EMBIID VS TOWNS

The NBA season has begun with a great start with many noteworthy performances in the first handful of games in which teams have played this season. This includes Kyrie Irving's 50 point game in his season debut with the Brooklyn Nets against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Also, Los Angeles Lakers' Star Anthony Davis poured in a 40 point 20 rebound game in historic fashion by completing the feat by just playing 31minutes of action. The one thing everyone will be talking about tomorrow is the fight that took place tonight in the Philadelphia 76ers vs Minnesota Timberwolves game. The fight occurred between Minnesota's Karl Anthony Towns and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid in the 3rd quarter. The fight will result in suspensions for both Towns, and Embiid also likely one for Philadelphia's Ben Simmons he put Towns in a chokehold while the fight was being broken up. This can be an event that can bring the 76er's even closer as a team due to the fact it showed that they have each other's back no matter what happens. Also with Timberwolves, it can also cause what to me seems to be just a working relationship to be an event that puts a strain on the relationship between Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins who is Minnesota's other cornerstone piece opposite of Towns did not seem willing to stick up for his teammate in a passionate manner compared to how Simmons did for Embiid. If the TImberwolves want to think about the playoffs Towns is the key and if he is gone for more than 3 games it will be hard for them to bounce back. The 76ers play the Timberwolves again  March 24th it will be interesting to see when they meet again if the officials will be on high alert given everything that transpired. An excellent start to the season I cannot wait to see what else the season has in store.

Predictions 2019-2020 NBA Season!!!!

Tuesday, October 22nd the NBA Season officially begins before that happens I will give a preview to as to how I believe the season will go and also what players will win awards. There are 7 playoff spots locked up in the Western Conference with essentially 2 teams fighting for the 8th seed.  Los Angeles Lakers will ultimately meet the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Finals. I am not worried about Paul George missing essentially the first month of the season recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. The team will be just fine with just Kawhi Leonard and the amazing supporting cast around him. The Rockets will struggle initially in big games with James Harden and Russell Westbrook figuring out who will the last shot in crunch time. Also, add in the Gerald Green broken foot were his status for the season is suddenly in question will cause the Rockets to slip to the 4th seed. The Denver Nuggets will take a big leap in terms of team chemistry and the addition of rookie Michael Porter Jr who was sidelined all last season recovering from back surgery. They do not have the talent that the Lakers and Clippers have but will be a very formidable team that builds on the success they have last year. It may not show in the win-loss column but come playoff time you will see the difference. The Golden State Warriors will make the playoffs have too much respect for their championship pedigree to see them not making the playoffs. Plus Klay Thompson is expected to come back after the All-Star break which would give the team a not only scoring but also a  boost defensively. The Jazz will be a dark horse to win the NBA championship the addition of Mike Conley Jr is one of the most underrated pickups this offseason. To round out the last two playoff spots I have the Trailblazers and Mavericks making the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference, there are 8 locks to make the playoffs. I have the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers making the Eastern Conference Finals. The top 4 seeds in the East will be the Bucks, 76ers, Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. I believe the Bucks will have the best record in the NBA this season. Giannis will take another leap we the emergence of a mid-range jump shot possibly even a consistent 3 point shot.I still have depth concerns about the 76ers but feel as though they have enough starting talent to carry them to the Eastern Conference Finals. The other 4 teams will be the defending NBA Champions Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, and Miami Heat. With Kevin Durant unlikely to play this season for the Brooklyn Nets it put the Nets in the 5-7 range.    The NBA Finals will feature the Los Angeles Lakers vs the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers will win in 5. The award winners for this season are listed below along with the Conference Standings.

Western Conference Standings 2019-2020

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Los Angeles Clippers
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Houston Rockets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Golden State Warriors
7.  Portland Trailblazers
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. New Orleans Pelicans
11. Sacramento Kings
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Memphis Grizzlies
14. Minnesota Timberwolves 
15. Phoenix Suns

Eastern Conference Standings 2019-2020

1. Milwaukee Bucks
2. Philadelphia 76ers
3. Boston Celtics
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Brooklyn Nets
6. Toronto Raptors
7. Miami Heat
8. Detroit Pistons
9. Orlando Magic
10. Chicago Bulls
11. New York Knicks
12. Atlanta Hawks
13. Washington Wizards
14. Cleveland Cavilers
15. Charlotte Hornets 

MVP: Anthony Davis

Dark Horse: Joel Embiid 

Most Improved: Brandon Ingram

Dark Horse: Ben Simmons

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert

Dark Horse: Mitchell Robinson

Coach of the Year: Quin Synder ( Utah Jazz)

Dark Horse: Alvin Gentry ( New Orleans Pelicans)

Rookie of the Year: Zion Williamson

Dark Horse: Tyler Herro

Zion's Hype & Klay's Disrespect

This week ESPN released their top 100 NBA Players for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. The list has stir up much controversy. One of the reasons being that Golden State Warriors All-Star Shooting Guard Klay Thompson is ranked 49. This came to me as a surprise because  by making this  list they are predicting that he will be back in the middle of this season after sustaining a torn ACL injury during Game 5 of the NBA Finals. One of the best two way players in the NBA and he does not crack the top 20. If you put him in the top 20 would easy to defend because you can say from the time he returns to when the season ends you see him as a top 20 player. Also another much talked about ranking is rookie hype sensation Zion Williams as high as 42. A player who has not played a single game in the NBA for them to be seen has going to be in the top 7% of the NBA right away is a reach. This reminds me in 2017 when the same list had Carmelo Anthony was not only the 64th ranked player going into that season but also he was ranked below Lonzo Ball who at the time was the rookie hype sensation that year. I feel as though that when making this list the panelist make decision that will cause controversy to get people to talking about it. An interesting note is that Kevin Durant is not expected to return this season due to the torn Achilles he suffered in game 4 of the NBA Finals, so he was rightfully omitted from the list. The number ranked player in the list was the reining NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This list showed that the Western Conference will be a dog fight with 12 of the top 15 players playing in the west. Overall the list is not bad but Klay Thompson at 49 is egregious especially with him being a 5 time All Star and being a top 3 two-way player in the NBA. Zion should not be 42 due to the fact he lacks a consistent shot outside of 15 feet and also keep in mind for the first time in his career most nights he will not be the strongest person on the court. When it comes to rookies I always would want to wait and see before giving them dramatic expectations. What if Zion turns out to be an athletic Zach Randolph but wins multiple championships  would you call him a bust?

The 3 Year Arms Race

The Houston Rockets signed Guard Eric Gordon to a 4 year extension worth $75.6 million dollars. This keeps the core of the Rockets team which include (James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Clint Capela),together until to the 2022-2023 season. The fourth year of Gordon’s deal is non-guaranteed. It can become guaranteed if Gordon makes an All Star or the Rockets win the NBA championship during the length of the contract. This shows Gordon’s belief and commitment to the Rockets. The fact that he has tied a guaranteed  $20.9 million to the team winning a championship means he loves the teams chances. He can also get the fourth year guaranteed by earning a spot on an All Star team, but given his position and the fact he has two superstar teammates,  Harden and Westbrook, makes the chances of that happening rare. 

The NBA is in a unique position with many teams championship windows essentially being 3 years. When you look at many of the key free agency signings this off season they included an option either through player options or incentive based agreements for that final year. This includes Kawhi Leonard who aligned his contract with Paul George’s who was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers with 3 years left . Even with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving they can both opt out after 3 years. It’s what the NBA wants enough time for fans to invest in the teams and players; but also short enough so that if things do not workout fans have hope that the teams can turn it around quickly . The next three years will be seen as a crucial time when we look back on NBA History as this will be the new normal. Lebron James started the trend in 2010 when he went to Miami but now it seems to be fully embraced by both the teams and players.

D12 Back In Los Angeles

Yesterday August 23rd the Los Angeles Lakers signed 8 time All - Star Dwight Howard who agreed to a buyout . This will be Howard's second go around with the first being in 2012 when he was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers to form the super team that included Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. This is what both sides needed the Lakers needed a replacement for Demarcus Cousins who went down with a torn ACL. This gives Howard a chance to play for a contender after only playing 9 games last season before being sidelined with a back and hamstring injuries which kept him out for the remaining of the season. The last full season that Howard played he averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Howard signed a non-guaranteed contract which means prior to January 6th the Lakers can cut Howard without having to pay any additional money. Howard is expected to have the role of a rim protector and a rebounder. This role is perfect and with Howard being humbled over the years he has realized he needed to take the game more seriously. Also he was able to prove that his back is completely healthy. This is vital especially since his lone season with Lakers it was riddled with an on going back injury. I predict this will be a great resurgence for Howard and that he will be a vital part to Lakers winning games this year. I see Howard averaging 10 and 8 while playing about 20 minutes a game. He will  be in the running for 6th man of the year. 

Dominance Changes Rules

 Tuesday August 6th the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sent out a memo which outlines the new rules when it comes to the requirements for representing college  basketball student athletes when it comes to entering the draft who for those who want to test the waters. The new rules stated that in order for agents to represent student athletes they must meet 3 requirements which include having a minimum of 3 years of National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Certification, also taking an in person exam at the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis. The most important requirement which has caused many to believe that the NCAA is targeting NBA super agent Rich Paul is the fact that the agents have to have a Bachelors degree. Rich Paul who represents stars such as Lebron James, Ben Simmons, and John Wall to name a few of his clients, does not have a college degree.

These new rules do seem to target Rich Paul who is a rising agent that many others do not like. Also the new rule does not seem to make much sense because the NBPA requires that you just pass the certification exam to become eligible to represent NBA Players. Also the idea that just because someone is college educated means that they are an ethical is false . This is the reason the NCAA gave as an explanation as to why they implemented this new criteria for being able to represent college basketball student athletes. All these new rules prove that Rich Paul is not only changing but dominating sports landscape as we know it. This is seemingly just the beginning and will be exciting to see what barriers Rich Paul will break next. 

When The Game Betrays You

“I felt like I loved the game more than the game loved me” Carmelo Anthony said this in an interview with Stephen A Smith on ESPN’s First Take. Carmelo spoke about now being able accept a lesser role when it comes to him coming off of the bench. This is a sign of growth from Carmelo who two years ago during his introductory press conference for the Oklahoma City Thunder laughed at the notion of him coming off the bench. Carmelo spoke about what went wrong while playing for the Houston Rockets . Carmelo mentioned that he was informed by Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey about the team going in a different direction and no longer needing his services. Once he received this news Carmelo reached out to Chris Paul and James Harden about the situation. Both Paul and Harden said they had no idea about what Daryl Morey was doing. This seems to have been the point when Carmelo began to re-examine his role in the NBA. 

The one question that seems to keep Carmelo in NBA limbo is what is his value to an NBA team. Carmelo who from a talent standpoint should be on an NBA roster has to develop into a better catch and shoot three point shooter which will be difficult to do at this stage in his career. He’s a volume scorer who is inefficient and needs a rhythm to get going. Unless he dramatically improves his catch and shooting it will be interesting as to what teams see him as a fit. I believe Carmelo will be on a team this year I could see a team like the Indiana Pacers taking a chance since is a scorer of Carmelo’s prowess would put them in the conversation to win the East.