Ty's 2024-2025 NBA Preview: Do Not Be Surprised to See Us in the Finals Division

Welcome to day five of my 24-25 NBA countdown. We are in the top 10 now.

At number 10 I have the Phoenix Suns. This team's front end talent is amazing. Kevin Durant is one of the best players ever in the NBA. He has been everything the fans and front offices have wanted since day one. He is an incredible scorer and a willing defender when called upon. He gets it. He is a surefire hall of fame player. I just hope he doesn't ask for another in season trade. Devin Booker shined in the Olympics. He really found an excellent role for himself there. I wonder if any of that will carry over to this season. If he can be that good of a passer, to go along with his scoring ability, watch out. Bradley Beal is a great shooter. He has been a very good scorer since his rookie year. He can be a first option if needed. He has got to find a way to stay healthy though. He is so often off the court now. Hopefully he gets that part figured out. After these three guys, it's a mismatched roster. Josh Okogie is a good rebounder, but not much else. Grayson Allen is much better than he has any right to be, but he is a zero on defense. Tyus Jones had to take the league minimum, but he should be a much better backup point guard than they had last year. I think I'm going to have to give up on Bol Bol. It isn't working out. Jusuf Nurkic is very average, but he is a good trash talker. Mason Plumlee is a deep bench guy now. And Damion Lee is one of those fun bench guys that never really see the floor. The Suns got a good coach in Mike Budenholzer, but it won't matter if the top three guys barely ever see the floor. At least we can count on Kevin Durant to do amazing things year after year.

At number 9 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs most likely have their last shot to make a deep playoff run this season. This team might look very different next year. For now, Donovan Mitchell is a legit all star. He is a very good scorer, can find his spots and has hops to get to the rim. Darius Garland really struggled last year, and was in every trade rumor, but he is bound to have a better year. He is too good a basketball player not to have a better year. Evan Mobley got paid, and if he can start hitting threes, he will be worth every dime. He is already an elite defender and rebounder, he just has to round out his offensive game. Jarrett Allen is one of the best rim protectors in the league, and he is being reunited with Kenny Atkinson. Allen may explode this season. Caris Levert is a very good bench scorer, but he lacks defensively. Isaac Okoro has flashes, but it doesn't seem like he is going to be the starter and contributor they hoped he could be. Max Strus was a great addition. Emoni Bates intrigues me. And Dean Wade is overrated. The Cavs have a new coach and they paid important guys. They need to show growth on the floor this season, and I think they will.

At number 8 I have the Dallas Mavericks. They made a run all the way to the finals last year. It was a shock to me and plenty of other people. I don't think it will happen again this year, but they will be a solid regular season team. Luka Doncic is the most annoying, whiny and aggressively douchey player in NBA history. But the dude can score the basketball. He is also a decent passer. He plays no defense and he has got to shut up talking to the refs. But the dude is an elite offensive guy. Kyrie Irving is a wizard with the basketball. He has insane handles and he can contort his body like no one else to score in the paint. He is also a lethal 3 point shooter. But, he is insane and bound to get unhappy at the drop of a hat. Derrick Lively is legit. He announced himself last year and I see a leap coming this year. PJ Washington got out of Charlotte and shined. His shot reverted back to normal for him after a torrid start, but the dude looks to have new life in Dallas. They signed Klay Thompson this offseason, and while it adds another shooter, Thompson is definitely on the back end of his career and his defense has really dropped off. Daniel Gafford is a perfect rim runner and low post defender in this system. Quentin Grimes is an interesting addition here. Spencer Dinwiddie never really found a role and Maxi Kleber is more injured than not now. The Mavs are built to win in the regular season, but that run last year felt very, very, very fluky. I don't see it happening again.

At 7 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. Damian Lillard and Giannis Antentekoumpo have had a full year now to figure it out. I loved this trade last year, but it didn't work. I know there were extenuating circumstances, but now they have zero excuses. I fully expect Giannis to be amazing, this is on Dame. Khris Middleton just cannot get over the injury bug. He may have had another procedure while I write this. That is how hurt he is now. Brook Lopez is still very playable, but he is old and has for sure lost a step. I like that they got both Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr for the veteran league minimum. Those guys will definitely help. Pat Connaughton is a low rent Grayson Allen. That's not a compliment. Bobby Portis brings a ton of energy and he is a fan favorite. He has carved out a nice place here. The Bucks need a big time bounce back this season. They have got to figure it out because if they don't, Giannis may ask out.

The final team for the day, at 6 I have the Denver Nuggets. They seem to be having some front office and coach disconnect. And Jamal Murray was hurt and bad in the Olympics. And people are crushing Michael Porter Jr right now. But, this team is very well constructed and very talented. Nikola Jokic is boring, not as good as people want him to be and it baffles me that he has more MVP awards than Shaq. But, he is an elite modern NBA center. He doesn't seem to care about defense, and gets way too much credit, but he is good offensively. Whatever anyone wants to say about Jamal Murray, the dude shows up in big games. He is clutch in big moments. He is an elite shooter and a very capable point guard. Michael Porter Jr has his issues, but he is a very tall, very good outside shooter. He may not do much more, but he isn't asked to in Denver. Aaron Gordon is such a good defender and one of the best leapers in the history of the NBA. He has also become a great cutter and an okay shooter. I am not a fan of Russell Westbrook here. I like him so much, but this feels like a bad fit. Christian Braun will be asked to do too much now due to some players leaving. Julian Strawher seems like he is going to be a viable bench scorer. And Zeke Nnaji may never get real minutes, but the guy can shoot. The Nuggets may come out with a fire in their bellies after being ousted before the West Finals last year. They also have a very well put together roster and a solid head coach. The Nuggets are good and will bounce back.

That's it for the week. Come back Monday for the top five teams. Enjoy your 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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Ty Watches Flavor Flav Perform The National Anthem

The other night the Milwaukee Bucks invited Flavor Flav to sing the national anthem. This may seem like a weird artist to choose, but we must never forget that the Bucks did invite Ja Rule to perform at halftime of one of their games after the release of the Fyre Festival documentaries. They like to take chances in that front office and I am here for it.

I did not see Flavor Flav's performance in real time, but a bunch of people reached out to me afterward to see if I saw it. It was also plastered all over sports pages that I follow online. But it wasn't until RD texted me and asked if I watched it did I actually sit down and watch it. At the time of the text coming across my phone I had not seen it though. And RD told me it was "iconic". That was the push I needed to sit down and take it in. So I did.

You know what? It was exactly what I expected from Flavor Flav singing the national anthem. Sure it was off key. Sure it felt like he didn't know all the words. Sure he was either too quiet or too loud when he sang. But I loved it and I loved that he went out and did it with no fear. He sang his heart out. He gave it everything he had. He tried his hardest. And he seemed like he was having a damn good time.

I also appreciate that the people within the Bucks organization who decide these things tried to get a hip hop legend to do this. And Flavor Flav said yes. I can't imagine Chuck D doing this. No way is Busta Rhymes going to do the anthem unless he is trying to see how fast he can rap it. I don't see many modern hip hop artists clamoring to go do this. But Flavor Flav did, and he gave it all of his gusto. He had his big clock on and everything. I love that. He is also a very committed sports fan. Flavor Flav loves to go to live sporting events. I have seen him at college and pro football games. I'm sure he has gone to a number of baseball games. He would talk about his love for pro sports when he had his crazy dating show on VH1. And he has always loved basketball. The guy is a true hoop head. So I bet that when the phone call came across to do the anthem at an NBA game he jumped at the prospect. The fact that he got to do it and then watch Giannis and Dame play together so early in this new season was probably icing on the cake for Flavor Flav.

As for the people out here bad mouthing him and the Bucks, get over it. Also, what did you expect? This is not some polished singer. This isn't Adele. This isn't Taylor Swift. This isn't Josh Groban. Flavor Flav was the hype man for one of the most important hip hop groups in the history of music. And he was the best at his job. So for people to be giving him a hard time, I'd like to see any one of them go out and do the anthem any better. At least Flavor Flav gave it his all too. He went out there and did the song the best way he knew how and he did it with a smile never leaving his face.

I applaud you Flavor Flav and the Bucks front office. You all took a chance on a rap icon and I thought he did a very commendable job. 

Ty

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

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Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Watching Your Favorite Act Perform in a Stadium with 100,000 of Your Closest Friends Division

Welcome back to my preseason NBA countdown. This is the final day of the countdown. I will be giving you my top five teams heading into the season. I'll do awards and postseason predictions tomorrow to wrap it all up. Now, to the final five teams.

At 5 I have the Philadelphia 76ers. I don't know that a team with this much offseason turmoil is deserving of this high of a ranking, but the team on paper is very, very good. They have really good, star players. Hiring Nick Nurse was a home run as well. This team is stacked, if they stick it out. James Harden is still here, much to his chagrin. He is becoming more and more of a baby, but when he is dedicated and trying hard, he is a 25 ppg guy and a double digit assist guy. Joel Embiid is the reigning MVP. He is the best big in the NBA. He is as smooth as it gets on offense and a total menace near the rim on defense. Embiid is awesome, except for the playoffs. He needs to stay healthy during the playoffs and perform better. Tyrese Maxey is an up and coming star. He is on the path to being an all star. He is also a knockdown shooter and excellent shot creator. Tobias Harris is solid. He may not be worth his contract, but he is steady. I also watched him live twice last year and was super impressed. PJ Tucker is still a very feared defender, but he is an absolute goose egg on offense. De'Anthony Melton proved to be a great offseason addition last year. Danuel House Jr can still shoot a bit too. They also revamped their bench this offseason. I think Patrick Beverly will prove to be a good vet to have in the locker room. Kelly Oubre will bring extra offense. Mo Bamba can give five or six decent minutes a night. Danny Green looks okay. The 76ers have a very good team. Their season will all depend on how they come together, but they have the talent to win, and win big.

At 4 I have the Phoenix Suns. The Suns went for it all last season and ate it hard against the eventual champs. They decided to make some changes this offseason. Devin Booker is still here and still awesome. He is fast becoming one of the top players in the NBA. He is very good. Kevin Durant will have a full season with Booker now and hopefully he doesn't get hurt in warmups again. He is still an upper echelon player on both ends. They moved on from Chris Paul and went out and got Bradley Beal. Beal is a good player. He had big moments in Washington. I am still concerned how he fits here, but either way he brings scoring. Then they decided to make more changers. They got Jusuf Nurkic in a trade. He is not as good as Deandre Ayton, but if he is on the floor he will set hard screens. Eric Gordon brings three point shooting. So does Yutu Wantanabe. He has made a mark for himself in the NBA. Bol Bol will be interesting here if he plays at all. Keita Bates-Diop may start, but he will be a screen setter as well. Grayson Allen is here, but who cares. Damion Lee and Josh Okogie stuck around, which will help with some continuity. The Suns have a weird roster, but they will score in bunches. They need to hope for health since they are so top loaded, and if that happens, they will be lethal.

At 3 I have the Boston Celtics. This team almost fully changed their roster and yet they look even better than they have the past couple years. Jayson Tatum is awesome. He is elite. He is one of the best overall players in the NBA. He may be the future face of the league. Jaylen Brown, while solid, is not as good as Tatum. He is not as dependable either. But he got paid and I wonder if the security of his massive contract will let him play more freely. Derrick White is a very good perimeter defender and 3 point shooter. Al Horford, while old, is still one of the better big man defenders in the NBA. He can slow down almost any other center. The Celtics went out and traded for Kristaps Porzingis. He had a career year last year. If he can stay on the floor he may put up very big numbers. They also got Jrue Holiday who may be the best perimeter defender in the NBA. He can also bring extra scoring. And guys like Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens and Wenyen Gabriel are better bench guys than they had last year. The rich changed, got richer and got better. The Celtics are going to win a ton of games this year.

At 2 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks made the deal of the offseason. I fully understand that they traded Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen, two starters from last season's team, but they got Damian Lillard. Lillard brings everything they need on offense. He is a knockdown shooter, can create and can get to the line. He will also give Giannis an open lane. Speaking of Giannis, Antetokounmpo is the best basketball player in the world. He is a do it all machine and he is very good at almost everything on both sides of the floor. Khris Middleton, if healthy, will get crazy wide open looks playing alongside Giannis and Lillard. He will be astonished at how open he will be. He is also a very solid defender. Brook Lopez is one of the best defensive players in the league and he can really shoot the 3. Jae Crowder is back, and I think with a more defined role he will look like his old self. Bobby Portis is one of the best bench and role players in the NBA. Pat Connaughton, if he can get out of his own head, can stroke the three and be a defensive menace. I love that they brought in Cam Payne to backup Lillard. And I am very curious to see MarJon Beauchamp get some run. He crushed in summer league. The Bucks are a very good team who got much better by adding Lillard. I cannot wait to watch them play this season.

My number 1 team going into this season should be no surprise. The number 1 team is the Denver Nuggets. They have it all and are coming off a dominant playoff run that ended in a title. They were barely even pushed. Expect more of that this season. Nikola Jokic is a great basketball player. I'm sick of all the coverage and love and how people like the "curmudgeon" he is, but the dude can play. Jamal Murray is very awesome. I think he will finally get on the all star team this year. I feel like he is really going to announce himself super loud this season. Aaron Gordon fits perfectly here. He is a great pick and roll guy, he is their best defender and he can still jump out of the gym. Michael Porter Jr is almost unguardable from the perimeter and he is a solid shot creator. But he is always hurt and kind of took a step back last season. Christian Braun played a nice bench role as a rookie. I'm sure he will get more minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continues to produce and win wherever he plays. Reggie Jackson seems to have finally bought into being a backup and it fits for him. Peyton Watson should get more time this year. Zeke Nnaji is an interesting player. And Justin Holiday was a solid pickup. The Nuggets should be overwhelming favorites heading into the season. They have pretty much everyone back and they are ready to go.

That is it for my countdown. As I said earlier, tomorrow I will have my postseason predictions and my awards predictions. The regular season is almost here everyone. 

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 Talk About the Damian Lillard Trade

Damian Lillard was finally traded this afternoon, but not to the Miami Heat like many, myself included, thought he would be. Nope, Lillard was sent to the Bucks, Jrue Holiday is headed to the Blazers with Deandre Ayton and Jusuf Nurkic is going to the Suns. There are other players involved, but these are the big names, with Lillard's being the biggest. Let’s discuss.

I think Ayton will do well with no pressure on a young team in Portland. He needed a change of scenery and going to a rebuilding squad that will let him be the number 1 or 2 option will be a solid fit for him. Jrue Holiday will not stay in Portland. They have already said they are trying to flip him. Holiday would be a good addition for any team that is a contender. He is one of the best defenders in the league and he can score from time to time. He also has a ring and knows what it takes to get there. Nurkic to the Suns seems small, but if he can stay healthy, he could bring a ton to a team with championship intentions. Nurkic is a big body that can rebound and score in the post. He isn't the best defender in the post, but he could be a menace. But the big news here, the reason you all came to read this blog is Damian Lillard going to the Bucks.

I do not know if he will stay past this season, but for this year the Bucks are clearly going for it. Giannis Antetokounmpo came out recently and said that if the Bucks do not show him that they are willing to compete for titles every year he may not stay with the team. This move is clearly the front office going for it. I did not expect the Bucks to be in this talk at all. I didn't think they had the pieces. I didn't think they were going to get rid of a player of Jrue Holiday's caliber. I thought they were going to play this year out and hope they find that special sauce they had two years ago when they won it all. None of that happened, and I think they are better for it today. They have one of the best shooters to ever play this game now teaming up with Giannis and Khris Middleton. They are a proven playoff killer. Dame is cold blooded and he knows. The rest of the league knows it as well. Dame may not play much defense, but he won't have to on the Bucks. They have Giannis. They have Brook Lopez. They have bench guys willing to play defense on the perimeter. They have Middleton. This team is loaded and now they added a pure scorer.

Lillard teaming up with Giannis is the modern day Kobe and Shaq duo. I saw other people saying this and it is so true. I mean, try guarding those two guys. Oh, and then try guarding Khris Middleton after that. They are going to score a bunch of points. Giannis is going to give Lillard so many open looks it is almost unfair. Lillard is going to draw defenders out to the perimeter, opening the lane for Giannis. Teams won't be able to lay off and clog the lane like they have before. Then Middleton is going to have so many wide open looks from all over the floor. Then you have guys like Malik Beasley and Pat Connauhgton and Bobby Portis and Jae Crowder that are going to find themselves so wide open it is going to be laughable.

The Bucks are clearly, clearly making a big push for a ring this season. To roll out Dame, Middleton, Crowder, Giannis and Brook Lopez, that is a killer of a lineup. It truly has it all. They have the defense, the big man that is unstoppable, the killer mid range shooter, the other big man that can shoot threes and block shots and now one of the greatest pressure shooters of all time. This move instantly pushes the Bucks to the top of the east for me. They are better than Boston, Philly and Cleveland. They are way better than any other playoff team. This is a championship roster.

I love this movie from the Bucks. I bet Giannis is thrilled right about now. I also bet Damian Lillard is so stoked to play for the Bucks as well. This is a winning move on every level. I absolutely love it. I cannot wait to watch this team play this season. What a day. What a move. Good job Milwaukee. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2022 - 2023 NBA Season Preview: Clippers, Warriors, Bucks

Welcome to day ten, the final day of my 22-23 NBA countdown. These are my favorites. These are the teams I believe in the most. I will do a playoff and awards prediction on Monday, and a men's college basketball preview on Tuesday. But this is the final day of my countdown.

At number 3 I have the Los Angeles Clippers. I have believed in the Clippers for a few years now, but this is the most I have ever believed in them. They have it all. Kawhi Leonard is back. He is amazing. He is the best overall defender in the NBA, he has become an incredible scorer and he is seemingly healthy again. He looked pretty good the other night, and I believe he will only get better and better as the season wears on. Paul George is also back. George is wrongfully hated by the media. He is a very solid two way player. He has had a solid career and he thrives being Robin to Kawhi's Batman. Ivica Zubac is okay. He can be frustrating at times, but he can also look very good. Reggie Jackson has found a solid home since leaving OKC. He fits very well with this squad. Robert Covington is a beast of a defender and can score here and there. Norm Powell is a great bench scorer and is one of the most important players on this title contending team. John Wall is back and I am so very happy. Wall was one of my favorite players and I wish nothing but solid health for the rest of his career. Luke Kennard can still shoot the three, and he is asked to do nothing else. Terance Mann is a promising young player. Marcus Morris Sr is their enforcer. Nic Batum still carries a little weight. This Clippers squad is loaded. They are deep and incredibly talented. They should be very good, depending on health. This team is legit.

At number 2 I have the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors. It is rinse, wash, repeat for this team. I feel like last season's title was so very fulfilling for this team. They did it their way on their own. I should despise this team but I just don't. They are fun to watch. Steph Curry is still amazing. He is a wizard on the floor. He has gotten better on defense. He is the best shooter of all time. He is in a class all his own. Klay Thompson is fully back and I couldn't be happier for him. It was such a sight to see him play last season and work out the kinks. I love that he is back. Jordan Poole got paid. We all know the offseason drama between him and Draymond Green, but that seems to have passed. And Poole is looking every bit like the next great shooter from Golden State. This is probably the last go round for Draymond Green here and I think he will relish it all. He loves this team, but they may not love him. He does great things that this team needs and this should be his final dance here. Andrew Wiggins proved he belongs. He was incredible in the Finals last year and he also got paid. James Wiseman adds depth and height to this squad. He just needs to stay on the floor. Donte DiVincenzo fits almost too perfectly with this team. It is gross. JaMychal Green brings offensive rebounding and grit. Kevon Looney is their center now and for the foreseeable future. Johnathan Kuminga and Moses Moody should get a chance to show they deserve playing time. And Andre Iguodala is their Udonis Haslem. The Warriors are very, very good and will be as long as Steph Curry is on this team.

And my number 1 team for the 22-23 NBA season is the Milwaukee Bucks. I love, love, love the Bucks. They are my father's favorite team and I find it hard to not root for them when they are not playing the Grizzlies. Giannis Antetokoumpo is the best player in the league. Full stop. He does it all, and is a very good player in the NBA. He is the one and only unicorn in the NBA. When healthy, Khris Middleton hits all the big shots, plays stout defense and has a very calm demeanor. Jrue Holiday may be the best perimeter defender in the league. He also hits big shots when called upon and plays a fun style of basketball. Brook Lopez will be there for the full season and that will benefit him and the Bucks. Bobby Portis has totally turned his career story around and has become a great energizer off the bench. He is awesome. Pat Conaughton can shoot the three and d up. Serge Ibaka can still give this team small minutes here and there. Jevon Carter brings toughness. Wes Matthews fits so well on this squad. This Bucks team has everything you could want in a modern NBA team. They are my early title favorites, and as the season goes on I think most will agree with me.

That is it, that is my 2022-23 NBA countdown. I hope you all have enjoyed it. The season is currently going on so enjoy the games. This should be a great season.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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2021 Top Five - Sports

Today I am wrapping up my best of 2021 lists. I always save sports for last because I love them so much. It is one of my favorite things in the world. There was a lot that I had to leave off my list as well. The return of fans, Shoehai Otahni and Vlad Guerrero Jr, the Cardinals massive win streak, Deion Sanders getting the top recruit in the country to commit to Jackson State, Urban Meyer's punkass getting fired, the college football coaching carousel, all of that stuff, and so much more could have easily made my list. But I think I got it paired down to what I consider the five best sports moments of 2021. Let's get to it.

At five I have the Summer Olympics. All of it. There isn't one event that I want to focus on or anything like that. It was all so good. Simone Biles was amazing, both on and off the gymnastics field or court or board. The skateboarding was kickass. Basketball was fun. Table tennis was oddly interesting. The races were incredible, especially the marathon. The stuff beforehand, the rooms and what not, that was all great. The swimming was phenomenal. I let myself get fully engrossed in the Summer Olympics, and it was awesome. I think it may be a mixture of the pandemic, the fact it was pushed to this past summer and how competitive all the games were, but it all worked so well for me as a sports fan. I also think this may have made me an Olympic fan for life. I am stoked for the Winter Olympics, and you better believe I will be watching the Summer Games in 2024.

Coming in at number four I have the Name Image Likeness bill. This is a humongous deal. We can already see the positive ramifications of the NIL. These college athletes are finally getting paid if the university they attend uses any of the three things in the NIL. And it is all across NCAA sports. It isn't just basketball or football like a lot of naysayers predicted. I have read that all kinds of college athletes are making bank from the NIL. It also isn't just making the stars of their teams money. One of Michigan's bench players on their men's basketball team makes more NIL money than any other player. He barely plays, but he has a massive Tik Tok following. And even the stars, they are cashing checks. One of Michigan's starting running backs gave over 10 grand in gift bags to a local community center. Another Michigan player donated a ton of his NIL money to the Oxford school. Players outside of Michigan are doing the same, I just notice Michigan because that is the team I follow. I also love the NIL because college coaches, who make millions upon millions of dollars, are so up in arms about their players getting paid. It is so hypocritical, but I find it so funny. That is the good thing about the NIL. It is changing the college game, which was sorely needed.

At number three I have the Milwaukee Bucks winning the 2021 NBA title, but more so, Giannis' performance in game 6. I was stoked that a Midwest team won the title. I love that it was Milwaukee because my father has been a long suffering fan of theirs. And I adore Giannis the player and person. He is so wholesome. He seems genuine. He clearly knows how lucky he is in his life. He gives back to family and his community. And that performance he had in the game 6 clincher, that was amazing. He refused to be beaten that night. He scored 50 points. He grabbed double figure rebounds. He made his free throws. He had chase down blocks. He made Phoenix's best offensive players uncomfortable all night long. Every time it seemed like Phoenix may take the game, Giannis did something to turn the tide back to the Bucks. It was an amazing performance. It was one I was glad I watched in real time. I will never forget watching that game. It was that fantastic of a performance. One for the record books.

At number two I have the 2021 Michigan football season. I had little expectations for this team. I believe I picked them to finish 7-5, but it seemed more likely they would go 6-6. I did not know what to expect from all the new hires and I had little expectations for the offense. Well, they proved me, and a whole lot of other people wrong. From the start of the season they had an edge. They played very sound, very fast defense. Their run game was simply amazing. When they had to pass, they did what was needed, with some big plays added in from time to time. Josh Gattis took control of the offense and won assistant of the year. The offensive staff was totally overhauled and it worked. Outside Gattis, Mike Hart changed the run game, Sherrone Moore had the O line playing exceptionally well and the younger staff changed the whole offensive dynamic. The defense had even more of an overhaul, and they were amazing all year. They shut teams down and forced most of them to be one dimensional. They also beat the university of Ohio State for the first time in their last eight tries. I was ecstatic at that outcome. They also won the Big Ten title for the first time in 17 years. They are also in the CFP for the first time since its introduction. Jim Harbaugh won the AP coach of the year and Aidan Hutchinson was a Heisman finalist. This team exceeded all of my wildest dreams. I am so excited to watch them in the CFP in 2 weeks, although I am so very nervous as always. Had someone told me that Michigan football would win 12 games, beat the university of Ohio State by 15, win the Big 10 and play in the CFP before the season, I would have laughed in their face. Well here we are now, and all of that stuff is true. What a season.

And at number one, this is a personal feat for me, I finished my first full marathon this year. I have been working up to that distance for awhile. I have been training for longer distances for a long time. I actually had one planned for the summer, but I got injured. I was devastated when the doctor told me I couldn't run that race. But instead of wallowing, I amped up my training after I healed. I then signed up, along with my buddy Kirk, for a trail marathon(Kirk did a 50k). And the day of the race came and I was nervous as hell. It was a looped race, so I knew I would have my own personal aid stations, but still, nerves were high. It got bad enough that I wanted to quit after 18 miles. I felt awful. But the great people involved with the STL Track Club calmed me down, helped me get over the pain and frustration, gave me some sugar and I went back out for that final loop. As I got closer and closer to the finish line, my emotions took over. I could not believe that I was about to finish a full marathon. I was going to do something that seemed impossible a decade before. And now I have already signed up for a few other marathons. I am returning to run the same marathon in October of 2022, but I may up it to a 50k, who knows. But the fact that I ran a full marathon, that I finished it, that I had the support of Kirk and the STL Track Club and that I am contemplating doing more of them, that is an achievement I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Okay, that wraps up my best of 2021 lists. I love doing these lists and I would love to hear from the readers about some of their favorite things in 2021. Have a good and safe Holiday and a Happy New Year.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Bucks and Nets

Welcome to the final day of my 2021 NBA countdown. I have two teams left. These are the two best teams, kind of by a wide margin, in my opinion. They both have real title aspirations, and if we are lucky, we could see them meet in the playoffs yet again. That would be awesome considering how great their series was last season. Now, let's get to it.

At number 2 I have the reigning champs, the Milwaukee Bucks. Both of the teams today are pretty interchangeable. It would be better to have them listed as 1A and 1B honestly. The Bucks are back pretty much intact. Giannis Antentekoumpo is the best player in the NBA right now. I know that LeBron is the best player in the league now, and Kawhi prior to his injury was right up, and I'm sure guys like Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker might have a say, but Giannis is the main man. He went totally supernova in the Finals last season, and he is still only 26. He is an amazing player. He is unstoppable on offense and a great, great defensive player. And if this mid range he has shown off in the preseason is real, watch the hell out. He could be like Wilt, but better on defense. Khris Middleton hit some of the biggest shots in the Finals, and he has gotten better every season. He is the glue for this team. He is the guy they look to when they need a jump shot and Giannis is totally gassed. Jrue Holiday staked his claim as the best perimeter defender after his wonderful Finals. He was very inconsistent on offense, but he was incredibly good on the defensive end. He was traded to Milwaukee for a ton, but it was worth it for everyone involved. He was what they missed. Brook Lopez became a stretch 5, but it was his work in the post, the stuff that made him an all star, that really helped this team and has helped him continue to be a key contributor. Donte DiVincenzio is back from injury, and they will need his jumper. He is a very solid floor spacer, and to have a guy like him on the floor helps Giannis a ton. The same could be said for Pat Connaughton. He is also a very solid defender and rebounder. Bobby Portis was a total revelation. He completely bought into the role of energy guy off the bench, and he was playing crucial minutes in the Finals. He has had quite a turnaround. George Hill brings excellent veteran leadership. Grayson Allen is a little shithead, but the dude can shoot. I like the addition of Semi Ojeyele. The Bucks have a very, very good team. They also have Giannis. This team is more than poised to defend their title. The Bucks are here to stay.

And at number 1, my top team coming into the season is the Brooklyn Nets. Now let's talk about Kyrie Irving real quick. The fact that he is a flat earther and an anti-vaxxer is not surprising. He is a selfish, egotistical prick. He has been since he entered the league. He's a nuisance, a shit head and him not being on the Nets does not do anything to tamp down my expectations for this team. Kyrie Irving is a dumbass, I hate that kids look up to him and I could care less if he ever plays another game in the NBA. He will not be missed.

Okay, now to the players that actually care and will be on the floor. Kevin Durant is fully back. He was amazing in the playoffs. He was taking on the Bucks pretty much by himself, and he almost won that series. KD is amazing. He is probably the second best player in the league right now. James Harden, who I do not like to watch play basketball, was a great add last season. He has fit in perfectly with the Nets. He gets his when he plays with KD, but when KD sits, Harden feasts on second units. He is doing exactly what he should for this team, and if he can stay on the floor he could exorcise some playoff demons this year. Joe Harris is still here. He is a very good shooter and defender. He needs to play better when it counts, the playoffs, but other than that, he is a great role player for this team. Blake Griffin looked revived when he signed with them last season. He had some lift, he hit some shots and he grabbed some boards. I love, love, love the Patty Mills signing. He adds a great scorer to their second unit. He has tons of playoff experience. And he is very comfortable in a backup role. Cam Thomas was an excellent late first round pick. I love his scoring ability, and he is going to learn from some of the best. Bruce Brown is such a good cutter, he finds the open spots on the floor, he makes the easy shots he gets from being so wide open, he is a solid player. Nic Claxton showed flashes of being a solid pick and roll guy and he can play some defense. He will easily fill the role of Deandre Jordan. LaMarcus Aldridge had a heart scare, retired, then got cleared and is now back with the team. This is a big deal. He is a good mid range guy, and he brings depth and height to this team. Paul Milsap was a sneaky good signing. If he does anything for the Nets like he did for the Nuggets, the one year deal was more than worth it. And James Johnson and Jevon Carter bring some attitude and defense. Kyrie or no Kyrie, it does not matter. The Nets have Harden and KD and a bunch of solid role players. They have the best roster. They have the best team on paper. They should be the odds on favorite to win the title. They have it all.

Okay there is my countdown of all 30 NBA teams. Come back Monday for my playoff and awards predictions.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the NBA Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship in 50 years last night. This series was a ton of fun for me to watch. I kept picking the Suns to win. First I had them in six, then that shifted to seven, but I was rooting for the Bucks the whole time. I am not necessarily a fan, but my dad has been one since their last title, when he was 21. He will be 71 in October. I wanted him to have a team he likes to win something big. We are both Michigan and Green Bay Packer fans. Neither has won anything of importance in about a decade. He is a Brewers fan, and while they are good right now, I do not know when they last won a World Series, if ever. So for a NBA team he likes, a team he has liked for years, wins a championship his happiness makes me happy.

From the jump though this series was very competitive and very well played. When the Suns burst out to a 2-0 lead it looked like they were going to sweep, or win in five. They looked really good those first two games, Chris Paul and Devin Booker were shooting lights out, Deandre Ayton was playing really well, the role players were clutch and Milwaukee looked gassed. Giannis was also coming off a hyperextended knee and I did not know if he was fully healthy. The Suns were on a magical run and they seemed destined to win it all. Giannis even put in 40 plus in game two and that wasn't enough. The Suns pulled away late and they were in the driver's seat.

Then the series shifted to Milwaukee. The Bucks wouldn't lose another game. They won game three by 20 plus. That was the only game that wasn't relatively close. They came out and blitzed the Suns and took the game with ease. I kind of expected this. This usually happens in a finals series. The team that is down goes home and gets that game. It happens a ton.

Game four was great. The game went back and forth. Devin Booker couldn't miss. Ayton grabbed 17 rebounds. CP3 wasn’t scoring, but he was being a pest. But Milwaukee kept coming. They made a push, due to Giannis and Khris Middleton, and they ended up winning that crucial game four. The block Giannis had on Ayton was one of the most athletic things I've ever seen. He came out to overhelp on Booker, who saw Ayton wide open for an alley oop, Booker threw the pass and Giannis somehow recovered to block the shot and pretty much seal the game for the Bucks. That block is right up there with Lebron's chase down block against the Warriors in 2016.

Game five was another delight. Booker, again, was on fire. He made tough shot after tough shot. He was pestered by Jrue Holiday, more on him in a moment, and PJ Tucker all night. But he just kept making really hard shots. The only problem, the rest of his team did not show up. Ayton had the most quiet 20 point 10 rebound game I have ever seen. CP3 was silent. Jae Crowder couldn't hit the ocean. They got nothing from their bench. Mikail Bridges was the only other dude they played well. The Bucks, on the other hand, got all three of their stars involved. Khris Middleton went for 40. Jrue Holiday scored 27 points, dished out 13 assists and played some of the best defense this side of Kawhi. He was so good on defense this whole series that any bad offensive night does not matter. He was absolutely worth every single pick and player they traded before the season started. The Bucks won that trade by a mile. And Giannis went for 30 plus and double digit rebounds and a great alley oop to seal the game. That play was amazing. The Suns had it with a chance to take the lead with less than 30 seconds left. Booker found a spot in the middle of the floor, tried to spin for a shot and Holiday was right there with the help defense to rip the ball away. Then he and Giannis ran the floor and instead of pulling the ball out and running clock and shooting free throws, Holiday threw a perfect pass and Giannis dunked all over CP3's head. He would miss the free throw, but that was a wrap on game five. Giannis had two great moments in two consecutive games.

Then we got his masterpiece last night. Game six was kind of a slog in the first half. It was 47-42 Suns at halftime. Then Giannis, who had 17 points in the first half, went for 20 in the third quarter. And he did it by plowing his way to the hoop, making a few jumpers and hitting his free throws. At one point he had something like 37 of the Bucks 65 points. He was their offense. He continued this in the fourth quarter. He "only" had 13 points in the quarter, but he simply could not be stopped. He was an absolute freight train. Deandre Ayton would slide out of the way or foul him. Jae Crowder was getting beat off the dribble consistently. Mikail Bridges is too skinny. Frank Kaminsky has no business being on the same floor as Giannis. Everything the Suns threw at Giannis he swatted away and scored with ease. He would not allow the Bucks to be beat last night. At the end of the night he had 50 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. He left it all on the floor and pretty much single handedly won this game. He had 50 of their 105 points. That is so impressive. And it wasn't just his offense. He hustled all night up and down the floor, made smart passes, pulled down boards, played great defense, he was awesome. It was an absolute joy to watch him play last night. It was one of those games that I was so happy I watched in real time. He was the Finals MVP, of course, and that game last night pushed him to the top three players in the league. Giannis is amazing.

All in all this was a super fun finals, it was close, it was exceptionally played and it had a great outcome. The NBA pulled this weird season off and it ended with the proper champ. Now go enjoy this title Milwaukee. You deserve it.

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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This Year's NBA Finals is Legendary

The Bucks tied the NBA Finals at two games last night. That was the best game of the series so far. Devin Booker went off. So did Khris Middleton. Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson hit big shots, but so did Pat Connaughton and Brook Lopez. Deandre Ayton has been a rebounding beast. And Giannis has been absolutely superb. Chris Paul has had a rough past couple of games, and Jrue Holiday has not found his shot yet, but both guys are doing other things very well right now.

I know the first three games looked like blowouts with the final score, but they were a lot closer. Last night's game was how I have felt this whole series has been so far. These two teams deserve to be where they are right now. I don't want to hear about injuries or the shortened season or any of that nonsense. The Bucks and the Suns are rightfully where they belong. And now with Milwaukee tying it up, this series has the chance to be one for the ages. This looks like it is going to go the full seven.

I think the rest of the games are going to be a ton of fun. I think both teams have each other figured out as much as they can and now it is going to be pure talent that wins out. The Bucks have the best player, but the Suns have a more complete team. The Suns have home court advantage, but the Bucks beat Brooklyn when they had the same advantage. Neither team is very deep, but I trust Phoenix's bench more. Both coaches are nearing that elite level, but Mike Budenholzer has been a head coach longer, although I do adore Monty Williams. I do not see any super clear advantage going forward. I do not know how to handicap the rest of the Finals. I truly do not know who is going to win. I picked Phoenix in six, and after the first two games I said on the pod that they may sweep. Then the Bucks did what they have done all playoffs and grinded their way to two important victories. I simply have no clue what is going to happen in the next two or three games. Ayton hasn't been scoring a ton, and I expect that to change. Jrue Holiday has been way off the mark, but he is due to bounce back very soon. Booker shot his way out of his slump last night, and he is liable to go for 40 any night. Giannis has been an absolute stud the whole Finals. He "only" scored 26 last night. He had been putting up 40 with regularity. Chris Paul is not going to turn the ball over like he has the past three games. But Khris Middleton now looks like he found his scoring touch once again. There are too many things happening right now that make the rest of this series hard to pick but super fun to watch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game last night. It is so much fun not having any skin in the game and just watching for entertainment. And last night was a prime example of why I love the NBA so much. The game went back and forth all night. Big time players made big time plays. Incredibly difficult shots were going in with regularity. I fully expect the same for the final three games. And I am here for it. I cannot wait.

If I were forced to pick again, to make up my mind right at this moment, I still think I am going with the Suns. They have home court. Their bench is a bit better. CP3 will play better. Devin Booker is hitting shots again. And Deandre Ayton is going to start scoring. But Milwaukee is going to make it super duper tough. Giannis is playing on a whole other level right now. He is Shaq with a jumper. He is making free throws. He is unstoppable. Middelton is making shots. Jrue Holiday will play better on the offensive end, and has been fantastic on defense. Brook Lopez is doing all the little things asked of him. The Bucks just do not have the roster to hold up for two more wins, in my opinion. I'm rooting for Milwaukee, I want them to win, I love Giannis and I thought the Holiday trade was perfect. But Phoenix is having one of those special seasons and I think they will finish it off with a title. It will take seven, but I think they will do it.

I cannot wait to watch more of these games. They have been a blast and the rest will continue to be as much fun. At least I hope.

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 Suns Will Do It

The NBA Finals are set and they start tomorrow night. Today I have my preview and prediction for you. I feel like we got the two best teams this season in the Finals.

There were times when it looked like it may be the Lakers or Nets or 76ers or Jazz or Nuggets. But the Suns and Bucks earned their way. The Suns beat both LA teams and Denver. And before you talk to me about all the injuries, just go back to last week when I wrote about the Suns making it to the Finals. They did what they were supposed to do. The Bucks beat the presumptive favorite, the Nets, in round two and finally beat the Cinderella Hawks in the conference finals without Giannis. Middleton and Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopex really stepped up when Giannis went down. These two teams beat the teams in front of them, sometimes the better team on paper, and now they are here.

I like this matchup if Giannis is healthy. If Giannis is out, this is a sweep by the Suns, and it would not even be that close. Milwaukee will hopefully get good news this evening or tomorrow morning about Giannis' availability. I'm going to go ahead and assume that he will play.

I also like the fact that only one guy, Jae Crowder, has any experience in the Finals. He's been there the past two seasons, everyone else is a big fat zero. We finally have some new blood playing for the chip. In basketball it is usually very chalky. We know the three or four best teams. For the past decade plus it has been whatever team LeBron is on and any mixture of Golden State or San Antonio. The team that wins it this year will have their franchise's first title in my lifetime. That rules. I enjoy the fact that Giannis is there for the first time. Chris Paul, after 16 great seasons, is there for the first time. Devin Booker, who is going to be a scoring champ and MVP very soon, is there for the first time. Deandre Ayton and Mikail Bridges are getting their first taste. Brook Lopex has never been, Neither has Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton. It will be very nice to see new faces on the floor playing for their first ring. That is cool. It allows for more parity. It shows that the major markets do not need to always be in the spotlight. This is a good thing.

As for on the court, these teams match up nice. Jrue Holiday will not fall for Chris Paul's shenanigans. Mikail Bridges will make life hard on Khris Middleton. Brook Lopez will be facing a younger, bouncier athlete in Deandre Ayton. Jae Crowder will most likely get the Giannis draw, and if Giannis is healthy, watch out Jae Crowder. And Devin Booker will face a myriad of defenders, but will most likely score on them as he has scored on everyone else all season long. The benches each go about three or four guys deep, so that will be interesting to see who is on who when they play.

But this series is about the stars. This is all about Giannis and Middleton going up against Booker and CP3. I think, and again this depends on Giannis' health, this will be a 6 or 7 game series. I think no matter what though the Suns are going to win. They are having one of those magical seasons. They have beaten all the big guns on their way. They played a tougher regular and postseason schedule. They are the more tested team. This is their title. Milwaukee can make it interesting, but in the end I think the Suns are the better, and more healthy team. I also think Booker will play a better series, but Chris Paul will have a few good games and he will win Finals MVP. It is his first trip there and the powers that be want him to have that MVP. If they cannot get New York or LA in the Finals, they will make sure that CP3 gets that MVP.

Anyway, I think the Suns will win the title and it will take them six games to do it. I cannot wait to watch.

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 Talk About the Bucks Series Win Over the Nets

Today I want to give the Milwaukee Bucks their proper flowers. I know it has been a minute since they won their series over the Nets, but the East Finals do not start until tonight, so it is still pretty fresh in my mind.

I watched every second of that game on Saturday night. I was entranced by the performances of Giannis and KD. The game was ugly at times too, especially in overtime. But overall this is what I want to see when I watch game 7 in the NBA playoffs. Tons of lead changes, tons of ties, coming down to the wire, it was all perfect game 7 stuff. KD was the absolute man for the Nets too. He literally did it all, and did not have much help be it due to injuries or players not showing up when they were on the floor. Harden was a ghost in the fourth quarter. Yes he was hurt, but he also did what he does in the playoffs and just crumbled. He didn't attack or draw fouls or shoot like he did in the first three quarters. Kyrie Irving was hurt. That ankle sprain was bad and he was not even available. If he were playing I do think the Nets would have won. Blake Griffin was fine on offense, but he got abused defensively. That was a slap in Giannis' face to put Griffin on him. Bruce Brown did all the little things he does so well, but he made some mental mistakes in game 7 that really hurt. Taking Giannis down for a technical foul in that game was rough. Deandre Jordan didn't even play. Joe Harris was missing shot after shot after shot. He was a humongous minus. Nic Claxton barely saw the floor. Everyone besides KD was a minus for the Nets. But man did KD show out. It was so great to see him look like himself. He was making incredible jumpers, attacking when the defense collapsed on him outside, played solid defense and ran that offense. This looked like the KD from OKC and Golden State. He looked healthy and loose and free and was an absolute force. He almost single handedly won that series for the Nets.

Yet KD did not, and the Nets could not buy and trade their way to a title this season. I have to admit I was very happy to see Milwaukee win. My dad is a fan, I love Giannis, I like that a small market team is in the conference finals, I think this takes some pressure off Mike Budenholzer and Giannis, it is all good to me. The Bucks did miss some golden opportunities, but when they needed other guys besides Giannis to step up, they did. Jrue Holiday had an awful offensive game, until late in the fourth. When the Bucks needed him he made big shots, got stops and made free throws. Khris Middleton had a rough shooting night, but he kept at it, he kept shooting and he finally got some big shots to fall, again when the Bucks needed it most. Brook Lopez stopped shooting threes and got closer to the rim. This helped to open things up for Giannis and the rest of the Bucks offense. He also, finally, grabbed some rebounds when the Bucks needed him to. Pat Connaughton and Brynn Forbes did exactly what was asked of them. They took and made some threes and stayed out of the way. And Giannis matched KD. Giannis had a great game. He put up 40 points, had double figures in rebounds, contested and made the Nets take harder shots at the rim, and biggest of all, he made 9 of his 13 free throws. That is big time for him. He was tremendous. He looked gassed at times, but hey, he had to carry that team for almost four full quarters. But he did, and the Bucks came away with the win.

In my eyes the Bucks are the best team, on paper, left in the playoffs. I hope this propels them to the finals, but you never know with the way the Hawks are playing right now. The Bucks passed a big time test though. Now lets see if it helps them the rest of these playoffs.

Ty

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

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Best of 2020: Top Sports Moments

Today I have my top five sports moments of the year.

Again, I could have gone cliché and picked the obvious choices. I mean, in early March all of the sports shut down. It was a wrap. No March Madness, the NBA season stopped, the MLB never really got started, the NHL stopped, pro soccer was postponed, golf, hell, even NASCAR had to stop for a while. Football, both professionally and at the collegiate level, had months to be prepared, yet they did nothing. They have had multiple postponements and cancellations. It has been a mess. These are the moments I will remember most from 2020, but I like these lists to be about good things, things that made me happy or excited as a sports fan. I don't want it to be all doom and gloom. We do enough of that on the podcast. And I was successfully able to get a top five list of pretty great sports moments of 2020. I will always look back at this year with a wince when it comes to sports, but the five things I picked will help put a smile on my face.

Coming in at number five I have the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl. They have the best QB in the game right now. They made a habit of getting down big in the playoffs last year, and mounting pretty amazing comebacks, and the Super Bowl was no exception. For three plus quarters the game was pretty boring, and it looked like the 49ers were going to win an ugly game. Then Patrick Mahomes and Deangelo Williams and Andy Reid woke up and mounted yet another double digit comeback effort. It was pretty cool to see Mahomes do the things he does regularly on the biggest stage. I loved seeing the 49ers flop, I have never been a fan, and I was stoked for Andy Reid to finally get that ring. I am not a Chiefs fan, but I have a good amount of friends who are, and as always, I was happy for them. The Chiefs are going to be a force to be reckoned with for a while now too. They are a great team, and it started this year with a Super Bowl win.

At number four I have Sarah Fuller being the first woman to kick for a division 1 power five conference football team. She made her debut kicking off against Mizzou. She then kicked an extra point in the very next game. This is a humongous deal. The fact that a woman got into a legitimate D-1 football game is a humongous first step, with many more to come, towards equality in sports. Women are just as good as men, sometimes even better. The fact that Vanderbilt realized this, put her in the game and let her play was awesome. I am in awe of what Fuller was able to do. Add on the fact that it was within such a masculine sport, more props to her. This is so cool. I am all about fair play and playing the person who is the best, no matter the gender or anything else. Fuller was clearly the best person they had to kick for them, so they let her do it and she succeeded. I hope she gets to do it again next season when it will be a little more like a "regular" season. But this was cool and a great step in equality in all D-1 sports.

The top 3 moments are all NBA. Just letting you all know.

At number three I have the new format of the All Star game. Having captains of teams is cool, the "draft" is fun, although it is more for show than anything else, and letting fans vote is still super important. But the addition of making it more competitive towards the end of the game, and giving the money to charity, that is the cherry on top. When this game got down to the final quarter, when it was all ramped up, this was like watching a playoff game. It was, for all intents and purposes, the greatest pickup game of basketball anyone could ever imagine, behind only the Dream Team scrimmages. Players bought in, super stars were fighting and struggling for every point, rebound and assist. Players were locking in defensively. It was so cool to see these guys go so hard in an all star game. Most all star games are a glorified scrimmage, but this was not when they got into the fourth quarter. I loved it, I was on the edge of my seat at the end. And I don't even care that it ended on free throw shots. Hell, if anything, when AD missed the first one, I was more nervous for him. I know there is no all star game this year, for many very good reasons. But when we get back to some kind of normalcy in the sports world, I hope the NBA keeps this new format, which I am sure they will.

At number two I have the NBA bubble. This was a massive, massive success from the NBA, and all the people involved. When they had to shut down the league on March 11th, I had no idea, as with everyone else I imagine, when or if they would come back, and how they would do it. When this bubble idea came up, I was intrigued, but had many questions. The NBA answered them all. Players and staff had daily tests, they couldn't leave their resort hotels, they could only hang out with the people on their teams, when teams got beat they had to leave immediately. Everything they did worked. They had zero positive tests in the three plus months they were there. I know it was a physical and mental strain on the players there, but the NBA proved they could get the season done, and do it without anyone getting COVID. And I bought that there were fans in the stands when I heard the pumped in crowd noise while watching from my home. The ratings may not have been as great as everyone was hoping, but I watched a ton of the games and all of the playoffs and I enjoyed every single second of it. I was so impressed that they pulled it off.

But the NBA did do one thing better than the bubble, coming in as my top sports moment of 2020, was the NBA players strike. Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man, was shot by a white police officer even though he did nothing wrong at all. This happens all too often in our society, and it needs to stop. To all those "All Lives Matter" dummies out there, all lives cannot matter until Black Lives Matter. That is what we all have been saying for so long now. The Blake shooting was the straw that broke the camel's back for the NBA players, especially the players for the Bucks. Blake is from Milwaukee, and plenty of Bucks players have been very vocal about police brutality and police officers aggressiveness towards African Americans. They decided, as a team, without telling any media members, that they were going to not play in their playoff game that night. This set it off. The Magic quickly followed suit. Then the Thunder and Rockets protested their game that night. Then the entire NBA decided they were protesting. The NHL followed suit. Some NASCAR drivers did the same. MLB players and teams decided they were going to join the protests. This made the whole world stop and look, but it was the NBA, and more importantly, the Milwaukee Bucks that started this movement. We are sick and tired of all the BS and brutality and actions of people in power. It is intensified when professional athletes, especially super stars, let everyone else know this. The fact that, along with the entire Bucks team, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Jamaal Murray, Donovan Mitchell and so many, many more old and young stars stood up for what they believed in, and did this protest was truly amazing. I love the NBA. I always have, and I always will. Seeing this, seeing all these teams and players band together and fight for what they believe in, this moved me in a way that sports never has before. I was so proud to be a fan of the NBA when they protested. It made me so happy and so glad and showed me that these guys are people too, and they are sick and tired of all the nonsense. I don't know that any other sports moment will live up to this one in my lifetime. I am very happy I got to see this as it happened, and I am forever grateful to everyone who used their platform to make this protest happen. This was a truly amazing, once in a lifetime moment.

That's it for sports. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 podcasts/podcast episodes of the 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.

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Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: Can Win It All

Today is the final day of my NBA countdown. We are eight days away from the start of the regular season. I will do predictions tomorrow, but as far as my rankings, this is it. These are the best of the best. These are the teams that have the players, coaches, staff and fortitude to win it all. The only thing stopping these teams are COVID or injury. I hope neither happens to any of them.

At number 5 I have the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are loaded with great young talent, they have one of the better head coaches and they have, for such a young team, lots of playoff experience. They also got rid of an albatross contract. The only thing that worries me with this team is depth. But man is their starting five loaded. Jayson Tatum is a straight up star. He can score from anywhere, he is lethal, he has the killer mentality, he plays defense and he just gets better and better. I am a true believer that he is a future face of the league. Jaylen Brown is an elite defender, and he is hyper athletic. His jumper is improving and he is asserting himself as the firm number 2 on this team. He may waffle from time to time, but he always makes up for it. Marcus Smart is the new age Tony Allen. He is a menace on defense. He can guard pretty much all 5 positions and he can draw fouls and mess with opponents heads. He isn't great offensively, but he is good enough. When Kemba Walker is healthy he is one of the better scoring guards in the NBA. He is also a solid perimeter defender. He is a better fit on this team too. He is so much better fitting in than being the star. He is injured, and will miss a month or two, but when he is back, the Celtics have three guys in the starting five that can go for 20 every night. Robert Williams may float in and out of games, miss some meetings and over sleep. But when he is engaged, this kid is good. There is a reason he slipped to the Celtics in his draft, but there is also a reason he was considered a lottery pick. He is starting to show flashes, and if he can reach some of his potential, he will only help this team. Daniel Thies is a solid defender. He does the dirty things for this team. Jeff Teague is a fine player, and that is all he has to be here. Grant Williams got decent, important minutes in the playoffs, and that is big for him. After these guys is where it gets murky. They gave Tristan Thompson too good of a contract for him. Tacko Fall is more of a spectacle than a player. Carsen Edwards and Romeo Langford haven't done much in their two years. Semi Ojeyle seems to be getting passed over. This is the worry for me with this team. But that starting five, and first two off the bench are more than enough for me to like them as a contender out of the East.

At number 4 I have the Miami Heat. Some said it was the bubble, others said it was Jimmy Butler, but I just think the Heat are a very good team, and they deserved to be in the Finals last season. Jimmy Butler proved yet again how important and viable he is on a top team. He willed them to the Finals. He had them as prepared as one player could. Bam Adebayo just keeps ascending. He is one of my absolute favorite players to watch. He goes hard, he rebounds and plays defense and he is becoming a great low post player. Adebayo is awesome. Tyler Herro has done more at 20 than I could ever imagine. He averaged double figures in the Finals. He averaged double figures as a teenager in the early playoffs. This kid is a straight up scorer. Now he has to play defense. Duncan Robinson is one of the most lethal shooters in the game, and the kid has earned every minute he now gets. He has made a name for himself, and all he has to do is shoot. He too needs to improve defensively. Goran Dragic re-signed there, and he is a perfect sixth man on this team. He runs their second unit so well. Kendrick Nunn had some ups and downs, and didn't play as much in the Finals. But, he can heat up at any moment. Andre Iguodala and Udonis Haslem are old, and their primes are way past them, but I would love to have two guys like that on my team. They are additional coaches when on the floor. Getting Avery Bradley will help their already good defense. Meyers Leonard provides front court depth. This team is good, and a return trip to the Finals wouldn't surprise me at all. Jimmy Butler is that dude.

At number 3 I have the LA Clippers. I was so very high on this team last year, and they totally blew it. They ran out of steam, they let the bubble get to them, and they lost a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets. They led to Doc Rivers leaving, and them letting a few other players walk. But this team is still loaded, they have to have revenge on their minds and I love hiring Ty Lue to take over as the head coach. Kawhi Leonard is not going to break down like he did in the bubble again. He will be back and he will be back with a vengeance. I wouldn't be shocked to see him return to his Spurs and Raptors self. He is a robot, but a robot that will be out for revenge. Paul George just signed a max deal, he is engaged to be married and it looks like he is having fun again. I know he said some stuff about the coaches last year, but who cares. This guy is an elite scorer and an even better defender. He just needs to stay focused. They also have Patrick Beverly and Lou Williams and Reggie Jackson back. Beverly is still an upper tier defender and his shot is better, Lou Will is a great, great bench scorer and Jackson plays all out every night. He may shoot too much, but he goes hard. Marcus Morris is a good dude to have on your side, and his shot is solid. Ivica Zubac is an underrated, solid big man. I like replacing Montrezl Harrell with Serge Ibaka. He may be older, but he is taller, he is a better shooter and still a bit better around the rim on defense. Luke Kennard adds long range shooting. And Nic Batum can still do some little things. The Clippers should bounce back. I would not be surprised to see them really challenge the top of the West. Some guys will need to step up, and play better than they did in the bubble, which I think they will. The Clippers will be just fine.

At number 2 I have the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks have the two time reigning MVP. Giannis is one of the best players in the league, and listening to him in interviews only furthers my belief that he is still getting better. Once he starts to hit his outside shot a bit more consistently, he will be as unstoppable as Shaq. He is also the best defender in the league. I love the addition of Jrue Holiday. He is a major upgrade over Eric Bledsoe, and he and Giannis will be a very formidable duo. Khris Middleton is another lockdown defender, and he can really shoot the ball. He needs to play better this year, but he will have ample shot opportunities playing next to Giannis and Holiday. He just needs to knock them down. Brook Lopez adds size and shooting. Donte DiVincenzo is inconsistent, but he can light it up. I wonder if his name being in trade talks will affect his play. Same thing for DJ Wilson, except he was barely seeing the floor anyway. Giannis brother Thanasis is there, and while it is cool that they are on the same team, I don't know how much he will truly see the floor. Bobby Portis is okay, but he shoots a bit too much, and people still only really know him from punching out another teammate in Chicago. And adding DJ Augustin adds a nice veteran, but also age. This team will be all about Giannis and Jrue Holiday. If they coalesce as I expect them to, they will be on top of the East.

The final team, the best team going into the season is the defending champs, the LA Lakers. They are here, they deserve it and they are, at least on paper, a much better team than the one that just won the title. They have LeBron back, and that is humongous no matter what. He was amazing in the bubble, and especially in the Finals. I still like Jordan as the GOAT, but LeBron is definitely the second greatest player ever. And no disrespect to Dywane Wade and Chris Bosh and Kyrie Irving, but he will be playing with his best teammate ever again this year, Anthony Davis. The two of them were a devastating pair. And Davis actually played a little better without LeBron on the floor. Davis is one of the best defenders in the league, he is probably the best big on offense and he showed some strength and ability to not get injured last season. He is also just now entering his prime. If they just had these two guys, and three of my friends I hoop with starting, they'd be a playoff team. Lucky for them though they have real NBA players, and they are solid. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope took a major step last year, and I fully buy him as a solid third or fourth option. He was awesome in the Finals. They replaced guys they let go of, Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, with Marc Gasol, Montezl Harrell and Dennis Schroeder. Gasol is a better defender and passer than both McGee and Howard. Harrell is a bull dog and a force on offense. Schroeder is a younger, and better offensive scoring version of Rondo. They upgraded all three of those positions. Alex Caruso is a solid player. I don't like the hype surrounding him, but that isn't him, that's the ESPN's of the world. He works well with LeBron's game. Talen Horton Tucker looks like a steal in the preseason. And Kyle Kuzma and Wes Matthews will be solid bench guys, if they keep them both. The Lakers only got better, and they should be the hands down favorites heading into this season.

There you have it, my teams ranked from 30-1. This feels right. I will be back tomorrow to wrap up my preseason NBA preview with predictions and award winners. Also, I want to wish my wife a very happy birthday. She is cooler than any other wife out there. That is just facts. Happy birthday, I love you.

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. 

Ty's NBA 2019 - 2020 NBA Preview: Jazz, Nuggets, Rockets, Bucks

Moving on to day 7 of my NBA countdown, we are getting to the cream of the crop. I like all these teams, and they all have certain qualities that put them this high on the list.

At number 6 I have the Utah Jazz. I have stated how gross their fans are, but their roster is good enough to push this team to the West, and dare I say, NBA finals. Donovan Mitchell is a star. He is an electric scorer, plays hard and is getting better on defense. He continues to work on his game every year, and that will only benefit him. I love watching Mitchell play basketball. Rudy Gobert is the best big man defender in the league. He is the epitome of a rim protector, and he is a great rebounder. His game has also rounded out on the low post, and he dominated the US in FIBA this summer. Joe Ingles is one of those guys you hate to play, but love when he is on your team, and he can shoot the ball. Getting Mike Conley was a humongous upgrade over Ricky Rubio. Conley has proven himself one hell of a team leader, can create his own shot, finds the open guy and is awesome on defense. He is also at the stage in his career where he just wants to win. Bojan Bogdanovic is the quintessential scorching shooter off the bench. He is the type of player that could score 18 points in 10 minutes. Tony Bradley is a great defender. Ed Davis was a solid pickup. When healthy, Dante Exum is an excellent backup point guard. And Emmanuel Mudiay, while not the player I thought he could be, should fit in nice here. Utah has always played great defense, but now, they have a true point guard, and they have shooters. The Jazz, with this roster construct, should be good for awhile. They are true Western Conference threats.

At number 5 I have the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic is a true MVP candidate. He is also an anomaly. He looks out of shape, can barely jump and eats awfully, but the dude is amazing with a basketball in his hands. He is the best passing big, and one of the best overall passers in the NBA. He also has those old man moves under the basket, and he makes them work better than anyone else. The dude is legit. Jamal Murray got his big time extension this offseason, and if he can become a consistent scorer, he will be one of the better offensive players in the league. He is hot and cold, but hot more often. Paul Milsap is the perfect veteran for this squad. His play has slightly declined, but his leadership is crucial. Malik Beasley has proven that he deserves good bench minutes because of his scoring ability. Garry Harris is a solid creator and passer and a good defender. Will Barton and Monte Morris can provide instant offense. Hopefully we will finally get to see Michael Porter Jr play, because if he is half as good as advertised, he could play a huge part on this already good team. I also love that they took Bol Bol when he fell to them in the second round. If he hits, that would be a cherry on top for this team. The Nuggets are not a fluke, and Jokic is the real deal. I like this team a lot.

At number 4 I have the Houston Rockets. Boy oh boy did their GM make a mistake. But, looking at this team from strictly a roster construct standpoint, they could be very, very prolific offensively. James Harden, as boring and frustrating as he is to watch play, is a great, great scorer. He has crazy moves that no one can guard, he shoots a million free throws and, when he passes, he is always on the mark. They traded Chris Paul for a younger, more athletic and harder playing version in Russell Westbrook. I do not know how this will work, a Harden and Westbrook backcourt, but if it hits, it will be deadly. Those 2 were awesome in OKC, and now they are older and have each won a MVP. Clint Capela took a slight step back, but he is the best pick and roll center in the NBA. The way he moves to the rim, it is beautiful. He is also a good defender. PJ Tucker brings the toughness this team craves, and the defense. It also helps that he is a great corner three shooter. Tucker is underrated. Eric Gordon is as well. He finally got paid, and without him last year, they would have lost much earlier in the playoffs. Nene and Tyson Chandler are both pretty old, but they know how to play, they play hard and know how to win. Austin Rivers, much to my surprise, hasn't been a total disaster since he signed with the Rockets. He actually plays good D, and with guys like Harden getting him open looks, he can knock down the three. Danuel House is a G League legend, and in limited minutes last year, he was the perfect Rocket. Only efficient shots and threes. The Rockets, if Westbrook lets Harden run the team, can score 120 to 125 points a game. No bullshit. They won't be as good defensively, but they will outscore a ton of teams. They just better hope that the new backcourt meshes.

My final team for the day, at number 3, I have the Milwaukee Bucks. With KD out and LeBron being older and Anthony Davis getting hurt all the time, Giannis Antentokoumpo is the best player in the NBA, even better than Kawhi Leonard. Giannis is unstoppable on offense. He is like a nimble Shaq. And the fact that he is working on a three point shot, that should scare the rest of the NBA. He is also so long, that alone makes him a good rebounder and defender. Khris Middleton had a real solid year, and earned his new contract. He is a great sidekick next to Giannis. He is also a really solid defender. Eric Bledsoe kind of lost it in the playoffs last year, but I still think he is a good point guard for this team. He also just so happens to be one of the best defensive point guards in the NBA. Brook Lopez totally morphed his game, and is now a lethal three point shooter. He really stretches a defense. And they now have his brother Robin on the team, and he will bring toughness and an inside presence that this team can use. Kyle Korver is still around, and he can still shoot the three. He will find lots of open looks playing with Giannis. Wes Matthews has never been the same since his ACL injury, but he cans till provide solid spot minutes here and there. DJ Wilson, in a very limited role, showed he can shoot and play a little D. He was also a clutch rebounder. The Bucks are a very good team that fell a bit short last year. That only made Giannis hungrier, and that could push the Bucks to the Finals. I know they lost Malcolm Brogdon, and that is a bummer, but this team has the goods, and Giannis, to still be one of the top teams, by a wide margin, in the East.

That does it for today. Come back tomorrow for my top 2 teams. We are nearing the end of the countdown.

Ty

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

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Ty's NBA Conference Finals Preview

Tonight is the start of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals in the NBA. I was going to talk about the Lakers, but that can wait until tomorrow. I want to touch on each final, give my prediction, and give you a few things that could happen that may shock some people.

I want to start with the East first. Milwaukee coasted to the East Finals. They ran rough shed over the Pistons, who just laid out and let the Bucks walk all over them. They then had a bad start to the next round, losing game one by double figures to the Celtics. A bunch of people said that the "Celtics were coming together", and "they figured it out", and "Kyrie was finally playing team ball". Well, the Bucks then proceeded to absolutely dismantle the Celtics. They destroyed the Celtics in the next four games. Giannis shed whatever "rust" he may have had and looked like the MVP in those four straight wins. He was unstoppable, and the Celtics looked terrible on and off the court.

The Raptors had a much tougher road to the East Finals. They lost game one to the Magic in round one, but coasted from there. Where it became rough was against Philadelphia. That series was hard fought, a slug fest, a rock fight, whatever cliché you want to say about a physical series. Each team took, and gave, tons of punches. Game 7 was epic too. It was back and forth, at one point Toronto looked in control, but then Philadelphia would make a run. Then we had that Kawhi shot. That was one of the most incredible, and lucky shots I have ever seen. It hit every inch of that rim, and somehow went in. That is a heartbreaking way for the 76ers to go out. But, Kawhi did exactly what the Raptors hoped he would do when they traded for him.

So we now have Milwaukee-Toronto. I think Milwaukee may come out flat in game one, the whole rust over rest theory, but I feel like they will coast from there. Milwaukee is deeper, they have the best player in the series, and they have home court advantage. I think Toronto will win 2 games, but I think Milwaukee wins in 6. I also think Giannis will further his case for MVP, and top three player in the NBA.

In the West we have Golden State-Portland. I love this matchup. Golden State was the presumed team from the start of the season. They have it all. They have one of the best starting fives I've ever seen, and they are the 2 time defending champs. They let the Clippers get 2 games from them, but easily won from there. Then we had the big showdown with Houston. After taking the first 2 games, Houston rallied back for 2 very impressive wins to tie the series. In game 5 it looked like the Warriors were going to run away, but Houston came all the way back to take the lead. Then KD hit a shot to go ahead, and his non contact injury that I touched on happened. I, much like almost everyone else, assumed that the Rockets would take advantage of this. They did not. They choked it away like they always do. They couldn't get a lead in the first half of game 5, even with no KD and Steph scoring zero points and picking up three fouls. Then Steph got hot, Klay started playing incredible defense, Draymond ran the offense exquisitely, and the Warriors bench got a chance to shine. And, the Rockets blew it. I will say, Harden did his part scoring 12 in the quarter. But, he also had 4 turnovers. Also, Chris Paul was a ghost, PJ Tucker got no looks, Gerald Green play an inexplicable amount of minutes in the game, Austin Rivers was awful and Clint Capela was neutralized. This is what the Rockets do, and I don't know why I thought this year was different. Golden State pulled away late and closed the series out in 6 games.

Portland took a much more dramatic path to the West Finals. Yes, they beat OKC in 5, but those games were all close. If not for Lillard going supernova, and hitting shots from the logo, I think that series might have went 7. But, it didn't. Portland closed it out. They then had to deal with Denver. Both teams traded blows. Both teams took a game from each at their home court. And it looked like Denver was going to close it out early in game 7, building a 17 point lead. But, with Lillard looking exhausted, CJ McCollum absolutely took over. He was amazing, and it made me rethink trading him this offseason. He was awesome. He hit all the big shots. He was the man that lead the full comeback to get Portland back to the West Finals for the first time since 2000.

All that is gravy for Portland. Unfortunately for them, as soon as KD gets back, I think the games will be fun, but the Warriors will end up winning the series, most likely in 5 games. I think the series will be a delight for lovers of offense, and the scores will be high, but the Warriors are a better team. They have so much more talent. They also have multiple guys that they can throw at CJ and Dame. If they thought Denver was tough, just wait for what the Warriors will bring at them. Game one is going to show me how prepared and ready Portland is, but I think the Warriors are too good. They might not have KD for the first 2 games, but I don't think it matters. Portland will get one at home, but that is it. The Warriors are just too good.

I'm very excited for the games to start tonight. These are the 4 most deserving teams left. I'm glad it worked out this way. Lets get to it.

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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Mike Budenholzer is the Perfect Coach for the Milwaukee Bucks

Another day, another basketball story.

It was reported yesterday that Mike Budenholzer is about to become the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. I think this is going to a great fit. The Bucks now have a coach that is really good at the X's and O's, can draw up solid offensive plays and will get them to play better defense than they already do. Budenholzer comes from the Spurs/Poppovich coaching tree. Those guys seem to do pretty well in the NBA when they become head coaches.

Budenholzer was also very successful in Atlanta until they decided that they needed to blow it up because they couldn't beat any team that LeBron James was on in the East. He had great success with guys like Kyle Korver, Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Paul Milsap and some also rans that are still in the league. Hell, he won 60 games and had 4 All Stars and was the one seed in the East one of his seasons. But, they ended up running into the LeBron buzz saw, and we all saw it coming. All those guys are gone, and so is the majority of the players he cultivated and won with. As I stated, the Hawks went into full tank mode this year. A season ago, it started, especially when they let Al Horford go to Boston. But, they still had Milsap and some other dudes, and they still made the playoffs. Then, this past offseason, they let Teague walk to Minnesota, Milsap was traded to Denver, Korver got traded midseason last year to the Cavs and they let all their youth play. That wasn't good for Budenholzer, and it showed in the play and record. The Hawks were awful this past season. They weren't as bad as Dallas or Phoenix, but they were bad. And now, they are trying to offload even more players and go full youth movement. That clearly didn't sit well with Budenholzer, and the front office mercifully let him go.

Now that Budenholzer is in Milwaukee, I think he is going to be happier, and that the Bucks are going to be very, very happy with his coaching. The one thing people keep pointing out about Milwaukee's past coaches is that they don't know how to best utilize Giannis. Well, Budenholzer will have no problem with that. As I mentioned before, he made guys like Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague All Stars. That is one hell of an accomplishment. Sure, Paul Milsap and Al Horford are very good NBA players, but they are not as good, or as young, as Giannis. Giannis is going to greatly benefit from Budenholzer's coaching. He is going to find so many ways to utilize all of his wonderful athletic tools. Giannis is on his way to being a consistent All Star and always in the MVP talk, and Budenholzer is only going to make his growth that much faster and better.

You look at the rest of the roster, and this team should thrive under his tutelage. Eric Bledsoe is a much better version of Jeff Teague. He is a better defender and just as good a point guard. I think he will finally be happy with his place in the NBA now. Thon Maker will finally be used properly, and he is going to shine. Giannis and Maker is a better duo than Horford and Milsap. Come at me. If he stays, Jabari Parker can be a much, much better version of Kyle Korver. He is not the three point shooter that Korver is, but he is a better driver and a more athletic scorer. And I have to say it again, Budenholzer turned Korver into an All Star. Think of what he will do with a player like Parker. The rest of the guys on the Bucks reads like the older Hawks roster, but the players are younger and hungrier.

Mike Budenholzer is probably the best choice that the Bucks front office could have done when hiring a new coach. He is perfect for the NBA, he knows the terrain and he has had a very good amount of success. If I were Giannis I would be thrilled. I know they met the other day to have a talk and it must have went well because Budenholzer is about to be named their next head coach. This is a big time get, and the Bucks seem like they are trying to do everything they can to keep Giannis around for a long, long time.

Great hire Milwaukee.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The SeedSing 2018 NBA Playoff Preview

The NBA playoffs are set, and the games kick off on Saturday. I'm am here today for my annual playoff preview. I'll go through the East and the West, pick a winner for each series all the way down to the finals. I will give my finals matchup, the winner and the MVP of the series. Tomorrow I will do all my awards, but today is strictly for just the playoffs. Alright, here we go.

In the East the seeding is as follows, Toronto is 1, Celtics 2, 76ers 3, Cavs 4, Pacers 5, Heat 6, Bucks 7 and Wizards 8. So, that gives us first round series of Toronto-Washington, Boston-Milwaukee, Philadelphia-Miami and Cleveland-Indiana. Truth be told, these are some good series. In the Toronto-Washington matchup, I am going with Toronto, but it will be tough. I know Washington is dysfunctional, everyone on that team seems to dislike John Wall, they have limped to the playoffs, they don't play great defense, but they will make it tough on Toronto. They have always struggled with this team because Wall and Beal give Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan all they can handle on both ends. But, I think the mixture of Toronto's bench and the mess that is the Wizards right now will give the Raptors the series in 6 games. They will be 6 tough games though.

In the Boston-Milwaukee series, it would be so much easier to pick if Kyrie Irving was still healthy. I'm still going with Boston, but Milwaukee, mostly Giannis Antentekoumpo, will make it hard. Giannis is a beast. He is an upper echelon star now. And, with Irving out, he is, far and away, the best player in this series. He can single handily win 3 games. The fourth one will be the problem. Also, Boston has Brad Stevens as head coach, Al Horford is still out there, Jaylen Brown is playing good basketball and Jayson Tatum seems to have gotten past the rookie wall. Boston will win, but it will take 7 games.

I love the 3-6 matchup of Philly and Miami. Miami can matchup with Philadelphia everywhere. Miami can play any style of basketball needed to win. Miami has more playoff experience. Miami has the much, much better coach. And, Joel Embiid may not play in the first round. But, Ben Simmons is on a whole other level right now. He doesn't seem like he is going to be taken down by the moment. He might be forced to shoot jumpers, but the dude can get out of that by driving and kicking. And, the shooters around him are hitting shots at the right time. Again, this will be a long, hard fought series, but I have fully bought into the 76ers hype, and I have them in 7 games, 6 if Embiid plays at all in the series.

Finally in the East's first round we have Cleveland-Indiana. This series could go a number of different ways. Cleveland can steam roll them. Indiana can muddy it up and make it a slog. Cleveland could decide to not play defense. Cleveland is almost as dysfunctional as Washington. Indiana was not even supposed to be here. They are young. They have surprised everyone this year. Now, I like the Cavs simply because of playoff LeBron. He will not allow his team to lose in the first round. If they do, he is gone. But, he will not let that happen, and I have the Cavs in 5. LeBron is just too good and he is great in the playoffs.

The second round will pit Toronto against Cleveland and Boston against Philly. Toronto is stuck with another team that they struggle with. Cleveland owns Toronto, and I don't see that changing now. Again, LeBron will impose his will, and the Cavs will outscore Toronto on their way to a fourth straight Eastern Conference finals appearance.

In Philly-Boston, I have to say, I love the 76ers. Irving is out, as previously mentioned. Embiid will be back 100 percent. No one on Boston can guard Ben Simmons. Philadelphia's shooters will be open. The Celtics just don't have the guys to compete this year. I have Philly in 6 in this series.

So that would pit the 76ers against the Cavs in the East Finals. The 76ers are way ahead of schedule, but this is where all the hype ends. Cleveland has LeBron, and LeBron will not allow his team to get beat by such a young team. These 2 teams played a great regular season game a couple weeks ago, but it was regular season. The game didn't really matter. LeBron will once again be in the Finals. That would make it 8 straight.

Now, the West. The seeding in the West is as follows, Houston 1, Golden State 2, Portland 3, OKC 4, Utah 5, New Orleans 6, San Antonio 7 and Minnesota 8. The matchups are Houston-Minnesota, Golden State-San Antonio, Portland-New Orleans and OKC-Utah. Houston will beat Minnesota, but it will be tougher than expected. I guarantee they wanted Denver because of their lack of defense. While Minnesota isn't much better, they do at least try on that end. Also, Towns is much better than Clint Capela. Jimmy Butler can give James Harden fits. But, Chris Paul will be there to help out Harden, Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza will hit threes and the discrepancy in talent on the rosters is widely in Houston's favor. They are also having a "magical" year. The Rockets will win in 6 games, but it will be a bloodbath.

Golden State is going to blow the doors off the Spurs, and I love the Spurs. But, no Kawhi is going to kill them against he Warriors. And I know that Steph isn't playing in the first round, but KD, Klay and Draymond are all there. I also think the Warriors are playing possum right now, and I think they are going to come into the playoffs with their heads on fire. I have the Warriors in a sweep.

Portland-New Orleans is going to be a good series, with very high scoring games. The Pelicans have no one that can stop Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, but who do the Trailblazers have that can stop Anthony Davis? No one. He is going to EXPLODE in the playoffs. I'm so excited to watch him play. I'm excited to see Lillard and McCollum too. This is going to be the best first round series in my opinion, and I think the Pelicans will win in 7 simply because Anthony Davis is playing on a whole other level right now.

OKC-Utah is the second best series. These 2 teams couldn't be more different, and it will make for a fun matchup. Russell Westbrook is playing pretty great right now. But, he will find it hard to get open looks at the rim with Rudy Gobert down low. Donovan Mitchell has had an amazing season, but he will have to beat Paul George on defense. Steven Adams can stop Gobert down low, but Gobert can do the same to him. Carmelo has been dreadful this year, but maybe he turns it on for the playoffs. He hasn't been in awhile too. This is going to be a fun series, and I have OKC grinding out a 7 game series victory. Westbrook is too good, and Paul George is one of the better defenders in the league. I love Mitchell and Gobert, but they aren't ready just yet.

That gives us a second round of Houston-OKC and Golden State-New Orleans. Houston-OKC will be fun. OKC gets up for the better teams in the league, and they just beat Houston in a game, but Houston trounced them in the playoffs last year, and the Rockets didn't have Chris Paul last year. Also, Adams is way too slow to keep up with Capela, and Carmelo will be torched on defense. Chris Paul will finally make his first trip to a conference final in his career, as the Rockets will win in 6.

Golden State is again, much like their first round matchup, going to squash the Pelicans. Sure, AD will go off, but who is going to stop KD, Klay and Steph, who will be back? Oh, and Draymond too. This series will be a wash. Golden State in a sweep once again.

These outcomes will give us the much anticipated Houston-Golden State West Finals. And we all know how poorly Harden, Paul and Mike D'Antoni play and coach in the most important series. The Rockets will choke. Everyone wants to pick them. Everyone says they are finally ready to take the throne from the Warriors. Everyone seems to think that D'Antoni is doing a better job than Kerr. Well, D'Antoni's recent remarks, the whole "winning a title does not define how good this season was" said all I needed to hear. He is already bracing himself for when his team gets beat. Golden State will take their first 2 playoff losses, but I have them winning the series in 6.

This gives us a fourth straight Cleveland-Golden State finals. And, much like last year, Golden State is going to smoke them. I think they will sweep them out this year, and it won't even be that close. Golden State is so much better, they play defense, they will care and they will crush the Cavs to win their third title in 4 years. As far as the Finals MVP, I will go with Steph. It is his turn.

There you have it, my 2018 NBA playoff preview. I love this time of year.

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.

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There is Some Good, and Some Bad, in the Eric Bledsoe Trade

Eric Bledsoe seems to be getting his wish. It was reported earlier today that a trade was being finalized that would send him to the Bucks for Greg Monroe and a first round pick. This trade is both good and bad in my opinion.

Let’s go with the good first. The Bucks are floundering a bit now. It’s only 8 or 9 games, but they are currently below .500. I’m sure they’ll put it all together, I mean, they have Giannis, and he is amazing. What they are lacking though is a true point guard. That is Eric Bledsoe. This dude gets after it when he has something to play for. He is a bull dog on defense. He’s great at setting teammates up, and if you need him to score, he’ll go out and get you 20. He is easily the best point guard they have now. They’ve tried Matthew Dellavedova. He stinks. I’ve never been a fan of his, and since leaving Cleveland, he’s done nothing. They tried Michael Carter Williams, and he’s not even on the team anymore. They’ve tried Malcolm Brogdon, and he is so much better at the 2. Hell, they’ve even put Giannis at point guard, but that led to overuse. Bledsoe comes in and there is no question as to who the point is now. I also think he stabilizes this team. Giannis won’t have to do so much. He’ll be able to get to his spots now, and Bledsoe can set him up. This also opens things up for Brogdon. He can be the true spot up shooter and ball hawk defender. When Jabari Parker gets back from injury, he will be able to get multiple open looks. I can see Thon Maker being a great pick and roll guy with Bledsoe. Overall, this really helps out a Bucks team that needs it. Bledsoe will come in determined to prove Phoenix wrong, and that could help the Bucks push to a 4, possibly even 3, seed in the East. I think this trade puts the Bucks up there with the Wizards and Raptors in the East.

Now, the bad. I do think Bledsoe will be motivated, but what if the Bucks swoon continues? Will he want out, just like he did in Phoenix? Will he tweet, “I don’t want to be here anymore”, and claim it’s from a salon in Milwaukee? He’s done this before on a bad team. Who’s to say he won’t do it again. Bledsoe also needs to know going in that this is Giannis’ team. Guys like Brogdon, Maker and Parker have bought in. Bledsoe was “the guy” in Phoenix until all the complaining. Will he accept his second banana role? Time will tell. I think he will though. He also needs to learn the plays. This is an easy thing to do, but it takes time. The Bucks might not start winning right away, but eventually, they should right the ship. While the East isn’t filled with great teams, there are some great point guards that Bledsoe will have to face. He’ll match up with Kyrie, John Wall, Kyle Lowry and even guys like Ben Simmons, who looks incredible right now. That’s a tall order.

But my final “bad” news thing, I wish he had gone to the Nuggets. I love what the Nuggets are doing, but they need a true point guard to be any kind of threat. I would have loved to see him paired up with Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic, Paul Milsap and Jamal Murray. That would’ve been a hyper athletic, smooth passing and well run machine of an offense. He would have fit in so perfectly in Denver. I suppose the Bucks offer was better, but man it would have been fun to see him in a Nuggets uniform.

All in all though, this was a good trade. The Suns dumped an extremely unhappy guy to a playoff ready team with the best young player in the league. And they got a decent big, Greg Monroe, to group with their young talent, and a first round pick. The Bucks got a true point guard that can defend, and is out to prove another organization wrong. I’m excited to see him play his first game with the Bucks. I’ve always been a fan of a fully engaged Eric Bledsoe.

Ty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2017-2018 NBA Preview: Wizards, Bucks, Rockets, Thunder

On to day 8 of my NBA countdown.

Coming in at number 8 I have the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are a lot like the Raptors,  I like the Wizards back court way more. John Wall is one of the best point guards in the league. The dude can flat out fly. He is so quick with the ball in the open floor. He is an explosive dunker. He has kind of gotten himself a jump shot. He is a very good defender. I love everything about John Wall's game. I also love that the Wizards front office finally realized how great he is and gave him that enormous contract. Bradley Beal, when healthy, is a great scorer. He finally played, for him, a full regular season, and he was great in the playoffs. He is the perfect compliment to a player like John Wall. He doesn't need the ball all the time, and he can hit some open shots. He got so much better last season. His health is the biggest factor when determining how he will look, but if he can play as many games this year as he did last year, he is going to be an All Star. I'm a fan of Otto Porter Jr. He was looking like he was going to be a bust, but he turned all that around last year. He really showed he was worth the third pick when they took him, and his game got so much better. He is a very good open shooter and an okay enough defender. Marcin Gortat is there for the toughness he brings. He isn't a scorer, but he can rebound, play defense and he will put fear into opponents with some hard fouls. Kelly Oubre is turning out to be an okay player. He is kind of figuring it out, and he is the best bench player the Wizards have. Markieff Morris, just like his brother Marcus, is a pretty decent NBA player. Markieff can hit open shots, he plays defense and he brings it every night. What the Wizards lack, and what will be their downfall in the playoffs, they have no real depth behind Oubre. Ian Mahinmi is a waste of a contract. He was horrendous last year, hurt all the time and in the preseason, just look at how he got dunked on the other night. Tim Frazier was their "big" free agent, but he hasn't really done anything in the pros yet. Jodie Meeks is there, but his best days are way behind him. Mike Scott came over as a free agent too, but so what. The Wizards rely solely on their starting 5. Now, I love their starting 5, but they need some help on the bench, especially come playoff time. If they can get some real bench players, they could make some noise in the East. But, as I see them now, they are a 50 win regular season team and a first or second round out in the playoffs.

At number 7, and I am going way, way out on a limb for this team, I have the Milwaukee Bucks. First off, they have Giannis Antentekoumpo. He is amazing. He is freakishly athletic. He is so long. He has bulked up. He is a highlight reel every night. Once this kid gets a jumper, and he will, there will be no stopping him. He is next. He will be a perennial all star and always in the MVP conversation. Antentekoumpo is amazing. After Antentekoumpo, it gets kind of murky, but it is also filled with players that play within their limitations. Jabari Parker looked great last year until he got hurt, again. If he can stay healthy for 60 games or so, he and Giannis make up for a great tandem of forwards. Parker is an excellent scorer and a great floor runner. Malcolm Brogdon was a great surprise. Now, we get to see if last year was for real or a fluke. I like to think he is going to be a decent NBA player, so lets hope he continues to get better. Thon Maker showed some flashes last year, and he should frighten opponents if/when he starts to figure it all out. He is built like Giannis, only a bit thinner and not as polished yet. Khris Middleton is an underrated scorer. He, mush like Parker, gets hurt too often, but when he is in there, he gets buckets. He is good for anywhere between 18-22 points a night. Matthew Dellavedova stinks. Luckily for the Bucks, they can now rely on Brogdon and Middleton. If all Greg Monroe did was rebound and play defense, he'd be one of my favorite players. But sometimes he tries to do too much offensively. He is such a good rebounder and a good enough defender, that is all he should do. John Henson is a pretty decent vet. He is tall, can shoot and plays a little defense here and there. Tony Snell has gotten so much better since he was traded to the Bucks from Chicago. He is doing all the little things that help playoff teams continue to stay in the playoffs. I think DJ Wilson is a great fit with this team. He won't be asked to do too much, and he can team up with a guy like Maker on the second team and they can use their length and ability to stretch the floor to scorch other second units. The Bucks have one super star and a bunch of role players. In the East that is more than enough to challenge for a top 4 seed. This team will go as Giannis goes, and by all indications, that is up.

At number 6 I have the Houston Rockets. The Rockets got better this offseason. I'm still not too sure of how Chris Paul and James Harden will coexist happily, but they got better. Paul is one of the best point guards ever. He is so good at running an offense, and I think he will be fine in Houston. James Harden was a revelation last year. He looked so good. Hopefully that is the guy the Rockets get this year, and not the guy from 2 seasons ago. I am a big Clint Capela fan. He is an excellent rim runner and I love his tenacity on defense, which this team needs since they are not that good on that end. Eric Gordon was healthy all last year and he won Sixth Man of the Year. He was a great bench scorer and a knock down three point shooter. If he stays healthy, expect more of that this year. Same with Ryan Anderson, except he isn't as good as Gordon, and the Rockets want to trade him. Nene is still a good NBA player. When he went down in the playoffs last year, the Rockets missed his toughness and inside presence. He needs to be in this lineup for this team to succeed. The other guy the Rockets got this offseason, PJ Tucker, will bring some added toughness along with Nene. I still am not too sure how he fits, but he is a consummate pro, and the guy will do the dirty work with a smile. Every contender needs a player like that. Trevor Ariza is still there and he is still another three point threat. His defense has tailed off, but the dude can still shoot. I like Tairk Black on this team. This was another move to make this team tougher. They got pushed around a bit last year, but with Black, Tucker and Nene, that won't happen as much. Luc M'Bah A Moute is gone from the Clippers, and I think he will have much more fun playing with this group of guys. The Rockets are going to be a good to great regular season team. You don't add Chris Paul and get worse. But, both Paul and Harden have been the ultimate playoff chokers. Will that change this year? In the hyper competitive West? We will have to wait and see.

My final team for today, coming in at number 5, is the OKC Thunder. Tell me another team that had a better offseason? I'll wait. Cant think of one? That's because the Thunder got Paul George and Carmelo Anthony and offloaded Victor Oladipo's contract and traded away three players that they couldn't play in the playoffs last year. Oh yeah, Russell Westbrook is still there too. I mean, Westbrook, George and Carmelo, that is one hell of a big three. Paul George, while not KD, is a perfect fit next to Russ. He doesn't always need the ball, can score when open and attack the rim, is one of the best defenders in the league, and he is in a contract year. He is going to be awesome this year. Carmelo, if he plays like Olympic Carmelo, will get so many open looks he won't know what to do with himself. This is one of the best places he could have been traded to. Russ will have to taper down his work load, something I think he will be fine with, but don't expect him to not go 100 percent every night. He will continue to play his ass off and the Thunder will benefit from that. Now, it will take a little bit of time for these three to figure it all out, but when they do, watch out. The Thunder also have Andre Roberson. Yes he is a horrendous shooter, but give all of his shots to Anthony or George, and let him focus on what he does best, play defense. He and George will be able to lockdown legit back courts by themselves this season. I love this pairing. Steven Adams is going to be able to rebound and kick all year long. He is a guy that doesn't care about stats, and on this team, that is perfect. The thing that should worry Thunder fans, they do not have a great bench. It is okay, but not great. Alex Abrines is a fine player, but he still needs time to develop. Their draft pick, Terrance Ferguson, who knows. In his tapes he looked great, but when you talk to some people that scouted him, they say he comes and goes sometimes. I do love the idea of Patrick Paterson as their sixth man. He is a real good all around player and they got him on a great contract. He is their best bench player. Jerami Grant, while hyper athletic, I just don't see him as a great talent. Raymond Felton, he is too old and only getting slower. Semaji Christon and Josh Huestis are more likely to be in the G League when the season starts. Same with Dakari Johnson. There is no denying how much better and how surprising the Thunder got this offseason. You don't add two great players and not expect to get better. As I have said, it may take 15-20 games, but when the Thunder's new big three figure it out, they are going to be awesome. I could honestly see them push for the 2 seed in the West.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow when I am back to just three teams.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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