Ty's 2024-2025 NBA Preview: A Few Pieces Shy of Being a Champion Division

Welcome to day four of my 24-25 NBA countdown.

At number 15 I have the New Orleans Pelicans. I do this every year and it bites me in the butt every year. But, this team looks really good coming into this season. They seem to have everything you could want from a possible contender. It all depends on health, which is always an issue, but on paper this team is legit. Zion Williamson, when he plays, is unstoppable on offense. He can get to the rim anytime he pleases. He gets position and he just goes. He needs a better shot, and to turn it up on defense. But, when he is on the court he is a joy to watch. CJ McCollum has been the steady veteran this team hoped he would be when they traded for him. It's nice that he can come off the bench and be a reliable scorer too. I love the Dejounte Murray trade for them. The Pelicans haven't had a true point guard for years now, and now they do. Murray should fit in nicely and if he can return to his defensive days while in San Antonio, this trade will be a real win. Herb Jones and Trey Murphy are excellent defenders and solid three point shooters. Jose Alvarado may be the best pest in the NBA. The steals he gets are wild. Brandon Ingram's situation is odd here. He may be traded, he has complained about his role and no one offered him a big contract this offseason. But, he can come play this season with the Pelicans and possibly make some money back off a good season. Jordan Hawkins could be a good bench scorer for this team. And Antonio Reeves was a decent draft pick in my opinion. I'm all in on the Pelicans depending on health, and that is always the issue.

At 14 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are in a bit of a limbo, but being a perennial play-in/playoff threat has to feel way better than what they had for over a decade before. De'Aaron Fox is legit. He is so fast, so smart and so malleable on offense. I also respect him turning down money to come out and try and get an even bigger payday. Domantas Sabonis is a very good offensive big man. He is also a solid rebounder. Getting DeMar DeRozan is a nice addition. DeRozan is going to be loved so much more after he retires. But, for right now he adds a steady 15-18 points per game for this squad. Kevin Huerter had a moment, but that seems to have passed. He needs a good season. Alex Len is a fine backup center. Trey Lyles is a solid role player. Keegan Murray needs to be a full time starter. And Malik Monk is such a good sixth man. The Kings issue is defense. They are not very good on that end and that is what's holding them back. But, they should be much improved from last season.

At 13 I have the Miami Heat. I mean, at some point the Heat "magic" is going to wear off. It seemed like it was happening last season, and they didn't do much to improve their roster. That being said, they have a pretty good roster. Jimmy Butler is one of my favorite players. He is the gritty, tough superstar. He would fit into any generation. Jimmy Butler is legit. Bam Adebayo is one of the better centers in the NBA. He is tough to move, can score around the paint and is one of the best defenders in the league. After these two, this roster is okay, but old too. Terry Rozier is a good offensive player, but he is coming off injury and his best days may be behind him. Kevin Love is ancient and his best days are for sure behind him. Tyler Herro is overrated. Duncan Robinson is a good shooter, but he is a defensive liability. Josh Christopher and Haywood Highsmith intrigue me for some reason. And Nikol Jovic and Jaime Jacquez Jr are solid young guys. Erik Spoelstra is also one of the best coaches in the NBA. The Heat are annoyingly solid. But, if they hit an injury bug or Jimmy Butler gets frustrated, things could go sideways.

At 12 I have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are coming off a run to the East Finals and everyone is back and one year better. Tyrese Haliburton is a wonderful point guard and runs their system to perfection. He is no good on defense, and that is a running theme here. Andrew Nembhard is a good shooter and a surprisingly decent NBA player. Myles Turner has become a good overall offensive player, but his defense has regressed. Ben Mathurin blew up in his rookie season, but he took a step back last year. TJ McConnell is this eras Matthew Dellavedova. Aaron Nesmith has made himself a starter and a solid player. And I love Pascal Siakim's game. He is underrated in my opinion. The Pacers are a good team. This year will be the telling sign if last year was a fluke or not.

The final team for the day, at 11 I have the Orlando Magic. For all of the good offensive players and teams in the league, the Magic are the opposite. They're the best defensive team in the league, and some of the younger guys are starting to come into their own on offense. Paolo Banchero is awesome. He is on his way to being a perennial all star and he is going to become a face of the NBA sooner rather than later. Franz Wagner has fit it quite nicely next to Banchero. They are a nice 1-2 punch. He needs to improve his shooting though. Cole Anthony is a great hype guy who happens to bring a ton of energy to the floor. He is also a solid shooter. Wendall Carter Jr has found a home and a nice role with the Magic. Moe Wagner is a humongous pest and annoyance. He also happens to be a nice backup five. Signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was a wonderful move. He fits in so nicely with this team. Johnathan Isaac is a goddamn weirdo who is a great defender, if he is healthy. Jalen Suggs is the perfect point guard for this team. The Magic are going to be around for awhile if they keep up this kind of defensive intensity.

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Aging Rockstars Playing Some of Their New Music Division

Welcome to day two of my NBA countdown leading up to the new season. The teams still aren't great, but they are getting better and the teams today have some players I am excited to watch this upcoming season.

At number 25 I have the Houston Rockets. I don't think any team this offseason went for it harder than the Rockets did. They are clearly trying to do some things to win games and compete right now. That is good. It is also good that they did not give James Harden a max contract. That was the right move. Who they got instead at point guard was Fred VanVleet. They may have given him too much money and he may be past his prime but he brings a veteran leadership this team hasn't had in years. He is going to be an excellent role model for their young core. They also went out and signed Dillon Brooks. They gave him too much money also, and too many years, but he is a solid defender. He also had a good FIBA showing. If he can stay humbled on the court he will give opposing stars headaches. Then we have the young core. Jalen Green has all the tools in the world to be a big time NBA scorer. He just has to give it 100 percent all the time. I think Jabari Smith Jr is going to be a legit all star. He is big, can defend and rebound and his shot is coming along. Tari Eason is dope. That kid can really play and he brings massive energy. I like the Amen Thompson pick. He was the better twin and he could flourish with a big role. Alperen Sengun is a wizard with the ball, but a total zero on defense. Cam Whitmore fell to them in the draft and he could play the role of the revenge rookie. They also acquired Jeff Green in a trade and he wins almost everywhere he goes. The Rockets will be better this year, but they are not a playoff team yet. Hell, they aren't even a play in team yet. But they are making some interesting moves.

At number 24 I have the Indiana Pacers. I really like what this team is becoming. They have some really good and young talent. They have a solid coach. And they made some excellent moves in the offseason. Tyrese Haliburton is awesome. He is an all star. He was one of the better FIBA players for the US. He can pass with the best of them and his shooting gets better every year. Myles Turner is still here and they gave him an extension. He is still one of the better rim defenders in the league. He can also stretch the floor. Ben Mathurin had a solid rookie year. I expect him to be their sixth man and feast on opposing second team defenses. I love the Bruce Brown signing. The season will tell if he is ready for a bigger role, but that guy has only gotten better every year he has been in the league. I love them acquiring Obi Toppin. He is going to thrive with additional playing time. Drafting Jarace Walker looks like a home run for their defense. TJ McConnell is a solid backup point guard. Andrew Nembhard had some big moments last season and will build on that. Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith continue to be decent second team options. And I love that they signed Oscar Tshiebewe as an undrafted rookie. He is going to be a rebounding beast. The Pacers could threaten for a play in spot this year. And next year they should slide into being a solid playoff lock.

At 23 I have the Utah Jazz. Who could have foreseen this team playing as well as they did last season? Not me. And they could be better this year. Lauri Markkanen had a career year last season and looks like the real deal. I was wrong about him. Jordan Clarkson became a better passer last year while keeping up his scoring pace. Walker Kessler had a very good rookie year and looks like a possible lock down center on defense. Collin Sexton got out of Cleveland and looked good in the minutes he got last year. Ochai Agbaji is going to play a bigger role this year and I am curious to see how he does. Keyonte George looks like a very good incoming rookie. They traded for John Collins and he sounds like he wants to wreck the league this year. Kris Dunn is around, and he is as good a perimeter defender as there is in the league. The Jazz are a good team that may fight for a playoff or play in spot. If they were in the East I might pick them to make it. But they are in the West and the West is loaded.

At 22 I have the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets actually did a good job in the Kyrie, KD and James Harden aftermath. They recouped quite well. The prize of that trade was Mikail Bridges, and he is awesome. He blew up last season. He was excellent in FIBA. He seems to like being the first option. Bridges is great. Cam Johnson got a big deal and he seems to enjoy playing in Brooklyn. He has an edge to his game now that I really like as well. I have zero faith in Ben Simmons. I'm over all of the offseason stuff with him. Cam Thomas is a great bench scorer and nothing else. Nic Claxton is a good pick and roll and defense first guy, but he cannot shoot. I like the addition of Lonnie Walker IV. He had a good year last year and could be better with more minutes. Dennis Smith Jr had a great comeback year in Charlotte and the Nets are going to give him another shot. Dorian Finney-Smith can defend, but he hasn't been able to recreate his success from two years ago. The Nets are a weird team with one player, Bridges, that I love. But they will not be as good as they were last season.

The final team for the day, a team I really thought hard about putting into my playoff mix, at 21 I have the Orlando Magic. This team is ready to take a leap and become a true playoff threat. I just think it may take one more season. Paolo Banchero is legit. The kid has all the tools to be the number one option and a perennial all star. He got better as the year went along and he is going to be a star in this league. Franz Wagner is their jack of all trades. He can do a little of everything really well. He was a steal for them in the draft. Markelle Fultz has reignited his career. He is never going to be the star some thought, but he is a solid point guard in the NBA. Anthony Black may be their point guard of the future. He looked excellent in summer league. Cole Antony can also play. He has been a solid starter for the past two years. Jalen Suggs can't shoot, but he can defend. Jett Howard will bring bench scoring. Wendell Carter Jr has been a great big man for them and looks like he could make another leap. Chuma Okeke can play too. The Magic have a good, young team that will win more games than some think. They are going to make a playoff push and may even win a play in game. I love what they are doing over there. They have a decent team.

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Bol Bol Makes The Orlando Magic a Worthy Watch

In lieu of doing my annual thanks post I usually do on Thanksgiving, I took the day off to reflect. I am very thankful for so many things, but I wanted to do something a little different, a little off the beaten path from what I normally do. This piece is going to meld the two things together for me.

I love basketball, as you all know very well. I especially love the NBA. In football I prefer college, but the NBA just does it for me. It is also very early in the season, so things are pretty wide open and kind of nuts right now. I like to watch all the teams, and having League Pass makes that a cinch. This means I have been watching a ton of Orlando Magic. Some might say too much.

Orlando is not very good, but they are fun to watch. They fly up and down the floor. They do not play much defense, but their offense is fast and tense. They love to get it up and down, and I love that style of basketball the most. I am currently coaching my 5th grade team to run, run and run some more. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it is a thing of beauty. I feel like that is what the Magic are doing right now. They are just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. They also have a core group of young players and they are a delight to watch. Even when they screw up it is still somehow entertaining. I like guys like Cole Anthony. He is fun and plays a little old school-ish. Franz Wagner is turning out to be a very solid pro on both ends. He is living up to the hype. Paolo Banchero was the correct choice at number 1. He is hurt now, but when he has played, he has looked very legit. He has the tools to be a star. Mo Bamba is playing more like I hoped he would when he first entered the league. He is a rim protector, a decent low post guy and can run for days. Jalen Suggs has looked better this season. Wendell Carter Jr has found a place that has let him figure it out and he looks like he is doing just that. Even Markelle Fultz, when not hurt, has found a style of play that works for him and the team. But the one guy that has impressed me the most, the player I like to watch the most on this team, the whole reason for this blog today, is Bol Bol.

Bol Bol was a very ballyhooed recruit. He was this unicorn that every major program wanted. He finally decided on Oregon. When I first heard of him, then saw him, I was skeptical. But then he played a few games for the Ducks. He was worth the hype. He was blocking shots left and right. He was scoring with ease in the post. He was pulling big guys outside and making threes. I was flabbergasted. I could not believe my eyes. But then he got hurt. He missed most of his freshman season. He then went pro, as expected, but slipped to the second round. The Nuggets drafted him. I liked this pick because he could develop with a very good pro team. He was going to be learning from some of the best. But they never played him. They could not find minutes for him. He'd get in blowouts and show flashes, but nothing was sustainable. He was then traded to multiple teams. He somehow ended up in Orlando before this season started, and I liked it. It reminded me a ton of when they acquired Fultz. Bol Bol was going to get to play, he was going to learn on the fly and the Magic were going to let him be himself. And so far, he has looked pretty wonderful. He is hitting threes. He is grabbing boards. He is blocking shots. He is putting up double doubles with ease. He looks to be having fun. He looks healthy. He looks like he is turning into the unicorn that everyone previously thought he could be.

Lately I have been watching a ton of the French kid, Victor Webanyama, and he is legit. He is going to be a star. But everyone says that no one has ever looked like this kid. Well, and he is not even close to this kid's level, but isn't Bol Bol kind of like the poor man's Webanyama? They both have similar games. The French kid is built better, but Bol Bol has gotten bigger since he entered the league. The French kid and Bol block a lot of shots. They both grab boards. They both can stretch the D. Again, Bol is not the prospect Webanyama is, but he is a very similar player. They have very similar profiles.

All in all, it has been an absolute joy to watch Bol Bol to this point of the season. I hope it sticks. I hope he becomes a regular starter in the NBA. I also hope he stays with this fun young core in Orlando. I feel like this team could be very good in two to three years if they stay put. Until that time comes though, I will sit back and gladly watch Bol Bol do stuff that I have never seen on an NBA floor in my life to this date. He is a fun player 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty's 2022-2023 NBA Season Preview: Rockets, Pacers, Magic

Welcome to day two of my 2022-23 NBA countdown. We are still on some teams that will be in the lottery, but some of them should be a ton of fun to watch this season.

At 27 I have the Houston Rockets. The Rockets were bad last year. They are going to be bad this year. But they are going to be a blast to watch. I love Jalen Green. I have been a fan of his since he joined the G League over going to college. That was a baller ass move. He is also a wildly talented offensive player. He was putting up big numbers last season, so imagine what he will do in season two. Green has star quality, now it's time to show that ability. Kevin Porter Jr seems to have found a place that works for him. He gets to start, he gets to handle the ball and he runs the offense. He is young and has all the talent in the world. He just needs to stay on the floor. I thought Jabari Smith Jr was going to go first overall, but the Rockets snatched him up with the second pick. I love this pick for the Rockets. Jabari Smith Jr reminds me of a young KD. If he can be 50 percent of Durant he is going to be a star. Alperen Sengun is very raw but very good. He is a great passer, a decent low post scorer and can rebound. Tari Eason is a solid pick. Eric Gordon can still light it up from three. Tyty Washington needs time, but in the future, he can be a decent guard in the league. Usman Garuba is extremely raw, but I like watching him play. Willie Cauley Stein is the "veteran" presence, and he can still throw it down. This team is very talented on offense, but they will get scorched on defense. That will be their undoing. But I will enjoy watching them play this year.

At 26 I have the Indiana Pacers. They need to bite the bullet and go into full rebuild. I feel like they are still trying to act like a playoff contender, but they are not on that level. They did trade Malcolm Brogdon, and that was a good start. Now they need to offload Buddy Hield and Myles Turner. I like both those guys a lot. Hield is a great shooter, but he needs to be on a team that has a real shot at the playoffs. Turner is a great modern big, a very good rim protector and a solid three point shooter. But he is being wasted in Indy. He needs to be on a team with a real chance at the playoffs as well. What they need to do is lean fully into letting Tyrese Haliburton run the show. He is great. He is young but plays maturely. He has the look of a true number one on a high playoff seed, they just need to build a little more. I think Benedict Mathurin can be a very poor man's Kawhi Leonard. He can shoot a bit, and with some work, can be a lockdown defender. Chris Duarte can shoot, but that may be it. We will get a very good look at Jalen Smith this year. He could be Robert Williams or Anthony Bennett. This season should let us know. Aaron Nesmith had moments in Boston. In Indiana he will get a shot to make all those moments a nightly thing. Andrew Nembhard was good in college, but he may be a bit too much like Doug McDermott. Time will tell. James Johnson will provide toughness, but who knows how long he will stick around. When the Pacers finally relent and go full rebuild we will get to see Haliburton come on the scene, and this team will be bad for a season or two before they are back to being a .500 team.

The final team for the day, at number 25 I have the Orlando Magic. The Magic will be very bad, but they may be the most entertaining team to watch. I love this core. They are young and raw, but man oh man are they athletic. Paolo Banchero is looking very much the part of a number one overall pick. He has been everywhere this summer and preseason and he is already stirring it up. He is also a walking bucket. Franz Wagner can shoot, defend and seems like a blast to play basketball with. He was great at Michigan and I am glad it seems to be translating to the NBA. Mo Bamba is a very good rim protector and rebounder. He is also very skinny and very green on offense. The word out of camp is that Bol Bol is healthy and ready to contribute. I cannot wait to see him on the court. Jalen Suggs did not shoot it well last season, and he is coming off an injury, but he is a very good defender already. Markelle Fultz is finally free to just play basketball. Cole Anthony is cool as hell and I love watching him play. Chuma Okeke is one of the better players nobody knows about. Gary Harris Jr can still play. Mo Wagner is sticking around. Wendell Carter Jr looks legit. Again, this team is going to be bad this year, but they are building something that could be special in three or four years. They won't win just yet, but it should come soon if they stick together.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, Magic

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

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

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

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

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

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next four teams.

Ty

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

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

Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: The Maybe Playoff Teams

Day 3 of my NBA countdown has us close to teams that could be in the playoffs. With the expanded playoffs, and the play in tournament, I wouldn't be shocked if any of these teams make it. I also wouldn't be shocked if they don't. These teams, to me, are right on the edge of becoming perennial contenders, they just aren't quite there yet. Let's go.

At number 20 I have my favorite team, the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were probably the biggest surprise of last season. I loved the Ja Morant pick. He was my number one prospect last season, and the Grizzlies have their building block for the foreseeable future. He is so good, so talented and, once his jumper becomes consistent, will be an MVP candidate. Jaren Jackson Jr is inconsistent, and gets hurt too often, but when he is on the floor, he is good. He is still figuring it out, but I have faith that he will continue to develop, and he and Morant will soon be a formidable duo. This is where things turn for me though. The Grizzlies weren't supposed to be good last year, but they were. Morant was awesome, and the rest of the roster played some of the best basketball of their careers. I think they will fall back to Earth this season. The roster, outside Morant and Jackson Jr, is not as great as it could be. Grayson Allen is somehow a contributor, but I do not like that kid at all. I also do not think he will see the floor as much this year. Dillon Brooks can be a lethal shooter, but he hogs the ball a bit too much, and his shot isn't totally consistent. They traded for Justice Winslow last year, but he has yet to play double digit games for them due to a plethora of injuries. Jonas Valincunas is good, but he is getting older, and his style of play is becoming extinct. I love Brandon Clarke, and I want him to get more minutes so he can really shine. Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones are very blah to me. They still have Gorgui Dieng, but I would hope they find a trade partner for him soon. It is just, outside three guys, Morant, Jackson Jr and Clarke, they don't have the horses to compete in the West. Last year was great, and fun as a fan. But the team we saw in the bubble seems more indicative of how they will be this season. Morant is a star though.

At number 19 I have the Golden State Warriors. They would have been much higher, a playoff lock, if Klay didn't get hurt. He did, and they are left to kind of scramble now. Steph and Draymond are back. That is great for them, for Steve Kerr, and for their fans. I hope Steph stays healthy, and that he lights up the arena. I hope Draymond stays in shape and focused and returns to being the great defender and leader they need. I really like the James Wiseman pick. He has a ton of raw ability, and I think this coaching staff will bring him along perfectly. But then we have a mishmash similar to what they tried to do last year. Kelly Oubre Jr is a fine player. But, he is not Klay on either end of the floor. Marquess Chriss played his best basketball last season, but he was getting beat consistently on defense. Eric Paschall was a total revelation, and I think he will continue his upward trend, but teams will gameplan for him now. Kevon Looney is coming back from injury, but I just don't know how much he has left in his tank. Andrew Wiggins is Andrew Wiggins. I want to root for him, and I do, but at some point we all have to accept that he is a mediocre NBA player. Kent Bazemore was a solid signing, but he has been on like three teams in the last three years. He will not replace Klay either. Jordan Poole bounces from G League to the NBA. And Nico Mannion, go back and read my pre draft review on him to get my impression of him as an NBA player. Losing Klay is a killer, and I do not know if we will ever see the Warriors of the past ever again. The main guys are all older, coming off injuries and have to play a brutal schedule.

At number 18 I have the Washington Wizards. The only two reasons they are in this spot is because of Brad Beal and the fact that they play in the East. Brad Beal is a bonafide super duper star. He is a scoring machine, he has impeccable work ethic and he brings it every night. I think adding Westbrook was fine, and when he is healthy he plays great with good shooters. But he needs to know that this is Brad Beal's team. I think he will eventually buy into that, it is just a matter of how long that takes. Thomas Bryant is a good offensive center, but he gets chewed up on defense. He needs to improve that part of his game. I am glad they re-signed Davis Bertans because his shooting ability takes pressure off Westbrook and Beal. I want to see if Rui Hachumuira is like the guy we saw before the shutdown, or after. He was getting good, then the pandemic hit, and he really struggled in the bubble. Robin Lopez brings intensity, but not much else. Moritz Wagner is a big that can shoot, and nothing else. And Ish Smith and Shabazz Napier are essentially the same player. But, Beal puts this team in the playoff conversation, and if Westbrook can be a mixture of the player he was last year, and in his MVP season in OKC, the Wizards will be a lock to be in the play in tournament, at the very least. Beal is so much fun to watch.

At number 17 I have the Orlando Magic. The Magic are the definition of a team in NBA playoff purgatory. They are good enough to get the 7 or 8 seed, and then get crushed in round one. They play solid enough defense to win 40-43 games, and nothing more. They could have done some stuff this offseason, but they stayed put. They will most likely make the playoffs due to their defense, and they will get obliterated in round one. They could have traded Aaron Gordon, but they opted to keep him. He is fine, but he is, at best, a 4th or 5th guy on a good team. Markelle Fultz was light years better than he has been so far in the league, but he still cannot shoot, and teams know that. Johnathan Issac destroyed his knee in the bubble, and he will be out all year. That is a humongous blow to this team. Mo Bamba got a little better, but he is still rail thin, and he doesn't protect the rim to his fullest extent yet. Nikola Vucevic is about the only offensive threat they have, and he fills up the stat sheet, but he is about the only guy that doesn't play good defense on this team. Evan Fournier is okay, but that is it, just okay. Terrance Ross is a good bench player, but he is counted on way too much on this team. And replacing DJ Augutin with Michael Carter Williams only helps in getting a little younger. Orlando will be a 35-38 win team, get in the playoffs and get trounced. That is what they do. They need to make changes, but they will not commit to it just yet. Ownership seems fine with first round playoff exits every year.

The final team for today, the first you can pencil in for the playoffs, at number 16 I have the Indiana Pacers. I texted with some friends about my rankings, and they all thought this was way too low. They said Indiana should be higher. I disagree. I think they are going to take a step back. It won't be as dramatic as OKC's, but still, the Pacers will not be as good as they have been. I like their guys too. i like Victor Oladipo, but it seems like he wants out. I like Damontas Sabonis, but I don't think he is ready to be a franchise player. I back Myles Turner more than others, but always hearing your name in trade rumors has got to take its toll. I think Malcolm Brogdon was an excellent signing last year, but he got COVID prior to the bubble, and he wasn't super great when he returned to play. TJ Warren was a microwave in the bubble, but when he went up against real defenders, namely Jimmy Butler, he was shut down. Doug McDermott and Jeremy Lamb are okay shooters, but they are zeros on defense. And firing Nate Williams was a big time mistake in my opinion. I think the Pacers, as they are built right now, are good enough to make the playoffs, but they are not good enough to push a team, and they will most likely get bounced with ease in round one. They could also make a ton of changes during the season.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next five. We are in the group of all playoff teams, quickly approaching real contenders.

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 2019-2020 NBA Preview: Timberwolves, Kings, Spurs, Magic

Day 4 of my NBA countdown gives us, in my opinion, the best 18 teams. We will get into my top 16, or playoff teams if you will, but that doesn't mean that I have 8 teams from the West and East. I simply put who I thought wee the best 16 teams in that order. I am all for the playoff being conference less, and that is how I looked at my countdown when I took all my notes. So, with that being said, lets get into it.

At number 18 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. The T'Wolves are kind of in a no man's land. If they were in the East, they would be a playoff team easily. But, the West is a whole different animal, and Minnesota just doesn't have quite enough to break through. What they do have is a bona fide star on their team. Karl Anthony Towns is legit. He is so good on the offensive side of the ball. He is a great scorer, and now that he has extended his range, he is a matchup nightmare. He is also an excellent rebounder and a solid passer. But, he needs to get better defensively. When he is engaged on that end he is good, he just needs to be engaged always. Then he will become a top 10 player in the league. But, outside od Towns, the T'Wolves are a mystery. I think I was the last person on the Andrew Wiggins hype train, and even I have jumped off. He just isn't consistent, disappears far too much and isn't the defender I thought he could be coming out of college. Jeff Teague is old, and ready to be replaced. Josh Okogie looks like he will be the guy, but he needs to become more consistent in every phase. I like Jarret Culver, and think he could be a good player for a decade, but he still has a ways to go on offense. Robert Covington is a solid veteran, and a good role player, but he is a starter in Minnesota. He is so much better off the bench. They took some flyers on free agents like Jake Layman and Jordan Bell, and I just don't know with those guys. Layman barely saw the floor in Portland, and Bell regressed last year in Golden State. Minnesota will win close to 40 games, but I fear that Towns is getting into Kevin Love territory, and that is not where you want to be if you want to win titles.

At number 17, and I really, really wanted to put this team in the top 16, but they play in the West, and they're too young, I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings have totally remade themselves, and they are no longer the laughingstock that they have been for the past decade plus. The Kings have a cohesive, and fun team. I love DeAron Fox. He is so fast, good with the ball, finds the open guy, plays hard, plays tough and has only gotten better since he has been in the league. He is one of my favorite young guys in the league. Marvin Bagley played far better than I thought he would last year. He looked to be stronger, played smarter and got better in his rookie year. That is a great sign. Buddy Hield, as you all know I love, has found a proper NBA home. The Kings allow him the freedom to shoot and be a playmaker, and that is what he needed coming out of college. He is quietly one of the better three point shooters in the NBA. I think Bogdan Bogdanovic is going to be this version of the Kings Peja Stojakivic. He is a solid outside shooter, and he is fun to watch. Harrison Barnes, who I think gets unfairly criticized, is a solid veteran that this team needs. He knows what it takes to win in the NBA, and he does the little things fairly well. Harry Giles, who has been hurt seemingly forever, looked good in limited minutes last year. He looked athletic and rebounded and ran the floor well. The Trevor Ariza signing here could be what I expected it to be in Phoenix. Ariza is also one of the better defenders in the league. Dwayne Dedmon is a solid center, and a rim protector they need. I find the Kings to be very fun, and I think they will be at, or above ,500 this year, which is huge for them. They just need one more year before they are a playoff team.

At number 16, my first "playoff" team, I have the San Antonio Spurs. I know, this team plays old style dinosaur basketball, they have no real super stars and they may seem boring. But, they still have Greg Poppovich as their head coach, and as long as he is there, the Spurs will always be a playoff team in my eyes. And, without having stars, they do have LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan. Sure, those guys may not pop, but they are really good, really solid NBA players. Aldridge had a very good year last year, and he is finally finding his groove as a Spur. And DeRozan is a proven scorer and shooter, even if he doesn't take a million threes. He is still a really good player. Outside those 2, this team is relatively young. Yes, Patty Mills is still there, and he is their best shooter. But, after that, this team is young. Derrick White had a great playoff run last season. He really showed out, and I think that is a sign of things to come. Lonnie Walker had to do some time in the G League last year, but I think it helped him. He looked unstoppable in summer league, and he has been solid in the preseason. Dejounte Murray, who is going to be awesome, is back after missing last year with a knee injury. Murray was on his way to being "the guy" there, and I think that will come true this season. Jakob Poeltl is a big lumbering center, but he is what this team needs under and around the hoop. Rudy Gay is still there, and he was super efficient and really good last season. He is the epitome of a consummate pro. I also like the addition of Trey Lyles, I think he helps them. And even if he isn't the defender he was in Toronto, DeMarre Carroll still offers value on that end of the floor. The Spurs dynasty of the past is over, but they still have a solid roster and the best coach in the history of the NBA. They are still a playoff team to me.

My final team for the day, at number 15, I have the Orlando Magic. The Magic are back. Well, not back to being a title contender, but they will be a perennial playoff team in the East. This roster is stacked with talent, but it is raw and it is young. Aaron Gordon has really turned himself into so much more than a dunker. He is a great defender, he has a shot that you have to respect and he is becoming the team leader, and he is only 24 years old. Mo Bamba has been really good in the preseason, and if he can put on some weight, and continue to improve around the rim, he will be worth way more than the sixth overall pick that he was two years ago. Johnathan Issac had a solid year last year, and has the look of an improved jumper. He, like Bamba, is rail thin, but he can be a problem for opponents on defense. He is also super long, and plays hard defense. Nikola Vucecvic got his big deal after an All Star season, and now I think he will play with freedom. He is also the prototypical modern big. He heled me make the finals in my fantasy league last year because he stuffs the stat sheet. I see more of that. Markelle Fultz, knock on wood, has looked okay. His jumper looks better, not fixed, but better and he is attacking the rim so far in the preseason. If he can give them a tenth of what was expected from him coming out of college, that would be great. Evan Fournier was awesome in FIBA this summer, and the dude knows how to get bucket. Terrance Ross is s solid all around guy. They signed Al Faroq Aminu, and that guy has been a playoff player forever. And DJ Augustin is back, and even though he has been around forever, he won their only playoff game for them last season. The Magic have a glut of players at power forward, and no real point guard, but they play defense and they spread the ball around. I see them easily making the playoffs again, and maybe this time they will win a series. Also, they could pull a big trade with all the assets they have, and that would be big time.

That is it for today. Come back for the next 4 teams tomorrow.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Hawks, Kings, Magic

I was flipping through channels the other night and I came across a preseason NBA game. I watched for a bit, then I realized, holy cow, the NBA regular season is going to start soon. I was kind of shocked to be honest with you. I am fully in on football right now, the MLB playoffs are going on right now, and then pow, NBA season is getting ready to start, and college basketball practice has begun. So, as I have done since the invention of the website, I'm going to do my preseason NBA countdown. I'll go from worst to best, giving three teams a day. I'll do a short few sentences on why I have them ranked where I do, and if they have any shot at all at winning the title. After the countdown, I will do a postseason and awards predictions, and the following day, I will do my NCAA men's basketball preview. So buckle up, the next 12 days will be, with the occasional NFL quick hits or a movie or music review sprinkled in here and there, will be all basketball. Enough preamble, lets get to the rankings.

Coming in at number 30, dead last, I have the Atlanta Hawks. This team won 60 plus games a few seasons back. This team was a playoff team 2 years ago. Then, they traded Kyle Korver, Pau Milsap, Jeff Teague, pretty much everyone that was important to them. Then this offseason, they offloaded more talent. This team is in full on rebuild mode. They even, much to his delight I'm sure, let Mike Budenholzer go. When I look at their roster now, it has a bunch of retreads and rookies. What I do like about this team though, they have Taurean Prince, who is wildly underrated, and John Collins, who has the looks to be a very good modern big man. After that though, it gets rough. Vince Carter is there, and he is looking ever bit the 40 year old he is. Good on him though that he is still out there. Jeremy Lin is on this team now. I wanted Lin to be great after what he did as a Knick, but he cannot stay healthy and he is wildly inconsistent. Kent Bazemore is no more than a trade chip for a younger player or a pick. He will most certainly be a salary dump at some point. Alex Len was traded there, and he has been a total bust. Thomas Robinson, a former fourth overall pick in the draft, is back from the G League, and he will probably get big minutes on this team. Dewayne Dedmon left the Spurs for this team, and he has not been the same player. They drafted Kevin Huerter, who is a big time project, that will take a few years to develop, and Trae Young. They traded Luka Doncic for Young in fact. I think they will regret that. Young has a ton of pressure to score in bunches, and if summer league and the preseason are any indication, he is going to struggle. The Hawks are going to be real, real bad. I do not expect them to win 20 games. They will most certainly get a lottery pick next year. They have zero chance of making the playoffs, let alone the Finals.

At number 29, and this was a real tough choice to put them ahead of the Hawks, I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are the most moribund NBA franchise. This team is so, so , so bad. And they have been for a long time now. The days of Chris Webber and Vlade Divac and Jason Williams and Mike Bibby seem like forever ago. And when I look at their roster, I just do not see them being any better this year. They took Marvin Bagley number 2 overall this past draft, and he has bust written all over him. He is long and lanky and athletic, but he is way too skinny, doesn't like contact and his jumper is not a threat. All that can change, but he has not looked great in preseason and summer league. He should have dominated both, and he just hasn't. I hope he gets better, because he is so athletic, but I just don't see it, especially in the Kings culture. I love DeAron Fox. He is the only player on this team that I think is a real, legit future NBA star. He is fast, can score, can find the open man and play defense. He is too good a player to be on the Kings. He deserves so much better. I feel for him. Willy Cauley Stein has never developed into the rim runner and rim protector that some thought he could be coming out of Kentucky. His best highlight since he has been in the NBA is a missed dunk attempt. While it looked cool, that shouldn't be your career highlight. Imam Shumpert is there, but he was washed about 3 years ago. Harry Giles is still a work in progress, and who knows when, or if, he will get hurt again. He did show flashes in summer league. Ben McLemore is back, but I am done defending him as a player. He is not a very good NBA basketball player. Yogi Ferrell is here, but so what. Skal Labissiere is on the team, but that kid wasn't great in his one year at Kentucky, and that was just a sign of what was to come. I loved Buddy Hield in college, and I have stomped and yelled about how he was going to be great, but he hasn't been. He has gotten lost in the shuffle, and his scoring has not made it to the NBA level. Zach Randolph is the Vince Carter of the Kings. Frank Mason is a fine backup, but the Kings play him far too much. The rest of the roster is just blah. The Kings are a bad team with a bad culture. They have gotten used to losing, and that should not be the case. As I stated before, I fell for DeAron Fox. He should be the starting point guard on a team that has a winning record and in playoff contention. The rest of the Kings roster, I just don't care about enough.

My final team for today, at number 28, I have the Orlando Magic. This team reminds me a lot of the Kings, in the same sense that they are forever rebuilding. They haven't been relevant since Dwight Howard was their center. They seem to pop up from time to time as a supposed "sleeper" team, and then they shit the bed. The Magic are not good. They just gave Aaron Gordon an inordinate amount of money, and while I love his freakishly athletic dunking, that is all he does. He isn't a great shooter, rebounder or defender. Yet the Magic seem to think he is the guy to build around. That doesn't make much sense to me. Nikola Vucevic is clearly a good stats bad team guy. Evan Fournier is known much more for his hair than his game. He is the French version of Jeremy Lin. Johnathan Issac didn't look great last year, but early reports about him from this season say he has bulked up and his game has improved. We just haven't seen it yet because he didn't play in summer league and I have not seen him in any preseason action. DJ Augustin is somehow still in the league, and he is on the Magic. So what. Johnathom Simmons is exactly like Dewayne Dedmon. He left the Spurs and he is not as productive on a different team. They signed Timofey Mozgov. Why? Why is he still in the league? Terrance Ross is hyper athletic, and can dunk the shit out of the ball, but they already have Aaton Gordon to do that. And they drafted Mo Bamba. I love Bamba, but he is going to take some time to develop. This team needs a ton of help. I do think Bamba can be their center of the future, but they will have to be patient. Gordon is a fine power forward, but he isn't an All Star caliber player. They don't have a real point guard. They don't have a real 2 guard. They don't have a real small forward. I mean, who on this team can guard LeBron or KD or Steph or Klay or Kyrie Irving or Ben Simmons or Jeol Embiid or James Harden or Kawhi Leonard or, even a player like DeAron Fox. The Magic need a lot more help. Until then, they will be stuck in 20 win land and picking in the lottery again. That has now been the case for about a decade now.

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

Note to all the Podcasting Fanboys, The NBA Season is a Long Way from Being Over

I listen to a ton of podcasts, and most of those podcasts are sports related. I do love comedy podcasts, but other than that, it is either college football or the NFL, NCAA basketball and the NBA. Since the NBA started about 3 weeks ago, I have pretty much exclusively listened to NBA podcasts now. And 3 weeks into this season, these hosts of the podcasts I listen to need to chill the hell out. People are already, only after most teams have played, at most, 11 games, making outrageous claims.

I was listening to the Ringer NBA Show this morning, and one of the co hosts said that he thinks the Knicks will make the playoffs. After 9 god damn games. That is nuts. First off, it is only 9 games. They still have 73 games left to play. They have only won 5 of those 9 games. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis has been great so far, but I say again, it is 9 games. Also, who else do the Knicks have on that roster that can propel them to the playoffs, even in the East? Tim Hardaway Jr? Frank Ntilikina? Jarrett Jack? Enes Kanter? None of those guys, and I like Hardaway Jr and Kanter, are that great. So, no, I do not think the Knicks will push for a playoff spot. They are only 5-4, and I'd be shocked if they win more than 32-35 games this year.

Also, these same guys that are all over the Knicks, they crap all over the Pistons, who are off to a much better start, and more equipped for a playoff run, especially in the East. They say all the things about the Pistons that I say about the Knicks. They say it is just a fast start and that they will level out. They say they don't have any stars. They do not like the coach. They do not like the roster. That is everything I say about the Knicks. But, I like the Pistons much, much more. The Pistons do not have a Porzingis, but they have a pretty decent roster construct. I am a big Andre Drummond fan. He is a classic throwback big, and he is actually making free throws now. I don't like Reggie Jackson, but he is playing some good basketball right now. Avery Bradley has been an exceptional addition to the team. I do think they will be right around .500 when the year ends, but they are so much better than the Knicks, yet they do not get the same love.

Orlando is another team that people are saying can push for the playoffs. What? How? Who do they have? Frank Vogel is a good coach, but this team is not even close to playoff ready. Aaron Gordon is a blast to watch dunk, but isn't he just a poor man's Blake Griffin, without the jump shot? Elfrid Payton has not lived up to the expectations. He has been very subpar as a pro. Johnathan Issac is long and athletic, but he is still a rookie, and we will have to wait and see if his rail thin body can hold up for 82 games. The best thing about the Magic though, Johnathan Simmons. He has been a revelation since signing there this offseason. But he is not enough to make the Magic a playoff team.

These podcast hosts are already trashing the Cavs because of their "slow start". The Cavs are 5-6 right now, and they do look bad on defense. But, they have LeBron, and they will be just fine when it matters. In fact, if you look at the wins they have, they are good wins. Sure, losing to the Pelicans and Hawks isn't great. But, they have wins over the Celtics, Wizards and Bucks, all playoff teams. The Cavs roster is very poorly put together, but they have LeBron, and he is the best player in the game right now. He can turn it on when needed, and I am done being one of the people saying that this is the year that the Cavs take a slide. Hell, they only won 51 games last year and still made the Finals.

Same can be said for the Warriors. The Rockets beat them on opening night, and then they lost 2 more games after that. Since then, I believe they have won every single game that they have played. The Warriors are so god damn good that when they get beat it is jarring, but they will be just fine.

The Thunder are off to a "slow" start, sitting at 4-6. But, I said in my preseason preview that it would take a month or 2 for Carmelo, Paul George and Russell Westbrook to figure out how to play together. They are going to be just fine. In fact, I am pleasantly surprised at how much Russell Westbrook has been passing the ball. George and Carmelo are cold right now, but they will start to make shots, and this team will start to put together stretches of 5 wins in 7 games or 9 wins in 11 games. They are going to be a 50 plus win team by season's end.

The Spurs have started okay, but Kawhi Leonard has yet to see the floor. Same thing for Tony Parker. LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing very well, but he needs Kawhi and Parker. And when those guys come back, the Spurs will 50 plus games again.

I've heard a ton about this rookie class so far on these podcasts too. And while I think this class will go down as one of the greatest, people again need to chill the hell out. Markelle Fultz is hurt. People are already calling him a bust, but he is hurt. Something is wrong with his shoulder. Also, isn't this the way of the 76ers? Don't they always sit their top draft picks for, at least, one year? I think Fultz will be just fine. I believe he is going to be a decent NBA player with a 10 plus year career. Lonzo Ball seems to be on TV every night, and from what I have seen, the dude can pass, but he cannot shoot, dribble or play defense. He also looks very disengaged during games, especially when someone puts pressure on him when he has the ball. He can learn how to dribble and play defense, but that shot is trash. His form is straight garbage. He needs to work on that. He will be a quality player, but he is no franchise savior, and the ESPN's of the world need to stop putting the Lakers on TV all the time. They are not a good team. There are some other rookies that have been playing well so far, but time will tell. Donovan Mitchell seems to be putting it together. Lauri Markannen has completely surprised me with his scoring. DeAron Fox is so fast and such a good distributor. Dennis Smith Jr seems to have a highlight play every night. These guys are good, but lets give it a bit more time before we put these guys in the Hall of Fame, with the exception being Ben Simmons. He has been absolutely amazing. He is as advertised, and if he ever gets a jump shot, he will be great.

My final thought of the first 3 weeks in the NBA, Bill Simmons needs to chill the hell out on the Celtics. Yes, they are 10-2. Yes, Kyrie Irving looks very good. Yes, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have been very, very good. Yes, Brad Stevens can coach. And yes, they have recovered quite nicely from Gordon Hayward's horrific injury on opening night. But, it is 12 games. They lost their first 2 games, and they have won every game since. But, what decent teams have they beaten? I know for a fact that they struggled a bit with the Lakers last night, before finally pulling away late. But again, it is 12 games. If you look at Bill Simmons Twitter feed, you'd think that they are getting ready to hang a banner already. They have the best record after 12 games, but I scream, IT IS ONLY 12 GAMES! They need to do it all year long before I buy in. This is the first time Jaylen Brown has been a priority player since high school. Jayson Tatum is a rookie who missed a ton of time his lone season in college. I don't trust Aron Baynes as far as I could throw him, and that isn't that far. The Morris twin is fine, but he is losing minutes to younger guys. And Kyrie, while he is distributing now, will he do that in critical games? I don't know. I watched him jack up an awful three in game 3 of the Finals last year, when he could have pushed for a 2 for 1 opportunity, or get the ball to an open shooter. Kyrie wants to be the guy to shoot the ball at the end of the game, for better or worse. Calm down Bill Simmons, and the entire Ringer staff for that matter, pertaining to the Celtics hot start. It is only 3 weeks into the year, and if I were asked who would win a 7 game series right now between Boston and Cleveland, I'd take Cleveland in 5 or 6 games. Just remember, the Lakers started 10-10 last year, and people thought they might push for the playoffs, and I think they won something like 15 games the rest of the year.

So while some of these teams are hot, and some are starting slow, it is an 82 game season, and nothing is decided after 3 weeks. Nothing at all. Chill out everyone, the NBA is a long, long season, and the Warriors will still be the champions at the end of the 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 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: Pacers, Magic, Kings

Day 2 of my NBA countdown starts with another East team that was in the playoffs last year. In fact, I was so high on this team last year, I thought they could have pushed all the way to a 2 seed. But, they couldn't play defense and they couldn't really score. They made the playoffs, but got swept out of the first round. They also traded their best player for a bag of beans this off season.

The team I am talking about is the Indiana Pacers. They got rid of Paul George before he left them in free agency after this year. That's the good. The bad, they got Victor Oladipo and Damontas Sabonis for him. Oh, they also got a second round pick. Oof did they get screwed. So, now that George is gone, they are really left with next to nothing. I think Oladipo is decent, but he is not a number one option on a playoff team. His game comes and goes, and he just hasn't been the great defensive player that many thought he'd be when he was drafted 4 years ago. It is also telling that OKC was ready to give him up after signing him to a decent contract. Sabonis really faltered and hit a big time rookie wall near the end of last season. He was basically unplayable in the playoffs. The Pacers also lost Jeff Teague, and replaced him with guys like Lance Stephenson, who is toast and Darren Collinson, who is also toast. They have no real point guard. They get Thad Young back, but so what? Is he really going to push them to the playoffs? He's a decent role player, but no more. They drafted TJ Leaf, but I feel like he is just slightly better than Lauri Markenan, and I think Markenan is going to be horrendous. Al Jefferson cannot stay on the floor for any kind of long stretches anymore. Glenn Robinson III might be good, but he has been wildly inconsistent his whole NBA career, and now he will be pushed into a starting role. Corey Joseph was their "big" offseason acquisition. That is quite telling. The only thing the Pacers have going for them is Myles Turner. Turner is going to be very good very soon in the NBA. He needs to get a few more moves, but this dude can play. He is who they should build around for the future. But, the Pacers are going to be pretty awful this year.

At number 26 I have the Orlando Magic. What is this team? Who plays what position? I know the modern NBA is "position-less", but the Magic have too much of the same type of player. They have a glut of point forwards on this team. Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Mario Hezjona and Nikola Vujavic all play the same spot. Gordon can dunk, but that is about it. He cannot shoot, isn't much of a rebounder and doesn't really play defense. Fournier plays no defense, can't rebound, but can score. Hezjona is a bust. I'm calling it now. He has not even come close to the potential that people thought he had when he was the fifth overall pick. He is toast. Vujavic is a tremendous fantasy player, but he is a good stats, bad team guy. I'd be curious to see if he could do this on a good team. The Magic have no real point guard. Elfrid Payton showed flashes near the end of last season, but he needs to put it together for a full season. He cannot shoot the ball either. DJ Augustin is still on an NBA roster, which is baffling to me. I like Johnathan Issac, their first round pick, but he is rail skinny and I am curious to see if he can hold up for 82 games. I do really like his game though. Hell, he might be the best shooter right now on this team. They signed Marresse Speights, but his days of instant offense off the bench are done. In fact, he was best suited staying in Golden State,, but they found him expendable, and let him go. Bismack Biyombo got paid last year, but he was non existent for this team all last year. This dude had a 20 rebound playoff game while in Toronto, but since then, its been all downhill. The one thing I do like about this team is the addition of Johnathan Simmons. He was great for the Spurs, and I think he might flourish with the extra responsibility and extra playing time with the Magic. Simmons has the makings of an All Star, especially in the East.

My final team for today, coming in at number 25, my first Western Conference team, is the Sacramento Kings. Now, before I get into it, I do really like this Kings team, they just play in the West, and the West is loaded. I love the pick of De'Aron Fox. He is an amazing defender, passer and can get to the rack. He needs to work on his jumper, but he is a professional now, and he can work on it as much as he wants. Fox is going to be so much fun to watch. The even better news for Fox, the Kings signed George Hill, who is not great by any stretch, but he can be a tremendous mentor on NBA life for Fox. Hill has been there and done that, and he should be able to work wonders with Fox. Even though he cannot do anything but dunk and kind of protect the rim, I love to watch Willie Cauley-Stein. He can jump out of the gym, and he has gotten a little bit better each of his first two years in the league. I'm a big time Buddy Hield fan. I have written a ton about him since SeedSing became a real thing. I think he will be a decent scorer for this team, and he will get free rein to fire at will. Now, the bad news. Outside of the guys I mentioned, I'm very luke warm on the rest of this team. Kosta Koufas is a waste of a contract. Malachi Richardson was horrendous last year. I am not a fan of the Harry Giles pick. I know it was late first round, but he was coming off a torn ACL his senior year of high school, barely played at Duke, and when he played, he was a non factor. Frank Mason was a great, great college player, but so was Trey Burke, Jimmer Fredette and Doug McDermott. I see a lot of those three in Frank Mason. I'm not too pumped about the Justin Jackson pick. He can play some pretty good defense, but he is an irrational confidence guy on the offensive end and he needs to let Buddy Hield and De'Aron Fox run the show on that end. The Kings also signed Zach Randolph and Vince Carter. While this seems like a decent fit, I think both guys are done. Zach Randolph could never really jump, but he was aided by having a great point guard in Mike Conley and an excellent front court companion in Marc Gasol. He now has Cauley-Stein and some also rans next to him. I do not like his fit with this team at all. Vince Carter, the ageless wonder, is back for another year, but I look at him more as a hanger on than a guy that will be a real contributor. More power to him for still cashing checks, but I hope this is his last season in the NBA. The Kings need to embrace the youth movement, and if they do that, they could be a decent, possible playoff team, in a few years.

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

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The Biggest Trade Has Already Happened in the NBA

The NBA trade deadline is approaching fast, but I think the biggest name to be traded has already happened.

There is always rumors and speculation surrounding big name players that will be the move, but I do not think that any of the big names being thrown out this year are going anywhere. I've heard Paul Milsap, Jimmy Butler, Dwayne Wade, Blake Griffin and, of course, Carmelo Anthony and Boogie Cousins possibly changing uniforms. Well, Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks head coach and director of player personnel, said he isn't going anywhere. The price that the Bulls will be asking for Jimmy Butler and Dwayne Wade will be much to high, especially for Wade, who is clearly on his last legs. Blake Griffin is not going anywhere until he is a free agent because the Clippers ownership is insane and they seem to think they can win a title with guys that have never gotten out of the second round of the playoffs. Boogie is not leaving unless a team offers the Kings an offer to great to pass up. It would have to be some big name guys and some very high draft picks. The teams that have the ability to offer those things won't. And the Knicks, try as they might, will not be able to unload Carmelo. They want to trade him so bad, but he has a no trade clause, so he can veto almost any deal he doesn't like, and teams that may want him won't give up what the Knicks are asking for in a trade. The Knicks want a good young player and draft picks, and Carmelo Anthony doesn't command that steep a price anymore. He is old, in NBA terms, doesn't pass the ball, doesn't play defense and can mess up team chemistry. Sorry Knicks fans, you guys are stuck with Anthony.

The big trade that already happened? Serge Ibaka to the Raptors. I think that the Serge Ibaka trade to the Raptors is the only "big name" deal that will be made. The Magic are clearly going nowhere and they knew that Ibaka would not resign with them this offseason, he will be a free agent at the end of the year.

With all that being said, and the fact that the Magic needed to move a player like Ibaka to make more minutes for Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezjona, they totally got fleeced by the Raptors. The Raptors won this trade by a mile. All they had to give up was Terrence Ross, who is a decent young player that could flourish now that he will be a main option, and a very low first round pick. I think they could have gotten more from a team like the Raptors, who want to win now, but it seems like they settled for the first deal that Toronto offered. Like I said, Ross is a fine player, but maybe the Magic should have, at the very least, mentioned names like Jonas Valenciunas, Corey Joseph or Demarre Carroll. This may have killed the deal, but I still think they should have at least asked.

On the other hand, the Raptors got one hell of a player to team up with guys like Valenciunas, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Demarre Carroll, as well as Patrick Patterson. The Raptors, at least on paper with this trade, look to be real contenders in the East. I know that they are in fifth place right now, but I think this trade could easily move them up a few spots, giving them a decided edge in the playoffs. The Cavs were just dealt an enormous blow with the news of Kevin Love's injury, the Celtics are playing great, but this move should put them on notice, the Wizards are currently playing out of their minds, but Scott Brooks will find some way to screw it up, and Atlanta will not keep up this pace for the whole season. I definitely see Toronto passing the Wizards and the Hawks, pushing them up to third. Then, what if Boston takes over the one seed from Cleveland due to the Love injury, and the Cavs decide that they don't really care about seeding in the playoffs? That could put Toronto as high as number 2, which I think is a real possibility now. It all doesn't matter, the Cavs will still represent the East in the finals, but Toronto is at least trying to make it interesting.

I love the fact that the Raptors went out and got Ibaka. He is in the perfect spot again, much like when he played with Durant and Westbrook in OKC. He will be able to fit in perfectly playing the four, next to Valenciunas. Valenciunas likes to play in the post and rebound, so that leaves Ibaka the ability to spread the floor and block shots as a help defender, which is what he does best. He has also become a decent jump shooter and three point shooter. This will help DeRozan and Lowry. They will be able to drive and kick and have the confidence that one of their big men will be able to knock down open threes and mid range jumpers. Valenciunas is not consistent enough to do this, but Ibaka is. And, as I have already stated, he is going to help them out tremendously on the defensive end of the floor. Ibaka and Valenciunas as rim protectors will put fear in opponents trying to attack the rim. Valenciunas is not great on the defensive end, but he is serviceable, and with the help coming from Ibaka, he may begin to look like a much better defender. Ibaka's presence will also help the back court. DeRozan and Lowry aren't the greatest defenders, but now with Ibaka back there they can take more chances on steals and play closer man to man defense on their opponents. DeMarre Carroll is already a very good defender, so he won't need the help, but he will get it from Ibaka anyway.

This deal has made the Raptors a much, much better team, and has further made the Magic's rebuilding stage that much longer. The Raptors definitely won this trade, and I think it is the only trade that will make any difference in the regular season. Ibaka fits in wonderfully, and he needed this trade and the Magic let him go for hardly anything. This will be the only big time deal that happens in the NBA this year, mark my words.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is ticked off that his NBA2K games never let him get away with what the Raptors got away with in this trade. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Ty Tells You How each NBA Team Can Win the Title: Suns, Magic, and Nuggets

Before I continue with my NBA countdown today, I want to wish my beautiful little baby girl a very happy first birthday. I can't believe that she is already one. Happy birthday princess, I love you.

Now, back to the countdown.

Coming in at number 27, the Phoenix Suns. First off, I heard some story yesterday that they are utilizing the "high five" because it will grow strength between teammates and make for a better work environment. They did a study on this. That statement alone should show you how far behind most of the league the Suns really are. Studying the good things about high fives. Yeesh. This was a team that just a few years ago barely missed out on the playoffs in the hyper competitive Western Conference. But now, that roster has been ravaged and there are only few holdovers. This was also the same team that went all in on LaMarcus Aldridge when no one thought they had a chance to sign him. Guess what, he signed elsewhere. The back court is the strength, but it is filled with untapped potential. Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe cannot stay healthy, and their style of play seem to clash when they are on the court at the same time. Devin Booker is a great, great shooter, but until he gets some more help, it will be for moot. But man, is he a great shooter. The rest of the roster is very mediocre and old. Tyson Chandler peaked about 4 years ago. I love Chandler, but he is done in the NBA. Jared Dudley, while being a good dude, he doesn't really have it anymore. PJ Tucker can't stay out of trouble on and off the court. Alex Len is a bust. And Archie Goodwin doesn't seem to have what it takes to make it in the NBA. They drafted Tyler Ullis and Dragan Bender. Ullis is lightning fast, but he is so tiny, and he couldn't really score that much in college. Bender may or may not be good, but this preseason, he has seemed more interested in his hair looking good as opposed to his jumper looking good. He also got owned by undrafted opponents in the summer league. The Suns are in the midst of a massive rebuild. They are pretty terrible, not as bad as the three teams from yesterday, but still pretty bad. They will win between 20-25 games.

So Ty, how will the Suns win the title? The Suns only shot at the title is if Bledsoe and Knight find a way to blend their skills and become all NBA caliber and the rest of the roster plays the best basketball of their lives. That isn't happening.

At number 26, I have the Orlando Magic. I thought that they may be on the up, but not so much after this offseason. Sure, they added Serge Ibaka, but is he a real threat anymore? Was he ever a threat? Now, he is the first option on this team. Yikes. Scott Skiles also quit on this team after one year. I think that speaks volumes on both ends. Skiles couldn't handle the new NBA, and the Magic didn't like his old school approach. They also traded away Victor Oladipo. While not great, he was still a double digit scorer and a very good defender. The Thunder won that trade. Aaron Gordon is a very good leaper, but he doesn't do much else. He needs to develop a jumper and play better defense. Elfrid Payton is just not living up to the hype. the game seems to fast for him. Nikola Vucivic is a stat stuffer, but that doesn't make him great. He fills the stat sheet, but it doesn't really matter. Evan Fournier is garbage. Mario Hezjona hasn't really had a real shot to prove himself. Jeff Green is a total anomaly, and one of the more frustrating players in the NBA. DJ Augustin is a career back up, and after that, all no names. I do like the Frank Vogel hiring, the dude is a good coach, but this team is a few years away from truly competing. 25-30 wins seems to be their ceiling. 

So Ty, how will the Magic win the title? The Magic can win the title if Ibaka returns to his old dominant self on defense, and stops settling for jumpers, and the rest of the team plays much, much better than they have since they've been in the league. The Magic are a team filled with players that have not lived up to their hype and draft position. Vogel will make a difference, but it will be in a year or two.

At number 25, I have the Denver Nuggets. I really, really like Kenneth Faried and Emmanuel Mudiay. The problem is with the rest of their roster, it is junk. Danilo Gallinari has never lived up to his expectations, and he is always hurt. Their first round pick, Jamal Murray, barely scored in college. I don't care that he made a bunch of un guarded jumpers in his workouts, what I saw in his short college career, he had a tough time scoring. Wilson Chandler is on the back end of his career, and the front end wasn't all that great to begin with. Mike Miller is one million years old. Why doesn't he just retire? Gary Harris is now getting into trouble left and right off the court. Jameer Nelson's career was over 3 or 4 years ago. And Darrell Arthur is a very below average NBA player. I like Faried and Mudiay, but my like for them is completely outweighed by my dislike for the rest of the roster. Mike Malone is a good coach, but I don't think even Gregg Poppovich could win with this roster. They may win 28 or 29 games, but that is it.

So Ty, how will the Nuggets win the title? The Nuggets could win the title if Faried develops a deadly offensive game, and Mudiay gets a legit jumper. Oh, and that dumpster fire of a roster actually plays good basketball. That is not happening.

That's it for today. Come back next week for my next 3 teams.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the X Millennial Man Podcast. His daughter is a prodigy since she is able to read at the age of one. Why else would Ty write a happy birthday message. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of generous donors. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

Dwight Howard Deserves Better Than the Rockets

Where does it say these numbers will win an NBA title?

With the NBA trade deadline this Thursday, one name is being thrown around and it's a forgone conclusion that Dwight Howard is going to be traded from Houston to any number of teams. Boston, Atlanta and Toronto have all been brought up as potential landing spots. If you watch ESPN or Fox Sports News or any number of sports media outlets, they are all saying the same thing about Dwight Howard. He's a malcontent, he complains too much, he can't coexist with another star, he's too much of a diva, he's lost his dominant form from five years ago, basically he is the problem they all say. This was the case when he left Orlando in free agency. He didn't like Stan Van Gundy and he quit playing mid way through his last season. He then signed with the Lakers and his one season there was an absolute train wreck. He didn't like playing with Kobe Bryant, coaching was sub par at best and he looked genuinely unhappy that whole season.

Then the big blockbuster deal when he joined the Rockets. He was the missing piece that this team needed, or so it was thought. His first year there, they did okay, but they bowed out of the first round of the playoffs to a Thunder team that didn't have Russell Westbrook. Then, he missed the majority of the first half of last season due to many injuries. The Rockets played surprisingly well in his absence, with James Harden coming on very strong, heavily involved in the MVP race. In fact, Harden was the players choice for MVP last year. But, when they needed Dwight Howard the most, he came up pretty big for the team. He was a key cog in their run to the Western Conference Finals last year. In their three game win streak to complete their comeback against the Clippers, it was Howard, not Harden, that made the difference. He was a force on defense. He was rebounding at an extremely high rate and he was getting whatever he wanted in the post. He made DeAndre Jordan look like a rookie at times during that series. He seemed to be regaining his dominating form.

Then, this past offseason happened. James Harden decided partying and dating a Kardashian was more important than staying in playing shape. Dwight Howard seemed disinterested in even playing basketball. The Rockets traded for Ty Lawson, a deal I still very much liked at the time, but he was coming off multiple DWI and DUI offenses. Basically, this team was in the news for all the wrong reasons. The season started and they limped out of the gate. The Rockets started 4-7 and fired Kevin McHale, a move I still disagree with. Sure, it's up to the coach to come up with a good game plan and the Rockets had little to no interest in playing defense, but the players also have to be invested in getting better and staying in shape. It was clear that Harden and Howard had not done their job. But, instead of taking it on themselves, Harden and Howard blamed coaching, thus the firing of Kevin McHale happened. But, JB Bickerstaff is not the answer at head coach, and to his credit, he was put in a terrible situation. He said it himself, and I couldn't agree more, he is coaching a "broken team".

So now, sitting at 27-28 coming out of the All Star break, the Rockets are looking to make deals, although I think it's a moot point. This team, if they make the playoffs, will be out in the first round. There were reports last week saying that both Harden and Howard met late into the night with GM Daryl Morey, but I believe Harden was the only player present at that meeting. I truly believe he told Morey that it was him or Howard, that one of them has to go.

Now we get to the part where I actually defend Dwight Howard, something I never thought I would say. Sure, Howard is whiny and arrogant and self righteous, but he can still be dominant if put in the right situation. The way the Rockets run their offense is terrible for a big man like Howard. They give the ball to Harden at the top of the key, he dribbles for 15-20 seconds, then he either jacks up a contested three, or he tries to drive to the basket to draw a foul. I don't see how anyone, with Harden being the exception, would like playing in that type of offense. The Rockets are boring and they are predictable. And when you are a big man, you need touches to stay motivated. I don't care if it's just an easy dump pass to him in the high post and he kicks it back out, at least he got his hands on the ball during that possession. It's asking an awful lot, to tell your big man, hey we need you to play hovering defense, rebound at a very high rate and hustle down on offense, but there's only a 25 percent chance you will touch the ball. Any big man would laugh in the coaches face if they asked them to do that. I don't think that Howard is the real problem and I don't think getting rid of him will solve all their problems.

In my opinion, the two main problems on the Rockets are Harden and, way more importantly, Daryl Morey. Harden has been a diva since his last year in OKC. He didn't show up in the finals and when they didn't offer him a max contract, he said he felt disrespected and left in a huff. The Thunder, when healthy, are a much better team without Harden, no matter what Bill Simmons says (he does seem to have had a change of heart). And the fact that he wanted to make his "brand" bigger this offseason, that that was more important than staying in shape, tells me a lot about James Harden the player and person. He really screwed this team this offseason and he's screwing them over during the season.

Forget about the players, Daryl Morey and his analytic nonsense have been the main culprit that has caused this mess in Houston. He thought pairing a three point shooting, ball dominant two guard and a ball dominant, really good rebounding center would work because the numbers told him so. Numbers were wrong. He took a chance on Ty Lawson, even though they already have Patrick Beverly, because the numbers said having two point guards would make them more explosive. Numbers were wrong. He thought firing McHale would solve problems because McHale wasn't taking his analytics serious and that JB Bickerstaff, according to the numbers, would turn this team around. Numbers were wrong. This whole craze of analytics and numbers is about as useful as "moneyball" was in baseball. Sure, you will have a decent regular season, making the playoffs regularly, but, how many World Series have the Oakland A's won since Billy Beane took over as GM? Zero, that's how many. In fact, I don't even think they've made an ALCS in his time. The way to build a team is through developing draft picks and pairing veterans that know how to play the game. This numbers nonsense needs to go. The Warriors and Spurs don't use analytics, they just develop players and win titles.

So yes, if the Rockets do trade Dwight Howard, I hope it comes back to haunt them. I hope he gets on a team that feeds him the ball and I hope he dunks it all over James Harden and Daryl Morey and I hope he laughs while he's doing it. I cannot believe that I defended Dwight Howard, but all the problems with the Rockets don't solely lie on him. James Harden and Daryl Morey deserve the majority of the blame.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. The numbers tell him that it is time to stop watching the Rockets. Ty is on twitter, go follow him @tykulik.

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

I love basketball.

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

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

How the Magic will win it all.

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

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

How the Pacers will win it all.

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

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

How the Hornets will win it all.

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

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

Ty 

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