Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: The One or Two Round Playoff Teams

Now we are getting to the good teams, the playoff teams. I would personally write these teams down in pen. Now, injuries, COVID positives and other random stuff can come up, and possibly will. But with the way these teams rosters are constructed now, it would have to be a major blow to move them out of the playoffs. They would have to lose star players for ample amounts of time. I don't think that will happen with these teams, and that is why I have them as "locks" for the playoffs.

At number 15 I have the Atlanta Hawks. Too high you say. Not enough defense you say. Won't mesh you say. I disagree with all of that. I also think Lloyd Pierce is going to prove how good of a head coach he is this year, and the Hawks will be back in the mix. Trae Young is great. No he is not Luka Doncic, and he can't shoot like Steph, but he has range for days, and he will find any way to score a bucket. His defense is lacking, and if he put some effort in it, a la Steph Curry, it would make a difference. But he is liable to go off for 30 plus any given night. I will take any day. I love John Collins. I do not want Atlanta to trade him either. I think he and Young are a good duo, and after admitting he didn't put in enough effort on D last year, he turned it around near the end of their season. He is also a bruiser in the paint. If Clint Capela can stay healthy, I don't see why he isn't the exact same player he was in Houston. Trae is a more willing passer than Harden, and Capela is going to get all the lob dunks he could ever want. He is also an okay enough rim protector. They ended up signing Bogdan Bogdanovic after the Milwaukee trade fell through. He adds even more space, and he is a solid shot creator. If DeAndre Hunter can play a little better defense, he is their version of Draymond or Kawhi. Kevin Huerter may lose minutes to Bogdanovic, but he is going to be instant offense off the bench, and I feel like he will light up second units. I could say the same for Cam Reddish. He lost some luster at Duke, but now he is being given the time and effort to do his own thing, and he is a very solid player, with room to grow. Rajon Rondo adds super intelligence and Danilo Gallinari is a very solid player when healthy. Kris Dunn is a bull dog on defense, and if that kid from USC they drafted is brought along slowly, he could be a solid bench guy. The Hawks went all in this offseason, and I applaud them for it. They will be in the playoffs this year.

At number 14 I have the Phoenix Suns. Here is another team that went all in, and it only took one guy to put them there. Getting Chris Paul was a humongous deal. After seeing what he did in OKC last year, while I may not like him as a player, I respect the hell out of his game. He is also going to be playing next to a younger, less ball hoggy version of James Harden, with Devin Booker. Booker is on the cusp of stardom. The kid can flat our score, he has improved his handles and he at least tries on defense. Booker wanted the Suns to make a push, and they certainly did when they traded for Paul. Deandre Ayton got better as the year went on, and was very good in the bubble. If he continues on this trajectory, he is going to fit in just fine with Booker and Paul. He is also a threat from outside, which is super useful for a 7 footer. Mikal Bridges had a very good rookie year, he can shoot and his arms are as long as any person's I have ever seen. He is going to be a very good NBA starter. Jalen Smith was a solid draft pick. He was a good big at Maryland, he is built and he hustles his ass off. Picking up Jae Crowder was quietly a great move. He adds shooting and defense, and an edge this team has lacked. Dario Saric seemingly refound his game in the bubble. And Elie Okobo might be ready to be a good bench contributor. The Suns had one of the better off seasons I can remember, and the sheer addition of Paul is enough for me to make them a playoff team, even with playing in the West.

At number 13 I have the Houston Rockets. Now, all of this depends on if they keep Harden, or what they get in trade. Houston is a mess, but Harden is the definition of a walking bucket, he is a perennial MVP candidate, and if he plays, Houston will find a way to make the playoffs. But if he is gone, they go way, way down on my list. Adding John Wall was puzzling, I wrote about that last week. He hasn't played in two years, seems like he is in okay shape, but I do not have any clue how he is going to look, and how he will coexist with Harden. PJ Tucker is awesome, I love watching him play, and he goes hard every night. But it seems like he wants out too, and losing him would really hurt this team. Eric Gordon is a very good three point shooter, and when he locks in on D he is good. But it seems like he may want out also. Singing Christian Wood was a good move. He was, lowkey, a very solid scorer in the post, and he can stretch defenders to the three. He fits in nice here. Tyson Chandler is on this team, but he rarely sees the floor. They signed Boogie Cousins, and while I love the reunion of him and Wall, Cousins is slow, and coming off two very brutal injuries himself. Gerald Green and Ben McLemore are fine bench guys, but they don't move the needle. And I like the addition of Thabo Sefolosha, but he isn't the lockdown defender he was in OKC. Houston's playoff hopes ride on Harden's shoulders. If he stays, and they don't have to trade him, they are in. But, if he leaves, if he gets traded, this will be a whole different conversation.

At number 12 I have the Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers are like the Magic, but they do have playoff success, just not as much as they would like. Damian Lillard is otherworldly. For me, he has surpassed Steph as the best pure scorer. He is Allen Iverson with a jumper. He is also a killer, which I love. Lillard is a star, and I will not hear otherwise. CJ McCollum is a perfect sidekick to Lillard. He is a great shooter, he can create, and he is a super smart player. He doesn't make any mistakes. Neither of them are great defenders, but they are so good offensively that it makes up for that. Jusuf Nurkic is back healthy, and he was a force in the bubble. I didn;t respect his game as much as I should, and that is on me. That dude is tenacious and solid and just a good NBA player. Carmelo re signed, and for as much flak as I might give him, he seemed to buy into being a bench guy and playing like "Olympic Carmelo". He can still put it up with the best of them. Getting Robert Covington helps with their defense, which is what this team lacks most. He can also space the floor, and will not allow teams to double Lillard or McCollum. I like Derrick Jone Jr too. He is probably the most athletic player in the league that you have never heard of, and he will do some highlight reel things for Portland. Zach Collins is coming off an injury, but if he is 75 percent of what he was prior to his injury, that is great for their second unit. Rodney Hood is also back after missing a year with injury. He is a good scorer and shot creator and should lead the second unit. Anfernee Simons is young, and coveted by other teams. I would keep him, but it is nice to have that in your back pocket. And adding Enes Kanter and Harry Giles makes them bigger and will give them a bit more flexibility. The Trailblazers will not be fighting for a playoff spot this year, they will firmly be in that 4, 5 or 6 range.

And at number 11 I have the Dallas Mavericks. Look, I am not a fan of this team. I think they whine and complain too much, and I do not like how major media outlets are so quick to point out their white savior in Luka Doncic. That being said, Doncic is awesome. He is a good shooter, a better passer and an excellent shot creator. He is as smart as advertised and the dude is legit. Kristaps Porzingis hasn't live up to the hype. But being the second or third guy seems to suit him just fine. He isn't a bruiser for how big he is, but he can sure shoot the ball. Tim Hardaway Jr has carved out a nice niche in the NBA for himself. He is a lockdown shooter, and I don't think he gets enough credit for his defense. Josh Richardson is another outside shooter for this team, and I think a change of scenery will certainly help. James Johnson is one of the baddest dudes in the league. He makes Jae Crowder look meek, and I think the Mavericks will like having him on their team. Boban is Boban. He is goofy, runs weird and was in "John Wick 3". But, you cannot teach height, and he is something like 7'6. Trey Burke seems to have found a home as a second unit scorer, and he fits in nicely. Willie Cauley Stein is a good pick and roll guy. And, if healthy, Dwight Powell adds depth. The Mavericks are a playoff lock now because of Doncic. He isn't as great as everyone says yet, but he is good enough to lead this team to the playoffs yearly.

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2020-2021 NBA Preview: The Worst of the Worst

As wild as it seems, the next NBA season starts in 15 days. We are two weeks away from the season.

This is wild to me, but I am stoked. I love the NBA, I loved the bubble, I am stoked to see some of the rookies that were drafted, want to see some of the guys that switched teams and am just happy that pro basketball is back. They proved they can do a season during this pandemic, and while I am sure they will run into some problems, I do not envision the NBA having the same issues as the NFL or MLB or college sports. The people in charge know what they are doing, and they have already laid out a 158 page rule book for the upcoming season. The pandemic is still raging, with no signs of slowing down any time soon, but I think the NBA can pull this off again. I am also a big fan of the 72 game sprint, with no all star game or any other distraction.

With all this being said, I am going to do my traditional NBA season countdown of teams, from worst to best. I love doing this. I will do five teams a day, explain why I have them where I do and after I am done counting all the teams down, I will do predictions, including awards, possible stoppages and my finals pick. Let's get to it.

Coming in at 30, the bottom of the barrel, I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs just don't seem to really have a plan right now. They have talent, but it is young and they have too many similar players. They also totally whiffed on the John Beilein hire. I do think JB Bickerstaff is a solid head coach, but he doesn't have much to work with. Collin Sexton and Darius Garland are good, but not that good. They aren't guys to build around. I am a big Sexton fan, but he is very inconsistent. Garland looked like a guy that barely played in college last season. Kevin Love clearly wants out, and he is older. Larry Nance Jr is hyper athletic, but he isn't really anymore than a dunker. Andre Drummond is in purgatory there, and I think he wants out. Isaac Okoro is an okay pick, but he doesn't move the needle for me yet. And the rest of the roster has older vets that haven’t done much. Guys like Matthew Dellavedova, Javale McGee, Thon Maker and Dante Exum fill out the roster. Sure, a couple of them have rings, but it has nothing to do with them. The Cavs will be a lottery team yet again.

At number 29 I have the Detroit Pistons. I mean, I trashed the Cavs roster for having older vets, but the Pistons make that look tame. Derrick Rose is the point guard. He is good, and has improved, but I have to imagine he will be gone soon. Blake Griffin is the 4, but he has lost his explosiveness, and he is now a guy teams don't want to trade for. Jahlil Okafor just signed there, but he has never figured out the NBA. He should have played in a different era. Josh Jackson, who I absolutely loved when he was in his draft, has been a total bust. And this has to be something like the tenth team Trevor Ariza has played on. The Pistons have some youth, but it isn't team building youth. Sekou Dembouya has some skills, but he barely sees the floor. Svi Mykhaliuik has already been traded three times, and he has been in the league for 3 years. I like the Saadiq Bey pick, but he may not get enough playing time to flourish. And poor Zhaire Smith can't seem to catch a break. The Pistons may be the least desirable team in the NBA right now. They are better than Cleveland because Derrick Rose proved he is on his way back, but just barely better.

At number 28 I have the OKC Thunder. I know they were a playoff team, and they pushed the Rockets to seven games last season, but they offloaded two of their best guys. I understand why, but still, losing Chris Paul and Steven Adams is going to take a toll. I love love love Shai Gilgeous Alexander, and he has gotten better each of his two seasons. Now we will have to see how he does as the main guy every night. He is going to have the keys to run this offense. Lugentz Dort was a revelation in the bubble as a defensive force. But he is not a great shooter, and he will have to guard the other team's best guy every night. That takes a toll. Andre Roberson came back last year, in the bubble in fact, but he looked like a shell of himself. Hamidou Diallo is a freak athlete, but that is it. He isn't much of a shooter or defender. Darius Bazley can hit threes, but he will be a starter on this team. And while it is nice to have Danny Green and George Hill, they aren't Chris Paul and Steven Adams. The Thunder are going to take a major step back. But, they have SGA and a gang of draft picks. They won't be down for very long.

At number 27 I have the New York Knicks. Now, I usually pick on the Knicks with just cause. But, I actually like the direction they could be headed in. I am not a fan of the Tom Thibodeau hiring. But maybe it will be better since he is just the coach. He is not the GM like he was in Minnesota. I also love the pick of Obi Toppin. I think pairing him with Mitchell Robinson is going to make their front court a very formidable one, especially if Toppin can play semi serviceable defense. Robinson can take care of the rest. But after that, this is where they fall off for me. RJ Barrett proved he could score, but he takes far too many shots, is inconsistent and not a willing passer yet. Kevin Knox is not nearly as good as I thought he would be. He is actually, according to statisticians, one of the worst players in the league. Frank Ntilikina is a solid defender, but he is a mess on offense. Dennis Smith Jr, another player I really rooted for as a rookie, has never really found his place in the league. Julius Randle is a good scorer, but nothing more. Signing Austin Rivers and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was so ho hum I actually forgot they were on the team until I did some research. The Knicks are a ways away from being relevant again. But, if Toppin and Robinson find a way to coexist and share the court, they could be a duo that older stars might want to come play with. The Knicks have two guys that they can build off of. The only question, or questions, will it work, and will they be willing to wait? Time will tell.

My final team for the day, at number 26, I have the Chicago Bulls. I saw some rankings that had them as high as the late teens, and people are praising the Billy Donovan hire, which I agree is a solid hire, but this roster leaves a TON to be desired. I really like Coby White, and I think he has the tools to be an all star. He just needs to have a coach that will let him play through mistakes. After him though, I am not sold, at all, on this roster. Zach Lavine is their "guy", but he is so average to me. He is an excellent leaper, and his jumper has gotten way better, but he shows no effort on defense, and he is clearly not a player to build a roster around. Lauri Markanen had a solid rookie year, then got hurt and really struggled last year. I feel like last year is more indicative of the type of player he will be. Wendell Carter Jr never got the chance to be himself under Jim Boylen. Maybe Donovan changes that, but Carter has got to get that killer instinct back. I am not a big fan of the Patrick Williams pick. He is very talented, but also very raw. I also do not want to see him take minutes away from Wendell Carter Jr. And in looking at the rest of the roster, it is very blah. At least when Donovan took the Thunder job he had a player of Russell Westbrook's talent. He doesn't have any player near his level, and the vets are total also rans. Otto Porter Jr and Noah Vonleh and Denzel Valentine and Daniel Gafford and Thad Young, those names just don't jump off the page. Billy Donovan has his work cut out for him, and so does Coby White. I think those two will be fine, it is the rest of the roster that worries me, and should worry Bulls fans. They are not a playoff team yet, as some have predicted.

That does it for day one. This rules. 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.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Trying to Make Sense of the John Wall For Russell Westbrook Trade

Another major trade went down in the NBA a few days ago. Well, major if we just go by the names involved. The trade? Russell Westbrook was traded from Houston to Washington for John Wall and a pick.

When I saw the news first break, I audibly gasped, and exclaimed, "wow!! what a trade!". Then I kind of sat on it for a few days. I listened to well respected basketball writers talk about it on podcasts. I read some people who I like write about the trade. And after indulging myself in all of that, this trade doesn't really move the needle for either team, and it isn't as great as I first thought. The names totally blew me away, but then I was reminded that Russ is 32 years old, and not nearly as explosive as he was three years ago when he won his MVP award. I mean, he is still an all NBA caliber player, but he has definitely taken a step back. John Wall, well he hasn't played in a real game in two years, is coming off a devastating injury, and he was clearly overlooked as the new face of the franchise after they drafted Brad Beal. Now, I have got to tell everyone, I really like both these players, I have taken their side more than not and I feel like a ton of people are way, way too hard on them as players. I am a fan of both Russ and Wall. But facts are facts.

Russ is not a good shooter. He is not a three point shooter and he takes far too many mid range shots when he has guys open at three, or in the paint. He is also not totally committed on defense. He is as explosive an athlete as I have ever seen, he is a good teammate, although some people would try and tell you he isn't, and he goes all out no matter if it is game 1, 25, 45, 75 or the playoffs. He always plays hard. But he is not the same player. Leaving OKC was tough, but necessary. They moved on, and they tried to put him in the position he wanted. But Houston was an ill fit. When going to Houston, if you are not named James Harden, you have to learn a totally different style of basketball. Houston plays what they call "Harden ball". He dribbles out the clock and then decides if he wants to shoot, or throw a lob. It works for him, but other star players do not seem to like that style. Dwight Howard left, Chris Paul was next and now Russ is gone. The one common denominator, "Harden ball". I can see why Russ wanted out, and why they traded him. I just don't know how the fit works with Beal. Brad Beal is a star. He is a shooting machine. He has gotten better every year in the league, and he is more than ready to be the face of a franchise. I don't know that Russ will let that happen. Beal needs to be able to do all the things he can do, and he needs the coaching staff and front office to give him the leeway to do so. At least in Russ' case, he has played real games for the past two years, and is still very capable of bringing it every night. But the fit seems not so good.

As for Wall in Houston, I do not like it at all. It is probably the worst pairing of stars in the league. John Wall, as I stated, is coming off a horrible injury. He hasn't played a meaningful game in two years. He may not be in the best shape right now. And now he is going to be asked to play "Harden ball". That is like caging a tiger. When healthy, Wall is one of the fastest and most explosive athletes in the open court. He can fly up and down the floor. He can get the ball to open guys, and he can hit tough shots inside and out. I don't think he will be able to do that with Harden. He will be asked to do what every other star player has been asked when playing with Harden. He will be put in a corner to spread the floor, and he will basically be neutralized when on the floor with Harden. Now, Houston can do what they did last year, when they let Russ run wild and play more with the second unit, but Russ didn't have an ACL tear. He also thrived in that role, and he accepted that role. I think Wall wants to prove that he is fully back from his injury. He will not get that chance in Houston unless they trade Harden. Houston will not trade Harden unless he decides to not show up to camp. But, if they do trade Harden, Wall doesn't have much around him to re prove himself. Houston lost a lot, and only added Christian Wood. Wood is a solid player, but he is not a star. PJ Tucker is good, but he clearly wants out. Eric Gordon also seems to want out. I really do not know what Houston's plan is, and adding John Wall only further confuses me.

This seems to be a pointless trade. For two guys that used to be super duper stars, and again, Russ is still an all NBA player, this trade is not as wild and bonkers and crazy as I first thought. When you sit down and do the research, it is really a baffling trade, and it does not make either team better. Both will be in the bottom half of their conference, and they will be fighting to get in the play in tournament. It was an odd deal. I'll still be rooting for these two guys, but this trade makes no real sense to me.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Michigan is Not Dodging Any Opponents

Michigan had to cancel their game this Saturday due to a rise in COVID cases within their football program.

I could see this coming from a mile away. The moment they announced that Giles Jackson was out last week with an "undisclosed injury", I thought that it seemed fishy. Michigan was one of the few programs that was handling the virus okay, but time finally caught up to them. I figure it was going to go through most teams, and it has gone through a ton of teams already. Michigan was a ticking time bomb.

The reason this feels different to me is, this is my team. I had faith in them to be able to finish their season uninterrupted. That is on me because this virus could care less who you are. It attacks everyone. But the way Jim Harbaugh talked all year, and how vocal the whole program was prior to the cancellation, and then restart, I just assumed they would make it through eight or nine games unscathed. They did not. And now, along with the Maryland game being cancelled, they may not get to play the University of Ohio State next weekend. The Big Ten has built in rules that are not the same as other conferences, and those rules put that game into question now.

I would be bummed if they do not get to play the University of Ohio State, as I am bummed they aren't playing this weekend. But next week's game is the big game, the rivalry game. And I know that Michigan had little to no shot to win this year. Hell, they haven't won in nine years, and I believe they are 1-14 in the last fifteen games against the University of Ohio State So maybe it isn't really a rivalry game anymore. That's right all you university of Ohio State fans that read my blog, I just admitted you are a much, much better football team. That is not even negotiable at this point.

But, for Kirk Herbstreit, who I very much like, to come out and suggest that Michigan and Jim Harbaugh would use COVID as an excuse to duck this game, that is as wrong as Dabo Swinney suggesting FSU did the same thing two weeks ago. Now, Herbstreit immediately backtracked, issued a very well thought out apology, and I think he just said something in the heat of the moment. He went to school at the University of Ohio State. That is his alma mater. But, with him putting that out there, now no matter what happens next week, the rest of the media is going to assume that Michigan and Harbaugh are looking for an excuse to not play the university of Ohio State. That is not cool, and it is flat out wrong. Michigan has been bad, real bad this year. I have said as much on multiple blogs. They got their butts kicked by Wisconsin. They had to go to three overtimes to beat Rutgers. They let a zero win Penn State team run all over them on their way to their first victory last week. They were shut down when MSU visited Ann Arbor. They have had as rough a year as I can remember in my fandom. But to suggest Harbaugh wouldn't put his players out there if healthy is wrong. Harbaugh is a competitor. That dude lives and eats and sleeps football. He is an eccentric guy, I will be the first to admit that. But to suggest that he would duck an opponent, no matter who that opponent is, that is not in his DNA. He will go out there and play anyone anytime. And lately, he gets beat. But still, his teams are on the field if they are healthy. This year is the biggest exception year ever. The US is being ravaged by COVID right now, and games get canceled or postponed every weekend. No one said the university of Ohio State ducked Illinois last week when they had to postpone. No one said Maryland ducked Ohio State when they had to postpone due to COVID. I haven't seen PJ Fleck's name dragged through the mud, and his team has had to cancel two games, and Michigan beat them. No one has trashed any of the SEC, ACC, Big 12 or Pac 12 teams that have had to cancel or postpone games. But, because Harbaugh is such a big personality, and he shows that with pride, people in the mainstream media look for anything to use to attack him. I am sure all the college football people, save for maybe Desmond Howard, are just champing at the bit if they have to cancel next week. I am sure the writers for Bleacher Report or Go Blue Wolverine or Sports Illustrated are praying for a cancellation so they can immediately start writing Harbaugh's Michigan football coaching obituary. They are foaming at the mouth I imagine. But, whatever happens, just deal with it.

This season is so weird. These kids, as happy as I was when they announced a restart, shouldn't be playing football right now. I was saying this weeks ago too. I have felt gross watching since they started because these kids are risking their lives to play a game for free. So if Michigan plays or doesn't play next week, it doesn't matter to me. But if more people come out and say that Harbaugh is trying to avoid the university of Ohio State, that will piss me off. Yes, Michigan is a bad football team, but they are not afraid. Not at all.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Lions Finally Made the Right Move

Soon I will be doing my NBA preview, with the season being mere weeks away, and on top of that, I am closer to doing my top five things of the year. So this week I want to tie up some loose ends, or talk about more recent news, or what movies or TV shows I have been watching, or what music I am listening to. Today I want to talk about the Detroit Lions doing something right within their organization.

The Lions removed both, head coach Matt Patricia and GM Bob Quinn. I am not a Lions fan. I used to be when Barry Sanders played there, but after he left, I adopted my dad's team, the Packers. I have been a Packers fan now for close to two decades. But I have always followed the Lions ever since switching my allegiance. I have family that are big fans, I like Michigan sports teams obviously, and, along with Sanders, Calvin Johnson was one of my favorite players. So the Lions have always had a place in my heart.

Things changed when they fired Jim Caldwell, unfairly I might add, I started to lose interest. Johnson was gone by then, Caldwell had them going places but was let go and I was not a fan at all of the Matt Patricia hiring. I watched his defense, when he was the coordinator for the Patriots, get shredded by a backup QB in the Super Bowl. The Patriots defense also got worse and worse that season. Then he had that bizarre press conference where he immediately started yelling at reporters, like he was a veteran head coach. Then he was accused of sexual harassment. Like, he already had all these outside issues going on. Then, his on field performance as a coach was less than good. He was quite bad in fact. He is supposed to be a defensive guy, but the Lions defense was never that good. He clearly had no clue what to do with the offense either. You'd think he would let people who know offense run that side of the ball, but I feel like he tried to do a little bit of everything, which he is ill equipped for. But his teams were never that good. I think he had something like 13 wins in his tenure as head coach. I know he had a win percentage in the .300's. Caldwell's win percentage was in the uppers.500's. Cladwell also led the Lions to the playoffs twice. Patricia, obviously had zero playoff appearances. I think the Lions figured Caldwell had taken them as far as they could, and they wanted to poach from the Bill Belichek tree. That was a mistake.

That is why I am also happy that the front office let go of Bob Quinn. He has been making all the personnel and coaching choices since Caldwell left, and he has missed way more that he has hit. Firing Caldwell was the biggest misstep. Everyone thought, and still thinks, that he is a good coach, and that he could have done more if given time in Detroit. He reached real hard for Patricia. As I said, his defense was shredded by a backup QB. That should have sent major red flags. But Quinn wanted a Patriots guy. That did not work at all. He has also made poor draft choices and poor free agent signings. He takes chances on cashed veterans, see Adrian Peterson. You'd think Jeff Okudah would be a good, young defensive player to build around, but Patricia seems to have ruined that kid. They cannot find a solid running back out of college. They have gotten no good receivers outside of Kenny Golladay, and even he has fallen off a bit. With Quinn and Patrcica it has been one bad move after another.

I know Lions fans don't want to do another reset, but, if they get the right people in the right job, or at the very least, better people, they could be back to winning 8 or 9 games in another two or three years. The Lions needed to do something, they needed to get rid of one or both of these guys, and they got rid of both. This is a good thing. Now the Lions have to make the right pick. But this is a good first step.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's Men's' College Basketball Preview

Much to my surprise, and I apologize to my readers that look forward to my preseason sports previews, the men's college basketball season started today. In fact, as I write this, Michigan is set to tip off in 15 minutes.

This will not be my typical preview because the pandemic has halted and postponed and put everything into question. I still find it irresponsible that these kids are playing for no money, risking their lives and risking their futures. But they are playing. There are games scheduled. There is room within schedules to make up games, and they are going to try and bring March Madness back. If you all remember, March Madness was the first big sporting event to be cancelled in March. That was when the world completely changed. This season feels rushed, it feels like it should have been pushed back, and I think they will run into postponements and cancellations, much like college football. But, I still want to do a preview, it will just look different. I'm not going conference by conference, no award predictions, none of my usual stuff, because this is not a usual year. There have already been games postponed in fact. Duke had to push their opener to another day because the team they were supposed to play had an outbreak. This is going to happen everywhere. But, let me try my best to preview the year.

Gonzaga is the number one team in the country according to the NCAA's website. They are no longer a Cinderella team. They are up there with Duke and Kentucky. They are a perennial power, and I am sure they will get bounced earlier than they should from the tournament, if the tournament gets played this year.

Baylor is the number two team in the country, but they already had to pull out of an early season tournament because their coach has COVID. Get used to that happening right now. Lots of teams will miss games because of COVID.

Villanova and Virginia are next, but I know nothing about those teams. I assume they are good because they are always good.

Iowa is number five, and they are the highest ranked Big Ten team. The Big Ten has seven teams in the top 25, and three in the top 10. With Iowa in the top 10, we have Wisconsin at seven and Illinois at eight. The Big Ten appears to be loaded. MSU is thirteen, and the University of Ohio State, Rutgers and Michigan close out the top at twenty-three, twenty-four and twenty-five respectively. I guess the Big Ten will be the best conference, get the most teams in a possible tournament and be hard fought all year. I am stunned at the number of teams from the Big Ten, seven of them, half the league, but hey, I guess the games will be fun and competitive.

Outside that we have the usual suspects in the top 25. Kentucky is ten, Duke is nine, Kansas is six, UNC sixteen and UCLA at twenty-two. I'm sure Duke and Kentucky reloaded with stud, five star freshman. Kansas always has some veteran depth and stud recruits. UNC will assuredly bounce back from last year, and UCLA seems to be returning to a little bit of their glory from the 90's.

I was surprised to see Creigthon so high, at eleven, but hey, I forgot they are in the Big East now.

I'm sure there will be bumps and bruises along the way that aren't involved with COVID. These kids haven't had a real offseason, they haven't had real, traditional practices, they have to be extra, extra cautious with this pandemic, and it is simply going to be a weird, weird season. Honestly I have no idea who will be in the Final Four, and who will win it all, or if there even will be a tournament. I cannot imagine two years without a college basketball season, but it could definitely happen again. I hope it doesn't, I hope they find a way to pull this way, but I will watch with caution. There is so much that can gum up this season. I hope no one gets sick, I hope there is a tournament and I hope they pull it off. I will be watching, and hoping, all season long.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Dabo Swinney is a Dumbass

I noticed this past weekend that Clemson's game against Florida State was canceled. I assumed it was COVID related, and reading up on it that morning confirmed my assumption. Apparently Clemson had a lineman that tested positive travel on the plane with them to the game. This is against all the new protocols, this is morally wrong and it was a tremendous oversight by the adults in charge at Clemson. After finding out the news, FSU's medical staff thought it wasn't safe to play the game, and they had it canceled, or maybe postponed. Either way, Clemson-FSU didn't happen on Saturday.

I am not one to side with FSU often, I do not like that program at all, but on this topic, I one hundred percent think they made the right call. Who knows who could have been exposed to it, who knows how many people the player interacted with, it is too dangerous a situation to go out and play a college football game. After the cancellation, I thought nothing of it, this is happening every weekend in college football, these kids probably shouldn't be playing right now and I didn't think it would be brought up again. I was wrong because Dabo Swinney is a holier than thou moron that doesn't know when to keep his goddamn mouth shut.

I am not a Dabo fan at all. I dislike him as much as FSU football. He is too rah rah, way too Jesusy and just gets on my nerves. But what he said yesterday was truly astonishing and appalling. He claimed that FSU made up the COVID incident so they wouldn't have to play. I'm sure he said it in other ways, but the gist, at least to me, was he was calling FSU a bunch of babies and wimps. Keep in mind, Clemson had a COVID positive player on a flight with the rest of the team. That doesn't seem to matter to Swinney, who thinks that a D1 college would make up a story so they wouldn't have to play a football game.

This is an outrageous claim by a guy who is getting way, way too big for his britches. I think he thinks he is college football. I think he thinks that people come out to watch him coach, not to see the players play. I think he thinks he is bigger than the game and he can call people and other universities out because he has won a few titles. No other coach has made this claim during this COVID filled college football season. Brian Kelly didn't say anything when Notre Dame had to close down operations for two weeks. Alabama's game against LSU was canceled for COVID last weekend, and I didn't see Nick Saban saying Ed Oregeron was too afraid to take the field. Ryan Day wasn't all up in arms when the University of Ohio State's game two weeks ago against Maryland was canceled because of an outbreak within the Maryland program. None of the coaches of the top teams in football have made this claim this year. But leave it to good old boy Dabo Swinney to throw a fit because he allowed a player with a highly contagious virus to fly on a plane, and blame the other school and call them scared.

This is nonsense, and more so, it is dangerous. These kids, that we know of, do not get paid to play college football. They go to these schools in hopes of furthering their careers. But in reality, most don't make it to the pros. But Swinney, and a whole lot of other college football coaches, make more money than anyone else in their respective states. So to him, not playing a game is a missed paycheck, and less money in his pocket. Instead of taking this pandemic as seriously as he should be, we all should be, he uses bullying and name calling. This is a despicable act, and I am shocked that no one has really called him out for this behavior. This is something a child would do. Swinney, with this comment, really showed me that he does not care about the safety and well-being of any college athlete, including the ones on his own team. I am deeply disturbed he took this route, and it made me lose any respect I may have had for him.

Dabo Swinney may be a good coach, but he is not a good person, especially if this is the route he is going to take when games get canceled because there is a deadly pandemic currently ravaging our country. I am stunned by his words.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Thoughts on the 2020 NBA Draft

I wrote about my top prospects, my busts and sleepers prior to the draft last night, and now I am here to talk about what I liked, and disliked from the draft. I do want to say, every player I talked about yesterday was picked. That might be a first for me. I hope the ones I considered a "bust" prove me wrong, and some of my sleepers went way before I thought they would.

With that being said, I have some thoughts. The top three went as expected. Edwards was one, Wiseman two and Ball three. Two of these guys I had in my "busts" category. But, if you remember, I said if the Warriors drafted Wiseman my point was moot. That was exactly what happened, I think it is for the best for Wiseman, and even with the unfortunate news about Klay Thompson today, he tore his ACL again, Wiseman will still get to play on a very good team, and he won't be asked to be the star. This is the perfect situation for him. Ball to the Hornets may be what is best for him too. He is in a small market, not many people will be entirely focused on what he is doing and now Michael Jordan can beat his dad's ass in one on one. He still has some things to work on, but being out of the limelight might be best for him. Edwards is in a fine position too. He goes to a team with two all stars, they won't be expected to make the playoffs, and he will be able to display his athleticism without having to be the reason to watch the Timberwolves. These three kids ended up in probably the best case scenarios they could. That was nice to see.

Outside the top three, the draft went kind of off the rails. I do not like the Bulls taking the big from FSU, Patrick Williams. He is raw, he is also athletic, but he has a ton of work to do. Hopefully Billy Donovan will bring him along slow. The Cavs took the Okoro kid from Auburn, and I don't know much about him. The Hawks, who I thought were trying to make a trade, took the Okongwu kid from USC. I think he will fit in nice for the youth, but he won't turn many heads. The Pistons appear to still be in tank mode taking Killian Hayes at seven. They now have him and Blake Griffin. They will be lucky to win 20 games this year. The Knicks did the best thing, in my opinion, last night when they snatched Obi Toppin. He gets to pair up with Mitchell Robinson in the front court, and the two of them can make the Knicks relevant again. I loved this pick, and I texted RD to tell him how much I liked it, and that the Knicks better now screw this kid up. This was great. Then we had the Tel Aviv kid go to Wahsington, solid pick, the Suns got another hard working big in Jalen Smith, the Spurs took another young shooter in Devin Vassell, although I think they might make some moves, the Pelicans got a steal in Kira Lewis Jr and the lottery wrapped with Aaron Nesmith going to Boston, where I think he will see little to no playing time.

Outside the lottery, I love Cole Anthony to Orlando. He should start over Markelle Fultz from day one. The Heat got a solid three or four in Precious Achiuwa. I really like the Jazz taking Adoka Uzobuike. He will be a great backup to Gobert, if he stays. I wasn't so high on the Celtics taking Payton Pritchard. He is a college guy who just won't translate to the NBA. That was a reach. I wasn't too crazy about the Bucks taking RJ Hampton. Now that the Bogdanovic trade has fallen through, I thought they would go after a shooter, but they took a middling point guard instead. And I don't get the Thunder trading Ricky Rubio back to the Timberwolves for more picks. They have all the picks seemingly, but they could have used Rubio next to SGA.

The second round went faster, and I love that the Grizzlies took Xavier Tillman. He was another guy I didn't like in college, because he abused Michigan, but he will be good next to Jaren Jackson Jr, and he will be a nice spark off the bench. The Knicks hit another home run when they took Daniel Oturu. He will be a great bench player for them, and he adds depth and size. Cassius Winston didn't go until very late, pick 53, but he ended up with the Wizards, and I think he will be an exceptional backup to John Wall, and Bradley Beal will adore him. Nico Mannion may finally learn to shoot properly in Golden State, but I don't think he will see the floor much. And as for the Duke players, some got picked, and may be okay. But they won't be counted on to do much of anything.

This was a weird draft, but a fun draft. If I had to pick a team that "won", I'd actually go with the Knicks. They got my top prospect, and added one of my favorite sleepers. I also appreciate that the Warriors took Wiseman. Now I want to see how these players do in their first season, and I wish them nothing but the best.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2020 NBA Draft Preview

The NBA draft is on tonight.

I know it feels like the season just ended, and that is because it basically just did. If you have been under a rock, the NBA had to stop play for three months, then finish up the 2019-20 season in the Orlando bubble. The season concluded in, I believe, late September. Then the NBA announced they were going to do a 72 game sprint season, with no all star game or festivities, and that the season would start on December 22nd. They have now let teams make trades, the draft is tonight, free agency starts on Friday and training camps and preseason start in early December. It has all been a whirlwind, but I am happy to know that I will be watching NBA games in just over one month. It's like a late birthday gift for me. I did my take on trades yesterday, and today I want to do my version of a draft preview.

I don't like doing mock drafts either. I feel like they are a waste of time. What I do like doing is picking five prospects I really like, five I think will "bust" and five sleepers. I usually give the players a sentence or two on why I have them where I do, and then it is on to the next one. Also, I'm not a big fan of calling these kids "busts". They are about to become pro basketball players, something I only ever dreamed of. But until I can find a better word for it, I guess I will have to use "bust".

Let's do the five prospects I really like in this draft. As you all know, I am not a big fan of the "one and done" thing, and I am not particularly high on teams that draft a 19 year old over a 22 year old because they think the 22 year old is "too old". That will be reflected in my five favorite prospects.

Number one for me is Obi Toppin. I love this kid's game. I actually saw him live before the world went to hell. I saw SLU almost beat Dayton in fact. But it was Toppin who wouldn't let his team lose. He is long, athletic, can shoot the three a bit, is a great, and smart offensive player and will get better on defense. I would take him number one overall. He did play three years of college ball, but who cares. This kid is the real deal, and he is my favorite player in the draft.

My number two prospect is Tyrese Haliburton from Iowa State. I know he missed a chunk of the year, but when he played he shot the hell out of the ball, and he is the best passer in the draft. He has two years of college basketball behind him, and he seems to have a natural feel. He will have to fix his release point, it is a bit low right now, but he will come in right away and be a top notch passer in the NBA.

At number three I have Anthony Edwards. I know he has gotten flak for kind of disappearing in games and practices, but this kid is built, can score from anywhere and he has an NBA body. He is a freshman, and he will struggle, but with gifts like he has on the offensive end, I think he will instantly be better than guys like RJ Barrett or Colin Sexton. He is ready to score.

At number four I have Kira Lewis Jr from Alabama. I didn't know much about him early in the season, but I watched him play Kentucky one afternoon, and I was blown away. He is an excellent ball handler, a pass first guard and has the size to match up with almost any other guard in the league. If he gets put in the right spot, he could be a future all star.

My number five prospect I like is Sadiiq Bey from Villanova. To me he is the Draymond Green of this draft, except a better shooter. He isn't the most athletic, or the best ball handler, but the kid can score, he can spot up and shoot and he plays defense. He may be a guy who tumbles a bit, but he will make the teams that pass him regret it. He has the tools to be a very good modern small lineup "big" type player.

Now to the "busts".

At number one I have LaMelo Ball. Now, I know I have written in the past how much I dislike the father, but this is not me dunking on this kid. I think he is too entitled, doesn't have a solid shot and won't thrive when he is asked to be the do it all man. I think he is an excellent passer and has a good feel, but I just think whatever team takes him in the top three will ask him to be the star, and he is not ready for that. That will take years, and NBA teams don't give players the time anymore.

At number two, and this is really hard for me because I want this kid to succeed so much, is James Wiseman. If he gets drafted by the Warriors, my point is moot. That would be perfect. But if any other team takes him, it is just like Ball. He will be asked to do it all, to be the reason fans, when allowed, come to watch the game. He hasn't played a real game in over a year, and the pressure just seems too much. I hope the Warriors take him, but if they don't, it will be tough sledding.

At number three I have Killian Hayes. Some people love this kid, but his shooting percentages are not good, his turnovers are way too high, he struggled on an average team overseas, it just doesn't add up to me. I could see him falling way down in the draft, which might be the best thing for him. But for some people to have him as the top prospect, or a top five guy, I just don't see it.

At number four, give me any Duke player that declared for the draft this year. They did not have one of the greatest freshman classes of the past. There is no Zion or Barrett or Jahlil Okafor or Jabari Parker. But the majority of that team declared for the draft, and I wouldn't be surprised if none of them were first round picks.

At number five I have Nico Mannion. This kid was the talk of the town going into last season, and he did absolutely nothing to move the needle in my opinion. He is a worse version of Nik Stauskas if you ask me. He's a spotty shooter, not much of a passer or ball handler, and he will get abused on the defensive end of the floor. Hopefully he can prove me wrong, but I just don't see it at all with him.

Now for the sleepers.

I don't watch much international basketball, and when I do it is usually clips on YouTube, but Deni Avdija from Maccabi Tel Aviv is legit. It may seem ridiculous that I have him as a sleeper, most mocks have him top five, but for me he is a sleeper. I didn't know who he was a month ago, and now I watch his highlights as much as I did Giannis and Thon Maker's when they were coming up. Hopefully he finds a middle ground between those two, but he is going to be solid.

My number two sleeper is Cassius Winston from Michigan State. I do not like watching this kid, and he carved up Michigan for four years. But I have seen him play so much, and I am stunned he isn't a first round lock. The kid can score, he can shoot from anywhere, he attacks the rim and he orchestrated a very complex offense in college to a T. He is also a very solid defender. If he falls to a contender in the late first or early second round, that would be a gift for that team. He is ready to contribute right away, and he will have a very solid NBA career.

At number three I have Cole Anthony. This kid went to UNC with a ton of fanfare, then got hurt, then UNC had a very bad year and I think people forgot about him. He is a prototype point guard, he is strong and he will be a much better NBA player than he was a college player because he feels like the type of player that thrives when playing better competition. I think teams will really regret passing on him. I look at him a lot the way I looked at Ben Simmons. And while Anthony is no Simmons, their college careers were similar, and they both just wanted to get to the league. I like Cole Anthony a lot.

At number four I have Daniel Oturu from Minnesota. Yeah it is my second Big Ten guy, but that is the conference I watch. This kid is big and athletic and will be a solid rotation guy on a good team. If he could fall to someone like Dallas or the Clippers, he will be a much needed punch off the bench. He will probably be a second round pick, but he is a first round talent.

My final sleeper, at number five I have Udoka Azubuike from Kansas. This kid is big, strong and not afraid of anyone. Think Montrezl Harrell, but 3 inches taller. He will be a great rim protector, a good old fashioned center and will be a very solid spot minutes guy until he lands as a sixth or seventh man on a playoff team.

There you have it, my fifteen players in three categories to look out for tonight during the draft. I know I left a ton of guys out, but college basketball ended abruptly, these kids haven't played real games in close to a year and these are the guys I remember most, good and bad. I am pumped for the draft tonight. The NBA offseason is in full swing people. This is great.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The NBA Trade Season is Off to a Bang

The NBA trade season officially started yesterday afternoon. There were some moves early in the day, Dennis Schroeder was traded to the Lakers and Bruce Brown went to the Nets. I thought this would kind of be what day one was going to be, but by noon my time, things had ratcheted up big time.

As I was sitting down to write about Michigan football, Chris Paul was traded to the Suns. I've got to say, I heard rumors about him to the Suns, but I didn't think it was going to happen. I figured he would go back to the Clippers, maybe the Bucks or maybe even the Knicks. But, he ended up in Phoenix, and I like the trade for both teams. Chris Paul makes the Suns infinitely better. He is a better point guard than anyone they have on their roster, they didn't have to give up too much and he is now paired with Devin Booker in the Suns backcourt. Booker has been clamoring for a player who can push them to the playoffs, and I think Paul is that guy. Look what he did with the Thunder roster last year, and the Suns roster is similar, if not better. Booker is an all star, Deandre Ayton has the makings of a very solid modern big, Dario Saric seemed to find some renewed confidence in the bubble and Mikail Bridges seemed to get better and better during his rookie year. Add Chris Paul to that, and the Suns have the look of a 6 or 7 seed to me.

In return, the Thunder got more picks, they seem to have them all throughout 2026, and they added Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr and Jalen Lecque. The Thunder just got way younger, which I think they want, and they have some fun dudes to pair with Shai Gilgeous Alexander. I kind of like the backcourt of him and Ricky Rubio. Throw in Oubre Jr as a three, and this team will fly. They were also able to keep Lou Dort, who was a defensive revelation in the bubble. The Thunder will crash back down to Earth this season, but they will be fun as hell to watch on League Pass.

This was just the start of what ended up being a big day one. Later in the day some more vets for vets trades happened. The Rockets traded Robert Covington to the Blazers for Trevor Ariza and picks, DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond picked up their options, and Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Rajon Rondo all opted out of their contracts. I figured the Paul trade and the opting in and out would be it for the day, but around 10:30pm my time, two more big trades happened, both involving the Bucks.

First the Bucks got Jrue Holiday. I was shocked when I read this. I didn't even know that Holiday and the Bucks were an option. I had no idea that they were even talking. But this trade is an absolute home run for both teams. This is almost identical, to me, as the Paul to the Suns trade. The Bucks needed a better point guard, a two way guard that won't shrink in big games, and they got him. And they were able to get off Eric Bledsoe's deal, and they added George Hill. Losing Hill will be a bummer for the second group. but when the Bucks saw a chance to get Jrue Holiday, they jumped on it. I should also mention they added three future first round picks and 2 pick swaps. I think it was absolutely worth it. If the Bucks want to Keep Giannis, to get him to sign the super max, they needed to do a deal like this. I like Eric Bledsoe, but Jrue Holiday is a better player, full stop. Pairing him up with Giannis will make them so much more lethal in pick and roll, and on defense, my goodness they may be better than the Clippers now. Those two guys alone can stop three to four players at once. This was great.

I mentioned the players and the picks the Pelicans got in return. I am sure they will release George Hill, and I wouldn't be shocked if they do the same with Bledsoe. If they keep those guys though, they will be nice vets to have on a team that is very talented, but also very, very young. Bledsoe and Hill have put in the work and they deserve to be the veteran presence a young team needs. And the Pelicans have almost as many picks as the Thunder now. I feel like the draft, after this season, will just be the Pelicans and Thunder picking players and building their teams.

When I thought the Bucks had already won the night by adding Holiday, they went out and got one of the better shooters on the market this offseason, trading for Bogdan Bogdanovic. It was a sign and trade too. The Bucks lacked consistent shooters, that is what killed them in the playoffs in the last two years. But now they have added a defensive minded, pass first point guard that can shoot, and now they have a lethal outside shooter in Bogdanovic. He proved last year in Sacramento that he can stroke it from distance. Now Holiday has a guy he can kick to when people clog the lane for Giannis, and Giannis also has two guys he can go to when he is double and tripled teamed, and he can count on them. He hasn't really had that yet in Milwaukee. But after last night, the Bucks decided they were going to do whatever they could to entice him to stay, and that is exactly what they should do. The Bucks didn't have to give up nearly as much to get Bogdanovic either. They traded DJ Wilson, former Michigan Wolverine, but not much of a player in the NBA, Donte DiVincenzo, who has been more down than up so far in his career, and Ersan Ilyasova, who is a journeyman. They got a young, legit top tier shooter, and they only had to give up unproven, or on the end of their career players. Sacramento is going to do something else, they always do on draft night, but they didn't get much in return for Bogdanovic.

The Bucks are clearly trying to show Giannis that they are all in, and they want him to stay, and I think these moves prove that tenfold. While they gave up five players and five future picks to a pair of teams, and only got two players in return, they got the better of both trades in my opinion.

If day one was any indication of how this offseason is going to go, which I expected to be nuts, we are on the right track. I'm curious to see what else happens, especially since Harden says he wants out of Houston now, and I am excited. I like this part of the NBA offseason, and it truly started off with a bang.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Michigan Football is Terrible This Season

NBA trade season, free agency and the draft are all this week, but first I have to touch on my Wolverines yet again.

I know I talked about them last Monday, and kind of gave a state of where I think the program currently is. But today is different. Watching them get absolutely hammered on Saturday night was a sobering reality of how bad this team really is right now. And it is everywhere. This team is not very talented, or the talent hasn't been developed yet, the coaching is at the bottom of the barrel, and while I still do not want anyone to get fired because of this COVID season, I feel like Saturday night was the deathblow for this staff. I don't think there should be changes, and this is pure speculation on my part, but I just don't see this team improving much, if at all, and I think Harbaugh and Michigan will end up having a "mutual parting of ways" at the end of the season. When I looked at the remaining schedule last week, I thought I saw one, maybe two more wins. Now, after what Wisconsin was able to do, and how thoroughly they pummeled them, I truly do not see another win on this schedule. I fully believe that they will finish 1-7, and definitely miss out on a bowl game, and be at the bottom of the Big Ten. The Wisconsin game was my last ditch effort to really see what this team was made of. This was the game where they would either show me they had some life, or if they have already given up. It was pretty clear, after the second interception, they gave up. From that second pick, and Wisconsin scoring pretty much right away, to push the lead to 14-0, Michigan just quit. I have not seen a team quit like that since Rich Rodriguez was the coach, and his teams were far less talented, at least on paper, than the one I watched on Saturday.

It was a deflating loss, it was a brutal loss, and my dad and I were left wondering, where do they go from here? We both agreed that what we were watching is fully on the coaches. Yes, the players have to play and make plays. But, coaches have to scheme a game plan that works, and works with the players who get the bulk of the playing time. This Michigan defense just seems lost. They over pursue. They get beat to the outside in the run and pass game. The corners are not good. They commit far too many penalties. The D line cannot get pressure, and they got gashed in the run game Saturday night. I understand that they are missing Aiden Hutchinson and Kwity Paye, but Michigan recruits and gets top flight players every year. Injured players are not a viable excuse anymore. The linebackers seem like the only players worth a darn, but even they get beat in the pass game, and their tackling, outside Cam McGrone, is not good. The offense is just as lost, if not more so than the defense. The O line, since the opener at Minnesota, has totally regressed. Again, you can claim injuries, but when they had Steuber and Mayfield they weren't opening any holes. They are not very good in pass protection either. The receivers are getting zero separation, and when they are put out wide for screens, they are too slow to make much of anything happen. The running backs don't get a chance to ever get going, and when they do get carries, they dance and bounce and are usually brought down by the first tackler. I still believe that Joe Milton is the guy. He is, for me, the lone bright spot. Some Wolverine fans may read that and chastise me and tell me to go watch Cade McNamara's TD drive. That was one drive against Wisconsin's backups when the game was totally out of hand. Milton was going to have ups and downs, I have been saying that from the start. But his upside is so much greater than any other QB on that roster right now. I say let him play through this and learn, let him get through this year, and let him develop.

Again though, this all comes back to coaching. These kids don't seem to have a sense of urgency or pride. That is on the coaches. The players seem to think that they will win just because they are Michigan. That's on the coaches. The players never seem prepared or ready, and have fallen behind early in every game this year. That is on the coaches. When the MSU game happened, I thought that was a one time thing. This team has been that same team for three weeks now. The team we have seen against MSU, Indiana and Wisconsin is who they really are. The Minnesota game was a mirage, and Minnesota isn't that good either.

I do still think the coaches should be retained. I don't want them to get rid of everyone for a myriad of reasons. I don't think they will get anyone that will excite the fanbase like Harbaugh did in 2014, and I don't think the NFL is banging down his door to be a head coach. Don Brown has had some great, great defenses since taking over, but his scheme is not working with these kids, and he doesn't have the talent. His refusal to change is also kind of alarming. Michigan is still getting beat with crossing patterns with ease. And I don't think Josh Gattis has been given full responsibility to run the offense. I still think Harabugh is influencing his play calling. But, as I said before, I feel like there will be changes. I think the way Wisconsin beat them was too much to ignore for the boosters and the more rabid fans. I also think that a change will put this team behind the eight ball for another four or five years. Michigan is not in a place to go out and get a top flight coach, and there will be attrition and transfers. They will have to start all over again. As much as I don't want to see it happen, it just seems inevitable at this point.

I will still watch Michigan football every Saturday, as I have done since I was a teenager, and I will root them on with all of my heart. But there is no two ways about it, this team is not very good, and they are poorly coached.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Where Should Russell Westbrook Play Next Season

Russell Westbrook said the other day that he wants out of Houston.

This felt inevitable to me. He seemed to like playing with James Harden, but his role was so diminished, he isn't a very good shooter, remember I love Russ, and when he got hurt and the pandemic hit, it felt like his time with the Rockets was going to end sooner rather than later. They got blasted by the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, Russ didn't do much, and then Mike D'Antoni decided to leave, and it just seemed like it was going to be a full reset around Harden. That is all well and good, and it works for a player like Harden, but Russ is also an alpha, and I just couldn't really see him taking another year where he isn't the top guy on the team. He even said as much when he said he wanted out of Houston. He wants the ball in his hands like he did when he was with OKC. I totally get it. This thing in Houston felt like a one, maybe two year thing from the start. They didn't win a title, so now he wants to move on.

I have already seen some spots that people are saying he will go to. Some I think might work, others, no way it would work. For instance, the Clippers came up. I do not like this fit at all. Russ wants to be the alpha, but the Clippers already have Kawhi and Paul George. Kawhi Leonard is one of the best two way players in the game, and when George and Russ were teammates in OKC, George came up bigger when they needed it most. It sounds nice on paper, three superstars, but these three just don't mesh. I kind of think George and Kawhi don't mesh well yet either. I think they will figure it out this year, but if they added Russ, that would throw a wrench in all of that. Russ is an exceptional basketball talent, but the Clippers would have to give up way too much, and I just don't think the three stars would fit. Similarly, I do not like the Clippers for Russ at all.

I have also heard the Knicks are a spot he might like to go. This, in theory, makes a ton of sense. But I do not like this fit either. He would be the alpha immediately. He would get every touch and every big shot and he would be in the biggest market. He could put up a triple double every night with insane numbers in New York. I think, when fans are allowed, they would love him there too. But, why I don't like this fit, the Knicks are going to be terrible for a while. Russ could put up all the numbers he wanted, but at the end of the day, the Knicks are, at best, a 20 win team next year if they sign Russ, and more like a 15 win team without him. They would have him and Mitchell Robinson, and not much else. I haven't given up on RJ Barrett yet, but he was very up and down last year. But Kevin Knox and Frank Knilitina, guys like that, I have given up on. The Knicks would also have to totally rehaul their roster to acquire Russ, and I think Houston would most want Mitchell Robinson. The Knicks need to keep him because he is really good, really young and getting better. He is a building block player. I also don't think Russ would be happy being on a lottery team.

The most recent team I heard, and I shockingly to myself really like, is Charlotte. The Hornets are not a very good team, but they are young, they could use a guy like Russ, who demands so much attention, and they play in the East. I think if they could find a way to get Russ, and keep their young core, he could vault them to the playoffs. I think if Charlotte could get off by only giving up picks, and a guy like Nic Batum or Terry Rozier or Malik Monk, they should absolutely do it. They could pair Russ in the backcourt with Devante Graham, and then they have hyper athletic front court guys like Miles Bridges and PJ Washington. And then they have Tyler Zeller, who is a very poor man's Steven Adams, whom Russ thrived with. I don't think this move would vault the Hornets to the top of the East, not by a mile, but I think it would put them ahead of teams like Orlando or Indiana, if they trade Oladipo. It would also make them instantly better than Atlanta, Cleveland and Detroit. I also think Russ thrives when he is in a smaller market. He won an MVP in OKC. He carried that team. Then he had to go play in a bigger market with a bigger star, and it just didn't work. I like Charlotte the most for him for so many reasons. He is also a Jordan guy, so it doesn't hurt that the team is owned by Michael Jordan himself. I think they should pull the trigger and make a trade for Russ, and I think he should accept it. It would be weird to see him in a Hornets jersey at first, but I think he would make them a 40 win team, and that could put them in the 6,7 or 8 spot in the East. They want to make the playoffs, and Russell Westbrook could help get them there.

We will see how this all plays out.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Michigan Football is Not Very Good

Yesterday's blog was much more fun to write, and I am still kind of on a high from the results. But today, for personal and sports related reasons, today's blog won't be as much fun. Today I want to talk about my Michigan Wolverines football team.

Right off the bat, they are not a very good football team right now, and their schedule is only going to get much, much harder. Right now, if they get to play this weekend, they have Wisconsin, who has a great QB, a much better Rutgers team, Penn State, who will be going all out the rest of the season, a totally revamped and potent Maryland team and they end at the University of Ohio State. There is, maybe, two more wins there. I said when I did my preseason Big Ten thing, that Michigan was at best a 5-3 team, but more likely a 4-4 team. If the schedule plays out like I think, they will either be 2-6 or 3-5, and that feels right, even if it is not very good. This team is very young. This team has been exposed in the last two weeks. They are getting out played and out coached. The O line can't create holes, and the D line cannot get pressure. The running backs situation is almost too much. They are trying to get too many guys touches. The receivers aren't getting separation and, in the short pass game, they get tackled right away.

The only positive I have seen on the offensive side of the ball is Joe Milton. I expected him to have ups and downs all season. This is his first real playing time in major college football, and he was extremely raw coming in. But he has been good. I don't care about the picks last week, and the lack of running, he has a tremendous arm, good pocket presence and looks like he will be just fine if given proper time.

The defense is bad. Flat out. As mentioned before, the D line gets no push and no pressure, and with Aiden Hutchinson and Kwity Paye getting hurt last week, that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. The D line also has no discipline. They jumped offside about a million times last week. The secondary is worse. I knew it would be a transition, and that they would be the weakest link, but not this weak. They get beat on a regular basis, they interfere more times than not and they are not good tacklers. The only guy who is worth his weight in the secondary is Daxton Hill. He is good, he is just surrounded by players not close to his level. The linebackers are okay, but they can't cover either, and when they get to the QB, it is too late. They are getting exposed on run pass option plays too. They are committing too hard. Even the special teams is bad. Giles Jackson tries to house every kickoff, but usually ends up at the 15 yard line. The punters hold and hold and hold onto the ball before kicking. And field goal kicking is a mess.

This team is simply not that good. But, I do not think many changes need to be made. I'll get to the coaches in a minute, but I think the players on the field need to take their wounds and learn. Milton needs to realize how tough the Big Ten is. The running backs need to figure out how to manufacture positive gains. The receivers and tight ends need to work on making catches and then running. The defense needs to find a way to get pressure, like they always have under Don Brown, and let the linebackers fly all over the field. The only position I would look at making changes is cornerback. I think Gemon Green is fine. He made a few plays last week after settling down. But Vincent Gray just isn't cutting it. He either gets beat, or commits a penalty. They should let one of their high recruits come in and play. I also think the kids on the field need to stop pressing and just play. That was the clear difference in last week's game against Indiana. Indiana was having fun and Michigan looked miserable.

At 1-2, and with the upcoming schedule, they should just play like they have nothing to lose because they do. They won't be in a bowl game, they won't be playing for a Big Ten title, just go out there and play hard for guys like Kwity Paye and Ronnie Bell, but also have fun doing it. Football is a game. Games are supposed to be fun.

As for the coaching staff, I do not think changes should be made at the end of the year. I know Harbaugh has said, or is has been reported, that he is willing to return to the NFL. That is all well and good, but I don't think he will leave to be an assistant, and the same people that reported he was willing to return have said that there won't be much, if any, of a market for him as a head coach. He also basically gets to do what he wants at Michigan, and he is paid handsomely to do so. Also, who would Michigan go out and get that would bring the excitement that Harbaugh brought in 2014. I know it hasn't been as expected, but is Luke Fickell or Brent Venables or David Shaw or Matt Campbell going to return Michigan to glory? I don't think so. I think if they have a split, Michigan will be back to a full on rebuild akin to when Lloyd Carr retired. As for the coordinators, I think they should retain their jobs as well. Josh Gattis is only on the second year of his job, and he still hasn't gotten carte blanche. Michigan may say he has, but it is clear that he has three or four guys in his ear at any time. This team needs to spread it out more, but they tend to still lean on the run. When they let it fly, when Milton gets his shot, the offense has potential. Gattis deserves the opportunity to fully run his offense. And Don Brown is the topic of many a conversation about letting him go. I like Don Brown, and while his defense needs tweaks, they have been in the top ten ever since he has been at Michigan. They won't be this year, but this year is different. He should make adjustments, and I am sure he will, but I still appreciate his attacking style, and I want him to stick around to help mold the young players he has right now. I do not think coaching changes are the answer.

Finally, this football season has been bizarre and filled with far too many issues. These kids are playing games after having no true practices. We are in the midst of a pandemic. The players are risking their lives to play football for free. I will never put any kind of real stock into this season because there have been so many weird things that have happened. And they are only going to play, at best, nine games in the Big Ten. This football season doesn't feel real to me. So for the people who make the choices, I have to imagine they have that in the back of their minds. So, while Michigan is a bad football team right now, I would only make a few tweaks and changes, and I would not get rid of any coaches. They need to play free and have fun with the rest of the year, and then we take next season, and that is the season where we see what this team is really made of. That is what I think they should do.

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Thoughts on the Upcoming NBA Season

Still no final results yet in the election. There are still lots of ballots to be counted, and we will have to wait, as hard as it may be for a lot of us right now. Just let them count all the votes and try your best to stay calm. But, we do have news in the NBA world as of last night. Let’s talk about that.

The NBA decided to start the 2020-21 season next month on December 22nd. This had been in the works for a while, and it only seemed like a matter of time until it was official. I think this definitely has pros and cons. It also means that we are a mere month and a half away from more NBA basketball, which I love. I believe training camps will start on December 1st, the draft is two weeks away, set for November 11th, and then free agency will ramp up. Basically a lot of stuff is going to happen in the next month. There is going to be a flurry of movement, draft picks and teams getting ready to go. They have also cut the schedule down to 72 games, and there is less travel. There will be more back to backs, but less travel, which is a good thing in this COVID world.

As far as what I don't like about this news, there are a few things. One, I do not think there was enough time for the four teams that made it to the conference finals, and especially the two finals teams. Those teams are going to have to recover from any nagging injuries, and they're going to have to gel with the new players quickly. They also may not be fully into the season until maybe January. I saw LeBron said that he might coast the first month, as he should. He just played a ton of basketball in the bubble, and he is older than other players. He needs to let his body rest. I also think this will cause a ton of players to use "load management" as an excuse just to get a break. I also think this is going to really water down the upcoming draft. I think the lottery teams will know who they want, but a lot of other teams are going to be trying to make moves to get vets in so they feel more prepared for the fast approaching season. I also think more guys will come in a bit more out of shape. There just hasn't been as much time, even for the teams that only played the eight seeding games.

On the good side, I am pumped for NBA guys. I love that there is going to be so many deals made between now and December. I like to see how trades are made and how players feel about it, and especially in such a short amount of time. I'm curious to see how the draft goes down too. I think it will look like the NFL draft, but I bet there will be a plethora of moves on draft day. I also like that teams that didn't get invited to the bubble will be able to play basketball sooner rather than having to wait even longer. I'm especially excited to see Golden State. They have everyone back, minus KD, and they have the second overall pick. Speaking of KD, I am kind of excited to see the Nets. KD is back, Kyrie should be healthy and they have a whole new coaching staff. I'm curious to see how Giannis comes out after winning his second MVP award. And I love that they will still have their Christmas day games. That is a tradition that I adore.

All in all I'm happy that the NBA is coming back. They showed how well they can handle the pandemic, but this will be a whole other animal. They will have to deal with travel, little to no fans in arenas, and I'm sure some positive COVID tests. But I have faith that the NBA will do the right, and best thing for the players and teams. This is some good sports news, and that is much needed given how rough football has been so far. It will be good to be watching NBA games next month. I know that much.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Green Bay Did Nothing at the Trade Deadline. That is Not Good

Since we have no final results yet on the election last night, I am going to write about sports. In fact, I'm going to go full bore back into all pop culture right after we have some kind of resolution to this election. It has been wild and crazy, and seems like it will continue to be for quite some time, so sit back, find something else to occupy your mind, and try to relax. I know that is what I'm going to try and do.

Anyway, the NFL trade deadline came and went, and nothing really happened. This whole season has been weird. There are no fans, teams seem to come in and out of seriousness, players that don't get COVID seem to injure themselves and it has been a very, very down year, as I expected. What I didn't expect though, was the Packers not getting another receiver to help out Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.

I had been hearing and reading, I have barely watched any games this year, that Green Bay was in the market for a wideout. I thought they could have drafted one, but with the deadline approaching the other day, it seemed like they had some deals in place, or at the very least, talked to some teams about making a trade. The Packers have parts too. They can trade assets, they could give up draft picks. they have younger guys that could see the field on other teams, they have options is what I am getting at. And they wouldn't have to tear apart the core that has them sitting at 5-2 right now. But they didn't pull the trigger. They didn't make any moves. The deadline came and went, and they stood pat. This seems like a Mike McCarthy style move. I thought they were past that. I thought, with Matt LaFleur being this young "offensive guru", that they would try and put players that could work in his system. They didn't.

I'm not knocking the current guys. I love Davante Adams. I like Aaron Jones and Jamall Williams. I think the O line is great. And I knew they weren't going to get a guy like AJ Green, or go out and sign Dez Bryant or even try and lure a player from a contender, like Allen Robinson. But I thought they could get someone. I was actually really hoping that the Will Fuller trade was going to happen. He is on a bad team, he doesn't get targets, he seems like he wants out and wants to go to a good team, and Green Bay could have really used him opposite Adams. If they were able to swing a deal, and get two upper tier wideouts, why not go for it? This could have really helped out the entire offense. Teams would have had to gameplan for what could have been an even more explosive offense. When healthy, you put Rodgers out there with Adams and Fuller at wide out, that O line and Aaron Jones in the backfield, they could have been dynamite. They would have been a problem. They have been a problem for most of the season, and Jones has been hurt, and teams try to double Adams, and it isn't working for them. Bringing in Fuller would have made them that much more powerful. They would have taken over the field when on offense. Teams would have to pick and choose who they would double cover. Aaron Jones and Jamall Williams would have gaping holes to run through, and lots of field with the secondary being focused on two really good receivers. But they just didn't do it. And then they made excuses, claiming that they "never wanted to make a trade". If that's true, that is a bummer. But I don't think it is true, I think Green Bay, as they have always done, didn't get exactly what they wanted, or if they did they asked for more, and the Texans said no thanks.

Oh well, I guess they are happy going 11-5 and winning a playoff game before being ousted by a younger, better team. They should have, and definitely could have made this trade. Why they didn't, I don't think I'll ever understand.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Everything That is Wrong With Trevor Lawernce's COVID-19 Diagnosis

Earlier this week the Big Ten had to cancel a game due to a COVID outbreak, and yesterday, Trevor Lawrence tested positive and will miss Clemson's game against Boston College tomorrow.

This is not the trend that the NCAA was hoping for when they pushed ahead for a season this fall. I have mentioned how they could survive if it were smaller schools having to push games around, or outright cancel them, and how if the players weren't "stars", it wouldn't really be a problem. But now the NCAA is having to deal with big name schools and prospects. Notre Dame and Florida have had to postpone games due to outbreaks. Wisconsin is now added to that list, and I am sure there are a good number of more high profile schools coming down the pipe. And while these schools have had to pause their seasons, no real super duper star player has tested positive. Notre Dame's QB didn’t test positive, that we know. Wisconsin's freshman QB did, but he isn't a top tier guy yet. Florida didn't release the names of the players that tested positive, so that means we don't know if their QB or stud tight end got it. And with coaches getting it, like Dan Mullen and Paul Chryst, I do not count Nick Saban because that whole situation is fishy to me, that doesn't really matter because they have so many assistant coaches that can take over if needed. But when a player of Trevor Lawrence's caliber gets it, and has to miss a guy, that should frighten everyone involved with college football. He is the Heisman front runner. He is the star player of the number one team in the country. He was very vocal about wanting to play. He has been on fire. And he is, if he leaves Clemson after this year, going to be the number one pick in the 2021 NFL draft. So the fact that he tested positive twice, that Clemson couldn't find some way to keep it quiet or cover it up, that he is missing a nationally televised game, this is all big news, and it is not good news.

Clemson will most likely beat Boston College tomorrow. They have a backup that was a highly rated recruit, and he does have game snaps due to all the blowouts, but that will not be the topic of conversation going into the game tomorrow. It will all be about Lawrence. I'm sure they will try and figure out how he got it, when he got it and how soon he will be able to return. The return, I bet, will be the biggest topic on all the pregame shows. The ACC has a ten day sit out policy for any kid that tests positive. And you may read this and say, okay, he will miss two games, but it is Clemson, they should roll. Again, I'm sure they will with BC, but they have the game of the week, and season, next Saturday when they face Notre Dame.

At the time I'm writing this those are the 1st and 3rd rated teams in the country. It will almost assuredly be a primetime night game. It will have as many eyeballs on it as possible. But, if Lawrence tested positive on Wednesday, and then again on Thursday, that would mean that the tenth day would fall on the night of that game. What will TV and the NCAA do if he isn't better? What if his "mild symptoms" get worse during the week? What if he tests positive again? What if he breaks quarantine because he thinks he feels okay enough to go out? Or what if Clemson's game this weekend is too close for comfort, and Dabo wants his prize recruit to come back before he is healthy and ready?

That, and the TV stuff, is what scares me most. Nick Saban wasn't supposed to coach last weekend against Georgia, but by some miracle, he tested negative when he needed to. This meant CBS could run their regular show and Alabama fans could see their coach on the sidelines, and everyone forgot about it. Again, he is a coach, and he has no other prospects. He is the GOAT college coach and he clearly doesn't want to return to the NFL. His career is set. Trevor Lawrence is about to get seriously paid, he is about to be in the NFL, and while he hasn't really needed for anything in his life, he won't have to ever again after he is drafted. But what if this lingers? How will that affect him in the long? What about how the coaches handle this? Dabo Swinney is all about winning, and doing it at any cost. I wouldn't be shocked at all if he rushes Lawrence back for their next game.

This is all very bad. And I fear it will be handled even worse by every adult in the room. This was my biggest worry for a college football season, and NFL for that matter, that these star players would get COVID and miss time, and possibly damage their future. It sucks way more for college kids because, for the naïve, they don't get paid a dime. I hope Clemson and Trevor Lawrence and the NCAA do the right thing, but they have shown too many times before that they won't, and that they don't care about these kids. This was the worst thing that could have happened for Clemson and college football, and I am curious and pessimistic that they will handle it the right way. This is a real bummer.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Big Ten is Screwed

I was going to write about the season five premiere of "The Eric Andre Show" today, but it will have to wait another day due to some sports news I saw this afternoon.

The Big Ten, after one week of games being played, already have to cancel a game. I read at the beginning of the week that the Wisconsin freshman QB, who looked dynamite against Illinois last Friday, tested positive twice for COVID. The backup QB did too. Then today Wisconsin confirmed that twelve people within the program, including the head coach, have tested positive. They now have to pause all activities for at least seven days, and the players who tested positive may have to sit upwards of twenty-one days.

The Big Ten was very stringent in the protocols to follow if/when positive tests came out, and the players are hit hardest by this. The rule was stated at the beginning that, if a player tests positive more than once, they have to sit out three weeks. It makes sense to me, it seems like that was a big deal in the restart of the season and we all knew it would come to this, just maybe not this early. But, with the Big Ten waiting so long to start its fall season, this leaves no room for making the game up. The Big Ten has a strict eight week conference only schedule, with the ninth week having the top two teams from each division playing for the Big Ten title, and the rest of the teams playing an extra game for bowl positioning. The caveat, for the time being, Wisconsin and Nebraska will only play eight games, at the most. The rest of the conference, if there are no more outbreaks, I doubt it, will all play one extra game.

Nebraska didn't really have a shot at the CFP, but Wisconsin might have. Nebraska got crushed last week, and they were more than likely going to get beat this Saturday after seeing what Wisconsin did to Illinois, whose defense is much better than Nebraska's. They were staring down an 0-2 start. But I do feel a little bad for Nebraska because they were one of the first schools in the conference to push back against the original cancellation of the season. They were so primed to play that they took a case to court, and they had ideas to play as an independent for this season. Now they have to miss a game because Wisconsin has an outbreak. That seems unfair to them. But this is what the Big Ten will look like all year. The more outbreaks amongst the conference, the more cancellations. They have a set date to finish the year, December 12th, and they are sticking to it. That may mean that some teams will play 7, 8 or 9 games. Or, at this rate, some teams may only play 5 or 6 games.

As for Wisconsin, this stinks on so many levels for them, as a football team. This freshman QB looks like the real deal. He only had one incompletion. He and Justin Fields, who is a legit Heisman contender, had almost identical stats. Now he has COVID, as does his backup and upwards of ten or eleven more players. That is brutal. First of all, this virus has proven it is rough, add on the missed games and practices, and it is like a lost season for these kids. As for the team, this is even more brutal because, as I said, Wisconsin had some real playoff aspirations. They looked like they had opened the offense. The defense shut down Illinois. They pretty much had this Nebraska game in the bag, and more than likely they would have been heading to Ann Arbor in two weeks 3-0, and probably favored in that game. Now they have to miss a full game. The players who have COVID will have to miss, at least, two games. The coaches are going to miss a full week, at the very least, of practice during the season.

This is a blow to the program for this very odd season. But, and I say this again and again and again, how did the players and coaches get COVID, and were they not following safety protocols? I know the University of Wisconsin has seen a surge in positive COVID cases due to parties on campus. Were these players at said parties? Were they not wearing masks? Were they not social distancing? No one knows except the people involved. But more likely than not, if I were a betting man, I'd say that they were going to parties because they are young college athletes who are always the big men on campus. Wisconsin loves their football, and the players are treated like royalty. So the dumb actions of a few are screwing this team and their chances at playing in a big bowl game, or even the CFP.

I fear that this is just the start. I know some universities have already had outbreaks. The university of Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan State and Penn State all had to pause football activities once already due to outbreaks. Iowa did as well, and they have the whole racial injustice issue going on. The University of Michigan currently has its dormitory residents on stay at home orders. It just feels like things will get much worse before they get better. I would hope that this will be a wake up call for the other members of the Big Ten because any stoppage screws these teams from any major bowl games or the playoff. I wish that were the case, but time will tell. Again, these are young kids that are treated better, and they get invited to everything. If there were ever a season or a year to skip those parties, and just hang out at home, this is the year and the season.

The Big Ten better wake up and take this seriously, or else they will be shut out of any important postseason play. 

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

How Should I Feel About Michigan Football Being Back

I watched the entirety of my first college football game this past Saturday night. I haven't been watching much because of the pandemic, the use of these kids as pawns for the universities, the fact that the NCAA is corrupt, that there are no fans and it is eerie and because the Big Ten had not started.

Well that changed on Saturday. The Big Ten kicked off their shortened season. I am surprised that I only watched one full game, and the end of another, waiting for the Michigan game. I figured I would tune in to the other Big Ten games, but I really didn't. I did other things. I hung out with my family in the morning. I ran to the store to get some essentials. I went for a run by myself. I did what I have been doing all fall pretty much. But I knew that Michigan was going to kick off at 6:30pm my time, and I knew I would watch. I also knew that my mom and dad would come over, they have been a part of our little bubble this whole pandemic, and that my dad and I cannot resist watching Michigan. So, we tuned in to the end of the PSU-Indiana game, which was, given the circumstances, a pretty exciting game, and waited for Michigan to start. Before the game I did not have the usual feelings I have had every year since I became obsessed with the Wolverines. I wasn't waiting all day, I found things to do. My mind wasn't focused on who was going to play, and what the team may look like. I didn't have that usual pit in my stomach right before kickoff. I was relaxed enough to eat eight big chicken wings and a full size salad we ordered from a local pizza joint. That never really happened before for me. And I should be happy about that. I should feel like there has been some kind of growth and maturity that has come with age. But really, it was the fact that this season is, and will continue to be, so very weird.

The pregame ramp up seemed familiar, and when I saw the Wolverines warming up, it looked normal enough. There is hardly anyone in the stadium an hour prior to most games, so it didn't seem different at first. But then the game started. This was when it felt odd. There were less than 600 fans in attendance. This is a good thing too. I'm not complaining, or comparing it to a Marlins game. The Big Ten has strict fan attendance rules, and they are only allowing certain people to watch the games live. But this meant you could hear everything that was being said on the field. I could hear QB's make checks, players talk to one another and the hits were crisp. It was surreal. Usually the crowd drowns that out, but not on Saturday night. I will say, the fans in attendance were fully masked, and seemed to be following the proper safety protocols. The coaches were as well. There were only a few times I said aloud, "why isn't that coach wearing his mask?". Both head coaches were masked the whole game, only flipping it off to bark out instructions, which I thought was good. As for the game on the field, both teams were missing starters, Minnesota was missing more, but it was not what I expected. I thought this was going to be a hard nosed, low scoring defensive affair. It was not. Minnesota blocked a punt and scored in under 3 minutes. Michigan answered with a 70 yard TD run on the very next play. Then Michigan got a strip sack for a score right after that. From there on out, it was an offensive battle. Michigan had 35 points at half, which was wild. Joe Milton looked solid and in control, the run game was good and very, very deep, the young receivers and skill players did well and it was clear that Minnesota missed their starters much more than Michigan did.

When it was all said and done, Michigan won 49-24. They got a solid road win against a ranked opponent when a lot of people picked against Michigan. It was nice to see them play again too. I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to see them play until next fall, and this was a nice surprise. And I did have times where I cheered long runs and defensive stops and was happy that they won going away. But it was weird. I felt icky at times watching the game. I am worried for the kids and I hope they continue to follow proper protocols. I will continue to watch because I love Michigan, but this is going to be as weird a season as I have ever witnessed. I'm glad they won, and I hope they get to play with few, possibly no, postponements, but time will tell. Either way, glad they won, but it was a very bizarre experience. This is like nothing I have seen, or even my dad for that matter.

This will be an odd year for sure.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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