The Nets Won the Kyrie Trade

Kyrie Irving got his wish. He is no longer a Brooklyn Net. He wanted a trade before Thursday and the Nets front office obliged. I was kind of curious to see if he would actually sit out, but who knows with this narcissistic asshole. He is the worst. But, he was traded. He is gone. He is on a new team that he might end up corrupting, as he is wont to do.

Irving and Markieff Morris were traded to the Mavericks for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and a shit ton of picks. The picks are not going to be lottery picks, but they are picks nonetheless. Picks are coveted by teams nowadays in the trade market.

When the news broke that Irving had been traded I wasn't surprised. I knew he wanted to be moved, I read the Nets were going to move him and they wanted a haul. What took me aback was the fact he was traded to the Mavs. I was damn near certain he was going to go to the Lakers. Apparently they put up their future picks and a few players. Joe Tsai wanted nothing to do with the Lakers and I respect him freezing them out. The NBA doesn't have to help the Lakers just because they are the Lakers. There were better offers to be had and Tsai wanted one of those. I saw the Clippers offer, which what was reported seemed pretty awesome, but Tsai turned that one down too. I guess he really did not want to send Irving to LA. Again, I respect that. I know a few other teams were involved but those were never actually going to happen. But the Mavs came out and threw a haul at Brooklyn. They got picks, a very solid, young 3 and D wing and Dinwiddie could be decent there, or he could be bought out and the Nets can get someone else.

I like this deal for Brooklyn. They got some nice pieces to surround KD with, if he doesn't ask to leave. Finney-Smith is a good player. While on the Mavs he guarded the opposition's best offensive player pretty much every night. And he did a formidable job. During the playoffs last season Finney-Smith made life hell for the Suns. He blanketed Devin Booker when asked. Chris Paul had one of his worst playoff series ever, and Finney-Smith would guard him from time to time. Even on the rare occasion I watch the Mavs, I do not like them, Finney-Smith may not have been making his threes as much, but his defense was still on point. This will take a bit of pressure off KD and Nic Claxton. Adding a defensive minded player was a smart move for the Nets. This was an underrated move on their part. Dinwiddie, if he stays, can add some solid bench scoring. He and Seth Curry, while it could be rough on defense, can score buckets of points. Dinwiddie also played his best professional basketball on his first go round with the Nets. He can also be moved again for more picks or a younger player. This was a nice addition. And the picks, from what I have read, are going to be used for trade bait. The Nets want to build around KD and teams want picks. The Nets can go to some bottom feeders, like the Pistons and Rockets, and try to lure a player like Bojan Bogdanovic or Eric Gordon. This was a good trade for the Nets.

For the Mavericks, I do not know. I do not like Dallas. I despise Luka Doncic. I hate all the undo love he gets. I don't think Jason Kidd is a title caliber coach. Mark Cuban is a blowhard. I also do not like that they had to put Finney-Smith in this trade. Look, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are going to make for a deadly backcourt on the offensive end. There is only one ball and both guys are ball dominant, but Irving has shown he can play without the ball after playing with LeBron James and KD. I despise Irving as a person, but the dude can hoop. But this is a bad defensive backcourt. Defense is supposed to be what Kidd excels at coaching, but this is going to be a tough sell. Neither of these dudes want to exert much energy on defense. I also wonder how Kyrie is going to feel going to a team that has a clear driver. Luka Doncic is the face of the Mavericks. There is no doubt about that. Dallas fans seem to like his clunky boring style of basketball. I don't get it, but I am not a fan. I think it will work for a bit, but Kyrie Irving will get frustrated at some point. It's what he does. The Mavs also do not have much defense outside of Reggie Bullock now, and he is slipping. I already mentioned their piss poor backcourt defense. Tim Hardaway Jr, a player I adore, has never been a defensive minded guy. Christian Wood is only an offensive player. He is also on an expiring contract. He doesn't care about defense, he cares about numbers. Bullock is okay, but not as good as a year ago. JaVale McGee can't get on the floor. Jaden Harvey is a rookie and that wall is coming. Dwight Powell is soft. Davis Bertans is trash. Frank Ntilikina can't get any minutes. It looks rough. This team is going to have to outscore opponents. Which they are equipped to do. But it is going to be hard. The Mavs are currently 28-26 and 6th in the West standings. They are nine games behind the 1 seed, Denver Nuggets. But they are within striking distance of the 3 or 4 seed. They need to start winning and winning now. I am curious to see how they play together, but I do not have high hopes. I do think they can stay within the top 6 and miss the play-in, but that has more to do with the conference, not their talent.

I am lukewarm on this trade for the Mavs. I don't trust Irving and I don't like Luka Doncic. I do like the trade for the Nets though, if they can keep KD. He has some solid young talent around him at the moment. We will see, but I am glad that the NBA trade season is alive and well. It makes the deadline fun. I cannot wait to see who is moved next. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Kyrie Irving is Not Worth All the Headaches

After going for a run with my buddy this morning I got home and saw that Kyrie Irving had requested a trade from the Nets. I saw it and thought it was fake. I figured it was a joke. The Nets have been playing better, KD will be back sooner rather than later and, as much as I dislike him, Irving is playing well. Why rock the boat I thought?

Then I remembered, this is Kyrie Irving we are talking about. He is not a team player. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. He puts out cryptic tweets and signs them as "Hela". He sages courts. He is anti semitic. He is anti vaccine. He seems to be a miserable person to be around and play basketball with.

So why would this new request be a surprise to me? When he went to the Nets it was because he spoke with KD and they decided they wanted to play together. They both got their wish. Then they got the Nets to trade away young guys like Jarrett Allen and Caris Levert. They got the original coach fired. They insisted the front office hire Steve Nash. Then they got the front office to trade for James Harden. This was all done to appease KD and Irving. None of it has worked. The Nets have never been past the second round of the playoffs. KD constantly gets hurt and misses time. The vets have moved on. Nash was fired. And then COVID hit and Irving thought he was smarter than doctors and scientists. He refused to go to the bubble. He refused to get vaccinated. He yelled at people who asked him simple questions as to why he wouldn't get vaccinated. He made it all about himself. The selfishness and narcissism hit a new high. He was eventually allowed to play again last season, but it was too late. The damage he started was not reversible.

Then we had antisemitism. He shared a tweet that was anti semitic. He pushed a movie that is highly anti semitic. When he was asked a very reasonable question by a reporter he got all up in arms and moody. He was then suspended and issued a fake apology. It wasn't until his money was being taken away that he did what he assumed was a real apology. Charities wouldn't even take his money. That is how bad this all got. But then people kind of forgot about it. The Nets started to win and all was forgiven. Irving played well enough to be an all star. They even won some games against good teams. Then the Celtics buried the Nets, Irving got booed mercilessly and now he wants to be traded.

It may seem odd, but when you think about it, it does all add up. Things are hard for him in Brooklyn now so he wants out. He doesn't like the media in Brooklyn so now he wants out. KD is still hurt so now he wants out. He has also stated that he wants a very favorable contract that he controls.

I cannot, for the life of me, think of a team that wants him and can actually meet the Nets wild demands. I know I would have a very high asking price. I saw the Lakers were mentioned because Irving wants to play with LeBron. If I'm the Nets I want those picks and Anthony Davis. No Russ. Don't want that contract. I also wouldn't want to help the Lakers like that. If the Blazers wanted him I'd ask for Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Jusuf Nurkic, Josh Hart, Nassir Little and picks. And I would not budge. If the Pelicans were chasing him I'd want all those unprotected picks they have and both Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. If the Knicks wanted him the deal doesn't even start unless Jalen Brunson is on the table. If Denver comes callin I'm looking for Jamal Murray, Bones Hyland and all the picks they have. Basically any team that calls would have to give me a king's ransom if I was running the Nets.

Irving is the true definition of a cancer in the locker room and for the teams he has played for. Every team has been better off since he left. After winning a title with Cleveland he demanded a trade. The Cavs sent him to Boston. After he left both teams they are both better off now. Boston is the best team in the NBA. And the Cavs are one of the most fun teams. They are also pretty damn good too. The way both teams got good was letting Irving go and using the picks they got in deals for him to draft young players who have helped them. The Cavs were also able to go out and trade for Donovan Mitchell because of what they got for Irving. I assume the Nets will trade him, or he will sit out, and they will be just fine. KD will be back soon. Nic Claxton is playing great. Seth Curry can shoot. Cam Thomas is coming along. Jacque Vaughan is a good head coach.

The Nets will be better off when they get rid of Kyrie Irving. Just ask the Celtics and Cavs. But get as good a deal as possible Brooklyn. Do not settle for Russ, as much as I like him. Get the king's ransom. Don't settle. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Is James Harden Worth Everything the Nets Gave Up?

I wrote about the best fit for James Harden yesterday, and like it was supposed to happen that way, he was traded right as I was finishing up my piece. I swear. Brooklyn was the best fit, I still believe that, and I did not write that after the trade. Since the trade is official now, the Nets announced it today, I do want to break it down, and why I personally do not think it will end in a title, or even a Finals appearance for Brooklyn.

This trade was involved. It was a three team deal, and the Nets gave up a ton of depth, and pretty much their future. I get that Harden is worth a lot, and he is a perennial MVP candidate, and he is one of the greatest scorers of all time, but the Nets gave up way, way too much. They offloaded Taurean Prince, Jarrett Allen, and the biggest piece in my opinion, Caris Levert. They also gave up, I believe, seven picks and pick swaps. They gave up a whole, whole lot to get a third star. Levert was later traded to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo, and Jarrett Allen ended up on the Cavs. I think, if I look at the trade as a whole, the Pacers probably got the best of the deal, getting a younger Oladipo. And the Cavs, I mean, they maybe have every center in the league on their roster, but getting Jarrett Allen is a big deal. He brings great rim protection, and he is young. The Cavs could be a threat in two to three years if they keep this young core together. The Rockets came out fine. I mean, they got Oladipo but he is on the last year of his deal. He has been awesome this season, and if he can keep it up, and John Wall stays relatively healthy, they could find themselves in the play in. They also have a treasure trove of picks. I feel like the Thunder, Pelicans and now the Rockets own the draft until 2026. This move may not have gotten the Rockets the "star" they coveted, but they got Oladipo, and all those picks I mentioned. They veered from the star chasing into more of a make this trade for the future of the franchise. They have endless options for trades, or just drafting some of the top prospects now.

Now to the big fish move, the name that everyone was talking about, the Nets added James Harden. I already mentioned who they gave up, but they still have a decent roster. You have Harden at the 2 now, Kyrie Irving at the 1, if he ever decides to come back, Joe Harris at the 3, KD, who is as good as ever, at the 4 and Deandre Jordan at the 5. This is a solid lineup. I do not know about the depth, but I am sure they have three guys that are real NBA players on that bench.

Here is where it gets tricky for me. This offense is going to be dynamic, especially when/if Kyrie comes back. They could put up 150 a night with ease. I'm serious. You have three guys capable of going for 40 any night. But, they do not have a very good defense. Deandre Jordan has been bad this year, full stop. He got flat out benched the other night. It was a DNP- Coach's Decision. He is not the same guy he was in LA or with the Knicks. He just doesn't have it anymore. We all know about Harden on defense. He chooses to forget that end of the floor. He puts in no effort at all. He is a zero on defense. His offense makes up for it, but man is he bad on defense. He is also very out of shape at the moment, and has looked disinterested in basketball. Maybe a change of scenery changes that, but it doesn’t get him in NBA shape. That is on him. KD is very good defensively, but he is going to be asked to do so much more, and he is going to be stretched very, very thin. Steve Nash and crew are going to need him to do everything. It may be a bit much. Joe Harris is fine, but I would much rather have Levert. Harris is a better 3 point shooter, but Levert is a better creator, and he is a longer defender. He can also guard multiple positions. And Kyrie, it all depends on where his head is at. Even when he plays, he isn't great on D, unless he is committed. Right now, he seems committed to every except basketball. And that is fine. I'm all for him doing whatever makes him happy. But this team just took a major hit on D. I said they could average 150 a night, and they may need too. Teams are going to score at will. Big men in the East, like Embiid, Giannis and Bam Adebayo are going to feast on Deandre Jordan. Opposing backcourts are going to pretty much get where they want on the floor. KD is the only guy I see on that roster that would give me a pause when game planning offensively against the Nets. I'm also concerned about the ball movement. Is the ball really going to fly around? How many touches will Harris and Jordan get? Are they going to become forgotten teammates? I think it's possible. I'm also concerned with how Harden has played the game since he has been in Houston. I do not know that he can just adjust to not being "the guy" in an offense when that has been his identity for almost a decade now. He is not the best player on this team. Not even close. That is KD. And KD I do not worry about. He is so adjustable and smooth and can do everything. He is a master of the game, and I think he will be fine. And finally we have Kyrie. How will he work with Harden? We barely know how he does with KD because they have barely played together. Harden is another dominant personality, and he is a better offensive player than Kyrie. I also think Kyrie is going to be frustrated playing with these other two because he is the third option now. The whole reason he wanted out of Cleveland and Boston was so he could be the guy. Well, he is definitely not the guy right, or second guy, right now with the Nets. I'll be very curious how he meshes with KD and Harden, if he does come back and play this season.

All in all, Harden got what he wanted, but I do not think it spells a title for them. They will still have to go through the Bucks, 76ers, Heat and Celtics in the East. And if they are able to do that, they will have either the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets or some other West powerhouse team. The Nets got a star, they got better offensively, but they sacrificed far too much, and they got exponentially worse on defense. I'm excited to see them play, but I do not think they are a serious threat to win the title this year, or even next year.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Nets are James Harden's Only Good Option

Editor’s note: Minutes after Ty submitted his article, James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Ty will have thoughts on the trade tomorrow.

James Harden did pretty much everything he could last night to get what he wants.

Harden wants out of Houston, he wants to go to the 76ers or the Nets and he made that abundantly clear in his post game press conference. He even ended it by saying he did everything he could for the team, and then he just left. This press conference was pretty loaded. Let’s discuss.

First off, "everything he could" for that team? He led them to the West Finals once (although Chris Paul was much more integral to that team), and he blew it. He played horribly against the Spurs when they were without Kawhi in a game 6 that ended Houston's season. He had great regular seasons and terrible postseasons. I mean, if that was "everything he could" do, Houston should have no problem, or no qualms, trading him. He did not get to the Finals, he won one MVP, he consistently demanded trades for stars, who he then immediately clashed with, and he does not know how to play true basketball anymore. Don't get me wrong, Harden is an all time great scorer. I won't say player, but as far as scoring goes, he revolutionized the game. But he is no fun to watch, and I would hate playing with him, as did Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and now John Wall and Boogie Cousins.

Harden also seems selfish. He always wants the ball, wants things his way and if he doesn't like what is going on, he will just refuse, or do things that make it nearly impossible to keep him. I thought Houston would do a lot to keep him, and he even started out playing okay basketball. But this past week he has fallen way off, and he looks disinterested. Quite frankly, even if I were a contending team that needed a scorer, I would not actively pursue Harden. The asking price is far too much, he doesn't play defense, he has had the past six years plus playing the exact way he wants to, and I would not expect him to re-sign with my team in the next two years. Whatever team trades for him, and it may happen today, is going to pay a steep price, and I think they will regret it sooner rather than later.

The four teams that have been kicked around are the Raptors, Celtics, 76ers and Nets. Lets just wipe the Celtics and Raptors off that list. Their GM's are too smart, they won't give up young up and coming stars and they will not trade a massive amount of picks for him. I would also not want to pair Harden with either Jayson Tatum or Pascal Siakim. That would just diminish all their personal gains as top options. The 76ers is an interesting exercise, but I would not want them to do that to Joel Embiid. Embiid is playing some of the best basketball of his life right now. Simmons is doing what he does best, Danny Green and Seth Curry, along with Tyrese Maxey are providing the shooting they need and Doc Rivers has this team looking solid. I don't think I'd want to mess with that right now. The 76ers, maybe, just maybe, have found out what type of team they want to be, and they seem to be maximizing that. I also would not trade Simmons, who is, I believe, eight years younger than Harden. He has way more potential, and I would not want anything to happen to my man Joel Embiid. The 76ers should stand pat in my opinion.

This leaves us with the Nets. The Nets have two stars, Kyrie and KD, but who in the world knows what is going on with Kyrie right now. Hell, I don't think Stephen A Smith was out of bounds in saying he should retire. Kyrie has other interests, and he is clearly politically active, maybe he should go do that for a while. He may find he loves that. He doesn't need basketball in his life anymore, at least that is how it seems to me. But KD is back, and he has looked pretty good. He is looking more and more like himself. He is as dangerous as ever on offense, and his defense is getting back up to speed. I watched a little of the Nets-Nuggets game last night because I have not seen KD play yet this year, and he did look good. I also like the other guys the Nets have. Joe Harris is a solid 3 and D player. Both Jarrett Allen and Deandre Jordan have been solid pick and roll guys, and Allen is a dominant rim protector. Caris Levert has been feasting on second units, and he is a third shot creator, which is great for this team. Taurean Prince seems to be doing a little better. So, if I were the Nets, would I risk my future, hell they may have to mortgage it, just to have Harden for two years?

This is where I balk a little. Harden has played with KD, but that was a lifetime ago. They are two totally different players now. What if Kyrie wants to come back? Who runs point then? Would this relegate a guy like Levert or Prince to miniscule minutes? Would Harden be willing to change his style of play? There are a ton of questions, but Harden is an all time great scorer. You don't just hang up the phone if the Rockets come calling, But I think there are just far, far too many questions. Also, do the Nets want to do almost the exact same thing they did when they traded for KG and Paul Pierce? Are they willing to be really good for 2-3 years, then have to rebuild all over again?

I just don't know. I do not know that I would trade that much just to get a disgruntled James Harden. I guess time will tell. Maybe we will have an answer soon.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Is Steve Nash the Right Coach for the Nets?

I have some music reviews I was going to start today, but the Brooklyn Nets had to go ahead and blow my mind with the hiring of Steve Nash as their next head coach this morning.

I was stunned when I saw this. I literally thought it was a typo. I thought maybe it was a prank thing. It isn't. Steve Nash is going to be the Nets coach for the next four years, if he makes it through this contract. What was even more astonishing to me is that Jacque Vaughn, who was the interim coach, and has head coaching experience, is staying on as an assistant. He could have easily gotten a job, considering how well he did with a decimated Nets roster in Orlando, but he has chosen to stick around. I'm sure he has been guaranteed something, or one good season can springboard him to a better job, but still, pretty stunned he is hanging around.

What is more mind blowing is the Nash hiring. We have a guy, with zero head coaching experience at any level, taking over a team that has KD, Kyrie and Caris Levert, who looked like a real star in the making in the bubble. It is almost like Steve Kerr getting the Warriors job a few years back, but he was a well known commodity, and he was totally vetted, and wanted by multiple teams. I do not think the same was being said about Nash as a head coach. I know he has relationships with KD and Kyrie, and he has worked with a bunch of younger guys since retiring, almost becoming a personal trainer/coach, but he is now the guy in charge. He is going to have to draw up plays. He is going to have to juggle lineups and get the best guys on the floor in crucial moments. He is going to have to manage egos. He is going to have to deal with youth, as well as two mega stars. He has the two most wild and off the cuff stars I have ever seen to deal with. He has to, not only get them in the best basketball mood, but in the right emotional state as well. There is a ton on Nash's plate in taking this job, but maybe that is what he wants.

I do think it is a bit unfair for guys that have dedicated the past five or six years to their lives as an assistant, waiting on an opening like this, being more prepared than Nash for a team like this, and they simply got passed up for a splashy name. Also, this is clearly a pick of a head coach that is guided by the players wants than the front office. Nash wouldn't have gotten this job if KD and Kyrie didn't want him there. This was all in their hands. Kenny Atkinson was fired, unfairly I think, because Kyrie didn't like him, and I am sure he got in KD's ear about it. Atkinson was an old school, team ball guy, and that doesn't work when you have KD and Kyrie on the same team. KD and Kyrie are at that LeBron level with their team. They get the final say in most decisions that involve the team. I am sure that LeBron didn't want Frank Vogel as the head coach, but when Ty Lue passed, who I believe LeBron wanted, he was fine, as long as the Lakers were able to get Jason Kidd on the staff. I'm sure KD and Kyrie gave the Nets front office a list, told them to vet certain guys, let them in on the knowledge and they were there when the final decision was made. That is pretty much the whole reason I think Nash got the job, because Kyrie and KD like him, and they wanted him to be in Brooklyn in some capacity, even as head coach. They got their guy, and now it is time to see if he can do the job. It will be made easier because of the star power, but still, what happens if the Nets start slow? What if KD isn't fully back to being the KD we all have gotten to know? What if Nash calls a final shot for someone other than KD or Kyrie? What if the team isn't much better than this year because, outside the two stars and Levert, who will they keep, and are they any good? This team has a lot of tough decisions to make on players who are coming up on their contracts, or seeing if they are the real deal. Are they going to pay Joe Harris? Who will get more minutes at the five? I know KD and Kyrie want Deandre Jordan, but Jarrett Allen is younger and better. How will Nash deal with that? The Nets have big names, 2 of the biggest, and those guys have the guy they want as their "head coach". But, I am not so sure this was the best choice they could have made. I see way more Isiah Thomas when he took over the Pacers than what Kerr has done in Golden State with the Nash hiring.

Maybe I am wrong, maybe he will work, I like Steve Nash the person so that would be cool, but right now, I just don't see it. I think the Nets could have gotten a more seasoned assistant coach, or just stuck with Vaughn, but that is just me. This was a wild morning for the NBA and for the Nets. 

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Thoughts on if the NBA Should Come Back

I didn't write yesterday because, as I told RD when I called him, I needed another night to figure out how I was going to word my piece for the day. I don't want to come off as an asshole at all, but I figure there will be at least one person that disagrees with me today, and well, there is really nothing I can do about that.

Today I want to talk about the player uprising in the NBA right now. Maybe uprising is a bit too strong, but still, there is a decent number of players, and former players for that matter, who do not think right now is the correct time to come back and play. They deem it too much of a distraction from what is currently going on in our country, as far as the protests, Black Live Matter, police brutality, the pandemic, and any other hellscape that we currently live in. And I fully, fully agree with that. I understand. Once players start playing basketball, that will be the biggest story, at least in the sporting news. That is what people will talk about. The people that cover it will immediately shift their focus to the games, the players and the plays that decide the game. The protests will seemingly shift on the back burner. We don't need that. These protests are working. Stuff is starting to happen. I want the police defunded, and the money given to public education personally, and I feel like there is a shift happening in that direction. Some places have already had votes to defund police, and it is working. Also, a good amount of prominent NBA players have taken part in the protests. Players like Giannis, Russ, DeMar DeRozan and Steph and Klay, among many others, have marched, spoken at the marches and been front and center. I LOVE that they are doing that. I love that they are letting their voice be heard. I appreciate that they are taking the time to go out and fight for what is right. But I do fear that once they step on the court, it will all be forgotten. Well, maybe not forgotten, but pushed aside. Guys like Steph and Klay won't get pushed aside because the Warriors weren't invited. But Russ, Giannis, guys on teams that will be going to Orlando, I think the fact that they marched will be put aside when they throw a pinpoint pass, or get a steal or do a thunderous dunk. That sucks.

There is also the current uptick, alarmingly so, of Coronavirus cases in Florida right now. I don't think the NBA players will be as susceptible, due to the "bubble" they will be put in, but still, there has been a scary amount of newly reported cases in Florida. I get NBA players being wary of that. There is also the injury factor that some young guys have brought up. This is going to be a quick restart, and the way these guys are built, someone could suffer a devastating injury. I would hope that the NBA has contingency plans for that, and I assume they do. But still, it is a big time risk. I get all of these fears and problems being brought up by some players.

Now, for what some may see as the heel turn, I'm shocked that Kyrie Irving has this much hold over current NBA players. When rumors started to surface that some players were unhappy with the restart, I racked my brain trying to figure out who. I thought maybe Chris Paul. He has a family that he is super involved with, and three months away is a long, long time. It wasn't him. Then I thought about some guys on the six teams that got invited. I figured guys like Devin Booker, DeAron Fox, Damien Lillard, CJ McCollum, thought it would be pointless because they will, most likely, be there for only eight games, and then have to head home on an airplane. It wasn't those guys either. I even thought, well maybe Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell don't want to play because, and if it wasn't them it would have assuredly been someone else, they essentially shut down the league, and know firsthand how rough this virus can be. But it wasn't them either. The biggest, most dissenting voice was Kyrie Irving, a guy that wasn't invited to play because he is injured and will not return to next season. As soon as I saw it was him, I scoffed and said out loud to no one, "of course it is Kyrie, he is going to ruin this for everyone".

I am not a Kyrie Irving fan. I never have been. Not even in college, or when he hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history. He is a great, great player. I just don't care for him. He is also an insane person. He is a flat Earther. I believe he is anti-vaccine. He has this deep hatred for LeBron James, so much so that he asked to be traded from a perennial Finals team because he didn't want to play with LeBron. He has also destroyed two locker rooms on his way to this new mission of his to shut down this restart. Now, I agree with his issues with the restart. I said it all up top. I want the protests to be front and center on the news, and I do agree that basketball will take away from that. But coming from Kyrie Irving, a kid who grew up with every single advantage, makes millions upon millions of dollars and isn't even going to play, that makes me mad. I'm sorry, but it does. It pisses me off truthfully. I get his message, I cannot say that enough, but he has money to last for the rest of his life. He makes money outside of his NBA contract. He is doing just fine. But what about the 8th or 9th guy on his team. What is that guy going to do if they cancel this season? Also, if they cancel this season, that will lead to, almost certainly, a lockout next year, and billions upon billions of dollars will be lost. Again, I agree with his words, but he is only thinking about himself in this scenario. He is only trying, as some conspiracy theorists have put out there, to keep LeBron from chasing another title.

Yet, there have been other voices coming out in support of Irving, like Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley and Carmelo Anthony. Dwight Howard, I get. His baby's mother died from this disease. He has personal issues with this. If Minnesota were invited, and they asked KAT about it, and if he didn't want to restart, I'd get it. He lost his mother to the virus. Stephen Jackson has been very vocal about cancelling the restart, and he is one of the biggest voices in the protests, I love what he is doing, and how much he is stepping up. He also lost a dear friend due to police brutality. He is also retired. I get why he is so adamant on stopping the restart. But, Kyrie, Avery Bradley and Carmelo, they confuse me. I think I covered why Kyrie's involvement puzzles me. Carmelo, he begged to get back in the league, got signed, and has played well. Why now does he not want a chance to play, at least, eight more games? I don't know. Maybe he is fearful of the virus or getting hurt or something else. But for a guy that was on every TV show until he got signed to suddenly be against a restart, that is puzzling. Avery Bradley is a role player, and I assume he would like to continue to make money. He would be giving up a huge chunk of his salary if they don't restart, and then he would be looking for a new team next season when the lockout inevitably happens. His involvement is the most puzzling of the names of players that have been released. He is due to lose the most money of any named player against a restart.

Ed Davis, who is a ten year vet came out yesterday and brought up some very good points I thought about not restarting. He mentioned that guys like Kyrie, they have made their money and they will be set. The people who have most to lose are vets like him. They rely on the paychecks that come in every two weeks to provide and care for their loved ones. They make a ton of money, but it isn't at the level that a Kyrie Irving makes. So while Davis said he gets where Kyrie is coming from, he also stated that a player like Kyrie doesn't have the same worries as a player like himself does.

I fully agree with Ed Davis. That is the bottom line of all this, and that is the sad thing. The NBA is a business. They are around to make money and get on TV and promote super stars. I asked my wife, who works for a big time stock firm, what would they do if someone said they wanted to leave to go protest and march. She said they would wish them all the luck in the world, sing their praises, support them and let them know they would try and save their job. She also told me that while that person was away, they wouldn't be required to pay them. That is how businesses work, and I think Kyrie doesn't realize, or care about that. If he does get his way, and enough star guys decide to sit out this restart, enough star players that is, this will cause much bigger problems in the future. There will be a lockout next season. The CBA will be torn to shreds and the owners will have all the power. The NBA will use their Force Majeure clause, they can use this in an event that is so catastrophic that is causing unforeseen cancellations, and rip up everything past players worked for today. This is a very weird, very rough, very bad time in the world right now. We are living through some awful shit. And while I applaud the reasoning that some guys are giving for not wanting to restart, I also think they need to know that it will destroy everything they have worked for to be where they are today, to make the money they make today, to have the power to speak to people the way they do today.

The NBA is one of, if not the, most forward thinking professional leagues in the world. If they cancel this restart, it will be catastrophic though. I don't think it will be cancelled though. LeBron has already come out and said the he doesn't think restarting will take away from his ability to speak to people and force change. I agree with him. Also, when he said that, any anger I had towards Kyrie went away, because when LeBron speaks, the NBA listens.

This is one of the more confusing and frustrating things I have dealt with personally as a sports fan. I want the NBA back. I want to watch basketball. But I also want people to continue talking about the protests, I want people to continue to march, I want the police defunded. I want all these things, and I still think we can have it even with NBA players playing basketball. I guess time will tell. Until then, I will be curious to see what the next couple of weeks has in store, because the next couple of weeks is when players are supposed to start reporting to the mini training camps. We will just have to wait and see. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Who is to Blame for the Coaching Mess With the Nets?

I, much like many other people, was stunned to see Kenny Atkinson lose his job, near the end of the season, with a Nets team that is going to make the playoffs again. I thought he was one guy that was safe. After what he oversaw at first, all the losing and no first round draft picks forever, to what they did last year, and I know they weren't great, but they had a winning record, won a game in the playoffs and looked like a fun team. And then they signed KD and Kyrie Irving this offseason. I assumed Kenny Atkinson was set in stone. I didn't, not even once, expected this to happen.

Sure, this season has been different. They traded away guys that clicked last year to clear the space for two stars. The cohesion hasn't always been there this year. They have suffered a rash of injuries to starters and key bench guys. Kyrie, when he was playing, was saying dumb shit again, to reporters in the locker room so everyone could hear him. He also wasn't playing all that well. They have tried to play DeAndre Jordan far too much. Jarrett Allen is younger and much better. KD hasn't stepped on the floor at all this year, which was expected. But still, when the news flashed on Saturday, I was shocked.

Then stories started to trickle out that neither KD nor Kyrie wanted him to be the coach, that Atkinson didn't want to coach them, that Deandre Jordan was upset that he wasn't playing as much as he would like, you know, the typical stuff when this happens. My first thought was, well it's true, Kyrie is a coach killer. But, as I sat back and thought about it, Brad Stevens is still in Boston, and Ty Lue was still the coach after Kyrie left, and LeBron was gone anyway, so why would he want to leave.

Look, I know all the stuff that is out there about Kyrie, and I agree with most of it. He is a cancer to the locker room. He isn't as great as he would like us to think, or he thinks. He has never won anything without LeBron. Yes, he hit a humongous shot in the Finals, one of the biggest shots ever, but a lot of stuff that didn't involve him led to that moment. Teams do seem to play better when he is out, or injured. Again, it's all true. But, Kyrie is a magician with the ball, and when he is on the floor, he is great. He can score, he can handle, he is an average defender. But, if I look at all the top point guards in the league right now, he is right up there. I don't know if I would want him on my team, but I don't necessarily think this was all on him.

I feel the same with the KD noise. First off, KD is a much better teammate, more coachable and is a better player than Kyrie. I know he has this new, wannabe "bad boy" image to the media, but I have never once thought he was a coach killer. He played for Scott Brooks, Billy Donovan and Steve Kerr, and none of them have said a bad word about him. He has also been out all year, so why would his words hold any bearing over this season. Next year, when he is back, sure, but this year, no way. So I don't blame this on KD either.

Deandre Jordan's opinion holds absolutely zero bearing on anything of importance. He is well past his prime, the Nets have better and younger guys at the same spot and he is a total non factor. If his anger at playing time had anything to do with this that is absurd.

I don't think it is Kenny Atkinson's fault either. I think Atkinson is a good coach, who can get the very best out of guys that were castoffs, or rookies. D'Angelo Russell was a pariah when he came to Brooklyn, and Atkinson helped turn him into an All Star and a max player. Caris Levert was oft injured at Michigan and skinny coming into the league. Now he is a key cog to this team. Spencer Dinwiddie has bounced around the NBA, and now he has found a spot that has helped him get to where he is today. Joe Harris was your typical white shooter when he came to the league, now, while he can still shoot, he can play defense, drive to the rim and handle a little bit. Most of the praise goes to the individual player for working on stuff, but I also give some praise to Atkinson. He has to believe in the player, and harbor their want to get better. I just think that Atkinson doesn't want to coach super stars. Not everybody can be Phil Jackson or Steve Kerr or even Mike D'Antoni. Look at a guy like Greg Poppovich. Yes, he had Tim Duncan, but Duncan is the most understated star the league has ever seen. While Atkinson is no Pop, far from it, Pop has won with, for the most part, guys willing to play roles. Billy Donovan is doing that in OKC right now, and I know they have Chris Paul, but he is a billion years old. Kenny Atkinson has way more Rick Carlisle than Doc Rivers in him, if you ask me.

So, while you have been reading this, I'm sure at this point you are asking me, who's fault is this then Ty? Well, I'll tell you now. I feel this is totally, and completely on the front office. They feel a ton of pressure now, and it will only get bigger next season. They want to appease their stars. They want to become the team in New York. Side note, that will never, ever happen, no matter how bad the Knicks are, or will be. They feel like they need to be much better than a 6 or 7 in the East. The front office panicked, listened to outside people talk and made a rash, and impulsive decision. I simply don't know who the Nets are going to get that will appease the stars. Maybe, maybe Ty Lue. After that though, most of the big name guys are set. Rivers isn't leaving the Clippers, Jason Kidd will soon be the Lakers head coach, Budenholzer will stay with the Bucks as long as Giannis is there, Carlisle and Donovan have a plethora of young talent they want to mold, Nick Nurse is beloved in Toronto, I mean, the Nets options are small and, maybe, bleak.

This was a puzzling move, and I am very curious to see what direction they go in. This is a wild story in what is usually a down time 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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

So Far NBA Free Agency has Been Predictably Insane

NBA free agency started yesterday at around 5pm Saint Louis time, and it has been wild ever since. Yes, today has been a little less hectic, but yesterday was just a flurry of player movement, and big time contracts being handed out. I couldn't go a few minutes without my phone or watch buzzing with another player signing with a new team, or getting the max from their current team. It was nuts.

It all really started well before 5pm, as free agency always does now. But, right at 5:01, we got the big news that KD ad Kyrie Irving were both signing max spots with the Brooklyn Nets. This took me by surprise. I predicted on our pod 2 weeks ago that Kyrie would go to Brooklyn, but I thought KD was going to stay in Golden State. I even went as far to say that if KD were to leave, it would be for the Knicks. I was wrong. KD did go to New York, but he went to Brooklyn. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this a bit. I know that he wants to play with Kyrie, and the Nets are signing his good buddy Deandre Jordan, but still, the Nets? I wonder how much of this has to do with Jay-Z, how much it has to do with not being on the Knicks because James Dolan is a train wreck of an owner, more on him in a few, or how much it has to do with the years, and money, the Nets offered him? I think, given the report, it has to do mostly with Dolan being a humongous dip shit, and not offering him the max because he is apparently afraid of the risk in KD's injury. That is so god damn stupid. If you have a chance to get KD, you get him. Yes, he will not be playing this year at all, and it may take another 6-8 months after that for him to fully be back. But still, KD at 70-80 percent is still one of the top players in the NBA. The Nets, even though I am not a Kyrie fan at all, did get a whole lot better yesterday. But, be patient Nets fans, the payoff won't come for another year and a half, basically until KD is near full recovery. My hat goes off to the Nets though. They are relevant again.

This does mean they had to let go of D'Angelo Russell, who the Golden State Warriors somehow managed to get in a sign and trade. Just when you think the Warriors might have a bit of a down year, at least for them, they go out and find a way to get Russell, and today they maxed out Klay, who will miss most of this year too. But, the fact that they were able to get a player of Russell's caliber in a sign and trade proves how much this team wants to stay relevant. I know they had to offload Andre Iguodala to do this, but, as much as I respect Iggy, he is pretty much done. This was a tremendous, and highly unexpected move on day one of free agency. And Russell has gotten so much better since Magic traded him a few years back to the Nets. He is going to fit in just fine with Steph and Draymond and Klay, when he comes back.

The Heat, while it isn't a done deal yet, went out and got their star, hopefully, in Jimmy Butler. I like this move for both teams. Butler will be "the guy" in Miami, Erik Spoelstra has coached, at a very, very high level, the best of the best, Pat Riley is a great front office guy and there is no sales tax in Miami. Jimmy Butler, if he wasn't going to stay in Philly, made the second best choice in joining the Heat. They just need to get it done.

Butler's old team, the 76ers, gave Tobias Harris a huge deal, but I think he was the better of the 2 guys they traded for on that team. He is a better shooter, and a solid defender. He struggled a bit in the playoffs, but I think he will bounce back. They also resigned Mike Scott, an underrated signing if you ask me, and they got Al Horford to somehow sign there. I don't like that they gave him 4 years. But, with Horford, Embiid and Simmons, that is going to be a monster front court, especially on defense. I mean, good luck getting to the hoop on those guys.

They did lose JJ Redick to the Pelicans, and let me tell you, the Pelicans are crushing this offseason. They got Zion. They got a boat load in return for AD. They are about to sign Derrick Favors. I mean, this is about as fast, and as good, a rebuild as I have ever seen after a team trades a franchise player. I questioned RD saying they could push for the playoffs in the pod I already mentioned, but after yesterday, it wouldn't shock me to see them hang around all year in the standings. They are going to be a boat load of fun to watch as well.

The Bucks gave Khris Middleton the max, as expected, and earned. They also got Brook Lopez and George Hill back. They went out and nabbed Robin Lopez as well. They are, pretty much, running it back. And why not when they won 60 games last year and made the conference finals. But, they did trade Malcom Brogdon. I don't think this is as huge a loss as some do, but it will still hurt. They need to find another shooter.

Brogdon got traded to the Pacers, and the Pacers are going for it. They traded for Brogdon and signed Jeremy Lamb. They could still be in the mix for some trades as well, but I loved their moves so far. They get Oladipo back, they now have a solid scorer in Brogdon, Lamb can be a knock down shooter, and Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner is a very good, very young front court.

The Celtics lost out on Kyrie and Horford, and settled for Kemba Walker. I love Kemba Walker. I've loved him since he was at UCONN. But I fear that the Celtics will try and turn him into Isaish Thomas 2.0. That should not be his place in the NBA. I wished MJ would have paid up to keep him there because Walker was the only reason to even watch the Hornets. Now I have to watch him lose shots to guys like Gordon Hayward, that is a bummer. But, I don't blame him for taking that contract. That was some big money.

Orlando re upped Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross. They also went out and got Al Farouq Aminu. These moves are fine, but it doesn't really move the needle as far as them being a higher seed in the playoffs next year.

Portland has made some trades, but most importantly, they gave Dame his much deserved max extension. That alone will keep them in contention.

Remember when I said I'd talk more about James Dolan? Well, here it is. He didn't offer KD the max, which is stupid. He took a shoot first guard at number three in this draft. He didn't even try to sign Kemba. He completely whiffed on Kyrie. He traded Kristaps Porzingis last year. And his solution you ask? To give guys like Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson and Julius Randle two and three year deals. I mean, what the hell. I do like Julius Randle, just not as a first or second option, which he will be with the Knicks. Bobby Portis is more known for punching out a teammate in Chicago, and I think Taj Gibson is older than me. And, along with drafting RJ Barrett, who you all know I am not high on, they took Ignas Brazdeikes in the second round, and I watched him all last year at Michigan and think, this guy is not ready for the NBA. The Knicks are a joke, and that is sad. James Dolan is awful, and he needs to sell the team.

There was a bunch of other movement yesterday, and a little more so far today. But, the biggest name, after KD, is still left, and that is Kawhi Leonard. I don't have a single clue as to what he will do, and I am getting a bit frustrated at all the reports saying the Lakers are the front runners to sign him now. I have looked at Kawhi as his own entity. As a guy that wants to be "the guy" on his team. The guy that ends dynasties, doesn't join them. I was personally hoping he'd stay in Toronto, and he very well might, or go to the Clippers, and try and make them a better draw than the Lakers in the same building, and that can still happen too. But, if he sings with the Lakers, I will have a whole blog about how much of a bigger cop out that would be than when KD joined the 73 win Warriors. That would be completely out of character for him, and I don't know how well he would adjust to being the third guy on the Lakers. Also, he would be being coached by LeBron. Sure, Frank Vogel and Jason Kidd are "figureheads" there, but after last season, and this offseason, it is very clear who runs that team now. It is LeBron and Rich Paul. I don't see Kawhi taking too well to that environment. But, if he wants to be in LA, and he chooses the Lakers, so be it. It would be a punk move, but who am I to tell a guy to turn down that much money to go play in his home city. It would only make my hatred for the Lakers that much more intense. But, after all the big stars that signed yesterday, Kawhi is the biggest name left, and he will dictate the course of action in the league next year. Wherever he goes, or if he stays in Toronto, that team will be the favorite because he is there. We just have to wait and see.

I love NBA free agency, and yesterday felt like my birthday. It was a joy to see all the movement and big contracts being signed left and right. I cannot wait to watch the NBA this coming season. It is truly becoming the best sport in the world.

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.

Let the Kyrie Irving Speculation Begin

NBA free agency is still about a month and a half away. But, it officially started for Kyrie Irving last night. The Celtics and Irving laid down and let the Bucks walk over them on their way to the East Finals. This was pretty much written in stone after game 4. The Bucks ripped the Celtics apart and all but sewed up the series. Last night was simply needed to get the clinching win for Milwaukee.

And man was Irving bad, on both ends of the floor, after game 1 of this series. He was a zero on defense. It didn’t look like he was even trying. As far as offense, he took a lot of shots, said he should take more, but missed most of them. He was not good when he needed to be his best. He reverted to how he played in Cleveland before LeBron came back.

I do put a good amount of blame on Irving, because he’s the star player and number one option, but he’s not alone. Gordon Hayward was an absolute zero in this series. He played scared. Al Horford is starting to show his age. Giannis bullies him. Terry Rozier didn’t get enough playing time. Jayson Tatum regressed all year. The only guy that looked engaged, and played well, was Jaylen Brown. He looked good.

We also need to re-evaluate Brad Stevens. He may not be the boy wonder some thought. This was, by far, his best roster, and they choked harder than ever. Stevens deserves as much blame as credit he got when the Celtics overachieved. He allowed all of this to happen. He also proved he cannot handle big stars. That was the biggest take away I got from his coaching this year.

But, back to their big time free agent. I know Horford is a free agent, and he’s very important to this team. But, he’s not Irving. Some team is going to go after Irving, and go after him hard. He is a wizard with the ball. He can create with the best of them. He is a solid passer. When engaged, he plays okay enough defense. But, the way he played in these last 4 games, or the whole year, and how he’s treated his teammates and the media, I’d be a little hesitant to back up the truck for him. He is such an enticing player, and he’s still relatively young. But his attitude, the stuff he says, the way he acts towards teammates, his willingness to leave when it doesn’t go his way, all of that makes me pause. All of that would make me think twice. Two years ago, after demanding his trade from Cleveland, when he landed in Boston, he seemed so happy. He seemed like he was going to be there for awhile. He was finally back to being “the guy”. Two years later, he’s already ready to leave. In October he wanted to stay, then a month later he said “I don’t owe Boston shit”. Look, I’m stoked when any team from Boston gets bounced early from the playoffs. But, he say two totally opposite things only a month apart, that’s childish. This is why I’d be so hesitant to sign him long term.

Say Irving and KD, who I will write about his injury tomorrow, but man is that a bummer, go to the Knicks. How quick until he’s upset that he’s second fiddle again? KD is a far superior player. I don’t think Irving would be too happy after one season. Let’s say he joins LeBron again in LA. How long until he trashes the youth on that team? Or, how upset would he be if he were the third option behind LeBron and Anthony Davis if they get him? If he signs with the Lakers, they would be disastrous. Say he goes to the Nets. How is that any different than his situation right now in Boston? He’d be done there in one season.

The only team that I think makes a bit of sense is Phoenix. The young core would buckle to his whims. He could help pick a coach. He would be the alpha, no disrespect to Devin Booker, but Irving is better. And he could kind of hide away there. He wouldn’t be all in the media for the first time in his career, which I think would be great for him. He could stay away from social media and simply focus on basketball. That is truly the only team I think he would stay and help.

We will have to wait to see until July 1, and I cannot wait. But, Irving did not help himself at all thus post season. If anything, he only hurt his stock and I’d think twice before offering him a max this offseason. 

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.

Who is Really to Blame for the Boston Celtics Mess?

The Boston Celtics clearly have a problem right now. There is something going on with the chemistry. The guys on the team don't seem to really like one another. It seems as if Jayson Tatum is all but ready to be traded this summer. Kyrie Irving looks fed up. It just seems like a real mess. That being said, they are still in the thick of the playoff race, with, most likely, home court advantage in the first round. But, while all these other guys are taking heat, especially Irving, I want to pose a question.

That question, why is this all Kyrie's fault? What about Brad Stevens, and the Boston sports fan base's white hope, Gordon Hayward? Why do they never, ever seem to get any of the blame? The people that defend Hayward may say the typical stuff, he's coming off a gruesome injury, he needs time, and no one has come back the very next season after a brutal ankle injury like the one he suffered. I will give you all of that. But, he is taking away critical minutes from younger guys that are much better than him, and proved that in last season's playoffs. Jaylen Brown, Tatum, even a guy like Terry Rozier, played lights out during their run to the conference finals last year. This season though, their minutes have dipped because the coaching staff feels like they need to work Hayward back because they seem to think he will be integral to them in the playoffs. He won't. He is still hurt, and he is playing scared. He doesn't attack like he did before the injury. He isn't as good a shooter as he was in Utah. He doesn't take games over. He looks like he is playing scared. And even when he has a "good" game, it is nothing special. I didn't think he would be the "answer" they were looking for when they maxed him out 2 years ago, and that was before the injury. He just isn't the same guy, and he is not letting younger, stronger and better players get the minutes they rightfully earned last season. If I were Brown, Tatum and even a guy like Semi Ojeleye, I'd be pissed that Gordon Hayward was taking crucial playing time away from me. He isn't washed yet, but he is starting to look like he may never be the same player he was while in Utah. He, right now, is playing scared. I personally think it is hilarious because dumbass Boston fans were thinking they were getting the next Larry Bird. Hayward isn't even the 6th or 7th best guy on that team.

This leads me to Brad Stevens. Stevens up to this point has earned a pass. He coached this team up real well since he has been there. He got an influx of talent last year, lost guys to injuries and still made the conference finals. But this was supposed to be the year that he finally started to take over the East. LeBron is gone, Hayward was coming back from injury and Kyrie was back to full health. He also had all that young talent gain meaningful playing time because they were thrust into it last year, and they were the presumed top team in the East. Even after Toronto got Kawhi in a trade everyone said the Celtics were better. Even with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons coming into the year at full health, the Celtics were considered the better team. Even with Milwaukee getting a new head coach, and the continued growth of Giannis, Boston was still considered the best team. All of that was due to what Stevens had done up to that point.

Well, and I believe I even questioned this going into the season, we have gotten to see how he coaches a team that have a super star, and a supposed super star. He has had it rough. His lineups are odd and kind of crazy. He doesn't seem to know how to stagger the minutes. He is trying way too hard to insert Hayward into the lineup. Terry Rozier is barely seeing the court. Marcus Smart was only recently put into the starting lineup, and he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. It shouldn't take a top tier coach that long to realize that. Jaylen Brown has regressed due to minutes being cut. And like I said at the top, Tatum seems all but ready to leave, and that kid is on his way to becoming a star. I attribute all of this to Brad Stevens. If he wants to be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Greg Poppovich or Steve Kerr or Mike Budeholzer or Nick Nurse or even Mike Malone, he needs to learn how to coach a team with multiple super stars. That is how you win in the modern NBA, and he is struggling mightily with that right now. Tatum wants out. Irving definitely wants out. And I wouldn't be surprised if guys like Al Horford and Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier leave in the offseason.

Every sports journalist talks about, "what happens if one of the top 4 teams in the East loses in the first round, what happens to them then", and I can only think of that happening to the Celtics. It would bring me great joy to see them get bounced early, and then to see what happens. But, while Kyrie is taking the brunt of the criticism, I feel like that is a bit unfair to him. He has won a title, been to two other finals and hit one of, if not the, biggest shots in NBA history. Gordon Hayward has never been out of the second round, and Brad Stevens, while making one conference finals, has never been put under the microscope like he is getting right now.

The blame needs to be spread out around that whole team, and Hayward and Stevens should be seeing the most right now, in my opinion.

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.

The NBA has a Superstar Sensitivity Problem

Recently, while listening to all the NBA podcasts I do, I have found myself being a bit irritated at how sensitive some star players in the league have become over the past decade. Now, I have to say at the top, I have no ill will for these guys wanting to go win titles, get paid and have fun playing the game. While I may not like "super teams", and I think the money is absurdly high among all professional sports, again, I have no problem with these guys doing what they want to do. They're human and allowed to lead the lives they want to live. But, I also think they should know, or at the very least expect, that they are going to be in the spotlight, and that a good amount of people are going to root against them for doing such things, and then going to the media, or their front office, to complain or demand a trade.

This irritation for me it all started with the Kristaps Porzingis trade. When it happened I was flummoxed. I wrote about it. I trashed the Knicks. But, about a week after the trade stories started to come out that Porzingis went to the front office and griped about the direction of the team. He complained that he had no help. Okay, fine, but have you played all year Porzingis? In fact, I don't think you've played a game in almost 2 years. So, while you want to be on a competitive team, that needs to start with you actually playing. You can moan and groan all you want, but you aren't even playing. In fact, I'd like to see you go a full season without getting hurt just once. Then, if you do that,, and lead a team to a conference finals, go ahead and complain all you want. Until then, don't yearn for things when you haven't really proved anything yet.

Then the Anthony Davis trade demand came out. I have been highly critical of this. This was done all wrong. From Davis' demand while still under contract for the rest of this season and all of next season, to Rich Paul leaking it to Adrian Wojnaworski before Davis could tell the Pelicans front office, to the handling of the Lakers offer, it has been a cluster. This has been a disaster all around. A GM lost his job over this. Davis, who up until now was beloved, is almost becoming a villain. When he did come back from his "injury", the Pelicans fans booed him. Then he decided to leave a game after trying to block a shot, and left the building, with Rich Paul. Now, he is going to be on LeBron's show, "The Shop", and he is also talking about his love for all things LA. He is handling this awfully. He is going to get traded to some team not in LA, other teams can offer so much more for the Pelicans future, and I blame it partially on him. He is talking to media, but saying stuff like, "all 29 teams are on my list", or, "I just want to win". Sure, that may sound nice, but the "29 teams" thing is a slap in New Orleans face, and the winning is nonsense. He wants to be in LA, and he wants to play with LeBron. If he just came out and said that, I would respect him so much more. But no, he is trying to be coy.

Then we have KD's endless fight with the media and journalists. Prior to the All Star break he chided a journalist who simply asked him about his impending free agency and New York. A very simple, non threatening question, right? Well, KD took this way, way too seriously and painted a very broad brush basically saying that all journalists are out to get him. KD needs to calm the hell down. Ever since he left the Thunder to ride on the Warriors coattails, he has become a curmudgeon, and it doesn't fit him. He is a hell of a player, one of the greats, but his whole "heel" turn is off putting. I mean, the journalist was just doing his job. If anyone should understand that it should be a guy like KD. He has changed so much, for the worse, since he signed with Golden State.

Then we have the Kyrie Irving interview yesterday of him chastising another journalist that simply asked him about the video that leaked of him and KD talking in the tunnel during the All Star game. Now, I do think people are making far, far too much of a video of 2 buddies talking, but for Kyrie to say that "you guys are making the league not fun" is a little much. Again, this person is just doing their job. You'd think, just like in KD's case, he would understand that. But nope, he just went off and said some crazy stuff. He is a super star, and the media is going to ask him questions like this. That is how they get people to come to their websites and read their stuff. While you think you may be winning, and knocking that person down a peg, you are actually helping them by going off like that.

Then last night I read a headline that said that James Harden is upset that his peers are critical of the way he plays the game. Newsflash Harden, you are a bore to watch. Again, you are a magnificent scorer, one of the best ever, but the way you do it is a slog. You foul hunt. You slow the game down. You shoot too many free throws, and you gripe to the officials too much. It is so boring to watch. You are my least favorite player to watch, and I know for a fact that I am not alone. A lot of people do not like to watch you play, and that most definitely includes your peers. Get over it. You are great.

It is frustrating to hear these multi millionaire super star players gripe about people calling them out for their sometime childish behavior. I mean, do you think Jordan cared what his peers or journalists said? How about Charles Barkley? Or maybe Hakeem Olajuwon or Shaq? They didn't give a shit. They just went out and played. Hell, there are even current stars that could care less what the media or other pro players say. Look at Russell Westbrook. He could care less what anyone thinks of him. Or Jimmy Butler. I may not like the way he handled his exit from Minnesota, but he never chastised the media for the way they handled it. In fact he did an interview for ESPN and Rachel Nichols on exactly why he wanted out. Joel Embiid doesn't give one shit what the media or Russell Westbrook says about him. Kawhi Leonard just continues to not talk, and that may be the best way to handle all this. And then we have Giannis. Could this kid be any cooler? Could he be more loved? Could he be more fun? Giannis is the best for so many reasons. He loves to play the game, he is a great interview, his teammates and the front office love him, and when questions of his impending free agency in 2021 come up, he takes the Kawhi approach and is silent. These are the dudes I respect. These are the dudes that handle it correctly. 

That is the point of my old man ranting. Some of these young star are far too thin skinned. They need to get over it. We need less Kristaps or KD's and more Kawhi's and Giannis' in the league right now. They know how to deal with all this stuff so much better.

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 Watches, and Loves, "Uncle Drew"

I finally saw the movie "Uncle Drew", and I absolutely loved it.

Now, before I get blasted for liking this movie so much I want to say that, I know it was not your traditional good movie. It was cheesy and hokey and crony and silly and a whole lot of fun. I read some reviews after I watched it, and for the writers saying it "lacked realism", or "was filled with non actors" or "clearly a kids movie", I have to say, shut the hell up. We all know that it wasn't real. I mean, the movie was based off a Pepsi commercial that first appeared like 5 years ago. It was all made as a joke. This was a vehicle for Kyrie Irving to dress up in old man makeup and school young basketball players on famous street ball courts.

As far as the kids movie thing, so what. A lot of great movies are "kid" movies. I had "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" as one of my top movies of 2018. That is a kids movie. So are some classics like "Toys", "Wall-E", "The Mighty Ducks", "The Lion King", "Bambi", I could go on and on and on. But the difference, the critics all loved the childish nature of the other movies I just mentioned, yet they trash "Uncle Drew". It makes me so upset that this new age of movie critics, most of them are younger than me, have no imagination. Now I know that I have been called out for a lack of imagination because I don't like the TV show "PJ Masks", but that critique I wrote was in jest. I was just tired of watching that god damn show. I know my kids love it, and I know it is goofy, but it is also a cartoon. "Uncle Drew" is not a cartoon, so the younger critics feel like they need to knock it down a few pegs. What they really need to do is chill the hell out.

The thing that irked me the most was the whole, "there's no real actors in the movie". First off, Lil Rel Howery is a great comedic actor. I enjoyed every second of him in this movie. Tiffany Haddsih is also great, and she has become somewhat of a critical darling. Nick Kroll is funny as hell. But I think what the major critics were trying to do was call out Kyrie Irving, Chris Webber, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, Reggie Miller, and to a lesser extent, Shaquille O'Neal. But my major blowback to the people that said "no real actors", no shit. These guys are former pros, or current pro basketball players, and now some of them do commentary. Like I said at the top, this whole movie was based around a commercial where Irving clowns other basketball players while dressed as an old man. "Uncle Drew" wasn't going to be awards bait. It wasn't made to teach a real lesson. It wasn't going to be a coming out party for anyone in it. It was made because it was fun. It was also made for people who truly love the game of basketball.

Take away the smaller stuff I really enjoyed about the movie, the preacher and church scene with Webber and Leslie is great, the stuff with Shaq was hilarious, as I said before, Lil Rel was excellent. But, the pure basketball, and the love for the game of basketball was front and center. I think that is why I love this movie so much. I feel like it was made specifically for someone like me. Someone that likes old school basketball mixed with new school. Someone that likes to hear actors say lines like, "that is why I still play, because I love the game", or, "you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take", or when Shaq calls Irving "KOBE" at one point because he won't pass the ball, or when Lisa Leslie destroys people with her inside game. It was so much fun to see the best of the best show their stuff. The basketball in this movie was pure. It was akin to the football in a movie like "Friday Night Lights", or the baseball in "Major League". It looked and felt real. I assume they really were playing, and I love that.

"Uncle Drew" is a fun movie that is pure joy for big time basketball fans. I applaud Irving and Webber and Reggie Miller and Nate Robinson and Shaq and Lisa Leslie for going 110 percent and totally buying into their roles. I love this movie so much. My hat is off to "Uncle Drew".

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. When it comes to movies about basketball, Ty will also defend “Eddie”, and “Like Mike”. He will not defend “Juwanna Man”. Ty does have some limits to the basketball movies he likes.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Stop it Cavs. You Already Won the Kyrie Trade

Last week I was so focused on football, I did write about the Kyrie Irving to Boston trade, but now that I have gotten to stew in it, and with the newer news of the Cavs possibly looking for further compensation due to Isaish Thomas' hip injury, I have some more thoughts about the deal.

First off, I think the deal is going to get done no matter what. I do not see anyway that Irving is not wearing a Celtics jersey in October, and same for Thomas and Crowder in a Cavs jersey. There are far too many fractured relationships with players and teams now. Thomas was hurt by Boston. They just offloaded him like nothing. This was a prime example of sports being a business. Crowder is probably happy to be gone since his name was ALWAYS brought up in trade rumors for the past couple seasons. I don't know how he ever felt comfortable playing there the past couple years. Irving wanted out of Cleveland, and he wanted out bad.

Second off, while playing the best basketball of his career the past three seasons, he never really seemed happy playing sidekick to LeBron. He wanted out and he wanted to be "the man". I'm sure he was sick of always being publicly called out by LeBron and he probably feels like Kevin Durant did last year. He wants to get out, find a change of scenery, and he has won a title in Cleveland already. What else does he have to prove there? Why should he still play second fiddle to the best player in the game right now? Why can't he leave like so many other players do all the time? Why does he get chastised more than KD did last year? Irving didn't go to the Warriors, he got traded to the Celtics. He didn't go to a front runner, even though the Celtics were the top seed last year in the East. I'm pretty sure everyone would put the Celtics as maybe the fourth or fifth best team in the NBA. And if you aren't the Warriors or Cavs, you won't really matter for the next year or two. So no, I hold no ill will towards Irving wanting out. I think it is insane because he will not be making long, deep playoff runs anymore, but so be it. He wants to run a team, and as soon as this trade gets finalized, he will get his wish.

Speaking of the deal getting finalized, the Cavs knew about Thomas' hip injury. The Celtics were very forward about this injury prior to making the deal. The Cavs already fleeced the Celtics once, by getting them to give up the Nets pick, Thomas, Crowder and Zizic, but now they want Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown to complete the deal? Get out of here. I do like the Celtics coming back and saying that they will not part with another player, especially one of their younger players, instead only offering a second round pick. That should be more than enough for the Cavs to make the deal. What would they do with a Tatum or Brown if they got one of them? They already have a solid starting 5, and better veterans coming off the bench. If Brown or Tatum were to be traded to the Cavs, they would relegated to the end of the bench. They'd be lucky to get 10 minutes a game. That is not good for their development, and I feel like they would become journeyman players that play for a bunch of teams. Going to the Cavs would stunt their development. LeBron has made it very widely known over the past three years that he doesn't like playing with rookies or second year players. This may have been a demand due to the possibility of LeBron leaving, but it would waste a year of growth for one of these guys. This is most likely LeBron's last year in Cleveland, so why do they want a Tatum or a Brown? As I have already stated, they have a solid starting 5 with Thomas taking over the point guard duties from Kyrie, JR Smith at the 2, Crowder at the 3, LeBron at the 4 and either Love or Tristan Thompson at the 5. Then, coming off the bench, lets say Thompson starts, they have Love, Kyle Korver, Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert, if they keep him. I'm sure the Cavs are also making some calls around to see if they can get another veteran to come aboard. So add either a Brown or Tatum to this team and they are, at best, the 9th guy on the bench. The Cavs don't need that, and neither do Brown and Tatum. The Cavs are getting a bit too cocky by asking for these guys. I think they should just take the deal as is, but if they want more, take the second round pick. Or, ask for a Terry Rozier or the French kid they took last year in the late first round. Don't ask for the past 2 number 3 overall picks. That is way too much, especially when they already acquired a ton in the first deal.

The trade as is still sits strongly in the Cavs favor. I'm sure that Thomas may miss a little time at the start of the year, but that will not affect the Cavs much, if at all. LeBron will still run the team, as he has for the past 3 years. Crowder makes them so much better defensively too. The Nets pick gives them leverage and an asset for a trade, or they can keep it if LeBron does leave, and use that as the building block for next year. The Cavs already won this trade once, they don't need to rub it in by asking for 2 young players that have tremendous potential. Just take the deal as is and be happy with how much better the team will be with Thomas and Crowder and by offloading an unhappy guy that doesn't want to be there. There is no reason the Celtics need to give up one of those young guys, and the Cavs asking for one of them is a baller move, but it is also a bit too cocky from there side as well. We will have to see what happens.

But as I said at the top, I think this deal will get done by taking the first offer, or getting the second round pick along with their original haul, and just being happy with that. Either way, Irving will be a Celtic and Thomas and Crowder will be Cavs when the season starts in October. You can count on 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. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Now that Kyrie has been Traded, Who Will Lose to the Warriors Next Season?

Last night, on my way to play basketball, the news rang out on my phone that Kyrie Irving had been traded. Since I was driving, I didn't check until I got to the gym who he was traded to. I figured it was either the Knicks or the Spurs since those are the only 2 teams I had really heard anything from since Kyrie demanded a trade. When I parked, I stopped to look at my phone and saw he had been traded to the Celtics.

I was shocked. I didn't even think they were a serious contender for Kyrie. I heard people say this as a possibility, but most people brushed it off saying that the Celtics would have to give up too much to get Kyrie. I agreed with those people. But, he was traded to the Celtics.

So, I clicked on the story to see what the Celtics had to give up. I didn't know who it was going to be, but I was almost certain that the name Isaish Thomas wasn't going to be included. He had become a folk hero of sorts for that team last year. Everyone in Boston loved him, and he loved them in return. Remember, he was openly recruiting guys to come play there. So, I assumed it was going to be the young Celtics and some picks. I figured a Nets pick and guys like Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum.

Well, the Nets pick was in the trade, unprotected I might add. Then I saw the other names. The Celtics gave up Ante Zizic, okay, Jae Crowder, he has been mentioned in trades for a couple year snow, and much to my surprise, Isaish Thomas. I was floored. I could not believe what the Celtics gave up to get Kyrie, and I was floored that they gave up Thomas. Zizic, Crowder and the pick, fine. That's expected. But, to give up Thomas, man, sports are brutal. It is amazing how brutal sports can be. Thomas was the best player for the number one seed in the East last year. He played hurt, hard, with a heavy heart and he put up tremendous numbers every night. And the Celtics just up and traded him for Kyrie Irving. Again, I was floored.

Then, after a couple hours of basketball, a nights sleep and thinking about it this morning and this afternoon, I looked more into the basketball aspect of the trade. I've got to say, after a little less than 24 hours of contemplating the trade, I feel like the Cavs won the deal, and they won big. Yes, Kyrie Irving is a tremendous, often dazzling scorer, but that is all he brings to Boston. That, and his very popular shoes. But what the Celtics had to give up was just astonishing. I'll get to that in a minute. I started to think about this new Celtics team, and they lost about 60 to 70 percent of their core from a 50 plus win, Eastern Conference Finals appearance last year. Yeah they still have Al Horford, but the other four starters, Amir Johnson, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder and Isaish Thomas, all of them are gone. They have to replace 80 percent of their starting 5. And I know that Amir Johnson was not great, but they also lost Kelly Olynk this offseason and replaced him with Aron Baynes. The Celtics are going to look totally different. Also, we will finally see how Brad Stevens does with a super star that wants to shoot and shoot and shoot. Stevens has kind of been given carte blanche because no one expected much from this team, and then they started to win. Now, he has big egos and big contracts to deal with. They will trot out a starting five of Kyrie, probably Baynes or the Morris twin they got, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford. I like the first starting five I mentioned much more. And for the people who think this will push them past Cleveland, slow your roll. The Cavs still have LeBron, and they got 2 of the Celtics five starters.

In fact, lets now look at exactly why I think the Cavs won this trade big. They had to give up Kyrie, and while that stinks, he was disgruntled, sick of being the little brother to LeBron and wanted to be the focal point of a team. If they had kept him, he would have been unhappy, and that could have affected his play. They don't have to worry about that now. The fact that they got Isaish Thomas is flat out amazing to me. He can replace a big, big chunk of the scoring that Irving will leave behind. He is also much better off the ball. Thomas can move off screens and float around the perimeter and hit open shots and get to the basket. I feel like he is going to love playing basketball with LeBron James. Also, he won't take any of the passive aggressive bull shit that LeBron always trots out there. If LeBron tries to subtweet him or say something about the "team", but it is really about Thomas, he will call him out. LeBron has never really had a teammate that would stand up to him but Thomas will, and I think it will benefit both players. Then we have Crowder. Sure, he isn't the defender that he was a couple years ago, but he is a hell of a lot better than anyone that the Cavs have, except for LeBron. Crowder will at least make opposing small forwards think about some shots that they freely got against other Cavs small forwards last year. He can also play small ball 4 if need be. He can also hit open threes. He is a much better Channing Frye, and Frye has been pretty decent since being traded to Cleveland. Crowder is also a much better option than Kyle Korver in big playoff games. Where Korver looked scared to shoot in the Finals last year, Crowder won't have that hesistation. Zizic is a salary dump I assume, so no need to talk about him. The Nets pick, which I say again is unprotected, can be used for a lot of things. If the Cavs think they can keep LeBron, they can trade it for a vet or someone that fits their system. If he does leave, it looks like he is halfway out the door, they can keep it and rebuild with a top ten pick in next year's draft. It is a win win. So, while the Celtics got a big name in a big market, the Cavs added depth and some much needed defense to their team.

To finish this all out, this trade will have no real affect in the outcome of next year unless the Warriors have a catastrophic injury. They are still the best team by a wide margin in the NBA. They will most likely face the Cavs in the finals again, and if that happens, maybe this trade makes it go 6, but still probably 5 or, even more likely, a sweep. While Crowder and James can play defense, they will not be nearly enough to stop the Warriors. Love, Tristan Thompson, JR Smith, Derrick Rose, Thomas and anyone else they throw out there will get torched by the Warriors. And, if the Celtics somehow magically get to the Finals against the Warriors, that will definitely be a sweep. No one on the Celtics now can stop anyone on the Warriors. They are not even close to the same level as the Warriors.

The big deal happened, and I think the Cavs won it by a mile, but the Warriors will still be, barring any major injury, your 2017-18 NBA champs, and it won't even be close. At least the NBA is giving us some great stories during the boring time between the NBA Finals and football kicking off though. I am very grateful for 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. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Derrick Rose "Bidding War" is the Dumbest Story of the NBA Offseason

With the Kyrie Irving news last Friday, I wasn't able to comment on the supposed "bidding war" for Derrick Rose between the Cavs and Lakers. Well that changes today. I need to talk about this, and I want to talk about this.

The fact that people have said that there is a "bidding war" for Derrick Rose literally shocked me. Why on Earth would anyone want to fight over Derrick Rose? I'm not going to sugar coat it today. Derrick Rose is washed up. He is not the "great" player he once was. In fact, I never thought he was great, I thought he was a whirling diversh and a ton of fun to watch, but I never considered him great. I thought he was good, just not great. His MVP trophy was just so they didn't have to give it to LeBron once again, even though both he and Dwight Howard, yes that same Dwight Howard, had a much better season the year he won it. The Bulls just played way over their heads, and the voters figured they'd better give it to someone that was on a one seed. LeBron should have won it that year.

Also, while in Chicago, yes he was fine, but stories already started to come out about his attitude, his penchant for hogging the ball, his willingness to ice teammates out on the floor and he was seemingly becoming un coachable. He was like Russell Westbrook, except Russell Westbrook is a better player than Derrick Rose, by far. He also had much better teammates than Westbrook had last year. And in that MVP year, Rose and the Bulls got their asses kicked by LeBron, as we all expected.

Then the injuries started. The very next season Rose tore his ACL and missed the majority of the year. The next season he rushed himself back too soon and tore his other ACL. He was becoming incredibly injury prone due to his style of play. That is the thing with Rose. He was very good at getting to the rim, but he could never ever shoot and he is a horrific defender. Great rim attacker, but everything else, very mediocre.

While the injuries piled up in Chicago, everyone who watches basketball could see that he was either unhappy or uninterested in being in Chicago, or even playing basketball for that matter. He looked truly miserable. He was probably tired of being the face of the city, he is a Chicago kid. He does seem like the kind of player that is better suited at being a second or third option. I do not think he was ever comfortable being "the man" on an NBA team. He may have never said it, but that has always been the vibe I have gotten from Derrick Rose.

Then we had last year's offseason. Rose finally got moved. The Bulls decided to finally pull the plug, much to both theirs and Rose's delight. The Bulls traded him and his one year left on his monster contract to the New York Knicks. This was supposed to be one of Phil Jackson's best moves early on as a GM. When he was traded to the Knicks and then Joakim Noah signed there, I vividly remember many people, RD included, saying this Knicks team could go to the playoffs. Hell, Derrick Rose said in his introductory press conference that the Knicks and the Warriors were both "super teams". I didn't buy any of that. This team on paper looked truly awful to me. While the Knicks should have started the youth movement and build around Porzingis, they decided to sign 2 oft injured vets and let go of a true center in Robin Lopez.

Well, we all saw how the Knicks, and Derrick Rose, played last year. Sure, he averaged 18 ppg and about 4 or 5 rebounds a game. But, he was non existent on defense, and he seemed to be more of a ball hog than Carmelo Anthony. His fit was a total disaster. When he was on the court, he either bricked jumpers, iced out Porzingis and Carmelo and it seemed like if Carmelo did a good thing on offense, Rose felt he had to do something better. He rarely ever did something better.

Let us not forget that he also just disappeared in the middle of the year. He was just gone without any explanation. Everyone seems to have just forgotten this. That he just up and left the team without any notice. He was gone, and when he came back, he acted like he did nothing wrong. He acted like the media made up some stories about him. That whole situation was completely bizarre, and just reaffirmed that he is not a franchise player.

Rose also told reporters after his "leave of absence", that he expected a max contract this offseason. That shit was laughable. How god damn full of himself. He is nowhere near a max player. And what team is going to give an oft injured player that comes and goes as they please a max deal. Not even the Kings or 76ers would do some dumb shit like that.

And then we got the report last week of the "bidding war".First off, the most money the Cavs can offer him is 2 million a year, or the veteran minimum. They could clear a bit more space if they move Irving, but it is still not that much more. The Lakers can give him a lot more money, but they are clearly going youthful, and they are clearly handing the keys to the team to Lonzo Ball. Does Derrick Rose really want to go and be a rookie's backup? How in the hell would he handle something like that? Not very well I would imagine. Also, if he signs with Cleveland, and they keep Kyrie, he is going to most assuredly be the backup point guard there. How does he handle that? Will he be happy playing the Deron Williams role from this past season? He is a better player than Williams, but not that much better. Then there is the Kyrie Irving trade scenario. If the Cavs do find someone to trade for Irving, depending on the return, how will LeBron feel having Derrick Rose as his starting point guard as opposed to Irving? He may say he likes it better, but Rose is more of a ball hog than Irving will ever be. Rose will also want to take many more big shots than Irving did, and that LeBron should. I just don't like his fit with either team.

Rose still thinks he is a great player, I never thought he was, so he should go to a team that will give him the keys. The problem with Rose being "the guy", he would have to go to a team that has no future at all. Rose is at a turning point in his career. He needs to decide if he wants money or a chance at titles. If I had to guess, he will take the money because he thinks he is still great. He is not. If I were a GM of any team, I'd stay very, very far away from Derrick Rose. I'd rather have a player like Kay Felder or Vander Blue than Derrick Rose. That is how far Rose has fallen off.

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.

Where Should Kyrie Irving Play Next Season?

I was going to write about the supposed "bidding war" going on between the Cavs and Lakers for Derrick Rose today, but some bigger NBA news just showed up on my phone. Apparently Kyrie Irving is "displeased with his role on the Cavs", and "doesn't like playing with LeBron James".

This news may shock a lot of people, but for some odd reasons, I find it not shocking at all. Kyrie Irving is a ball dominant guard that wants to score 25-27 points per game. He cannot do that type of stuff when he is on the same team with the best player in the world. He also apparently said that he wants to "go to a team where he can be the focal point". I get this as well.

Irving is the type of player that should, and might be able to be, the alpha dog. I do not think that team would be a contender, but I think Irving would be a ton of fun to watch on a sub .500 team as the alpha. He had a chance, albeit very early in his career, to be the man in Cleveland. His first couple of years there, when LeBron was using his talents in South Beach, he was the new guy that the Cavs were going to build around. We all saw how that turned out. While he put up great stats offensively, the Cavs were atrocious. Sure, the roster was dreadful around him, but he was the leader, and if he wants to be a LeBron type leader, those Cavs teams would have at least been a lower seeded playoff team. They were lucky to win 30 games back then.

Then LeBron came back home, got Kevin Love to come there, and for all intents and purposes, LeBron was the GM and coach, as expected. Kyrie Irving should have known what he was getting into. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh molded and changed their games to fit around LeBron, so why now does Kyrie come out and complain and say he wants to be traded? He has been to 3 straight Finals. They won one on his shot and his tremendous efforts in games 4,5, 6 and 7 2 years ago. He was decent in the Finals last year. What is the problem?

Well, as I said earlier, he is sick of being second fiddle to LeBron. He is clearly the second guy, but that is not what Kyrie wants to be. He wants to be "the guy". Now, I just read on my phone that one of his preferred teams to go to is the Spurs. That would not work out for him like he wants it to. One, he does not seem like a Spurs type player. Those guys leave their egos at the door and play system basketball. Kyrie is not a system guy and he has no interest in playing defense. This would be almost exactly like LaMarcus Aldridge's time in San Antonio so far. Kyrie is more of a make something out of nothing player. The Spurs like to whip the ball around for the best possible shot. Also, the Spurs already have an alpha. Kawhi Leonard is clearly the new face of the Spurs. He is the perfect Spur and the perfect guy to be the face of that team for the next decade plus. If Kyrie were to go to San Antonio, it would be nearly the same as playing for the Cavs. Popppovich will not change his offense to tailor to Kyrie. I'm sure he is working on more stuff for Kawhi right now as I write this. He is moving forward with Kawhi as the focal point.

So about 20 minutes after hearing this story, and immediately eschewing the Spurs idea, I started to think of some teams he could go to that would benefit both him and the Cavs. Lets get this straight right off the bat, the Cavs will not give up Kyrie for a bag of beans, a la the Paul George to OKC trade. I first thought about some contenders. He wants out of Cleveland, Golden State is set, I already mentioned all the problems with the Spurs, the Rockets have Harden and Paul, the Celtics have Isaish Thomas and a great group of young players, the Raptors have Lowry and DeRozan and the Timberwolves have Butler and Jeff Teague. All those teams are off the table in my opinion.

I dug a little deeper. I thought about Miami. I think he would hate it there. They have a point guard in Goran Dragic, and they just gave Dion Waiters big time money. He has already played with Waiters and that was a train wreck. Memphis came to mind, but then I remembered they have an awesome point guard in Mike Conley Jr, and he just got a max contract. Philly popped into my mind, but I feel like he would be a disaster with that young roster, and I want them to build around Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz.

We are now left with basically the bottom of the barrel. He can go to Chicago and be the guy, but that team is not going anywhere anytime soon. Brooklyn needs a point guard, but that team also needs a 2 guard, a couple of good forwards and a modern big man. They also need a bench. Phoenix was my next thought, but they are another one of the teams going to the youth movement. They don't need Kyrie. New Orleans was another team, but they would have to give up Boogie, and they just gave Jrue Holiday a ton of money.

When I sat down, right before writing this, the one team that I thought this would maybe work out best for is the Knicks. But, they would have to give up Porzingis for this to fully work. The Cavs would take that, and then Kyrie would definitely be the man in one of the biggest markets. The Knicks would still be atrocious, but Kyrie would get his wish, and ESPN and TNT would put them on all the time. It is almost too perfect because of how terrible it would be.

Kyrie should stay in Cleveland if he values titles. But, he has one already, and maybe he just wants to get his now. Maybe he doesn't care so much about being one of the greatest point guards ever. Maybe he just wants to get paid. Whatever in may be, the Cavs should grant him his wish as long as they get a proper return. LeBron may say that he is "blindsided" by this, but imagine how happy he would be if he got to play with Porzingis, or his lifetime buddy Carmelo. I'm pretty sure he'd get over it rather quick.

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.

The Warriors are Exactly Who We Thought They Were

To the surprise of no one, the Warriors won the NBA title last night. This game felt more like a formality than an actual competitive game. Sure, the Cavs had a lead at halftime, they led by 8 points at one time, the refs missed a big call on KD that could have upped the lead to 9, but did any of us really think that the Warriors, with KD and Draymond, were going to lose another game 5 at home? I don't even think LeBron James believed his team was going to win last night.

Credit due to the Cavs for coming out strong, but they made the same mistake they made all series, and that was trying to run with the Warriors. The Cavs are not built that way, and when you try and run with a historically great offense, you are going to get burned. This was a terrible decision by LeBron, or to people who have no clue and think he is the coach, Ty Lue. To think that you can outscore a great offense, that plays great defense as well, is insane. There was no way the Cavs were going to win more than one game playing like they did. Those guys are not in that type of basketball shape. Sure, LeBron, Kyrie, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, who was dreadful in the Finals, may have looked like they could keep pace for a half, but, by the second half, they all had their hands on their head or hips, they were huffing and puffing, tugging on their shorts and neglected to play defense, figuring they'd save their energy for offense.

LeBron looked so gassed, he basically treated defense as an option. This was the worst defense I have ever seen him play. Sure, he put up great offensive numbers, averaging a triple double, but he was getting torched all series long by KD, Steph and even Andre Iguodala. He looked James Harden bad on defense this series. But, did the announcers ever say anything bad about his effort? Of course not. They kept talking about how he was carrying the Cavs and how he "has the heart of a champion". That is so god damn ridiculous. I love LeBron. I think he is probably the second or third best player to ever play the game. He is like no one I have ever watched. But man did he looked just terrible on defense. And, every time he got beat by a back door cut or got beat by a jumper or got beat to the hoop, he never took the blame, instead, always glaring at teammates, or just straight up committing a foul. He was just as bad on defense as he was good on offense.

As for the other Cavs stars, Kyrie was electric in games 3 and 4, but last night he looked hobbled, slower than normal and just as bad as he always does on defense. He's a great ball handler and awesome at getting to the hoop, but he is a ball hog and his jumper is mediocre. Kyrie has a long way to go before he is considered an all timer. Kevin Love played okay, but not great, and last night, he stunk. He came and went throughout the Finals. He would rebound a lot one game, but shoot horribly. Then the next game, it was the other way around. He has become way too inconsistent. I would be surprised if he was still a Cav next year. Tristan Thompson was awful. JR Smith had a good game last night, but he was horrific on defense and a no show for the first three games. Iman Shumpert was dreadful everywhere. Kyle Korver couldn't hit the ocean, and was a total liability on defense. And then we have Deron Williams. Let us please have a moment of silence for Deron Williams, as it seems his career is now over. In fact, the only Cav that looked legitimately interested in winning was Richard Jefferson. That is not the guy you want to hang your hat on. The Cavs were outmatched.

The Warriors are a legit "super team". They got rid of Harrison Barnes, who they won a title with 2 years ago, and got KD in return. That is just not fair. I'm sure there are a thousand pieces today either condemning or congratulating the Warriors on what they did this offseason. I think it just waters down the game that much more. I was looking at Twitter after the game, and a lot of people were saying things that I have been thinking about all throughout these playoffs. These 2 teams, and more importantly, the Warriors, get to play teams like the Magic, 76ers, Lakers and Nets, among many others. Those teams do not belong in the same league as the Cavs, and definitely not the Warriors. It is fact. The Warriors have 3 of the best 5 shooters in the game right now. They have one of the best defenders in all of basketball. They have a great coach that has surrounded himself with other great coaches. They have it all.

The Warriors, at least to me, are what the Yankees were in the 90's. They bought this title. Sure, they earned it on the floor, and I know that 3 of their main guys they drafted, but they got KD. I have no problem with this either. I have sat and thought about it all year. I thought it was a cowards way to a title, and I still do, but he definitely earned that Finals MVP. He was awesome. I just wish he stuck it out in OKC one more year because I think he could have won with Russ. But, he wanted out, and he went to a team that won 73 games a year ago. Like I said, this is just like when the Yankees acquired Alex Rodriguez. They didn't need him, but they wanted him, and they got what they wanted because they had the means to do it. I know this may sound like sour grapes, but it is not meant that way. But, just as I HATED the Yankees, and still do, I do not like the Warriors. In fact, I'd venture to say that the majority of the country, outside of the Bay Area, actively roots against them now. They didn't need KD, but they got him, and they reaped those benefits last night, and all throughout the Finals. KD was awesome. I don't think the title is tainted, but I do not look at this like I did when the Spurs beat up on the Heat a few years ago, or when the Mavericks won, or even back when the Bulls were winning multiple titles in the 90's.

This Warriors title was a forgone conclusion on July 4th 2016. Yes, KD was great. So was Steph. Draymond was everywhere on the floor. Shaun Livingston and Patrick McCaw played great in their limited roles. David West brought a toughness this team needed. Klay's shot may have been off, but he played some of the best defense I have ever witnessed in the Finals. Javale McGee brought energy. In fact, the only liability for the Warriors that I saw was Zaza Pachulia. He was just awful. He is so bad at setting screens. He grabs and fouls on every play. People thought Steven Adams was dirty, but Zaza makes him look like a soft player. Zaza is terrible. The Warriors went out and bought this title in the offseason, and it all came to fruition last night.

The Finals, and the whole playoffs for that matter, left me with a hollow feeling. After the game last night all I thought was, "okay, 4 months until the Warriors start their repeat". That is how I, and a lot of other people, are going to feel for the next 4 or 5 seasons too, as long as the Warriors keep this nucleus in tact. They are all young and in their primes. I do not see anyone beating them.

I don't know who LeBron thinks he can go out and get to, lets face it, someone, Kevin Love, is going to be traded this offseason, try and help the Cavs return and compete with the Warriors. He may try Dwayne Wade or Carmelo Anthony or Boogie Cousins, but I do not see any of those three being able to play with the Warriors. Boogie, who I love, is too slow and more fit for a half court offense. Carmelo is old, his shot is worse and he plays no defense. And Dwayne Wade, see Carmelo Anthony, but shorter.

The NBA is going to be owned by the Warriors for a long time now, so get used to it. The regular seasons and the first 3 rounds of the playoffs will not matter anymore. The only thing that will matter is how many games it will take the Warriors to beat whatever East team LeBron is on. No one is going to challenge either of these teams, and that is the upsetting thing to me as a rabid NBA fan. There is no suspense, and suspense is what makes sports so great.

Well, I guess, congratulations Golden State. You signed a former MVP in his prime and beat an out of shape, careless defensive team to win your third title in 2 years. Hooray. (I'm being sarcastic if you can't tell by my tone) Maybe next season you guys will win 75 plus games and go undefeated in the playoffs. That would sure be a lot of fun. (Again, sarcasm) There is no parity in the NBA anymore. At least not for the next 4 or 5 years. Get used to the Warriors winning non Warriors fans. That's what's going to happen every year until Klay or KD or Steph retire or leave in free agency. That is the only way the Warriors dynasty will end.  

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.

It Would Be Nice to Have a Competitive NBA Finals

Because Ty is the most boss of all internet writers he refuses to stop creating awesome content, even when he is on a family vacation. His loquaciousness will be blunted while he enjoys his undisclosed tropical getaway. Each piece will be some quick thoughts on some current things going on, nothing political of course.

Today, I have some quick thoughts on the first 2 games of the NBA Finals. So far, Golden State has dominated. In game one, they were all over the Cavs and they could not be stopped. They scored at will, and after the first quarter, basically, it was pretty clear that the Warriors were going to win going away. The first quarter was great though. It was fantastic basketball, with the best players in the game, currently, playing their best. LeBron was awesome, as always. Kyrie looked great in bursts. Steph looked like Steph from 2 years ago. KD was on a whole other level from everyone else that night though. He looked unstoppable, reigning threes and dunking the ball with authority any time the lane was open, which was often. The Cavs tried to play the Warriors game, and by the third quarter, they were tired and they looked beat. LeBron can only do so much, and his only teammate that helped even a little bit was Kyrie. Love rebounded a ton, but only scored about 15 points. Tristan Thompson, JR Smith, Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert, they were all useless. They might as well not even suited up.

I figured, much like everyone else, that the Cavs would come out with a better game plan in game 2, and they did, but only for the first half. The game was a ton of fun for 24 minutes. LeBron was attacking the rim, Kyrie was going to the rim as well. They were both going hard and either getting lay ups or getting fouled and going to the free throw line. Kevin Love was on fire too. He was making all his open jumpers, he was rebounding like he did when he was in Minnesota and he looked halfway decent on defense, which is all you can really ask of him. Golden State was just as good. Better, actually. KD quietly scored 17 in the first half, and was an absolute monster on defense. Draymond was in early foul trouble, but that didn't stop him from making crisp passes, guarding multiple positions and starting fast breaks. Klay Thompson looked to be getting out of his slump, making a lot more shots than he has all of the 2017 playoffs. Most importantly, Steph was otherworldly. He was matching LeBron's layups with threes, or free throws. He wasn't hitting the three like he usually does, and he was a bit careless with the ball, but he shot 10 free throws in the first quarter, and when he did hang on to the ball, he was dropping dimes. The Warriors led by 3 at the half. Both teams looked really good, and the Cavs looked like they may have figured something out on defense. 

Then the second half happened. The Cavs, once again unable to play Tristan Thompson at all, tried to play small and fast, and the Warriors destroyed them. They had almost 40 points in the third, taking an almost 20 point lead into the fourth. Steph was dominant. KD started to hit threes and blocked any shot that came near him. Klay was hitting jumpers again. David West was even contributing, as was Zaza Pachulia. The scariest thing about their third quarter, Draymond barely played and the Warriors still gained an enormous lead.

The Cavs need to make a big change. They were in this same spot last year, but Steph was hurt, Klay was starting to go cold and they did not have KD, they had Harrison Barnes. This looks a whole lot different. Two games in, two blow outs, and I don't know what the Cavs can do to even it up, or even win one game for that matter. LeBron is playing out of his mind, but it just doesn't seem to matter, and he has not been good on defense. The Cavs can't play small because that is what the Warriors want, and they can't play their bigs together, so I don't know what the solution is. I'm still a bit hopeful that this series can get better. I know I picked a sweep, but come on, the Cavs have LeBron. But after 2 games, the Warriors have looked absolutely dominant, and I do not know what the Cavs can do. LeBron is playing great, Kyrie and Love have both had really good games, and the Warriors have still blown them out in the first 2 games.

We will see what happens Wednesday night back in Cleveland. A win by the Cavs can completely turn this series around, but I do not know if that will happen. The Cavs have played pretty decent, the Warriors are just a far superior team. LeBron cannot do it all alone, and the Warriors have 4 of the top 15 players in the game, 2 of which are top 5 players, and they look unbeatable right now. We will see if something changes in a few days, or if the Warriors are going to cruise to a title.

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.

The SeedSing 2017 NBA Finals Preview

Tomorrow we finally, mercifully, get a return to some real basketball. It will have been 9 full days before the NBA Finals finally tips off. I remember when I was younger, the Finals would have been over by now, but money talks, and I guess, even though the NBA is more popular than ever, they need to make as much as they can by spreading this out over an almost 3 month stretch. The NBA playoffs really needs a retooling because this is ridiculous. There are too many teams, games and time off in between these games. I cannot believe that they will not have played the first game of the Finals until June 1st. That is utterly ridiculous.

Anyway, I'm here to break down the Finals and give my prediction, as I do every year. We have a trilogy upon us. This is the matchup that pretty much everyone was expecting when KD signed with the Warriors almost a year ago. I know in my 2017 playoff preview I picked the Warriors to face the Wizards, and I was wrong. But every other time I did some kind of talk and a piece I wrote on the NBA, I said that it would inevitably be the Warriors and Cavs. We all knew it was coming down to this. They are clearly the 2 best teams in all of the NBA.

Combined the two teams have 7 guys that were All Stars this year. I saw a thing the other day that said, between the 2 teams, there are 11 guys that have been to at least one All Star game. We have the best player in the game right now, and probably the third or fourth best player ever in LeBron. We have the best pure shooter I have ever seen in Steph. KD, who is incredible offensively, has decided that defense is important, and he has become a force on both ends of the floor. Draymond Green is, far and away, the most versatile player in the NBA. Kyrie Irving can get ridiculously hot at any time, and he may have the best handles in the game. Kevin Love has found his niche with the Cavs, and it seems to be finally coming together for him. Tristan Thompson does all the dirty work for the Cavs, and he does it better than anyone else. But, what I think should be the scariest thing to the Cavs chances at a repeat is the fact that Klay hasn't really started to make his shots yet. It is going to happen soon, and that should frighten everyone involved with the Cleveland organization.

This is a very star studded Finals that, on paper, could be as competitive as last seasons championship series. I sure hope it is at least mildly competitive because, as I have stated before, these NBA playoffs have been incredibly mediocre. They have been filled with blowouts and stupid skirmishes and it has all just been one long and boring wait for the Warriors and Cavs to finally meet up. We got that, and it starts tomorrow night.

When looking at the rosters, I think the Warriors is much better than the Cavs. Yes, the Cavs have LeBron, and Kyrie Irving loves to play the Warriors, but that is about it. I have no faith in guys like Deron Williams, JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Kyle Korver and anyone else that starts or plays meaningful minutes. In all seriousness, the Cavs defense is horrendous, and it is because they have a roster of super old vets that are only good offensive players, and Kyrie and Kevin Love are liabilities on the defensive end of the floor. They can score a whole of points, but they give up a whole lot of points as well. That is all well and good when you are playing the Raptors, Pacers and Celtics, but that won't work against the Warriors. With that being said, the Warriors do have flaws of their own. Steph and Klay have been virtually non existent in the last 2 Finals appearances for the Warriors. they have missed a ton of open shots. Draymond has played great, but he needs to keep his temper in check. If he gets suspended again, that could spell doom. LeBron owns KD on the court. I think, both with the Warriors and Thunder, KD has only won 5 games against him, and he will have to guard LeBron, and LeBron will guard him. Then we have guys like Patrick McCaw and James Michael McAdoo who have not been in very high pressure situations because they are young. Also, the Warriors front court is very mediocre. Zaza Pachulia and David West are fine players, but they are no match for Tristan Thompson. Thompson will crush them on the boards.

Then when I look at coaching, honestly, neither of these teams need a coach. First of all, LeBron is the coach of the Cavs. Ty Lue may have the title of coach, but he is just a figure head. LeBron calls every play, tells the front office who to sign and makes all the important decisions in important games. That is the truth. Steve Kerr is a very good coach, but he has some crazy illness, and he will not be able to coach in the Finals, according to recent reports. That leaves the Warriors with Mike Brown. Yes, he has been fired by three different times, and he has coached LeBron, but, while the Warriors do not have an alpha like LeBron, they have a great core group that feed off each other. It is pretty simple to draw up a play that gets Steph, Klay or KD an open three. Then, there is Draymond, who is just a bad matchup everywhere. So, while Lue was the coach of the Cavs last year when they won, I don't see him as giving Cleveland any advantage. And Mike Brown, well, Luke Walton won a ton of games when he stepped in for Kerr last year, and this is just more of the same. Kerr surrounds himself with smart basketball people, but again, he has 3 of the best 5 shooters in the game right now on his team.

With all this being said, I really, really want a good, hard fought, competitive series. I want this to go 7 games. I want these teams and their super stars to trade blows and make it fun. I want it to go long so I do have some basketball to watch while I'm on vacation next week. I want all these things, but I do not think it will happen. I think the Cavs are a bit too mouthy right now and a little too big for their britches. They are laughing off the fact that they're the underdog when they are unequivocally the underdog. Some anonymous player on the Cavs, who is clearly a coward, is saying that Javale McGee is not "smart enough to play in the Finals". LeBron's teammates, mainly Richard Jefferson, are making excuses for him as to why he played so poorly in game 3 of the East Finals. They are just popping off a bit too much. They almost have too much swagger. Where with the Warriors, I have not heard anything except Mike Brown commenting on what Ty Lue said about the fact that Celtics are harder to prepare for than the Warriors. Everyone involved with Golden State has been pretty quiet leading up to these Finals. Also, Steph seems to have his mojo back, KD is engaged at both ends of the floor and Draymond is being Draymond, without all the dick punching and whining. And, as I stated earlier, Klay is gong to break out of this slump at any time now, and this Warriors team will be unguardable then. As much as I'd personally love to see KD get denied a ring after choosing to join the Warriors, instead of trying to beat them, I just do not see any way that the Cavs can beat them. They're a horrendous defensive team. They are talking way too much shit. I don't think Kyrie will be able to replicate what he did last year. Kevin Love is a horrible defender, and he will be tasked with guarding one of the Warriors many shooters. It just doesn't seem to be in the cards for a Cavs repeat this year. In fact, I think the Warriors will finish this postseason off undefeated and sweep their way to a Finals victory. They have too many shooters on the floor, they play just as good defense as they do offense and they will crush the Cavs. The Cavs have LeBron, but I don't think it will matter this year. The Warriors have Steph, Klay, Draymond, and they basically traded Harrison Barnes for KD. They are just too good. If they do lose this Finals, I think it will be a bigger upset than blowing a 3-1 lead last year.

As far as Finals MVP, I think Steph and KD will cancel each other out, and if Klay finds his stroke, I think he will win it. If he doesn't find his shot, I think Draymond, with his all around play, will win it.

Anyway, the Finals will probably be just as rough as this whole playoffs has been, and I think the Warriors will sweep their way to a title. They look like a team on a mission right 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. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Sitting Stars is a Problem the NBA Needs to Fix Yesterday

No one wants to pay hundreds of dollors to see LeBron relax on a bench

This past Saturday night the Cavs played the Clippers in a prime time game, going head to head with the NCAA tournament. From a ratings stand point, this could have been a great heavy weight bout. But, for some unknown, and stupid reason, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all sat out, thus making this game pointless. Irving and Love were considered injury scratches and LeBron was just straight up rest.

Usually I do not like when teams do this, resting players in prime time games. First off, you guys play a game. I know it takes a toll on your body, and everyone deserves a day off, but you guys are professional athletes. You do not have the same job as everyone else. You guys are special. Look, I'm a big Spurs fan, and I adore Gregg Poppovich, but I always hate when he rests his best guys. It cheapens the game.

Also, when these guys announced they were resting, I thought, okay, they are on a road trip, and I'm sure these same guys will sit the next night. Well, their "road trip" consisted of playing the next night against the Lakers. They did not have a road trip. Both the Lakers and the Clippers play in the same building. So, the Cavs big three, and GM David Griifin, were perfectly fine with guys resting against a playoff team in a prime time game, but they were all good to go the very next night against the pitiful, clearly tanking Lakers.

This, I have a big, big problem with. Did LeBron and company not want the tough matchup, so they rested for the Clippers? Were they looking for an easy way out? Were they being lazy? Yes, yes and yes.

I love the fact that Karl Malone, pardon me, Hall of Famer Karl Malone came out and chastised these guys for doing this. He said basically the same thing that I have been saying. These guys play a game. I know I've said that I get tired playing one night a week, but I'm not a pro athlete. These guys train and shape their bodies for this. That is what Malone was saying.

Look, I really dislike the whole, "we were tougher back in our day", but it is clearly the truth. Back in the 70's, 80's and 90's, the NBA was a lot tougher. Guys played all the time. Super stars only sat if they were legitimately hurt, and it ate them up inside. I fell in love with the NBA watching, and rooting for and against guys like, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Gary Payton and so on and so forth. These guys never sat, unless they were for real injured, or they were on a "baseball sabbatical". I never remember turning on a regular season game between the Bulls and the Pistons in the early to mid nineties, and not seeing Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan. They were always out there. The NBA was a better, and tougher product back then.

Then, in response to Malone I assume, LeBron James said one of the few selfish things he has ever said in his career. LeBron is one of the most selfless NBA players. He seems to always make the right decision, and that is one of the many reasons I love watching him play. That and the fact that he is incredibly talented. But, he was asked about sitting out, and he said something along the lines of, this is the new NBA, and the players and owners and fans have to deal with it.

Not cool. We the fans do not have to deal with it. It is incredibly selfish to the fan who puts a lot of money into the one ticket they get every year to see their favorite players play. I'm sure there were at least one hundred people sitting in the higher levels at that Cavs-Clippers game the other night, and they came strictly to see LeBron or Kyrie or Love. This was their one chance, and they figured with it being prime time that they would see these guys. But, according to James, they just have to deal with the fact that he wanted some rest, and Kyrie and Love were nursing "injuries". That is selfish and mean and ridiculous.

NBA tickets are a lot of money. I know, I have gone to 2 of them in Memphis the last 2 years, and the tickets were not cheap. Luckily for me, I got to see Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol in those games, but I could have just as easily been going to one of those games when those guys, or their GM's decided they needed "rest". I would have been livid if that happened. I live in Saint Louis, the closet city with an NBA team is Memphis, a 4 hour drive, so when I do go, my father and I want to see the best players on each team. If I had driven 4 hours to that Cavs-Clippers game the other night, I would have been incredibly upset and mad at the NBA and the Cavs. At least the Clippers played their big three, but the Cavs had no time for that, and that is wrong.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came out the other day and said that this is becoming a problem, but I feel like it is a too little, too late. This is an epidemic. Guys sitting out multiple games for "rest" is absurd. These guys have such a short career, so why not play as much as you can. They are also multi, multi millionaires, so skipping games is just flat out selfish. Don't blame the fans and your GM LeBron James. We all know that you are the guy who pulls the strings in Cleveland, an this was your decision. I also was very upset, as a rabid NBA fan, at his rude comments towards fans. I love watching you play, and I would love to see you play live. But, with this reaction, I don't think I could count on you if I chose to go to a Cavs game. Now I know for the future that I will not be attending Cavs games because there is no guarantee that you will play, and you are the only player on that team that I would want to see.

Please put a stop to this nonsense Adam Silver because it is cheapening the game, and the NBA is as popular right now as it has ever been. Lets fix this before it gets worse.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once attended a St. Louis Swarm game, a pre d-league outfit, and was happy that the best players did not sit. He paid to see those never going to be superstars.  Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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