off more than he can chew with this recent comment. This will come back to haunt him and his family, especially when the 2 younger Ball’s don’t even get an invite or a tryout because they aren’t going to get drafted.

Lavar Ball is a nuisance that needs to be stopped. Please Lakers organization, stop this monster while you still can.

Ty

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

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Ty Does Not Watch the Winter Olympics

I finally sat down and watched some figure skating with my wife the other night. See, I forgot that the Winter Olympics were currently going on. I probably should have mentioned that first. But, that’s my topic for the day. I’m pretty sure that I don’t really care about the Olympics anymore. I can’t really put my finger on why, but I do have some theories.

First one, I don’t know that I ever really cared about either the Summer or Winter Olympics. I do enjoy the racing and basketball in the Summer Olympics, but nothing really in the Winter Games. I have never liked or cared about hockey for personal reasons. I was never rich enough to be a skier or snowboarder, so I put that out of my mind. Figure skating is an art form, but I just don’t care about it. Speed skating is wannabe running events. Also, I can’t ice or roller skate, so that definitely adds to my dislike of anything skating. I do think stuff like luge and bobsled is kind of cool, but that is more of a, “maybe something brutal will happen” type idea, and that is wrong. So with the Winter Olympics, I usually stay away. If the only thing I’m looking forward to is an accident, I shouldn’t be watching.

I also think that the Winter Games is for rich people. As I have said, I’m not a rich person. I never have been, and most likely, I never will be. So the events, which are clearly made for rich people, were things I never did as a child. We would vacation in ski towns in Michigan when I was a kid, but I spent my time in the lodge or hiking and climbing bluffs. I would sled, but no skiing or snowboarding. It is just not my thing.

Another theory I have about my distaste of the Winter Olympics is, I don’t know many other people that are into it. I do know a few people, and shouts out to you few that like the games, but they are far and few between. I’ll talk to friends, family, other people I coach with, and when the Winter Olympics have been brought up recently, every conversation was met with a blank stare or a shrug. It just doesn’t really appeal to us. The kids I coach with are young, so I thought they may be into it, but they like football, basketball or baseball. The Olympics are way down their list. My family has never really been into the Olympics. My dad and I like basketball in the Summer games, I know RD likes the racing, but that is about it. I’ve asked my other brothers if they watch, and they only say they watch it for distraction, or the noise. They never really pay any attention to it. I called RD the other day and he said figure skating was on, but he was playing Zelda or some shit. He wasn’t focused on the Olympics at all. As far as other friends, most people I hang out with on a regular basis aren’t big sports fans. My friends outside of work are big into music and movies. That is why I hang out with them. I can talk about things other than sports with them, which is refreshing, and needed for me personally.

My final theory, and I know that RD has talked about this at length, the coverage when I do watch is horrendous. It ranks right up there with Cris Collinsworth calling football, or ESPN’s coverage of anything. The coverage on NBC is filled with fan boy idiots that have no clue, especially now that Bob Costas is gone. He was the only good thing about their coverage. Now that he’s gone, it is truly awful. When the figure skating was on in my house the other night I was embarrassed for the people announcing it because it was so bad. Maybe they’ll address this problem, but probably not. I think NBC thinks they have good people doing an okay job. Well, I’m sorry to say, they are not very good at what they do.

These are just some theories I wanted to put out there. The Olympics have never really appealed to me, but the Winter Olympics that are currently going on have just hammered home my distaste. It’s boring, poorly covered and not appealing to anyone who is middle class or lower. The Winter Olympics have jumped the shark, in my opinion.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He tried snowboarding one time. He got about ten feet up on the tow rope and gave up on the sport.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okay, here goes.

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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