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.

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The NBA Has Never Seen a Team as Bad as These Pistons

When the Philadelphia 76ers were in their "process era", I thought they were the worst professional sports franchise. They played with no fire, they weren't competitive and it felt like they knew they had little to no chance when they entered a basketball arena against another professional basketball team. There was no direction. They had no plan other than trying to get the first overall pick. It was frustrating to watch. Having said all of that, I think the 2023 version of the Detroit Pistons may be a worse basketball team.

The Pistons have, on paper, talented basketball players. They have Monty Williams, who I fully believe is a very good basketball coach. They have veterans and young guys that, again on paper, should compliment each other. But it just isn't working. They started the year 2-1. I saw a little bit of their first game and thought they had enough to win 30-32 games this year. I thought they had something to build on for next season after, most likely, securing another lottery pick in 2024. Well, they have now been beaten 27 straight times. That is an NBA record. They are, without a doubt, the worst basketball team in the NBA.

I do not think any college team could beat a professional team, but I would be lying if I didn't say that my son and I have both talked about some college teams, Purdue and Arizona mainly, that could make it closer than it should be. I have also thought that G League Ignite or one of the better G League teams may be able to actually beat them. That is absurd, but the Pistons are so inept, so lost, so bad that it is not out of the question.

When I look at their roster, and see some of the talent, this baffles me. I am a big Cade Cunningham fan. I fully believe he is going to be a solid NBA starter on a good team. He can score in bunches. But he doesn't play any defense. He also looks bored and disinterested at times on the floor. And he is always hurt. Jaden Ivey is a very skilled guard. He is fast, can get to the hoop and can create shots. But he can be too fast sometimes. He also took a big step back and was benched earlier this year. Jalen Duren is awesome. He is going to be dominant when he gets more time and more experience. But he is young and he is often injured. Ausar Thompson looks like a very decent lottery pick. He is going to need time, but he more than passes the eye test. But he cannot hit the broad side of a barn right now. Bojan Bogdanovic is too old, missing too many shots and looks like he wants to be gone. James Wiseman, who I loved in his draft, is a bust. There, I said it. Isaiah Stewart is too prone to fouling. Killian Hayes needs a change of scenery and a bench role. Marvin Bagley is another bust. Marcus Sasser should be starting, but isn't for some unknown reason. Alec Burks and Joe Harris are beyond washed up. Kevin Knox is their third true bust. At the top of the roster, with the young guys, they have talent but it is not translating at the moment. And they need it to be figured out ASAP.

2-28 is just a horrendous record. It is so bad that you cannot even laugh at it. I feel sorry for the players. I feel sorry for Monty Williams. But they are doing this to themselves. They are 28th out of 30 teams scoring in the NBA. They are 20th in rebounding. They are 26th in opponents points per game. Those are all horrendously awful team stats. And the schedule doesn't get any easier. They have Boston tonight, Toronto after that, then Houston. It may be a long while before they win again. Their best bet right now is January 10th when they face the Spurs, who have double the amount of wins that the Pistons have.

Something's gotta give because they should not be this bad. But boy oh boy are the Detroit Pistons really, really bad. 

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 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: Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, Magic

The NBA season is about two weeks away. I know it seems like it just ended, and it did, but the league is getting back on their regular calendar. The pandemic has made everything crazy, and the pro sports leagues are just trying to get back on track. With that, I'm going to start my NBA countdown for the 21-22 season today. I'll do this just like I do my other leagues, going from who I consider the worst to the best. I'll do four teams a day and end it with a full prediction blog. These are some of my favorite blogs to write because I love the NBA so much. Okay let's get to it.

At number 30 I have the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is all exactly what they have wanted. When they traded Harden, couldn't re-sign KD and mercifully traded Russell Westbrook, they had a full rebuild in mind. The good news for the Thunder is they have a billion draft picks and Shai Gilgeous Alexander to build around. SGA is awesome. He is a future all star. He has all the tools to build a team around. This kid is legit. Lu Dort is a hounding defender. If he can start to shoot some he could be a solid starter. Darius Bazley showed flashes last season. Derrick Favors is a fine vet to have on a young team. Outside those guys it is kind of rough. Josh Giddey can shoot, but he is a rookie. Alex Pokuusevski is super raw. Mamadi Diakite can block shots, but doesn't do much else. Ty Jerome isn't that good. Isaiah Roby and DJ Wilson do not see the floor. The Thunder are not good now, but if they keep SGA, get Lu Dort to expand his game and cash in on some of their picks, they will be a threat in about 3-4 years.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. They have Cade Cunningham. He looks like he should be the real deal. He was a great scorer his one year in college and looked good in summer league. They also have Saddiq Bey. He is proving to be a solid all around player. If he can hone his shot he could be very good. Jerami Grant is a really good player and betting on himself totally paid off. He is doing loads of good things for this team. But that seems to be where the "good" of this team stops. Josh Jackson is a bust. Hammidou Diallo is an awesome athlete, but he is way too out of control. Luka Garza is trash. Killian Hayes is completely unproven. Corey Joseph is old. Trey Lyles has never been able to stick anywhere. Isaiah Livers is coming off an injury in college. The Pistons are in a tough spot. They need time to rebuild. Cunningham, Grant and Bey are a solid core, but they need tons and tons of help.

At number 28 I have the Houston Rockets. I think they knew they were going to be in a tough situation when they traded Harden last season, but they did get a slew of picks and they have a ton of future leverage just like the Thunder do. Jalen Green looks every bit the part of a future star. He got great experience while playing for G League Ignite last year. He went toe to toe with Cunningham in summer league. He was on fire until he got a tweak in his leg and sat out the rest of the games. Kevin Porter Jr looked so much better after spending some time in the G League last season. He has bounced around a bit, but the talent has always been there. He should continue to grow. Alpernon Sengun has been on everyone's mind since summer league, where he shined, and I'm excited to see how he plays in real games. After these 3 the team falls off a cliff. John Wall will not play for them this season. Eric Gordon will also most likely be traded before the season starts, or very soon after. Avery Bradley has already left the team. Usman Garuba was a popular pick, but he is so raw. I'm not as high on Christina Wood as other people are. He seems like a good stats on a bad team guy. He is empty calories. Jae'Sean Tate showed flashes, but I need to see more. David Nwaba is incredibly raw. I think the Rockets will be fun to watch because of Jalen Green, but this team will not win more than 25 games all season.

The final team for the day, at number 27 I have the Orlando Magic. I was a fan of them finally blowing it up last season to rebuild. But the rebuild is going to take some time. Cole Anthony has the goods, but he needs time to develop into a true NBA point guard. Mo Bamba simply cannot stay healthy. Ignas Brazdekis is a G League guy. Wendell Carter Jr has the skill, but it has not translated well to the NBA yet. We all know about the Markelle Fultz saga, and while he has looked better in Orlando, he still can't shoot. Johnathan Issac is more focused on not getting vaxxed than playing basketball. RJ Hampton hasn't lived up to the hype and Gary Harris has crashed back to Earth after one good season. Robin Lopex and Terrence Ross are well past their prime. As is E'Twaun Moore, What the Magic need to do is keep Anthony as their point guard, let Jalen Suggs play the 2 and work Franz Wagner in to be their star defender and 3 point shooter. Build off those three and hope that some other players hit or that they get good draft picks. The time had come to rebuild, but Magic fans are going to have to be very patient again. That may be worrisome, but that is where this franchise is right now.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four 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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Thoughts on Who Should Trade for Blake Griffin

Where we sit today, the NBA trade deadline is about three weeks away. There have already been massive moves, Harden to the Nets, and I think there will be a flurry of moves coming very soon. I could see upwards of a dozen or so guys being on a new team before the month is out.

If you are looking for an indicator why, look at all the players being sat right now so teams can try and find a trade partner. Guys like JJ Redick and Austin Rivers and Lonzo Ball and Kevin Love and Andre Drummond have all seen their playing time diminish to almost nothing. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean all these guys will be traded, but I suspect most of them will by March 7th.

One person who I was kind of shocked to be on the block was Blake Griffin. He has really kind of nose dived since the Clippers traded him to the Pistons. At the time it happened, I got it for both sides. The Clippers didn't want to pay him, they were going to go after Kawhi, they were offloading everyone they could and they wanted to make a push. For the Pistons, they wanted to get in the playoffs, they wanted a player that could sell tickets, Griffin could run the show there and he was going to be teamed up with Drummond, who was a Piston at the time, to form a solid front court. Well, it has worked okay for the Clippers, they got Kawhi and Paul George, and they are one of the top teams in the West. As for the Pistons and Griffin, well that is a different story. They were swept out of the playoffs in the first round his first season there. Then he got hurt again. Then the Pistons traded Drummond. And they waived Reggie Jackson, then they recently traded Derrick Rose and they are not very good. They are competitive, but I think only second to the Timberwolves, they have one of the worst records in the league. Jerami Grant has been exceptional, and rookie Saadiq Bey definitely has potential, but they are rebuilding.

Maybe I shouldn't be that shocked to see them sit Griffin, and try to find a trade partner for him. He is older, 31 now. He has been more injured in his pro career than not. He doesn't have the bounce he used to. He has never been a great rebounder or defender. He can shoot and handle okay, but he isn't the threat he once was. I never bought into the hype surrounding Griffin, but he does have some value to a team chasing the playoffs, or perhaps the title.

I have sat and thought about who I think would be the best fit for him, where he could go and do what he has become good at, and help a team get far in the playoffs. That means all the also rans, the Cavs and T'Wolves and Wizards are off the table. But there are some teams, in both conferences, that can use a point forward who can knock down a few threes per game, and force opponents to guard him because he is still somewhat of a scoring threat. Right away I take out the Lakers, Clippers, Nets, Jazz, Trailblazers and Nuggets. These teams already have players like him, or they don't have enough equity to get him. But that does leave some teams, teams near the top, that could use a guy like Blake Griffin to make a push. The 76ers could use him, but they will not give up enough to get him, and they shouldn't. What they are doing right now is working. The Bucks may like the idea of pairing him with Giannis, and while he is much better than Bobby Portis, I do not think Milwaukee has enough to make a trade for him, unless they are willing to part with a starter or two. I think he would work out well with the Spurs, but I don't think Pop wants to bring on a former "star" player. I think he likes what his youth is giving him right now. I'd be kind of interested to see him paired with Luka in Dallas, but they seem set with Porzingis, and that is a bummer. He is so soft, and does not play like a 7 footer. He is also as injury prone, if not more so, than Griffin. I don't think the Celtics will be willing to part with any of their youth, and the Knicks want a young big name, not a player in his waning years.

That leaves me with two teams that, while I do not think they will win the title, they will be in the playoffs and make a serious push. Those teams are the Pacers and Heat. Both are very middling right now. The Pacers are .500, and the Heat are below .500. That doesn't mean things won't change, and I think if either one adds Griffin, they could make their way to the upper half of the East. The Pacers would need to part ways with Myles Turner, which would be a bummer because he has been a defensive force this season. But, his name has been in trade talks the past two years. I think they could put Turner in the deal, add a younger guard and a pick, and they could add Griffin. That would pair him up with Sabonis. Sabonis does all the dirty work, he is a good defender and he is becoming a legit first option. Griffin could play off that pretty well. Then he would have shooters around him. Brogdon can knock down shots. TJ Warren is liable to go for 40 on any given night. Jeremy Lamb has moments. And when Caris Levert gets cleared to play, he is an offensive dynamo. Griffin would be surrounded by young guys that play hard on both ends and he could come in and be someone that can contribute offensively right away. It would be such a bummer to have to trade Turner, but as I said, it is not like they haven't shopped him yet.

As for the Heat, they are struggling right now. They're 11-16, which is 10th currently in the East, but a few wins here and there, and they are back in it. They are also almost at full health. They were ravaged by injury, they had COVID issues, and finally they are getting everyone back. The Heat also would not have to give up any of the young scorers that have been mentioned for bigger names. They could keep Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. Bam is off the table obviously. Jimmy Butler isn't going anywhere. Dragic is there to stay. Hell, they could even hold onto Andre Igodala if they want. They would have to give up someone, or multiple someones, guys like Kendrick Nunn or Kelly Olnyk or Meyers Leonard or maybe, even though they don't want to, Precious Achiuwa. But I think they would, knowing they could keep the main core guys, and add Griffin to the team. I also think Griffin would love playing for the Heat, and he would definitely prefer Miami to Indiana due to outside interests. I also think he fits even better with the Heat. Bam is better than Damontas Sabonis. He is stronger, a better offensive player and just seems to have that "it" factor some star players show. Jimmy Butler could be Griffin's newer version of Chris Paul, keeping him in check. He has better, younger versions of JJ Reddick in Robinson and Herro. And He and Dragic could run a dangerous pick and roll against second units. The Heat, for a myriad of reasons, makes almost too much sense to me. I would be kind of stunned when/if he gets traded if it isn't to the Heat. I think both teams would benefit the most. And above all, I think Griffin would take this news with a tremendous smile and acclimate very nicely, and quickly, to Miami.

Miami. That is where Blake Griffin should end up. It is as near a perfect fit as there is in the NBA.

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 2020-2021 NBA Preview: The Worst of the Worst

As wild as it seems, the next NBA season starts in 15 days. We are two weeks away from the season.

This is wild to me, but I am stoked. I love the NBA, I loved the bubble, I am stoked to see some of the rookies that were drafted, want to see some of the guys that switched teams and am just happy that pro basketball is back. They proved they can do a season during this pandemic, and while I am sure they will run into some problems, I do not envision the NBA having the same issues as the NFL or MLB or college sports. The people in charge know what they are doing, and they have already laid out a 158 page rule book for the upcoming season. The pandemic is still raging, with no signs of slowing down any time soon, but I think the NBA can pull this off again. I am also a big fan of the 72 game sprint, with no all star game or any other distraction.

With all this being said, I am going to do my traditional NBA season countdown of teams, from worst to best. I love doing this. I will do five teams a day, explain why I have them where I do and after I am done counting all the teams down, I will do predictions, including awards, possible stoppages and my finals pick. Let's get to it.

Coming in at 30, the bottom of the barrel, I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs just don't seem to really have a plan right now. They have talent, but it is young and they have too many similar players. They also totally whiffed on the John Beilein hire. I do think JB Bickerstaff is a solid head coach, but he doesn't have much to work with. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are good, but not that good. They aren't guys to build around. I am a big Sexton fan, but he is very inconsistent. Garland looked like a guy that barely played in college last season. Kevin Love clearly wants out, and he is older. Larry Nance Jr is hyper athletic, but he isn't really anymore than a dunker. Andre Drummond is in purgatory there, and I think he wants out. Isaac Okoro is an okay pick, but he doesn't move the needle for me yet. And the rest of the roster has older vets that haven’t done much. Guys like Matthew Dellavedova, Javale McGee, Thon Maker and Dante Exum fill out the roster. Sure, a couple of them have rings, but it has nothing to do with them. The Cavs will be a lottery team yet again.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. I mean, I trashed the Cavs roster for having older vets, but the Pistons make that look tame. Derrick Rose is the point guard. He is good, and has improved, but I have to imagine he will be gone soon. Blake Griffin is the 4, but he has lost his explosiveness, and he is now a guy teams don't want to trade for. Jahlil Okafor just signed there, but he has never figured out the NBA. He should have played in a different era. Josh Jackson, who I absolutely loved when he was in his draft, has been a total bust. And this has to be something like the tenth team Trevor Ariza has played on. The Pistons have some youth, but it isn't team building youth. Sekou Dembouya has some skills, but he barely sees the floor. Svi Mykhaliuik has already been traded three times, and he has been in the league for 3 years. I like the Saadiq Bey pick, but he may not get enough playing time to flourish. And poor Zhaire Smith can't seem to catch a break. The Pistons may be the least desirable team in the NBA right now. They are better than Cleveland because Derrick Rose proved he is on his way back, but just barely better.

At number 28 I have the OKC Thunder. I know they were a playoff team, and they pushed the Rockets to seven games last season, but they offloaded two of their best guys. I understand why, but still, losing Chris Paul and Steven Adams is going to take a toll. I love love love Shai Gilgeous Alexander, and he has gotten better each of his two seasons. Now we will have to see how he does as the main guy every night. He is going to have the keys to run this offense. Lugentz Dort was a revelation in the bubble as a defensive force. But he is not a great shooter, and he will have to guard the other team's best guy every night. That takes a toll. Andre Roberson came back last year, in the bubble in fact, but he looked like a shell of himself. Hamidou Diallo is a freak athlete, but that is it. He isn't much of a shooter or defender. Darius Bazley can hit threes, but he will be a starter on this team. And while it is nice to have Danny Green and George Hill, they aren't Chris Paul and Steven Adams. The Thunder are going to take a major step back. But, they have SGA and a gang of draft picks. They won't be down for very long.

At number 27 I have the New York Knicks. Now, I usually pick on the Knicks with just cause. But, I actually like the direction they could be headed in. I am not a fan of the Tom Thibodeau hiring. But maybe it will be better since he is just the coach. He is not the GM like he was in Minnesota. I also love the pick of Obi Toppin. I think pairing him with Mitchell Robinson is going to make their front court a very formidable one, especially if Toppin can play semi serviceable defense. Robinson can take care of the rest. But after that, this is where they fall off for me. RJ Barrett proved he could score, but he takes far too many shots, is inconsistent and not a willing passer yet. Kevin Knox is not nearly as good as I thought he would be. He is actually, according to statisticians, one of the worst players in the league. Frank Ntilikina is a solid defender, but he is a mess on offense. Dennis Smith Jr, another player I really rooted for as a rookie, has never really found his place in the league. Julius Randle is a good scorer, but nothing more. Signing Austin Rivers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was so ho hum I actually forgot they were on the team until I did some research. The Knicks are a ways away from being relevant again. But, if Toppin and Robinson find a way to coexist and share the court, they could be a duo that older stars might want to come play with. The Knicks have two guys that they can build off of. The only question, or questions, will it work, and will they be willing to wait? Time will tell.

My final team for the day, at number 26, I have the Chicago Bulls. I saw some rankings that had them as high as the late teens, and people are praising the Billy Donovan hire, which I agree is a solid hire, but this roster leaves a TON to be desired. I really like Coby White, and I think he has the tools to be an all star. He just needs to have a coach that will let him play through mistakes. After him though, I am not sold, at all, on this roster. Zach Lavine is their "guy", but he is so average to me. He is an excellent leaper, and his jumper has gotten way better, but he shows no effort on defense, and he is clearly not a player to build a roster around. Lauri Markanen had a solid rookie year, then got hurt and really struggled last year. I feel like last year is more indicative of the type of player he will be. Wendell Carter Jr never got the chance to be himself under Jim Boylen. Maybe Donovan changes that, but Carter has got to get that killer instinct back. I am not a big fan of the Patrick Williams pick. He is very talented, but also very raw. I also do not want to see him take minutes away from Wendell Carter Jr. And in looking at the rest of the roster, it is very blah. At least when Donovan took the Thunder job he had a player of Russell Westbrook's talent. He doesn't have any player near his level, and the vets are total also rans. Otto Porter Jr and Noah Vonleh and Denzel Valentine and Daniel Gafford and Thad Young, those names just don't jump off the page. Billy Donovan has his work cut out for him, and so does Coby White. I think those two will be fine, it is the rest of the roster that worries me, and should worry Bulls fans. They are not a playoff team yet, as some have predicted.

That does it for day one. This rules. 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.

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Andre Drummond Deserves Better

I know that I touched on the NBA trade deadline yesterday, and RD even put up the fact that D’Angelo Russell got traded to the Timberwolves much to the delight of Karl Anthony Towns, and that the Warriors are ready to turn Andrew Wiggins around, but there’s one other trade that I want to focus on today, and it’s an egregious one. Russell was probably the biggest name moved, you could throw in Clint Capela maybe, but he has not been an all star, but that Andre Drummond was traded, to Cleveland, for what amounts to peanuts, has me shaking my head.

I get that Drummond is a dinosaur in the modern NBA. He might be the 21st century version of Roy Hibbert, except not as good on defense. He also has tried, but he simply isn’t a good enough shooter to become a stretch player. But, Drummond has been an all star. He’s been on the US national team. He’s been to the playoffs a few times. He is a savage rebounder. He’s relentless on the boards. He does have a solid low post game. Drummond isn’t great, but he’s no slouch. I actually feel kind of mean calling him a modern Roy Hibbert. Hibbert was good for maybe two seasons. Drummond has been a solid player his whole career. He’s just been languished on a team that is in NBA purgatory, and I think that has clouded people’s judgement on him as a player. If he was playing in a bigger market, or on a better team, Drummond would be a commodity. Mitchell Robinson, who I really, really like, is a similar player, but since he’s the only decent Knick, the media adores him. He plays a very similar game, is only a few years younger, and is on a very bad team as well, but he plays in New York, and people look at him like a prized possession. Drummond on the other hand, he’s a player that I’ve heard media members describe as a “stat hunter”, “lazy”, “not willing to adjust to the modern NBA” or “not good”. I don’t agree with any of that. I still believe that Drummond is a good player if he’s put in the right situation. I don’t think he’s a stat hunter. He’s a big guy that has been trained his whole life to rebound. That’s what’s in him. I don’t think he’s lazy at all. I watch too many Pistons games, I am a League Pass subscriber, and he looks like he’s going hard all game. He just doesn’t yell or scream or show up dudes. He does his job, and he does it well. I already said that he’s tried to get a jump shot, but I go back to the fact that he’s a big man. I’m sure he was big when he was young, and I’m sure he was told to rebound, block shots and stay in the post. It’s hard to move on from that when it’s been your identity forever.

The whole not good stuff, that’s just blasphemy. Drummond is a very good NBA player. A guy that’s no good wouldn’t be able to consistently grab 20 rebounds and pour in 20 points. I really think the people who say he’s no good are these analytical and stat nerds. They have no respect or sympathy for throw back centers. These are the same people who don’t think prime Shaq would be a good modern NBA player. Prime Shaq would dominate in the modern game. Giannis is like prime Shaq, just skinnier, and he’s looking at possible back to back MVP seasons. I don’t like that analytics have become such a part of the NBA. To me, it’s ruining the game.

Back to Drummond. I’ve already stated many reasons why I think he’s a solid player, but this trade is a slap in the face to him. He’s solid, and he was traded for two salary dump guys and a second round pick. That’s ridiculous. He is worth so much more than that. I personally think it should have been a comparable player swap, or multiple role player swap. A team like the Celtics could’ve used him. They would have had to give up Marcus Smart, or Daniel Thiess, or a few bench guys, but it would’ve been worth it. The Rockets would’ve been better off going Capela for Drummond straight up. I think the Clippers could’ve used Drummond, and they would have only had to part with players like Ivan Zubac and Mo Harkless, maybe Derrick Walton Jr too. Hell, Denver could’ve put him next to Jokic, and that would be a better front court pairing than Jokic and Paul Milsap.

I don’t like this trade for either team, and I feel bad for Drummond now. I hope he balls the hell out and gets a nice contract offer from a playoff team for next season. He’s a consummate pro, so I know he’ll try, and play hard. The Cavs are so bad, it might not matter. But, if Drummond goes out there and gets 20 and 20 every night, someone smart will sign him ASAP this offseason. I promise you that.

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: Hawks, Pistons, Knicks, Pelicans

Day 3 of my NBA countdown is here. We are almost at my top 18, or which teams I would put in the playoffs if they didn't have to do East and West teams. Also, if any of the 4 teams I have today make the playoffs, it wouldn't shock me at all.

Anyway, coming in at number 22 I have the Atlanta Hawks. I love the way this team is being built, and I love the young talent they have. Trae Young totally changed my view of him with the way he improved all season long. He started slow, but he didn't let that bother him, and by the end of the year, it wasn't a far gone conclusion that Doncic was the runaway rookie of the year. Young made it a real race. He is already a very solid shooter, but the way he passed the ball and his handles, man did he have a real solid year. Now he needs to grow off that. I am a big time fan of John Collins. I like his old school game, he is strong, he can rebound and is a nice dunker. I like the pick of Deandre Hunter. He was a great defender in college, and hopefully that will translate to the pros for him. He also shot the lights out in the NCAA title game, and maybe that was a sign of things to come. They also took a "flyer" on Cam Reddish with the 10th pick. I don't see big things from him, he was a ghost at Duke last year. But, for the 10th overall pick, why not take a shot. If he becomes a sixth man, I feel like that is a win. Vince Carter is back for his 10 millionth season. I know this is his last, and he has been so much fun tot watch. I have nothing but respect for Carter. Kevin Huerter is another lethal shooter right next to Trae Young. Jabari Parker is there, and while he has not been great at much, the dude can score. The Hawks are not ready yet, but neither were the Thunder when they first made the playoffs. I could see that happening with the Hawks, especially in the East. But still, I think 35 wins is best case scenario for them.

At number 21 I have the Detroit Pistons. I just don't really know what they're trying to do. They have a few big names. Blake Griffin is a perennial All Star and a solid player. But, I still feel like he is wildly overrated, he is older, not as athletic and still gets hurt too much. Andre Drummond is a massive, throwback center, and I love watching him play. He plays hard and tough, but he isn't a top of the line center. Also, he needs to stop shooting threes. That is not his game at all. Reggie Jackson is a waste of a roster spot. He has only gotten worse since demanding his way out of OKC. He makes far too much money, and thinks he is better than he truly is. Luke Kennard is a nothing player. He isn't that good of a shooter, he cannot defend and he just takes up space. Derrick Rose is here, and while he played way better last year, he just isn't the guy he used to be. I hope for good things for him, but he seems past his time. They signed Joe Johnson after he won the MVP in the Big 3, but come on, he isn't "Big Shot Joe" anymore. Other than that, it's a cobbled together group of basketball players. What helps them is their coach, Dwayne Casey, who I like, and the fact they play in the East. But still, I do not know what to make of this team.

At number 20 I have the New York Knicks. Now this roster, this is the most cobbled together piece of junk I have seen in some time. This team totally whiffed on any big name free agents this past summer, and then they were left digging for scraps, and scraps they got. Julius Randle is a fine NBA player, but he is not a cornerstone player. You cannot build a title contender, or even a playoff contender, when Randle is your guy, and like I said, I like Randle. They got Marcus Morris to fleece the Spurs and sign with them, but I feel like the Spurs dodged a bullet. They signed Elfrid Payton, and he is the point guard version of Jabari Parker minus the scoring prowess. Bobby Portis is better known for punching a teammate than anything he has done on the court. Taj Gibson is a billion years old. And Wayne Ellington is here for some reason. The young guys are still very unproven. Frank Ntilikina has never gotten a real shot, and they need to trade him so he can try and reinvigorate his career. I love Mitchell Robinson, and I think he is the dude they need to build around. Kevin Knox was dreadful last year, and has not looked good in preseason. Dennis Smith Jr is hyper athletic, but still struggles to shoot the ball. And they took RJ Barrett, who I have zero faith in as a future All Star. The Knicks roster is so weird and seems incompatible. Randle will score in bunches and Mitchell Robison is awesome, but outside of that, I just don't know what to make of this team. I have them higher than I thought I would, but I wouldn't be shocked if they win 25 games this year. Who knows.

My final team for the day, coming in at number 19, is the New Orleans Pelicans. No team, that lost a great, top 5 player, could have had a better offseason than the Pelicans. Yes, they lost Anthony Davis, and while that is a real bummer, they got such a great return. They got Lonzo Ball, who has a much improved shooting form, and can still play D and find the open shooter. They got Josh Hart who is a consummate pro. He does all the little things. They got Brandon Ingram, and he was really starting to come along late last season. He played so much better when LeBron was out, and in New Orleans, I feel like he could shine. And they got the number one overall pick, Zion Williamson. While I want to see more than just dunking from him, he is going to ease the loss of Davis so much smoother. He will get people to come out and watch the Pelicans. They still have Jrue Holiday, who might be the most underrated player in the NBA. He is so good in every phase of the game. They drafted Jaxson Hayes, who is incredibly raw, but incredibly talented. When/if he starts to figure it out, he is going to be a great modern big. I also love the pick of Nickeil Alexander Walker. He was an under the radar choice, and he had an excellent summer league and has looked solid in preseason. They signed Derrick Favors and JJ Redick too. Those guys have been in the playoffs a ton, and they have great veteran experience to help out this young squad. The Pelicans did something great after losing such a star. They rebuilt on the fly, and they did it so much better than anyone could have expected. The one problem, they play in the West, and the West is super duper tough. I could see them winning 42, 43 games and missing out on the playoffs. But my hat is off to New Orleans. They did an excellent job, and they will be a playoff team much sooner than expected.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 4 teams. We are in playoff team territory now.

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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Now We are Waiting on Russell Westbrook's New Team

On Monday I talked about Kawhi's decision, and my opinion of the current state of the NBA. I talked a bit about the Clippers not only getting Kawhi, but also getting Paul George. I mentioned that I had heard rumors that the Thunder were now exploring trades for Russell Westbrook. Today I want to talk about my feelings on that, and which team, or teams, I think would be a good fit for him.

First off, my thoughts on the idea of trading Russ away from OKC. I think the time has come for both parties to move on. Russ has done all he can do for that team and that city. He ran the show when it was him, KD and Harden. When Harden left, he changed his game to play with KD. Some people don't agree with this, they are wrong. KD is an iso guy, and the fact that Russ was so important to watch while on defense, he made it easier for KD to get his. Then KD left, and all Russ did was lead a terrible cast of players, with a new coach, to the playoffs, won the MVP and averaged a triple double. Again, idiots will say he was a stat hunter and only cared about himself. I say, he absolutely had to do this in order for that particular Thunder team to win.

Then they acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. That did not work out, but they still made the playoffs, and Russ and PG seemed to like one another. They liked one another so much, Russ convinced PG to sign a deal with OKC that offseason. Last season, one of Russ' worst, as far as stats go, the Thunder made the playoffs again, Russ averaged a triple double for the third straight year, and helped PG become an MVP candidate, before he got hurt. But, they lost in the first round again, and it was all blamed on Westbrook.

Then the Kawhi stuff happened. I mean, what else, sans winning a title, can Russ do for the Thunder? He has really given them his all, has played through injury, willed this team back to the playoffs constantly, kept them afloat when KD left and is a blast to watch play. So, I think, if he wants one final chance to be on a competitive team, he has earned that right.

This leads me to which teams I think would be good fits for him. One, I would love, LOVE, to see him go to Phoenix. Sure, they aren't a title contender, but to replace Ricky Rubio with Russ, and put him next to Devin Booker, and an athletic big like Deandre Ayton, that would push them to a possible playoff team, even in the West. He would sell tickets there as well. Also, Phoenix could take on the last 2 years of his contract because they have so much young talent that is clogging spots for other players. They could make this deal happen, and I wish they would.

I like the fit with Chicago. He could go there, be a stop gap for Coby White, who I think is going to be really good, and help a team with Zach Lavine, Lauri Markenan and Wendell Carter definitely get into the playoffs in the East. The Bulls also have guys with easy contracts to trade, and they have picks.

Detroit was odd for me at first, but I think sending him there for Reggie Jackson and Luke Kennard, plus picks, would make the Pistons fun. Russ and Blake Griffin, along with Andre Drummond could be a devastating pick and roll combo. And put him next to Derrick Rose, while not a great shooting back court, it would be explosive. I also think he would love to play for Dwayne Casey.

Then, my final team, the Miami Heat. I know the Thunder already have some of their picks, and trading Russ there would possibly take the picks out of the lottery, but they could get a good return of players, that they can turn into picks, and teaming Russ with Jimmy Butler could be a match made in heaven. Those 2 are cut from the same cloth, they will rip your will out of you, they would look cool as hell in those Miami vice jerseys, and Erik Spolestra has already shown he can coach mega stars to titles. Jimmy Butler and Russ may not be the duo you need to win a title, but in the East, who knows. I would love to see them playing against the Celtics or 76ers or Bucks. They would throw the hell down. This is what I hope, and want, to happen for Russ. I think it is almost too perfect.

Anyway, whatever what happens to Russ, I hope he gets a chance to compete, and that people stop blaming him for everything that has happened in OKC. It is not his fault. He has stayed tried and true to that team, and he can now do what he wants. He has earned that. I am fully team Russ.

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

The Overrated Blake Griffin is Finished in the NBA

To round out my 2 weeks of basketball previews, I want to finish up talking about a specific player. This is not a young player. This is not a rookie. This is not a super star, not anymore at least. This is not a player that will matter come playoff time. This is not an all star. This player is Blake Griffin.

I want to ask a very specific question about him, and then I will try and answer it. And know this, I do not, and have never, ever like Griffin. Even with him going to the Michigan football game last weekend did not score him any points with me. The question, is Blake Griffin done?

Now, I have never thought he was as good as others used to say. I have always thought that he is/was wildly overrated. I have always thought that he is/was soft. I despise his constant complaining. I do not think he takes the games as serious as a supposed super star is supposed to. His win in the dunk contest, however long ago that was, was ridiculous. He did not jump over a car, he jumped over the hood. It was lame. I always thought he was the third wheel in the whole "Lob City" era with the Clippers. I do not think he is funny. I do not like his commercials. I just do not like Blake Griffin.

And before you think this piece is just to slander, you are 50 percent correct.

I have multiple signs that point to the fact that Griffin is cashed as a NBA player. Reason one, the Clippers gave him a max contract last year, and when the time to trade him came up, they did it without a second thought. And, they traded him to Detroit. For Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley. That is not the return you'd expect for a supposed super star. He then proceeded to do nothing to help the Pistons get to the playoffs. The one thing he helped do was get Stan Van Gundy fired as GM and coach. Van Gundy took that risk, and it blew up in his face.

Even before the trade, he was not the star the Clippers made him out to be. He was more known for his whining, dunking, doing stupid shit to fans and getting hurt. He missed his entire rookie year due to injury. He then wasn't much of a star in his next year, even if he won Rookie of the Year. Michael Carter Williams has also won that award by the way. He then got paired up with Chris Paul and Deandre Jordan started to come into this own, and while the Clippers were now a playoff team, it wasn't because of Griffin, at least not to me. Chris Paul pushed that team to the playoffs. Deandre Jordan was the defensive and rebounding stalwart they needed. Griffin was there to dunk. Sure, he developed a mid range shot, but in the modern NBA, most people don't want mid range shooting. Teams want threes, which he cannot shoot or dunks, which he is only getting worse at. The Clippers never made the conference finals with him as their supposed star player.

What really put this all into perspective for me was one instance in the preseason, and another that just happened the other night. Blake Griffin attempted to back down a smaller player, and then tried to elevate for a dunk. This happened against the same team, and the same player denied him, twice. When Griffin went up to dunk, to make the highlight reel like he used to do, his attempt was stopped cold by Jarrett Allen. Now, I know who Jarrett Allen is because I am a humongous NBA nerd. I like Allen. I think he is one of the better rim protectors in the NBA. But, he isn't Joel Embiid, Al Horford, prime Serge Ibaka or Rudy Gobert. Allen plays a smallish role on the awful Nets. And he stoned Griffin's dunk attempt twice. Griffin doesn't have the lift anymore. People aren't afraid to challenge him at the rim. He, of course, looked for a foul call, but both blocks were as clean as they come. These younger guys, that play modern NBA defense, are not afraid of a guy like Griffin anymore. I mean, Jarrett Allen made him look like a scrub. He stopped him cold two times in the matter of a week. Blake Griffin cannot do it anymore. It's either that, or he just doesn't care enough anymore since he is in Detroit, and he thinks no one is watching.

Well, I was watching. I saw the clips, then I watched them again and then I watched them a third time. I have told friends and family that like the NBA to check out the clips. I am writing an entire piece about his lack of explosion now. I have never though that Griffin was a star, and the 2 Allen blocks have just reaffirmed it for me.

This is pure joy for me, and I cannot wait to see the next back up center stone him at the rim again. Blake Griffin is done.

Ty

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

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.

John Beilein is Staying at Michigan. That is Great News

Yesterday John Beilein confirmed that he is returning to coach the university of Michigan men's basketball team. Today he even said that he wants to finish his coaching career at Michigan. All of this comes about a week after he was made the odds on favorite to land the open Detroit Pistons head coaching job. I had very mixed emotions about all of this.

First off, I am not a Pistons fan, but I do not have the same visceral hatred for them as I do the LA Clippers. I am very indifferent when it comes to the Pistons. But, I know that there were many, many fans in Detroit that were very shook up by this news. They have love for Beilein, but I also think they thought that he would have been a good choice for the Pistons. It had to be hard for them to choose between their love for their pro team and their college team. I get it in the college sense, but as I said, I don't really care either way about the Pistons.

I was also feeling very odd about the news because it isn't Michigan's basketball coach that is always rumored to be going to the pros, it is their football coach. Every year since Jim Harbaugh has taken over Michigan's football team, some journalist or talking head has said that he will be leaving for the NFL. This has been going on for four years now. I'm used to the rumors, and to be quite frank, I always expect him to bolt. But, for John Beilein to be the one that was going to jump to the pros, it kind of shook me.

Coach Beilein has done wonders at Michigan. When he took over around 11 years ago, that team was a mess. They were still reeling from the Fab Five and Robert Traylor sanctions, and they were at the bottom of the Big Ten. Since then, they have slowly crept their way to, at least, being in the top half of the Big Ten, ranked in the top 25 every year and pretty much always an NCAA tournament team. He has also taken Michigan to 2 Final Four's and 2 title games. He has done all of this with, mostly, guys that were under recruited in high school. Yes, he pulled in some big time guys, Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr all come to mind. But, he has done most of his damage with the less heralded recruits. Trey Burke was Mr. Ohio basketball, but not even the University of Ohio State would recruit him. They said they didn't have space for him. And look at what Burke did in his 3 years at Michigan. He led them to a national title appearance, won NCAA player of the year, hit that spectacular shot against KU and was a lottery pick. I give Burke most of the credit, but it was Beilein's system and coaching that really made him a great college player. There is also a guy like Nik Stauskas. No one knew much of this scrawny kid out of Canada. But, he came to Michigan, became a lethal three point shooter and he also became a lottery pick. Again, I give a ton of credit to Beilein for doing that. Or take someone like Jordan Morgan, Beilein's first real big man. For those that know, Beilein likes to run a space and pace offense with shooters everywhere, and one big guy to rebound. Well, Morgan could rebound and defend, but he also became a very capable scorer under Beilein's tutelage. He now has a successful career overseas. And we have guys like Darius Morris, who was kind of a big time recruit, came to Michigan, struggled his freshman year, learned the offense, had a great sophomore year and turned that into a pro career. Manny Harris is another guy that thrived under Beilein.

I then look at the team from last year. After the plane crash, then going on to win the Big Ten tournament, and make a run to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. That was amazing, and he did it with very unheralded recruits. Zak Irvin was a big time contributor on that team. Mo Wagner was still learning the college game. DJ Wilson blossomed in the tournament. Muhammed Ali Abdur Rahkmann was still figuring it out. And Derrick Walton, I don't think I have ever trusted a player with a coach's system since the Fab Five guys, as I did with Walton and Beilein's system. Walton Jr was incredible at running the super intricate plays that Beilein puts in there, and they had a great run.

Then we have last season. After Walton Jr and Irvin graduated, and DJ Wilson declared for the draft, I did not expect much from Michigan. I figured they would be a tournament team, and maybe make it to the second round, but that was it. But, with Wagner finally playing well and Abdur Rahkmann easily stepping into the Derrick Walton role, and Zavier Simpson doing great things and Jon Teske being a great back up center, and all those freshman, Isiah Livers and Jordan Poole come to mind, this team pushed all the way to the title game. Yes, they got throttled, but they made it there, and I give all the credit in the world to John Beilein for that. He turned these 3 and 4 star guys into a great team. Michigan doesn't need the "one and done" guys with Beilein there. He will develop guys.

So, that was why I was a little shook when he was interviewing for the Pistons job, and then especially when everyone thought he was going to get it. He just feels like a college coach to me. He is where he belongs. And hey, I would have not blamed him for one second of he took the Pistons job. I fully understand wanting to compete at the highest level to see if you can hack it. I have heard numerous people say it, and it is very true, there are only 30 head coaching jobs in the NBA, so if someone wants you, you must be doing something right. He has earned the right to have his choice. But boy am I glad he stayed at Michigan. I truly do hope he stays there for the rest of his career because he has made me care about their basketball team once again. I still love their football team with all of my heart, when it comes to sports, but I am starting to get there with the basketball program too. That is all due to John Beilein.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

There is No Upside for Anyone with the Blake Griffin Trade

Blake Griffin is no longer a Clipper. He was traded to the Pistons in what some are calling a "blockbuster" deal. I don't view it that way. As you all know well by now, I think the Clippers and Blake Griffin are extremely overrated. They have never really accomplished anything noteworthy. They never got out of the second round of the playoffs. They never struck fear in any other NBA team. No matter how bad the Lakers were/are, the Clippers were always the second best team in LA. The dunk contest Blake Griffin won was stupid. He punched out employees of the team. He focused more on his "acting" and "stand up comedy" career. He always got hurt. He was one of the main guys to push Chris Paul out of town. He consistently complains to refs. These are all the things that I will remember about Blake Griffin as a Clipper.

In actuality, he had one great season as a Clipper. He was only once a top 5 player in the league. And that year, the Clippers blew a 3-1 lead to the Rockets in the playoffs. Other than that, he would be featured on ESPN due to some highlight dunks or because he got injured again. I don't think he ever truly bought in to being the face of the Clippers franchise. And yesterday, they ended that possibility for good.

Before I fully get into this trade, I don't think either team got better or worse. In fact, I think they will both finish right about where I picked them both in the preseason. The full trade, and I'm sure I'll miss out on some of the involved players, I will just highlight who I consider important, has the Clippers sending Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson and some dude I never heard of to the Pistons for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban and a first and second round pick. At first glance you may see this and think that the Pistons got the better part of the deal. After all, they did get the "superstar". Again, I have never thought he was any kind of star. But, is he really the best player in this trade. Sure, he has had highlight reel dunks, extended his range and is a decent passer, but is he a better defender than Avery Bradley? No way. Is he a better scorer than Tobias Harris? Yes, but he needs the ball in his hands at all times. Harris can spread the floor and find open spots and hit rhythm jumpers. He doesn't need to hold the ball for the entirety of the shot clock before hoisting up a jumper.

The main thing with Griffin though, how long can he stay healthy? I know that Stan Van Gundy is taking a big, big leap, but what does he care? If this trade doesn't work and the Pistons miss the playoffs, he will be fired, but he can go straight to TV and make nearly as much as he does coaching and being the GM. This is a last ditch effort for him to save his job. I loved the combo of big guys in New Orleans(more on Boogie Cousins tomorrow), but this doesn't feel the same. Andre Drummond, while a great rim protector and rebounder, is nowhere near as athletic as Davis or Boogie. Also, Griffin has already played next to almost the exact same guy in LA, DeAndre Jordan, and that was not a success. I also feel like this will stifle Drummond's growth. He has been great this year, but now he will have to be second fiddle to Griffin. That is a bummer.

Also, the rest of the Pistons roster leaves a lot to be desired. Reggie Jackson is average at best, Luke Kennard is an inconsistent rookie, Henry Ellenson stinks, Ish Smith cannot do much anymore and Stanley Johnson hasn't figured it out yet. They just don't have good NBA players.

After reading that, you probably think that I think the Clippers won the trade then, right? Nope. Yes they shed a horrendous contract and opened up cap space, but that is about it. Avery Bradley is not engaged this season. He needs to be on a team with playoff ambitions, and neither the Pistons nor the Clippers will make the playoffs, in my opinion. Tobias Harris is good, and I think he will become a number one or two option on this team, especially if they get rid of Lou Williams and DeAndre Jordan, but would you want Tobias Harris to be your first or second option? Will he lead you to a title? How about the conference finals, or even the playoffs? It didn't happen in Orlando or Detroit, and I don't see that changing now. Boban is more known for his enormous hands than his playing ability. That is all that needs to be said about him. The rest of their roster is just as ho hum as the Pistons, especially if they get rid of Jordan and Williams. That means that guys like Montrez Harrell, Austin Rivers, Juwan Evans and Sam Dekker will be playing crunch time. Ouch. That is brutal. So no, the Clippers didn't win this trade either.

This trade is more substance than circumstance. It looks big on paper, but on the floor, I don't think it matters. I do find it hilarious that the Clippers traded him to Detroit though. That is ruthless, mean, but also hilarious. As I said at the top, he claims to want to be a stand up comedian and an actor. He could do that stuff in LA. Where is he going to do that in Detroit? I heard a story today that said  the people close to him say that he is very sad and frustrated right now. Well, the NBA is a business, so grow the hell up. People said the same thing to Isaish Thomas when the Celtics traded him for Kyrie Irving, and he was way more important to them than Blake Griffin ever was to the Clippers. Stop whining and go play for your new team.

Another thing that has made me laugh about all this is the sudden 180 from guys like Bill Simons and the whole Ringer staff. A year ago they were all saying that Griffin was one of the best young players in the NBA. They said he should be an MVP candidate. They claimed he would thrive without Chris Paul. They said he would win in spite of Doc Rivers. They loved him next to DeAndre Jordan. Today, on all their NBA podcasts, they were all singing a different tune. Now he is too often injured, he doesn't care enough, he needs a change of scenery, he was never going to lead the Clippers to the conference finals, he was too much of a headache to the franchise. They completely flipped on him. The Ringer is becoming a lot like the company they are trying to compete with, ESPN. They are front runners and they will drop you the moment you aren't relevant, or don't live and play in a big market anymore. It is hilarious and stupid all at the same time.

Bottom line, I don't think any team won this trade, I find it hilarious that Griffin is sulking like a baby when he makes millions upon millions of dollars playing a game, I think it is totally contradictory the way Bill Simmons and his yes men and women are treating him now. It is all just ridiculous. I guess my conclusion, or final thought to this trade is, who cares? No one got any better or any worse. Some mediocre guys were traded for other mediocre guys and neither the Pistons nor the Clippers will matter anyway, just like they haven't mattered in over a decade.

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: Pistons, 76ers, Mavericks

Day 4 of my 2017-18 NBA countdown moves on with my number 21 team, the Detroit Pistons.

I, like many other people, were pretty high on the Pistons last year. I thought they had the goods to make a run in the playoffs, and push for a top 4 seed. Well, that didn't happen. And the main problem with this season, they are basically running it back. Reggie Jackson is still their point guard. Haven't they seen enough to realize that he isn't even a top 30 guard in the league? He shoots way too much, and he dribbles even more. I was so stoked when the Thunder traded him, and he became the Pistons problem. Then they gave him a max contract. This was doomed from the start. To make matters worse, they tried and tried to trade him, but no one, and I mean no one, was biting. I really like Andre Drummond, but he just isn't that good of a modern day center. He can dunk and rebound, but that is it. He is a poor man's Dwight Howard. I'm sure he is a much better teammate, but that may be about it. At least Dwight Howard got a team to the Finals. They traded for Avery Bradley, who is a very good defender, but he is going to have to do a lot more on this team if he wants the same success he had as a Celtic. This was a god move though. This is the make or break season for Stanley Johnson. I love the dude's confidence, but now he has to show that he can play. He has been very inconsistent since he got to the NBA. If he doesn't figure it out this year, he is destined to be a role player. Tobias Harris can still score, but that is about it. A lot of people like the Luke Kennard pick. Not me. I think he is just like any other Duke player. He can kind of shoot, but he brings nothing else to the table. Also, he is going to get torched when he has to guard real super stars in the league. Their first round pick last year, Henry Ellenson, has gotten better by all accounts, but he wasn't that good last year, and he barely saw the floor. Don't believe the hype. Ish Smith is a fine bench player. Nothing more, nothing less. They also gave Langston Galloway a ridiculous contract this offseason. That move should be evidence enough that Stan Van Gundy should only be coach, not coach/GM. The Pistons are going nowhere fast and they are destined to be a 30-32 win team for the next couple years with this current roster.

At number 20 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, a lot of people are as high, if not higher, on this team than some are on the Lakers. I say about the 76ers what I say about the Lakers, cool down. The 76ers have a great group of young and exciting players. I love love love Joel Embiid. He is the second coming of Hakeem Olajuwon. He is majestic to watch. He plays the game so freely and has so much fun doing it. He could be one of the greats. But, he has played a total of 31 games in 3 years, and said do not expect him to play a full season this year. I need to see him play at least 60 games before I fully buy in. Ben Simmons is the same. He has not played one real NBA minute yet, but people seem to think he is going to transform the game. Ease up. Give him some time. He is only 20 years old. It is going to take a minute to get acclimated to NBA life. Also, he needs a jumper. I really like Markelle Fultz, but again, he was on a horrid Washington Huskies team last year, and he sprained his ankle is Summer League. I want to see him play well against real NBA competition. Dario Saric is pretty good, but the same thing can be said for all the other players I have mentioned. Show me that you can put up big numbers for a full season, not just half a season. Nik Stauskas is destined to be an 8th or 9th guy off the bench in the NBA. He is a streaky shooter and nothing more. They added JJ Redick on a wild 1 year contract, but what does he bring besides shooting? He's an overrated defender and not the veteran leadership this team needs. When is Jahlil Okafor going to get traded also? He wants out and the 76ers clearly are trying to move on from him. He is in the worst possible situation for himself as an NBA player. Both would be better suited moving on from each other. Robert Covington, TJ McConnell, Amir Johnson and Justin Anderson are fine bench players, but that is all. For the people that have this team penciled in for the playoffs, just stop. This team is way too young and way too often injured. Give them maybe 2 more seasons before they return to being a perennial playoff team. They also need to stay healthy.

The final team for today, coming in number 19, is the Dallas Mavericks. Initially I had Dallas back in the 20's, but then I remembered that Rick Carlisle is the coach, and I love their pick of Dennis Smtih Jr. If they give him the keys to run this team, they could do some good stuff. Now, I do not expect them to make the playoffs, but they could approach something like 35 or 36 wins, which would be massive for this team. This is probably Dirk Nowitzki's last year, and I'd like to see him play on a decent team. He will have a ton of fun playing alongside Dennis Smith Jr too. Nerlens Noel will be a beast on the pick and roll. He is also coming off the bench, which I think will make him play even harder to get a big contract next year. He is also an excellent rim protector. Harrison Barnes played much better than I expected last year. Maybe getting away from Golden State was best for him. He is a very good all around player. Seth Curry, while not his brother, can still score a little bit here and there. I think he will be a very good instant offense guy off the bench. Wes Matthews and JJ Barea may be coming to an end with their careers, but both those guys bring it every night. They play hard and smart. And Devin Harris and Yogi Ferrell make up a fine back court off the bench. This team is a mix of too old and too young, and they play in the West, which will be their downfall. But, please watch Dennis Smith Jr. He is going to do some amazing stuff this season for this team.

That's it for today. Come back next week when we will finally be getting into the playoff 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 Tells You How each NBA Team can Win the Title: Pistons, Grizzlies, and Pacers

We are on day 8 of my NBA countdown. We are on the final 9 teams. These teams are all pretty good, each of them coming off a decent season last year. These teams will make noise, especially in the playoffs. One thing before I continue my countdown, I know that Michael Carter Williams and Tony Snell got traded for each other. After some thought, I still like where I have the Bulls and Bucks. I don't see this trade causing any kind of shift for either team, either positive or negative. Anyway, on with the countdown.

At number 9, I have the Detroit Pistons. Now, I am fully aware that Reggie Jackson got hurt, and will miss extended time, but I am not as worried about this injury as some other people are. I watched Reggie Jackson squander chance after chance while he was in OKC, and last year, that dreadful air ball to end the Pistons season in round one, shows me what kind of player he really is. He is a very good guard, but he is often selfish, clashes with coaches and teammates and thinks he is the best player on the court. He is not. He's a good starter, but he will never be an all star, and until he realizes that he has better players around him and starts to distribute more than shoot, I will always look at him as an overrated player. On the other hand, I love Andre Drummond. The dude can do everything, except shoot free throws. He is a TERRIBLE free throw shooter, but he is a world class rebounder, he's an incredibly good rim protector, and he is basically unstoppable in the low post. Drummond has gotten better every year he's been in the league, and I see that continuing for most of his career. The dude is awesome. Brandon Jennings is gone, which is kind of a bummer, but they do have Reggie Jackson, but until he gets back, the point guard duties will be in the hands of Ish Smith. This may be disconcerting. Smith is not a good scorer, so hopefully he will be a good distributor, which Jackson is not. Stanley Johnson is on his way to becoming a very good small forward. He has the confidence, calling out LeBron in their first round series last year, now he just needs the game to be at the same level. He is getting better, and that should scare the NBA. He is a tank, he is getting a better jumper, and he is a pretty good, young defensive player. Kentavious Caldwell Pope should be a much better shooter, but he hasn't been able to put it all together in the NBA. Tobias Harris is a good swiss army guy for this team. He does almost everything pretty well. He isn't dominant on one single thing, but he can give you some scoring, play a little defense and get the team going when need be. Marcus Morris is a good inside out forward, and he is not a head case like his brother. Win win. Aron Baynes is a fine back up center. He will mix it up with opponents. They signed Boban away from the Spurs, and I think, with some playing time, he could actually be a pretty good bench guy. This Pistons team should take the next step this year. I know Jackson is out, but that doesn't worry me. They will win about 46 or 47 games and be firmly in the playoffs.

So Ty, how will the Pistons win the title? The Pistons will win the title if Drummond becomes as dominant as Shaq. That isn't happening yet, but it could happen in the next few seasons. Also, they need Stanley Johnson to become a major offensive threat. Detroit is still a few seasons away from being a legitimate contender.

At number 8, I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is a team where health, above all else, will determine how they finish. I think they will stay relatively healthy, so that is why I have them this high. Mike Conley is a very good point guard. He knows exactly how to run this team. He gets his big guys the ball when they need it. He feeds the wings at the right time and he gets his when he knows the team needs him to. He just needs to stay healthy. Z Bo and Marc Gasol are 2 great big men. Z Bo may be getting older, but he has figured out a way for his game to work every year he has been in the league. He may not be a good jumper at all, but he has a good shot, he gets crucial rebounds and he plays aggressively every night. He is the epitome of this team's toughness. Gasol, coming off a major injury, is one of the better big men in the league. He is a great inside out player, he ruffles opponents when it's needed, he is a good rebounder and a serviceable defender. He, much like Conley, just needs to stay healthy. Tony Allen may be the best defensive guard in the league. He guards the best player every night, and those players will say that he gives them the toughest times. He's a tough dude. He's not much on offense, but he more than makes up for it on the defense. Giving Chandler Parsons a max deal was kind of a head scratcher, but if he can stay healthy, which is a big if, he is exactly what this team needs. He's a good slasher, can shoot the three, plays good defense and knows his role. Jaymychael Green is a good back up center. He was asked to play too much last year because of injury, but in the right circumstance, he is a serviceable guy. Vince Carter is still plugging away. He doesn't leap like he used to, but he has found a jump shot, and can still score 20 on any given night. The rest of the team is very ho hum. This team needs their main guys to stay healthy. They will be a very good team, perhaps even a 50 win team if their core plays most of the 82 game season. I think Gasol and Conley are all stars and Z Bo and Allen do the best things they can do for this team.

So Ty, how will the Grizzlies win the title? The Grizzlies best chance at a title is to make every game a slug fest. The NBA has become a bit soft, but not the Grizzlies. They remind me of a not as good version of the "Bad Boy" Pistons teams. They will beat some dudes up, and that may be the only way they win a championship.

At number 7, I have the Indiana Pacers. I think the Pacers might be one of the most overlooked teams going into this season. Sure, they fired Frank Vogel, a good coach, but I think Nate McMillan will do just fine with this roster. Paul George is back. He was back last year. He looked like he never had that gruesome injury from two years ago. He was flying around the court on offense and defense. He was filling up stat sheets. He looked great at the Olympics. George is one of the top 10 players, easily, in the league right now. On any given night, he is the best player on the floor. They did lose George Hill, but they got Jeff Teague. Teague and George will make for a deadly back court. Teague is quick, can make shots and find the open man. He is going to thrive in Indiana. Monta Ellis is another guy that can score a ton of points. He is not the best defender, and he sometimes takes too many shots, but the older he has gotten, the better of a teammate he has become. And, as I just said, he is capable of going for 50 any night. Myles Turner is going to be a handful for opposing teams. He got so much better as his rookie season carried on, and I see no signs of his improvement slowing down. He is a great big man. They also went out and got Al Jefferson this offseason. Hardly anyone has talked about this, and that is crazy to me. Jefferson is a very good, dependable NBA player. He is great in the low post, and he can score a ton, if need be. Aaron brooks coming over is going to be a good deal for the Pacers too. He is instant offense off the bench, and you could pair him with any of the other guards on this team and not miss a beat. Thad Young is also a very athletic, yet inconsistent player. I really like this Pacers team, even with the signing of Ty Lawson. They will score a lot of points, but unlike the Rockets, they will also play some good defense. The Pacers are the first team on my list that I truly think will win 50 plus games. They are really good.

So Ty, how will the Pacers win the title? The Pacers can win the title if George can lock down LeBron for a full series. I know I haven't gotten to the Cavs yet, but they are a shoe in for the East Finals, spoiler alert, and if the Pacers have any shot at a title, they need George to shut him down. They will score and score and score, but they will need to beat a few teams that a tad better than them. The Pacers could do it though. They are the first team on my list where it wouldn't shock me if they made the finals.

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 loves to talk about basketball, his favorite sport. The one where they dribble the ball up and down the court. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Let Me Respectfully Explain Why Your Team Stinks: Ty has a Few Words for Reggie Jackson's Thunder Criticisms

The not basketball court where Jackson forms his opinions

To continue my trend this week of talking about the NBA, I need to give my take on Reggie Jackson calling out his former team on Twitter after the Thunder got beat in game 7.

Shut your god damn mouth Reggie Jackson. You are a very, very average NBA player at your very best. The Thunder dumped you because they had enough of your whiny, crybaby, ball hogging ways. The Thunder were fed up and they traded you for peanuts. That's how much they wanted to rid themselves of you. If they didn't have to pay the money, they probably would have cut you just to get you off the team. Yeah, you got a huge deal from the Pistons last offseason, but I think they may have a touch of buyers remorse right now. Two years ago, when you had your shot to lead the Thunder, both Durant and Westbrook were out with injuries, you "led" them to a 5-13 start. That is pathetic. You became such a ball hog and a prima donna and a wannabe all star your teammates were icing you out and wouldn't pass you the ball after rebounds. You are a point guard and Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins decided they would rather run the offense than you because they knew that you were going to come down, hold the ball for 20 seconds, and shoot some piss poor jumper or do some lame ass drive, trying to draw a foul and get nothing from it. After you were iced out and leading the Thunder to 8 games below .500, you started to complain that you weren't getting your fair shot to lead. Bull shit! You had every opportunity to show your worth and you blew it big time. You are a poor mans James Harden. You are not the scorer, nor will you ever be, that James Harden is, and your defense is just as bad.

I mentioned it before and I am going to say again, you were traded to the Pistons for next to nothing, and you have been average at best. Yeah, you got a big deal, but everyone is going to get huge deals in 2 years when the cap explodes. Your 20 million a year will look miniscule next to what real superstars will be making very soon. And, how well have the Pistons been since you went there? Your first season there, you were splitting minutes with Brandon Jennings until he tore his ACL. Then you were the starter on a very bad Pistons team. Even on a bad team, you weren't the main scoring threat. Guys like Tobias Harris, Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Andre Drummond are all much better options than you. The Pistons stunk your first season there, but this last season your team barely made the playoffs, and spoiler alert Reggie Jackson, it had little to nothing to do with your play. Yeah, you had moments, but so did guys like Darko Milic, Hedo Turkoglu, Kwame Brown, Korleone Young and many more players that are out of the league, or irrelevant. But, you continued to run your mouth as if you are the best player on your team. Even after trading Tobias Harris, you are still the third best option on a mediocre Pistons team. Durant and Westbrook, who are bona fide mega stars in the league, are one hundred percent correct when stating that Caldwell Pope and Drummond are much better options. First off, Drummond is the second best center in the league, behind only Boogie Cousins, and he is an all star and a nightmare on the low post, both offensively and defensively. Then, Caldwell Pope is such a better shooter than you, he is younger and a much better defender than you have been your whole career.

Also, how did the Pistons do in the playoffs this year? You have the nerve and gall to call out the Thunder after a game 7 loss to the greatest regular season team in the history of the NBA, and your team, the team you are the supposed "leader" of got their asses swept out of the first round by the Cavs, who are atrocious defensively. Two of the games weren't even close either. Game one, you and Drummond blew. Games 2 and 3, you guys had no chance. And then game 4. You guys had a chance, specifically, you, Reggie Jackson, had the chance to win the game and extend the series. But, you threw up some garbage three point double clutch nonsense, then complained to the refs when it air balled that your were fouled, you were not fouled, then didn't own up that you stunk that entire series.

Shut your stupid mouth Reggie Jackson. The Thunder have gotten so much better since they traded your punk ass away. No matter how many times you celebrate regular season wins against the Thunder, even though you did nothing note worthy in the game, the Thunder are so much better without you on the team. They don't have to worry about some backup point guard that thinks he is way better than he truly is. The Thunder one hundred percent made the correct decision to rid the team of your nonsense.

Another thing, don't act like you are some big time star now because you hang out with Paul George in the offseason. Paul George is just being nice to you to be nice. He looks at you like a charity case. You are a blip on his radar. You are not a star Reggie Jackson, no matter what you think, say and tweet. That is also such a punk move to call them out on Twitter. It is downright cowardly. You also must have been watching the game, opining that you were still on a team that plays late into May. Reggie Jackson, you are a bum and a child. This Twitter nonsense is prime evidence that you are childish. I am so happy, being a Thunder fan, that they got rid of your punk ass. That was a great day in Sonics/Thunder history, and when you are out of the league in 3 or 4 years and Durant and Westbrook are still playing deep into May and June, I hope you look back at this time and feel shame for how ridiculous this beef and how average of an NBA player you were. Screw you Reggie Jackson, you are lame.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He does not appreciate it when twitter is used for childish purposes. With that said, go follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Winners and Losers Stay the Same After the NBA Trade Deadline

Everyone kept the hands they were dealt

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone in the last week. I know that other writers write an immediate winners and losers article only minutes after the deadline happens. Me personally, I need time to think about what happened and all the player movement. I don't think you can honestly say who won or lost a trade the moment after it happens unless it's something huge. For example, when Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups were traded to New York for basically nothing, the Knicks were clear winners, although they've only won one playoff series since Carmelo has been in New York. I agree more with a writer like Zach Lowe, my favorite NBA writer, that you need almost a full year or even two before you can really pick any winners or losers from the trade deadline. But, for the sake of argument, I will do my best to pick some teams that "won" the deadline, and who "lost" the deadline.

First of all, there were none of the big name moves that I and a lot of other sports writers thought would happen. I was certain that Al Horford was going to be a Celtic, I thought Jeff Teague would be gone, I was almost 100 percent certain that Dwight Howard would be anywhere but Houston and I figured LeBron would get his way and the Cavs would dump Kevin Love. None of those guys moved. I was even pretty sure that the Clippers would deal Blake Griffin because they are playing so well without him and he is a locker room problem, but no movement for Griffin. With that being said, the big names usually don't move at the trade deadline. Very rarely do we see superstars change teams with less than 30 games to go in the regular season. Why change chemistry now with so little time left in the season? By this point, we pretty much know who is going to be in the playoffs and who is going to be in the lottery. The big name guys get dealt in the offseason, right after the free agency dust settles. I do fully expect guys like Horford, Howard, Teague and Griffin to be on new teams starting next season. Hell, if the Knicks don't get any better, I wouldn't be shocked to see Carmelo get traded to a contender, The Knicks are going to go to a youth movement led by Kristaps Porzingis, and Carmelo will be 33 going into next season. the Knicks are no longer his team. And, depending on how the Cavs do, I think they will get swept in the Finals, or even beaten by Toronto in the Eastern Finals, Kevin Love could have a new team next year, if LeBron the GM gets his way.

This trade deadline featured no real superstars or team changing players. The best players that got traded were Tobias Harris to Detroit and Jeff Green to the Clippers. Those are not guys to build a team around. In Jeff Green's case, he is a good player that has a ton of upside, but he has also been traded four times in his short career. That's not a look that a player should strive for. He started his career in OKC and didn't get the minutes he needed and couldn't grow as a player. He was traded to Boston, were he would look like an all star one night and look like a 12th man the next night. He was then shipped to Memphis, were he played his best basketball, but that's not saying much. Sure, he was a decent slasher, but he missed more open jumpers than he made and he was wildly inconsistent on defense. Now, he is on the Clippers, where he is expected to take on the load until Blake Griffin comes back. I know LA fans and LA sports writers think this is a good trade, but I disagree. Green, while being a great talent, has never lived up to his high praise when he was a rookie. He is wildly inconsistent and he is not the game changer that fans and sports writers in LA think he can be. The only good that came from this trade was the Clippers unloading Lance Stephenson. The Clippers are the 4 seed right now, and they will stay there, Jeff Green will not help them leap frog the Thunder or the Spurs and no one is going to catch the Warriors. The Pistons getting Tobias Harris was a pretty good move for them. I like this trade a hell of a lot more than the Jeff Green move. Tobias Harris wasn't being used properly in Orlando and I think, with a coach like Stan Van Gundy, he will thrive alongside Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson. I don't like that they had to give up Brandon Jennings, who I really, really like, but he is coming off a torn ACL and the Pistons gave Reggie Jackson a lot of money this offseason. They have moved on from Brandon Jennings. This move will firmly put the Pistons in a good playoff position, especially in the East, and Harris could help them make some early round noise.

Other than those two guys, the next biggest name to move was Markieff Morris, who was traded from Phoenix to Washington. I don't really know where he fits in DC and this felt like a desperate move by a very desperate team. Morris is a very good basketball player, but he is also a whiner and can be a malcontent. Look at all the stuff he did in Phoenix after they traded his brother. The front office in Phoenix definitely deserves blame for being shady and trading his brother after they both took discounts to play together, but the NBA is a business and shady stuff happens in business all the time. I don't see Markieff Morris making the Wizards a legit threat. John Wall deserves better help than that. Other than these three, guys like Randy Foye, who is having one of his worst statistical years, got traded from Denver to OKC for DJ Augustin. I don't think either team really gained or lost anything from this trade. The Cavs acquired Channing Frye, but he will not push them over the edge. He will not stretch the Warriors or Spurs as much as people may think. And the Bulls shipped Kirk Hinrich over to Atlanta. This trade would have been good about 6 or 7 years ago, now, who cares.

If I were to pick a "winner" from this trade deadline, I think it is pretty clear that it's the Detroit Pistons. They got a proven scorer in Harris and, if he is willing to be coached up a bit, he can turn himself into a pretty good all around NBA player. Harris next to Drummond is a pretty good and formidable front court. Phoenix, while a total disaster in every other aspect of an NBA team, at least got rid of an unhappy player that was causing problems and they got a first round pick out of him, so they may be a slight winner, and that's the only time they will be called winners this year.

As far as "losers" go, no real team did anything that will help or hurt them with player acquistions, so the only "losers" I can find are, we, the fans. Now, we should know by now that the big names get moved in the offseason, but I expected at least one big time star to get traded. Why didn't the Rockets dump Dwight Howard? Was the asking price too high, or did no one want him? I know he's a free agent this summer, but why not rent him for 30 games? All credit to Bill Simmons, why didn't the Trailblazers try and get him to help them in their playoff run? He could have helped them, and he always seems to show up and play good basketball in the playoffs and they would only have to deal with him for 30 games and they could let him walk this offseason, no problem. Or, why didn't the Celtics do something? I have read they tried, but they couldn't pull anything off. They have the most assets and Danny Ainge has been chasing a star for three years now. I thought they could have gotten Horford, Love or Blake Griffin, but they got none of them. Where we sit now, they are a three seed in the East, but with their rag tag roster, they will not beat Cleveland or Toronto. Had they added a star, I wouldn't say the same thing. And, the Knicks were quiet, but they have no assets and it would have taken them moving a big name to get another big name. Phil Jackson wasn't going to do that and had they tried to trade Carmelo, he has a no trade clause and he could have voided any trade he wanted.

This was a very uneventful and very quiet trade deadline, but they have been for the last four years. There a no real winners and losers because we just don't know how these things will pan out. Look for this summer time to be very busy with lots of big named guys finding new homes. Summer is where the action will take place.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He is practicing being all excited for the trade deadline as a basketball writer, and then being disappointed as a fan. Ty is on twitter, go follow him @tykulik.

Ty tells you how each NBA team could win the title: Pistons, Mavericks, & Jazz

I love the NBA, and I really love playoff caliber basketball.

Continuing my NBA countdown, I'll be giving you teams 18, 17 and 16. Today we get our first playoff team. This team will actually replace a team from last seasons playoffs. The three teams I'll be talking about today are right on the verge, or missed their window. They have decent enough rosters, but are just on the outside of the playoffs, with one exception. My first playoff team may surprise you, but that's the fun of making preseason predictions. On with the countdown.

Coming in at number 18 is the Detroit Pistons. There are things I really like about this team, but there's just as much that I dislike. They might surprise, but probably not. First, the dislikes. For one, they completely over paid to keep Reggie Jackson. Being an Oklahoma City fan, I watched Jackson grow into a quality NBA starter, but I also saw how he reacted when he didn't get his way. One year, he'd have a huge impact during OKC's playoff runs, but last season, with Durant and Westbrook out for extended periods of time, he did not respond to the challenge. Instead of being the leader they needed, he became a ball hog, so far as to veterans icing him out and not passing him the ball. He then complained that he wasn't getting the touches or minutes he thought he deserved when Westbrook returned, and basically demanded a trade. His wish was granted much to my delight. Now, GM Stan Van Gundy gave him a max contract and that's insane. He's not a max player, and if he doesn't get his way, he'll openly complain. Another reason the contract baffles me is, the Pistons have a much better point guard in Brandon Jennings. I know he's coming off a torn ACL, but he's ten times the player Reggie Jackson is. He's also a lefty, and lefties are very tough to guard. Jennings can shoot okay enough, and he's really good at finding the open man. Unfortunately, for him and the Pistons, I think he's trade bait since they gave Jackson so much money. Some team will greatly benefit if Jennings is traded, and the Pistons will suffer. I'd take Jennings over Jackson 10 times out of 10.Now, a player I like. Andre Drummond is a good big man to have, but his front court mate, Greg Monroe, left and signed with Milwaukee. That will be tough on Drummond. Drummond is a great rebounder and defender though, and he may strive being the focal point of the Pistons half court offense. They drafted Stanley Johnson, who I like a lot, but he's only 19 or 20 years old. He's another one and done, and it takes time for these guys to develop before they become a true threat. Besides Marcus Morris, who I think is a really good, really underrated player, they "beefed" up their bench with guys like Steve Blake, way too old, Danny Granger, way too old and oft injured, Aaron Baynes, won't succeed outside of the Spurs organization and Ersan Ilyasova, just not that good of an NBA player. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a good shooter, but he hasn't figured out the NBA game just yet. The overpaying of Reggie Jackson and signing or trading for veterans that are ten years past their prime make the Pistons a 35 to 37 win team. That may get you in the playoffs in the East, but probably not.

How the Pistons will win it all.

The Pistons will win the title if Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings find a way to mesh together and play high level basketball, that won't happen, they both think they're alphas, but only one of them is(Jennings), Drummond becomes a 20 point a game scorer, Stanley Johnson becomes a key contributor right away and the old vets find the fountain of youth and play like they did in their primes. Sorry Detroit, that's not happening.

Number 17 on my list is the Dallas Mavericks. What a crummy, terrible, horrible, asinine way to lose your top free agent this summer. I wrote about how cowardly this all made DeAndre Jordan look, and it was a huge blow to the Mavericks hopes of making the playoffs. Now, as I wrote in my piece, Jordan wouldn't have made them an NBA championship contender, but he would've kept them in the playoffs at least. I feel bad for Dirk Nowitzki as well. How many other legitimate superstars have left as much money on the table to help the team get better. Nowitzki will go down as one of the best big men shooters of all time, but the end of his career is going to be tough because the Mavericks aren't going to be as good as they've been lately. Not only did they miss out on DeAndre Jordan, but they let Tyson Chandler walk without trying to sign him, Monta Ellis left in free agency and their "big" offseason additions were Wes Matthews, coming off a torn ACL, Deron Williams, who hasn't been an impact player in about 6 years and JaVale McGee, who is the most out of control player in all of basketball. Go google some JaVale McGee "highlights" and watch with amazement at how absurd some of the stuff he does is. They still have Chandler Parsons, but is he truly a quality starter in the NBA? I haven't seen it since his third year in Houston, and he gets injured all the time. He may have been a one season wonder. Devin Harris is still around, but all he's any good for anymore is shooting the three. JJ Barea is still there, but he's just getting older and older. Samuel Dalembert may end up being a good defensive center, but he will not help this team on offense. I want to touch on the Wes Matthews signing again for a minute. They ended up giving him a max contract after the whole DeAndre Jordan thing, and while that was a poor decision, Wes Matthews is a really good NBA player. He led the league in three point percentage last year. That's right, Wes Matthews and not Steph Curry hit threes at the highest rate. He also plays excellent defense. He is a very, very good basketball player. The Mavericks are going to step back this season. The question is, how far of a slide back will they take? Will they be a mid 30 win team, or will they tank? I'd guess they will end up in the mid 30 win column. Dirk has too much pride to give up at this point in his career and Wes Matthews will want to show people he's worth the big contract. Unfortunately, the rest of the roster is average.

How the Mavericks will win it all.

The Mavericks will win the title if they can get the Steve Nash from ten years ago to come back and play for them, Dirk finds the fountain of youth, Matthews becomes an MVP candidate, Parsons proves he's not a one season wonder and the bench highly exceeds expectations. This will be a rough year for the Mavericks, Mark Cuban and, most importantly, Dirk. They will struggle in the West and Dirk may call it quits after this season. We will have to wait and see.

Finally, my first playoff team. Coming in at number 16 is the Utah Jazz. I thought that I'd never say this, but Quinn Snyder may be a competent coach (ed note: That sentence makes me angry). He has a young team that's buying into playing team basketball and being stout on defense. Gordon Hayward is becoming a really good NBA player. He's playing like a max contract guy and I didn't expect that. He looks likes he's going to be good for a long time. Trey Burke has had a rough start to his young career, but the Jazz have tempered that problem by drafting Dante Exum last season. He got hurt, but he's a 6'6 point guard, and he looks to be really good. Burke is more of a bench player anyway, but it pains me to say that because he was a star when he played for Michigan, and you all know I'm a huge Michigan fan, both football and basketball. Derrick Favors is a pretty good NBA player and forward. He's a good post player and very good rebounder. Alec Burks is quietly becoming a pretty good scorer in the NBA. He's instant offense for the Jazz. Rodney Hood is a lefty sharp shooter, and he's playing good basketball right now in his young career. Rudy Gobert is an upgrade from Enes Kanter, especially on defense. He's not the scorer that Kanter was, but his imposing presence in the post made it an easy decision for the Jazz to trade Kanter to OKC last season. The issue with the Jazz is the rest of their bench. They took a shot, it may end up working out for them, by drafting Trey Lyles in the lottery this past draft. He barely saw the floor in his one season at Kentucky, and no one knows how good he really is. He has a ton of potential, but he's extremely raw. He is the definition of a prospect. And, other than Hood and Trevor Booker, the rest of the bench is question marks. Is Jeff Withey really worthy of an NBA roster spot? Trevor Booker is okay, but will he take the next step? The rest of the bench, literally, who are these guys? I don't know much about them. Like I said, the Jazz will make the playoffs, taking the Mavericks spot from last season, in the hyper competitive West, but they will get swept out of the first round. They will win either 44 or 45 games this season.

How the Jazz will win it all.

The Jazz will win the title, now they're the first team in my countdown that has a "shot" simply because they will be in the playoffs, if they catch fire at the exact right time and run off a series of monumental upsets. They will be the eight seed in the West and they will have to go through a murderers row of opponents. That won't happen this year. they'll be a nice story and Jazz basketball is on it's way back, but they're not elite. Not yet.

So, there are my 18, 17 and 16 teams in the NBA. Come back next week and we will get into the upper echelon of teams in the NBA. All the teams next week will be playoff teams and you will get my Finals prediction and my pick to win the Finals next Friday.

It will feel good to write about teams that are actually good.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. We all watch sports here at SeedSing, but Ty is the only one that really knows what he is talking about. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.