Ty's 2024-2025 NBA Preview: Not the Worst, but Not Very Good Division

Welcome to day two of my 2024-25 NBA countdown.

Coming in at number 25 I have the Toronto Raptors. It feels like they're trying to rebuild, but the front office is too competent to fully blow it up. They make moves that make too much sense and this pushes them to over 30 wins and at the back end of the lottery, if not out of it all together. Scottie Barnes has the goods to be the number 1 guy on this team. He can handle the ball, is a good passer and rebounder and can score from all three levels. He just needs to stay on the court. They acquired RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley last season and both of those guys played well. I think Barrett is happy to be home and Quickley knows he's going to get real minutes and real shots. Gradey Dick has maybe figured something out, he looked good in Summer League, but he doesn't have the look or feel of a real player on a title contender. They're taking a chance on Davion Mitchell, who can defend but cannot shoot. Bruce Brown should be on a true playoff contending team. His talents are being wasted here. Ja'Kobe Walter is interesting. Chris Boucher is at the back half of his career. Kelly Olynk is mediocre at this point. And Jakob Poeltl is an okay rebounder and nothing else. The Raptors have some decent top end talent, but the bench is thin. Maybe some of the young guys will hit, but they are still far away from truly contending.

At number 24 I have the Utah Jazz. This team starts hot and really fades. I know that's by design, but still, that has to hurt their top guys. Lauri Markennen has proved me wrong. That dude can ball. He is good and deserves to play for a contender. Jordan Clarkson has game. He's not much of a defender, but boy oh boy can he score. I don't know if he will be with the Jazz all season, and if he is, good for them. Keyonte George is interesting, but he is young and needs a little more time to develop. Real minutes would be nice too. Walker Kessler has kind of fallen off a cliff. He doesn't bring much of anything anymore. Collin Sexton is good. He got real playing time and he proved he can stay on the floor with the best of them. Isaiah Collier can be an electric bench scorer, but he has to fully round out his game before he is looked at as a real NBA threat. I cannot stand Kyle Filipowski. He is a perfect fit for Utah, not because of his game, but because of his attitude and weird family stuff. I've always been a fan of John Collins, but he has never really lived up to his draft position. And Patty Mills got a deal based on one good game in the Olympics. The Jazz have a true all star in Markennen and a decent scorer in Clarkson. Outside them and Sexton, this team is funky. I'd love to see them continue to go for it if they start strong. But history tells us that is not the case. And I think they really want to tank and try to get that first, second or third pick in the draft.

At number 23 I have the Chicago Bulls. This team is in purgatory. They can't decide if they want to tank or stay in the play in race. They have been in the play in the past couple years because they hover around 35-38 wins every year. Zach Lavine needs a change of scenery. He is hurt, not as good as he used to be and has asked out many times before. He can still go off for 30, but it is an even more rare occurrence nowadays. Coby White is becoming a damn good player. He has upped his game every season and I expect more from him this year. Josh Giddey is fine, but he is unplayable in important games due to his awful shooting, and he has off court stuff that he has to deal with. Lonzo Ball is in line to play his first game in two years, so who knows what we will see from him. I bet he won't be nearly as explosive though. The rookie Matas Buzelis has some swag, now we need to see if that translates on the floor. Nikola Vucevic is cashed out. He is washed. Patrick Williams is never going to happen. He is done. I like Kenny Lofton Jr, but he is more novelty than anything else at this point. The Bulls need to go full rebuild. They started this offseason when they traded Alex Caruso and let DeMar DeRozan walk. Now they need to fully pull off the bandaid.

At number 22 I have the Atlanta Hawks. This team was in the Eastern Conference Finals three years ago. Now they're here. Trae Young is a fine scorer and point guard, but he is small, he is a zero on defense and he whines way, way too much. I would not want him on my team. He can shoot, but that's all he offers at this point. Clint Capela needs less playing time or to go to a middling team. His time has passed, he cannot shoot jump shots and doesn't have the bounce he used to. Zach Rissacher was the first overall pick in the draft, and has looked pretty good in the preseason. But he is young and skinny and kind of soft right now. Bogdan Bogdanovic had a good Olympics, but I feel like he is an overrated bench player. Jalen Johnson is a very good player. He came on super strong after he recovered from injury last season and I expect him to take an even bigger leap this year. He's awesome. Onyeka Okongwu is okay,  but he is a bench player at best. De'Andre Hunter has never taken the next step since he entered the league. Dyson Daniels is intriguing. The Hawks have to make a decision on Trae Young. Once they do that, they can take the next step to starting over.

The final team for today, at number 21 I have the San Antonio Spurs. I feel like they're going to make the biggest leap of any team this season. Victor Webanyama is legit. He is the next superstar in this league. He can literally do it all. He is a joy to watch and if his Olympics were a sign of things to come, watch out. Chris Paul will bring a nice veteran leader that this young team is begging for. He will be the leader they need. Devin Vassell has true game. He is a very good role player and fits in with this roster very well. I'm very high on the Stephon Castle draft pick. He is very explosive. Jeremy Sochan needs to fully buy into being a defensive enforcer. That is where he excels. Keldon Johnson, much like Vassell, is a perfect fit for Wemby and Greg Poppovich. I like that they acquired Harrison Barnes. He, much like CP3, is a nice steady veteran presence. Tre Jones is an okay backup. Zach Collins has never worked out. Malaki Branham and Malachi Flynn are essentially the same player, but they are years apart in age. The Spurs are going to take a jump. Wemby and CP3 want to win. They have some decent role players. But, the bench is pretty thin and a big leap for this team is equal to 32-35 wins.

That's 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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Zach Edey on the Spurs Makes Too Much Sense

As we get closer to March, I get more excited for the NCAA basketball tournament. Even with Michigan's men's basketball team having a bad season, the football team won the title by the way, in case you all forgot, I still want to watch the tourney. Hell, I'll even check in from time to time with the NIT. I like tournament basketball. The stakes are the highest, we get cool upsets and we see who the best of the best is in the end. The fact that the tournament is around the corner means that it is also the NBA mock draft season.

I look at these closer this time of year because I want to know what players to watch as we get into conference tournaments and March Madness. The mock drafts let me know who I may have forgotten about, or what player from a sleeper team I need to see. This was when my love for Ja Morant started. I saw his name fly up draft boards and I started to pay more attention as his Murray State team made a mini run in the tournament. So, I was looking at a mock draft on Bleacher Report a little bit ago and I saw that this writer had Zach Edey mocked to the Spurs as the 33rd overall pick, the first pick of the second round.

I kind of brushed it off and thought, Edey is big, strong and skilled, he may be a mid to late first rounder. But when I was cleaning my house, I thought a little more about this spot, and the team he was mocked to, the Spurs. For those that may not know, Edey is the starting center for Purdue. Purdue is a good team. They've been in the top 5 all year. And Edey is their best player. He also happens to be 7'4 and he weighs 300 pounds. That is one big dude. I watch him a lot, I'm a Michigan fan so I watch the Big 10 specifically, and not only is he big, Edey is skilled. He has great post moves. He is a good defender. He is a good rebounder due to his height. He is a solid passer. He can see over everyone. And he is pretty dominant in one of the better conferences in all of the country. The only knock on him is his outside shooting, which is non-existent. But, he should make for a fine bench/role player in the NBA. Him being 7'4 has got to be enticing. And this is not a Tacko Fall or Manute and Bol Bol thing. Those guys are very tall and kind of skilled. But they were skinny. Edey is skilled and thick. He will be able to deal with all the stuff that goes down in the post in the NBA. This all works in his favor.

Then, if the Spurs do draft him, they are teaming him up with Victor Webanyama, maybe the best young talent in the NBA. Wemby is amazing. He is supremely skilled. He can dribble like a point guard, shoot like a 2 guard, defend all positions, run an offense, have an offense run through him, rebound, be a menace on defense, he can basically do it all. He has been as advertised. I know the Spurs are very bad right now, but Wemby is worth watching. He is doing amazing stuff night in and night out. But, while he is 7'4 and can do pretty much everything, he is 18 and skinny. Edey can come in and take on the bigger guys in the league and let Wemby be a rover on defense. Edey can come in and find that his role is defense and rebounding, and let Wemby continue to blossom. He can be his backup, or the Spurs could start the two of them together in the low post. That would be a nightmare for opponents, trying to score over those two. Then you throw in a guy like Jeremy Sochan who is already a good defender and menace. He is also 6'8. The Spurs could go guard in this draft, but they do have Tre Jones, who has proven to be a good pick and roll player. They could let Zach Collins or Charles Bassey walk and be okay with Edey sliding into one of their spots. And guys like Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson will be able to hound guards on the perimeter, knowing that they have two 7'4 guys waiting to protect the rim.

I kind of love this idea in this mock draft I read today. Pairing these two is an exercise I'd like to see take place. If Edey pans out even a little bit, the Spurs could be a force within a year or two simply due to their defense. I say do it San Antonio. Take Zach Edey at a reasonable spot if he is available in the upcoming draft. They are trying to build around Wemby, and building means protecting the young star. This will be a great protection on the defensive end. I hope it happens and I hope it works. These two on the floor at the same time would be very cool for me to watch as a fan. Go do it. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Welcome to the NBA Victor Wembanyama

Last night the much anticipated NBA premiere of Victor Wembanyama finally happened. Let’s discuss.

I haven't purposefully tuned into Spurs games the past couple of years because they haven't been very good. That was most likely on purpose so they could draft this kid. But I have watched many Spurs games in the past. My dad was a fan during the David Robinson era, so I was a fan. I adored Tim Duncan in college, so when the Spurs drafted him, I watched them as much as I desired. I was always a Sonics, then Thunder fan, or as I have been for the past four years, a Grizzlies fan. But the Spurs have always been the lone team from Texas that I'll root for openly. I loved Robinson and Duncan when they played, and I fully believe that Greg Poppovich is the greatest to ever coach basketball. Seeing Wembanyama, I get those same feelings.

This kid has got the goods. He should, barring injuries, live up to the hype, if not surpass it. He has all the tools and the skills to thrive, especially in the modern NBA. If you were to just look at his stats, nothing really jumps off the page. He played 23 minutes, shot 6-9 for 15 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, had 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. Nothing too crazy, right? I disagree. First off, his lone block came about 20 seconds into the game, and it was a sign of things to come for years in the NBA. Kyrie Irving had the ball, was doing his magic creating and got to the free throw line for a mid range. This is right in Irving's wheelhouse. But, as the shot was going up, Wemby sailed to the point of the shot and swatted it into the air to start a fast break for the Spurs. He did this to Kyrie Irving everyone. That is insane. Irving, while being a whack job, is one of the best mid range guys in the league. He is showered with praise at how well he can create shots for himself, at his size. Wemby made lightwork of one of the things Irving does best. I mean, come on. It was wild to see him read what was happening, react to change his positioning on the floor, to elevate and then to block the shot. This is a teeanager erasing a champions shot 20 seconds into his first game. I was hooked instantly. Then he made his first shot. I want to state very clearly that Wemby is a teeanger and he is 7'4 before going into this basket. The Spurs ran a high pick and roll with Wemby popping out at the 3 point line. Again, he is 7'4. The guard took the screen, dribbled into traffic and fired a pass to an open Webanyama. Without hesitation he rose and fired. The ball was all net. I was aghast again at what he was doing so quickly into his first NBA game. Being in the right spot, pulling up with no fear and burying a three pointer, as a 7 foot 4 rookie, that is crazier than his block. This kid has the skills to become unguardable in the NBA. And it is not like that was the only 3 he attempted all night. In his 23 minutes, 5 of his 9 shots were threes, and he made 3 of them. I say for what seems like the millionth time, he is 7'4! This is nuts.

He definitely had his hiccups. He turned the ball over four times, he was in foul trouble, but the upside is incredible. We have not seen a prospect come into this first game and look this ready since LeBron. I know that is high praise, but Wemby has earned it dammit. I have fully bought in. I'm a Grizzlies fan through and through, but the Spurs now have my attention once again. Pop is still there, they have a nice young core and Webanyama seems like a once in a generation talent, a la David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Watching this kid play basketball for the next 10-15 years is going to be awesome.

This kid is good, with the potential to be great. I’m stoked to watch it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Ranks the 2023 - 2024 NBA Teams - Opening Band at the Local Dive Bar Division

The NBA season is right around the corner, so that means I am here to rank the teams from worst to best, in my own opinion. This is based on my knowledge of the game and how the teams changed in the offseason. When I did my initial rankings I found it kind of tough. The NBA has some really good teams, and even the teams that aren't very good, they have a bunch of fun players that I cannot wait to watch. I'll do five teams a day and finish up with a prediction blog. Without further ado, let's get started.

At 30 I have the Washington Wizards. They are finally going into full rebuild mode. It is about time. They let Bradley Beal go. They let Kristaps Porzingis go. They gave Kyle Kuzma money to keep the new core young. And they traded for Jordan Poole. Poole will score a lot and do not much else. Kyle Kuzma will have solid games from time to time, but counting on him to be one of your top players seems odd. Tyus Jones was a great pickup in a trade, but I would bet money that he will be on a contender really soon. I love the Bilal Coulibaly pick. He looks like he could be a steal. Deni Avdija is there and plays solid defense, but is a zero on offense. Then there is a major fall off. Johnny Davis hasn't figured it out. Landry Shamet keeps getting traded. Corey Kispert is a wash. Taj Gibson is still here. It is a real mishmash. But, I like that they are finally embracing a rebuild. Jordan Poole will score a ton, but this team will not win many games.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. I don't know how to gauge this team. They have some really good players, but those players are super young and wildly unproven. They cannot stay healthy either. If they get these guys on the court and some pop, they could be better than this. Cade Cunningham is awesome, when he plays. The dude can shoot and has a very high passing IQ. He is even a solid defender. He just has to stay on the court. Jaden Ivey is fast and looked like he was figuring it out near the end of last season. He is like a young Russell Westbrook. Jalen Duren is big and imposing. He is also only 20 years old right now. I love the Ausar Thompson pick. That kid looks legit. They took a flyer on James Wiseman, and maybe playing with no pressure will wake him up, a la Markelle Fultz. Bojan Bogdanovic is a great shooter and a hot trade asset. Joe Harris is here somehow. Isaiah Stewart is imposing, but not much else. Isaiah Livers has moments. And Marvin Bagley got paid and may get to show some stuff this season. But the team is too inexperienced and doesn't have any kind of continuity yet. Time will tell, but I don't think they have it figured out yet. Maybe in two or three years.

At 28 I have the San Antonio Spurs. I love what this team has done. They struck gold in the last lottery. They got Greg Poppovich to sign an extension and they can do a whole lot of stuff in the trade market if they choose. But this team is so very young and they will need a few years to be a perennial playoff team again. Victor Webayama is the future here. He was the lottery win. He is long, lean and blocks so many shots. He will put on weight and get tougher. But he is already a demon on defense, can rebound and he will stretch the floor. Just give him time. Keldon Johnson is a very good, very little known player. He is a perfect Spur. Jeremy Sochan is one of my new favorite players. This kid does all the dirty work and seems to enjoy it. He is a blast to watch. Malaki Branham is going to become a better known name this year. That was a steal in last year's draft. Devin Vassell just got paid and is their best, most pure scorer on the roster. Tre Jones is a serviceable point guard. Then they went out and acquired Reggie Bullock. They still have Zach Collins. Doug McDermott is still around. The Spurs have guys, too many right now. But this team is all about the youth. They will have growing pains, but this team is on the rise. Just not yet.

At number 27 I have the Portland Trailblazers. This team is rebuilding much like the Wizards, they just have better players. Scoot Henderson is the real deal. That kid is going to be amazing from day 1. I think he has a real shot to average 20 plus points a game, and win rookie of the year. Shadeon Sharpe is good as well. He has so much bounce, can rebound and his shot is improving. I love watching Sharpe play. Anfernee Simons is going to score a ton. He is the vet on this team and I think he will like the constant green light to shoot. Jerami Grant is around too, and he is going to really feed off the players on the roster now. I love that they got Deandre Ayton and Rob Williams in recent trades. Those two will make for a nice front court, with major health and will issues. I like both dudes, but Ayton isn't always engaged and Williams is constantly hurt. They have other vets like Malcom Brogdon and Matisse Thybulle, who are okay. And then they got this Toumani Camara rookie in a trade and people seem to love him. The Blazers will not win a ton, but they will be one of the most fun teams to watch all year. They should have massive highlights all year long.

The final team for the day, at 26 I have the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball is their dude. He looks good right now, but he still has a funky shot and cannot stay on the floor. He is so much fun to watch play, when he plays. He has kind of regressed into a ball hog a bit, but maybe that will change this season. Brandon Miller looks like a very good pick, but his fit is weird here. He will start because he is very talented, but I don't know how much he will help the team win. PJ Washington is around for a bit longer, and while he is solid, he doesn't get enough touches to tip the scale. Terry Rozier can score a lot if given enough shots, but he will do nothing else. After those guys the roster is bleak. Nick Richard is an okay backup center, but he might have to start here. Mark Williams is too raw. James Bouknight has never been solid enough to garner big minutes. Cody Martin is the second best Martin in his family. JT Thor, while having a dope name, is not the best big man in the league. The Hornets are not a very good basketball team. They have a star in LaMelo Ball, but he is not the massive, massive star they hoped they were getting. This team has some pieces to figure out on the roster. Maybe they will address some of that in next year's draft.

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Victor Webanyama Won the Draft Lottery

The San Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery last night and will most likely take French phenom Victor Webanyama in the upcoming draft.

I love this so much. The last two times the Spurs had the first pick they took David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Those are some lofty career goals, but if anyone can do it, it is Webanyama. This kid has all the tools to be a legit superstar. He is 7'5. He can handle and shoot. He is a good rebounder. He is an excellent shot blocker. He is a nightmare mismatch on defense. He is skinny, but not Chet Holmgren skinny. He has been crushing in France's highest pro league. He led his team in points, rebounds and blocks. He is an amazing basketball player, and now he is going to go into a situation that will give him all of the best tools to succeed.

This couldn't have gone any better for him. I didn't think the Spurs had a shot, but I am so stoked that they got the pick and that this kid will get to play under Greg Poppovich. With all that is going on in Memphis right now maybe the Spurs will become my second team to root for. My dad has always liked them, as have I, but I have never actively rooted for them. That may change.

The truth is that this is good for the league and for Webanyama. If he had ended up in Houston that would have stunted his growth. That team is full of ball hogs and they have no interest in winning right now. Even if they add Harden I still have little faith in them being a true contender. The Trailblazers would have been fun. Pairing him with Dame would be dope, but that could still happen. Maybe Dame will want to go and play for the Spurs and he could team up with Webanyama and Pop. That would be awesome. I'd love to see that actually. No disrespect to the Blazers, but the Spurs are a much better situation to be in as a young rookie. The Hornets are a mess and who knows what they would do with a talent like this. LaMelo Ball is great, but he is always hurt and kind of a ball and glory hog. If they bring back Miles Bridges I will be done with any rooting interest in that team. They would also put so much on Webanyama's plate and expect him to be the face of the franchise instantly. That may be the case in San Antonio, but, again, a much better run team. The Pistons tanked their way hardcore to the best odds, but they didn't deserve this pick. They had the number one pick a few years ago, and instead of working with him, they made him sit pretty much all season and made him waste a full year. They also openly discussed trading other young players before the draft lottery even happened. That is foul to those players. The Magic don't need Webanyama, they are building something different. The Pacers already have Myles Turner. The Wizards are in NBA purgatory and will be there for quite some time. The Jazz played too well to get close to the number 1 pick. And the Mavericks don't deserve anything of consequence after the way they ended this past season. That was some blatant nonsense they did. I wish they had to give this pick to the Knicks. They don't deserve to be anywhere near the top 10 picks. And while I'm sure all of these other teams in the top 10 could use, and want Webanyama, it is fitting that the Spurs have won the rights to draft him.

This is perfect for the future of the NBA. All of the people who would chastise the Spurs for being "boring" when Duncan was the face of the team will have to deal with another decade plus of very good, very balanced basketball. Webanyama is going to learn from the best and that is only fitting. His talents belong in an organization this well run with the best coach to ever coach in the NBA. I love this and cannot wait to watch him and the Spurs play next season. What an excellent draft lottery. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's 2022-2023 NBA Season Preview - Thunder, Spurs, Jazz

The NBA season is just over a week away, and you know what that means. It is time for my preseason NBA countdown. I remember how wrong I was last year when I picked the Nets to win it all. I will try to not make that mistake again. As always I will go from 30-1, pick the playoffs, award winners and do a men's NCAA basketball preview in a few weeks. Without further ado, let's get to the countdown.

At 30 I have the OKC Thunder. This team is in full rebuild mode. They have made that quite clear with the moves they have made the past few seasons. It also helps the tank job they will do that Chet Holmgren is already done for the season. This foot injury is one of the many reasons why I was so down on Holmgren coming into the draft last year. He is too skinny for his frame. He is going to get bullied by all of the vets that play center. He needs to get thicker and get tougher. But we won't even know what kind of player he is until next season. I adore Shai Gilgeous Alexander. He is awesome. That was a tremendous trade pickup by the Thunder. SGA could be an all star this season, as long as he plays a good amount of games. Lu Dort got paid, he is a good defender and he is getting better at his jumper. He is going to be very good for a long while. Then the roster just kind of falls off. Josh Giddey is fine, but he feels like a role player at best to me. I'm sick of hearing about Aleksej Pokusesvki. He has "been on the cusp" for too long now. He is what he is. Aaron Wiggins is a deep bench guy. Jaylin Williams could be solid, but he is a rookie. Darius Bazley is long and athletic, but hasn't put it together yet. Derrick Favors needs a trade. Kenrich Williams is good, but I want him to play for a good squad. And this has to be Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss' last shot to stay in the league. The Thunder are bad. But, they are bad on purpose. SGA and Dort will be fun to watch, but this team is not going to win more than 25 games this season.

At 29 I have the San Antonio Spurs. I adore Greg Poppovich. I think he is the best coach to ever coach the game of basketball. He is a genius. And the fact that he told people to not bet on the Spurs this season makes me appreciate him that much more. They are going to do everything they can to get the 7'4 French kid. I do like the Jeremy Sochan pick. He is a modern Dennis Rodman who can shoot the ball. But he is very, very young. Keldon Johnson is a solid player, but he is not the guy you want to be your top guy. Jakob Poeltl is slow and plodding and an okay rim protector. I would not be shocked if he gets traded during the season. Joshua Primo is very talented, but again, he is so young. Tre Jones is very average. Josh Richardson is washed. Devin Vassell is a fine player, but he should be coming off the bench. Romeo Langford has not lived up to the hype he had coming out of high school. Doug McDermott is just a shooter, nothing more. Malaki Branham was a homerun pick in my opinion, but he needs time to develop. Zach Collins cannot stay healthy. The true fact is, this team is not trying to win. They want the French kid, and with this roster, that may very well happen.

The final team for the day, at 28 I have the Utah Jazz. The moment they got beat by the Mavs in the first round you knew this team was going to rebuild. Quin Snyder bounced. They traded Rudy Gobert as quickly as they could. They got a great deal for Donovan Mitchell. Bogan Bogdanovic is now in Detroit. Mike Conley will soon be traded. As will Jordan Clarkson. That leaves this team with lots of unproven young guys, or guys trying to revitalize their careers. Colin Sexton will get a shot to lead a team. I really like Sexton, but he has to really show up this year. He got paid and he will be a first option. This is exactly what he wanted. Walker Kesseler is a rookie who will get abused in the post. Malik Beasely is a fine scorer, but he will be asked to do too much on this team. Rudy Gay should get traded relatively soon to a contender. Udoka Azubuike will probably start, and that should be fascinating to watch. Nickeil Alexander Walker should get a real chance to prove he can play in the league. Jared Vanderbilt and Jared Butler will be fun to watch shoot a ton. Lauri Markkanen is definitely washed. Talen Horton Tucker is probably relishing the fact that he will be the second option. And the jury is out on rookie Ochai Agbaji. I loved his game in college, let's see if it translates. The Jazz are going to be very, very bad this year. They know that and are going to run out a bunch of dudes who will be trying to prove things. Anything more than 25 wins would shock me.

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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

Ty's 2021-2022 NBA Preview: Spurs, Wizards, Raptors, Pacers

Welcome to day three of my NBA countdown. We are getting closer to playoff teams. The teams today have a good shot to be in the play in.

At 22 I have the San Antonio Spurs. Greg Poppovich is still the head coach, he’s coming off a gold medal and he’s the GOAT. But this is a totally different team. DeMar DeRozan is gone. LaMarcus Aldridge left last season. Manu, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have long retired. And Patty Mills, the original Spur, left for Brooklyn. What the Spurs have is young talent, especially at guard. I’m a big Dejounte Murray fan. The kid can play. He’s gotten better every year. And now they he’s “the guy” I think he’s going to make a leap. Derrick White has moments here and there. If he can do that more consistently he’s going to become a key starter. Lonnie Walker hasn’t popped quite yet, but it feels inevitable. Keldon Johnson was on Team USA, the people in the building love him and he goes hard every night. Jakob Poeltl seems to have found his role nicely. The young guys are good. I’m not as big a fan of some of the off-season moves. Doug McDermott is no more than a spot up shooter. Thad Young is good but he should be a bench guy. Brynn Forbes is a good shooter, but he barely played in the playoffs last season. Al Faroq-Aminu seems well past his prime. And Zach Collins has never been healthy. I’ll never count the Spurs out while they still have Pop. I also love the young talent they have.

At 21 I have the Washington Wizards. They made a playoff run through the play in, and I think they could be better this season. Brad Beal is great. He’s an all star. He’s one of the best scorers in the league. And he’s loyal. I totally disagree with his opinion on vaccines though. He doesn’t need to do research. Just get the vaccine. They acquired Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Lakers. Kuzma played good defense and became a solid cutter. Caldwell-Pope can shoot and play d. these were good gets in the Westbrook trade. They also went out and got Spencer Dinwiddie. We will see how he’s recovered from his ACL injury, but he’s always been able to put the ball in the bucket. I like Rui Hachimura. He has added to his game and looks ready to make a jump. Davis Bertans can shoot. Thomas Bryant has shown he totally belongs. The jury is still out on Deni Avdija. We will see. Montrezl Harrell is a nice bench guy. Aaron Holiday will give them good backup point guard minutes. The Wizards seem much more put together. They have a better group of guys. Beal needs to get vaxxed. Otherwise though this team should be in the playoff race all year.

At 20 I have the Toronto Raptors. They’re back in Toronto. They’ve moved on from star players that are older. And the young talent should be healthy. Fred Van Vleet is awesome. He’s gotten better every year. He’s more than earned his spot in the league. Pascal Siakim had an off year, but this whole team did. He was hurt too. He’s on his way to being a key starter in the NBA. He’s good. Last year feels like an anomaly. Scottie Barnes needs time, but he could be a jack of all trades. He was good his lone season at FSU. He has the tools. Goran Dragic was a solid get in the Kyle Lowry trade. Lowry is better, but Dragic can play. Previous Achiuwa looks like he’s going to be good for awhile. OG Anounoby can be great if he can stay healthy. He’s so good. Khem Birch is a very good rebounder and defender. Chris Boucher looked real, real good last year. The fact that he can shoot threes now is a big deal for this team. And Gary Trent Jr is an okay enough bench guy. The Raptors are the East’s version of the Spurs. Last year was a fluke. Don’t sleep on this team.

The final team for today, at 19 I have the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are wheats tough. Even when the roster is thin, they still find a way to win much more than they should. That is this team. A lot changes if the Ben Simmons rumors are true, but we will just go along today as if they don’t trade for him. Caris Levert is legit. He’s good. He can score from anywhere. He plays tough defense and he’s getting much needed playing time. Damontas Sabonis is an all star. He’s a great passer, adequate shooter, good defender and rebounder and the offense runs through him. Myles Turner is a defensive monster. He’s so good in that end of the floor. Malcolm Brogdon is just a solid player. And the way he exploded on the Hornets last season was a great sign. If they get a healthy TJ Warren he adds a whole new level of offense off the bench. Chris Duarte was a solid pick. He’s NBA ready right now as a rookie. TJ McConnell is a pest. He and Turner would be a nightmare to play against. Jeremy Lamb, when healthy, is a good bench scorer. And Justin Holiday is a solid backup. The Pacers will be in the hunt all year for the playoffs. Again, if they get Simmons it changes their outlook. But right now they should be a lock for the play in.

That’s it for today. Come back for the next four teams tomorrow. That will be the start of my playoff teams.

Ty

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

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The Good and the Bad of NBA Free Agency

Yesterday was all about how curious I am to watch the Lakers this upcoming season. Today I want to talk about some of the free agent signings I am high on and some I'm not so crazy about.

Let's get the "bad" out of the way first.

I am not a fan at all of what the Pelicans are doing. They let Lonzo Ball go in a sign and trade and only got Toma Satoransky and, I think, Thad Young in return. They then went out and got Davante Graham, who I like, but he does nothing to help them defensively which is what they lack the most. These moves all seem very parallel. It all started when they traded the 10th pick, Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams to the Grizzlies for the 17th pick, Jonas Valnciunas and someone else who barely played for the Grizzlies. Steven Adams to Valanciunas is not much of an upgrade. And the pick swap was of no significance. Maybe the Pelicans have something else up their sleeve that no one knows about, but right now these moves would worry me if I were Zion, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart.

I also am not crazy about what the Spurs are doing. I really like the young guys they have on the team and I want them to run it with those guys. They decided to go out and sign Doug McDermott, Brynn Fobes and Zach Collins. McDermott is no more than a three point shooter and so is Forbes except not as consistent. Zach Collins simply cannot stay healthy. He is so injury prone that I am kind of surprised he is still in the league. I did like their draft, but these free agent signings are odd. But they are the Spurs, and they know way more than I do.

Finally, I kind of loathe what the 76ers are doing with Simmons. I know he isn't a free agent, but the asking price in a trade has kind of handcuffed them as far as who they could have tried to get. They also missed out on Kyle Lowry and he would have been a perfect fit for them. The lack of anything, and the asking price for Simmons would have me worried if I were a 76ers fan.

Now for the good stuff.

Speaking of Kyle Lowry, I absolutely love what the Heat have done this offseason. They added Lowry and PJ Tucker and retained Duncan Robinson. Sure they had to trade Goran Dragic to get Lowry, but I'd do that trade ten times out of ten. The Heat are going to be grueling to play against. Their defense, with Butler, Adebayo and now Lowry and Tucker is going to get under opponents skin. They will grind the hell out of other teams. And on offense they have added a great floor general, kept their best three point shooter and re-signed Butler, who can create baskets out of absolutely nothing. While not on Brooklyn or Milwaukee's level, I think the Heat have pushed their way into the third spot in the East.

I also like what Atlanta has done. They have only brought in Delon Wright, but they also kept this team who went to the East Finals together after they gave Trae and John Collins big contracts. The Hawks are going to be a perennial playoff team, they have this young core intact which will keep them good for the next four or five years and they may become more attractive to future free agents if they keep winning like I expect them to. Sometimes less is more in the NBA.

Finally on the good side, my favorite offseason moves come from the Chicago Bulls. They are all in on making a push to, at the very least, the play in next season. They got Lonzo, they brought in Alex Caruso and they have now surrounded Zach Lavine with the playmakers that will further push him into the upper tier of an all star. This team is young, exciting, explosive, better defensively and should be so much fun to watch. Ball has gotten better and better every year and I think he will thrive playing next to Lavine. Caruso, for all the unnecessary love he gets, is a solid role player and will fit in just fine. Nikola Vucevic is a very skilled offensive player and he now knows the system. Coby White is so much fun to watch and he had a very good second season. Patrick Williams looks like the real deal. And Lavine is coming off an all star season and he has looked decent in the Olympics. The Bulls need to start winning and the moves they made this offseason should help them make a playoff push. I have been super impressed with their offseason.

I love NBA free agency and this year has been especially fun. I cannot wait to watch all these guys on their new teams. The new season cannot start soon enough.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NBA Play in Games Preview

The NBA regular season is over. It feels weird typing that. Usually, in the before times, we would be knee deep in the playoffs right now. But due to the pandemic, then the bubble, this most recent season had a very fast turnaround. These are strange days indeed.

The season was awesome, in my opinion. I loved watching the games, I found them competitive and I was interested in how all the teams dealt with COVID in many different ways. But I am ready for playoff basketball. Playoff basketball is my absolute favorite sport to watch. It is the best drama on TV. The players step up their game and it is very exciting. I am going to do a full playoff preview, but that will not come until after the play in games are all done. You all will have to wait for that until Thursday. But today I am going to do a play in preview.

First off, I love love love the play in. I like the addition of two more teams, I find it has made the end of the last two seasons a bit more meaningful and competitive and anytime I can get extra playoff basketball, that is a treat. I also like the eight teams we have in the play in. They all have very different skill sets. Some are older veteran laden teams and some, like my Memphis Grizzlies, are very young and on the come up. I also really enjoy the single elimination feel we get from this, and that every team in the play in will have to bring it in order to make the playoffs. This is an absolute home run idea.

I will start with the East, or the JV as I call it. The 7-8 matchup could have been incredible if not for Jaylen Brown being out and Bradley Beal not at 100 percent. But, both Russell Westbrook and Jayson Tatum are playing really good basketball right now. Russ is getting triple doubles on the regular and Tatum just had 60 in a game, and followed it up with a bunch of 30 point outings. He is on fire. As for who I think will win, this is a total toss up to me. The Celtics are deeper and younger, but not having Jaylen Brown is brutal. The Wizards might be the hottest team in the NBA right now, Russ is doing all the little things and they are getting other guys to contribute. But they are five games below .500. They just started playing well now. For that reason only, I am picking the Wizards. They will continue on their current streak, and the Celtics will have to win two games just to get the 8th seed. Their season has been a total disappointment.

The 9-10 matchup is a tale of two very different teams. The Hornets are young and exciting and LaMelo Ball has been awesome, but they are not a true playoff team yet. The Pacers have vets, they have playoff experience, but they have not been very good all year, and their coach may get fired after his lone season. I really want to pick Charlotte here because I think it would be awesome to see Ball go up against Boston for the 8th seed, but I am going with the experience and picking Indiana.

I also have Indiana beating the Celtics simply because Brown is out, and Boston never really got their footing all year. They are a mess. So that means I have the Wizards as the 7 and the Pacers as the 8.

Now for the Varsity, the West. The 7-8 matchup is going to rule. The NBA and the TV people could not have asked for a better play in game. We get the Lakers and the Warriors. Steph and LeBron. AD versus a platoon of big men waiting to hurt him. Draymond playing defense on multiple guys. The Lakers throwing the kitchen sink to stop Steph. This is going to be fun. In the long run though, I think the Lakers will win. I'm sure both AD and LeBron were hurt, but they also know they can turn this into a "redemption" story. They both missed a ton of games, the Lakers fell to this spot, they need AD and LeBron, and here they come to save the day. This is almost too perfect of a script, and the NBA, AD, LeBron and the Lakers all know this.

Then we have the 9-10, with Memphis facing San Antonio. This is eerily similar to the East's 9-10 matchup with style of play, but both these teams are much better. Memphis is young and hyper athletic. When the shooters are on, they are on. But they have had tons of injuries. I think Jaren Jackson Jr has only played something like 10 games. Ja missed a ton of time earlier this season from an ankle injury. Dillon Brooks has been in and out of the lineup. They also have had trouble finishing games lately. The Spurs got really fat on an easy early schedule, but they had a murderers row to close the season. They won some of the games, but that schedule pushed them where they are now. The Spurs are a typical Gregg Poppovich team, they pass well, play great defense and don't take dumb shots, but this is a rebuild for them. They are so young and so inexperienced outside of DeMar DeRozan. I am picking Memphis, and I will watch every single second of this game. Memphis is better and deeper, but can they finish? That is the big question for me.

So with the Lakers at 7, we would have Memphis and Golden State playing for 8, and we just witnessed this game yesterday. Memphis just couldn't get out of their own way, and they let Steph go off. I feel like the same thing is going to happen. It will be close and tough, but Steph will do what he does, and the Grizzlies will be knocked out of the playoffs yet again. That means I have the Lakers at 7 and Warriors at 8. The NBA will be thrilled at the first play in game, and then having both those teams make the playoffs still. I cannot wait for these games to start tomorrow night.

This is going to be a blast. I love playoff basketball.

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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Happy Retirement LaMarcus Aldridge

LaMarcus Aldridge retired from the NBA last week. I feel like I’m still processing this news. He looked to be finding his groove in Brooklyn. He was going to be a contributor, probably a starter, on one of the favorites from the East. He was putting up solid numbers. And he finally seemed to be healthy. Then, out of the blue, he retired due to an irregular heartbeat.

I read Aldridge’s statement after hearing the news, still in disbelief, and it was profound and perfect. The way he talked about teams giving him a chance, Portland drafting a skinny guy from Texas and letting him flourish, to San Antonio signing him when he was a prized free agent and letting him be him, to Brooklyn who was happy to have him, and very much needed him, it was so nice and so correct. When he talked about how he’s dedicated his life to basketball, putting things on the back burner to get better at honing his skills, to constantly working on his game, to now realizing what is important, his family and his health, that part made me tear up. And when he simply ended it with a very warm and gentle thank you, it was so true to the person he is, and was as a basketball player.

I did some digging and found out that he had a rough night a few nights back with his irregular heartbeat. He then felt better I guess, enough to play, but then it came back. That scared him. That would scare me. And then to come to this decision, to walk away with a chance at a ring, I respect the hell out of him for that. He chose family and health over fame. He wants to see his kids grow up. He wants to be with his partner. He wants to experience things all of us non professional athletes take for advantage. I’ve had the great pleasure seeing both my kids take their first steps, lose their teeth, scrape their knees and find out their limitations. LaMarcus Aldridge may have missed out on some, or all of those things. I can’t imagine missing that stuff. Now though, he doesn’t have to. I would love to say that I’d do the same, but I don’t know. Knowing LMA, his situation must have been very, very scary. He must’ve been worried for his life, to walk away. Again though, I respect it.

As for his career, I think he will go down as an underrated star. In Portland he grew as a young rookie into a reliable scoring threat from the high and low post. His jumper from the corner of the high post was one of the most reliable shots in the NBA. Every time he rose up to shoot I assumed it was going in. He parlayed that into a nice duo with Damian Lillard. Lillard and Aldridge formed a solid duo that helped Portland get back to respectability. They became a perennial playoff team. They were always a threat. They beat some good teams in early playoffs rounds. Then, at the height of his career, he was the free agent everyone wanted. He took meetings with any team he chose. He was the guy that teams thought could put them over the edge. As sad as I was to see him leave Portland and Dame, I was pleasantly surprised when he signed with the Spurs. He could’ve signed with either LA team, or joined a burgeoning super team, but he picked San Antonio. I think it was part Greg Poppovich, part the similarities in his game to Tim Duncan. And while he didn’t have the same success Duncan had, the Spurs stayed relevant and kept making the playoffs. Aldridge ushered in the post Tim Duncan era. He was a solid replacement for Duncan. He wasn’t Duncan, no one is, but Aldridge was serviceable. The past two seasons he slowed down a bit, but he was in the league for 15 years. He was an older vet, plain and simple. Then he asked out of San Antonio, as expected, they’re going super young, finally, and he signed with Brooklyn for the minimum. I was kind of surprised, but understood why. He was nearing the end of his career, and he saw an opportunity for a ring, but he wouldn’t have to compromise the player he was. And seeing him play in Brooklyn, he was fitting in just nice. He was getting starts, playing solid minutes and draining that corner jumper of his regularly. He looked to be another offensive weapon. Then the irregular heartbeat came up, and his career was over.

I do not want us to put LMA in some weird category. He doesn’t have a ring or an MVP or any of that, but LMA is an all time great big man. He was a great mold of old school and new school basketball. He was great in the post, but could also pull rim protectors out of the post with his jumper. He was a solid rebounder. And he played serviceable defense. To me his career is really no different than another player’s that was cut very short due to an unforeseen health issue, Chris Bosh. It’s a shame both of them didn’t get a full run in the NBA. But what they gave us was pretty memorable. I do think LMA is a hall of fame basketball player, and I agree with Dame that Portland should retire his number.

Enjoy retirement LaMarcus Aldridge, and stay healthy. You had a great NBA career, but now you get to be with your family and witness everything you’ve been wanting to see. You more than deserve it. Congrats on a wonderful career.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: Not This Year

Day 2 of my NBA countdown features five better teams than yesterday, and again, I think the Thunder are going to be a force in a few years, but not that much better. The NBA really is down to about five or six teams, honestly maybe just three teams, that are true title threats. But at least it isn't like when the Warriors had KD and it was already a done deal that they would win when healthy. Let's get to it.

At number 25, and I cannot believe I have a team coached by Greg Poppovich this low, and I hope he proves me wrong, is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have been one of the most reliable franchises in my entire two decades of fervently watching the NBA. They were always a playoff team, usually a threat to win a round or two, and would win titles from time to time. First it was teaming up Duncan with David Robinson, then drafting and developing Kawhi and then surrounding Kawhi and Duncan with some of the greatest role players ever. Then Duncan retired. Then Kawhi asked out. And here they are now. They were invited to the bubble, but they did not make the playoffs for the first time in forever. And while the Spurs have big names, DeMar DeRozan and Lamarcus Aldirdge, they are older, DeRozan wants out and they cannot keep up with the modern NBA. I am a DeRozan and Aldridge fan, I like both guys, but there is no way around the fact that they have aged, and not very well. I also like Rudy Gay, but I think he is as old as me, and he doesn’t have the juice he used to. I love the younger guys they have, like Lonnie Walker, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, but they can't all be on the floor at the same time. I think Keldon Johnson has talent, he just has to be groomed, and it may take a few more seasons. Jakob Poeltl, Trey Lyles and Patty Mills are solid vets, but at this point they seem more like trade bait now. The Spurs have the greatest basketball coach of all time, and they will be competitive. The simple fact is, they don't have the talent needed, especially in the West, to make the playoffs.

At number 24 I have the Minnesota Timberwolves. I know they have playoff aspirations, and they took Anthony Edwards number one overall, which will help scoring, and they paired KAT with D'Angelo Russell, but I just don't see this team getting over the hump quite yet. They do have all that young talent, throw Jarrett Culver in there too, but they play in the West, and they don't play much defense. If the Timberwolves were in the East, maybe they have enough offense to overcome their defensive deficiencies. But they don't, and the top teams in the West will eat them up. For all the great things KAT and Russell do on offense, they are flat out bad defensively. Edwards is a brick house, and a walking bucket, but he didn't play much D his one year in college. Culver was supposed to be the defensive guru, but he didn't have the greatest rookie year on that end. I think he can be better, but it will take time. The rest of the roster is ho hum to me. Josh Okogie is fine, but no better than a bench player. They have Ricky Rubio again, but he is only older and slower. Malik Beasley can score, I just don't know how much time he will be on the floor. Naz Reid dominated the G League, but now he is going to have to play against the best of the best. And Jake Layman is so blasé. The Timberwolves are moving in the right direction, and I love that Flip Saunders son is the head coach, but they are still a few years away, and they need to keep this core together to reach any vision of what they expect their future to hold.

At number 23 I have the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets did a few things right this offseason. They took Lamelo Ball, which was a smart pick, and were finally able to get off Nic Batum's contract. They found out Devontae Graham is a solid player, and were able to get rid of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. They also finally shed Tyler Zeller and Frank Kaminsky. But then they took these moves, and the money left over, and went out and gave Gordon Hayward way, way too much money. They also gave Terry Rozier far too much money. For as great a player Jordan was, the GOAT, he is not a very good GM. They seemed to be doing correct stuff, then they did that deal for Hayward, and it just took me right back to the Batum deal. Hayward is a shell of the player he was in Utah, and only got worse, and bypassed by better players in Boston. Rozier is a solid offensive guy, but he is so much better in a Lou Williams role, than as a starter. Ball is going to be okay, and I think playing in Charlotte is big time for him, but he is a rookie, and a young rookie. Malik Monk is not the scorer I thought he would be coming out of college. PJ Washington is good, and he should get the bulk of minutes at the 4. Miles Bridges is hyper athletic, but I still don't know if he can shoot. Outside these guys it is a really mishmash of players. I thought they could compete for the playoffs this year, but it just doesn't look likely. I will watch them on League Pass because they should be fun, but fun doesn't equal wins.

At number 22 I have the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are still just an absolute mess. They cannot get out of their own way. They missed, at least so far, on the Luke Walton hiring. When he doesn't have guys like Steph and Klay at his disposal, it is a lot harder to coach. DeAaron Fox is awesome, and I am stoked that he got a max deal, but I do not see much else that is desirable about that team. Buddy Hield wants out, and his shot was off last year. Marvin Bagley cannot stay healthy. Harrison Barnes is going down the Rudy Gay path. Hassan Whiteside is a head case. Jabari Parker has been a bust, and he got COVID a few months ago. Richaun Holmes plays hard, but he just doesn't have that "it" quality. I like Tyrese Haliburton, but I feel like the Kings are going to screw him up. The Kings need to play fast and space the floor. The only problem, the only guy they have that can do that is Fox. No one else plays like that, or if they do, they cannot stay healthy. The Kings are in NBA purgatory.

My final team of the day, at number 21, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. Some may say this is too low for them, that they should be a playoff team, but I am not ready to put them there yet. I love the Stan Van Gundy hire. I think he will do very good things with that team. I also love how many picks they have in the near future. The Pelicans and the Thunder will own the draft for the next decade. And I like their young, talented core. But, they have issues with health and defense and depth. Zion Willamson is an other worldly talent. He is a once in a lifetime player. He is amazing. But, he has had issues at Duke and during his rookie year with injuries. I want him to stay healthy because I love watching him play. Lonzo Ball is a solid defender and very good passer, but he is a bad shooter. Brandon Ingram is an awesome offensive player, and I personally think he is their best overall player. He deserved his max deal. Jaxson Hayes is as raw as they get, but I bet Stan Van Gundy can mold him into a defensive force. I like the addition of Steven Adams, and I think Zion will too. But Adams doesn't add much space. And Eric Bledsoe and Josh Hart are okay enough to get some minutes. The big problem with this team for me is health. If they can stay healthy, and that is a humongous if, they could fight for the playoffs. I don't think they will, and I think they are still a bit young. They also have the West to deal with. New Orleans will be good, a perennial playoff team, just not yet.

That is it for today. Come back tomorrow for 5 more teams. We are starting to get to the better, possibly playoff bound 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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A Few Thoughts on Rudy Gobert's NBA Future

Even though there is currently no basketball, and if I'm being honest, I do not think it is coming back this year, I do have a few stories about basketball for you all the next couple of days. The one I want to focus on today is the rumors, which I fully believe, that are flying around right now about the fractured relationship between Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

So, all of the basketball world, and most of the rest of the world for that matter, can pinpoint the Gobert incident as the starting point of shutting down sports across America. Gobert was infected, he acted nonchalant, he infected his teammate and the NBA was suspended immediately. They actually suspended it right after he was confirmed to have COVID-19 that night. For the rest of time, Gobert's name will be infamous with who was the catalyst for major pro sports leagues to shut everything down. That is a fact. And the way he treated the situation at first was wrong on every single level. To be on the court for warm ups was wrong, to touch all the microphones during his interview was wrong, to toy and mess around with teammates was wrong. The fact that he went out and thought it was okay to conduct himself in the manner he did was foolish, arrogant and, quite frankly, life threatening. With all that being said, he has tried to make up for his mistakes. He has donated a good amount of money to research. He has, I believe, let his blood get tested. He has adhered to all the guidelines since his infection. He has gone on in interviews and apologized for his actions and has said he is trying to reignite his relationship with his teammates, specifically Mitchell. But, if I were Mitchell, I would be very wary of him. I fully understand why he is pissed off, why he doesn't, or is hesitant, to try and repair their relationship. It all makes sense from Mitchell's stand point. Also, he is much more important to the Jazz franchise than Gobert is, full stop.

Which leads me to my point today. With all these rumors swirling, talk of trading Gobert, or Mitchell for that matter, but more so Gobert, have heated up big time. I get it, and it makes sense. The only real problem is the contract stuff. Gobert makes a ton of money, and he isn't a free agent until 2022. So the team that takes him on, if he gets traded, has to pay him a lot, and may not get him back.

With that being said, I have been racking my brain thinking of a team where Gobert would fit. Before I fully get into it, I am not going to match the money or contract or anything like that. I am just going to go off what I think fits, and where I think it would be best for him to repair his reputation. Therein lies another problem with this. Gobert may not be wanted by a good amount of teams. His actions were rough, and players and coaches and GM's everywhere saw that. That will forever be on their minds. So taking all of that in account I thought of two teams that would fit, that can compete and where he would make sense and the Jazz could get a solid return.

The first team is Boston. In Boston they don't care if you murdered multiple people, they will still wear your jersey and say you are innocent if you bring them titles. He could go there, play his suffocating rim protecting defense and help the Celtics become instant title contenders. The only thing they are really missing is a true rim protector. They don't have a guy that can do that at as high a level right now, and they wouldn't have to give up much of their super young, super talented wing guys. Mitchell is already a great wing player, so Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they could stay in Boston. In actuality I feel like the Celtics wouldn't have to give up much. They would have to part with picks for sure, and of they had to send a few players over there, they could send a guy like Semi Ojeleye or Robert Williams, or a return of Gordon Hayward to Utah. That is who actually makes the most sense to me. Boston could give Utah Hayward because the contracts are similar in money and time, and they would have to send picks, which I think they would do quick to get a guy like Gobert. And if he instantly turns them into a contender, the fans and players and coaches in Boston would easily forget about what he did.

As for the other team, the one I think makes almost too much sense, is the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio is quiet, they have their own culture and they protect their players. People didn't blame San Antonio when Kawhi wanted out, they blamed Kawhi's uncle. They have helped a guy like Rudy Gay restore his career. It's not like he had a rough career, he was always looked at as a guy teams were better without. That is not the case now. Nobody ever talks about Tony Parker cheating on his wife while in the league. I fully believe that San Antonio protected him, kept him out of the news and media buildings and made sure he never brought it up. San Antonio is like the New England Patriots of the NBA. If you can't restore yourself there, that means you are done. I feel like Gobert could land there and be totally out of the news, which would be the absolute best thing for him. They would have to trade some young assets, maybe a guy like Bynn Forbes or Dejounte Murray or Lonnie Walker. But I feel like the Spurs would be okay with letting one or 2 of those guys go to clear up playing time for whoever they keep. If they give up Forbes and Walker, that leaves Murray to run point. If they have to give up Murray. Forbes can return to a bench role and Walker can finally get his shine. They would make it work. And before I hear the backlash of having too many big contract guys, LMA, DeMar DeRozan and Gobert, they wouldn't be on the books for too long. LMA has a few years left, but DeRozan is a free agent this off season and Gobert would be off the books the next year. It also works for me because Greg Poppovich is not going to coach much longer. He only has a few seasons left, and getting a front court duo of Gobert and LMA could work. They are both big. LMA can score and rebound with some of the better bigs in the league. Gobert is the rim protector and rim runner that could work with Murray or Walker, whichever one they keep. The team is also filled with vets that could help take the heat off Gobert. It would also put this team back in the playoff picture. They could slow down some other teams that have bigger guys that crush them now.

Time will tell with this, but if I were the Jazz, and I wanted to rid myself of this whole thing, these are the 2 teams I would call first to test the waters. We will see. 

Ty

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

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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. 

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Never Count Out Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs

Continuing with basketball this week, I want to give a shout out to the San Antonio Spurs. They’re currently on a 9 game win streak, beating teams like the Warriors, Pistons, Nuggets and the Thunder along the way, all playoff teams by the way.

The way the Spurs have done this is impressive. I know I may get some flak for this, but they’re winning in the West with no real super stars. I know DeMar DeRozan is really good, and LaMarcus Aldridge is an All Star, but let’s be honest, they’re not LeBron or KD or Kawhi or Steph or Jokic. But, they’ve bought into the Spurs system, and they’re winning with mid range and dump passes to the post, and most importantly, defense. They’re a super tenacious team on that end of the floor.

The other night, their win over the Warriors, I think I only saw 2 open shots. Everything was contested. Everything had to be earned. There were many end of the shot clock situations. And that’s what they’ve been doing this whole win streak.

As for their “stars”. DeRozan will never be Kawhi on defense, but he’s having, by far, his best defensive season. He is actually stopping other 2 guards. Good 2 guards. Klay couldn’t do much against him. Jamal Murray struggled. PG had a tough time. This was due to DeRozan’s defense. The same can be said for Aldridge. He’s making life miserable for other big men. So is Jakob Poeltl in his limited minutes. Patty Mills is being a pest. Even Derrick White is showing flashes on the defensive end. And while this may sound like I’m saying they’re winning ugly, they’re not. Their defense has been exceptional, and so has the offense. Aldridge and DeRozan are crushing the mid range. White is scoring from almost everywhere. Mills is shooting the three at a solid clip. They’re just doing it all.

While I enjoy the players, I have to say, I feel like a lot of this success is due to Gregg Popovich. He is only furthering my belief that he’s the best NBA coach ever. I mean, a lot of respected journalists said that this was going to be the year that the Spurs missed out on the playoffs, especially after losing Dejounte Murray prior to the year. They figured they wouldn’t be able to compete in the West. They said they had no stars, which I agree with. But, I picked them to make the playoffs because of Poppovich. He’s amazing. He knows how to adjust. He knows how to squeeze every ounce of talent out of his players. He rules.

Where we sit right now, after this streak, the Spurs are 42-29, good enough for 5th in the West, with a good chance at the 4 seed if they close strong. I figured they’d be a playoff team, winning 45-48 games. But, the way they’re going now, I don’t think 50 wins is out of the question. My hat is off to the Spurs. DeRozan, Aldridge, White, Mills, the whole roster for that matter, and mainly Gregg Popovich are proving the Spurs still matter, and they will still give opponents fits. What a team.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Wizards, Spurs, Pelicans

As promised yesterday, from here on out, the rest of my teams are playoff teams. Some of today's teams are train wrecks, but they play in the East, so they have an easy route. Others on today's list have fallen due to injury or loss of star players. And the other, this may be their last shot to make an impression on their lone star player, and try to get him to stay. Time will tell. Anyway, lets get to it.

At number 15 I have my train wreck team, the Washington Wizards. First things first, I hope they change their name back to the Bullets. I know it has bad connotations, but the symbol was cool, and it isn't nearly as bad as some other team names in pro sports. As far as this roster, it is talented and it is wild. It may be one of the oddest group of players I have seen. These guys all seem to hate one another, but they don't have to hang out outside a basketball court, and if they buy in while on the floor, they can make it to the playoffs. I love John Wall. I know that his teammates may not like him, but I think he is great. He is fast and can get to the hoop. Yes, he has gained some weight this offseason, but I am one of the people who believes the stories about this being muscle, not fat. Star players always do something in the offseason to make them better, and Wall decided to put on muscle to play in the post. I fully buy that. Wall is good and will continue to be good. His teammates, as I said, may not like him, but they need him. Bradley Beal is one of the guys that doesn't seem to like him. But, Beal is an awesome young player that needs a guard like Wall to get him open shots. When Beal is on, boy is he good. He can score in bunches. He may not be a very good defender, but he is the type of player where I will take the scoring over the defense. He is such a pure shooter. From here on out, this roster gets wild. They traded for Austin Rivers. I am a big time hater of Austin Rivers. I do not think he is a good NBA player. But, he has had a mediocre career, which is better than I thought he would do. He does have one, maybe 2 nights a year, where he just explodes. But, he is super tough to play with, and a lot of people say he isn't fun to be in a locker room with. That spells doom for me. They also signed Dwight Howard. Why? I mean, his track record speaks for itself. He may play well with a guard like Wall, but he is already hurt. And, he is a locker room problem. Otto Porter Jr deserves better than this. I think he is one of the more underrated NBA players. The guy can score and play defense. He is good, but no one knows because of the toxic nature in DC. The same thing can be said for Kelly Oubre, but he isn't as good as Porter. He is the poor man's Porter. He also needs more playing time. The Wizards also fell for the Jeff Green experiment. This dude continues to stay in the league, and I don't know how. He is hyper athletic, but he is wildly inconsistent. Markieff Morris is there, but I'd rather have Marcus Morris of the twins. And then there is Ian Mahinmi. He might be the most overpaid player in the NBA. He makes Gorgui Dieng's contract look manageable. The Wizards have talent, but they are very toxic. They will make the playoffs, and maybe even win a round because Wall and Beal are so good, but this team is going to be drama filled all season long.

At number 14 I have the San Antonio Spurs. Now, it needs to be said, the Spurs were in my top 10 2 days ago. Then the Dejounte Murray injury happened. He was the new point guard to lead this team. He was ready. He waited his turn, and now he is out for the year. That is going to hurt them. What helps them, they have LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan and the best NBA coach ever, Greg Poppovich. He will get this team to 45-48 wins. He did it last year, and Kawhi was hurt, Ginobli was a million years old, as was Pau Gasol and Tony Parker. While the Murray injury is a blow, they have guys that can step in for one year. As I mentioned, Aldridge was so much better last year than his first with the team. He was an All Star. His jumper came back. He was rebounding at a solid clip. This is his team now, and I think that is good for him. They traded Kawhi Leonard, they had to, but they replaced him with DeRozan. DeRozan is nowhere near the defender that Kawhi is, but no one is the defender that Kawhi is. DeRozan can also get buckets. He will also be out there to prove people wrong that he isn't a star level player. I like that DeRozan. He now has a chip on his shoulder. Patty Mills will be the most likely replacement for Murray and while he isn't Murray, he has been in big games, played big minutes and is the perfect Spurs player. Lonnie Walker, who I love, is hurt right now,  but when he gets back, I think he will play real well. This was the perfect situation for him to be placed in, and as soon as he gets back from injury I want to see him play. Pau Gasol is still in the league, but I look at him like a lesser version of Dirk, without the shooting touch. They brought back Marco Bellinelli, and his best playing days where his first go around with the Spurs. He can still shoot too. Rudy Gay is still strong and can get to the rim and has bought into the Spurs system. They got Jakob Poeltl in the Kawhi trade, along with DeRozan, and I think he will be a fine back up center. I also like Derrick White's athleticism. This team will step back, they were bound to. They also lost Kawhi, Ginobli and Tony Parker. This was bound to happen. And losing Murray is a real bummer. But as long as Poppovich is coaching this team, I will continue to put them in the playoffs, even in the West.

My final team for the day, the team that needs to really show out to keep their star, I have the New Orleans Pelicans. This may, most likely be, Anthony Davis' last year with the Pelicans. I don't want it to be, but he has signed with LeBron's agency, he wants to play in a bigger market and he wants to be more recognized by the casual basketball fan. I hope he pulls a Russell Westbrook and sticks around, but I don't think he will. He is probably the best center in the league. He is the most athletic. He can score from anywhere. He is one of the best defenders in the league. Davis is an MVP level super star. He is all the Pelicans have. And that is not a knock to the roster, he is just so much better than everyone else on that team by a billion miles. That being said, I like Jrue Holiday. He absolutely owned both CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard in the playoffs last year. He shut them down. He can score if need be. He is a great distributor. Holiday is a real good point guard, as long as he is healthy. Nikola Mirotic was a surprise solid addition to this team last year. He was that outside threat they needed. Solomon Hill is a bull dog defender and rebounder. He is the Pelicans James Johnson. They made some signings this year that like too. Julius Randle at the price they got him for was great. He will also want to show out so he can get a bigger contract. I also think him getting out of LA will benefit him majorly. They took on Elfrid Payton, and I think him backing up Holiday, or playing point while Holiday is the 2 will cause some problems for opposing teams. Payton hasn't lived up to his draft position, but maybe playing with Holiday and Davis will help him out. They also took a chance on Jahlil Okafor. They got all these guys for cheap, and if one hits, it could possibly sway Davis. This is Okafor's last shot I feel, and he is already hurt, but when he comes back, he brings an element to the low post, on offense, that will greatly benefit Davis' ability to step out. E'Twaunn Moore is a solid 7th or 8th man. Chieck Diallo could possibly break out and be the instant energy guy they could so sorely use. The Pelicans have an okay roster that is bolted down by a mega star, Davis, and a smaller level star, Holiday. Everyone else is a role player. I think this will be Davis' last year there, again, I hope not, and I think they will try and go out with a bang. They will be a playoff team, and they will be a tough out.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next three teams. We are nearing the top 10.

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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Happy Retirement Manu Ginobli

Manu Ginobli hung up his sneakers after 16 years of playing in the NBA.

Me personally, I am a big time fan of Ginobli's. He was one of the most selfless players I have watched in the NBA. He was the perfect third option behind Tony Parker, and one of my all time favorite players, Tim Duncan. I know he came off the bench in San Antonio, but lets be realistic, he was the third of their own "big three".

What else I truly appreciated about Ginobli's game, he was an exquisite passer. He was one of the best that I have seen at his position. He would whip the ball to guys slashing to the basket, find the open shooter on drive and kick outs and always put the ball into the shooters hands in perfect shooting position. He was the epitome of a Spurs player, and that was mostly due to his passing. He fit in perfectly with what Greg Poppovich and his staff wanted him to do. And while he was an exceptional passer, the dude could also score in very unique ways. He could hit open jumpers with the best of them. But it was his drives to the basket that truly astounded me. He would find the smallest opening, jet through it and find a way to reverse it in, or hit a hard layup. The way he split a double team was incredible. The screen would come, both guys would come to him, but Ginobli found a way, some way, to split it, go to the hoop and score, draw a foul or find the open guy. It was always amazing. I would always be shocked and just confused how he did it, but he did it and he did it great. And while he wasn't a top notch defender, he made plays when he needed to. Take for instance the block against James Harden. He got beat, then reset himself, and when Harden pulled up, thinking he was open, Ginobli swatted his shot from behind for the win. It was pure Ginobli and pure Spurs. He just did it all.

Ginobli also sacrificed numbers, and a lot more money than he already made, so he could win titles. He wanted to be a champion. That was what mattered to him and Duncan the most. They wanted to have rings. They turned down bigger offers from lesser teams because they wanted those rings. Ginobli also sacrificed minutes because he wanted what was best for his team. He could have easily been a starter and played 30 plus minutes a night, but that was not what the Spurs needed. They needed him to come off the bench, play 20-25 minutes a night and do all the little things that they needed to get wins. And he did it all with zero complaints. That was another thing I loved about Ginobli, he never complained and was never in the news for any wild off court stuff. He went about his business and he went about it quietly.

Also, let us not forget that Ginobli was the leader of the Argentina team that destroyed Team USA basketball. He was the main reason why that whole organization had to regroup. Ginobli led a well oiled machine for Team Argentina, and they made Team USA look bad.

I have also heard some pundits questioning if he is going to be a Hall of Famer.

Are they out of their god damn mind?

Manu Ginobli is, without a doubt, a first ballot Hall of Famer. That is not even a viable question. That is a ridiculous question. I know he may not have glowing numbers, he was only an All Star twice and he wasn't the face of the franchise, but come on. He was just as important to this team as Parker and Duncan were. He is, most definitely, a Hall of Famer.

While Ginobli has earned his retirement, it is kind of sad to me. This is the end of an era. Duncan retired 2 years ago. Parker is now on the Hornets and Ginobli called it quits this week. The Spurs will never be the same to me. Sure, they have very good guys on the team right now, and I still fully believe in Poppovich, and I think they will still be a playoff contender. But, their three star are gone. That is crazy to me.

One last thing I want to share about Ginobli. If you haven't seen the video, or if you just forgot, go watch him knock that bat out of midair during a timeout in a game. It was incredible. I was stunned and amazed that he was able to do that. Think about the hand eye coordination and quickness that took. It was quintessential Manu Ginobli.

Enjoy your retirement Manu. You have earned it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If a bat gets into the SeedSing virtual cubicle farm, we all hide and wait for Manu Ginobli to come and take care of it.

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What the Hell Is Kawhi Leonard Doing?

Even though I wrote about it yesterday, I still have a few more thoughts on the Kawhi Leonard trade, and it all has to do with his actions since the trade was announced.

First off, he came out and said, or maybe it was his people, I do not know, that he does not want to play in Toronto. He apparently has zero interest in being on the Raptors. Now, I get that he might not like the team he was traded to, and that he has his own personal list of the teams he wants to play on, but he is under a contract that he signed. Sports is a brutal, heartless business, and Kawhi should know that. He has one final year. He has to, well, if he wants to get paid for doing his job, play for the team he was traded to. I know it is not LA or Philly, or even Boston, but he signed the contract himself. So, he can either play for Toronto, then go anywhere he wants next year, which is his right, or he can sit out and not see a dime.

Which brings me to my second point, his threatening to sit out again. That shit is played out and childish. Why would he want to waste another year of his prime? Is he doing this just to prove a point? Look, I am all for these guys being treated as people, because that is what they are, but what Kawhi is doing is only hurting his career and his image. This whole threatening to sit the season out, and not report to training camp will cost him more money than most of us would see in three or four lifetimes. He must be crazy if he is willing to give up over 20 million dollars, just to prove a point. I'm sure he has more money than he ever imagined, but the threat of losing that much money should scare the hell out of him. I say again, he would lose over 20 MILLION DOLLARS. That is so, so much money.

Also, he would waste another year in his absolute prime. Two years ago, after Tim Duncan retired and the Spurs handed the team over to him, he was one of the best players in the world. I picked him as my preseason MVP, and I still stand by that pick 2 years later. He was crushing the league on both ends of the floor, and he made the Spurs a viable threat in the West. Hell, they might have had a shot at the Warriors if ZaZa Pachulia never stepped underneath him and hurt him again. They were up by a ton in that game, in Golden State, and then Kawhi went down and so did the Spurs.

Kawhi came into last year with that same injury, and just seemed more quiet and disengaged than normal. I know that he had issues with the Spurs trainers, so he got his own. Then, some current players, namely Tony Parker, started to call him out. I'm not here to judge injuries, each player is different in their recovery and what not, but players let him know that they didn't buy it. In fact, former players were openly bashing him on national TV. Then he started to grow despondent with Greg Poppovich, and Poppovich let him know that that did not bother him. He would talk about his injury to the media, say he felt he was ready to go, but he always left it up to Kawhi when he wanted to come back. And he did, for 9 games, and then immediately shut it down. This was when the diva part of him started to come out. He never said anything himself because he is a very quiet person, but his people sure let the media know that he wanted out, and he wanted to go to LA.

So, he wasted the entire season, at age 26, complaining about an injury, the Spurs and demanding a trade. And now that he has been traded, which is what he wanted, he is threatening to miss his second year in a row, at age 27, because he doesn't like the team he was traded to. That is some childish bull shit right there. He got what he wanted. He is not a Spur anymore. He doesn't have to deal with the staff. He is on a team that is a title contender. He will be their number one option if he is healthy. He is in a very big city. But, since the jersey doesn't have LA or PHILA or CELTICS on the front, he is pouting.

I'm at a loss for how to feel about Kawhi Leonard anymore. I once loved his game. I loved how he let his play do all his talking. I love how lock down he was on defense. I loved that he worked hard on his jumper and became an elite player. But now, I am very disappointed in how he has handled this whole thing. It has left a bad taste in my mouth. But hey Kawhi, if you want to lose 20 million dollars, and then go be LeBron's sidekick, that is your decision, and you have every right in the world. I just think it would be stupid to lose that much money and waste 2 years of your absolute prime, just to prove a point.

Ty

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

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Let's Talk About the "Big" Kawhi Leonard Trade

Well, Kawhi Leonard has been traded. I guess the Spurs did not want to call his bluff, so they let him "free" of the team that he has grown so mad at over the past year. They kind of gave him what he wanted, in a way. He did not want to be a Spur, he did not trust them, and he had threatened to sit out the whole season if not traded.

But, when I say kind of what he wanted, the Spurs did stick it to him a little bit on his way out. It was made very, very clear that Kawhi wanted to be in LA, and to a lesser extent, Philly. But, one thing was for sure, and that was that he wanted out of San Antonio. Well, he got his wish, but he did not get traded to a team that he wants to play for. In fact, he got traded to a team where he has made it very clear, he has no intention of staying with. The team, the Toronto Raptors.

This is crazier to me than Paul George going to OKC last year. Until very, very recent, the Raptors were not even on the radar. That was the same with George and OKC last year, but the Thunder at least had Westbrook as a selling point to George. The Raptors, well they traded away their best asset for what is going to most likely be one disgruntled year of Kawhi. The Raptors sent DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a 2021 first round pick to the Spurs for Kawhi and Danny Green.

Now, just looking at this from a pure basketball stand point, I have no idea who won this trade. Yes, Kawhi got out, but he is going to Toronto, and the Raptors traded DeRozan for him. You may say, well they still have Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valenciunas and OG Anunoby, among others. Well, Lowry is as big a playoff choker as James Harden, if not worse, Valenciunas' game is not modern, and Anunoby is still incredibly raw. And the addition of Danny Green is solid, but he is not the three and D guy he used to be. In fact, his three point shooting continues to deteriorate. He is still a good defender, but I'd rather have DeRozan simply for scoring ability.

That being said, the Raptors are in the East, and, if Kawhi is healthy, and decides he needs to have a big year to get a big deal, they could be a top three seed. But, they were the top seed last year. Why would this trade put them over the top? How does this make them any better? They were already the best by record last year. Looking at the Raptors now, sure, they got Kawhi, and Green is still a player, and I like Lowry, Anunoby and Serge Ibaka, are they truly any better than a healthy Celtics team, or the 76ers still? I don't know. I say no if Kawhi plays disgruntled and whines all year. His presence won't matter much. If he fully commits and plays as well as he did 2 years ago, they will be a title contender. Yet, I still like a healthy Celtics team, and I love the 76ers. This trade, for me, does not make the Raptors the favorite in the East, and this whole ordeal has really soured my love and adoration for Kawhi Leonard, the basketball player. He is becoming more and more diva like with each passing day.

From the Spurs prospective, I'm not a big fan of this deal either. First off, even with Kawhi, they were no better than a 3 or 4 seed in the West. The Rockets, maybe the Jazz, and most definitely the Warriors were already better. With DeRozan, I see much of the same, except, he doesn't play defense like a healthy Kawhi does. In fact, DeRozan plays no defense whatsoever. As I said, he is a very good, sometimes great, scorer. But, that is about it with DeRozan. His three point shooting has gotten better, and he is great driving to the hoop, but again, I just cannot shake his horrendous defense. He also has never really done anything on the big stage, and Kawhi is a Finals MVP. As for Poeltl, he is just a raw, plodding big man. I know he is still young, but he has shown little to nothing in his first couple years in the league. Sure, he can step out and shoot the three a bit, and he is an okay rebounder and rim protector, but he didn't play all that much behind Valenciunas. I still have no idea what kind of player he can become. I'm sure the Spurs will make good use out of him, they turned guys like Boban Marjonovic and Aaron Baynes and Tiago Splitter into quality NBA players, but time will tell. I think the biggest thing for the Spurs was the future first rounder.

Lets be honest, Kawhi is only going to spend one year in Toronto. I know we all said that about Paul George and OKC last year, but this time I know it is true. He doesn't want to be there, and he will force his way out, and he is an unrestricted free agent after the season. So, with Kawhi gone, Lowry getting older and Anunoby being the only real youth they have on their team, the Raptors will, most likely, be a lottery team come 2020 and 2021. That was what the Spurs wanted. A future pick that they can build around with guys like Dejonte Murray and some unknown dudes they have stashed away on their bench.

For right now, I don't feel like this trade tips the scale for either squad. I think the Raptors will be a contender to come out of the East, if Kawhi feels like playing this year. But, they were supposed contenders last year. And the Spurs, well they play in the West, so they have no shot. The Warriors, Rockets, Jazz, Thunder and even the Pelicans are better in my opinion. This was a "blockbuster" trade, but it seems hollow somehow.

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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Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers, and Another Damn Super Team

About a week back I wrote that I hoped Kawhi Leonard would stay a Spur. Well, that has all blown up in my face, and the Spurs face. It appears that he is going to be in a different uniform next season. There are new reports everyday, but don't get it twisted, he is going to end up a Laker, one way or another.

What a mess.

I read a report that he was going to meet with Greg Poppovich, they met, and the people who were present said it was a good meeting. It seemed that maybe they had squashed their beef. Then, the other day I read that Kawhi was saying he never wanted to step foot in the Spurs facility again, unless he was on a different team, and he was playing there. Then, after that report, I read that the Spurs were now willing to trade him to a team, but no one in the West. That one, if they were to trade him, made sense to me. Why would they want to trade him in the conference and have to face him multiple times a year. This made even more sense when I heard that the 76ers were trying to get RC Buford, the current Spurs GM, to be their new GM. It all started to come together. And, I thought, of any team he could go to, the 76ers made the most sense.

Today there are a ton of new reports that the Spurs and Lakers have "intensified" their trade talks, that the Spurs were now willing to trade him to a West team if the return was proper and that LeBron said, if the Lakers were to acquire him, he would be very willing to sign with the Lakers. Oh, and Paul George opted out of the final year of his contract in OKC, thus making these rumors seem even more real. After all the recent news, I have thrown my hands up, and given in to the fact that,  not only will the Lakers get Kawhi, but they will most likely sign LeBron and Paul George. Sure, they will have to trade some of their young talent, but who cares when you can get three perennial All Stars, one of which is the current best player in the world. I don't think that Rob Pelinka or Magic Johnson truly care if they have to add a Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle or Brandon Ingram in a deal. I don't think they care if they have to add all four to get these three guys, or even 2 of them.

I got a report on my phone from Bleacher Report today that said that the Lakers were willing to add Brandon Ingram in any trade talks in fact. I thought he was one of the untouchable guys too. He actually improved a ton in his second season. He seemed like the guy that the Lakers should keep, and add these stars around him. They should trade Ball, or Kuzma, or, especially Randle before dealing Ingram. Ingram is the real deal. I fully believe that he is going to have a long, and fruitful, NBA career. Lonzo Ball has potential, his vision is amazing, but he has a garbage shot, and you have to deal with his family, and, most importantly, his dad. You think Lavar Ball will really expect his son to play second fiddle to Kawhi or Paul George? Hell, he will shit talk LeBron the moment he signs with the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma has the makings of being a good to great scorer, but he plays no defense, and he is considered "old" in the modern NBA. The kid can shoot, but he is no Brandon Ingram. And Julius Randle has had one foot out the door for the past 2 seasons. He doesn't fit in in LA. He comes and goes as he pleases, and he doesn't seem like he will live up to the hype. He also broke his leg his rookie year, and he missed an entire season. He still has a done of room to grow.

But, the Lakers seem to be desperate, so they are now willing to trade their best young guy, to get only Kawhi. That seems crazy to me. And, if the Spurs are to trade Kawhi, they better damn well get Ingram, and some high, high picks in upcoming drafts. I feel like Ingram, in that Spurs system, would thrive. And if they have to give up Kawhi, so be it. He clearly wants out, and to get a super young, hyper athletic player, that is really starting to come into his own, they'd be crazy not to do it. I don't think losing Kawhi and adding Ingram would be a death blow to them either.

What all of this talk boils down to, at least for me, the Lakers are going to get Kawhi. Then, they will get LeBron. Then, Paul George will announce he is going to sign there. It is going to happen. There are far too many signs that they will get these guys. Magic wants them. Kawhi wants to go there. LeBron has said that he would love to play with Kawhi. And Paul George would make a fine third option on that team, I guess. As much as I don't want this to happen, I'm about 99 percent sure it will. I still think adding these three guys, along with whomever the Lakers can keep, this makes them no better than third in the West. The Warriors are still, far and away, the best team in the West, and all of basketball, and I still like the Rockets, as long as they keep Chris Paul, just a bit more. So, at least there is that.

Oh well, lets get this all over with so I can bitch more about "super teams" on this website.

Ty

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

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If Kawhi Leaves San Antonio, the Spurs Will Be OK Because They are the Spurs

ESPN dropped what they consider to be a "big" story about Kawhi Leonard's relationship with the Spurs as being "fractured".

First off, this isn't a "big" story, everyone that watches basketball knew this all year long. We all saw the signs of discourse throughout the entire season. The fact that he wouldn't play more than 9 games, that he had a run in with Jordan Brand, that Greg Poppovich kept talking about his "people around him", the fact that he wouldn't talk about any of the problems that he was having with his knees and feet, we all saw this all year. That he is now upset and displeased with the Spurs is not a "big" story. This is just more of ESPN trying to stay relevant when they are going by the wayside. This is a non story that they are putting on the front of their website. They are trotting the writers out on podcasts and TV shows to talk about this. It is pathetic. ESPN is a joke. They did a ton of research and interviewing for a story that even a novice NBA fan knew already.

But, there is a problem in San Antonio, and maybe this is the end of the Spurs dynasty as I have known it since they drafted Tim Duncan. This is an old team. Besides Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge, every other key player, for the most part, has been in the league for double digit years. Pau Gasol is done. Rudy Gay is hurt far too often. Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker have given all they can to this franchise, won 5 titles, but they are both very, very old in NBA terms. And the young guys they have, the Dejonte Murray's and Brynn Forbes, are unproven. None of us knows how good they can/will be.

The fact that the Spurs have Kawhi is what has kept them in the conversation the past couple years. He is one of the 5 best players currently in the league, when healthy. He was single handily crushing the Warriors in game one of the West Finals last year until Zaza Pachhulia undercut him on a jump shot and screwed up his ankle even further. He was the guy that was going to lead this team into their next phase of dominance. But now, I don't know what is going to happen. I figured he was the perfect Spurs player, but maybe he really does want more. Maybe he really wants to go to a big market and be the star in LA or New York. Maybe he is tired of being quiet and wants to start being a noticeable athlete. Maybe he wants all these things and more.  I just don't see Kawhi as that kind of guy. He has always gone about his business quietly. That is the main reason why I like him so much. He lets his game do his talking, and his game is amazing. Even when he won Finals MVP, and completely shut down LeBron 4 years ago, he did it all very quietly. I just assumed he was going to step into that David Robinson/Tim Duncan role. He was going to be the face of the Spurs. He was going to be the reason that Poppovich would stick around for another 4 or 5 season.

Now, Poppovich has had a terrible, horrific tragedy happen, with his wife passing away and maybe that will be more than enough for him to step away from the game. But, I think a guy like Kawhi might make him think twice. Now, with Kawhi seemingly all but gone, I wouldn't be shocked at all if Poppovich calls it quits. He has done anything and everything you could ever want from a head coach. I think he is the greatest NBA coach of all time.

However, losing a player like Kawhi could be why he steps away. If that happens, what do the Spurs look like next year, and the next and the next? Will they be a tanking team or a free agent destination? Will they be a middling West playoff team or a non factor. Ever since I have watched professional basketball, the Spurs have been a good team. I just can't see them all of the sudden being a bad team. Say they lose Kawhi, they still have Aldridge. Now, before you scoff at me, he was the focal point of a perennial playoff team in Portland. The dude can play. And maybe Murray and Forbes and whatever guys they have stashed on their bench will turn out to be quality Spurs players, which equals 50 wins every year. And if Poppovich retires, that bench is filled with guys ready to take over.

I don't want to see Kawhi leave the Spurs, and if I were a betting man, I would bet a ton of money that he will be on a different team next year. But, I feel like this team will be okay if he does bolt. They have pieces. They still have one of the best GM's in sports. They still draft excellently. They still groom talent really well. They are the Patriots and Yankees of the NBA, except no one really hates them. I know Spurs fans are freaking out right now, but I'd tell them to be patient. You have a great infrastructure, and you will be just fine. You may have a season or two that isn't as good as you want, or have come to expect, but you will be just fine. While Kawhi leaving may hurt, it won't hurt as much as you think right now. The Spurs will be just fine.

Ty

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

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