I am Not Looking Forward to the Luka Doncic Lovefest in the NBA Finals

While watching game 4 of the West Finals the other night, I found myself turning it off. It looked like the Timberwolves were going to get beat, thus ending the series, and I just couldn't watch the end of the game. Luckily, the Timberwolves won, forcing a game five tonight. But, in all likelihood, this series is all but over and we will have a Celtics-Mavericks finals.

This was the worst case scenario for me. These are the two teams in the entire NBA I like the least. I have never rooted for the Celtics, and since Luka Doncic has come into the league, my hatred for the Mavericks has reemerged and remained high. I do want to say, if this ends up being the finals matchup, I will be rooting hard for the Celitcs. I cannot believe I just wrote that, but it is very true. I want to see Saint Louis' own Jayson Tatum get a ring. But, I will also be pulling for the Celtics because I have a deep, deep hatred of Luka Doncic. That is why we are here today.

Right off the bat, if he wasn't a good enough basketball to root against, I wouldn't write anything about him. He would be an afterthought. But, he is good. At least on the offensive end. So he is easy to root for, or, in my case, truly despise. I have never really liked him since he joined the NBA. At first it wasn't his fault though. It was the writers over at ESPN, namely Zach Lowe. I have written about Lowe's eroticism towards Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Since Jokic won it all last season, Lowe had more than enough ammo to shout his love for him from the hills. Now that the Nuggets are out, Lowe has his other white European player to heap endless praise upon while dumping on other players he deems less worthy. This has been happening since day one. Lowe will never, ever say a bad thing about Luka Doncic. And since I listen to Lowe's podcast, I have had to hear about it for a long while now. I will say, the more recent episodes that have some kind of love letter to Luka Doncic in the description, I have been able to easily erase and never listen to. But, it wasn't just Lowe. I got sick of hearing talking heads on tv expunge on his so-called greatness. He is some kind of wizard passing the ball according to them. I'll take Magic Johnson over him all damn day. They give him endless praise for his ability to score in tight spaces and to create said space. I'll happily take Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan for that any day. And, he is less than zero on the defensive end, which none of these fanboys seem to even care about anymore. They will sit there and spout off statistics until the cows come home, and when pressed about his horrendous defensive play, they try to move the conversation back to saying how great of an offensive player he is. It has gotten so bad that these talking heads will find the smallest effort he gives on defense and talk about his "improvement" on that end. It is akin to getting a participation trophy the way they glaze his attempts to play defense. And lately these memes of him shit talking opponents, that these same talking heads will gripe about when Anthony Edwards does it, they all love. They talk about his competitive spirit. They praise him for ripping out his opponents' hearts. They want him to continue to talk and talk and talk because that gives them the ammo they think they need to somehow prove his greatness. These are the same people that chastised Randy Moss when he fake mooned the crowd at Lambeau.  Being a Packer fan, I found it hilarious. They don't like the way Jim Harbaugh pressed the NCAA, but they love what Nick Saban and Luka Doncic do.. They feel entitled to say that Anthony Edwards should not have waved at the crowd in Denver when the Wolves closed out the Nuggets. They called that classless. But when they can watch their white savior stare down Devin Booker or SGA or AE, they love it. They beam with pride. And that disgusts me.

I wish I could remember which one of my friends posted this on Facebook, but they said that Doncic is incredibly sports hateable, and not a truer statement has been made in a long time. I also heard Carl Tart, I'm a big fan, say that anyone outside of Dallas who roots for Luka Doncic was probably storming the capitol. I couldn't agree more. This whole love affair with Doncic is coded racism from the nerds who work at ESPN. They have been waiting and waiting for someone, anyone to come along that doesn't look like Jordan or Steph or LeBron, and they have it now in Jokic and Doncic. And that bums me the hell out.

So, I guess I will end this by saying, if the Mavs do advance to face the Celtics, I hope Tatum and Jaylen Brown and Derrick White make life miserable for that prick Luka Doncic. Nothing will excite me more than to see that punk get his ass whipped. That doesn't mean ESPN will stop fellating him. But, it will restore my faith in basketball and the NBA. 

Ty

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

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Zach Lowe Needs to Watch More than Two NBA Players

I'm a fan of Zach Lowe. I think he is one of, if not the smartest writer of the NBA that is doing that job right now. He does his research, watches a ton of games and is knowledgeable on not just the game, but the players too. His podcast is the only primarily basketball podcast I listen to. I do listen to "The Flagrant Ones" as well, but they do way more jokes than "The Lowe Post" does. Zach Lowe's podcast is for basketball junkies, NBA junkies, such as myself.

I have found myself getting annoyed lately when I listen to him talk. He is still as informative and knowledgeable as ever, but he is constantly pumping up two players that I am not a fan of, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Now, before the internet weirdos come at me, I can acknowledge their ability, they are very good NBA offensive players and Jokic is a deserving champ and two time MVP. But, to hear Lowe talk about them lately, it is almost as if they never make mistakes and they are the only two NBA players worth mentioning and/or praising.

It has gotten so bad for me that I have found myself timing how long it takes before he mentions one or both players in any new episode. I watch some people on Instagram do the same thing, as a joke. But I want to see how long he can hold himself before he simply must bring them up. Even on episodes where he is not necessarily talking about the Mavericks or Nuggets, Lowe will find a way to shoehorn the two of them into a conversation. The longest it has taken before he has brought up one of the two guys in a recent episode was 23 minutes. This was an episode that was well over 90 minutes long. He only lasted less than a third of the run time before he had to let everyone listening know that he is a fan of these guys.

I get it. You like the way they play the game. You cannot find any criticism to give them. You want nothing but the best for them. You married a Croatian so you must feel some weird obligation to like European NBA players. These are your two favorite teams, and clearly your two favorite players. But, you are a journalist and analyst as well. That is supposed to be a non biased job. From what I was told at a young age when I was thinking journalism might be a good route for me, I wouldn’t have lasted too long because of my love for Michigan football. My folks let it be known that, if I were to pursue a career in journalism, that love could stay, but never be talked about openly amongst readers of whatever publication I may have ended up writing for, and that was a nonstarter for me. But the landscape has changed with major journalism it seems. You can be a fan and openly talk about that fandom. You can be a fanboy, a fanatic, a super fan and most people will just look the other way. Zach Lowe has taken this angle and run miles and miles and miles with it. I was listening to his most recent episode and David Thorpe brought up Shai Gilgeous Alexander as an MVP candidate, the top candidate in his eyes. This was after Lowe went on a rant about "Luka's last season push for MVP". Also, I despise that he calls this dude by his first name only. I can guarantee that Luka Doncic doesn't ever think twice about you Zach. So, after he went on his rant, Thorpe said why he thinks SGA is the frontrunner for MVP, Lowe's silence spoke volumes. Someone wasn't giving one of his guys the full on credit he thought he deserved. So instead of going into a nice debate, because Thorpe threw stats at Lowe, one of his favorite things to bring up when talking about Doncic or Jokic, he just sat there quietly with nothing to say. That stuck with me.

And lately, when speaking of Jokic, he will constantly say how he is the "greatest basketball player in the world" in one breath, then begrudge Giannis Antentekoumpo. I guess Zach Lowe may need to be reminded of some more stats. They both have two MVP's. They both have the same amount of titles, one. And Giannis is much, much, much better defender than Nikola could ever dream of being in his entire career. Oh, and the Greek Freak is a much more fun player to watch play the game for me. And why doesn't Lowe like the Harden/Doncic comparison I wonder. They are pretty much the same player. They are both volume shooters. They both get assists. They both stop the ball. They both need the ball to be effective. I don't get why he can't just accept the fact that they are basically the same player. Oh, and one more thing on Luka Doncic. Lowe is so quick to talk about Doncic's greatness in the playoffs. And again, he is a very, very good playoff basketball player. But at the same time he will go in hard on the two guys picked before him in the draft, Deandre Ayton and Trae Young. Make no mistake, Luka Doncic is a more skilled player than both of those guys, but he has gone just as far as Trae Young has in the playoffs. They have both been as far as the conference finals. As for Ayton, well, he has been to the NBA Finals, and played pretty well. So, I guess that means Ayton's playoff success is technically better, right? 

The way Lowe speaks of these two guys is almost erotic and kind of gross. He will never begrudge them, but he is quick to point out flaws of other superstars. He will give them all the glory for team success, but blame other players for holding teams back. He has become what I feared he might be, and that is a knock off Bill Simmons, who is one of the most loathsome journalists on the planet. I hope he fixes this fascination with these two guys, but it doesn't seem likely. I wonder how they would react if they knew about his love for them. I'd have to guess they don't know and most likely don't care. But I would be creeped the hell out if someone I had little to no interaction with talked about me the way Lowe talks about these two guys. It feels odd. 

Ty

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

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Luka Doncic Should Not Be an NBA All Star Starter

The NBA All Star game is right around the corner. I do not think they should play one. I was on board with them skipping all the random middle of the season things they normally do because this is not a normal season. They need to take every precaution necessary, and sending 30 players and their families to Atlanta for the weekend feels a little careless. But, I will watch, I like that they are doing the Elam ending again and I think a halftime dunk contest has the possibility of being amazing. But, I do have one big issue with the rosters.

Last night they named the starters for each conference and picked the two captains. Most of this was on the up and up. I think LeBron and KD are two excellent choices as captains. I saw that Steph and Kawhi are West starters. I think Embiid and Giannis more than deserve to start for the East. I will be curious to see who the reserves are, and I'm interested to see who the two captains pick for their squads. Again, I have one big time bone to pick, and I am not the only one who feels this way.

The fact that Luka Doncic is a starter for the West, over Damian Lillard, is appalling. I know it is stupid and pointless and who cares, especially this year, about an all star game. I also fully understand that this is a fan vote thing, but come the hell on. Why are some people so obsessed with Luka Doncic? Why do all the major media outlets put this kid on a pedestal? Why are people already calling this kid one of the greatest in the game? Why do some have him as one of the 10 best players in the league right now? How is he on people's MVP ballot at the moment? Luka is a fine player, but I am not a fan because of the media pushing him on me, and his on court attitude. I watched the first round series in the bubble last year, when the Mavs played the Clippers, and rooted so hard for the Clippers. I do not like the Clippers, but I wanted the Mavs, and even more so, Luka, to get beat. And they did. He had one good shot, and played a solid series, but his team got beat in six games, and that has been his lone playoff series to date. Luka Doncic is good, but he is not an MVP caliber player yet. He is not a player that can win you a title yet. He is not one of the ten best players in the league yet.

Doncic is nowhere near as good, or as offensively dominant, as Dame. Damian Lillard is one of the top five players in the league right now. He is the game’s best closer. He has ice water in his veins. He is a problem for opponents. He has dragged this Portland team to playoffs year after year after year, and played in a conference finals. He has beaten Paul George and Russell Westbrook. He took out the Rockets a few years before. He has ended James Harden's seasons many times. He is a bad, bad dude, in the best way possible. People may crush him for his defense, but he is better than Luka on that end. People will point out how they got swept by the Pelicans in AD's second to last year with them. Well, Luka has only won two playoff games. People may say Luka is more exciting. Those people are dead, dead wrong. An all star game is supposed to be a high scoring, fun game with wild shots. I would much rather watch Dame pull up from the logo for a long three than watch Luka dribble the clock out and try to draw a foul on a mid range jumper. I'd rather see Dame drop a sweet dime to LeBron for a dunk than see Luka not get a call he wants, and then endlessly complain to the refs about it. I'd rather see Dame making three after three after three than see Luka try his fade away mid range jumper. Dame is a better, and far more exciting player. He is a much more deserving player too. He has put in his time, paid his dues and earned the rest of the NBA's respect.

Call me a Luka hater all you want. I am. I'm also sick and tired of some NBA fans trying to find their "white savior". It is so annoying. Damian Lillard got robbed of a starting spot, and that stinks. He is so much better than Luka. It is not even close.

Ty

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

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Let's Pump the Brakes On All This Luka Doncic Love

The NBA playoffs have been tremendous this season. The games have been awesome, for the most part, the competition is top notch, the programming and "show" of the game is great, the boycott was historical and some of the players have been so rewarding to watch.

One such player who was very good was Luka Doncic. He did some really solid offensive things. That isn't fair, he was electric, on the offensive end of the floor. I do not enjoy watching him play personally, he reminds me of a less athletic James Harden, but nonetheless, he was great. He put up big numbers, hit clutch shots, including a game winning three and basically carried the Mavericks to two wins over a very, very good Clippers team.

With all this being said, you would think with the coverage of him during the playoffs, and listening to the analytics nerds who are destroying the game though, he is the greatest player to ever play. Forget Jordan, LeBron, Bill Russell, Kareem, Magic, or any other hall of fame player, basketball didn't start until Luka Doncic played in these playoffs. It has been a bit too much. It is so much massaging of his ego. People are protecting him as if he is the current MVP and poised to win a title right now. He is not. I already mentioned that he is a very good, to great, offensive player, but he is a sieve on defense. Kawhi did not get the publicity that Doncic did, but he put up similar numbers, hit almost as many clutch shots and actually played defense. Any Clipper that Doncic was put on, for the most part, ate with ease. He really needs to work on that part before I start to memorialize his game. He also constantly complains in the refs direction when he doesn't get a call, or gets something called on him. This is the James Harden part of his game. He whines and moans and shoots far too many free throws, slowing the games down to a dull. It is boring. But again, I have heard basketball writers that I highly respect and adore, most notably Zach Lowe, singing his praises as if he is already this superstar that has won every major award and trophy in the NBA. It was bonkers after he hit that game winner, and then the Mavs went out and got absolutely wiped off the floor when they decided to try 100 percent.

The thing that irritates me most though, yes Doncic was putting up great offensive numbers, but so are Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell, who are playing in a much better, much closer series as we speak. And, they are both still playing. I believe they have a game seven tonight. But their numbers are similar, they both play much better defense, and their series is so much more up in the air, making their performances that much better. Doncic got all kinds of praise when he put up a triple double in a game one loss to the Clipper, meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell put up 50 plus in a game one loss, and it was a blip on the radar. Fifty plus points, and it was mentioned maybe once, compared to full segments dedicated to Doncic on Sportscenter that night. Then Murray and Mitchell both put up 50 point games, in the same game, and it was briefly spoken about on the major networks. They all showed how it hasn't happened in a long time, but then they would switch to a video of Boban and Doncic having fun and goofing with each other. I mean, Mitchell and Murray are doing historic things, and they barely get talked about. Then Murray went out in a crucial game six the other night and exploded. The Mavericks were out of the playoffs by this point, and the full focus should be on this series that is still going on, but it wasn't, unfortunately. Murray has this incredible game, puts up another 50 plus, gives one of the most moving post game interviews I have ever witnessed, and the top story on NBA twitter that night was the bright future of the Mavs. I mean Jesus Christ that is so lame, and so upsetting. No matter how much Bill Simmons and ESPN are horny for the next white super star, Mitchell and Murray are better overall players, about the same age and are on teams that are better set up for the future. They all play in the West too. And I think Kristaps Porzingis is not nearly as good as others do. I don't think he is really a superstar level guy, or a guy that can help you win a title. I'd rather have Nikola Jokic or Rudy Gobert than Porzingis. Both those guys are better, and tougher. Doncic is a very good offensive basketball player. I simply cannot deny that. But people need to realize that there are other guys, guys just as young, that are just as good, if not better. And Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray are right at the top of that list.

I'm just asking to give equal credit where it is due. 

Ty

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

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Time For Another Idiotic, Semi-Racist, Take from Bill Simmons

Since I am in a crummy mood this week I do want to thank RD for telling me to check out Twitter the other night. He told me this after the Big 10 canceled their fall sports, and said to search for Bill Simmons. Oh boy.

It is no secret that I am not a fan of Simmons. I was, but then I grew up, realized he is a mediocre, front running writer and now I have come to realize that he is too, albeit not on the surface to some, a racist. This isn't a new development either. Noam Scheiber of New York Times wrote a great piece awhile back detailing not only his racism at ESPN, Grantland and now The Ringer, but he also pointed out his sexism and his want to be famous and how that makes him treat others as if they are beneath him. I know he read this, and the replies, even though he claims he never does because since that piece, all of the sudden, The Ringer podcasting network had shows that featured writers that are not white that are on staff. It was way, way too heavy handed the way he did this too. I listen, or used to listen, to a good amount of the shows on The Ringer, and all of the sudden guys like Tyler Tines and Van Lathan and Larry Wilmore just started "randomly" popping up as guests, or with their own shows. It was a bit much.

Yet, as he is want to do, Simmons was talking on his pod, again I don't listen anymore, and I guess he had made a statement with another white guy that works there, Ryen Rusillo, comparing Luka Doncic's assists to James Harden's. RD told me this, and I didn't think it would be much. I was reeling, upset about college football, just kind of mopey. But I went on Twitter, just to see what the hubbub was all about, and man oh man was this a very, very underhanded racist comment made by Simmons. He said, "Luka's assists are like Bird's- they're not cheap assists... like the James Harden type of assists".

Let that sink in for a minute. He is saying that a white point guard, who he is comparing to another white player, has better assists than a black man that has revolutionized the way offense is played in the NBA. Also, how is any assist cheap I ask? They all do the same thing. They all lead to a bucket. It doesn't have to be fancy or whipped around the perimeter or anything. An assist is an assist is an assist. Harden, Doncic, LeBron, KD, Russ, all of their assists are the same, at least to me. It's not like these guys are hunting assists. I am not a Harden guy too. He is a great, great offensive player, I just find his brand of basketball boring. But his assists are just as important or special as anyone else's in the league. His lobs are also very useful because he gets teams to collapse on him, leaving the dunker wide open. He is such a threat from the outside, that when he up fakes from three, he usually has two or more guys open, leaving them with wide open looks. If anything, Harden's assists are the opposite of cheap. He is getting guys the cleanest looks they will ever find in the NBA. And Doncic is a great player too, but he is not on Harden's level yet. Doncic is a fine young player, one of the better players in the league, but guys like Bill Simmons, and the majority of the staff at The Ringer are so horny for a white savior in the NBA.

Simmons has made the Ringer in his racist image. The majority of his hires are writers who have, at one time, worked for him already or for the Celtics. That's why they all loved the Gordon Hayward signing when it happened, loved the Brad Stevens hire, but bristle when Marcus Smart calls someone out, or when Jaylen Brown goes on TV and talks eloquently about systemic racism. People like Simmons don't want to see that because he grew up watching a player whose nickname was "The Hick from French Lick". And Larry Bird was great, one of the best. I'm not calling him out, I'm calling out Boston fans that opine for the days when he was the star of the team. For Simmons to say this, and to take the side of Doncic, to call Harden's assists "cheap", it is lazy and hackey and he is trying so hard to be cool. Simmons is no better than anyone that works at Barstool Sports, a horrendously awful website, he just has the ESPN recognition to his name. I have to assume there has always been an underlying racism within Simmons, and now that he is older, it is starting to rear its head. He is trying to be a hip guy, but he comes off as a wannabe and a dork. He makes these grand declarations, and then tries to backtrack immediately.

Simmons is a phony, a hack, the type of guy that reminisces of his high school days, and now, a blatant racist. Since I read this quote and did some more research, I have unsubscribed from anything and everything involving his company. I don't want anything to do with him, or the myriad of white men he tends to hire time and time again. I'm not sure my unsubscribing will do much, but hey, if half the people who read this do the same, maybe we can make Bill Simmons admit he is a racist, misogynistic dickhead one day, and he will get his comeuppance. Here's hoping.

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.

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Time to Get Pumped for the 2019 NBA All Star Weekend

This weekend is All Star weekend for the NBA. I enjoy All Star weekend. I used to love it, but now I just enjoy it. I like the skills competition, the three point and dunk contest, the rising stars game and the actual game. I think the only thing I don’t really care for is the celebrity all star game. Some people go way too hard, Winn Butler, some turn it into a showcase for themselves, Kevin Hart, and the rest just don’t seem to care. It’s dull.

Let’s look at the good events. The dunk contest used to be my absolute favorite part of the weekend. It used to be filled with actual stars, and it was awesome. I will always, always remember Vince Carter. It was amazing. The contest then started to really drop off when the contestants got endless chances. It dragged and the participants weren’t the upper echelon. The one that really upset me, the opposite of the Vince Carter one, was when Chris Andersen spent what seemed like 45 minutes to complete one dunk. But, I do have to say, it’s been better the past couple years. Dennis Smith Jr got robbed last year, but it was still fun. And 2 years ago, the show that Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon put on, was tremendous. Go back and check that out. So I do have faith. The three point contest is great to see the pure shooting, with no defense. And the rising stars game has become much more fun because they went to US versus World and all the future stars of the league are there. The skills competition is neat too, especially when you have a guard up against a big man. The game itself, while totally devoid of defense and full effort, I find enjoyable. I want to see all the points. I want each team go score 200. I’d love to see a 60 or 70 point quarter. I am one of the very few that find the game slightly enjoyable.

With all this being said, I want to make a few predictions for the festivities this weekend. First off, I guarantee the National Anthem will be so much better than the mess that was Fergie last year. That one is easy. As far as the rising stars game, I have the US. Team World has some studs, namely Luka Doncic, big Team US has guys like Jayson Tatum, Trae Young and Jaren Jackson. I just feel like they’ll be able to build a solid lead and win the game. In the three point contest I have Steph. I’ve seen and heard a bunch of people say that Joe Harris will win? Why? Steph is the best shooter in the league, maybe the best of all time. He may not take it as seriously as the other contestants, but he doesn’t have to. He’s that good. Steph all the way. The skills competition is DeAron Fox’s to lose. He is, by far, the most skilled guy in it. He’s also super fast, but under control. Fox is about to become a big name in the NBA. As for the dunk contest, I have DSJ all the way. He got screwed last year, he’s just been traded and I feel like he has something to prove. I have a feeling he’s going to do something amazing. Also though, don’t sleep on Hamidou Diallo. That dude is super athletic and has amazing hops. As for the actual game, I think Team LeBron wins. They are stacked. He got the best scorers, passers, and if they try, defenders. I don’t buy that all the guys he took he’s going to recruit to LA like everyone keeps saying. I think Team Giannis will make it a game, but I just think Team LeBron is better. That being said, I think Giannis Antentekoumpo will win his first of 2 MVP’s this season. He’s been amazing all year. His team had the best record. He will go hard in the game because that’s what he does. And he’s pretty much unguardable. He is so good, and I think he will prove that tenfold in the All Star game.

I’m excited for the weekend. I love basketball, and to see the best of the best in one arena always amazes me. I hope you all watch too. I know I will. I really enjoy NBA All Star weekend.

Ty

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

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The SeedSing 2018 NBA Mock Draft

As promised yesterday, today I come to you with my 2018 NBA mock draft. The draft is on tonight at 7pm, and I am going to go out on a short limb and say that all of this will be moot, but I still like doing these. And, just like I did with my NFL mock draft, I am only going to do the first round, I will only write a short review as to why I think this team will pick this player, I will not be doing trades, although I think there will be plenty of them tonight, and this mock is who I think they should pick, I am not basing it on any other mock that I have seen.

Okay, here we go.

1. Suns- Deandre Ayton. Even though I think they should take a point guard, Collin Sexton, they are going to go with the local big man. He is an immediate 20-10 guy, and he will be able to learn on this team. The Suns aren't looking to make the playoffs yet, so they can take yet another chance on a big man. I also like the pairing of him and Devin Booker. They could become an All Star duo.

2. Kings- Marvin Bagley III- I don't understand why they wouldn't take Luka Doncic, more on him next, but Bagley will help them put fans in the seats. He, much like Ayton, will put up big numbers as a rookie. He is a tremendous question mark on defense, but his offense cannot be doubted. Bagley will make a ton of highlight dunks, and score in the high teens, but he will be on the Kings, and it won't really matter. He is also the only prospect that wants to play there, so they'd be dumb to pass him up.

3. Hawks- Luka Doncic. Doncic is the supposed number one prospect, yet he will "fall" to the Hawks, and they should be ecstatic by this. He will immediately come in and be their point guard of the future, and the fans will love him. He can shoot and pass, he has been playing against pros since he was 16, and he has dominated them. He has to get better on defense, but every one of these 19 year old players needs to get better on defense. Doncic has the makings to be a very, very good to great NBA player. The Hawks will be more than thrilled with Doncic.

4. Grizzlies- Jaren Jackson. If they don't trade this pick, Jackson is the best fit for the Grizzlies, and next to Marc Gasol. He has an NBA ready body, he can rebound and he can play defense. He hasn't gotten to show his full arsenal on offense yet, Tom Izzo is not great at letting his best players flourish when he has upper classmen on his team, but give him time and he could be great. Jackson is the most NBA ready player in this draft, and the Grizzlies will not pass him up. Again, all of this is moot if they trade the pick.

5. Mavericks- Mo Bamba. This pick is almost as certain as Ayton to the Suns. Bamba is the best defender of all the big men in the draft. He has a 7 foot 10 inch wingspan, which is otherworldly. He has quick feet. What gives me pause is his offense, but maybe he can learn under Rick Carlisle. And, Bamba is immediately the best big man on the Mavericks the moment they pick him.

6. Magic- Trae Young. This is the best case scenario for Young. He won't be expected to be the savior, and he can just kind of hide out in NBA purgatory while he figures out the game. It is going to take him some time because teams will prep for him, and we all saw what happened in college when teams double and tripled teamed him. Orlando should be his dream destination. I hope for his sake, they pick him.

7. Bulls- Michael Porter Jr. I have so many red flags with this kid, but the Bulls are obsessed with him. They have wanted this kid from day one. There are rumors that they are even trying to trade up to get him. I don't get it, but if they just stay put at 7, Porter Jr should be there waiting to be picked. Porter Jr is the definition of a "project", and I know the least about him as a player. I know he is cocky, I know he is coming off a back injury and I know he was a great high school player. Will any of that translate into NBA success? I don't know, but the Bulls will take a big time swing here.

8. Cavs- Mikail Bridges. The Cavs are going to need a lot, especially if LeBron needs, and who better than an upperclassmen coming off a NCAA title, that can hit the three, than to get the rebuild started. While I think Doncic is the best player, I like Mikail Bridges more. He is cool, calm and collected. He can shoot and he can play defense. I also think, if LeBron were to stay, he would be thrilled to play with Bridges. Either way, with or without LeBron, I think Mikail Bridges is the best player for the Cavs.

9. Knicks- Miles Bridges. The Knicks will take this Bridges about 5 picks too soon because he is the 21st century version of Carmelo Anthony. He is an okay 3 point shooter, he can attack the rim and he will love playing in a big city. But, he is not that good on defense, he didn't get too much better his second year in college, and his first step is a little too slow. I do like the pairing of him and Kristaps, but the Knicks need a better player here. But the Carmelo comparison will be too big for them to pass up.

10. 76ers- Wendell Carter. Carter is the perfect backup to a player like Joel Embiid. Where Embiid is a more modern big man, Carter can play old and new school basketball. Carter is also a very good post passer, can defend and can play defense. He will also not back down against guys bigger than him. He will also be able to seamlessly step into the lineup when Embiid gets hurt, or takes some time off. I think Carter is going to be a good pro, and I think the 76ers will be pleased to have him.

11. Hornets- Collin Sexton. The Hornets will most likely need a new point guard, there are new Kemba Walker rumors everyday, and Sexton is my absolute favorite player in this draft. He is an explosive point guard that can score, a la Dennis Smith Jr. He is also always going 100 percent, no matter the situation. A young back court of him, Malik Beasley and Malik Monk sounds very intriguing to me. Hopefully Michael Jordan doesn't screw this up and take another big man. If Sexton is still there at 11, he should snatch him up.

12. Clippers- Robert Williams. The Clippers will need a new big man, Deandre Jordan is old, and he wants out, and Robert Williams is basically a younger version of him. He can rebound, he can dunk, and if he wants to, he can play a little defense. The only thing that gives me pause, he isn't always engaged in the game. He comes and goes, and that is unsettling, especially in the NBA. Williams is good, he just has to be 100 percent committed to the NBA, and I don't see that yet.

13. Clippers- Lonnie Walker. The Clippers also need a point guard, and lucky for them, they have 2 picks in a row. They can get 2 positions of need in less than 20 minutes. Walker is a good point guard that can get better. He does need some work, but he is a poor mans version of Sexton. Walker will be fun to watch grow in the NBA. I think he will also enjoy LA. The Clippers, barring any trades, can get better in a very small amount of time tonight. Lets see if Doc Rivers and Jerry West decide to go young.

14. Nuggets- Zhaire Smith. The Nuggets need a point guard to put them over the top, and if Smith is still here at 14, they should snatch him up. He is a good, multi faceted guard, and he will be the cure to what ails this team. The Nuggets have everything else to be a perennial playoff contender, they just need a true point guard, and that is what Zhaire Smith is.

15. Wizards- Kevin Knox. A lot of people are much higher on Knox than I am. I am actually kind of bored with all the Kentucky players, with one exception coming up soon. I know he played out of position at Kentucky, and he looked better near the end of the year, and he has been great in these workouts, but I just don't see him as being more than a fifth starter on an okay team, or a bench player. He is a long wing, which is very en vogue in the NBA right now, but I don't buy the workout stuff or the end of the season stuff. To me he is more Tyler Ulis than Devin Booker.

16. Suns- Troy Brown. The Suns need a real point guard. They can't rely on Tyler Ulis, or anyone else to be a point guard. Booker is a 2 guard, they will take Ayton as their new center, so I feel like Brown may be the answer at point guard. He is a solid all around player, still kind of young and will fit in with what the Suns want to do. I feel like this draft will be the start of something good for the Suns, and taking Brown in the mid first round will be another step in the right direction.

17. Bucks- Shai Gilgeous Alexander. You know how I just said I was sick of the whole Kentucky thing except for one guy? SGA is that one guy. He took over the team last year when they needed a real leader, and he was, by far, the best player on that team. The Bucks need a real point guard, no disrespect to Eric Bledsoe, but his best days are very far behind him, and SGA is just the young dude they need. He and Giannis would make for a great one two punch. I feel like this might be the best fit in the entire draft too. Lets see if he falls this far.

18. Spurs- Jerome Robinson. The Spurs are one of the best drafting teams ever, and that will continue with a little known, but very solid point guard. Robinson will be able to take over for Tony Parker sooner rather than later, and even if this team loses Kawhi, they will get their guard of the future. Robinson will be the type of player that will thrive in the Spurs system, and a year or 2 from now, when Robinson is suddenly being talked about as a fringe All Star, people will look back and think it is because he was drafted by the Spurs.

19. Hawks- Kevin Huerter. Huerter is a good, tall three point shooter. He can spread the floor. He won't be counted on to lead any team to new heights. He will basically be a niche player, and after taking Doncic in the lottery, the Hawks will find their niche guy. The Hawks can view Huerter as a poor man's Lauri Markanen, a guy I was totally wrong about, and play him spot minutes as a spot up three point shooter. This will help the in the long run, and that is all the Hawks will want to do tonight.

20. Timberwolves- Aaron Holiday. The Timberwolves need better guards, and Holiday is already better than any guard they have, with Jeff Teague being the only possible exception. Holiday is fast, has good feet, can play defense, can find the open man and can hit open shots. Hell, he may already be better than Teague. He will also know his role, and he will defer to Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler and KAT. This is the type of point guard the Timberwolves need if they want to return to the playoffs.

21. Jazz- Donte Divincenzo. The Jazz will need their successor to Joe Ingles because, seriously, how long can he keep this up? And, the MOP of the title game this year can step right in. The only thing Ingles has on Divencinzo is his three point range, but this kid will start hitting the NBA three very easily, very soon. He is a better athlete, a better defender, and I love a back court that involves him, and my new favorite player, Donovan Mitchell. No one's stock has risen higher after one game than Divincenzo's, and he will cash in on that tonight.

22. Bulls- Chandler Hutchinson. After swinging for the fences with the Porter Jr pick, the Bulls will go a bit more conventional with this pick. Hutchinson is a lot like Markenan, but not as good at the three point shot yet. But, he is better than a guy like Doug McDermot or Bobby Portis, both of whom the Bulls drafted recently. I feel like Hutchinson will take over the Mirotic role, and while he might not be as good as Mirotic right now, I think he will easily make the Bulls fans forget about him. This would be a solid pick.

23. Pacers- Josh Okogie. The Pacers have a very solid roster, so they can just grab the best available player in their minds. I feel like they will love Okogie. He is a pass first point guard, who can fill in as a backup right away. He will also deliver to the Pacers bigs, and he can run the offense with Oladipo at his side, if need be. Okogie is this year's Fred Van Vleet, except he will be drafted. This is a solid late first round pick, which is exactly what the Pacers need.

24. Trailblazers- De'Anthony Melton. With all the insecurity, and the talk of the Blazers trying to decide between trading CJ McCollum or Damien Lillard, they should trade McCollum, Melton would be a wise choice as a backup plan. He is the type of guard that doesn't always need the ball in his hands, and I feel like he would play much better off Lillard than McCollum does. He also plays better defense than both of those guys do right now. The Blazers need a young, true point guard, and this late in the first round, Melton is the best option. 

25. Lakers- Keita Bates Diop. Here is another guy, like Divencinzo, who had a spectacular year, and will now reap the benefits. Diop is a bit of an old school big, and that is what the Lakers need. He can also shoot the three, which helps him in the modern game. And, if the Lakers continue to go young, I feel like Diop will fit in even better. Diop would go quite nicely alongside Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle, and I feel like he will really enjoy Luke Walton's run and gun offense. If the Lakers do not land a big time free agent, taking a player like Diop makes their immediate future a bit brighter.

26. 76ers- Jacob Evans. At this point in the first round, teams picking this late are usually playoff teams, and they just need bodies. That is the 76ers to a T, and a guy like Jacob Evans would be a big upgrade if they were to lose TJ McConnell to free agency, or a trade. Evans was very good at Cincinnati, and he would be a nice back up, or even put him alongside, to Ben Simmons. He has been in college for four years, and he is mature, and I feel like he is ready for life in the NBA. Evans will be a solid role player, and he will have a long career, and I feel like being picked by the 76ers would do him a world of good.

27. Celtics- Anfernee Simons. The Celtics don't need much. They are in talks with the Spurs about Kawhi. They get both Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving back. I know LeBron is on their radar. They have great young players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They have a great center in Al Horford. They have one of the best defenders in the NBA in Marcus Smart. This pick is just a vanity thing for them. So, why not take a chance this late in the first round on a 19 year old that didn't play college ball? Who really cares. Whoever the Celtics pick here will not be a determining factor on if they go to the Finals next year or not. This pick is irrelevant, so why not swing for the fences?

28. Warriors- Mo Wagner. I just want this to happen because I want a Michigan guy to go to the champs. But, he also is a position of need for them. He is a center, technically, and that is what the Warriors lack most. He can also shoot the three, so he would fit right in, right? I know he is a liability on defense, I watched it for three years, but the Warriors have guys that can make that up for him. This would be the ideal spot for a guy of Wagner's talents. He wouldn't get to play too terribly much, but the fans would love him, and he would know his role. I hope this happens for him.

29. Nets- Mitchell Robinson. I think the Nets will get the steal of the draft if they are able to get this kid. He is another player that didn't play any college ball, who basically sat out for a year, but he is a monster on the inside. He is so big and so strong, and he is only 19 or 20 years old. He and Johnathan Allen can team up for a very intimidating front court. Robinson is also going to be out to prove a ton of people wrong, and he seems like the type of player that something like that will make him go extra hard. I think this kid is going to be good, and I think he would help the Nets get out of the wasteland they are currently stewing in.

30. Hawks- Elie Okobo. Here we have the French James Harden. Now, I only compare him to Harden because both are left handed, and both can get to the rim. As I have said before, the Hawks are building for the future, and Okobo could be a part of that plan. The Hawks can draft and stash him, send him overseas for a few more years, or bring him right to the league, let him play spot minutes his first couple years, then let him loose. This is a pick where they can basically do whatever they want. This Okobo kid is good too. He is a slashing guard that will be hard to defend because he is left handed. He will be a building block for the future of the Hawks.

Okay, there you have my 2018 NBA mock draft. The NBA draft is the only draft I get excited about still, so I will be in and out of it all night. I'm very curious to see where these players go, and to see how many I get right. Tune in tonight to see as well.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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With the Number One Pick, the Phoenix Suns Should Take...

The NBA had its draft lottery last night and the Phoenix Suns “won” the first pick. I did some research and found out this is the first time in the franchise’s history that they’ve ever gotten the first pick. I will do a mock draft when we get closer to the draft, but today, I just want to focus on what I think the Suns could, and should, do.

First off, there are maybe 5 guys that could be real good NBA players in this draft. The rest, some will be fine, have solid careers or be busts, as with every other draft. The 5 players that I think can be great are DeAndre Ayton, Jaren Jackson, Luka Doncic, Collin Sexton and Mo Bamba. I feel like these are the 5 guys the Suns should focus on. Also, they should not trade this pick for veterans. This team is young and building through the draft, and that is what they should continue to do. So, let’s take a closer look at these 5 guys.

First off, Mo Bamba. I like Bamba a lot. He is long and athletic. He is already a very good rim protector. He has the tools to get better on offense. But, he reminds me a little too much of Nerlens Noel. Now, Bamba will be better, he’s not so injury prone, but he is super skinny. He needs to bulk up, and to be honest, Josh Jackson is better, thicker and has a year under his belt. While I like Bamba, I do not think the Suns should take him first overall.

Next, Luka Doncic. Doncic is the European sensation that everyone loves. I don’t know much about this kid, but by all accounts, he has it all. He has also been playing professionally overseas for the past couple years. He has been playing against grown men, and playing well. He, by all accounts, is ready for the NBA right now. The problem in Phoenix, they already have Devin Booker, who plays the same position, and he is on his way to stardom. Booker is already awesome, can improve defensively and is an elite scorer. The Suns don’t need Doncic because they already have Booker. 

Number three guy, Jaren Jackson. He is the “safest” pick in the draft. He has an NBA body, can play defense, has a good high low game and is a solid rebounder. He is ready for the NBA. He has been prepping his whole life for the NBA. But, the Suns have a glut of guys at his spot. They could get rid of some of those guys, but why give up on them now? Dragan Bender hasn’t been great, but he’s like 20 years old. Marquiss Chriss is out of shape, but an offseason can change that. Josh Jackson had a solid rookie year and will continue to get better. It feels like I can go on and on. So, while Jackson is safe, the Suns don’t need him.

Number 4, DeAndre Ayton. Ayton is my personal favorite player in this draft. I know there’s questions about his defense, but this kid is an elite scorer. He is so big, so long and can stretch the floor. He is going to be a 20 plus point per night guy the moment he steps foot on an NBA floor. He is that good already. He is the new generation’s Patrick Ewing. I love Ayton. But, much like the case for Bamba, the Suns don’t need another big man. They have plenty. They make regret not taking him, but they don’t need him.

Which brings us to my last guy. He’s my dark horse. He won’t be drafted number one overall, but I think Collin Sexton is the best fit, by far, for the Suns. Sexton is an explosive point guard, who likes to pass as much as he likes to score. He’s also a solid defender. He is this year’s De’Aron Fox. He has all the tools to be a starting point guard right off the bat. And who do the Suns have at point guard you may ask? Outside of Tyler Ulis, who I like, I don’t know. So, why not take a chance on Sexton? He fits in perfectly with what they’re doing in Phoenix, and I feel like they’d love him there. Collin Sexton is who I think the Suns should go with number one overall. I know it won’t happen, but I think it’s what should happen.

Those are my thoughts on what the Suns should do with the number one pick.. We will have to wait until draft night to find out who they pick. I cannot wait.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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