Ty's 2024-2025 NBA Preview: Picking at the Top of Lottery Division

The 2024-25 NBA season is upon us. With that being said, today I will start my countdown of all 30 teams, going from 30-1. These are some of my favorite blogs to write. I love basketball and I love the NBA. I am going to do five teams a day, with a little write up about each, and then on day seven I will do my playoff and awards predictions. I will also do a NCAA men's basketball preview on the eighth day. Now, on to the countdown.

At number 30, coming in dead last, I have the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are bad by design. They want the number one pick in the draft. They're eyeing Cooper Flagg or one of the kids from Rutgers. This is a very good draft class, the Nets front office seems to understand that, and they are going hard for that first overall pick. They traded away Mikail Bridges, who was their dude. They have a roster of dudes like Cam Johnson, Denis Schroeder, Zaire Williams, Nic Claxton and Ben Simmons, to name a few. Johnson is an okay enough player, but he should never ever be a first option. Schroeder is fine, but old. Williams is a castoff from the Grizzlies. Claxton is a fine pick and roll guy, but not much else. And Ben Simmons is afraid to shoot. They also have other castoffs too. Killian Hayes is there. So is Day'Ron Sharpe and Shake Milton. This is a mishmash roster and they know it. The Nets could be one of the worst teams in the history of the NBA.

At number 29 I have the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are pretty awful too. They have no real logic on their roster. They may not win 20 games, but at least they're not the Nets. Jordan Poole was supposed to explode as the top player on their team last year. Instead, he fell off, and that bums me out because I like rooting for Poole. Alex Sarr was the number two overall pick, and looks to be an okay defender already. But, he is not much of a scorer just yet. Kyle Kuzma is more noteworthy for saying nonsense on the internet than anything he does on the court. Bilal Coulibaly is good at defense and nothing else. They inexplicably signed Jonas Valenciunas and Malcolm Brogdon, who will most likely be on different teams by mid December. Bub Carrington is a fun rookie. Corey Kispert is very average, Saadiq Bey has never really figured it out and Marvin Bagley Jr is somehow still a playable NBA player in the minds of the Wizards front office. The Wizards started their rebuild a year ago, and they're still working on that rebuild going into year two. They're bad and will be for a few more seasons.

At number 28 I have the Portland Trailblazers. I have always rooted for Portland as a secondary team, but boy oh boy are they bad. The Wizards roster is confusing enough, but the Trailblazers roster is nonsensical. They have way too many centers and no true point guard. Anfernee Simons is a great scorer, but a total zero on defense. He is always in trade rumors as well. Scoot Henderson, who I love, really struggled last season. I still have high hopes for him, but he has to find a jump shot before it's too late. Shaedon Sharpe is an incredible athlete and leaper. He just has to stay healthy. Speaking of health, Robert Williams has never been able to stay on the floor. His career may be over at this point. Deandre Ayton got out of Phoenix like he wanted, but he has not done anything to speak of since arriving in Portland. They traded for Denji Avidija, which is puzzling. He's young, but he really came on strong last year. Maybe they will use him to trade for picks later this season. They drafted Donovan Clingnan, who appears to be a good rim protector, but he is skinny right now. He needs to bulk up. Toumani Camara was a nice surprise last season. They did acquire Devonte Graham, who is sometimes good and sometimes bad. There's no in between. Matisse Thybulle is still there too, but he has really fallen off the past couple seasons. The Trailblazers are taking chances on some dudes, but until they have a cohesive lineup, they are going to have some big, big holes to fill.

At number 27 I have the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are stuck in mediocrity with no real light at the end of the tunnel. I'd be infuriated if I were a fan of theirs. Cade Cunnigham is very good, but he has not been able to put it all together or stay healthy for a full season since he got in the league. His shot is still a little funky too. Jaden Ivey has never been the answer next to Cunningham. They hoped these two would work, but it never has. I will never get why they signed Tobias Harris for the years and money that they did. It is mind boggling. I like Ron Holland, but to take him fifth overall was a wild stretch. He may not see significant minutes on the court for a few years. Jalen Duren is an amazing big man, but he needs to develop an offensive game other than just dunking. He is a legit rebounder and defender, but he needs to figure some low post stuff out soon. Acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr via trade and signing Malik Beasley in free agency is fine, but they add nothing other than on and off shooting. Ausar Thompson has that it factor, but like many of his teammates, he needs to develop a shot. Isaiah Stewart is cooked as a viable NBA player. The Pistons would be happy to land a lottery pick that isn't number five overall. If they could add an awesome rookie from this class, maybe, finally, they can start the turnaround.

The final team for the day, coming in at number 26 I have the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets have some dudes, but they are never on the floor at the same time and some of these dudes have off court issues. Miles Bridges should not be in the league. What he did was abhorrent and he should have been suspended much, much longer. LaMelo Ball is very good with some impeccable court vision. But he has never played more than 50 games in a season it feels, and the last two seasons he has missed the majority of each year. Brandon Miller seems to have the ability to make an all star team. He does have the whole off court stuff at Alabama hanging over him though. He is very good at basketball too. Seth Curry is TEMU Steph Curry. Seth Curry is very good, but he is not even on the same planet as his brother. Grant Williams is a head case. Mark Williams is always injured. Nick Richards is very up and down. Taj Gibson is as old as me. This team is a weird collection of guys that cannot stay on the court for one reason or another. They have some dudes that could potentially make them a fringe playoff team if they could ever stay on the floor. Unfortunately for their fans that hasn't happened to this point.

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Opening Band at the Local Dive Bar Division

The NBA season is right around the corner, so that means I am here to rank the teams from worst to best, in my own opinion. This is based on my knowledge of the game and how the teams changed in the offseason. When I did my initial rankings I found it kind of tough. The NBA has some really good teams, and even the teams that aren't very good, they have a bunch of fun players that I cannot wait to watch. I'll do five teams a day and finish up with a prediction blog. Without further ado, let's get started.

At 30 I have the Washington Wizards. They are finally going into full rebuild mode. It is about time. They let Bradley Beal go. They let Kristaps Porzingis go. They gave Kyle Kuzma money to keep the new core young. And they traded for Jordan Poole. Poole will score a lot and do not much else. Kyle Kuzma will have solid games from time to time, but counting on him to be one of your top players seems odd. Tyus Jones was a great pickup in a trade, but I would bet money that he will be on a contender really soon. I love the Bilal Coulibaly pick. He looks like he could be a steal. Deni Avdija is there and plays solid defense, but is a zero on offense. Then there is a major fall off. Johnny Davis hasn't figured it out. Landry Shamet keeps getting traded. Corey Kispert is a wash. Taj Gibson is still here. It is a real mishmash. But, I like that they are finally embracing a rebuild. Jordan Poole will score a ton, but this team will not win many games.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. I don't know how to gauge this team. They have some really good players, but those players are super young and wildly unproven. They cannot stay healthy either. If they get these guys on the court and some pop, they could be better than this. Cade Cunningham is awesome, when he plays. The dude can shoot and has a very high passing IQ. He is even a solid defender. He just has to stay on the court. Jaden Ivey is fast and looked like he was figuring it out near the end of last season. He is like a young Russell Westbrook. Jalen Duren is big and imposing. He is also only 20 years old right now. I love the Ausar Thompson pick. That kid looks legit. They took a flyer on James Wiseman, and maybe playing with no pressure will wake him up, a la Markelle Fultz. Bojan Bogdanovic is a great shooter and a hot trade asset. Joe Harris is here somehow. Isaiah Stewart is imposing, but not much else. Isaiah Livers has moments. And Marvin Bagley got paid and may get to show some stuff this season. But the team is too inexperienced and doesn't have any kind of continuity yet. Time will tell, but I don't think they have it figured out yet. Maybe in two or three years.

At 28 I have the San Antonio Spurs. I love what this team has done. They struck gold in the last lottery. They got Greg Poppovich to sign an extension and they can do a whole lot of stuff in the trade market if they choose. But this team is so very young and they will need a few years to be a perennial playoff team again. Victor Webayama is the future here. He was the lottery win. He is long, lean and blocks so many shots. He will put on weight and get tougher. But he is already a demon on defense, can rebound and he will stretch the floor. Just give him time. Keldon Johnson is a very good, very little known player. He is a perfect Spur. Jeremy Sochan is one of my new favorite players. This kid does all the dirty work and seems to enjoy it. He is a blast to watch. Malaki Branham is going to become a better known name this year. That was a steal in last year's draft. Devin Vassell just got paid and is their best, most pure scorer on the roster. Tre Jones is a serviceable point guard. Then they went out and acquired Reggie Bullock. They still have Zach Collins. Doug McDermott is still around. The Spurs have guys, too many right now. But this team is all about the youth. They will have growing pains, but this team is on the rise. Just not yet.

At number 27 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This team is rebuilding much like the Wizards, they just have better players. Scoot Henderson is the real deal. That kid is going to be amazing from day 1. I think he has a real shot to average 20 plus points a game, and win rookie of the year. Shadeon Sharpe is good as well. He has so much bounce, can rebound and his shot is improving. I love watching Sharpe play. Anfernee Simons is going to score a ton. He is the vet on this team and I think he will like the constant green light to shoot. Jerami Grant is around too, and he is going to really feed off the players on the roster now. I love that they got Deandre Ayton and Rob Williams in recent trades. Those two will make for a nice front court, with major health and will issues. I like both dudes, but Ayton isn't always engaged and Williams is constantly hurt. They have other vets like Malcom Brogdon and Matisse Thybulle, who are okay. And then they got this Toumani Camara rookie in a trade and people seem to love him. The Blazers will not win a ton, but they will be one of the most fun teams to watch all year. They should have massive highlights all year long.

The final team for the day, at 26 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is their dude. He looks good right now, but he still has a funky shot and cannot stay on the floor. He is so much fun to watch play, when he plays. He has kind of regressed into a ball hog a bit, but maybe that will change this season. Brandon Miller looks like a very good pick, but his fit is weird here. He will start because he is very talented, but I don't know how much he will help the team win. PJ Washington is around for a bit longer, and while he is solid, he doesn't get enough touches to tip the scale. Terry Rozier can score a lot if given enough shots, but he will do nothing else. After those guys the roster is bleak. Nick Richard is an okay backup center, but he might have to start here. Mark Williams is too raw. James Bouknight has never been solid enough to garner big minutes. Cody Martin is the second best Martin in his family. JT Thor, while having a dope name, is not the best big man in the league. The Hornets are not a very good basketball team. They have a star in LaMelo Ball, but he is not the massive, massive star they hoped they were getting. This team has some pieces to figure out on the roster. Maybe they will address some of that in next year's draft.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five teams. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2022-2023 NBA Season Preview: Hornets, Pistons, Kings

Welcome to day three of my 22-23 NBA countdown. We are getting seriously close to teams with play in potential. We just are not there yet.

At number 24 I have the Charlotte Hornets. This team was already on the wrong side of the coin, then the awfulness happened with Miles Bridges. What he did was atrocious, he should miss a ton of time on the court and I would not be shocked if he winds up in court. He has much bigger issues than basketball right now. That being said, he may have been their number two guy. That is a big hit for this team. LaMelo Ball is a very good player. He has all the tools you want in a modern point guard and his shot is getting better. But he is hurt and is going to miss time at the start of the season. Gordon Hayward is washed and then some. Kelly Oubre is a fine player, but everywhere he goes and starts, they do not win much. Terry Rozier got paid, and is an offensive threat, but he has become more of a liability now. PJ Washington is good, but should be better. James Bouknight is not nearly as good as I thought he was going to be. Mason Plumlee is washed as well. Bryce McGowens has potential. Nick Richards is an okay big off the bench. Dennis Smith Jr is getting another shot. And JT Thor is a rad name. But the Hornets are not very good. They barely made the play in last season and they will be lucky to win 30 games this year. They are trending way, way down.

At number 23 I have the Detroit Pistons. I really, really like the direction they are trending in. They are like the opposite Charlotte Hornets. They are building something solid, but they are still a year or two away. I understand they have playoff hopes, but they are not there just yet. Cade Cunnigham is a star in the making. I have adored watching him since he was at Oklahoma State. I am buying all the stock that I can in Cunningham. He is great. I love the Jaden Ivey pick. Pairing him with Cunningham in the backcourt is a wonderful idea. When he slows down and learns the way of the NBA, he could be awesome. He is a great running partner for Cunningham. I also love the Jalen Duren pick. He is a very skilled big already and will only get better. He could be a solid starter on a very good playoff team. Marvin Bagley finally got a shot to play a lot and did some nice things. He did get hurt, but he avoided a serious injury and should be back soon. Saadiq Bey could be a Swiss army knife guy for this team. Isaiah Stewart is big and nasty and I love watching him play offense and defense in the post. I like that they got Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks. When they are healthy they can contribute. Isaiah Livers is healthy again and can provide bench scoring. I love that they went out and traded for Bojan Bogdanovic. He is another bench scorer. The problem is that they are just not ready yet. Give it a year or 2 and this team will be good, like playoffs good. They are not there yet though.

The final team for the day, at number 22 I have the Sacramento Kings. I fully understand that they have high hopes of being in the playoffs, that they think they are ready, that they had a great Summer League and that everyone is ready to go. But we are talking about a team that has not been in the playoffs for 16 years. That is the longest drought in professional sports. They do have a good team, and I love hiring Mike Brown as the new head coach. But again, this is the Kings. I still do very much like De'Aaron Fox. He is showing signs of improvement every year. When he is on the court he can play. He just needs to stay healthy. Domantas Sabonis is an awesome offensive player. He is such a good low post guy to run the offense through from time to time. He's just very poor on the defensive end. Keegan Murray was great in Summer League. Now it is time for that to translate to the real guys. Davion Mitchell is a very good on ball defender. He can guard every guard in the league. Kevin Huerter is kind of blah, but can shoot. Malik Monk has flashes but has never fully put it all together. Harrison Barnes is solid, but it is clear he cannot be the best guy on a playoff team. Richaun Holmes is somehow still underrated, but he is still doing his thing. Alex Len is washed. Josh Jackson is a bust. They signed Matthew Dellavedova and Quinn Cook for some reason. And Trey Lyles is still there. This is a weird roster and they are not as good as the front office and their fans may think. I like some pieces, but some others make no sense at all. The Kings may be the most confusing team in all of the NBA. That is it for today. See you all tomorrow for the next three teams.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Cavs, Kings, Timberwolves, Hornets

Welcome to day two of my NBA countdown.

Coming in at 26 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs do have a feeling of a team trying to win, but it’s just not working out. I’m a big Colin Sexton fan. The kid can play ball. He’s a good scorer, good at getting to the rim and has improved both of his years in the NBA. All the trade talk and everything else surrounding him is nonsense. Darius Garland is proving me wrong. I thought he’d need more time, but he’s shown he belongs. He’s a good guard and I feel like he’s going to take a leap. I love love love Evan Mobley. I fear he’ll get buried on the bench but this kid needs to play. He’s got all the gifts and tools to be a great modern big in the NBA. Isaac Okoro had a solid rookie year. I’m a big Jarrett Allen fan. I love his Afro but I love his rim protecting even more. Then it gets iffy. Denzel Valentine is not great. They need to trade Kevin Love. I don’t like the Lauri Markannen signing because he’s taking minutes from Mobley. I don’t get why they signed Ricky Rubio. They already have better, younger guards. Tacko Fall will barely see the floor. And Dylan Windler is just Jimmer Fredette 2.0. This is a weird roster. They need to go fully young and build around those guys. The off-season suggests they may go in a different direction though. Either way they’re a lottery team.

At 25 I have the Sacramento Kings. This team is in purgatory. They’re stuck. De’Aron Fox deserves so much better. He is so good but he’s going to go nowhere with the Kings. He’s an all star stuck on a very poorly run team. Buddy Hield clearly wants out. He almost got his way, but now he’s back to shoot threes and do little else. Richaun Holmes should be a glue guy on a playoff team. In Sacramento he’s a starter playing far too many minutes. Marvin Bagley cannot stay healthy and it seems like he wants out. Davion Mitchell was a good pick, if this team didn’t have Fox. He’s barely going to play. Tyrese Haliburton had a great rookie year, and I see him blossoming if he gets to leave this team. Harrison Barnes’ talent is being wasted. And then it’s a bunch of G League guys. The Kings need to make a ton of changes to get this team back to relevance. Maybe a trade for Ben Simmons could wake this franchise up.

At number 24 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I think they could be in the play in with their talent. Their talent just cannot stay on the floor together. Karl Anthony Towns is amazing. He went through hell this past year too. He’s so skilled offensively. He knows how to score. He’s a great rebounder too. He’s just not very good on defense. He needs to be better. D’Angelo Russell can score and run an offense, but he’s been injured more than not, and he’s a zero on defense. I am a big time Anthony Edwards fan. That kid is awesome. He’s got the right attitude for the NBA. He dunks the hell out of the ball. His shot got better. He went toe to toe with Steph in a game last year. I have nothing bad to say about him. Patrick Beverly was a nice addition who will play a ton of defense. He’s no good on offense. Taurean Prince had one solid season but he hasn’t played that well in awhile. Malik Beasley is a good bench scorer but he thinks he should start. Josh Okogie played so much better with Team Nigeria in the Olympics than he ever had with Minnesota. Naz Reid is a good big man, he just needs more time. Like I said, this team can make the play in if they stay healthy. That’s a big if.

The final team for today, at number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is legit. That kid can play. He is the player to build around. On the other hand I despise Gordon Hayward for so many reasons. The main one is that he’s not that good anymore. He’s oft injured and seems to have a bad attitude. I love that they took James Bouknight in the draft. He’s instant offense off the bench for them. He’s going to light it up. Miles Bridges is a good pick and roll guy who works great next to Ball. Terry Rozier made bank after one good season. He hasn’t lived up to that season, but he’s still getting paid she he can still score. I like that they’re taking a chance on Kelly Oubre Jr. He’s got some good skills, he just needs to okay more. He’ll get that opportunity in Charlotte. PJ Washington is a solid reserve. He usually starts in Charlotte. Mason Plummer was a wasted signing. Kai Jones will bounce between the G League and the NBA, but he has a ton of upside. Other than that it’s all question marks. The Hornets were in the play in last year, and they were crushed by the Pacers. If Ball takes a leap I could see them back in the thick of the play in again. That’s it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2021 NBA Play in Games Preview

The NBA regular season is over. It feels weird typing that. Usually, in the before times, we would be knee deep in the playoffs right now. But due to the pandemic, then the bubble, this most recent season had a very fast turnaround. These are strange days indeed.

The season was awesome, in my opinion. I loved watching the games, I found them competitive and I was interested in how all the teams dealt with COVID in many different ways. But I am ready for playoff basketball. Playoff basketball is my absolute favorite sport to watch. It is the best drama on TV. The players step up their game and it is very exciting. I am going to do a full playoff preview, but that will not come until after the play in games are all done. You all will have to wait for that until Thursday. But today I am going to do a play in preview.

First off, I love love love the play in. I like the addition of two more teams, I find it has made the end of the last two seasons a bit more meaningful and competitive and anytime I can get extra playoff basketball, that is a treat. I also like the eight teams we have in the play in. They all have very different skill sets. Some are older veteran laden teams and some, like my Memphis Grizzlies, are very young and on the come up. I also really enjoy the single elimination feel we get from this, and that every team in the play in will have to bring it in order to make the playoffs. This is an absolute home run idea.

I will start with the East, or the JV as I call it. The 7-8 matchup could have been incredible if not for Jaylen Brown being out and Bradley Beal not at 100 percent. But, both Russell Westbrook and Jayson Tatum are playing really good basketball right now. Russ is getting triple doubles on the regular and Tatum just had 60 in a game, and followed it up with a bunch of 30 point outings. He is on fire. As for who I think will win, this is a total toss up to me. The Celtics are deeper and younger, but not having Jaylen Brown is brutal. The Wizards might be the hottest team in the NBA right now, Russ is doing all the little things and they are getting other guys to contribute. But they are five games below .500. They just started playing well now. For that reason only, I am picking the Wizards. They will continue on their current streak, and the Celtics will have to win two games just to get the 8th seed. Their season has been a total disappointment.

The 9-10 matchup is a tale of two very different teams. The Hornets are young and exciting and LaMelo Ball has been awesome, but they are not a true playoff team yet. The Pacers have vets, they have playoff experience, but they have not been very good all year, and their coach may get fired after his lone season. I really want to pick Charlotte here because I think it would be awesome to see Ball go up against Boston for the 8th seed, but I am going with the experience and picking Indiana.

I also have Indiana beating the Celtics simply because Brown is out, and Boston never really got their footing all year. They are a mess. So that means I have the Wizards as the 7 and the Pacers as the 8.

Now for the Varsity, the West. The 7-8 matchup is going to rule. The NBA and the TV people could not have asked for a better play in game. We get the Lakers and the Warriors. Steph and LeBron. AD versus a platoon of big men waiting to hurt him. Draymond playing defense on multiple guys. The Lakers throwing the kitchen sink to stop Steph. This is going to be fun. In the long run though, I think the Lakers will win. I'm sure both AD and LeBron were hurt, but they also know they can turn this into a "redemption" story. They both missed a ton of games, the Lakers fell to this spot, they need AD and LeBron, and here they come to save the day. This is almost too perfect of a script, and the NBA, AD, LeBron and the Lakers all know this.

Then we have the 9-10, with Memphis facing San Antonio. This is eerily similar to the East's 9-10 matchup with style of play, but both these teams are much better. Memphis is young and hyper athletic. When the shooters are on, they are on. But they have had tons of injuries. I think Jaren Jackson Jr has only played something like 10 games. Ja missed a ton of time earlier this season from an ankle injury. Dillon Brooks has been in and out of the lineup. They also have had trouble finishing games lately. The Spurs got really fat on an easy early schedule, but they had a murderers row to close the season. They won some of the games, but that schedule pushed them where they are now. The Spurs are a typical Gregg Poppovich team, they pass well, play great defense and don't take dumb shots, but this is a rebuild for them. They are so young and so inexperienced outside of DeMar DeRozan. I am picking Memphis, and I will watch every single second of this game. Memphis is better and deeper, but can they finish? That is the big question for me.

So with the Lakers at 7, we would have Memphis and Golden State playing for 8, and we just witnessed this game yesterday. Memphis just couldn't get out of their own way, and they let Steph go off. I feel like the same thing is going to happen. It will be close and tough, but Steph will do what he does, and the Grizzlies will be knocked out of the playoffs yet again. That means I have the Lakers at 7 and Warriors at 8. The NBA will be thrilled at the first play in game, and then having both those teams make the playoffs still. I cannot wait for these games to start tomorrow night.

This is going to be a blast. I love playoff basketball.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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

Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: Not This Year

Day 2 of my NBA countdown features five better teams than yesterday, and again, I think the Thunder are going to be a force in a few years, but not that much better. The NBA really is down to about five or six teams, honestly maybe just three teams, that are true title threats. But at least it isn't like when the Warriors had KD and it was already a done deal that they would win when healthy. Let's get to it.

At number 25, and I cannot believe I have a team coached by Greg Poppovich this low, and I hope he proves me wrong, is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have been one of the most reliable franchises in my entire two decades of fervently watching the NBA. They were always a playoff team, usually a threat to win a round or two, and would win titles from time to time. First it was teaming up Duncan with David Robinson, then drafting and developing Kawhi and then surrounding Kawhi and Duncan with some of the greatest role players ever. Then Duncan retired. Then Kawhi asked out. And here they are now. They were invited to the bubble, but they did not make the playoffs for the first time in forever. And while the Spurs have big names, DeMar DeRozan and Lamarcus Aldirdge, they are older, DeRozan wants out and they cannot keep up with the modern NBA. I am a DeRozan and Aldridge fan, I like both guys, but there is no way around the fact that they have aged, and not very well. I also like Rudy Gay, but I think he is as old as me, and he doesn’t have the juice he used to. I love the younger guys they have, like Lonnie Walker, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, but they can't all be on the floor at the same time. I think Keldon Johnson has talent, he just has to be groomed, and it may take a few more seasons. Jakob Poeltl, Trey Lyles and Patty Mills are solid vets, but at this point they seem more like trade bait now. The Spurs have the greatest basketball coach of all time, and they will be competitive. The simple fact is, they don't have the talent needed, especially in the West, to make the playoffs.

At number 24 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I know they have playoff aspirations, and they took Anthony Edwards number one overall, which will help scoring, and they paired KAT with D'Angelo Russell, but I just don't see this team getting over the hump quite yet. They do have all that young talent, throw Jarrett Culver in there too, but they play in the West, and they don't play much defense. If the Timberwolves were in the East, maybe they have enough offense to overcome their defensive deficiencies. But they don't, and the top teams in the West will eat them up. For all the great things KAT and Russell do on offense, they are flat out bad defensively. Edwards is a brick house, and a walking bucket, but he didn't play much D his one year in college. Culver was supposed to be the defensive guru, but he didn't have the greatest rookie year on that end. I think he can be better, but it will take time. The rest of the roster is ho hum to me. Josh Okogie is fine, but no better than a bench player. They have Ricky Rubio again, but he is only older and slower. Malik Beasley can score, I just don't know how much time he will be on the floor. Naz Reid dominated the G League, but now he is going to have to play against the best of the best. And Jake Layman is so blasé. The Timberwolves are moving in the right direction, and I love that Flip Saunders son is the head coach, but they are still a few years away, and they need to keep this core together to reach any vision of what they expect their future to hold.

At number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets did a few things right this offseason. They took Lamelo Ball, which was a smart pick, and were finally able to get off Nic Batum's contract. They found out Devontae Graham is a solid player, and were able to get rid of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They also finally shed Tyler Zeller and Frank Kaminsky. But then they took these moves, and the money left over, and went out and gave Gordon Hayward way, way too much money. They also gave Terry Rozier far too much money. For as great a player Jordan was, the GOAT, he is not a very good GM. They seemed to be doing correct stuff, then they did that deal for Hayward, and it just took me right back to the Batum deal. Hayward is a shell of the player he was in Utah, and only got worse, and bypassed by better players in Boston. Rozier is a solid offensive guy, but he is so much better in a Lou Williams role, than as a starter. Ball is going to be okay, and I think playing in Charlotte is big time for him, but he is a rookie, and a young rookie. Malik Monk is not the scorer I thought he would be coming out of college. PJ Washington is good, and he should get the bulk of minutes at the 4. Miles Bridges is hyper athletic, but I still don't know if he can shoot. Outside these guys it is a really mishmash of players. I thought they could compete for the playoffs this year, but it just doesn't look likely. I will watch them on League Pass because they should be fun, but fun doesn't equal wins.

At number 22 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are still just an absolute mess. They cannot get out of their own way. They missed, at least so far, on the Luke Walton hiring. When he doesn't have guys like Steph and Klay at his disposal, it is a lot harder to coach. DeAaron Fox is awesome, and I am stoked that he got a max deal, but I do not see much else that is desirable about that team. Buddy Hield wants out, and his shot was off last year. Marvin Bagley cannot stay healthy. Harrison Barnes is going down the Rudy Gay path. Hassan Whiteside is a head case. Jabari Parker has been a bust, and he got COVID a few months ago. Richaun Holmes plays hard, but he just doesn't have that "it" quality. I like Tyrese Haliburton, but I feel like the Kings are going to screw him up. The Kings need to play fast and space the floor. The only problem, the only guy they have that can do that is Fox. No one else plays like that, or if they do, they cannot stay healthy. The Kings are in NBA purgatory.

My final team of the day, at number 21, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. Some may say this is too low for them, that they should be a playoff team, but I am not ready to put them there yet. I love the Stan Van Gundy hire. I think he will do very good things with that team. I also love how many picks they have in the near future. The Pelicans and the Thunder will own the draft for the next decade. And I like their young, talented core. But, they have issues with health and defense and depth. Zion Willamson is an other worldly talent. He is a once in a lifetime player. He is amazing. But, he has had issues at Duke and during his rookie year with injuries. I want him to stay healthy because I love watching him play. Lonzo Ball is a solid defender and very good passer, but he is a bad shooter. Brandon Ingram is an awesome offensive player, and I personally think he is their best overall player. He deserved his max deal. Jaxson Hayes is as raw as they get, but I bet Stan Van Gundy can mold him into a defensive force. I like the addition of Steven Adams, and I think Zion will too. But Adams doesn't add much space. And Eric Bledsoe and Josh Hart are okay enough to get some minutes. The big problem with this team for me is health. If they can stay healthy, and that is a humongous if, they could fight for the playoffs. I don't think they will, and I think they are still a bit young. They also have the West to deal with. New Orleans will be good, a perennial playoff team, just not yet.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for 5 more teams. We are starting to get to the better, possibly playoff bound teams.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2019-2020 NBA Preview: Hornets, Wizards, Cavaliers, Grizzlies

We are mere weeks away from the NBA starting, so that means, you guessed it, I’ll be counting down the teams from 30 to 1 for the next 8 days. The 2 days after that I’ll do predictions and a men’s college basketball preview. And not to worry, I’ll sprinkle it some smaller blogs not pertaining to basketball over the next 2 week. I mean, I have to still do my NFL quick hits and concert, TV and movie reviews. Anyway, let’s start with the bottom of the barrel NBA teams.

At number 30 I have the Charlotte Hornets. I think pretty much every NBA person thinks they’ll be the worst team in the league by a wide margin. They lost their best, and most reliable player, Kemba Walker, and even with him, they couldn’t make the playoffs, in the East. And they replaced him with nothing. The Hornets are a weird mix of youth and veterans, but it doesn’t fit. They are the square peg, round hole team of the NBA. They guys they’ve drafted haven’t really panned our yet. Miles Bridges looked more lost than good last year. Malik Monk has been a disaster. Marvin Williams has never lived up to the hype. And they finally got rid of Frank Kaminsky. The vets are well past their prime, or overrated. Nic Batum is toast. I will never understand why they gave Terry Rozier so much money. The Hornets are, quite simply, a mess. I would be stunned, stunned I tell you, if they win 20 games this year. They’re going to stink.

At 29 I have a team that might be as bad as the Hornets, if they trade their star player. That team is the Washington Wizards. Oof, this team has fallen on hard times. I picked them to make the Finals just 2 years ago, and now, they’re one of the worst teams in the league. And it’s not like they traded all their good guys, it’s just that the good guys got old, hurt or want out. John Wall was a supernova, one of my favorite players in the league and a blast to watch 2 years ago. Now, he missed most of last year, and will miss all of this year. And his contract is an albatross. I can’t see anyone, right now, trying to trade for him. That’s a shame. Bradley Beal is so, so good offensively. He’s also gotten much better on D. He just has zero help. He could score 40 a game this year, and the Wizards would still lose by 20 points on any given night. They were lucky enough to get off Jeff Green and Dwight Howard, but those guys don’t make a difference. And they have replaced them with G League level guys. I was puzzled by them taking Rui Hachimura in the lottery. While he may prove me wrong, he still has some work to do to get better. And he will not demand defenders to open up space for Beal. Then we have Scotty Brooks. I didn’t think this was a good hire to begin with, and it’s coming to fruition. He is not a very good coach, and he’s proven that twice now.

At number 28 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Man has this team fallen flat again after losing LeBron. Kevin Love barely played last year, and seems marginal now. Tristan Thompson is more focused on cheating on girlfriends. Colin Sexton started off poorly, and only leveled out. Cedi Osman looks like a role player at best. I don’t get why they took Darius Garland a season after taking Sexton, and by the way, he hasn’t played meaningful basketball since high school. And they took John Beilen from Michigan. I mean, he chose to leave, but still. Also, why the Cleveland job, I’ll never know. I’ve even written about how puzzling this choice was for me. The Cavs are a lottery team, and will be for awhile. Beilen may make them more fundamentally sound, but this is the NBA, not college basketball. If he tries to coach like he’s still at Michigan, he will get eaten alive. The Cavs may be good one day again soon. But, for the time being, they’re no more than a 22 or 23 win team.

My final team today is a team I actually like, but they’re going through a total revamped youth movement, and while they’ll be fun to watch, the Memphis Grizzlies will not win a ton of games, and they are my 27th ranked team. I love the young dudes on the team. Ja Morant was my number one prospect in the most recent draft. He is super athletic, and when he gets a jumper, he can be as good as Russell Westbrook. Brandon Clarke was a great late first round pick. He’s big and athletic, can protect the rim, get rebounds and shoot from outside. He’s a steal. Jaren Jackson Jr was having a solid year before he got hurt. With Morant, they could be a deadly puck and roll duo. It’s just going to take time. I feel like those three guys are a solid building block for a future contender. But they’re all under 22 years old. Also, the Grizzlies play in the West. That’s tough when you have a good veteran team. So, while I like what the Grizzlies are doing right now, they need time to gel and learn to play in the NBA. They won’t win many games this year, or the next. But, in 3 years, if they stay together and improve each year, I could see Memphis in my top 10-15. Just not yet.

That’s it did today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2017-2018 NBA Preview: Playoffs and Award Predictions

With the 2017-18 NBA season kicking off tonight, god am I excited, I have one final preseason piece for everyone. As I promised yesterday, today I have all of my predictions. This will include my playoff teams from each conference, plus the playoff teams if they went with the 16 best records, the conference finals, the NBA finals, and all the award winners, including finals MVP. Anyway, lets get to it.

First off, I want to do the playoff teams from each conference. I will write them in order, counting from 1-8. I'll start with the East because it is so much easier than the West. The East is a joke. It was so damn easy to pick the 8 teams. So, I have Cleveland, Boston, Washington, Milwaukee, Toronto, Miami, Charlotte and Detroit ever so slightly over the 76ers. I have no faith in Detroit, I believe they were in the 20's in my countdown, but they are a better bet for the playoffs, in my opinion, this year than Philadelphia. But, it doesn't really matter. It is going to be Cleveland going to the finals. They will face either Boston or Washington in the East finals, but do not count out Milwaukee. I really feel like Giannis Antentekoumpo can will this team to some playoff wins, and I would not be totally shocked if the Bucks make the East finals. But, again, Cleveland will win the East with relative ease. They may have gotten older, but they have a better roster than any other team in the East, and they still have LeBron James. All that dude does is go to finals, and sometimes win them.

As far as the West, the 4 teams at the top were easy, but then it gets really difficult. There are about 7 teams vying for the 4 final spots in the West. As far as the seeds go, I have Golden State, OKC, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, Minnesota, New Orleans and Portland. This leaves out Memphis and the Clippers. Both teams have the talent to get to the playoffs, but I see too many things getting in their way. Memphis has no one outside of Mike Conley Jr and Marc Gasol. The Clippers best players are bound to get hurt. Danilo Gallinari is already hurt. Blake Griffin will get hurt. Patrick Beverly is bound to miss time. It always happens to the Clippers, so I do not see that changing at all this year. And while I think the Utah Jazz will play great defense, and really push for a playoff spot, the West is too good and they will miss out barely. As frustrating as it is to write, the Warriors will easily get to the Finals for a fourth straight time. They may go undefeated again on their way back to the Finals. As far as their Western Conference Finals opponent, I have them facing OKC. I am not too sure why, maybe I just want the Thunder to face KD, but I feel like, once the Thunder's big three figure it out, they are going to be very, very good. Chris Paul and James Harden will choke, they always do. The Spurs do not have enough behind Kawhi and LaMarcus Aldridge to really push. And the four other teams, the Warriors would dominate.

So we will have the inevitable Cleveland-Golden State finals for the fourth straight year. The funny thing too, even with my top 16 teams, which I will get to in a moment, I'd still have the Cavs and Warriors in the Finals. As far as just getting the top 16 teams in the playoffs, leaving the conferences and division winners and all that nonsense out, just flat out taking the 16 teams with the best records, I'd have, in order, Golden State, Boston, OKC, Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland, Washington, Denver, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Toronto, Miami, New Orleans, Portland, Utah and Charlotte. So, that gives 9 West teams and 7 East teams. I really struggled with figuring out who the 16th seed would have been. I went with Charlotte, but I really thought long and hard about the Clippers, again, I remembered their poor health and lack of any kind of solid guards, and Memphis, but I remembered they only have 2 great players, and a bunch of mediocre role players. But again, even with Cleveland being the team with the 6th best record, they would still face off with Golden State in the Finals. Both outcomes reveal the same result for me.

So, as far as the champ, it is the Warriors. They are going to easily win the Finals once again. They are too good and too loaded. They could even take some injuries to key guys, and they'd still walk to the title. The Warriors are too god damn good to be beaten. If they do not win the Finals I'd be shocked. They are that great. In fact, I think the Warriors will win 70 plus games during the season, and go undefeated in the playoffs and completely sweep their way to a title. The Warriors will be your 2018 NBA champs.

As far as award winners goes, lets start with the smaller ones first. For sixth man of the year, I'll go with Tristan Thompson. He has totally embraced his move to the bench, and I think he is going to be great off the bench for the Cavs. He is a perfect energy guy, and I think he will destroy second unit centers. I suppose 6th man of the year is probably the "smallest" award the NBA has. Now for the "big" ones. For coach of the year I have Jason Kidd. I love what the Bucks have going, and much to my surprise, a lot of that has to do with Kidd's direction. He has turned himself into a solid NBA coach, and with the way the Bucks are rising, I see Kidd getting another award to add to his trophy case. For rookie of the year I have Dennis Smith Jr. I love everything that Smith Jr has going for him. He is hyper athletic, he has great teammates, he will run the pick and roll to perfection with guys like Nerlens Noel and Dirk Nowitzki, and he is going to put up gaudy numbers because he will given the keys to the Mavericks offense. He is in an ideal situation for a rookie, and he has something to prove after "dropping" to 9th in the draft. For defensive player of the year I have Rudy Gobert. There is no better rim protector in the NBA, and he will be the best defender on one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. For Finals MVP I have Steph Curry finally getting his. He has won 2 regular season MVP's and 2 titles, but he hasn't gotten that Finals MVP yet. That changes this year. It is his turn after Andre Iguodala winning the first, and KD winning last year. And the final, and most important award, the regular season MVP, I have Kevin Durant. He is going to go off this year, and with a full season, a title and a finals MVP under his belt, he is going to win his second regular season MVP. I was going to go with LeBron, but I just feel like KD is going to tear the league apart this year. Hopefully this doesn't spell doom for him, seeing as David Johnson and Deondre Francois, my preseason NFL MVP and preseason Heisman winner, both went down with season ending injuries in week one of the NFL and college football seasons. I don't think anything bad will happen to KD though. He has suffered through enough injuries.

Anyway, I am so excited to watch the NBA kick off tonight. This is my favorite time of the year because now I have college football, the NFL and now, the NBA. There will always be some kind of sports event that I love on during almost every day of the week. What a great time to be a sports fan. Enjoy the NBA season everyone, and thanks for reading my preseason countdown and picks. I'm sure I'll have many pieces during and after the season, but this is how I see everything just a few hours before the actual season tips off. I cannot wait.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2017-2018 NBA Preview: Hornets, Jazz, Nuggets

Again, I have a another quick hot take I need to get off my chest before I get back to my NBA countdown. Jerry Jones and the other NFL owners that are saying that players have to stand for the anthem or they will be punished need to shut their god damn mouths. These grown men can do whatever the hell they want. Kneeling for the anthem is them expressing their right to free speech. I'd love to see some big time players, especially guys like Dak Prescott, Ezekial Elliot and Dez Bryant all sit for the anthem, and see how that dickhead Jerry Jones and these other racist, selfish, asshole owners react. It needs to be an important player that is willing to take a stand against these monsters. I have lost any respect I may have gained for these holier than thou owners that basically used the mass protests as a photo op after this news came out. You guys do not own these players. This isn't the 19th century. Screw you selfish, maniacal, stupid racist owners. You are the worst.

Okay, back to the countdown.

At number 15 I have the Charlotte Hornets. They were number 13 until the other day when I heard about Nic Batum's injury. He is massively important to this team, and if he misses as much time as some are saying, it may be tough sledding. Luckily for the Hornets, they have Kemba Walker and they play in the East. Walker is awesome. He is a quieter version of Russell Westbrook. He plays extremely hard every night. He makes big shots all the time. He plays solid defense. I love that he made the All Star team last year. I love Kemba Walker. The rest of the roster is just solid enough for this team to win between 40-42 games. Michael Kidd Gilchrist hasn't really been any threat on offense, and he does get hurt a lot, but when he is out there, he plays some good defense, which is what the Hornets hang their hat on. Cody Zeller is the better Zeller brother. He can kind of score in the low post, and he knows what type of player he is. Frank Kaminsky, while not great, isn't the bust I assumed he'd be. He does little things that help this team out, and he can kind of shoot from the outside if he is open. Marvin Williams has quietly had a decent NBA career after being labeled a bust. He is decent on offense, and long on defense. I love the pick of Mailk Monk even if Monk isn't thrilled to be there. If/when he gets over not being picked by the Knicks, he can be great instant offense off the bench. I'd love to see him and Walker play together. Jeremy Lamb and Michael Carter Williams are just not that good. Carter Williams cannot shoot, and Lamb just doesn't look engaged at all. The Hornets traded for Dwight Howard. I don't know what will happen, but if he fully commits, he can help this team. He is more likely done, but maybe, just maybe, he can play hard enough to help this team make the playoffs. The Hornets will play solid defense and be involved in a bunch of games with scores like 80-78 and 76-73. They will do enough to make the playoffs, but the Batum injury is a brutal blow.

At number 14 I have the Utah Jazz. I am very aware that they lost George Hill, and more importantly, Gordon Hayward. I've never really understood the hype around Hayward. He is a fine player, but a top 20 NBA guy? No way. I don't think losing him will be that big of a deal. I actually think Rodney Hood will step in his spot nicely. He can shoot and attack the rim. I love Rudy Gobert. He dominated the Clippers in the first round last year, especially when he got back from his injury. He is one of the best rim protectors in the NBA, and he is only getting better on offense. Ricky Rubio is a nice fit to take over for George Hill. He can't shoot, but he can run an offense. He is also underrated as a defender. I do think that Donovan Mitchell will eventually be taking over the point guard duties. Mitchell was awesome in college, and I think he will be awesome in the pros. He is wildly athletic, and, once he figures out the NBA, he is going to be great for a long time. Joe Ingles got big money from this team, and while I think they paid him too much, the Jazz like him and what he brings to this team. Joe Johnson is still hanging around, and he is still a very efficient scorer. He was their best player in the playoffs last year, by far. Dante Exum is out for the year, and I think it is time to close the door on this kid being a prime time player. He can't stay healthy, and when he is on the floor, he is kind of meh. Alec Burks can still score and play a little defense. Hopefully Derrick Favors is fully recovered from his injury because I think he is still a very competent player. They signed Jonas Jerebko and Thabo Sefolosha this offseason. Both guys should excite Jazz fans. Jerebko can stretch the floor and Sefolosha is still one of the best defenders in the league. He can hit open shots too. They're also giving Ekpe Udoh a second chance, and he was crushing it overseas. I hope he brings that game with him back to the NBA. The Jazz lost a "big" name, but I think they will be just fine. They are a tenacious defensive oriented team, and while RD may not agree, Quinn Snyder has proven to be a hell of an NBA coach. This team will be back in the playoffs this year.

At number 13 I have the Denver Nuggets. I'm high on this team, but not as high as some other people are. But, I love the roster construct, they just need to find a true point guard. I thought Emmanuel Mudiay was the answer, but he hasn't been very good his first couple seasons in the NBA, and I do not think the Nuggets trust him. Jamal Murray is more of a 2 guard, but the Nuggets have flirted with playing him at the point. That is not his game. And Jameer Nelson may as well be 100 years old in basketball age. He is a fine player still, but he has played a ton of minutes and he is only getting older. What the Nuggets have is a good to possibly great front court. I love Kenneth Faried. I know some people don't think that highly of him, but he is such a hustler. That dude can rebound and run the floor with the best of them. He never stops going and attacking the basket for rebounds and put back dunks. Nikola Jokic is the real deal. He is an incredible passer and spreads the floor perfectly in the modern NBA. He is so god damn good. Getting Paul Milsap was enormous for this team. He is an older version of Jokic. I cannot wait to see the 2 of them play together and run this offense. It will be pure joy for the eyes. Wilson Chandler, while always in trade rumors, can still score in bunches. Gary Harris has turned himself into quite the NBA player. He just got a massive extension, but it was well deserved. Juan Hernangomez has the potential to break out this year. He showed some flashes last year, and this year, he should take the next step. Malik Beasley is also, quietly, a very good scorer. The Nuggets will return to the playoffs this season based on the abilities of their front court players. This team would be near the top of the West if they had a real point guard. But for now, they will be somewhere in the 5-8 range for seeding. The Nuggets are coming.

That is it for today, come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

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 Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Hornets, Thunder, and Hawks

We are on day 6 of my NBA countdown. From here on out, it's all playoff caliber teams. These teams have the players to, at the very least, make the playoffs. We got started yesterday with the Wizards, now, it's all playoff teams, all the time. On with the countdown.

At number 15, I have the Charlotte Hornets. Two really quick things before I get into meat of what I like and dislike about this team. First, I love that they are called the Hornets again. I know this started last season, but it just feels right. Second, I don't know why some people think they will take a step back because Jeremy Lin is gone. Lin is a good offensive player, but I do not think he will missed all that much. If he was that important, I think the Hornets would have tried harder to keep him. Anyway, let's take a look at this roster. I love Kemba Walker. The dude just has guts and plays with a passion that is nearly unparalleled. He has always been told he was undersized, too slow, wouldn't be able to adapt to the pro game, basically he's been told he wouldn't make it, but he has been a pretty good pro, especially last year. He has become a legitimate threat on offense and his defense has stepped up. I think Kemba Walker has the potential to be an all star. Marvin Williams finally played like he was supposed to last season. It was impossible for him to live up to where he was picked when he was drafted, and he was on the wrong team. The Hawks, back then, needed him to be the star. He is so much better fitted to be the fourth or fifth option on a team. He is an incredible athlete, and he uses that to his advantage when playing defense and getting rebounds. He needs to work on his jumper, but he looked really good last year. I see that continuing. If Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could stay healthy at all, I think he would be a good bench player for this team. He's not a great shooter by any means necessary, but he can attack the basket and he plays decent defense, which is what this team is built around. Nic Batum got a big contract, and he did look good in the Olympics, at times, but he needs to stay focused all season. He is a good player, but he doesn't seem to have that killer instinct. They do not have any great big men, so that could pose a problem. When you are relying on Jason Maxiel, Tyler Hansborough and Roy Hibbert to be your guys, that won't work out all that well for you. Those guys don't have any really good, specific skills, they are just big. The bench is fine, with guys like Marco Bellinelli, a great three point shooter, Frank Kaminsky, seems too slow, but can take big guys outside and Jeremy Lamb, he hasn't figured it out yet and I don't see him figuring the NBA out. The bench is just okay. I love Kemba Walker and Marvin Williams though, those guys are really good. The Hornets bench and lack of a true rim protector will be their downfall, but they will win between 42 and 45 games and be in the playoffs.

So Ty, how will the Hornets win the title? The Hornets can win the title if they get a true big man and play the most suffocating defense in the history of the NBA. It would be ugly, but that would be their only chance at a championship, to completely slow the game down to a halt.

At number 14, I have the OKC Thunder. KD is gone, and that is a huge, huge blow to this team. Had he resigned, I think I would have picked them to win it all this year. But, they do have Russell Westbrook back, and when he plays angry, he will not be stopped. That is a good and a bad thing. He will play with reckless abandon and put up huge numbers, but will that translate to wins? They do have a much better roster than two years ago when Durant was out and Westbrook was the man, so I don't think they will be that bad. Steven Adams is on his way to being one of the better true centers in the NBA, He doesn't have an offensive game like Boogie, but I think he is the best defensive true center in the league. He is also a beast on the boards and he is world class trash talker. Andre Roberson is non existent on offense, but he is an incredible defender. He always guards the oppositions best player, and more times than not, he slows them down. Victor Oladipo was a great pick up for them. He is a great slasher, has a sembalance of a jump shot, and he, much like Roberson, is a lock down defender. They did lose Serge Ibaka, but I don't think he will be terribly missed. Enes Kanter is a great offensive big, but he is a horrific defender. He barely played at the end of the Western Finals last year because his defense was so bad. Anthony Morrow is a great spot up shooter, but he brings nothing else to this team. And with KD gone, he will not find himself as wide open as usual. Cameron Payne is a fine young point guard, but he is Westbrook's back up, so he barely sees the floor. Mitch McGary seems like he'd rather get high than work on his game, so he will be relegated to bench duty as soon as his suspension is done. Kyle Singler is trash and Nick Collison is about a million years old and way past his "prime". But, with guys like Westbrook, Oladipo, Adams, Kanter's offense and Roberson's defense, I still see the Thunder as a playoff team, getting about 42 or 43 wins. It may be the eight seed in the West, but still, a playoff team. And Westbrook is going to be on an absolute mission this season.

So Ty, how will the Thunder win the title? The Thunder can win the title if Westbrook goes for a triple double every night, and the numbers have to be huge, I'm talking about 30 ppg, 15 rbg and 15 apg and Adams offensive game takes a huge step and the rest of the roster scores a ton of points. The Thunder would have been so much higher if KD was still there, but he is not, oh well.

At number 13, I have the Atlanta Hawks. Some may say this is too high, but I feel it is just right. I don't think they will regress as much just because they don't have Al Horford anymore. They still have Paul Millsap, who may be the most underrated player in the NBA. Millsap is an all star, a double double machine and a great teammate. He is an excellent basketball player, Some will say, well they don't have Jeff Teague either. I say, I like Dennis Schroder more. He plays with a cockiness that he needs to play with. He thinks he is the best point guard in the NBA. That's not true, but when he is on, he's on. He just needs to stay that way more often. He plays a little too out of control, but he can learn to slow his game down. Kyle Korver is getting way too old to be any threat anywhere on a basketball court, except the three point line. He is still a deadly three point shooter. Kent Bazemore has gotten better the more he's played, and he is becoming a really good NBA player. He is a great slasher, and his jumper is coming along. He also plays very good defense. Thabo Sefolosha is a world class defender, and he can hit the open shot. Other bench guys like Kirk Hinrich, Tim Hardaway Jr, Mike Scott, Kris Humphries and Jarret Jack are all very ho hum. Hinrich's and Jack's best days are way behind them. I'd be shocked if either plays more than 10 minutes a game. Hardaway Jr could be good, but his confidence was wrecked by playing with Carmelo Anthony, and he doesn't see the floor that often for the Hawks. Kris Humphries, when you take away the Kardashian thing, is a pretty decent basketball player. He isn't a world beater, but he isn't a liability either. Mike Scott is their best bench player. He plays hard and smart. And, I cannot forget to talk about their signing of Dwight Howard. I don't know what Dwight Howard they are getting. Will it be the Laker, end of Rockets tenure? Or will it be the Magic, beginning of Rockets tenure? I think they'd like something in the middle. He is not dominant like he was early in his career, but if he engages and plays like he cares, he can be a very big spark for this team. He is still relatively young and can still play, he just has to want to. The Hawks will be in the playoffs again, and they will probably go out with a whimper, like they always do. I see them winning anywhere from 44-47 games this year.

So Ty, how will the Hawks win the title? The Hawks can win the title if Millsap becomes the league MVP, Korver hits 65 percent of his threes, Schroder becomes a team first player, Bazemore becomes an all star and Dwight Howard plays like he did in Orlando, at the beginning. That's asking way too much. Millsap is the only one that may/could play like that.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He would really love the Hornets if they also brought Grandmama back. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Ty tells you how each NBA team can win the title: Magic, Pacers, & Hornets

I love basketball.

Continuing my NBA countdown, today you'll be getting my number 21, 20 and 19 teams. We are just on the outside of the playoffs. These teams are okay, have been good recently but are in a downswing or they are rising, but there just not a playoff team yet. I like these teams, but they're a year or two away, or past their prime. On with the countdown.

My number 21 team is the Orlando Magic. I really like what they are doing in Orlando right now. They are building a strong, youthful team that's full of potential. They drafted my favorite player from last years draft, Elfrid Payton. First of all, he has the best hairdo in the league, but aside from that, he's a really good, really young point guard. He's going to be a star in this league and he will continue to get better and better. Victor Oladipo is a fantastic defender and he's one of the most athletic players I've seen in a long time. He may have been the best overall player in his draft class from three years ago. Nikola Vucevic looks like a really strong player. He made a huge leap last season and he should continue to get better each season. Aaron Gordon is extremely athletic, but he needs to stay healthy if he wants to become a consistent starter in the NBA. They resigned Tobias Harris last season after many, many teams tried to get him. I think he's one of the most underrated players in basketball. He's an all around great player. He's more than just a scorer now. They drafted foreign prospect Mario Herzonja, and while I don't know how good of a player he is, he's extremely confident in himself and his abilities. That's half the battle. The problem with the Magic is their bench. It's pretty thin, filled with unproven players. Guys like Shabazz Napier and CJ Watson and Evan Fournier have shown me very little in their early careers. Everyone else on the bench is average at best. They have a decent, but very young roster. They remind me a lot of the Timberwolves. They'll struggle to win 30 games this year, but if they stay together, this team will be really good in three years.

How the Magic will win it all.

The Magic will win the title if every single player takes a huge step forward and become All NBA caliber players. That won't happen this season, but Oladipo and Payton are destined to be stars. Give them three years.

My number 20 team is the Indiana Pacers. Yes, the same team that was in the east finals two years ago. They really struggled without Paul George for almost all of last season. Their roster is pretty thin as well, with a lot of cast offs from other NBA teams. George Hill is s good point guard, but he's not an All Star and he's only getting older. Paul George is back and he's a top 20 NBA player. The only problem, they'll regret playing him at the four this season, and that won't work for him on defense. Fours are too big and strong for him to guard. They'll beat him up. He'll get his on offense, but defense will punish him. They signed Monta Ellis, but I feel like his best days are behind him. He doesn't really care to play defense. Usually a rookie wouldn't be an upgrade, but Myles Turner, right now, is a better player than Roy Hibbert. That sentiment would have been crazy two years ago, but Hibbert is pretty rough to watch now a days. I think Turner can be a competent center in about three or four years. He does run awkwardly, but he has decent post skills and can rebound and be a rim protector. Their bench, with the exceptions of Jordan Hill and Rodney Stuckey, is either rookies or second and third year players, aka, my buzzword, unproven. I do like Stuckey and Hill though. Stuckey is instant offense and Hill is a good player that got out of LA(he was a Laker) so he can blossom. The Pacers are destined to take a step back. I see 34 or 35 wins this season and they will win ugly.

How the Pacers will win it all.

The Pacers will win the title if George is somehow, some way, able to handle fours on defense, George Hill plays the best basketball of his life, Myles Turner becomes all NBA defense and averages double figures, Monta Ellis contributes on both ends and Stuckey and Hill become starter quality players. I like their roster, but all that stuff isn't happening. Sorry Pacer fans. How they handle this season and offseason will say a lot about the direction the Pacers are going in.

My number 19 team is the Charlotte Hornets. With the injury to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist you may think 19 is too high, but that injury, in my opinion, doesn't change too much about this team. MKG will be hard to replace though, that's for sure. He was definitely coming into his own and his injury will be a tough pill to swallow for the Hornets. The rest of the roster is decent, but not great. They also drafted Frank Kaminsky way too early. He has bust written all over him. Another poor GM decision by Michael Jordan. Kemba Walker is an All Star in waiting. I love the intensity and passion he plays with. He's a really good basketball player. Walker is almost good enough to make the MKG injury a moot point. Almost. Al Jefferson is a good big man that's finally getting the credit he deserves. He plays the game with a mix of old and new school moves. He's an awesome basketball player. He should be a perennial All Star. They traded for Nic Batum before the draft, but I don't know how he fits. He's a good shooter, but there's no Damien Lillard to help take the pressure off. Kemba Walker is good, like I said before, but he's not on Lillard's level yet. They also traded for Jeremy Lamb, who couldn't get off the bench in Oklahoma City and signed Jeremy Lin. I think it's fair and reasonable to stop the hype on Jeremy Lin. He hasn't been very good since he left the Knicks, and he was only good for about 25 games with the Knicks. I like Jeremy Lin the person, I love the pranks he plays on people, but I don't like Jeremy Lin the basketball player. He's not that good. PJ Hairston has a lot of promise, but he can't seem to stay out of trouble. His problems will doom his career. The rest of the roster is not very good. You're grasping for straws if your ninth player off the bench is Tyler Hansborough and your tenth player is rookie Aaron Harrison. Hansborough was a college star, but his game doesn't translate to the NBA and he's an extremely dirty player. Harrison regressed in his sophomore year of college and I don't see him getting much better in the pros. The Hornets may flirt with a .500 record, but are more likely to win 35 games.

How the Hornets will win it all.

The Hornets will win the title if MKG has a miraculous recovery, Walker scores 40 points a game, Jeremy Lin finds the form he had during "Linsanity" and plays like that all season and Nic Batum becomes an All Star. Al Jefferson will be great because he's a great player, but he's in a similar situation as Boogie Cousins. At least Jefferson has a teammate almost as good as him in Kemba Walker.

So, there you have it, teams 21, 20 and 19. Come back tomorrow for teams 18, 17 and 16. We get our first playoff team tomorrow.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He enjoys writing about basketball, but is looking forward to writing about good basketball. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.