Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Raptors, Thunder, Celtics

Today we enter the top 5. It would not surprise me if any of the teams I have today finish as the runner up to the Warriors in either the West Finals, or the Finals. These teams have stars, they know how to win and they are ready to win. Lets go.

At number 6 I have the Toronto Raptors. They soared up the rankings when they acquired Kawhi Leonard. Now, the whole trade, the Raptors trading the much beloved DeMar DeRozan, has been met with plenty of scrutiny, as it should have been. But, when you have a chance to get a healthy Kawhi, and you play in the East, I really can't blame them. What they did to DeRozan was shady as hell, but Kawhi, when healthy, is a much better overall player. He is one of, if not the, best defenders in the NBA. He is one of the few that can "shut down" LeBron. He can pretty much shut down anyone. He has also really improved his offensive game as well. He can get to the rim, he can hit jumpers and he gets to the line. It may just be a one year rental, but a motivated and healthy Kawhi is a player every team should want. And while they traded away DeRozan, and Jakob Poeltl, they still have a very solid roster around them. Kyle Lowry, for all his playoff short comings, is an all star guard. He is a good scorer. He plays solid defense. He is a willing passer, and now that he will control the ball, I think he will have one of his better years. I hope that translate to playoff success for him. Serge Ibaka is not the player he once was, but he can shoot from the outside, thus stretching the defense. But, he doesn't protect the rim like he used to and isn't a very good rebounder. OG Anounoby is a budding star. The fact that the Spurs tried real hard to get him should speak volumes. He is due to break out. I really like Fred Van Vleet. He is a great second point guard, he knows what to do on the floor and he is a great leader. Danny Green came over in the trade as well, and while he is in his early 30's, he can still shoot, and he plays solid defense. They still have Jonas Valenciunas, and while he is a good banger in the post, he doesn't do much else for the team. He might be their best rebounder, but that is about it. I do really like Pascal Siakim. He is young, has bounce, can play D and will learn to score. He has a future. I'm not crazy about the Greg Monroe signing, he is a lot like Valenciunas, but he does give them a solid option at the 5 off the bench. Delon Wright is a big, good scoring 2 guard. Norman Powell can shoot. And CJ Miles is a good vet. This team got so much better when they acquired Kawhi. He may help them exercise their playoff demons. And if he stays, this team can be a threat for years to come in the East.

At number 5 I have the OKC Thunder. Getting rid of Carmelo was the best thing they could have done. They also finally got rid of Kyle Singler. Also, Nick Collison finally retired. This team is a classic example of getting better by players leaving. Addition by subtraction if you will. Oh, they also have Russell Westbrook. While he is wildly frustrating to watch, and I would not want to play with him, he is an amazing basketball player. He goes 100 percent every night. He gives his all. He plays hard and tough. He is a former MVP. Westbrook might be, next to Giannis, the most athletic player in the league. Paul George decided to stick around, and I think that was a good move on his part. He is much better as the second option, and he is a great defender. He can also shoot the three pretty well now. And with a year of playing with him, and 2 off seasons together, I think he and Westbrook will click now. Steven Adams has not lived up to my personal hype, where I thought he might become one of the best centers in the league, but the dude is still a beast. He is as good a rebounder as their is in the NBA. He plays solid post defense and can score in the post. Other than that though, he doesn't do much else, and he is constantly in foul trouble. I like the addition of Dennis Schroder, as long as he doesn't think he is the first, second or third option. He will be great for the second unit, if he buys in, and when he gets to play with Westbrook, George and Adams, that could be a dangerous lineup. Andre Roberson is still not fully recovered from his ACL injury, but he will be back in a few months. When he comes back, he and George may be the best back court defenders in the NBA. Roberson just cannot shoot. At all. I love that they got Nerlens Noel on a one year, prove it to the league deal. He will give his all every night, and with his ability in the pick and roll, he and Westbrook or Schroder could be lethal. He is also a nasty defender. Jerami Grant sticking around was a low key great move. He is a do it all guy off the bench, and the Thunder needed him to stay. Alex Abrines showed glimpses of his outside shit last year. He will definitely get more looks. Raymond Felton is back, and while I like chubby pro athletes, it will be hard for him to find minutes on this team. Patrick Patterson didn't really play up to the contract he got last year, but he was hurt for a lot of the season. If he is right, and ready to play, he could have a decent impact on this team. I like the Thunder. I love that George stayed. This team should be much better than they were last year.

My final team for the day, coming in at number 4, I have the Boston Celtics. This team is loaded. In fact, the reason that aren't in my top 3, they might be too loaded. They have very good players at all positions, but it may be hard for Brad Stevens to find minutes for everyone. Kyrie Irving is back from injury, and he should be the face of this team. He is a wizard with the ball he can score from anywhere and he has won a title. He is also on the last year of his contract, so I expect a big year out of him. But, the Celtics also have Terry Rozier and Marcus Smart, both of whom are point guards. Rozier is a fan favorite, and he is also in the final year of a contract. Will he see the minutes he needs to get paid next offseason? I don't think so, unless Irving gets hurt. Smart didn't get the big offer he was hoping this offseason, so he had to come back. Will this light a fire under him, or will he mope? Also, he is probably the third best point guard on this roster. He is the best defender, by a wide margin, but Rozier and Irving are much, much better on offense than he is. Gordon Hayward comes back. I am not a fan of his. I think he is wildly overrated. He is also a fan of the current "government", and a religious weirdo, so I am fully out on him. But, he is back. But, Jayson Tatum played fantastically in his absence, he is younger and he is not coming off a devastating injury. Who will Stevens go with in crunch time? Will he pick the kid he recruited in high school and coached at Butler, Hayward, or will he go with the younger and more crowd pleasing Tatum? That will be a tough call for him. Jaylen Brown is easily the most athletic guy on this team. He can also shoot the three. He also plays defense. The fact that people don't mention him that much when they talk about this team blows my mind. He has future all star written all over him. He is also, without a doubt, the best 3 they have on the roster. No one else is even close. Al Horford is probably the smartest player in the NBA. He may be boring, but he is exactly who the young players need. He makes the right decision every time. He knows exactly where to be and when. He is a great interior defender. He made Joel Embiid vanish in the playoff last year. Horford is great, but he is older. That is why I love that they took Robert Williams in the second round. He will greatly benefit from learning from Horford. I also love that Semi Ojeleye is learning from him too. Honestly, Ojeleye is a younger, and stronger, version of him. Marcus Morris is a great vet, but I kind of feel like he will get lost in the shuffle of the amount of talent on this team. Aron Baynes is strictly there for toughness and nothing else. And Daniel Thies is a pure scorer off the bench. The Celtics have loads and loads of talent. They are also a popular team to take over the East. I want to see how Stevens creates time for all these players. He proved me very wrong last year, and I expect him to now. But, you never know. It will be interesting.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the final three. The NBA season is almost here people. Time to get excited.

Ty

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

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Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 6

Some real quick NFL hits again before I get back to my NBA countdown.

Blake Bortles will be the death of the Jags, and he is making me look like an idiot. The Chiefs-Patriots game was awesome and I hope we see them meet again. The Vikings, at least on defense, seem to be figuring it out. The Falcons and Bucs are both pretty awful on defense, but their game was exciting. The Texans, against their coach's best wishes, keep finding ways to win games, albeit ugly. The Rams proved they can win outside in the cold. The Cardinals and Colts have some pieces, but they are very far away from being competitive. The Raiders should be dreading the deal they gave Jon Gruden. The Ravens dominated the hapless Titans. The Bears may be a mirage. The Dolphins have already exceeded their win total I though they'd have. The AFC is still confusing, and the NFC is owned by the Rams.

The Steelers and Bengals played an okay game, but I do not think either is a real threat. I will let the Head Editor address the Bengals.

HE: I have lived in Cincinnati for 12 years. My first few days saw the first playoff appearance by the Bengals in a really long time. It was against the Steelers. It was in Cincinnati. Pittsburgh is now, and has always been a dirty squad. Carson Palmer had his knee shredded by a dirty Steeler player, the Bengals lost, and I really did not care because I had no history with my new hometown team.

Twelve years later and the Bengals broke my heart yesterday. They are better than that crap Steelers team, and they lost, at home, once again. There is no hope in Cincinnati because our football team lost to Pittsburgh again, and every fan in this town knew it would happen.

No other games matter this year. Cincinnati will win 8-11 games and get bounced out of the playoffs.

Probably by the Steelers.

Again.

The Bengals kill hope.

Ty and RD

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Pacers, Trailblazers, Jazz

As move to day 8 of my countdown we are in the cream of the crop. It kind of started yesterday, with the Nuggets starting out the top 10. But from here on out, all these teams have a shot to play the Warriors in the Finals. And by all these teams, I mean the teams in the East. The West teams are still good, possibly great, but lets not get it twisted, the Warriors are still the leaders. Lets get to it.

At number 9 I have the Indiana Pacers. Some writers have asked if last year was an anomaly, or if this is the new norm. I feel like this is the new norm for the Pacers. They have a star. They have a top 20, maybe even top 10 guy, in Victor Oladipo. He can create his own shot. He has a solid jumper. He is one of the best defenders in the league. He really came into his own last year, and all I see is his growth from here on out. He is a really, really good basketball player. He has some weapons around him too. I still think Myles Turner is going to break out. He is a true modern big man. He can protect the rim, he can rebound, he is enormous, and his jump shot is starting to fall. If he stays healthy, I feel like, second only to Brandon Ingram, he will have the biggest breakthrough. Domantas Sabonis showed those flashes that made him a lottery pick 2 years ago. While he doesn't pass like his dad, he is still a solid passer. He can also shoot the three. And, according to offseason reports, he has really bulked up, in a good way. He looks like a real threat as the third option on a perennial playoff team. I love that they got Tyreke Evans. He finally seemed to figure it out last year, and he became an instant offense guy. That is exactly what the Pacers need. Oh, and he actually tried on defense last year and he was okay. Evans was a low key great signing. They have Thad Young, and he is a perfectly capable backup big. Bojan Bogdanovic is another outside shooting threat. Darren Collison is a true point guard, and he is in a great situation for him as a player. Corey Joseph is a good backup at point guard. He has also played in many an important game. Doug McDermott is there, but he has been very blah as a pro. He has stuck around, but he has a real Jimmer Fredette feel to me. I really like Aaron Holiday as the point guard of the future. He is quick, shifty and is pass first. I loved that pick. I think this current iteration of the Pacers is going to be a headache for the East, and they will build on their success from last year. The Pacers are back.

At number 8 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This is, most likely, the last go round with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. They are a lethal, lethal back court scoring duo. They can put up tons and tons of points. Lillard is a legit super star. McCollum is a legit Robin. But, as the playoffs showed us last year, they are horrific defenders. They got owned by Jrue Holiday in the first round. They really need to work on that. But, both guys are good enough to outscore opponents, even in the West, and I think they will hover right around 50 wins. The rest of the roster is solid enough to work around their 2 stars. Evan Turner has never been the player many projected when he left college, but he is okay. He has a bit of a too high opinion of himself, and if he passed a bit more, that would be great. Meyers Leonard keeps getting in better and better shape, but he is still soft and cannot really stay on the court. He also doesn't have much of a jumper. I really like Al Faroq Aminu. He is a do it all player and I don't think he gets the credit he deserves. He is very important to this team. I'm still on the fence with Jusuf Nurkic. At times he looks great, then he looks slow and disinterested. They need him to fully engage. There was a time that he was considered more important than Nikola Jokic to the Nuggets. That guy needs to show up. Zach Collins looked like a possible bust early, but then he started to really play quality basketball. He is still super young, but he is talented, and I think he will only get better. They drafted Anfernee Simons, and while he is a project, I think a year or 2 playing behind and learning from Lillard will do him wonders. They signed both Seth Curry and Nik Stauskas for some outside shooting. Stauskas is a bust, I hate saying it because of Michigan, but he has not been a good pro. Curry is fine, but he is so often injured, you just cannot count on him. These signings were odd. And Mo Harkless is solid. The Trailblazers know what they have to do to win, and as long as Lillard and McCollum are cooking, which they are a lot, they will win 50 games as I said before.

My final team for the day, coming in at number 7, I have the Utah Jazz. I almost, almost put this team in my top 5. I love this team. I never thought that I would say that about the Jazz, but they are fun to watch. Donovan Mitchell is tremendous. He is already, very early in his career, a top 15 player, and he will soon be a top 10 guy. He is hyper athletic, can shoot, can create, plays defense and always wants to get better. He is an amazing basketball player. The Jazz got a gift when he fell to them at 13 in the draft last year. Rudy Gobert is the best defensive player in the NBA. He is nearly impossible to score on. He does pretty decent at switching. He is a tremendous rebounder. He is a great finisher. He can't shoot, but he doesn't have to. I hope he stays healthy all year. Ricky Rubio has finally found a great place to play. He isn't needed to score, he can spread the ball out and he can get under other point guard's skin. It is nice to see him having fun and playing free and loose. I didn't think Joe Ingles would be able to sustain his solid play, but he proved me very wrong. He is a great three point shooter and a very solid defender. Jae Crowder got away from Cleveland, and landing in Utah was exactly what he needed. Guys like Rubio can find him for the open three, Gobert opens the paint for him and Mitchell takes the defense's focus away from him. Thabo Sefolosha is there for his defense, and that is a good thing. Derrick Favors can still get buckets. Dante Exum, while never living up to the hype, is a serviceable back up point guard, if healthy. Alec Burks is a pure scorer. The only thing I dislike about this team is Grayson freaking Allen. That kid is a punk, and I am so mad that a team I enjoy watching drafted him. He won't play any meaning minutes, but that won't stop ESPN from talking about him. This is Donovan Mitchell's team, and that is so wonderful. The Jazz are a good and fun team to watch, and the West should be afraid of this team. They are coming and they are young and they are good.

That's it for today. Come back next week. That is the best of the best.

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.

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Wizards, Spurs, Pelicans

As promised yesterday, from here on out, the rest of my teams are playoff teams. Some of today's teams are train wrecks, but they play in the East, so they have an easy route. Others on today's list have fallen due to injury or loss of star players. And the other, this may be their last shot to make an impression on their lone star player, and try to get him to stay. Time will tell. Anyway, lets get to it.

At number 15 I have my train wreck team, the Washington Wizards. First things first, I hope they change their name back to the Bullets. I know it has bad connotations, but the symbol was cool, and it isn't nearly as bad as some other team names in pro sports. As far as this roster, it is talented and it is wild. It may be one of the oddest group of players I have seen. These guys all seem to hate one another, but they don't have to hang out outside a basketball court, and if they buy in while on the floor, they can make it to the playoffs. I love John Wall. I know that his teammates may not like him, but I think he is great. He is fast and can get to the hoop. Yes, he has gained some weight this offseason, but I am one of the people who believes the stories about this being muscle, not fat. Star players always do something in the offseason to make them better, and Wall decided to put on muscle to play in the post. I fully buy that. Wall is good and will continue to be good. His teammates, as I said, may not like him, but they need him. Bradley Beal is one of the guys that doesn't seem to like him. But, Beal is an awesome young player that needs a guard like Wall to get him open shots. When Beal is on, boy is he good. He can score in bunches. He may not be a very good defender, but he is the type of player where I will take the scoring over the defense. He is such a pure shooter. From here on out, this roster gets wild. They traded for Austin Rivers. I am a big time hater of Austin Rivers. I do not think he is a good NBA player. But, he has had a mediocre career, which is better than I thought he would do. He does have one, maybe 2 nights a year, where he just explodes. But, he is super tough to play with, and a lot of people say he isn't fun to be in a locker room with. That spells doom for me. They also signed Dwight Howard. Why? I mean, his track record speaks for itself. He may play well with a guard like Wall, but he is already hurt. And, he is a locker room problem. Otto Porter Jr deserves better than this. I think he is one of the more underrated NBA players. The guy can score and play defense. He is good, but no one knows because of the toxic nature in DC. The same thing can be said for Kelly Oubre, but he isn't as good as Porter. He is the poor man's Porter. He also needs more playing time. The Wizards also fell for the Jeff Green experiment. This dude continues to stay in the league, and I don't know how. He is hyper athletic, but he is wildly inconsistent. Markieff Morris is there, but I'd rather have Marcus Morris of the twins. And then there is Ian Mahinmi. He might be the most overpaid player in the NBA. He makes Gorgui Dieng's contract look manageable. The Wizards have talent, but they are very toxic. They will make the playoffs, and maybe even win a round because Wall and Beal are so good, but this team is going to be drama filled all season long.

At number 14 I have the San Antonio Spurs. Now, it needs to be said, the Spurs were in my top 10 2 days ago. Then the Dejounte Murray injury happened. He was the new point guard to lead this team. He was ready. He waited his turn, and now he is out for the year. That is going to hurt them. What helps them, they have LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan and the best NBA coach ever, Greg Poppovich. He will get this team to 45-48 wins. He did it last year, and Kawhi was hurt, Ginobli was a million years old, as was Pau Gasol and Tony Parker. While the Murray injury is a blow, they have guys that can step in for one year. As I mentioned, Aldridge was so much better last year than his first with the team. He was an All Star. His jumper came back. He was rebounding at a solid clip. This is his team now, and I think that is good for him. They traded Kawhi Leonard, they had to, but they replaced him with DeRozan. DeRozan is nowhere near the defender that Kawhi is, but no one is the defender that Kawhi is. DeRozan can also get buckets. He will also be out there to prove people wrong that he isn't a star level player. I like that DeRozan. He now has a chip on his shoulder. Patty Mills will be the most likely replacement for Murray and while he isn't Murray, he has been in big games, played big minutes and is the perfect Spurs player. Lonnie Walker, who I love, is hurt right now,  but when he gets back, I think he will play real well. This was the perfect situation for him to be placed in, and as soon as he gets back from injury I want to see him play. Pau Gasol is still in the league, but I look at him like a lesser version of Dirk, without the shooting touch. They brought back Marco Bellinelli, and his best playing days where his first go around with the Spurs. He can still shoot too. Rudy Gay is still strong and can get to the rim and has bought into the Spurs system. They got Jakob Poeltl in the Kawhi trade, along with DeRozan, and I think he will be a fine back up center. I also like Derrick White's athleticism. This team will step back, they were bound to. They also lost Kawhi, Ginobli and Tony Parker. This was bound to happen. And losing Murray is a real bummer. But as long as Poppovich is coaching this team, I will continue to put them in the playoffs, even in the West.

My final team for the day, the team that needs to really show out to keep their star, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This may, most likely be, Anthony Davis' last year with the Pelicans. I don't want it to be, but he has signed with LeBron's agency, he wants to play in a bigger market and he wants to be more recognized by the casual basketball fan. I hope he pulls a Russell Westbrook and sticks around, but I don't think he will. He is probably the best center in the league. He is the most athletic. He can score from anywhere. He is one of the best defenders in the league. Davis is an MVP level super star. He is all the Pelicans have. And that is not a knock to the roster, he is just so much better than everyone else on that team by a billion miles. That being said, I like Jrue Holiday. He absolutely owned both CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard in the playoffs last year. He shut them down. He can score if need be. He is a great distributor. Holiday is a real good point guard, as long as he is healthy. Nikola Mirotic was a surprise solid addition to this team last year. He was that outside threat they needed. Solomon Hill is a bull dog defender and rebounder. He is the Pelicans James Johnson. They made some signings this year that like too. Julius Randle at the price they got him for was great. He will also want to show out so he can get a bigger contract. I also think him getting out of LA will benefit him majorly. They took on Elfrid Payton, and I think him backing up Holiday, or playing point while Holiday is the 2 will cause some problems for opposing teams. Payton hasn't lived up to his draft position, but maybe playing with Holiday and Davis will help him out. They also took a chance on Jahlil Okafor. They got all these guys for cheap, and if one hits, it could possibly sway Davis. This is Okafor's last shot I feel, and he is already hurt, but when he comes back, he brings an element to the low post, on offense, that will greatly benefit Davis' ability to step out. E'Twaunn Moore is a solid 7th or 8th man. Chieck Diallo could possibly break out and be the instant energy guy they could so sorely use. The Pelicans have an okay roster that is bolted down by a mega star, Davis, and a smaller level star, Holiday. Everyone else is a role player. I think this will be Davis' last year there, again, I hope not, and I think they will try and go out with a bang. They will be a playoff team, and they will be a tough out.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. We are nearing the top 10.

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.

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Clippers, Timberwolves, Heat

As we move into day 5 of my NBA countdown, we finally get our first playoff team, and it isn't even a West team. The West is going to be heavily featured from here on out, but my first playoff team is from the East.

Coming in at number 18 I have the Los Angeles Clippers. Congratulations on, definitely now, being back to being the second, or maybe even third team, that anyone even talks about in LA or California. The Clippers are a shell of what was once the incredibly overrated "Lob City". None of those guys remain. They are all on new teams. They also got rid of Austin Rivers, which I think was one of their better moves in a long, long time. But, what is left over, I am not sold on. I do really like Shai Gilgeous Alexander. That kid became the face of the Kentucky team by the middle of the season, and he ran with it all the way to being a lottery pick. He has also looked good in preseason, and crushed summer league. He should be the point guard on opening night. But, they will roll out Patrick Beverly instead. I know that Beverly is a great and annoying defender, can run a team and doesn't need to shoot all the time. But, he is coming off some big time injuries, doesn't need to shoot because he can't really shoot and is old in NBA terms. If the over under until Danilo Gallinari gets hurt is 20 games, I'd take the under. That dude always gets hurt. Tobias Harris is a fine player, and has shown flashes of being a capable third or fourth option on a playoff team, but the Clippers are hoping he is their "guy". They replaced Deandre Jordan with Marcin Gortat, but what can he really do anymore than set a screen. He may not have liked John Wall personally, but he is going to miss him dearly when he is out there with Beverly or Milos Teodosic. As with Teodosic, he is old and will get hurt very quick too. Boban Marjanovic is their other option at center, but he is more known for his size than his game. He is the modern Gheorge Muresean. Lou Williams can score in bunches, but it won't matter for this team because they will not be playing for anything important after All Star break. I bet he gets traded. They resigned Avery Bradley, and while he was once a very good three and D guy, I think that was a one season deal. He has never played that well, and he is now coming off multiple injuries. Montrez Harrell is another option at the 5, but he is too plodding to face up against the top centers in the league. They also signed Luc Mbah AMoute, but he will not do for them what he did in Houston last season. The Clippers are back to being also rans. Maybe they will be able to lure Kawhi or Jimmy Butler, but that will not happen until next offseason. For now, they are a 38-40 win team at best.

At number 17 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, a lot of this depends on the whole Jimmy Butler thing. If he were to stay, as I think he should, they would be higher in my rankings. But, he has openly demanded a trade on way more than one occasion. That is why they are just outside of the playoffs for me. He will most likely get traded, I have heard that talks have been heating up, but if he doesn't, I still think, especially in the West, there are 8 better teams. And, who's to say that, if he stays, Butler would be fully engaged? He may tank just to get traded. As far as the rest of the roster, I love KAT. I think he is a great modern center. He can score from inside and out. He is a solid rebounder. He can score against the best of the best. But, he struggles defensively. Some of that is him, some of that is the coaching staff. He gets put in bad situations far too much due to their defensive scheme. Andrew Wiggins is one of the most bashed upon players in the league. I think he is okay, but others just seem to really dislike him. I think he is a very good slasher. I like his jump shot. I think he plays hard. But, just like KAT, he has not been able to play defense at any kind of level in the NBA. He is far too often on highlight reels for the wrong reason. I like both rookies they took, Keita Bates-Diop has looked great so far, and Josh Okogie is the point guard of the future. But, this staff will not play them enough. Thibs would rather play guys like Derrick Rose, he's washed, Luol Deng, I forgot he was in the league, Taj Gibson, who is okay, but real old and slow and Jeff Teague, who seems to hate playing in Minnesota and playing for Thibs. Thibs runs these guys into the ground for no reason. He is also taking on his former players about 5 years too late. Tyus Jones is okay, but he is much more suited for a back up role on a contender. And then there is the albatross that is the Gorgui Dieng contract. While this guy can play a little D and is an okay rebounder, he is making way too much money for a guy that cannot stay on the floor for more than 10 minutes a night. There is a reason they are trying to add him in the Butler trade talks. The Timberwolves are a mess right now. They finally broke their playoff drought last year, but now, they have so many problems, I just do not see them making a return, even if Butler sticks around for one more year.

My final team for the day, my first playoff team, coming in at number 16 I have the Miami Heat. Again, Jimmy Butler has a lot to do with this team, but I am going to judge them on my countdown as if he is not on this team because he isn't at the moment. I like the roster here, but they just don't have the guys to be any higher than this on my list. They have players, but they are mid level at their positions. I like Goran Dragic. I think he is a solid point guard. He is just fine running this offense. But, he is probably around the 10th best point guard in the league. Dwayne Wade is on his retirement tour all year. He will get a ton of the attention, and it is well deserved, he is a sure fire first ballot hall of famer. But, he is not the guy he was the first time around in Miami. Hasan Whiteside should be a top 5 enter in the league, but the dude has some issues. First off, he cannot shoot free throws and his jumper in nonexistent. What he does great is rebound and defend. But, he is too prone to getting into scuffles on and off the court, and he just isn't totally reliable. I like Whiteside's game, I just wish he didn't let the little things bother him. Justise Winslow can defend and can get to the hoop. But, he gets hurt far too much, and his jump shot has not looked good since he was drafted. He also may be traded at some point. Josh Richardson is a fine outside shooter. He's not too flashy, but the dude can fill it up if he needs to. Dion Waiters is coming off an ACL injury, and at his age, that may be the end. He won't admit it, he probably still thinks he is the best 2 guard in the league, but he is not, and I like Dion Waiters. I'm sure the Heat are regretting giving Tyler Johnson the contract the gave him 2 years ago. While he is a fine player, they over paid for him, and he has just not lived up to the money. I really like the high flying Derrick Jones Jr. All he needs is some playing time, and I think the Heat will give it to him. Watch out for this kid. He has been biding his time, and I feel like he is going to explode soon. James Johnson is a bad dude. He is big and mean and tough and I adore watching him play. He isn't anywhere near the best at his position, but I bet every star that has to go up against him dreads it. I think, especially with the uncertainty that Whiteside brings, that Bam Adebayo can be their center of the future, if he doesn't get traded. He has good feet, a nice touch around the rim and can rebound and defend his spot. Outside of those guys the rest of the roster is pretty blah. But, what makes the Heat a playoff team to me is Erik Spoelstra. He has a group of guys that know what they can and can't do, and he squeezes the most out of them that he can get. Spoelstra may be the most underrated coach in the league right now. The Heat will make the playoffs because of guys like James Johnson, Bam, Goran Dragic and Derrick Jones Jr. But, they will mainly make it because of the coaching job that Erik Spolestra does every year.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three. It is all playoff teams from here on out.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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

Lets get back to the NBA.

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 5

Before I get back to my NBA countdown, I have some very quick takes on week 5 of the NFL. The Rams are still the best team. The Chiefs may be just as good. The Packers are struggling. The Titans and Ravens may be frauds. The Bengals look legit, sorry RD. The Steelers looked for real. The Falcons are toast. The Patriots are back. The Bills are bad, but maybe not horrible. And the Browns have doubled Hue Jackson's win total as a head coach in 5 games. Things are still very murky, with the Rams and Chiefs the lone exceptions. Also, Jacksonville needs a new QB, and they need one now. One more thing, can the Cowboys finally fire Jason Garrett? He is a terrible head coach.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Knicks, Pistons, Hornets

On to day 3 of my NBA countdown. We are getting ever closer to teams that are better than the lottery, but not quite there yet. Some have star players, but they are often injured. Others have been in the playoffs recently, but they just don't have the goods anymore. Okay, lets get to it.

At number 24 I have the New York Knicks. Look, I am a big time fan of them letting Phil Jackson and Jeff Hornacek go, and I love that they hired a coach like David Fizdale. I was also super, super impressed with Kevin Knox in summer league. But, this team is still a ways away from being a playoff team. I have seen some writers pick them to go to the playoffs, but that talk  needs to ease off. The majority of their success all depends on the health of Kristaps Porzingis. And, while I love the way he plays basketball, he is the second best unicorn behind Giannis Antentokoumpo, he has not been able to stay healthy at all during his short career. If the Knicks want to be a playoff contender, they need Porzingis. Outside of him, I like some of the youth they have. Knox, as I already mentioned, really surprised me in summer league. Maybe he is more Devin Booker and less Nerlens Noel. Maybe not being coached by John Calipari will make him that much better. I really like Frank Nkilitina. He already defends at a high level, he is a pass first point guard, and he is very tall for his position. I think Mitchell Robinson can be one of the steals of the draft. I had him as a first round talent, but he fell to them in the second, and the Knicks need a big guy, and he played pretty well in the offseason. After that, it gets iffy. I am a Tim Hardaway Jr fan, mainly because he went to Michigan. But, he is nothing more than a shooter. That's where it begins and ends. Courtney Lee needs to be let free. He belongs on a contender, not as a third option. Trey Burke, another Michigan guy, has bounced from team to team, and finally played okay after a stint in the G League. But, was that a mirage, or a sign of things to come? I don't know. He has never really put it together for one full season. Ron Baker is somehow a player on this team. They signed Mario Hezonja, but who cares. He is who he is, which is a mediocre NBA player. And Enes Kanter and Noah Vonleh has little skills. Kanter can score, but he does nothing else. He is the big man's Ryan Anderson. And this has to be Vonleh's last shot. He has been a bust. I believe that Fizdale will turn this team around, but it won't happen right away. It is going to take some time, and some better players.

At number 23 I have the Detroit Pistons. I mean, how can a team with Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin and Reggie Jackson not be in the playoffs? Especially in the East? Drummond is a very, very good big man, and he has improved his free throw shooting, but he isn't translating into the modern big I hoped he would. I like Drummond a lot, but the Pistons might need to move on. Blake Griffin is still one of the most overrated players in the NBA. I love that people still think he can be the best player on a contender. He is oft injured, cannot shoot an outside shot, no matter what Bill Simmons says, he's a mediocre rebounder and he doesn't have the athleticism that he once had. Griffin is done being a top 20 player. Reggie Jackson got what he wanted when the Pistons gave him a huge deal, but since then, he has been mediocre at best. He is a below average shooter, a ball stopper and not a very good defender. He is not elite. He is getting paid far too much. Stanley Johnson has one more chance to be the player the Pistons thought when they took him in the lottery. He is good at talking shit, but he hasn't been able to back it up. He should be figuring it out, but he hasn't yet. For some reason this team signed both ZaZa Pachulia and Jose Calderon. I just don't get that at all. Luke Kennard is the new Jimmer Fredette. Henry Ellenson is the new Chris Kaman, except he will never be an All Star. I guess he is more like late career Kaman. Ish Smith is their version of Jamal Crawford, except not as good. They signed Glenn Robinson III, but he is the classic example of a player that should have stayed in school one more year. This is a team of former stars, guys that should be stars nd cast offs. They will not sniff the playoffs. Griffin will get hurt, Drummond won't get the touched he needs, Jackson will think he is the number one option, and every other player is blah.

My final team of the day, at number 22, I have the Charlotte Hornets. I so thought this team was going to be a perennial playoff team 2 years back. I was certain they would not only be a playoff team, but they would be a 4 or 5 seed regularly. But, that didn't happen, and I do not know if they are taking the right steps to get back to the playoffs. Kemba Walker is a star. He is one of my favorite players. He is a great scorer. He plays defense. He plays hard. He is a good dude. He deserves better than this. They signed Tony Parker as his back up, but why? He is washed, and I swore he was going to retire. It is so weird to see him in a uniform that doesn't have Spurs across the chest. Nic Batum is on the back end of his career. He is still a solid all around player, but he gets hurt a lot, and he seems like he cannot play more than 20-25 minutes a night anymore. They drafted Miles Bridges in the lottery, and while I think he is a fine player, he did not make that jump from his freshman to sophomore year in college, and that is worrisome to me. Malik Monk never really went off last year like he did at Kentucky, but he is too good a scorer for me to give up on yet. He should take a leap this year. If he doesn't, that could spell trouble for the Hornets. Michael Kidd Gilchrist is a very good defender, but he is way too injured and cannot shoot from the outside, He hasn't put it together. Jeremy Lamb is toast. He has a sweet stroke, but he cannot get open, cannot get to the basket and isn't very good on defense. Cody Zeller is somehow still in the league, and a starter. That is wild. Frank Kaminsky is very blah. Marvin Williams is still a good athlete, but that's about it. Dwayne Bacon can still be solid, if he goes hard every night. I'm not giving up on him yet. And they now have Bismack Biyombo. He cashed in on one really good playoff round a few years back, but he hasn't done much since. He can rebound with the best of them, but that is all he can do. The Hornets should be better, but they just aren't. Hopefully they find a way to get Walker back to the playoffs, or on a playoff team. That is what he deserves.

That's it for today. Come back next week for some teams that will fight, and be, in the playoffs.

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.

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Nets, Bulls, Suns

On to day 2 of my NBA countdown. We are still at the bottom of the barrel, but a few of these teams today I think could be kind of fun to watch. They will not win many games, but they will produce highlights, and I will enjoy watching one of these teams for sure. Lets get to it.

At number 27 I have the Brooklyn Nets. This team is still getting hammered by the trade they made with the Celtics years ago. They gave up so many high picks at the chance of getting a title with an old Paul Pierce, and an old and injured Kevin Garnett. They still haven't recovered from that horrific trade. They also gave Joe Johnson an absurd amount of money, and risked a ton of young talent when they signed Deron Williams to a huge deal. They have made bad mistakes, and they are really paying for it now. When I look at the current roster, and while there are some players I like, they are not a well constructed team, and they will not win many games. I love Caris Levert. He played at Michigan. I got to see his talent for 4 years. But, he is oft injured, just like he was in college, and he just cannot seem to stay on the court. Jarrett Allen is a good big man to build around, but I have heard and read things saying that basketball isn't the most important thing in his life. They signed Allen Crabbe, but his best days are behind him. There is a reason the Nets, and no one else offered him much. DeMarre Carroll had one great year in Atlanta, turned that into a big deal in Toronto, and then they offloaded him to the Nets, where he has majorly regressed. Spencer Dinwiddie is quietly a good player, and I hope he gets traded to a team that is in contention that needs a player like him. Kenneth Faried is there now, and while I used to bang the drum for him as a player, he has never really been more than a high motor guy. Rondae Hollis Jefferson is their best player, and if he and Levert and Dinwiddie could get some solid vets, maybe this team could push for a 7 or 8 seed in the East. Until then though, the Nets are bound to stay in this purgatory that they created. This team is still a long way away from being a playoff contender. Hell, they have a way to go to push for 35 wins.

At number 26 I have the Chicago Bulls. I will be the first to admit that I was completely wrong on Lauri Markanen. That kid played so much better in his rookie year than he did in his one season at Arizona. He stepped out and hit threes, went to the rim and played well in the post. But, he is still pretty awful on defense, and he needs to put on muscle. Kris Dunn played better with the change of scenery, but he was not a top point guard by any stretch. He was a guy I believed in coming into the league, but it just hasn't translated. Cristiano Felicio needs to get in shape and if he does, I think he could be okay. But, he is just soft right now. The decrepit remains of Omer Asik is there now. How is that dude still in the league? Justin Holiday is a solid shooter, and he plays hard, but he is just a mid to lower level guard in the NBA. They signed Jabari Parker, and while he can score, he plays no defense, doesn't rebound, isn't a very good passer and has 2 torn ACL's. Bobby Portis' game has not equaled success in the NBA. He is more known for beating the shit out of Nikola Mirotic than anything he has ever done on an NBA floor. Denzel Valentine is a bust. Cam Payne is a bust, who should be in the G League. And they gave Zach Lavine a near max contract. Why? What has he done to earn that? Isn't he pretty much the exact same player as Aaron Gordon? They are both hyper athletic dunkers, but that is it. He is also just one year removed from a torn ACL. The Bulls are not good, but with all the shade I just threw at them, I think, if they can stay moderately healthy, they might be fun to watch. Lavine is a highlight reel dunker, I love Wendell Carter, who they drafted in one of their smarter draft choices, Markanen is a solid modern big and Kris Dunn is a bull dog. I will watch them the rare occasion they are on TV. But, they will not win many games.

My final team of the day, coming in at number 25, is my new favorite team, the Phoenix Suns. This team will not win more than 25-30 games. They are too young, too inconsistent and not ready for primetime, especially in the West. But man oh man will they run up and down the floor, score a ton of points and are super, super athletic. I love Deandre Ayton. I am fully buying in on him. Once he gets an okay jumper, he will be a terror. He is already great in the post. He can rebound, he can protect the rim and he has great footwork for a big man. He looks like he is going to be real good real soon. Devin Booker, who I know is recovering from wrist surgery, is already an elite level scorer. The kid can shoot from anywhere. You don't score 70 points in one game if you aren't elite. He can handle the ball as well. He doesn't play great defense, but he more than makes up for that with his offensive ability. He is one of the best young scorers in the game. I love the signing of Trevor Ariza. They need that veteran that has been to the highest of heights in the NBA. He is also a knock down shooter, plays solid defense and will be a great mentor for the young guys on the team. I'm not crazy about the addition of Ryan Anderson, that guy can only shoot threes, other than that he is useless. Tyson Chandler, who is one of my all time favorite players, is still there, but he is more so in the Garnett role when he went back to Minnesota at the end of his career. He is there to help out the young guys, and if he retires at the end of the year, I wouldn't be shocked if he immediately becomes a bench coach for the Suns. I love in the Anderson trade they also acquired DeAnthony Melton. This team is lacking a true point guard, and even though he is a rookie, he was a first round talent that fell to the second round. He plays solid defense, and he should start on opening night for this team. Josh Jackson is now the hands down 4 on the team. The Suns got rid of both Alex Len and Marquiss Chriss, and I think this will only benefit Jackson's development. He can already play solid defense, is hyper athletic, but he cannot shoot. He needs to figure that out. And I really like TJ Warren. He plays hard every night, and the dude is good. I also think Dragan Bender can still be decent, but he has to prove it this year, or I'm out on him. I also like Darrell Arthur for toughness and rebounding. The Suns are building something special I think, it will just a few more years. They will not win much this year, but they may be the most fun team to watch, outside of Golden State. They have a ton of young, bouncy talent. They also have a super star in the making in Devin Booker. And if Ayton hits like I think he will, they will be a dynamic one two punch. The Suns aren't great now, but they are on their way.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next three teams.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Hawks, Kings, Magic

I was flipping through channels the other night and I came across a preseason NBA game. I watched for a bit, then I realized, holy cow, the NBA regular season is going to start soon. I was kind of shocked to be honest with you. I am fully in on football right now, the MLB playoffs are going on right now, and then pow, NBA season is getting ready to start, and college basketball practice has begun. So, as I have done since the invention of the website, I'm going to do my preseason NBA countdown. I'll go from worst to best, giving three teams a day. I'll do a short few sentences on why I have them ranked where I do, and if they have any shot at all at winning the title. After the countdown, I will do a postseason and awards predictions, and the following day, I will do my NCAA men's basketball preview. So buckle up, the next 12 days will be, with the occasional NFL quick hits or a movie or music review sprinkled in here and there, will be all basketball. Enough preamble, lets get to the rankings.

Coming in at number 30, dead last, I have the Atlanta Hawks. This team won 60 plus games a few seasons back. This team was a playoff team 2 years ago. Then, they traded Kyle Korver, Pau Milsap, Jeff Teague, pretty much everyone that was important to them. Then this offseason, they offloaded more talent. This team is in full on rebuild mode. They even, much to his delight I'm sure, let Mike Budenholzer go. When I look at their roster now, it has a bunch of retreads and rookies. What I do like about this team though, they have Taurean Prince, who is wildly underrated, and John Collins, who has the looks to be a very good modern big man. After that though, it gets rough. Vince Carter is there, and he is looking ever bit the 40 year old he is. Good on him though that he is still out there. Jeremy Lin is on this team now. I wanted Lin to be great after what he did as a Knick, but he cannot stay healthy and he is wildly inconsistent. Kent Bazemore is no more than a trade chip for a younger player or a pick. He will most certainly be a salary dump at some point. Alex Len was traded there, and he has been a total bust. Thomas Robinson, a former fourth overall pick in the draft, is back from the G League, and he will probably get big minutes on this team. Dewayne Dedmon left the Spurs for this team, and he has not been the same player. They drafted Kevin Huerter, who is a big time project, that will take a few years to develop, and Trae Young. They traded Luka Doncic for Young in fact. I think they will regret that. Young has a ton of pressure to score in bunches, and if summer league and the preseason are any indication, he is going to struggle. The Hawks are going to be real, real bad. I do not expect them to win 20 games. They will most certainly get a lottery pick next year. They have zero chance of making the playoffs, let alone the Finals.

At number 29, and this was a real tough choice to put them ahead of the Hawks, I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are the most moribund NBA franchise. This team is so, so , so bad. And they have been for a long time now. The days of Chris Webber and Vlade Divac and Jason Williams and Mike Bibby seem like forever ago. And when I look at their roster, I just do not see them being any better this year. They took Marvin Bagley number 2 overall this past draft, and he has bust written all over him. He is long and lanky and athletic, but he is way too skinny, doesn't like contact and his jumper is not a threat. All that can change, but he has not looked great in preseason and summer league. He should have dominated both, and he just hasn't. I hope he gets better, because he is so athletic, but I just don't see it, especially in the Kings culture. I love DeAron Fox. He is the only player on this team that I think is a real, legit future NBA star. He is fast, can score, can find the open man and play defense. He is too good a player to be on the Kings. He deserves so much better. I feel for him. Willy Cauley Stein has never developed into the rim runner and rim protector that some thought he could be coming out of Kentucky. His best highlight since he has been in the NBA is a missed dunk attempt. While it looked cool, that shouldn't be your career highlight. Imam Shumpert is there, but he was washed about 3 years ago. Harry Giles is still a work in progress, and who knows when, or if, he will get hurt again. He did show flashes in summer league. Ben McLemore is back, but I am done defending him as a player. He is not a very good NBA basketball player. Yogi Ferrell is here, but so what. Skal Labissiere is on the team, but that kid wasn't great in his one year at Kentucky, and that was just a sign of what was to come. I loved Buddy Hield in college, and I have stomped and yelled about how he was going to be great, but he hasn't been. He has gotten lost in the shuffle, and his scoring has not made it to the NBA level. Zach Randolph is the Vince Carter of the Kings. Frank Mason is a fine backup, but the Kings play him far too much. The rest of the roster is just blah. The Kings are a bad team with a bad culture. They have gotten used to losing, and that should not be the case. As I stated before, I fell for DeAron Fox. He should be the starting point guard on a team that has a winning record and in playoff contention. The rest of the Kings roster, I just don't care about enough.

My final team for today, at number 28, I have the Orlando Magic. This team reminds me a lot of the Kings, in the same sense that they are forever rebuilding. They haven't been relevant since Dwight Howard was their center. They seem to pop up from time to time as a supposed "sleeper" team, and then they shit the bed. The Magic are not good. They just gave Aaron Gordon an inordinate amount of money, and while I love his freakishly athletic dunking, that is all he does. He isn't a great shooter, rebounder or defender. Yet the Magic seem to think he is the guy to build around. That doesn't make much sense to me. Nikola Vucevic is clearly a good stats bad team guy. Evan Fournier is known much more for his hair than his game. He is the French version of Jeremy Lin. Johnathan Issac didn't look great last year, but early reports about him from this season say he has bulked up and his game has improved. We just haven't seen it yet because he didn't play in summer league and I have not seen him in any preseason action. DJ Augustin is somehow still in the league, and he is on the Magic. So what. Johnathom Simmons is exactly like Dewayne Dedmon. He left the Spurs and he is not as productive on a different team. They signed Timofey Mozgov. Why? Why is he still in the league? Terrance Ross is hyper athletic, and can dunk the shit out of the ball, but they already have Aaton Gordon to do that. And they drafted Mo Bamba. I love Bamba, but he is going to take some time to develop. This team needs a ton of help. I do think Bamba can be their center of the future, but they will have to be patient. Gordon is a fine power forward, but he isn't an All Star caliber player. They don't have a real point guard. They don't have a real 2 guard. They don't have a real small forward. I mean, who on this team can guard LeBron or KD or Steph or Klay or Kyrie Irving or Ben Simmons or Jeol Embiid or James Harden or Kawhi Leonard or, even a player like DeAron Fox. The Magic need a lot more help. Until then, they will be stuck in 20 win land and picking in the lottery again. That has now been the case for about a decade now.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for my next three teams.

Ty

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

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The SeedSing 2018 MLB Playoff Preview

The MLB playoffs start tonight, and while I have admitted many, many times that I do not know much about the MLB, I'm going to go ahead and give my post season predictions. I will first start with the AL because I have a little more certainty about this side.

The A's and the Yankees face off in the Wild Card game. As much as I want to pick the A's, and as shocked as I am that they made it in the playoffs, I cannot pick against the Yankees. They have a great, home run hitting lineup, and they can get a pitcher to win one game if needed. The A's are a nice story, but their season ends in one game. I don't want it to, but the Yankees will win.

This will make the matchups Boston-New York and Cleveland-Houston. Boston has the best record in baseball by a wide margin. They have a great lineup and a great pitching staff. I know people are up in arms abut Chris Sale lately, and David Price hasn't been good in the post season, but they are a better team than the Yankees. These might be the 2 teams I despise most in baseball, but Boston is too good to screw this up. The games might be all very high scoring, but Boston will outscore the Yankees to death. Boston wins in 4. Cleveland faces the defending world champs, and a team that won 100 plus games this year. I still think the Astros are the overall best team in baseball, they have a tremendous lineup and a great, great pitching staff. But, and I don't know why I do this to myself, but I am going to go with Cleveland. It's going to be a 5 games series. The games will be close. The drama, for those that watch, will be intense. This could quite possibly be the best first round matchup. But, for as good as the Astros pitching staff is I think the Indians match it. And, the Indians can play small ball with the Astros. This is like 2 old NL teams facing each other. As I said though, in the end, I think the Indians will win in a tight, hard fought 5 games.

So, the ALCS will pit Boston against Cleveland. Terry Francona versus the team that let him go. And, just as he proved 2 years ago, I feel like he will outcoach, and his team will outplay, the team with the best record in baseball. Maybe this is my was of picking the A's, without picking them. I feel like Boston should win, and win handily, but there is just something about Francona going up against his old team. And in the playoffs, better pitching beats better hitting, and the Indians have a way better pitching staff. So, the Indians will be the ALCS champ and represent the AL in the World Series.

The NL is not so easy to pick. There are new, young teams and I cannot really get a hold of who will win. But, I'm going to try to pick anyway. In the Wild Card game, which is tonight actually, we have the Cubs and the Rockies. I look at this game the same as the AL Wild Card game. I want to pick the Rockies, but the Cubs are just a better, more seasoned playoff team. They have a better lineup, a better pitching staff, and I feel like, in a one game series, the team with better talent will win out. The Cubs are also getting healthy at the right time. While I will be rooting for the Rockies, the Cubs will win. That will set up the Cubs and Brewers and the Braves and Dodgers. The Cubs and Brewers are no strangers to each other. They are in the same division, they played an extra regular season game to get a division winner and the Brewers beat them. The Brewers are also peaking at the exact right time. But, as I said, the Cubs are getting back to full health, and they are the team that has been here before. It should go 5 games, and I want to pick the Brewers because that is the team of my father's youth, but I do not see the Brewers being able to pull it off. They remind me a lot of the Mariners team that won 114 games and got beat in the first round almost 20 years ago. Again, I will be rooting for the Brewers, but I have the Cubs winning in 5 games. The Braves and Dodgers is a whole different story. The Dodgers are the Yankees of the NL. They have all the glitz and glamour. They are the Hollywood team. They have the stars. They have the names. The Braves, well they remind me of the NL's version of the Indians, except younger. They are way ahead of schedule. They should still be rebuilding, but here they are. And you know what, with the way the Dodgers squeaked in, I'm going to go with the Braves. Something crazy always happens in the MLB playoffs, and I'm going to make that crazy thing be the Braves winning the first round match up against the Dodgers. And not only do I have them winning, I have them sweeping the Dodgers.

So, that gives us Chicago-Atlanta in the NLCS. And you know what, I'm going to continue to ride with the Braves. Maybe they will be the team I root for since the Cardinals are out. No one expected them to be here, they have no big names, no one like me can name one player on their team, but I think they will find a way to win. This series will go 7 games, but I feel like people will start to get behind the Braves, root for them, and they will be the NL representative in the World Series.

In the World Series is where it will all come crashing down for the Braves. I know, I always seem to pick the Indians, and I am going to pick them again. They are going to win it one of these years, and if my predictions are right, I feel like they will sweep the Braves. The Indians are the superior team in every phase. They will crush the Braves. Terry Francona will exercise the loss 2 years ago, and win another Series as manager. This will be the year. The Indians will finally prove me right. Now, people who watch baseball, enjoy the playoffs, hopefully they are fun.

Ty

Editor’s picks

The American League Playoffs.

The wild card game will produce a true wild card when the “how in the hell did they do this” Oakland A’s shock the world and beat the Yankees. Everyone on ESPN will demand a more than one game playoff because their favorite team is out.

The A’s will not win again because the Boston Red Sox will sweep Oakland. The dream season will be over.

The Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians divisional series will be awesome. It will go five games. In the end the Astros will emerge because they are like the Indians, but just a little bit better. Oh, they are also the defending champs.

The Red Sox spotty pitching will hurt them against the Astros. The ALCS will look a lot like last years World Series where the flashy star studded Dodgers could not beat the consistent Astros. The same thing that happened to the Dodgers will happen to the Red Sox. The Astros win the American League Pennant in seven games.

The National League Playoffs.

Ty is right, any of these teams could win the pennant. With that being said the Rockies will make the ESPN people upset when they beat the Cubs. Because the Yankees and Cubs will get knocked out early, MLB will look at making the wild card round a best of three.

The Rockies against the Milwaukee Brewers will be a close series. The Brew Crew will pull it out in four or five really close games.

The LA Dodgers against the Atlanta Braves is a changing of the guard type series. The Dodgers are experienced and near the end of their championship window. They were one game away from a title last year, and most of that team is returning to the playoffs. The Braves are young, talented, and inexperienced in October baseball. The Dodgers will emerge victorious, but the Braves will get that much needed playoff experience and this team will be a force for years to come.

The Brewers and Dodgers are two teams that look almost exactly alike. The Brewers have Christian Yelich, and that will be the difference. After six games, the Milwaukee Brewers will go to the World Series.

The World Series

The Brewers are the newcomers with a lot of balance and a superstar on the roster, the Astros have balance, a few superstars, and a World Series title. With that being said, the Brewers remind me of the Kansas City Royal teams from a few years back that went to back to back series and winning one. That is why I am picking the Milwaukee Brewers to win the 2018 World Series in seven games over the Houston Astros.

Enjoy the playoffs.

RD

Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 4

Week 4 is done after tonight's Broncos-Chiefs games, and I'm back with some quick takes. FYI, I'm going to save the Vikings-Rams for last.

First, lets get to my team, the Packers. Yes, they won. Yes, they shut out the team they played. Yes, they won by 3 scores. So, why am I not pleased? Well, the offense looked like it was slogging through mud. Rodgers looks more hurt than he is letting on. They still don't really have much of a run game. And yeah, the defense shut out a team, but it was the Bills. Josh Allen played like I expect his career to turn out, and the Bills have nothing else to save them. The Packers won, but they have a lot of searching to do to be the team I thought they could be coming into this year.

Sticking with the NFC North, holy cow did the Bears look good. Mitch Trubisky played his best game, probably since high school yesterday. He was on fire. Tarik Cohen was finally properly used. The receivers made catches. And that defense is wonderful. That was the given for them, especially after they traded for Mack. If the offense plays like this the rest of the year, they will be a real Super Bowl threat. But, I tend to look at Trubisky's game as an aberration, not a sign of things to come. The Bears are good, but they aren't as good as that. And the Buccaneers, how does it feel to get slammed back to Earth? "Fitzmagic" is done, their defense is horrid, they have no run game and their head coach said he should be fired after the game. The Bucs, especially since they are going back to Winston, are going to be as bad as I thought at the beginning of the year.

The Lions, well, last week was definitely a mirage. They couldn't stop the Cowboys, who looked awful in the first 3 weeks. The Lions made them look like they did 2 years ago, Stafford returned to his poor play, they couldn't run again and the receivers are just not great. The Lions stink. So do the Cowboys, but they stunk a little less than the Lions yesterday.

Some other notable games, the Falcons cannot stop anyone. They have a great offense, I mean, they scored 36 points yesterday, but they gave up 37 to Andy Dalton and the Bengals. The Bengals aren't bad offensively, but they aren't as good as they showed yesterday. It hurt the Falcons to lose 3 key guys to injury, and that will doom them the rest of the year. Also, good for Dalton to finally get the ball to AJ Green. And, Tyler Eifert's injury was horrific. That may hurt them. But, if they continue to get the ball to Green, and let Gio Bernard play running back, they could win their division.

Speaking of their division, the Steelers stink right now. I know that the Ravens have a very good to great defense, but with the weapons they have, and only score 14, come on. They still have plenty of time to turn it around, but their QB stinks, Antonio Brown isn't getting the looks he deserves and they sorely miss Bell. The Ravens are way better than I thought they'd be too. Joe Flacco looks revived. They are getting Lamar Jackson snaps. Alex Collins is doing what he needs to do. The receivers are solid. And I already mentioned the defense.

The Saints stumbled into 33 points and a win in New York yesterday because the Giants are horrendous. The Saints did everything they could to blow that game, but the Giants never took advantage. It finally got to the point where Kamara just decided to take over, and that is exactly what he did. That dude is awesome. I hope, with Mark Ingram coming back next week, they don't diminish his role. He is the key to what they do. The Giants are bad. I actually feel bad for Saquon Barkley. He didn't asked to be drafted by a team that thought they could make the playoffs this year with Eli Manning. Odell Beckham got paid, but he is not getting the looks he needs. The O line is horrendous and their defense is old and slow. They are a bad team.

The team I thought was worse than them, the Browns, I need to eat a little crow on so far. First off, they got screwed out of a win. There was no fumble. That was a first down. That was complete nonsense. The Browns, while I still don't think they are a .500 team have a good defense, a decent run game, and Baker Mayfield, after a game and a half, looks much better than I figured he could be. Maybe they are building something. The Raiders need to thank the refs for that win. Jon Gruden should personally send each one a thank you note. That being said, the Raiders are bad. I do not care that they won, they are a bad team with a poor coaching staff. And they have to deal with Gruden for awhile. Hope you are happy Raider fans.

The Jets are also not very good. I know they faced my Super Bowl champs, the Jags yesterday, and they got their faces stomped in. Blake Bortles, who barely cracked 100 yards passing last week, went for nearly 400 and 3 TD's. Oof. Leonard Fournette got hurt, but Yeldon seems like a suitable person to fill in for him. And that Jags defense just dominated Sam Darnold, every writer's week one darling. That kid looked frightened.

The Titans beat the Eagles, in overtime, which kind of surprised me. They actually looked like a competent football team. They looked like they were running a semblance of an NFL offense. Their defense is solid too. The Eagles look off right now. But, I do not read much into that right now because they are still getting Wentz fully acclimated again. While they should be better than 2-2 right now, I think they will be fine come week 6 or 7.

Deshaun Watson and the Texans finally woke up. Sure, they almost blew it, but Watson looked like the QB of the future that I think he can be. He was running and throwing the best I have seen since last season. He is good. Deandre Hopkins is great. Andrew Luck looked great yesterday too, but it wasn't enough, and that will be the case for the Colts all year. Both teams are not very good right now, but they played an entertaining game yesterday.

The Seahawks eeked out a win over the winless Cardinals. Josh Rosen finally got the start, and while he didn't look great, he is a much, much better option than Bradford going forward. David Johnson also looked solid. The Seahawks won, but it was ugly. Russell Wilson has no O line, and he is not a guy to build a tea around. Their running back was why they won. Also, props to Earl Thomas for giving them the finger after hurting his leg. That dude has given that team his all, and they refused to pay him. Now, he is going to leave ASAP in free agency, but he has to come back from a bad injury. Stuff like that injury makes me hate the NFL. Screw the Seahawks for what they did to Thomas.

The Chargers barely beat the CJ Beathard led 49ers. I feel like this game should stop anymore talk of the Chargers being a "sleeper" or a "threat". They stink. So do the 49ers. I didn't think they were that good with Garropolo, but they looked ten times worse yesterday, and they still almost won.

Finally, the Vikings and Rams. The Rams are for real elite. They are the best team in the NFL. They cannot be stopped Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, Cooper Kuup, Brandin Cooks, they have weapons everywhere on offense. Then on defense, they were without Aqib Talib, and Marcus Peters was hurt, but they still did enough to win. That D line is ferocious. They can eat. The linebackers are solid. Sure., Kirk Cousins threw for a lot of yards, but I never thought that the Vikings had a shot to win that game. The Vikings have not looked good the past 2 weeks. They need to figure it out on defense, which was supposed to be their strength. They also need to use Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray more. I know they gave Cousins all that money, and Thielen and Diggs are great wide outs, but they need a run game too. They have some searching to do.

I have said it the past 2 weeks, and I will say it again, the Rams are, head and shoulders above the rest of the NFL. Even with the Patriots destroying the Dolphins, I still think, at a neutral site, the Rams would destroy any team from the AFC. They are legit.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He forget to mention that this week in football also brought him his first loss in fantasy football. Who did he lose to? Even with the end of Fitzmagic, the Head Editor won because his favorite team had a terrible week on defense. Damn, and thank, you Vikings.

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Tales from the Training of a First Half Marathon

I’m in the midst of training for a half marathon. It’s tough. Again, like when I wrote about the triathlon I did, I’m not bragging. I’m writing today to talk about my training experience, and what I like and dislike.

What I’m not so crazy about, the amount of training that goes into this half marathon. I’m doing some kind of physical activity 5 days a week. I’m a bigger dude, so it can take its toll sometimes. I find it hilarious when I see a training day scheduled that says “Easy 4 Miles”. There’s no such thing. A distance longer than 3 miles, for me, is hard. But, I do it still, because that’s what the training calls for.

Which leads me to what I do enjoy/like about this. I’m happy that I’m out getting so much exercise. I haven’t felt this in shape since I was in high school. I went hiking the other day, and with some of the hills we encountered, there’s no way I would have been able to get through it if I wasn’t in training. I like that I have an end goal. When I’m working towards something, it’s nice to have a strict regimen. It keeps me focused, and crossing out that day’s workout is a real treat. I’ve also found myself pushing harder. Some workouts, prior to this, I’d kind of half ass my way through. I’d go for a swim, and instead of doing what I should have done, I’d go until my workout app in my watch dinged. Or, if I had to run 4,5 or 6 miles, I’d do about a half to 2/3 worth of running, then walk the rest of the way. With this half marathon, I’m hyper focused on doing exactly what the training says. Doing that has also made the “Easy 4 Miles”, not easy, but doable, even if I’m drained from the day. I’m traveling this weekend, and because I want to stay up on the training, I pushed everything up a day. It was tough, but finishing my distance run yesterday was one of my proudest athletic achievements. I worked out for 7 straight days, and I wasn’t completely wrecked. I’ve never done that before.

What I’ve found that I like most, running long distances, I’m talking about my 9 and 10 mile runs, I’ve gotten to a place where, when I hit the halfway mark, it’s not a chore, it’s something I know I can finish now. I almost hit a meditative state that is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I get lost in the music or podcast I’m listening to, and I just run.

One more good thing, this has really helped with my weight loss. I put a few pounds back on, some muscle, some fat, with the triathlon training. With the half marathon training, I’m starting to look like I did a few years back when I lost 100 pounds. It’s great.

Half marathons aren’t for everyone, hell, I’m still shocked that I’m doing one. But, if you put in the time, follow a strict plan and go for it, the benefits way outweigh the problems/risks. I have about 3 weeks until my race, and instead of being scared or pessimistic, I’m hopeful, proud and looking forward to it.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I feel good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He can brag all he wants about doing his triathlon. The only triathlon the head editor has worked towards is driving to the grocery store, walking in the grocery store, and then putting the groceries away at home. It is a tough three events, but someone has to do it.

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Jimmy Butler Does Not Fit with the Miami Heat

Last week Jimmy Butler said he wants to be traded. I wrote a piece basically saying I wanted him to stick it out one more season in Minnesota. That seems like a real no go. He’s already talked to Tom Thibodeau twice, and he still wants out. He has given a list of teams he’s willing to go to. He has already said he will sit out training camp if he isn’t dealt. I’m pretty sure he’s not at any of the media stuff going on right now. Even the Timberwolves GM has said they are taking calls, and he is very available. I’m still perplexed why, maybe it’s because he’s an old school player playing with young kids that don’t take it as seriously as he does, but his new preferred team really makes no sense to me.

As I said last week, Butler named 3 teams he would go to. Those teams, the Knicks, Nets and Clippers. I wrote why I think the Timberwolves are a better fit than all 3. But, the other day, Butler and his agent, David Falk, have now said his preferred team, the team he really, really wants to play for now, the Miami Heat.

Hear me out as to why I think this is an odd fit for Butler.

The Heat are already a playoff team. They play in the East, they have a solid core and I like their current core. To get Butler, they are going to have to break that all up. I know a third team has to get involved, and the Kings seem like the popular choice right now. Why I don’t like this, the Heat will have to give up key players to an already playoff ready roster. Adding Butler will instantly push the Heat into the top 4 in the East. But, with what they’ll have to unload, they would be far behind the Celtics, 76ers and Raptors for sure. Each of those teams have much better units than a Miami Heat roster with Jimmy Butler.

Now, let’s get to what the Heat will have to give up. From what I’ve heard, Justice Winslow is the coveted young guy, Goran Dragic is the vet and then some random salary dump player. I don’t like this for the Heat at all. I know Winslow’s shooting hasn’t really translated to the pros, but he can defend, and he’s still super young. He also closed out the year much better than I expected. He looks like he may be a late bloomer. Dragic finally looks like he is on the right team for his skill set. He’s a great penetrating and kick point guard. The Heat don’t have great shooters around him, but they do have guys that can score. Dragic is also real good finishing around the rim. As far as the salary dump players from the Heat, I feel like it would be either Hassan Whiteside or Tyler Johnson. Both guys haven’t lived up to the hype after their one good season, but both are integral to the Heat’s success last year. So they’d have to lose 2-3 key players to get Butler.

Now, I do think Butler is one of the 20 best current NBA players, but he’s not worth that much. Butler would replace Winslow’s defense, Butler is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but he’s much older, and we know what type of player he is. Butler will not replace Dragic due to position. Butler is not a point guard. He’s a 2 or a 3. The Heat would need a real point guard. Then, if they lose Whiteside, who I know was unplayable in the playoffs last year, they have only Bam Adebayo, who has potential, but isn’t the defender Whiteside is. Losing Tyler Johnson wouldn’t be so bad at least. Jimmy Butler is a much, much, much better player, and they pretty much play the same position.

But say this happens. Say the Heat give up Winslow, Dragic and Whiteside to get Butler. When looking at the rest of the Heat roster, it doesn’t seem more hardcore than the Timberwolves. Look, I love Dion Waiters. I still draft him in fantasy leagues. But, I would much rather play with Andrew Wiggins. Dwayne Wade is a champ and Hall of Famer, but this is his last year, and what does he give you that a guy like Jeff Teague or Wiggins or Tyus Jones can’t? And, all those guys are way younger than Wade. And while I love Adebayo’s old school game, and his potential, KAT has proven that he’s one of the best young players in the league. When he figures it out on defense, he’s going to be a top 5 player.

So I say a week later, I don’t like this fit for Butler. I really want him to stick it out, for just one more season, in Minnesota. That team was real, real good before Butler got hurt. I think they could do it again if he were to stay. He will likely be dealt, but I just don’t see any other fit that is better than what is currently happening with the Timberwolves. I just want him to stay.

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.

Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 3

Week 3 will be in the books after tonight, and I'm back for some takes. Lets go.

First off, I do not know what roughing is anymore. I mean, Clay Matthews sacked Alex Smith, it was like any sack that has ever sacked before in the NFL, and he somehow, some way got called for roughing. Now, that was not the reason the Packers got beat, there are plenty others. But, that penalty was atrocious. I do not know what else Matthews could have done these past 2 weeks to make a cleaner tackle. The way he hit both Smith and Cousins is the way I was taught while playing youth through high school football. They were picture perfect tackles. The same thing happened in the Cowboys-Seahawks game. Hell, a Dolphin defender tore his ACL trying to adhere to the new tackling rules. The NFL has another big time problem on their hands, and it is this new roughing call. The game will be flag football before we know it.

Getting back to the Packers-Washington game, what a dud by my team. Rodgers looks much more hurt than he is letting on. The defense can't stop the run or the pass. And Washington jumped all over it. That game was a 2 TD lead before I could blink. The Packers need to figure some stuff out. Good for Washington taking advantage and getting the win.

The Titans-Jags game was an aberration to my eye balls. The final was 9-6. Marcus Mariota had to replace Blaine Gabbart. Blake Bortles looked like Blake Bortles. He is the only player on that team that has me worried about my Super Bowl pick. That was worse than a Thursday night game.

The Chiefs sure look great though. They are the opposite of the Jags. They can score and score and score. Patrick Mahomes just keeps doing great things. He added another 3 TD passes. Kareem Hunt ran in 2. This team can play offense. Their defense leaves something to be desired. They let the 49ers hang around until Jimmy Garropolo tore his knee apart. He is done for the year, and a team that some were high on, not me, are now officially toast with Jimmy G out. They aren't going to win many game with CJ Beathard at QB.

The Saints and Falcons game was exciting as hell. There was no defense played, but that is what I have come to expect when these 2 matchup. Drew Brees is still amazing. Alvin Kamara is phenomenal. Thomas is one hell of a receiver. On the other side, Matt Ryan balled the hell out. He looked like himself from 2 years ago. He was spreading the ball out and got everyone involved. They ran the ball well too. The only reason I think the Saints won was because they had the ball last.

Carolina looked pretty dominant over the suspect 2-0 Bengals. The Panthers ran wherever they wanted, and when Cam had to throw, he nailed his receivers. I feel like the Bengals we saw yesterday is closer to who they really are as a team. They looked rough, and Dalton seems to have already lost his "magic" from the first 2 games.

Another suspect 2-0 team was brought back down to Earth yesterday, the Broncos. The Ravens absolutely dominated that game. Joe Flacco looked solid, their run game was great and the defense was smothering. Case Keenum doesn't look like he will be bringing any of that magic from last season to Denver.

Speaking of Keenum's old team, what the hell was that showing from the Vikings? They gave up 27, 17 in the first quarter, to the Bills, at home. The Vikings defense, claimed by me, is the best in the league, and they made Josh Allen look like a top 10 QB. I was shocked most by the outcome of that game. Also, the 84 million dollar man, Kirk Cousins, didn't look great. This was a game that would scare me if I were a Vikings fan. They looked real bad. Some good needs to be said about Buffalo too. I mean, they looked to be the worst team after 2 weeks, but they went into Minnesota and won every single facet of that game. The sun shines on even bad teams sometimes, and the Bills had that luxury yesterday. That may be 1 of 2 or 3 wins they get this year.

The Bears won again, but it wasn't pretty. The Bears are starting to remind me a ton of the Jags. They have this great defense, led by Khalil Mack. That dude is amazing. I love watching him play. I don't like the Bears, but Mack is must watch TV. On offense, they have a great run game, but QB is the problem. Mitch Trubisky looks real bad. He looks nervous. When he has to go off script, he just seems uncomfortable. That is where the Jags comparison comes into play. Is Trubsiky the new Bortles? It looks that way right now. And man oh man are the Cardinals bad. They finally, mercifully, turned to Josh Rosen, but he had no shot yesterday. That team is in a bad way, and it looks like it will take awhile to get back to relevance.

Another team that might have to start panicking is the Texans. They have looked abysmal the first 3 weeks. They let the Giants control the game. The Giants were able to kind of do what they wanted. Barkley had his best game as a pro. Eli Manning looked fine. Their O line blocked enough. The Texans offense is in trouble, and I do not blame Watson. Sure, he made some poor throws yesterday, but he has no run game and his O line might be the worst in the league. The Texans need to do something quick to fix this team, or they might have a real long, long season.

Same goes for the Raiders. I'd be so disgusted with Jon Gruden after three games, and they signed him to a 10 year deal! I know it is only 3 games, but it looks like the game has clearly passed him by. Everyone can see it, except for him. The Raiders have so much talent, on paper, but they are a poorly coached football team, and they traded away Mack for peanuts. Their opponent, the Dolphins, are the surprise of the early season. They are 3-0, winning games with their defense, run game and letting Ryan Tannehill be a game manager. They are playing sound and smart football. I just wish they didn't lose their D lineman because of that stupid new "roughing" rule.

The Rams clearly proved they are the only team in LA anyone should care about. The Chargers have not looked good in the first 3 weeks, so I hope the talk of this team being a threat stops now. As far as the Rams, I mean, they haven't even been challenged yet. They look like they are barely breaking a sweat. Goff and Gurley are killing it. Their defense is playing great, considering all the new guys they signed this offseason. They are, far and away, the best team in the NFL right now.

I do not care at all about the Seahawks-Cowboys game. I despise both those teams.

To end the night, we had Detroit-New England. What is going on with the Patriots? I know it is never smart to count them out and they most likely will figure it out, and probably win their division still, but they looked horrid last night. Tom Brady might want to stop pointing fingers at others, and focus on his very poor play these first three weeks. He has looked bad, but he is blaming everyone else. That is a bad look. Detroit totally dominated them last night. Matt Stafford looked solid. He hit open receivers for the first time this year. But what helped him most, the Lions finally had a rusher go for over 100 yards in, I believe, 5 seasons. They may have finally found a solid running back. And their defense shut down the Patriots last night. Matt Patricia is a total scumbag, but I bet he was thrilled to beat 2 equal scumbags, Bill Belichek and Josh McDaniels. The Patriots look real bad right now though. Also, I will tell Lions fans to temper their excitement. This was one game, albeit against a good team, but this is what they do. They show flashes, and then crash back down to Earth.

The main thing I learned from week 3 overall, and it is the same as last week, the Rams are the class of the NFL. Until they get challenged, that will not change. That does it for week 3.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is trying to teach his son to tackle, but tackle with your words and not your body. Maybe that is the key for NFL defenses.

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Jimmy Butler Should Stay in Minnesota and See What Happens

So I have a few thoughts about the whole Jimmy Butler situation.

If you don’t know, Butler has asked to be traded away from Minnesota. Apparently he has had enough, after just one season, of the young kids on the team, mainly KAT. First off, I have no problem if he wants to go to a team that has a chance to be competitive right away. It took KD leaving OKC for me to realize this. But, if you want a ring before your career is done, I say, go for it. Players careers are so limited now, get it while you can.

With that being said, I liked the fit of Butler with KAT and Wiggins. I also liked him alongside vets like Taj Gibson and Jeff Teague. He also got to go play for his first coach in the league, Tom Thibodeau. It seemed perfect. And at first, it was. The Timberwolves looked pretty good with their starting five, including Butler. They were rolling. I believe at one point they were at the 3 seed in the West.

Then Butler got hurt.

The Timberwolves stopped playing defense. Then Wiggins struggled. Then KAT started to struggle. Then Thibodeau started to play the vets way, way too many minutes. And then Butler said something about the young guys not having the will and the grind to be high caliber NBA stars. I agreed with him, but I felt like this was something they could have been said in the locker room, not to the media. That’s when the cracks started. I heard and read things saying he wanted out of Minnesota. I heard he was floated during the trade deadline. He then turned down a massive extension. This all shocked me.

And now, here we are today.

Butler gave the Timberwolves one last meeting, in LA, the other day, and this was when he asked to be traded. This was clearly a courtesy move by Butler, because he had no intention of sticking around. Now comes the hard/fun part.

Butler has given the three teams he prefers:

The Nets

Why?

The Knicks

What the hell?

And the Clippers

Please god no.

I don’t get why Jimmy Butler would want to leave the Timberwolves for one of these three teams. I know they have the most money, and can easily resign him next summer, but why the Nets, Knicks or Clippers, I may never know. One guess I have, Kyrie Irving has said he wants to team up with Butler, and he’s expressed interest in playing for the Knicks next year. As far as the Nets, I guess, it would be his team. They would have to build around him. With the Clippers, maybe he’s willing to miss the playoffs for one year until Kawhi Leonard signs there, that’s his preferred team.

But I say, what of all these fall through? What if Kyrie and the Celtics click, make the Finals and he loves playing for Brad Stevens? Also, they need a center, and I’d be salivating I’d I were Kyrie at the prospect of playing with Anthony Davis. I love Kristaps Porzingis, but AD is so much better than him. What if the Nets are permanently stuck in this mediocrity hell they live in now? What if Butler is the only guy they can get, and he ends up being a good stats, but team guy? That would be brutal for his legacy. The Clippers are the Clippers. They’re the quintessential underachieving overrated NBA team. Will Butler change that? Maybe, if they get Kawhi. But then he is the second best guy on a team? Will that be what he wants? Doesn’t a trade request mean you want to be “the guy”? That won’t happen if he goes to LA and they get Kawhi. Also, what if Toronto, somehow some way convince Kawhi to stay? Then Butler is left with a bunch of castoffs. Also, especially with LeBron now a Laker, the Clippers will always be the little brother, no matter the records.

I liked the fit of Butler in Minnesota, but I’m just an outside fan. There could be way more stuff I know nothing about as to why he wants out. But for now, it seems to me, he wants to go from a team that could be a perennial playoff contender to some teams with a ton of questions that won’t be answered until next year. We shall 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 the internet. 

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Ty's NFL Quick Hits: Week 2

Week 2 of the NFL is just about in the books, the Bears and Seahawks play tonight, and I'm here with my quick hits from all the games yesterday. Lets get into it.

We had 8 games that kicked off art noon. There were some solid matchups there, and not so solid matchups. The Bills are clearly the worst team in the NFL. I mean, Vontae Davis, a corner on the team, retired at halftime, with the Bills down 22 points. Josh Allen had a big throw, and scrambled a bit, but other than that, he was pretty dreadful. He also didn't get much help from his line or run game. The Chargers were in complete control of that game from the get go. Melvin Gordon looked otherworldly, but so did Joe Flacco a week ago against the Bills. The Chargers dominated them, but so did the Ravens, so I do not know what to think about the Chargers.

Speaking of the Ravens, they got beat pretty easily when they played the Bengals on Thursday night. Joe Flacco was thrust back to Earth, and the Ravens run game was blah. The Bengals actually look a lot better than I thought they'd be. Andy Dalton is hitting AJ Green, the run game is working and the defense, while still incredibly dirty, is playing at a very high level. I do not know is Bengals fans like this, but enjoy it while you can. I feel like they will be crashing back down to Earth pretty soon.

The Chiefs have seemed to have found their QB of the future. Patrick Mahomes is on fire. He looks like the real deal. He has a laser arm and hits the open receiver every single time. They can also run the ball with Kareem Hunt. They do not play defense, which may come back to bite them, but for right now, their offense looks legit. Their opponent, the Steelers, look like they may be in trouble. They are horrible on defense. They were down 21 in the first quarter. They made a comeback in the second quarter, but they clearly miss LeVeon Bell. James Connor has done okay in his stead, but they need Bell. Also, Antonio Brown has not been the threat that I thought he was going to be so far. The Steelers need to sign Bell and fix their defense, or this could be a very, very long season.

Now lets get to the team that the Steelers tied in week one, the Browns. They had every single chance to beat the Saints in New Orleans. They had a 10 point lead late in the third, they were keeping Drew Brees in check, they slowed the game down to a snails pace, it was all there for them. Then their kicker happened. This poor dude missed 2 extra points and three field goals. I mean, the Browns offense could have done more, but still, if this kid made one of those extra points and one of those field goals, they would have had a legit win. But, they are the Browns, and they blew it.

The Dolphins might have us all wrong. Every writer, myself included, thought they might be the worst team in the NFL. Well, they are now 2-0 with a legit defense and an offense that looks like they can sustain drives. Maybe the Dolphins aren't so bad, and maybe the Jets are not the team we saw in week one.

Also, the Buccaneers, and mainly Ryan Fitzpatrick, are proving us all wrong too. This dude is playing on a whole other level. Next to Mahomes, he is the hottest QB in football right now. He is going to get paid. He shredded the Eagles stout defense. Also, what in the hell is wrong with the Eagles? Nick Foles looks to be a clear flash in the pan, and the defense looks like they did in the Super Bowl. Luckily for them, Carson Wentz is set to return next week. But damn, the Buccaneers might be legit.

The Falcons and Panthers played one of the most boring one score games I saw yesterday. Yes it was close and yes Matt Ryan and Cam Newton had their moments, but it just looked and felt like ugly football to me. The Falcons won, and it's clear that Newton needs help, but this game was not nearly as fun as I thought it would be.

The Texans are in trouble. Deshaun Watson doesn't look the same. Deandre Hopkins cannot get a call. Their run game is rough. The coaching is horrendous. I mean, how do you let a Titans team being QB'ed by Blaine Gabbart win a game? That was insane and wild to me. Watson did look better than in week one, but man oh man do the Texans look like they are in trouble. And good for the Titans. They won with a horrible QB, took a big risk on a punt fake and won the game on a field goal. Good for them.

The marquee matchup was the Packers-Vikings. This game was good. The Packers looked in control, but the Vikings kept fighting back. Aaron Rodgers looked okay on one leg. Kirk Cousins had an incredible second half. Both defenses played fairly well. Then the refs and the kickers got in the way. First off, that roughing the passer call on Clay Matthews was a joke. Even lifelong Vikings fans that I know said as much. I mean, what else is Matthews supposed to do? That was, in no possible way, roughing. It turned the game around. And then, Mason Crosby, who kicked pretty well, missed a 50 yarder in regulation to win. Then the Vikings kicker one upped him three times. Daniel Carlson may need to find a new team. He shanked a 35 yarded that would have won the game. He also missed two 45 plus yard field goals in regulation. It was a tough, tough game. And, of course, because the NFL's overtime rules are so lame, the game ended in a tie. That is so ridiculous. Football games should never, ever end in ties. Both teams looked dumbfounded. It was such a hollow ending to a pretty solid game. The NFL needs to change some things up.

As far as the late afternoon and night games, the best one was the Jags and Patriots. The Lions got beat by the 49ers. And while that game was close, the Lions look really bad once again. I think Matt Patricia is a terrible head coach. And the 49ers took control of all of that. The Rams throttled the Cardinals. The Rams look like legit Super Bowl contenders, and the Cardinals have a ton of problems. First and foremost, Sam Bradford. I think yesterday was a loud call to let Josh Rosen take over. And the Raiders-Broncos game was a test of futility. Both those teams stink.

Now for my predicted Super Bowl Champs. The Jags look like they may be taking over for the Patriots as the best team in the AFC. They looked faster, they are younger, they won with a backup running back, Blake Bortles looked like a top 5 QB, the defense thwarted anything the Patriots tried. The Jags are good, and I hope this game makes people take notice. Yes, it was in Jacksonville, but they dominated that game from start to finish. They look like the real deal. Blake Bortles may never play that well again, but that defense will play like that all year. They are great.

As far as the night game, the Cowboys and Giants, I did not watch a second of it. Both of those teams are meaningless to me, and the NFL I'm pretty sure. Sure the Cowboys won, and the Giants looked pretty bad, but wasn't that expected? I mean, the Cowboys have 6 or 7 wins written all over them, and the Giants look like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Everything I read about that game last night did not change my mind.

There you have it, my week 2 takes. The biggest takeaways I have, the Packers got screwed, the Rams are as potent an offense as there is in the NFL and the Jags are the real deal.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Another damn tie has Ty tied up in emotional knots. Even the head editor (a Vikings fan) knows that Green Bay got screwed. Maybe with the refs on their side, this is Minnesota’s year.

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I've Got 15 Things to Say About this Serena Williams Naomi Osaka US Open Final

Like many others, I have some… thoughts on the whole Serena Williams/Carlos Ramos/US Open Final kerfluffle.  The universe (especially the Twitter-verse) is awash in incredibly simplistic takes.  These fall into two very shouty camps.  I’ll paraphrase briefly.  Camp Ramos:  “The umpire was completely right, Serena Williams was being a bully and a brat and how dare she sully the sanctity of our sport with her “thuggish” (subtext: black) behavior.”  Camp Serena:  “Carlos Ramos, the USTA and everybody is totally sexist and racist and DON’T YOU DARE criticize Serena because she is heroic and perfect and always right about everything.”

Frankly, the only person who got out of this unscathed is US Open Champ Naomi Osaka, who seems like a charming young woman who played breathtaking, dominant tennis for 2 weeks, and does not deserve to have her moment overshadowed by this.

Unlike many (most?) of the Hot-Takers mentioned above, I actually watched this disaster unfold in real time, not just reviewing the highlights.  So let’s all take a breath, and realize that many things can be true at once.  I’ll list out some of these true things here:

1.       Serena Williams has been subject to a lot of racism.  There are too many examples to list, but the recent dress code announcement by Roland Garros was the latest.  She and her sister weren’t the first black tennis players, even in the modern game, but they are of a different stripe.  They weren’t raised by well-off upper class parents like Chanda Rubin, or James Blake, or more recently, Sloane Stephens.  They brought with them some cultural stuff that a sport like tennis did not accept without a lot of growing pains.

2.       I’m not black.  I can’t begin to understand what the Williams sisters’ success (and Serena’s in particular) mean to the broader black community.  I am a woman of color, but I realize it’s not the same.  I understand the instinctive defense of Serena when she seems to be under siege. 

3.       Carlos Ramos is an umpire with a solid reputation.  He has officiated finals at all four Slams without incident.  He is fair and professional, but does have a reputation for being strict.  He has called time and coaching violations on Nadal, Djokovic, and many others.  Saturday’s coaching violation shouldn’t have been totally unexpected.

4.       Nothing happens in a vacuum.  Earlier this tournament, Mohammed Lahyani caused an officiating stir of his own, when he climbed down from his umpire perch to give a pep talk to a tanking Nick Kyrgios.  The uproar was instantaneous, and the consensus was that Lahyani was too accommodating with Kyrgios.  He was subsequently relegated to outer court doubles matches.  I’m sure Ramos was aware, and that may have factored into his decision to play it totally straight and not give any “leniency” to any player, no matter how famous.

5.       By the letter of the law, Ramos was totally in the right.  Whether you agree with these rules or not, coaching is illegal.  Racquet abuse is illegal.  Personal insults at the chair are illegal.  Code violations accrue.  Strike one, warning.  Strike two, point penalty.  Strike three, game penalty.  And on and on.  John McEnroe was once defaulted from the Australian Open for verbal abuse of an umpire.  Serena is not new here.  She knows the rules.  Maybe better than most, since in 2009, she lost to Kim Clijsters by getting a code violation on a match point.  (More on that later.)

6.       As a practical matter, Ramos DID have some leeway in how he dealt with the situation.  He could have given her a “soft” coaching warning, without it being an official code violation.  During her extended rant, he could have warned her about an impending game penalty if she kept attacking his character.  He could have, but he didn’t, and now here we are.

7.       Serena’s character was not impugned by Ramos.  First off, the behavior that was flagged was her coach’s.  Said coach, Patrick Mourataglou, admitting he was coaching.  Secondly, there’s no stigma attached (probably because, as Patrick noted, everyone does it).  It’s like speeding.  It’s illegal, it sucks to get caught, everybody does it, and nobody thinks you’re a horrible person because of it.  For Serena to blow it up into a personal attack on her integrity and character is ridiculous.

8.       Naomi Osaka’s win does not have an asterisk next to it, so people can just stop with that right now.  Osaka outplayed Williams from the get.  The reason Patrick was signaling in the first place was because Serena was getting beaten.  The racquet smash was precipitated by Osaka breaking Serena’s serve.  The extended rant at the chair was preceded by another service break.  She was losing, and didn’t have an answer.  The game penalty awarded to Osaka was on Osaka’s service game, which she had been holding fairly easily anyway.

9.       Serena has a pattern at the US Open of blowing up at officials when she’s losing.  See above, re: Clijsters in 2009.  Also, she was very much losing the 2011 final to Sam Stosur when she was legitimately called for a hindrance, and she yelled at the umpire again.  And again in 2018.  Three times is a pattern, and it doesn’t reflect well on Serena.

10.   Naomi Osaka handled the pressure like a boss.  First off, she came out fearless and swinging away against a 23 time champ, her idol, and the ESPN narrative favorite.  Later in the match, she handled Serena’s increasingly graceless behavior with her typical poker face.  At 5-3, after a lengthy and emotional interruption in the match, she basically let Serena have her service game, and then calmly and coolly served out the match at 5-4, throwing in a couple of totally unreturnable serves for good measure.  Those are the nerves of a future Hall of Famer.

11.   There is much to admire about Serena Williams.  As noted before, she’s dealt with a lot of ugly behavior from a lot of quarters over her years.  She’s had two brushes with death and been remarkably candid about motherhood and childbirth.  She works harder than anyone else on the tour.  She’s a 23 time Grand Slam champ, not just through talent, but though grit and determination and hard work.  She’s the toughest competitor on the tour.  Even when she’s down, it’s often foolish to count her out.  In recent years, her fiery persona has been tempered by maturity and little more graciousness and sportsmanship.  Again, there’s a LOT to admire.

12.   Little of this was on display on Saturday.  Serena behaved appallingly.  She stole the moment from Naomi Osaka, and made that match and the narrative about herself.  Even her supposedly “gracious” moment, telling the crowd to stop booing, was followed by a “We’ll get through this.”  Again, Serena, it’s not about you.  A truly gracious speech would have noted Osaka’s brilliant play, and asked the crowd to cheer her win.  Maybe it’s too much to ask for Serena to have her head together enough to do that, but asking the crowd to stop booing is pretty much the LEAST she could have done. (The one moment that touched me was the sisterly and protective way she put her arm around Osaka.  I’m not made of stone, people.) 

13.   The Arthur Ashe crowd should feel shame.  Even if you’re booing Carlos Ramos and the USTA, how do you think Osaka felt?  It broke my heart when Osaka apologized for winning.  She just won the biggest match of her life, and you people make her APOLOGIZE?  I have never heard anyone apologize for winning a sports championship.  No way.  Naomi, you have nothing to apologize for.  You deserve it, congratulations, and here’s to many more.

14.   ESPN, Chase, Nike, the USTA, and all the other sponsors and Serena boosters should also feel shame.  They contributed to this environment by making the whole two weeks all about Serena’s comeback/dominance/invincibility, etc.  When that narrative was shattered by Osaka’s exceptional play, neither Serena nor the crowd could handle it emotionally.

15.   The USTA and WTA’s subsequent statements are awful.  They have fully thrown Carlos Ramos under the bus, and I think they should have backed him up.  In sports officiating, I’m a proponent of enforcing the rules as written.  If you don’t want a rule enforced, change it.  In the final analysis, Ramos followed the rules as written, and was punished for it.  That’s totally unfair to the entire officiating community.  What happens next, when Maria Sharapova or Rafa Nadal or another big name throws a tantrum?  The official message to umpires is now “disregard the rules and let it go, because the minute there’s public outcry, we won’t support you.”  That’s bullshit.

As I said before, all of these things are true, and they don’t contradict each other.  It’s possible to recognize that Ramos did his job, and still think that the rules are silly.  It’s possible to have great admiration and respect for Serena, and still think she behaved very badly during the final.   It’s possible for the crowd to get wrapped up in ESPN’s narrative, and still behave gracefully when the outcome doesn’t match up.  It’s possible to think Naomi Osaka is totally awesome and… there’s nothing else to say about that! 

Sorry, I do have one more thing to say. Congrats to Naomi Osaka, future Hall of Famer.

Tina S

Tina is a sometime contributor to SeedSing and occasional guest on the X Millennial Man Podcast. Want to hear what Tina has to say on the topic of the 2018 tennis Grand Slam Season? Check out the latest edition of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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What the Hell is Thibodeau Doing with the Timberwolves?

With the recent NBA news that Loul Deng was bought out by the Lakers and then signed by the Timberwolves, I just cannot help but wonder will happen, now that Joakim Noah is about to be released by the Knicks. I'm not the first person that has noticed that the Timberwolves team this coming season look a lot like the Bulls did in the early 2010's, when Tom Thibodeau was the head coach there. If he signs Joakim Noah, or even thinks about it, I will be all out on the Timberwolves.

Look, I have made it pretty clear that I have struggled to find an NBA team to root for since KD left the Thunder and signed with the Warriors. I eventually decided on the Suns, as I wrote awhile back, but for a moment, the team I was going to choose was going to be Minnesota. I had a history, what with Kevin Garnett being one of my all time favorite players while he was there, and I loved the young talent they had. They then let Ricky Rubio go. I know that they had to. He had run his course, and they needed to free up space for better, scoring point guards. They also traded Kevin Love, which I was also fine with because they got Andrew Wiggins and I felt like he was going to be a solid building block. Then they had the number one pick a few years back, and they took Karl AnthonTay-Towns, who I am a big, big fan of, and it just seemed like a good time to stick up for them. Even when they hired Thibodeau, which I wasn't a fan of, and then traded for Jimmy Butler, which I really liked, I was about to go fully on board with my fandom.

Then, they went out and signed Taj Gibson. I have nothing against Gibson, he seems to be a great team and locker room guy, but his best playing days are far behind him. He played his best when he was last coached by Thibodeau on the Bulls. That was about 5 years ago.

The Timberwolves then, after the Knicks dumped him, inexplicably signed Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose was once great. He won an MVP award. He had flashes where he looked like the next big star. But, he got derailed by two horrible knee injuries. He hen started to make wild claims in New York. He then disappeared for no reason while a Knick. He did the exact same thing when Cleveland signed him a year later. Derrick Rose is clearly not the athlete he once was, and there is certainly something mentally wrong with him. But Tom Thibodeau ignored all of the things we all see, and signed him anyway, and then kept him this offseason.

Now, he has decided to bring on Luol Deng. Deng is like Gibson. He was once a solid NBA bench contributor. He did things that helped the mid 2010 Bulls win games. But, he barely saw the floor last year. The Lakers did almost everything they could to get rid of him last year. His best days are clearly far, far behind him. But, Tom Thibodeau wanted to get the band back together as they say.

So, this whole meme and blog generation, and yes, that includes me, have started to call the "new look" Timberwolves, the Timberbulls. I mean, they now have Deng, Rose Gibson and Butler. Butler is the only one worth having, and he wants out. Go read some of his recent interviews, or just look at the fact that he opted to not sign a mega extension. But it doesn't seem like Thibodeau cares. And now, with Noah out there, I wouldn't be shocked if Thibs gets the itch to sign him. That would be horrible. How any of this fits, with Butler being the exception, with guys like Jeff Teague, Wiggins, KAT, is way beyond me. I feel like Thibodeau is a lesser version of Doc Rivers. He likes guys that used to be good on his teams, or against him, no matter how far past their primes they may be.

The only thing these signings, and the possibility of a Noah signing, does is push back the growth of their young stars. Wiggins hasn’t hit his stride, but he still can. Now though, he has to split time with Derrick Rose. Jeff Teague has proven himself a quality NBA point guard, but he also has to split time with Rose. KAT should be “the guy” for the Timberwolves, but Thibodeau is going to throw Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and, if he signs him, Joakim Noah out there to only stunt KAT’s growth. I wanted to like the Timberwolves. I wanted to be a fan. But, with what GM Thibs has done, I just cannot. He is signing over the hill has beens to play with budding stars. He is going to ruin the young players on this team, just so he can have some former Bulls around him.

What a waste.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is a great GM and has NBA 2K rosters to prove it. Call him up T’Wolves.

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Baseball Needs Shohei Ohtani

I know that I am not the big baseball guy on the site, but I want to talk about the Shohei Ohtani news, that he may need Tommy John surgery.

This is a real bummer to me. Again, I do not watch baseball at all, especially right now since football is in full time swing. But, I was looking at Bleacher Report the other day and saw that Ohtani may need the dreaded surgery for pitchers. Now, he has had a very solid season, at least from what I read, both pitching, but more so hitting. He has a decent amount of home runs, he has a decent average and has a good amount of RBI's. As far as pitching, he was doing fine. If you look at him as a rookie, which he is, he has had a very solid pitching season. He has missed a good amount of time, but who doesn't in baseball these days. Also, every star player is treated with kid gloves, so they don't burn out right away.

I had very high hopes for Ohtani, and he was kind of living up to them. I mean, no one really got to see him because he plays on a middling AL team, that is perpetually stuck at, or below .500. He plays on a team that has the best player in baseball, Mike Trout, and they have Albert Pujols, who is coming up on some iconic numbers as a hitter. But, the Angels are like the Chargers of the MLB. They are always the team that is the "sleeper", and they always stumble. I feel real bad for Trout because he is being completely wasted there, and I fear the same is going to happen to Ohtani.

My main point for my piece today, I think maybe the Angels pushed him a bit too much. I know I said that new stars get treated like kids, but they allowed Ohtani to play both. This was exciting to a guy like me, that never really watches baseball, but how was this good for their franchise, I will never know. They should have played him in the outfield, in my opinion, then on the rare, rare occasion that they needed a pitcher, preferably in relief, then they could let Ohtani pitch. I feel like this would have best utilized his unique skill set, and helped this team actually matter when September and October come around. Case and point, a day or two after the diagnosis of Tommy John, Ohtani played, and he hit 2 home runs. The guy can swing the bat. He has proven that he can hit major league pitchers, and hit them deep. He has proven his prowess in the field. Also, if you want to save his arm play him at DH. The Angles are an AL team and they have the DH, so why not? I mean, it would have fit perfectly with my idea to only pitch him in a needed basis.

Whatever the reason, people say Ohtani need this surgery. Who knows what he will do, and what will happen from here on out. I personally hope he doesn't get it. I want him to become a full time DH, and find a way to heal his arm without having this 10-12 recovery period from this surgery. If he does opt for surgery, I feel sorry for Angels fans and hardcore baseball fans. Ohtani has this special ability to hit and pitch at one of the highest levels of baseball. And not only can he just do both, he is very good at both. If he gets Tommy John, these fans will miss a year plus of getting to watch him play. That is a drag. And, who knows how he will play when he gets back. The last person I remember with big time expectations that had to get Tommy John was Stephen Strasburg. Now, he is strictly a pitcher, but people expected the world of him. He then had the surgery, and while he is a fine MLB pitcher, he is not the threat that he was supposed to be. He is a 13-15 win guy with a 3 plus ERA. Everyone expected him to be the next Nolan Ryan, but after Tommy John, he is just another mid level starter on a supposed good team. He isn't even the best pitcher on his team now. I don't want that for Ohtani.

I personally want Ohtani to continue to play. He is one of the very few reasons I even know about baseball right now. I have checked on him occasionally because I was genuinely curious. That hasn't happened with a baseball player for me for a long while. I hope he continues to play as a DH. I hope he finishes out the season and finds a way to avoid Tommy John. I just want him to be on a baseball field next year, as opposed to him rehabbing after a surgery.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He used to pitch and hit for his baseball team. Unfortunately Ty had surgery and his career ended. It was wisdom teeth surgery, and Ty was 20 years old. What could have been?

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