Making Sense of the Lakers Offseason

I will get to some of my favorite free agent signings so far at the start of NBA free agency, but today I want to talk about the Lakers yet again.

I talked about the Russ trade last week and how I do not like the fit. You can go back and see all my thoughts on why. And since then they have signed Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk and now Carmelo Anthony. They did lose out on the Alex Caruso sweepstakes, I think it is next to impossible for them to retain Dennis Schroeder and I would not be shocked if Talen Horton Tucker gets a better offer somewhere else. The Lakers are making moves, and they are making moves for former Lakers and former all stars.

At first glance of the new roster I thought this looks like a good roster for 2014-15. That is when all these guys were in their prime, with AD being the exception. Had this exact team been assembled back then they would have been better than the recent Warriors dynasty. It would have been a lock. Then, while on a run, I thought more about the roster. This team is old. Real old. Lebron will be 37 next season. Dwight, Carmelo, Russ, Trevor Ariza and, I believe Kent Bazemore will all be 30 plus at the start of next season. AD is young but never fully healthy. Marc Gasol is not really playable in crunch time anymore. And Malik Monk hasn't really hit since entering the NBA. I was less high after thinking about it while out this afternoon.

Then I thought more and more about it and came to an odd conclusion for me personally. I do not think this team is a title contender. I think they will be good. They will be really hard to rebound and score in the post against. They will be a playoff team. But I just do not think all these guys will coalesce and I think they will be worn out by the end of the season. But I am actually excited to watch this roster, this exact Lakers team, play basketball next season.

I am not a Lakers fan. Not at all. I do not like the Lakers or Yankees or Patriots or Alabama. I am not a front runner of a fan. Sure I love, love, love Michigan, but when was the last time they were relevant? Man that hurts my soul. And if someone asks who my favorite MLB team is I say the Cardinals, but I couldn't even tell you their record, and who besides Yadi is on the team right now. So for me to be excited to watch the Lakers, that is saying something. Maybe it is curiosity, or the fact that I want to see them stumble or that I genuinely like guys like Russ and Carmelo, but there is just something that is pulling me to want to watch. I really want to see how this all works. I'm curious who starts and who comes off the bench. If they retain Talen Horton Tucker, I want to see if he starts over Carmelo. I want to see if Dwight goes back to how he played for the Lakers in the bubble. I want to see who is taking the crucial shots. I want to see Russ' usage rate. I want to see if Malik Monk rediscovers his shot. I want to see if Ariza and Bazemore can bring the defense. There are so many intriguing things drawing me to this team. I also want to see how Lebron and AD make this work. They are the two holdovers. They also clearly put this team together, with some help from Rich Paul. These are the guys they wanted to get this offseason, and when CP3 was off the board, that opened up the Carmelo signing. I can genuinely say that I really want to see how all this works. Again, I do not think they are title contenders, but they will still be good. I think the Nuggets, Jazz, Clippers, Suns and maybe even the Mavericks are better and much younger. Those teams can run up and down the floor, and more importantly, do not necessarily need to drive to the hoop for points. They can shoot from distance. They all have younger and healthier stars too. There was clearly a shift in the most recent playoffs to younger stars, and the Lakers are going the total opposite direction.

Again, interested to watch, curious to see what happens, but do not think they are going to be the title contender that some other random fans may think. But it will be a blast to watch them play next season. That much I know.

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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Making Sense of the Lakers Trade for Russell Westbrook

I did my draft preview yesterday, and the draft went almost nearly as planned. Scottie Barnes going before Jalen Suggs was semi surprising, but Suggs was picked right after him. Josh Giddey at six seemed like a reach, but that kid has flown up draft boards. I do not know much about both Memphis picks, but that team is front loaded with talent. I think Charlotte got a steal with James Bouknight. He can fill it up. I love Kuminga and Moses Moody for the Warriors. Quentin Grimes will be fun as a Knick. Isaiah Livers got picked earlier in the second round than I thought, which ruled. Sharife Cooper in Atlanta makes sense to me. And Charles Bassey going to Philly looks sneaky good. The draft has tons of talent and I cannot wait to watch all of these guys play this upcoming season.

Yet the biggest news, at least for me, was the Russell Westbrook trade to the Lakers. I know Derrick Favors was traded to OKC, that Landry Shamet went to Phoenix, Ricky Rubio is now a Cav, Mason Plumlee is off to Charlotte, Aaron Holiday went to Washington and Charlotte traded up to get Kai Jones late in the first round. There are some solid trades there, but Russ going to the Lakers is the biggest.

I love Russell Westbrook. I am a fan. I have been a fan since OKC drafted him. I wasn't bummed when he asked to be traded when it looked like OKC was going full rebuild after trading Paul George. I thought he was going to be a better fit in Houston than he was, and I think he played pretty well in Washington alongside Bradley Beal.

This trade to the Lakers is a head scratcher for me though. I get the idea of teaming up three super stars. Teams will see Russ, LeBron and AD in the starting five, and that is scary. The Lakers will win a good amount of regular season games. They are going to be in the playoffs yet again. But what they gave up to get Russ, that is what baffles me. The trade was Russ and two future second round picks for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and two future second round picks. I do not think the Lakers have another first round pick for the next two or three seasons. But the picks are not what jumps out to me. It is the players the Lakers gave up to get Russ. Two of those three guys are/were their best three point shooters. With Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope gone they are left with Dennis Schroerder, who may not re-sign, Ben McLemore who has been a total bust, Markieff Morris who is fine but old and Wes Matthews who is often injured. They also have Talen Horton Tucker who has been fine in spurts, Marc Gasol who is too old and too slow and Alex Caruso, but I wouldn't be surprised if some irrelevant team gives him a ton of money this offseason. So when you look at this roster with the addition of Russ, I do not see much shooting.

With this trade I also see a ton of older guys and younger guys that get injured too much. AD has never played a full NBA season, and in the playoffs this year he looked very injured. LeBron's last two of three seasons have been interrupted by long injuries. Russ looks to have recovered from his torn ACL, but he is coming off COVID and shoulder stuff. And the bench is filled with injured dudes. I think they could've kept KCP or Kuzma. I do not think they had to put both in the deal. I'm sure when Washington saw both of them, plus Harrell, they jumped at the opportunity. I also think Brad Beal likes this deal. Washington didn't get better on defense, but he is now surrounded by dudes that can hit an open shot, which he will create many of with this team.

Again, the Lakers are going to be a very good team this year if healthy. But I do not think the addition of Russ, who again I adore and is one of my all time favorite players, makes them the favorite that Las Vegas has. I think the Bucks are better. I think if Philly can get some good shooters for Ben Simmons, they are better. I think the Suns are better. I think Utah can stop them from getting to the rim and force them to shoot outside. Denver is better with Jamal Murray coming back from injury.

I don't know, I just do not think this pushes the Lakers over the top. I could be proven wrong, and I wouldn't mind since I am such a big Russ fan, but this doesn't move the needle for me.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NBA Draft Preview

The NBA draft is tonight.

I'm pumped.

This class is really, really good. There are three dudes that all could be the number one overall pick. I watched a ton of college basketball last season because I missed the tournament when they rightfully canceled it last year at the start of this ongoing pandemic. I know a good amount of these players because I watched them all play last season. And I devoured the NCAA tournament, where a good amount of these guys made deep runs. I will do my preview like I do my other previews. I am not doing a mock draft. I like to talk about some prospects I like, some I'm not so high on and a few "sleepers". This was kind of tough because, as I said before, this draft has great top talent, solid middle ground players and some good sleepers that could go much later in this draft than they should. I do fully believe this class will have multiple all stars, guys will long NBA careers and, maybe, an MVP caliber player or two. Let's get to it.

I will start with the players I like most in this draft. For starters, all of the G League Ignite guys I like. I am on board with what all of them did. I love that they skipped six months of college to get paid and play against former pros and guys still trying to make it in the league. They got real experience against players that are better than pretty much everyone in college.

I, like most other people, love Jalen Green and Johnathan Kuminga. Kuminga may need a bit more time to develop, but he did average double figures in the G League bubble, and given the right situation, maybe the Warriors, he could really thrive. Green has been ready to go from the jump. He was the first to join the G League, and he was just as advertised. He is a scorer, a play maker, a willing defender, a good passer and he will be a day one starter. He is one of the few that I think has the ability and talent to be a multi time all star and possibly an MVP.

As far as college players, I love Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Moses Moody and Usman Garuba. Mobley has the skills to be a more talented Dwight Howard. Howard was once great by the way, but Mobley has the jumping ability, the dunking, the rim protecting and he can shoot. He may be a little too thin right now, but when he puts on weight he is going to be a force. I think he may be the best player in this class.

Cade Cunningham is, quite possibly, the most NBA ready player at the moment. He dominated in college, was dominant in high school, seems humble and coachable and can score in bunches. He is really, really good. He should be the first pick. If Detroit passes on him that would be a big time mistake.

Moses Moody is a good scorer and he can be an instant offense off the bench guy right away. I see a lot of Immanuel Quickley in Moody. Whatever late lottery team gets him, maybe Memphis, is going to get instant bench scoring.

Usamn Garuba is going to go in the late teens to 20's, and whatever playoff level team gets him is getting the best defender in the league. He was playing professionally overseas, so like the Ignite guys, he has been facing top level talent for at least a year now. Garbua is going to be a very good late first round pick.

Now to the players I am not so crazy about. This first one pains me because you all know I love my Wolverines, but I do not get the lottery love for Franz Wagner. Wagner is a great defender, a willing defender, coachable and a very solid passer. But he does not have a very good shot. That can be worked on, but what if he ends up with the Kings? Or Pacers? Or Magic? He is going to be asked to do too much too fast. He needs time to develop a jump shot. He is going to play right away because of his defense, but he would be so much better off going to a team like the Spurs or Grizzlies or Warriors. He needs to find a team loaded on offense so he can focus on defense.

I watched Scottie Barnes completely disappear in a tournament game against Michigan. So the love for him, especially lately, baffles me. He is hyper athletic and has a non stop motor, but for him to be mocked as high as five, I don't get that at all. He is another guy that needs time. He needs the right team. He needs to go somewhere he can develop. He is about two to three years away.

Corey Kispert is Jimmer Fredette 2.0. He is no more than a shooter. He offers no defense, no passing, no ball handling. He is just a shooter. So for him being mocked in the 10-14 area, that is wild. I do not doubt he is going to be able to score, but his ceiling is JJ Redick, except Redick used to be a competent defender. Just look at some guys in the Kispert mold. We have Fredette and Doug McDermott and Nik Stauskas. Those guys were not worth their draft position, and two of them are out of the league. And McDermott is a bench guy. That is Corey Kispert to me.

Jalen Johnson is a complete mystery to me. I get why he left Duke early last season, but I have not heard about him since. Is he as good as his recruiting ranking? Did he leave Duke to prepare for the draft? Do teams like him? Has he been promised a spot in the lottery? None of this is known to me and many other NBA fans that do not have access some other writers do. Any team that takes him will have a total project on their hands, and that doesn't always work out well.

As for my sleepers, I do have a few. First it is time to give love to my Wolverines. I think however Isaiah Livers gets into the league, he is going to be a beast of a bench player. Livers was the heart and soul of Michigan the past two years. He can shoot, rebound, defend and plays hard every night. He was the guy on Michigan that I was never nervous or worried about. He has this calming nature when he plays basketball. I also think that Ayo Dosunmu is going to be a great fit for whatever playoff team takes him late in the first round. He would be an excellent backup to Mike Conley in Utah. He would be a nice complement to James Harden in Brooklyn. The Lakers would kill to have him take over for Dennis Schroeder if he doesn't re-sign. Dosunmu is a very good player. I mentioned the G League Ignite team, and they have Isaiah Todd and Dashien Nix to go along with Kuminga and Green. Nix is going to be a solid rebounder and Todd, if he develops a decent shot, could be a solid player on a good team.

I am pumped to see where everyone lands tonight. I love the draft and I love seeing who picks who. The draft is great, and the NBA does it best. Let's go.

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 NFL is Doing Something Right

I like to bash the NFL a lot on this site. I do watch football, but college football is much more my speed. I know that isn't any better, but college football just speaks to me. I also think the NFL is corrupt, I despise Roger Goodell, I do not think that they care about their players and they act like they could give a shit about any of this. I think RD would agree with me on most of this. For a bit of a change of pace, I do want to give them some love today.

The NFL has been in the news recently with their updated COVID guidelines, and I absolutely love and totally agree with every new rule they have put in place. For those that may not know, the NFL recently put in new rules that if a non vaccinated player causes an outbreak and the team cannot play, they have to forfeit. They also said that any unvaccinated player that doesn't follow proper COVID protocols will be fined 14,650 dollars. They also put into place that vaccinated players can go about their business with other vaccinated players, but unvaccinated players have to follow proper social distancing and masking, and if they don't, they will be fined. I also saw a recent story where a team refused to sign a free agent because he refuses to get vaccinated.

I love, love, love all of this. This is what should be happening everywhere. Vaccinations are free, easy to get and totally, absolutely worth it. They are the only thing that is going to get us out of the hellscape we currently live in. And for a league like the NFL to come out with these steadfast, hardcore rules, I couldn't be happier. Yesterday most camps opened and I saw that ten teams have hit 80 percent vaccination rate. I saw that only Washington is lower than 50 percent. I have seen some players are starting to try and get their teammates that are hesitant to get vaxxed to get the shot so they don't get fined or have to forfeit a game. The voices of some certain morons of late are starting to die out. The Vikings and Patriots O line coaches have both quit because they don't want the shot, but all the message boards, for the most part, do not seem to care. They are going the other way in fact. They are bad mouthing these idiots for not getting the shot. Or they are saying how horrible of coaches they are, so the fans could care less that they are out. I saw Deandre Hopkins is contemplating retirement because he doesn't want the shot, and while that bums me out because I am a big fan of his, if he doesn't get the vaccine, good riddance. Some other receiver is just waiting to take his spot in Arizona. And for the few idiots that are griping about the new rules, the NFL is a privately run business. They can do whatever they choose. They make the rules. They do not have to follow anyone else's rules and they can make up rules as they go. They do not have to take religion or anything in consideration when making up new rules.

I have a good feeling about the new COVID rules they have in place. I think it will drive the vaccination rate up in the country. I also think it will make some fans who may be wary of getting the shot to go and get it. I do believe some stadiums are going to require proof of vaccine or a negative test for fans to even enter the stadium. This is a good thing coming from one of the worst run leagues in professional sports. They are taking the correct steps. They are making the right moves. The NFL skirts safety at every other level, but they are taking this seriously because they lost so much money last year. If that is what it takes, that is what it takes. I assume other professional leagues, if they haven't already, are going to adopt the same, or similar rules. The NBA has been doing this since vaccines were first made available.

So while I am not usually on board with the NFL, this I am not only on board, I am at the front of the boat ready to steer. This is a good thing and we should all be applauding it and trying to do the same. Good job NFL, for once in your life.

Ty

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

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It Does Not Look Good For Team USA Basketball

I think it is time to start worrying about Team USA winning any medal at the Olympics this year.

I got up early yesterday to watch Olympic basketball. I love basketball, and if it is on and I am up I will watch. I particularly like Olympic basketball because of the different rules. They play by FIBA rules and that means they can play a bit rougher, faster and pull rebounds off the rim, even if the ball looks like it is going in. I would love for the NBA and college basketball to adopt some of these rules. The best thing about Olympic basketball is the fact that the games are done within two hours. It is close to perfect.

So I got out of bed to watch Team USA. I saw the exhibition games and kind of shrugged off the losses to Nigeria and Australia. They rebounded nicely against Argentina and Spain, and I even went on the pod and said they should be a lock to win gold. Even without guys like LeBron and AD and Steph, they still have KD, Dame, Tatum, Draymond Green and Bam Adebayo, to name a few. Most of the twelve guys on the team are super stars and some of the best players in the world. I know that other countries are catching up, but still, the overall talent on Team USA's roster is chock full of upper tier NBA talent. Look at a team like Slovenia for example. They have Luka Doncic, and a bunch of dudes I have never heard of before. Spain has Ricky Rubio and the Gasol brothers, then a bunch of dudes that had a cup of coffee in the league. Nigeria has some young NBA talent, but no one that really even starts on an NBA team. Australia has a really good group of players, a lot of which are in the NBA still, but none of them are even close to being the best players on their teams. And France has some good dudes, namely Rudy Gobert, but again, Team USA, on paper, has way, way better talent.

I saved France for last because that is who beat Team USA yesterday. The USA came out strong, led by double figures at one point, and then totally melted down. They couldn't hit the ocean. They couldn't get a stop. They kept making stupid fouls. KD fouled out of the game, and only scored ten points. Team USA was an absolute mess in the second half, and France jumped all over them. Rudy Gobert was stifling them at the rim. Evan Fournier could not be stopped. All the other guys on France's roster did what they were told to do, and France came away with a fairly easy 83-76 win. After the game Evan Fournier said that Team USA is a great collection of talent, but they can be beaten as a team.

Therein lies the problem with USA basketball at the moment. We are entitled. We are egotistical. We think we can just walk on the floor and win because our jersey says USA across the front. That isn't the case anymore. Evan Fournier is right. This current USA team is not very good. They are constantly complaining to the refs which is causing them to get beat on defense. These guys are so used to getting minor calls that when it doesn't happen in the Olympics, they get flustered and instead of getting back, they gripe. That needs to stop. Another alarming thing I saw was Jrue Holiday was the leading scorer and about the only guy that played good defense. I love Jrue Holiday, but he just came off the Finals, had no practice with the team and he should not be the leading scorer on a team that has KD, Dame, Tatum and Devin Booker. Hell, his teammate Khris Middleton would be a better top scoring option on this team. Then, after Fournier's comments, Dame came out and said that these guys play differently when they are playing for their home country. That may be true, but I do not think it is a bad thing. They are playing pridefully and they want to represent their home country. That is what I want out of Team USA. Look at when Carmelo played for Team USA. He was instant offense off the bench. When LeBron did it he did what was asked of him. Same with Kobe. Michael Jordan played total shut down defense on the Dream Team. Those guys did what was needed because they realized the collection of talent they had around them. They didn't need to be the top scorer or rebounder or shoot a million free throws. They found a way to mesh.

And now some of the current players are complaining, anonymously, about having to run the Spurs offense. Greg Poppovich is Team USA's head coach, so he is going to instill the offense he has run for almost 3 decades now. And you know what, that offense works. Pop is the greatest NBA coach of all time. He knows how to utilize the talents of everyone on his teams. He has won so many rings. The Spurs are always in playoff contention. So why would running his offense be a problem? I think it has to do with ball movement. The Spurs are the best passing team of all time. I'm not saying that these players don't pass, but the offenses they run in the NBA are built around them. KD goes one on one most of the time with the Nets. Same with Tatum. Damian Lillard is the face of the Trailblazers offense. Draymond Green is, maybe, the only guy on this team that is a willing passer. That needs to change. They don't need to complain about the offense being run. That is an excuse.

The simple fact is Team USA is not playing good basketball right now, the world has caught up to them and they are finding ways to make it seem like it is not their fault. It is though. Something has to change. They need to get their act together. If they don't they could wind up not winning a medal at all. France, Nigeria and Australia all exposed this iteration of Team USA. The playbook is out on how to beat them and how to get in their heads. I hope they get it together soon. But if they don't this team is going to be coming home from Tokyo early and empty handed. I still have faith that they can right the ship, but that faith is a mere flicker. KD is my main hope for a turnaround, but that will only happen if he starts to make shots. I hope he does or this team is done.

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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Oklahoma and Texas in the SEC Makes No Sense

The other day while looking at college football news I saw the big story that Texas and Oklahoma have inquired, or were at least thinking about, joining the SEC. At first I thought it was just a rumor. I took zero stock in the report. I did not think that the two most notable Big 12 teams would bolt to go play in the SEC. It didn't make sense at the time.

Why would these teams make the move? Texas hasn't been great as of late. They are a lot like Michigan right now. They get overhyped, fall on their face when they shouldn't and close out seasons at 7-5 or 8-4. It is eerie how similar Texas and Michigan have been the past ten to fifteen seasons. Oklahoma basically runs the Big 12. Ever since Lincoln Riley took over they seem to win it every season. They have multiple Heisman winning QB's. They have been to the playoff. They go out and torch other Big 12 teams. They are the university of Ohio State or Alabama of the Big 12. So I just thought it was odd that they would want to join the SEC. It doesn't make sense.

It still doesn't make sense to me a few days later. Apparently talks are ramping up on both teams leaving. I saw that neither will resign with TV companies that cover the Big 12 in 2025 when the contract is up. I saw that a few current SEC teams, and former Big 12 schools, Missouri and Texas A&M have come out and said they do not want Texas and Oklahoma to join. I wonder what other SEC teams think. I'm sure Alabama could care less. As long as Nick Saban is coaching they will be the pick to win the SEC every year. Georgia looks to be really good this upcoming season, and their recruiting is setting them up to always be good. Auburn is up and down, but they are entrenched as an SEC school. Florida is big time in the SEC. Even schools like Kentucky and South Carolina are way, way more SEC than Texas and Oklahoma could ever dream of being.

I also do not understand the want for Texas, and even more so, Oklahoma to leave the comfort of the Big 12. If they were to leave the Big 12 in three years both of their schedules get immediately tougher. There is no Kansas in the SEC. SEC teams usually play one really tough out of conference opponent. SEC teams do get that one cupcake team late in the season, but the Big 12 fills their out of conference schedule with cupcakes. For example, Oklahoma's three non conference games this year are Tulane, Western Carolina and Nebraska. Those are all very easy wins for them. Texas plays Louisiana Lafayette, Arkansas and Rice. Again, all very winnable games. Alabama on the other hand has a game with Miami. While they are not as good as they used to be, it is still Miami. They will still be a tough opponent in the ACC. They are better than all of the other teams I just mentioned. Auburn plays Penn State in week three. Ole Miss plays Louisville. In week one Georgia is facing Clemson. Mississippi State faces Memphis, who has been very solid the past few years, in week three. And Vanderbilt has Stanford. Those games are all much more difficult than anyone Texas and Oklahoma face in their first three weeks. Then we have the conference schedule. Texas and Oklahoma get to play West Virginia and Texas Tech and Baylor. They also face Kansas State and Kansas. And there is TCU. Iowa State is the only real threat to Oklahoma, but this is a team that just got good two years ago. The SEC has all those teams I mentioned above, plus teams like LSU, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri to name a few.

If I were Texas and Oklahoma I would think about this a bit more before deciding. I like that they want tougher competition, but they can schedule that out of conference. They can schedule two or three tough opponents, then run the gamut in the Big 12 and have a much better shot at the playoff. And if they are both to leave, it will not be too long until we go to three or four super conferences. The Big 12 would be done without these two schools. The rest of the conference would look elsewhere. The Big 10 could absorb some of the schools, but where would the other southern schools go? Would they also join the SEC? Would the ACC survive? How does this affect the Pac 12? There would be a TON of questions to answer if this comes to fruition. But right now, the way I see it, Texas and Oklahoma are better off staying put and wiping the floor with their current conference in Oklahoma's case. We will have to see what happens. But a change from these two schools would cause a seismic shift in the college football landscape.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the NBA Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship in 50 years last night. This series was a ton of fun for me to watch. I kept picking the Suns to win. First I had them in six, then that shifted to seven, but I was rooting for the Bucks the whole time. I am not necessarily a fan, but my dad has been one since their last title, when he was 21. He will be 71 in October. I wanted him to have a team he likes to win something big. We are both Michigan and Green Bay Packer fans. Neither has won anything of importance in about a decade. He is a Brewers fan, and while they are good right now, I do not know when they last won a World Series, if ever. So for a NBA team he likes, a team he has liked for years, wins a championship his happiness makes me happy.

From the jump though this series was very competitive and very well played. When the Suns burst out to a 2-0 lead it looked like they were going to sweep, or win in five. They looked really good those first two games, Chris Paul and Devin Booker were shooting lights out, Deandre Ayton was playing really well, the role players were clutch and Milwaukee looked gassed. Giannis was also coming off a hyperextended knee and I did not know if he was fully healthy. The Suns were on a magical run and they seemed destined to win it all. Giannis even put in 40 plus in game two and that wasn't enough. The Suns pulled away late and they were in the driver's seat.

Then the series shifted to Milwaukee. The Bucks wouldn't lose another game. They won game three by 20 plus. That was the only game that wasn't relatively close. They came out and blitzed the Suns and took the game with ease. I kind of expected this. This usually happens in a finals series. The team that is down goes home and gets that game. It happens a ton.

Game four was great. The game went back and forth. Devin Booker couldn't miss. Ayton grabbed 17 rebounds. CP3 wasn’t scoring, but he was being a pest. But Milwaukee kept coming. They made a push, due to Giannis and Khris Middleton, and they ended up winning that crucial game four. The block Giannis had on Ayton was one of the most athletic things I've ever seen. He came out to overhelp on Booker, who saw Ayton wide open for an alley oop, Booker threw the pass and Giannis somehow recovered to block the shot and pretty much seal the game for the Bucks. That block is right up there with Lebron's chase down block against the Warriors in 2016.

Game five was another delight. Booker, again, was on fire. He made tough shot after tough shot. He was pestered by Jrue Holiday, more on him in a moment, and PJ Tucker all night. But he just kept making really hard shots. The only problem, the rest of his team did not show up. Ayton had the most quiet 20 point 10 rebound game I have ever seen. CP3 was silent. Jae Crowder couldn't hit the ocean. They got nothing from their bench. Mikail Bridges was the only other dude they played well. The Bucks, on the other hand, got all three of their stars involved. Khris Middleton went for 40. Jrue Holiday scored 27 points, dished out 13 assists and played some of the best defense this side of Kawhi. He was so good on defense this whole series that any bad offensive night does not matter. He was absolutely worth every single pick and player they traded before the season started. The Bucks won that trade by a mile. And Giannis went for 30 plus and double digit rebounds and a great alley oop to seal the game. That play was amazing. The Suns had it with a chance to take the lead with less than 30 seconds left. Booker found a spot in the middle of the floor, tried to spin for a shot and Holiday was right there with the help defense to rip the ball away. Then he and Giannis ran the floor and instead of pulling the ball out and running clock and shooting free throws, Holiday threw a perfect pass and Giannis dunked all over CP3's head. He would miss the free throw, but that was a wrap on game five. Giannis had two great moments in two consecutive games.

Then we got his masterpiece last night. Game six was kind of a slog in the first half. It was 47-42 Suns at halftime. Then Giannis, who had 17 points in the first half, went for 20 in the third quarter. And he did it by plowing his way to the hoop, making a few jumpers and hitting his free throws. At one point he had something like 37 of the Bucks 65 points. He was their offense. He continued this in the fourth quarter. He "only" had 13 points in the quarter, but he simply could not be stopped. He was an absolute freight train. Deandre Ayton would slide out of the way or foul him. Jae Crowder was getting beat off the dribble consistently. Mikail Bridges is too skinny. Frank Kaminsky has no business being on the same floor as Giannis. Everything the Suns threw at Giannis he swatted away and scored with ease. He would not allow the Bucks to be beat last night. At the end of the night he had 50 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. He left it all on the floor and pretty much single handedly won this game. He had 50 of their 105 points. That is so impressive. And it wasn't just his offense. He hustled all night up and down the floor, made smart passes, pulled down boards, played great defense, he was awesome. It was an absolute joy to watch him play last night. It was one of those games that I was so happy I watched in real time. He was the Finals MVP, of course, and that game last night pushed him to the top three players in the league. Giannis is amazing.

All in all this was a super fun finals, it was close, it was exceptionally played and it had a great outcome. The NBA pulled this weird season off and it ended with the proper champ. Now go enjoy this title Milwaukee. You deserve it.

Ty

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

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This Year's NBA Finals is Legendary

The Bucks tied the NBA Finals at two games last night. That was the best game of the series so far. Devin Booker went off. So did Khris Middleton. Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson hit big shots, but so did Pat Connaughton and Brook Lopez. Deandre Ayton has been a rebounding beast. And Giannis has been absolutely superb. Chris Paul has had a rough past couple of games, and Jrue Holiday has not found his shot yet, but both guys are doing other things very well right now.

I know the first three games looked like blowouts with the final score, but they were a lot closer. Last night's game was how I have felt this whole series has been so far. These two teams deserve to be where they are right now. I don't want to hear about injuries or the shortened season or any of that nonsense. The Bucks and the Suns are rightfully where they belong. And now with Milwaukee tying it up, this series has the chance to be one for the ages. This looks like it is going to go the full seven.

I think the rest of the games are going to be a ton of fun. I think both teams have each other figured out as much as they can and now it is going to be pure talent that wins out. The Bucks have the best player, but the Suns have a more complete team. The Suns have home court advantage, but the Bucks beat Brooklyn when they had the same advantage. Neither team is very deep, but I trust Phoenix's bench more. Both coaches are nearing that elite level, but Mike Budenholzer has been a head coach longer, although I do adore Monty Williams. I do not see any super clear advantage going forward. I do not know how to handicap the rest of the Finals. I truly do not know who is going to win. I picked Phoenix in six, and after the first two games I said on the pod that they may sweep. Then the Bucks did what they have done all playoffs and grinded their way to two important victories. I simply have no clue what is going to happen in the next two or three games. Ayton hasn't been scoring a ton, and I expect that to change. Jrue Holiday has been way off the mark, but he is due to bounce back very soon. Booker shot his way out of his slump last night, and he is liable to go for 40 any night. Giannis has been an absolute stud the whole Finals. He "only" scored 26 last night. He had been putting up 40 with regularity. Chris Paul is not going to turn the ball over like he has the past three games. But Khris Middleton now looks like he found his scoring touch once again. There are too many things happening right now that make the rest of this series hard to pick but super fun to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game last night. It is so much fun not having any skin in the game and just watching for entertainment. And last night was a prime example of why I love the NBA so much. The game went back and forth all night. Big time players made big time plays. Incredibly difficult shots were going in with regularity. I fully expect the same for the final three games. And I am here for it. I cannot wait.

If I were forced to pick again, to make up my mind right at this moment, I still think I am going with the Suns. They have home court. Their bench is a bit better. CP3 will play better. Devin Booker is hitting shots again. And Deandre Ayton is going to start scoring. But Milwaukee is going to make it super duper tough. Giannis is playing on a whole other level right now. He is Shaq with a jumper. He is making free throws. He is unstoppable. Middelton is making shots. Jrue Holiday will play better on the offensive end, and has been fantastic on defense. Brook Lopez is doing all the little things asked of him. The Bucks just do not have the roster to hold up for two more wins, in my opinion. I'm rooting for Milwaukee, I want them to win, I love Giannis and I thought the Holiday trade was perfect. But Phoenix is having one of those special seasons and I think they will finish it off with a title. It will take seven, but I think they will do it.

I cannot wait to watch more of these games. They have been a blast and the rest will continue to be as much fun. At least I hope.

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 Suns Will Do It

The NBA Finals are set and they start tomorrow night. Today I have my preview and prediction for you. I feel like we got the two best teams this season in the Finals.

There were times when it looked like it may be the Lakers or Nets or 76ers or Jazz or Nuggets. But the Suns and Bucks earned their way. The Suns beat both LA teams and Denver. And before you talk to me about all the injuries, just go back to last week when I wrote about the Suns making it to the Finals. They did what they were supposed to do. The Bucks beat the presumptive favorite, the Nets, in round two and finally beat the Cinderella Hawks in the conference finals without Giannis. Middleton and Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopex really stepped up when Giannis went down. These two teams beat the teams in front of them, sometimes the better team on paper, and now they are here.

I like this matchup if Giannis is healthy. If Giannis is out, this is a sweep by the Suns, and it would not even be that close. Milwaukee will hopefully get good news this evening or tomorrow morning about Giannis' availability. I'm going to go ahead and assume that he will play.

I also like the fact that only one guy, Jae Crowder, has any experience in the Finals. He's been there the past two seasons, everyone else is a big fat zero. We finally have some new blood playing for the chip. In basketball it is usually very chalky. We know the three or four best teams. For the past decade plus it has been whatever team LeBron is on and any mixture of Golden State or San Antonio. The team that wins it this year will have their franchise's first title in my lifetime. That rules. I enjoy the fact that Giannis is there for the first time. Chris Paul, after 16 great seasons, is there for the first time. Devin Booker, who is going to be a scoring champ and MVP very soon, is there for the first time. Deandre Ayton and Mikail Bridges are getting their first taste. Brook Lopex has never been, Neither has Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton. It will be very nice to see new faces on the floor playing for their first ring. That is cool. It allows for more parity. It shows that the major markets do not need to always be in the spotlight. This is a good thing.

As for on the court, these teams match up nice. Jrue Holiday will not fall for Chris Paul's shenanigans. Mikail Bridges will make life hard on Khris Middleton. Brook Lopez will be facing a younger, bouncier athlete in Deandre Ayton. Jae Crowder will most likely get the Giannis draw, and if Giannis is healthy, watch out Jae Crowder. And Devin Booker will face a myriad of defenders, but will most likely score on them as he has scored on everyone else all season long. The benches each go about three or four guys deep, so that will be interesting to see who is on who when they play.

But this series is about the stars. This is all about Giannis and Middleton going up against Booker and CP3. I think, and again this depends on Giannis' health, this will be a 6 or 7 game series. I think no matter what though the Suns are going to win. They are having one of those magical seasons. They have beaten all the big guns on their way. They played a tougher regular and postseason schedule. They are the more tested team. This is their title. Milwaukee can make it interesting, but in the end I think the Suns are the better, and more healthy team. I also think Booker will play a better series, but Chris Paul will have a few good games and he will win Finals MVP. It is his first trip there and the powers that be want him to have that MVP. If they cannot get New York or LA in the Finals, they will make sure that CP3 gets that MVP.

Anyway, I think the Suns will win the title and it will take them six games to do it. I cannot wait to watch.

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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Long Live NIL

The NCAA was finally dealt a blow when the NIL bill was passed. For those that do not know, the NIL means that college athletes can now profit off of their Name, Image and Likeness. This is a big, big deal. As soon as it was passed, at midnight on Thursday, players already started to sign deals with random social media companies.

When I was younger I was of the belief that a scholarship was enough for student athletes. I figured getting your college paid for was more than enough. Then I got older and a little bit smarter. I remember my first breakaway from thinking a scholarship was enough was seeing how Chris Webber, and the rest of the Fab Five, were not even able to eat at a McDonald's, but other people, myself included, were wearing jerseys and shirts with their name, face and number on it. That didn't seem right to me. I was 12 and 13 years old at the time. The older I got the more I said that these kids deserved more than just a scholarship. I go to college football and basketball games and see these kids' faces everywhere. They are on the program, adults are wearing their jerseys, their faces are plastered on t-shirts, there are posters of them everywhere you look. Their faces are everywhere and the only people profiting are the coaches and the university. The schools and the NCAA are clearly taking advantage of the term "student athlete". They have looked away and hid their face in the mud for so long that this seemed like it was going to happen eventually. I'm glad it is happening now.

Just look at recent players who have been stripped of awards and games won. Reggie Bush was on Twitter instantly when this passed, and he is right. Give that man his Heisman back. He did nothing wrong at all. Or what about the University of Ohio State tattoo thing. I despise that school and their football team, but that whole "scandal" was ridiculous. Let these kids get a goddamn tattoo in exchange for some game worn stuff. Who cares? Even outside the "scandalous" stuff, just think about the money some of these colleges have made off these kids. Players I do not like, like Johnny Manziel or Tim Tebow, how much money do you think Texas A&M and Florida made off of their image and likeness? Millions of dollars? Maybe billions? I think so. Michigan put Denard Robinson on EVERYTHING when he was their QB, and they were not very good, save for one season. But I saw so many people with t-shirts with his face or wearing his number 16 jersey. Michigan made a ton off of his likeness. Alabama has made a fortune off of Mark Ingram, Devonta Smith, Tua and so many other NFL players that played their college football there. Clemson probably made money hand over fist the last three years just off of Trevor Lawrence's face. Even a smaller school like UCF probably made millions when Mackenzie Milton was their QB and they were going undefeated. It's the same in college basketball. Just think of the money that Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Michigan State have made off of their one and done guys. Hell, look no further than the Duke-UNC game a few years back that featured Zion. People were not paying 10,000 dollars a ticket to see Duke, they were paying that to see Zion. Former president, and one of my favorite people ever, Barack Obama was at that game, and I assure you he wasn't there because of the rivalry. He was there to see Zion. Zion deserves every penny he may or may not have gotten during his six months at Duke. As do every other college athlete that was not seeing a dime but the school was making a fortune during their time on campus.

This NIL rule is a great, great thing for college sports and college athletes. These kids deserve more than just a scholarship. It is about time they are able to make money off their likeness. This has been a long time coming, but I am glad it is finally here. I haven't understood since I was 13 why these athletes couldn't even get a job but every other student could. Now they have an outlet to make money so they can live a comfortable life on campus. This is a big deal and a big win for student athletes everywhere. Congrats.

Ty

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

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The Suns Actually Did It

Last night the Phoenix Suns beat the Clippers in game six of the West Finals to advance to their first Finals since 1993. This is quite the feat.

I have seen all the stuff online about how this is fake. They got the Lakers when LeBron and AD were hurt. The Nuggets did not have Jamal Murray. And the Clippers were without Kawhi. While that is all true, the only series I thought they might not win was the Lakers series. The Lakers had a 2-1 lead, then the injuries happened and then they imploded. But LeBron was still there. They were still the defending champs. As for the Nuggets, while not with Murray, they still had the league's MVP. Jokic was still in the lineup. So was Michael Porter Jr, Will Barton, Austin Rivers and all their subs. And Jokic was great. He did his thing. But that is what the Suns wanted. They let Jokic eat and dared the other players to beat them. They did not. The Suns swept them.

Then we have the Clippers. First off, all the Clipper fans complaining about the lack of "love" they get, or that everyone that doesn't root for them are "haters" or that Paul George and the rest of the team gets too much hate, get over it. I am a Michigan football fan. I do not want to hear about it. I have heard it my whole life. Michigan has a ton of fans, but there are more people that hate them, and I guarantee they hate Michigan football much, much more than anyone hates the Clippers. And for the fans that claim this season a "success", that is the deepest form of sports regret. This team should have at least gone to the Finals once. I picked them to go twice. This team was built around star power that has playoff success, and the best they have done is a six game series in the West Finals. This experiment hasn't worked yet, there is time, but so far it has not been great. They flamed out in the bubble, and they got beat easily, granted without Kawhi, by the Suns.

This was all to simply give the Suns their flowers. Now, I do want to say that I do not like their bandwagon fans. That idiot with the "Suns in 4" shirt that started a fight, he is the worst of the worst. Most of their other fans are not so great people. I disagree with a lot of their ideals and beliefs. They are bad, mean people. But for players like Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikail Bridges, Dario Saric, Cam Payne and, especially Chris Paul, this is awesome. They have been mostly healthy all season. They have played exceptional team defense. Their offense is very good. Monty Williams has done a hell of a job in his first year as their head coach. This team deserves to be here. They have been one of the best teams in the league all season, they were the two seed, they had one of the harder paths to get here and they did it. They did it with relative ease in fact. They are as solid a team as the NBA has right now. They remind me of the Spurs teams that were led by Tim Duncan, except they are more fun. Devin Booker is a knock down shooter. He is every bit as advertised. He is going to lead the league in scoring very soon. Deandre Ayton is a great, great modern big. He can stretch the floor a bit, he is a great rebounder, he is great around the rim, he is proving he was worth the number one pick. Mikail Bridges was an absolute steal when they traded for him on draft night. He can shoot and he plays great defense with his long arms.

This season is all about Chris Paul for me. He was the missing piece. I have been hard on CP3 his whole career too. He never made it to the big stage, until now. He is still a flopper, but it has worked so far. He has always been dirty, but that has played to his benefit. Just look at what Patrick Beverly did to him last night. He shoved him in the back when Paul wasn't even looking. That is not a good look, but we all know CP3 did something, and Beverly reacted wrong. Beverly will be, and should be, suspended for what he did. But to me it just proved that CP3 was in his head. His talking got to him and neutralized him. He did exactly what he wanted. And it worked. Chris Paul has been everything that the Suns needed and hoped and now he, and the franchise, are reaping the benefits. They are back in the Finals. I actually think they will win. I believe the gambling places have them as the odds on favorites. That is due to the young guys accepting their roles, and the addition of CP3. The Suns did it. They are in the Finals. Now they have to wait for their opponent. But again, I think they will win it all.

Congrats to the Suns.

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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Let's Talk About the Bucks Series Win Over the Nets

Today I want to give the Milwaukee Bucks their proper flowers. I know it has been a minute since they won their series over the Nets, but the East Finals do not start until tonight, so it is still pretty fresh in my mind.

I watched every second of that game on Saturday night. I was entranced by the performances of Giannis and KD. The game was ugly at times too, especially in overtime. But overall this is what I want to see when I watch game 7 in the NBA playoffs. Tons of lead changes, tons of ties, coming down to the wire, it was all perfect game 7 stuff. KD was the absolute man for the Nets too. He literally did it all, and did not have much help be it due to injuries or players not showing up when they were on the floor. Harden was a ghost in the fourth quarter. Yes he was hurt, but he also did what he does in the playoffs and just crumbled. He didn't attack or draw fouls or shoot like he did in the first three quarters. Kyrie Irving was hurt. That ankle sprain was bad and he was not even available. If he were playing I do think the Nets would have won. Blake Griffin was fine on offense, but he got abused defensively. That was a slap in Giannis' face to put Griffin on him. Bruce Brown did all the little things he does so well, but he made some mental mistakes in game 7 that really hurt. Taking Giannis down for a technical foul in that game was rough. Deandre Jordan didn't even play. Joe Harris was missing shot after shot after shot. He was a humongous minus. Nic Claxton barely saw the floor. Everyone besides KD was a minus for the Nets. But man did KD show out. It was so great to see him look like himself. He was making incredible jumpers, attacking when the defense collapsed on him outside, played solid defense and ran that offense. This looked like the KD from OKC and Golden State. He looked healthy and loose and free and was an absolute force. He almost single handedly won that series for the Nets.

Yet KD did not, and the Nets could not buy and trade their way to a title this season. I have to admit I was very happy to see Milwaukee win. My dad is a fan, I love Giannis, I like that a small market team is in the conference finals, I think this takes some pressure off Mike Budenholzer and Giannis, it is all good to me. The Bucks did miss some golden opportunities, but when they needed other guys besides Giannis to step up, they did. Jrue Holiday had an awful offensive game, until late in the fourth. When the Bucks needed him he made big shots, got stops and made free throws. Khris Middleton had a rough shooting night, but he kept at it, he kept shooting and he finally got some big shots to fall, again when the Bucks needed it most. Brook Lopez stopped shooting threes and got closer to the rim. This helped to open things up for Giannis and the rest of the Bucks offense. He also, finally, grabbed some rebounds when the Bucks needed him to. Pat Connaughton and Brynn Forbes did exactly what was asked of them. They took and made some threes and stayed out of the way. And Giannis matched KD. Giannis had a great game. He put up 40 points, had double figures in rebounds, contested and made the Nets take harder shots at the rim, and biggest of all, he made 9 of his 13 free throws. That is big time for him. He was tremendous. He looked gassed at times, but hey, he had to carry that team for almost four full quarters. But he did, and the Bucks came away with the win.

In my eyes the Bucks are the best team, on paper, left in the playoffs. I hope this propels them to the finals, but you never know with the way the Hawks are playing right now. The Bucks passed a big time test though. Now lets see if it helps them the rest of these 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.

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Let's Talk About the Hawks Series Win Over the 76ers

The next few days are going to be dedicated to the NBA playoff series that just wrapped up. First I want to talk about the 76ers-Hawks series.

The Hawks played this series perfectly. They went out there like they had nothing to lose and it showed. They were loose, they were having fun and they won the damn thing. That is highly impressive for a team that is back in the playoffs for the first time in a while. Trae Young is proving to be a big time player, John Collins is doing some good things, Clint Capela looks like he did in Houston and Kevin Huerter is having a moment. They look like they are enjoying all this, they have earned all this and I think they have a very bright future.

The Hawks are also a blast to watch. They move the ball a ton, they find open shooters, they dive and pick and roll and get alley oops, they are a joy. They do not play much defense, but they do enough to win on that end, and they score in bunches. Kudos to Atlanta.

As for Philadelphia this is, as far as sports goes, a disaster. They were the best team in the East all year. They steam rolled their way to the number 1 seed. They had, on paper, the easiest draw to the East Finals. They destroyed Washington, and it should have been the same with Atlanta. But this is where the difference in play showed. While Atlanta was free and loose, the 76ers were tight. They played to not lose. Atlanta played to win. Philadelphia was a mess on offense with the exceptions of Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. They were the only two dudes that could get the offense going. Joel Embiid played on one leg and he was as dominant as he has been all season. He did what he was supposed to do, what was expected from him. He looked every bit the MVP candidate he was all year. People will point out his turnovers, but when you have to shoulder such an enormous role, turnovers are going to happen. That is the nature of being the lone offensive star. Seth Curry did help. He hit some big shots in this series. He did what was asked of him when the 76ers traded for him. He was a disaster on defense, but he wasn't brought in to play defense. He was the floor spacer, the shooter he needed to be in this series.

The rest of the 76ers roster was dreadful. Tobias Harris could not hit the ocean. There were times when I forgot he was on the team. He was a ghost. It was some James Harden playoff stuff coming from Tobias Harris. They needed him to be their third star, and he was nonexistent. Dwight Howard wasn't playable at times. He just could not stay on the floor. They clearly missed Danny Green's defense. He isn't as good as he used to be, but he is still solid. He is also an okay enough floor spacer. Shake Milton, who I do like, should not be playing crucial minutes in do or die playoff games. Outside Embiid and Curry, the rest of the team, including Doc Rivers, let Philadelphia down.

Doc Rivers' decisions in this series were baffling. The lineups, the offense, the play calling, it was really, really bad. I like Doc Rivers too. I think he is a great person and an okay coach. This is becoming the norm for him now though. He should have multiple rings, but he only has one. This is worse than the Clippers collapse in the bubble last season. The 76ers couldn't do much, and a lot of that was due to Rivers' coaching.

And then we have Ben Simmons. I love Ben Simmons. I love the way he plays basketball. He is one of the best defenders in the league. He is dominant. I also love watching a 6'10 guy run the offense. It is rad to see him bring the ball up the floor and get the team going. It is great to see him fly down the court in transition and throw a dunk down. But he was really awful on offense in this series. He did some wild stuff. He would not shoot the ball, especially in the fourth quarter. He was terrible at the free throw line. The play where he spun off his defender and had a wide open dunk and passed it to a cutter was so insane. It was also a microcosm of how he played offense the whole series. He has shown no growth on that end. He refuses to shoot the ball, and with him passing up dunks and layups now, this is not a great situation. I think the 76ers need to explore the possibility of trading Simmons. I do not know what they will get in a return, his value has definitely diminished, but the Simmons-Embiid duo just doesn't seem to fit. Simmons needs a spot where he can slash and dunk, and Embiid needs to be surrounded by floor spacers and let him own the inside. Philadelphia has a ton of work to do this offseason. They are in a bad spot right now, and things may have to change.

As for Atlanta, again I tip my hat to them. They deserved to win this series and the Bucks better taken them seriously in the East Finals.

Ty

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

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It Has Been a Crazy Day in the NBA

There was a flurry of NBA news this morning. Chris Paul was put in health and safety protocol. Kawhi is out with a possible Achilles injury. People were still talking about KD's epic game last night. Scott Brooks and Stan Van Gundy were relieved of their job as head coach. Also, LaMelo Ball won rookie of the year.

This has been a nutso day.

I know people are freaking out about CP3 being in health and safety protocols, but I do not think it is a really big deal. Did we all already forget that LeBron was about to be put in health and safety protocols? Did he miss any playoff games? Also, the Suns wrapped up their series last week, and the Jazz and Clippers are playing game five tonight. That series is going to go, at least, one more game, and then the East will have to finish their two series, and then the conference finals will start. I'd say, at most, Paul misses one game, if any at all. He will be fine.

The Kawhi injury is a bummer for all Clippers fans. They looked like they were putting it all together. They were playing very good defense. And Kawhi was really asserting himself as a force on both ends of the floor. He was starting to look like the Toronto version of Kawhi. With him out, who knows. No one seems to know how serious the injury may be. The Jazz are not playing great right now. The Clippers are deeper. I mean, they could still win this series, but they are going to get smoked by the Suns if Kawhi misses more time than people expect right now. I picked them to play the Nets in the finals, but I was not comfortable with that pick at the time, the Dallas series only furthered that discomfort and now Kawhi is out. Maybe the basketball gods really do dislike the Clippers.

KD was great last night. He did it all for the Nets, and they are down their other 2 star players. Harden did play, but he did not look comfortable. He looked slower than normal and could not shoot the ball. KD played every single second of that game. He was everywhere on defense. He grabbed 18 rebounds. He had 49 points, 31 in the second half. He was making incredible shots and he dished out 10 assists. That was an all time performance. KD does this all the time now. This is commonplace for him. He shows up big in the biggest moments. He was amazing to watch last night. Games like that are why I love the NBA.

LaMelo most likely deserved the rookie of the year, so his win was kind of expected. I thought after he got hurt that Anthony Edwards was going to run away with the award. He also got better, so I wouldn't have been surprised if he won it. But LaMelo played on a better team, he ran the offense and he was pretty awesome. It is very clear he is the most talented Ball brother.

Finally we have the two coaches being let go. The Scott Brooks thing was kind of expected. He has done a solid job of doing just enough in Washington of getting the most out of a not so loaded roster. He's gone to the playoffs a few times. He has put together some nice winning streaks. He got Russ to play an all around type game. Bradley Beal has flourished under him. But the Wizards never met their own personal high standards. They only made the east semis once. They were a team no one was really afraid of in the playoffs. They have not been very good for the past couple years, and Brooks' time there had come to an end. He did all he could, and it was not enough. He will still get interviews from other teams, but I think Brooks is exactly as good as he will ever be as a head coach. Any team that may hire him in the future will know exactly what they are getting from him. His team's will be okay, but never great.

As for Stan Van Gundy, that one surprised me. I read that some of the players on the team did not really like him, and he has not been great in his last two stops, but letting him go after one shortened season, that is cold. That franchise is doing everything they can to keep Zion, but this will be his third coach in his third season. That kind of inconsistency would leave me a little nervous if I were a player. The constant change is not good. There is no continuity. He will have to learn yet another game plan. So will all the other players. This is a problem. They should have given him at least one more season, just to see what happens. But teams just do not want to wait around anymore. They want instant gratification, and if it doesn't work right away, they just move on. That's a bummer.

Now we will just have to wait and see if the NBA throws anything else at us today. It has been crazy enough already, but hey, there is still 10 hours left in the day. It could get even wilder.

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 Tragic End of the Bo Schembechler Legend

Last week some damning and explosive news came out about Bo Schembechler and a doctor he protected who was abusing players during Bo's time as head coach. This shocked me to my core. I was stunned. I'm still stunned. I did not want to believe it. I think I have sat on this so long because I was hoping, maybe I still am, that this is all wrong. That all these athletes, nearly 900 of them, have just misremembered things. That does not seem to be the case.

This story, as more and more news comes out, keeps getting more and more real to me. I just do not want to accept it, but I know I have to. For those that may not know, Bo Schembechler has been accused of covering up sexual abuse by a former doctor at Michigan. He did not report it, and may have told players to "toughen up" and "get over it". This is so, so, so bad. This is a real problem and it needs to be addressed. I know that Jim Harbaugh and Schembechler's son Schemmy have come out and said they did not see any of this. But, Schembechler's step son, who is estranged from the family, former players and other athletes have come forward and said they were abused by this doctor. Like I said, this is bad, and it seems very true. If it is just one or two people maybe it isn't true. But, when over 850 athletes come forward, that is no coincidence. That usually means the accusations are truthful.

I am having a real hard time grappling with this. This is, outside of family, one of my biggest idols growing up. Bo always talked about doing things the right way, being vigilant about that, not cutting corners, never hiding from adversity. He was the epitome of a "good guy". My earliest memories are watching Michigan games with my dad and being told, and adhering to the fact that he was a great coach and an even better guy. That has all come crashing down with this story. We will never know the true extent, Bo, the doctor and Bo's wife Millie have all passed away. But I say again, when this many people come forward, it is more than likely factual. I am trying to come to terms with how to deal internally with all of this. To this point I have removed all my Bo memorabilia I have in my home, which is plentiful. His books are off my shelves, my bobblehead of him is gone, any t-shirt that has his image has been removed from my wardrobe, the pictures I have kept are not in my possession. I cannot look at his face anymore and not feel hurt and deceived by him. This, in terms of sports, is a travesty to me. This is tragic. This stinks.

I was talking to my dad about this over the weekend, who loved Bo more than I did, who talked about him like a legend, and we both are having trouble dealing. We both said that if this were Urban Meyer or Jim Tressel or Mark Dantonio this would be so easy to swallow. We would be laughing about it. Those guys have their issues, Meyer is a cheater and a liar, Tressel got fired for illegal recruiting and Dantonio retired before he was going to get caught. None of them have this sexual abuse accusation though. The closest is Dantonio, who seemed to let his players get away with everything, but no stories have come out about that yet. The only comparison I can make to the Schembechler news is what happened at Penn State under Joe Paterno, and you better believe I was very vocal about that whole situation. I was on my high horse when that news came out. And while the Michigan news didn't involve another coach, it is still pretty similar. There was abuse, it was sexual and it was covered up by a legendary head coach.

I just do not see a world where Michigan does not try to distance themselves from Schembechler. They need to remove the statue, of which I had a picture next to. They need to remove his name. They need to address this travesty and try to make things better. They need to help and support the victims. They need to do the right thing. Bo was a legend. So was Paterno, but I do not hear much about him when I see Penn State football games. Michigan needs to do the same with Bo. It may be hard, it may feel bad, but it needs to happen. That is the right thing to do, as well as working with the victims, helping them out.

This is an utter disaster. I am still shook. I still do not understand why Bo felt the need to help this monstrous person who was doing terrible things. This is bad. This is a stain on this prestigious university. And it comes from a man that everyone involved with Michigan football has lionized. Something needs to happen and it needs to happen now. I cannot and will not stand up for Bo anymore. He is no longer the legend that I once vouched he was. He did bad things and the school needs to move on from him. That would be the right thing to do.

Ty

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

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Adventures in Running and Hiking in Gulf Shores

We are going to be home from our trip in a few hours, and I wanted to talk about the running, hiking and “trails” in Gulf Shores.

A newer thing for me, the past five years, is checking out the running when I go somewhere. It’s a neat way to get to know the area you’re staying in and you get a feel for the terrain. I was excited about Gulf Shores because I remember it being flat. That’s a good thing because I was just given the full go from my doctor. My injury has healed and I can go to my threshold. I figured the flat ground would be nice. And it was for the first two miles of my first solo run. Then it got pretty boring pretty quick. I’ve had a similar sensation running half marathons. When you get a long stretch of flats it can be a nice break, but it sure gets tedious after awhile. And it’s not like I’m one for hills. I dread going uphill. But I love going downhill. I gain speed, I’ve been told to go down hill more freely and it breaks up the monotony. There was little to none of that this week. I would take weird turns, hoping I’d find hills. There were none. I ran a 10k yesterday and I “gained” less than 20 feet of elevation. It may as well have been an ant hill. I saw the “hill” during this run and it wasn’t exciting at all. I was up and down it within seconds. It was a drag. But that’s how it was everyday I ran, which was 3 of the four days we were there.

On the second day of the trip, after a day of swimming in the Gulf, I decided I wanted to do some trail running. There was a state park about four miles from the condo we stayed in, so I drove out to a trail head that had about six connecting trails. I figured this would get me into the three digit elevation category. It wasn’t even close. I ran four miles on three separate trails and my elevation gain that day was 60 feet. Again, I’m not a big elevation fan, I tend to walk uphill, but still, it’s a nice break to have that walk. At home I average a bit over 200 per run. When I run with my buddy, a small elevation run is about 500 feet. My body is used to going up and down. That’s not the case in Gulf Shores.

Also, they need to be very loose with the term “trail”. I talked to a park ranger about how most, if not all, the trails are paved. She told me that’s the way they like it in Gulf Shores. She said most people walk or bike the trails, so it’s better for them to pave them. I’m not a fan of this idea at all. Trails need sticks and roofs and rocks and should require some technical work. I trails I ran on had none of those. The bridges on the trail were a nice touch, but those were all pristine. They were too nice, not worn down enough, didn’t seem used very much. It was kind of a bummer. When I hear trail I think woods. I’m sure most people do. But these trails were simply flat, paved walkways.

The same problem with the “trails” is what irked me about hiking. My son had I hike together a lot. He’s a good hiker too. I let him talk and talk and he likes to climb and pick up sticks and get in a good sweat. The only thing he got on our hike this week was the sweat. He openly complained about the lack of sticks. He asked why this trail was so easy compared to home. He didn’t have to drink much water because he said it was “too easy” for him. I couldn’t agree more. Our two and a half mile hike only took 40 minutes. It was a breeze. And the lack of tree coverage was a big letdown. Tree coverage is a big time help, especially as it gets warmer out. There was no coverage at all. It was hot, bright and brutal at times. For a place that has so much vegetation the trees are practically nonexistent. The lack of shade crushed any good time I had all week.

Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to run, I’m glad I saw some new parts of town I missed, but it wasn’t the highlight I was hoping it might be. It was kind of a letdown. Props to people that run marathons in that swamp though. Those people are bosses. But no elevation and no shade is not for me I suppose.

Ty

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

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Is Nikola Jokic the Right MVP?

Nikola Jokic won the NBA MVP last night in a runaway.

At first I was kind of stunned at how big his margin of victory turned out to be. I think Jokic is great, and deserving, but to win by as much as he did, that was wild. I have gone to bat for Joel Embiid all season. He was my pick. I think he is most valuable to the 76ers, and when he plays, he’s nearly unstoppable. He is a modern Hakeem. We also had Steph Curry. He had a wonderful year. He is the greatest shooter I’ve ever seen. He had no help at all this year and he still won the scoring title. He’s more than proven he’s one of the top five players in the league. Before LeBron got hurt he had a real chance to win. The Lakers were coasting, it coasting with a healthy LeBron meant they were near the top of the West. He also looked to be locked in defensively, and when he does that, it’s over. There’s also Chris Paul. He has shown his worth the last two seasons. He went to OKC last year and had them as a five seed in the West with a totally unproven roster. Then he goes to Phoenix this year, to a team that hadn’t been in the playoffs in forever, and turned them into a two seed that cruised over the Lakers in round one. He even got hurt but went out and played as well as he always does. There were other players that popped up here and there, guys like KD, Harden, Jayson Tatum, but the guys I mentioned were the main dudes in the running all season for MVP.

So after it was announced that Jokic won, I kind of thought back on the season and tried to figure out why he won. Chris Paul is great, but that team has Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. They were also looked at as a team that was going to make a leap this year. Paul wasn’t so much the MVP for them as he was the veteran they needed to make the jump. LeBron simply missed too much time and limped to a poor finish for him. He is an amazing player, second greatest ever, but he hurt his ankle and that was it for his chances at a fifth MVP. Curry was incredible, did amazing things, scored like hell, but the Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs. I remember when Russ won his lone MVP, his first year averaging a triple double, and people questioned him winning because OKC was a five seed I believe. Again, the Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs. What Steph did this season was so much fun to watch, but I think the MVP should be on a team that gets into the playoffs at the very least. As for Embiid, and I still would’ve given him way more votes, he missed too much time due to injuries. And when he was out the 76ers kept on winning. They definitely missed him, but this Philadelphia team is constructed to deal with injuries to their stars. It might have been different if they needed Embiid to secure the one seed, but they did that when Embiid was nursing his knee. He had a tremendous season, and this seems to be just the start of a dominate career. But the MVP was not for him this year.

I then I looked at Jokic, and it kind of made sense. He didn’t miss any significant time. He was tremendous running the Nuggets offense. He played better defensively. He is the lynchpin of their offense. Everything runs through him. When they acquired Aaron Gordon, Gordon adjusted his game to fit with Jokic. Murray tore his ACL, and when I thought that would push them off a cliff, Jokic was the calming force that led the Nuggets to the three seed. Also, they’re currently in the second round of the playoffs. Jokic is a much deserving MVP. I love that he’s the latest pick, 41st in his draft, to win. He’s also the first center since Shaq to win the MVP. Shaq won it in 2000 by the way.

I don’t know how the Nuggets will fare in the rest of the playoffs, but after sitting on the news yesterday, Jokic deserved this award. He earned it. So congrats. Enjoy this MVP and let’s see if you guys don’t get smoked by Phoenix.(I think they will though)

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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Trying to Make Sense of the Julio Jones Trade

Julio Jones has been traded. He is a Tennessee Titan, and they acquired him for, in my opinion, a very small price. I think all the Falcons got was three total draft picks, none of which are a first rounder. I’m surprised that the Falcons pulled the trigger on such a small offer, but here we are. I guess he really wanted out, some other teams were offering even less and Atlanta was okay letting him go. He’s one of the best receivers in the league, he’s mostly durable and he can stretch a defense.

Yet this trade, on every level, flat out confuses me. As I said, Jones is a top three wideout in the league. Any team that got him would be an instant contender for me. But I do not like the fit in Tennessee. Yes the Titans are an established playoff team, they were in the AFC title game two seasons ago and they have some solid weapons. But this team wins with defense and running. They’re a very good defensive team. They play so solid on that side of the ball. They don’t make too many mental mistakes and they pounce on opportunities. On offense the team goes as Derrick Henry goes, and rightfully so. He is probably the best running back in the league right now. He may go for 2,000 yards this upcoming season. He is very, very good. He’s the heart and soul of the Titans offense. Jones also said he wanted to go to a team with a “big armed quarterback”. Ryan Tannehill is a fine game manager, but I would say he has a “big arm”. I know the Dolphins tried this route with him and it didn’t work. Then he came to Tennessee to backup Marcus Mariota, and fell into the starting QB due to poor play and injury. But Tennessee has never relied on Tannehill to win games. They go with defense and running. They like to control the tempo of the game. They want to slow everything to a grinding halt. That’s not what Julio Jones wants to do. He is a big play guy. He wants to get the ball and move. He wants to out jump corners for touchdowns. He is super fast and super skilled in the open field. Jones is a prototypical modern receiver. And while the Titans have another solid receiver in AJ Brown, they still don’t really stretch the field or go very fast.

I personally think Jones would’ve been better off going to a team like the Rams. They got Matthew Stafford, and even though he’s oft injured, he can chuck it. Sean McVay would also put Jones in position to fully utilize his skill. I think pairing him with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore would’ve put the Ravens over the top. I fully believe that would’ve put them very close to the Chiefs. If my team, the Packers, had made a play for him, maybe Aaron Rodgers would’ve reported to camp right now. And Jones and Davante Adams would’ve been a highly impressive duo. I’m sure there’s other teams I’m missing, but Tennessee just seems like not a great fit for Jones and the Titans.

As for Atlanta, I’m still scratching my head at how little they got for one of the best at his position in the game right now. The Rams and Lions traded picks and QB’s. If the Packers do trade Rodgers, I’m sure they’ll get a kings ransom that includes picks and players. Big time O lineman go for better picks than what the Falcons got for Jones. It just feels, to me, that Atlanta jumped the gun. They took an offer they liked before vetting other teams. They got nothing of real substance for an established player. Who knows what these picks will turn into, but Torrey Smith said it best. He tweeted that he’d rather have an established star than picks that may or may not pan out. He’s right. I fully agree with him. The fact that Atlanta chose Matt Ryan over Julio Jones tells me they don’t care about winning right now. They simply didn’t want to pay to get a better QB to pair with Jones, Kyle Pitts and a running back by committee. Matt Ryan’s best days are well behind him. Julio Jones still has a few years left in his prime.

This trade just seems hastily slapped together. I think all parties involved could’ve gotten a better deal. I hope I’m proven wrong because I really enjoy watching Julio Jones play football. But going to the Titans feels more like a lateral move. We will see.

Ty

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

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The Future is Bright for the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies were ousted out of the playoffs last night. Their season is now over. Let’s talk about it.

The Grizzlies took a game from Utah, game one, but then Donovan Mitchell came back and the more talented team won. The Grizzlies, with last night’s game being the lone exception, kept all the games close. They didn’t get run off the court. They stayed in the games until the very end. Ja looked every bit the star I hoped he would become when they drafted him. Dillon Brooks proved he should get a big payday. And Taylor Jenkins looks to be the right coach for this team. I was a little down on this Grizzlies team going into the season because they played so over their expectations last year. They earned their trip to the bubble. They were very close to getting the eighth seed last year. Ja was the rightful rookie of the year. Then they fizzled in the bubble. I assumed that would spill over to this year. And it looked that way at the start. They dealt with COVID, injuries and poor play. They got off to a bad start. Then Ja hurt his ankle. I was ready to give up then and there. But this team put together a run, won the games they were supposed to, some they maybe had no business winning, Ja came back and they firmly put themselves in the play in picture. With a pretty much full roster, that’s when Jaren Jackson Jr finally came back. The team was full. They had the players they needed, and they played very well. They finished the regular season six games over .500 in the West. They had the nine spot in the play in. They went on to hold on and beat the Spurs, she then they went to Golden State, stifled Steph enough, and won to secure the 8 seed. Then off that high, they beat Utah in game one.

I’m never going to claim a “moral victory”. I don’t care for that term. But I will say this season was a successful one for Memphis, and I’m more excited for the future today than I was when they got bounced from the bubble last season. This team has the look and feel and talent to be a perennial playoff team in the West. They’re shrewdly better than Golden State, San Antonio and the lower tier Western Conference teams. I think, depending on what they do this off-season, they’re better than Portland. I think they’re as good as the Mavericks. If CP3 leaves Phoenix, I’d take the Grizzlies over the Suns. This season has me believing in them. It has me feeling like they’re, at the lowest, a perennial 4 or 5 seed as long as this core stays together. Ja is an absolute star. I am fully on board with my decision two years ago to rank him ahead of Zion Williamson as the best prospect. He was awesome in the playoffs, and when he hones his jumper, watch out. He’s going to be great for a long time. They need to re sign Dillon Brooks. He is a great defender, he’s a great shooter and he’s the perfect menace to have on your favorite team. If JJJ can stay healthy, he adds outside shooting from the front court, and he’s a strong rebounder. Xavier Tillman proved to be a great second round pick. He’s such a strong rebounder and defender, and he can hit the outside shot. Desmond Bane was well worth trading into the first round. He was a delight to watch this season. Jonas Valenciunas is an old school big man, but I like the way he plays rough, and he’s a good low post scorer and rebounder. And guys like Grayson Allen and DeAnthony Melton are great bench guys that know their role. Hell, they can keep Justice Winslow and Brandon Clarke and turn them into defensive specialist. I’d love that. I think this team is going to be good for a good, long time. They will lose some guys, every team does. But if they can surround Ja with JJJ and Dillon Brooks, this team will continue to play hard and win. They also have Tillman and Bane on rookie deals. Some of these other guys seem to genuinely like Memphis too. Maybe they’ll just stay knowing that they’ll be in contention every year.

Today I’m pleased to be a Grizzlies fan. I’m also hopeful. I love this team, I love Ja and they now have a fan for life. Now let’s hope they continue to trend up. I feel like they’re more than capable.

Ty

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

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Thoughts on The Celtics and Coach K

Two big thinks happened in the world of basketball today, and I’m here with my opinion on both. First we will tackle the whole Boston Celtics.

This is an absolute mess in my opinion. When I read the headlines this morning I had to look at it multiple times before I believed it. For those who may not know, Danny Ainge stepped down and Brad Stevens took his place. Stevens did step down as head coach as well. So what we have is Stevens taking over in player personnel and team decisions, and Ainge waking away before being let go.

That is insane on its own. For years and years all us NBA fans heard was how great of a negotiator and mastermind Ainge was for the Celtics. He acquired picks, he took chances on middling stars, he took the right players in the draft and he was always “one move away from making the Celtics a perennial title contender”. It was becoming too much. Also, he never did much at the trade deadline. He did make good moves and picks. I’ll give him that. He got Kyrie when he wanted out of Cleveland. He drafted Tatum when he could’ve traded up for Markelle Fultz. He took a chance on Isaiah Thomas as a scoring machine. He picked Marcus Smart for his defense. And he gave Jaylen Brown a much deserved Max contract. But he also had his share of crappy decisions. He’s drafted players like Romeo Langford and Robert Williams in the lottery. They’re fine players, but not title contending contributors. He traded for Evan Fournier this season. He should’ve done that three years ago. He gave Tristan Thompson a two year guaranteed deal. He gave Gordon Hayward a super max. He cold blooded traded Thomas after his best season. He has as many mistakes as good decisions. But just biggest whiff was never trading for a legit superstar. Kyrie wanted out in two years. Gordon Hayward is off injured and overrated. He could’ve gotten a player like Victor Oladipo. Anthony Davis was a possibility. When KD left OKC, Boston was up there. But none of those guys wanted to play there, or they couldn’t wait to get out. That Nets trade, the one with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and all the picks, that was so long ago that no one, except NBA nerds like me, truly remember how big a deal it was. That’s because Ainge essentially wasted it.

Now Ainge is out and Brad Stevens is in. This move is like the two Spidermen pointing at one another. They’re essentially the same person. At least Ainge had experience. Stevens is going in cold with a talented young roster. And I think he’s going to waste that talent. He’s going to go after players he coached at Butler, or players he coached against that fit his idea of a good team. That stinks for guys like Tatum, Smart and Brown. Their prime is being wasted. They’re playing with a scrap heap players. Kemba is old and creaky, Thompson is a dinosaur, Payton Pritchard is a late first round “hustle” guy and Romeo Langford doesn’t seem to have the goods. The only other player worth a damn right now looks to be Aaron Nesmith, and he’s a young rookie. Stevens will also be heavily involved in the new head coach decision. I don’t like that at all. I think he will make an unpopular choice, and probably pass on a better candidate because he’s too close to the situation. He won’t be able to flip the switch as quickly as the Celtics will want, and that will hinder this team. This whole situation is messed up, and I think it will only get worse before he gets better. If I were Tatum and Brown, I’d be making plans to find a new team.

The other big news was Coach K’s decision to retire at the end of the 21-22 NCAA basketball season. I think there is so much more to this than him just being “done”. The dude is a good coach. I cannot stand him. I’ve never, ever liked him. I am a true hater of Duke men’s basketball, and Coach K is the main reason. But his resume is stacked. He has five titles, twelve final four appearances and he’s the winningest men’s college basketball coach. The dude has done it all at the college level. But there’s the news, that gets louder and louder everyday, that maybe Zion and other top rated recruits to come through Duke got some improper benefits. It’s becoming so common that I think it’s pretty much true. In college basketball today you cannot win without some kind of cheating, and I think Coach K and Duke were/are doing just that, and they’re on the precipice of being caught. So with him leaving, I think it will “soften” any restrictions future Duke teams may get. He’s pulling a Pete Carroll when he left USC for the NFL. I also think he was never up to the task of coaching in the NBA. Sure he coached team USA, but that’s a group of twelve super stars with the best assistant coaches in basketball. I don’t think he had the nerve to take over an NBA team with one or no stars. He didn’t want the challenge of building a team. I also think he would’ve been baffled when the best talent wouldn’t come play for him simply because he’s Coach K. That would’ve thrown him off. He had his pick of the litter in college. It’s not like that in the pros, and I don’t think he would’ve liked that. I think he saw what happened to Nick Saban in the NFL, and he didn’t want that. Saban is a great college football coach, but he was a disaster in the NFL. I think Coach K monitored that whole situation and decided he was going to stick in college. It’s kind of sad we never saw him coach basketball at the highest level. So I do not think he is retiring because he’s older and tired or whatever was said in his release to the media. I think that’s part of it, but I also think there’s other factors to his decision.

Long story short, this has been a wild day for basketball. That’s for sure.

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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