The Suns Actually Did It

Last night the Phoenix Suns beat the Clippers in game six of the West Finals to advance to their first Finals since 1993. This is quite the feat.

I have seen all the stuff online about how this is fake. They got the Lakers when LeBron and AD were hurt. The Nuggets did not have Jamal Murray. And the Clippers were without Kawhi. While that is all true, the only series I thought they might not win was the Lakers series. The Lakers had a 2-1 lead, then the injuries happened and then they imploded. But LeBron was still there. They were still the defending champs. As for the Nuggets, while not with Murray, they still had the league's MVP. Jokic was still in the lineup. So was Michael Porter Jr, Will Barton, Austin Rivers and all their subs. And Jokic was great. He did his thing. But that is what the Suns wanted. They let Jokic eat and dared the other players to beat them. They did not. The Suns swept them.

Then we have the Clippers. First off, all the Clipper fans complaining about the lack of "love" they get, or that everyone that doesn't root for them are "haters" or that Paul George and the rest of the team gets too much hate, get over it. I am a Michigan football fan. I do not want to hear about it. I have heard it my whole life. Michigan has a ton of fans, but there are more people that hate them, and I guarantee they hate Michigan football much, much more than anyone hates the Clippers. And for the fans that claim this season a "success", that is the deepest form of sports regret. This team should have at least gone to the Finals once. I picked them to go twice. This team was built around star power that has playoff success, and the best they have done is a six game series in the West Finals. This experiment hasn't worked yet, there is time, but so far it has not been great. They flamed out in the bubble, and they got beat easily, granted without Kawhi, by the Suns.

This was all to simply give the Suns their flowers. Now, I do want to say that I do not like their bandwagon fans. That idiot with the "Suns in 4" shirt that started a fight, he is the worst of the worst. Most of their other fans are not so great people. I disagree with a lot of their ideals and beliefs. They are bad, mean people. But for players like Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikail Bridges, Dario Saric, Cam Payne and, especially Chris Paul, this is awesome. They have been mostly healthy all season. They have played exceptional team defense. Their offense is very good. Monty Williams has done a hell of a job in his first year as their head coach. This team deserves to be here. They have been one of the best teams in the league all season, they were the two seed, they had one of the harder paths to get here and they did it. They did it with relative ease in fact. They are as solid a team as the NBA has right now. They remind me of the Spurs teams that were led by Tim Duncan, except they are more fun. Devin Booker is a knock down shooter. He is every bit as advertised. He is going to lead the league in scoring very soon. Deandre Ayton is a great, great modern big. He can stretch the floor a bit, he is a great rebounder, he is great around the rim, he is proving he was worth the number one pick. Mikail Bridges was an absolute steal when they traded for him on draft night. He can shoot and he plays great defense with his long arms.

This season is all about Chris Paul for me. He was the missing piece. I have been hard on CP3 his whole career too. He never made it to the big stage, until now. He is still a flopper, but it has worked so far. He has always been dirty, but that has played to his benefit. Just look at what Patrick Beverly did to him last night. He shoved him in the back when Paul wasn't even looking. That is not a good look, but we all know CP3 did something, and Beverly reacted wrong. Beverly will be, and should be, suspended for what he did. But to me it just proved that CP3 was in his head. His talking got to him and neutralized him. He did exactly what he wanted. And it worked. Chris Paul has been everything that the Suns needed and hoped and now he, and the franchise, are reaping the benefits. They are back in the Finals. I actually think they will win. I believe the gambling places have them as the odds on favorites. That is due to the young guys accepting their roles, and the addition of CP3. The Suns did it. They are in the Finals. Now they have to wait for their opponent. But again, I think they will win it all.

Congrats to the Suns.

Ty

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

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Let's Talk About the Bucks Series Win Over the Nets

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Let's Talk About the Hawks Series Win Over the 76ers

The next few days are going to be dedicated to the NBA playoff series that just wrapped up. First I want to talk about the 76ers-Hawks series.

The Hawks played this series perfectly. They went out there like they had nothing to lose and it showed. They were loose, they were having fun and they won the damn thing. That is highly impressive for a team that is back in the playoffs for the first time in a while. Trae Young is proving to be a big time player, John Collins is doing some good things, Clint Capela looks like he did in Houston and Kevin Huerter is having a moment. They look like they are enjoying all this, they have earned all this and I think they have a very bright future.

The Hawks are also a blast to watch. They move the ball a ton, they find open shooters, they dive and pick and roll and get alley oops, they are a joy. They do not play much defense, but they do enough to win on that end, and they score in bunches. Kudos to Atlanta.

As for Philadelphia this is, as far as sports goes, a disaster. They were the best team in the East all year. They steam rolled their way to the number 1 seed. They had, on paper, the easiest draw to the East Finals. They destroyed Washington, and it should have been the same with Atlanta. But this is where the difference in play showed. While Atlanta was free and loose, the 76ers were tight. They played to not lose. Atlanta played to win. Philadelphia was a mess on offense with the exceptions of Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. They were the only two dudes that could get the offense going. Joel Embiid played on one leg and he was as dominant as he has been all season. He did what he was supposed to do, what was expected from him. He looked every bit the MVP candidate he was all year. People will point out his turnovers, but when you have to shoulder such an enormous role, turnovers are going to happen. That is the nature of being the lone offensive star. Seth Curry did help. He hit some big shots in this series. He did what was asked of him when the 76ers traded for him. He was a disaster on defense, but he wasn't brought in to play defense. He was the floor spacer, the shooter he needed to be in this series.

The rest of the 76ers roster was dreadful. Tobias Harris could not hit the ocean. There were times when I forgot he was on the team. He was a ghost. It was some James Harden playoff stuff coming from Tobias Harris. They needed him to be their third star, and he was nonexistent. Dwight Howard wasn't playable at times. He just could not stay on the floor. They clearly missed Danny Green's defense. He isn't as good as he used to be, but he is still solid. He is also an okay enough floor spacer. Shake Milton, who I do like, should not be playing crucial minutes in do or die playoff games. Outside Embiid and Curry, the rest of the team, including Doc Rivers, let Philadelphia down.

Doc Rivers' decisions in this series were baffling. The lineups, the offense, the play calling, it was really, really bad. I like Doc Rivers too. I think he is a great person and an okay coach. This is becoming the norm for him now though. He should have multiple rings, but he only has one. This is worse than the Clippers collapse in the bubble last season. The 76ers couldn't do much, and a lot of that was due to Rivers' coaching.

And then we have Ben Simmons. I love Ben Simmons. I love the way he plays basketball. He is one of the best defenders in the league. He is dominant. I also love watching a 6'10 guy run the offense. It is rad to see him bring the ball up the floor and get the team going. It is great to see him fly down the court in transition and throw a dunk down. But he was really awful on offense in this series. He did some wild stuff. He would not shoot the ball, especially in the fourth quarter. He was terrible at the free throw line. The play where he spun off his defender and had a wide open dunk and passed it to a cutter was so insane. It was also a microcosm of how he played offense the whole series. He has shown no growth on that end. He refuses to shoot the ball, and with him passing up dunks and layups now, this is not a great situation. I think the 76ers need to explore the possibility of trading Simmons. I do not know what they will get in a return, his value has definitely diminished, but the Simmons-Embiid duo just doesn't seem to fit. Simmons needs a spot where he can slash and dunk, and Embiid needs to be surrounded by floor spacers and let him own the inside. Philadelphia has a ton of work to do this offseason. They are in a bad spot right now, and things may have to change.

As for Atlanta, again I tip my hat to them. They deserved to win this series and the Bucks better taken them seriously in the East Finals.

Ty

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

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It Has Been a Crazy Day in the NBA

There was a flurry of NBA news this morning. Chris Paul was put in health and safety protocol. Kawhi is out with a possible Achilles injury. People were still talking about KD's epic game last night. Scott Brooks and Stan Van Gundy were relieved of their job as head coach. Also, LaMelo Ball won rookie of the year.

This has been a nutso day.

I know people are freaking out about CP3 being in health and safety protocols, but I do not think it is a really big deal. Did we all already forget that LeBron was about to be put in health and safety protocols? Did he miss any playoff games? Also, the Suns wrapped up their series last week, and the Jazz and Clippers are playing game five tonight. That series is going to go, at least, one more game, and then the East will have to finish their two series, and then the conference finals will start. I'd say, at most, Paul misses one game, if any at all. He will be fine.

The Kawhi injury is a bummer for all Clippers fans. They looked like they were putting it all together. They were playing very good defense. And Kawhi was really asserting himself as a force on both ends of the floor. He was starting to look like the Toronto version of Kawhi. With him out, who knows. No one seems to know how serious the injury may be. The Jazz are not playing great right now. The Clippers are deeper. I mean, they could still win this series, but they are going to get smoked by the Suns if Kawhi misses more time than people expect right now. I picked them to play the Nets in the finals, but I was not comfortable with that pick at the time, the Dallas series only furthered that discomfort and now Kawhi is out. Maybe the basketball gods really do dislike the Clippers.

KD was great last night. He did it all for the Nets, and they are down their other 2 star players. Harden did play, but he did not look comfortable. He looked slower than normal and could not shoot the ball. KD played every single second of that game. He was everywhere on defense. He grabbed 18 rebounds. He had 49 points, 31 in the second half. He was making incredible shots and he dished out 10 assists. That was an all time performance. KD does this all the time now. This is commonplace for him. He shows up big in the biggest moments. He was amazing to watch last night. Games like that are why I love the NBA.

LaMelo most likely deserved the rookie of the year, so his win was kind of expected. I thought after he got hurt that Anthony Edwards was going to run away with the award. He also got better, so I wouldn't have been surprised if he won it. But LaMelo played on a better team, he ran the offense and he was pretty awesome. It is very clear he is the most talented Ball brother.

Finally we have the two coaches being let go. The Scott Brooks thing was kind of expected. He has done a solid job of doing just enough in Washington of getting the most out of a not so loaded roster. He's gone to the playoffs a few times. He has put together some nice winning streaks. He got Russ to play an all around type game. Bradley Beal has flourished under him. But the Wizards never met their own personal high standards. They only made the east semis once. They were a team no one was really afraid of in the playoffs. They have not been very good for the past couple years, and Brooks' time there had come to an end. He did all he could, and it was not enough. He will still get interviews from other teams, but I think Brooks is exactly as good as he will ever be as a head coach. Any team that may hire him in the future will know exactly what they are getting from him. His team's will be okay, but never great.

As for Stan Van Gundy, that one surprised me. I read that some of the players on the team did not really like him, and he has not been great in his last two stops, but letting him go after one shortened season, that is cold. That franchise is doing everything they can to keep Zion, but this will be his third coach in his third season. That kind of inconsistency would leave me a little nervous if I were a player. The constant change is not good. There is no continuity. He will have to learn yet another game plan. So will all the other players. This is a problem. They should have given him at least one more season, just to see what happens. But teams just do not want to wait around anymore. They want instant gratification, and if it doesn't work right away, they just move on. That's a bummer.

Now we will just have to wait and see if the NBA throws anything else at us today. It has been crazy enough already, but hey, there is still 10 hours left in the day. It could get even wilder.

Ty

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

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The Tragic End of the Bo Schembechler Legend

Last week some damning and explosive news came out about Bo Schembechler and a doctor he protected who was abusing players during Bo's time as head coach. This shocked me to my core. I was stunned. I'm still stunned. I did not want to believe it. I think I have sat on this so long because I was hoping, maybe I still am, that this is all wrong. That all these athletes, nearly 900 of them, have just misremembered things. That does not seem to be the case.

This story, as more and more news comes out, keeps getting more and more real to me. I just do not want to accept it, but I know I have to. For those that may not know, Bo Schembechler has been accused of covering up sexual abuse by a former doctor at Michigan. He did not report it, and may have told players to "toughen up" and "get over it". This is so, so, so bad. This is a real problem and it needs to be addressed. I know that Jim Harbaugh and Schembechler's son Schemmy have come out and said they did not see any of this. But, Schembechler's step son, who is estranged from the family, former players and other athletes have come forward and said they were abused by this doctor. Like I said, this is bad, and it seems very true. If it is just one or two people maybe it isn't true. But, when over 850 athletes come forward, that is no coincidence. That usually means the accusations are truthful.

I am having a real hard time grappling with this. This is, outside of family, one of my biggest idols growing up. Bo always talked about doing things the right way, being vigilant about that, not cutting corners, never hiding from adversity. He was the epitome of a "good guy". My earliest memories are watching Michigan games with my dad and being told, and adhering to the fact that he was a great coach and an even better guy. That has all come crashing down with this story. We will never know the true extent, Bo, the doctor and Bo's wife Millie have all passed away. But I say again, when this many people come forward, it is more than likely factual. I am trying to come to terms with how to deal internally with all of this. To this point I have removed all my Bo memorabilia I have in my home, which is plentiful. His books are off my shelves, my bobblehead of him is gone, any t-shirt that has his image has been removed from my wardrobe, the pictures I have kept are not in my possession. I cannot look at his face anymore and not feel hurt and deceived by him. This, in terms of sports, is a travesty to me. This is tragic. This stinks.

I was talking to my dad about this over the weekend, who loved Bo more than I did, who talked about him like a legend, and we both are having trouble dealing. We both said that if this were Urban Meyer or Jim Tressel or Mark Dantonio this would be so easy to swallow. We would be laughing about it. Those guys have their issues, Meyer is a cheater and a liar, Tressel got fired for illegal recruiting and Dantonio retired before he was going to get caught. None of them have this sexual abuse accusation though. The closest is Dantonio, who seemed to let his players get away with everything, but no stories have come out about that yet. The only comparison I can make to the Schembechler news is what happened at Penn State under Joe Paterno, and you better believe I was very vocal about that whole situation. I was on my high horse when that news came out. And while the Michigan news didn't involve another coach, it is still pretty similar. There was abuse, it was sexual and it was covered up by a legendary head coach.

I just do not see a world where Michigan does not try to distance themselves from Schembechler. They need to remove the statue, of which I had a picture next to. They need to remove his name. They need to address this travesty and try to make things better. They need to help and support the victims. They need to do the right thing. Bo was a legend. So was Paterno, but I do not hear much about him when I see Penn State football games. Michigan needs to do the same with Bo. It may be hard, it may feel bad, but it needs to happen. That is the right thing to do, as well as working with the victims, helping them out.

This is an utter disaster. I am still shook. I still do not understand why Bo felt the need to help this monstrous person who was doing terrible things. This is bad. This is a stain on this prestigious university. And it comes from a man that everyone involved with Michigan football has lionized. Something needs to happen and it needs to happen now. I cannot and will not stand up for Bo anymore. He is no longer the legend that I once vouched he was. He did bad things and the school needs to move on from him. That would be the right thing to do.

Ty

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

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Adventures in Running and Hiking in Gulf Shores

We are going to be home from our trip in a few hours, and I wanted to talk about the running, hiking and “trails” in Gulf Shores.

A newer thing for me, the past five years, is checking out the running when I go somewhere. It’s a neat way to get to know the area you’re staying in and you get a feel for the terrain. I was excited about Gulf Shores because I remember it being flat. That’s a good thing because I was just given the full go from my doctor. My injury has healed and I can go to my threshold. I figured the flat ground would be nice. And it was for the first two miles of my first solo run. Then it got pretty boring pretty quick. I’ve had a similar sensation running half marathons. When you get a long stretch of flats it can be a nice break, but it sure gets tedious after awhile. And it’s not like I’m one for hills. I dread going uphill. But I love going downhill. I gain speed, I’ve been told to go down hill more freely and it breaks up the monotony. There was little to none of that this week. I would take weird turns, hoping I’d find hills. There were none. I ran a 10k yesterday and I “gained” less than 20 feet of elevation. It may as well have been an ant hill. I saw the “hill” during this run and it wasn’t exciting at all. I was up and down it within seconds. It was a drag. But that’s how it was everyday I ran, which was 3 of the four days we were there.

On the second day of the trip, after a day of swimming in the Gulf, I decided I wanted to do some trail running. There was a state park about four miles from the condo we stayed in, so I drove out to a trail head that had about six connecting trails. I figured this would get me into the three digit elevation category. It wasn’t even close. I ran four miles on three separate trails and my elevation gain that day was 60 feet. Again, I’m not a big elevation fan, I tend to walk uphill, but still, it’s a nice break to have that walk. At home I average a bit over 200 per run. When I run with my buddy, a small elevation run is about 500 feet. My body is used to going up and down. That’s not the case in Gulf Shores.

Also, they need to be very loose with the term “trail”. I talked to a park ranger about how most, if not all, the trails are paved. She told me that’s the way they like it in Gulf Shores. She said most people walk or bike the trails, so it’s better for them to pave them. I’m not a fan of this idea at all. Trails need sticks and roofs and rocks and should require some technical work. I trails I ran on had none of those. The bridges on the trail were a nice touch, but those were all pristine. They were too nice, not worn down enough, didn’t seem used very much. It was kind of a bummer. When I hear trail I think woods. I’m sure most people do. But these trails were simply flat, paved walkways.

The same problem with the “trails” is what irked me about hiking. My son had I hike together a lot. He’s a good hiker too. I let him talk and talk and he likes to climb and pick up sticks and get in a good sweat. The only thing he got on our hike this week was the sweat. He openly complained about the lack of sticks. He asked why this trail was so easy compared to home. He didn’t have to drink much water because he said it was “too easy” for him. I couldn’t agree more. Our two and a half mile hike only took 40 minutes. It was a breeze. And the lack of tree coverage was a big letdown. Tree coverage is a big time help, especially as it gets warmer out. There was no coverage at all. It was hot, bright and brutal at times. For a place that has so much vegetation the trees are practically nonexistent. The lack of shade crushed any good time I had all week.

Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to run, I’m glad I saw some new parts of town I missed, but it wasn’t the highlight I was hoping it might be. It was kind of a letdown. Props to people that run marathons in that swamp though. Those people are bosses. But no elevation and no shade is not for me I suppose.

Ty

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

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Is Nikola Jokic the Right MVP?

Nikola Jokic won the NBA MVP last night in a runaway.

At first I was kind of stunned at how big his margin of victory turned out to be. I think Jokic is great, and deserving, but to win by as much as he did, that was wild. I have gone to bat for Joel Embiid all season. He was my pick. I think he is most valuable to the 76ers, and when he plays, he’s nearly unstoppable. He is a modern Hakeem. We also had Steph Curry. He had a wonderful year. He is the greatest shooter I’ve ever seen. He had no help at all this year and he still won the scoring title. He’s more than proven he’s one of the top five players in the league. Before LeBron got hurt he had a real chance to win. The Lakers were coasting, it coasting with a healthy LeBron meant they were near the top of the West. He also looked to be locked in defensively, and when he does that, it’s over. There’s also Chris Paul. He has shown his worth the last two seasons. He went to OKC last year and had them as a five seed in the West with a totally unproven roster. Then he goes to Phoenix this year, to a team that hadn’t been in the playoffs in forever, and turned them into a two seed that cruised over the Lakers in round one. He even got hurt but went out and played as well as he always does. There were other players that popped up here and there, guys like KD, Harden, Jayson Tatum, but the guys I mentioned were the main dudes in the running all season for MVP.

So after it was announced that Jokic won, I kind of thought back on the season and tried to figure out why he won. Chris Paul is great, but that team has Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. They were also looked at as a team that was going to make a leap this year. Paul wasn’t so much the MVP for them as he was the veteran they needed to make the jump. LeBron simply missed too much time and limped to a poor finish for him. He is an amazing player, second greatest ever, but he hurt his ankle and that was it for his chances at a fifth MVP. Curry was incredible, did amazing things, scored like hell, but the Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs. I remember when Russ won his lone MVP, his first year averaging a triple double, and people questioned him winning because OKC was a five seed I believe. Again, the Warriors didn’t even make the playoffs. What Steph did this season was so much fun to watch, but I think the MVP should be on a team that gets into the playoffs at the very least. As for Embiid, and I still would’ve given him way more votes, he missed too much time due to injuries. And when he was out the 76ers kept on winning. They definitely missed him, but this Philadelphia team is constructed to deal with injuries to their stars. It might have been different if they needed Embiid to secure the one seed, but they did that when Embiid was nursing his knee. He had a tremendous season, and this seems to be just the start of a dominate career. But the MVP was not for him this year.

I then I looked at Jokic, and it kind of made sense. He didn’t miss any significant time. He was tremendous running the Nuggets offense. He played better defensively. He is the lynchpin of their offense. Everything runs through him. When they acquired Aaron Gordon, Gordon adjusted his game to fit with Jokic. Murray tore his ACL, and when I thought that would push them off a cliff, Jokic was the calming force that led the Nuggets to the three seed. Also, they’re currently in the second round of the playoffs. Jokic is a much deserving MVP. I love that he’s the latest pick, 41st in his draft, to win. He’s also the first center since Shaq to win the MVP. Shaq won it in 2000 by the way.

I don’t know how the Nuggets will fare in the rest of the playoffs, but after sitting on the news yesterday, Jokic deserved this award. He earned it. So congrats. Enjoy this MVP and let’s see if you guys don’t get smoked by Phoenix.(I think they will though)

Ty

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

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Trying to Make Sense of the Julio Jones Trade

Julio Jones has been traded. He is a Tennessee Titan, and they acquired him for, in my opinion, a very small price. I think all the Falcons got was three total draft picks, none of which are a first rounder. I’m surprised that the Falcons pulled the trigger on such a small offer, but here we are. I guess he really wanted out, some other teams were offering even less and Atlanta was okay letting him go. He’s one of the best receivers in the league, he’s mostly durable and he can stretch a defense.

Yet this trade, on every level, flat out confuses me. As I said, Jones is a top three wideout in the league. Any team that got him would be an instant contender for me. But I do not like the fit in Tennessee. Yes the Titans are an established playoff team, they were in the AFC title game two seasons ago and they have some solid weapons. But this team wins with defense and running. They’re a very good defensive team. They play so solid on that side of the ball. They don’t make too many mental mistakes and they pounce on opportunities. On offense the team goes as Derrick Henry goes, and rightfully so. He is probably the best running back in the league right now. He may go for 2,000 yards this upcoming season. He is very, very good. He’s the heart and soul of the Titans offense. Jones also said he wanted to go to a team with a “big armed quarterback”. Ryan Tannehill is a fine game manager, but I would say he has a “big arm”. I know the Dolphins tried this route with him and it didn’t work. Then he came to Tennessee to backup Marcus Mariota, and fell into the starting QB due to poor play and injury. But Tennessee has never relied on Tannehill to win games. They go with defense and running. They like to control the tempo of the game. They want to slow everything to a grinding halt. That’s not what Julio Jones wants to do. He is a big play guy. He wants to get the ball and move. He wants to out jump corners for touchdowns. He is super fast and super skilled in the open field. Jones is a prototypical modern receiver. And while the Titans have another solid receiver in AJ Brown, they still don’t really stretch the field or go very fast.

I personally think Jones would’ve been better off going to a team like the Rams. They got Matthew Stafford, and even though he’s oft injured, he can chuck it. Sean McVay would also put Jones in position to fully utilize his skill. I think pairing him with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore would’ve put the Ravens over the top. I fully believe that would’ve put them very close to the Chiefs. If my team, the Packers, had made a play for him, maybe Aaron Rodgers would’ve reported to camp right now. And Jones and Davante Adams would’ve been a highly impressive duo. I’m sure there’s other teams I’m missing, but Tennessee just seems like not a great fit for Jones and the Titans.

As for Atlanta, I’m still scratching my head at how little they got for one of the best at his position in the game right now. The Rams and Lions traded picks and QB’s. If the Packers do trade Rodgers, I’m sure they’ll get a kings ransom that includes picks and players. Big time O lineman go for better picks than what the Falcons got for Jones. It just feels, to me, that Atlanta jumped the gun. They took an offer they liked before vetting other teams. They got nothing of real substance for an established player. Who knows what these picks will turn into, but Torrey Smith said it best. He tweeted that he’d rather have an established star than picks that may or may not pan out. He’s right. I fully agree with him. The fact that Atlanta chose Matt Ryan over Julio Jones tells me they don’t care about winning right now. They simply didn’t want to pay to get a better QB to pair with Jones, Kyle Pitts and a running back by committee. Matt Ryan’s best days are well behind him. Julio Jones still has a few years left in his prime.

This trade just seems hastily slapped together. I think all parties involved could’ve gotten a better deal. I hope I’m proven wrong because I really enjoy watching Julio Jones play football. But going to the Titans feels more like a lateral move. We will see.

Ty

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

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The Future is Bright for the Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies were ousted out of the playoffs last night. Their season is now over. Let’s talk about it.

The Grizzlies took a game from Utah, game one, but then Donovan Mitchell came back and the more talented team won. The Grizzlies, with last night’s game being the lone exception, kept all the games close. They didn’t get run off the court. They stayed in the games until the very end. Ja looked every bit the star I hoped he would become when they drafted him. Dillon Brooks proved he should get a big payday. And Taylor Jenkins looks to be the right coach for this team. I was a little down on this Grizzlies team going into the season because they played so over their expectations last year. They earned their trip to the bubble. They were very close to getting the eighth seed last year. Ja was the rightful rookie of the year. Then they fizzled in the bubble. I assumed that would spill over to this year. And it looked that way at the start. They dealt with COVID, injuries and poor play. They got off to a bad start. Then Ja hurt his ankle. I was ready to give up then and there. But this team put together a run, won the games they were supposed to, some they maybe had no business winning, Ja came back and they firmly put themselves in the play in picture. With a pretty much full roster, that’s when Jaren Jackson Jr finally came back. The team was full. They had the players they needed, and they played very well. They finished the regular season six games over .500 in the West. They had the nine spot in the play in. They went on to hold on and beat the Spurs, she then they went to Golden State, stifled Steph enough, and won to secure the 8 seed. Then off that high, they beat Utah in game one.

I’m never going to claim a “moral victory”. I don’t care for that term. But I will say this season was a successful one for Memphis, and I’m more excited for the future today than I was when they got bounced from the bubble last season. This team has the look and feel and talent to be a perennial playoff team in the West. They’re shrewdly better than Golden State, San Antonio and the lower tier Western Conference teams. I think, depending on what they do this off-season, they’re better than Portland. I think they’re as good as the Mavericks. If CP3 leaves Phoenix, I’d take the Grizzlies over the Suns. This season has me believing in them. It has me feeling like they’re, at the lowest, a perennial 4 or 5 seed as long as this core stays together. Ja is an absolute star. I am fully on board with my decision two years ago to rank him ahead of Zion Williamson as the best prospect. He was awesome in the playoffs, and when he hones his jumper, watch out. He’s going to be great for a long time. They need to re sign Dillon Brooks. He is a great defender, he’s a great shooter and he’s the perfect menace to have on your favorite team. If JJJ can stay healthy, he adds outside shooting from the front court, and he’s a strong rebounder. Xavier Tillman proved to be a great second round pick. He’s such a strong rebounder and defender, and he can hit the outside shot. Desmond Bane was well worth trading into the first round. He was a delight to watch this season. Jonas Valenciunas is an old school big man, but I like the way he plays rough, and he’s a good low post scorer and rebounder. And guys like Grayson Allen and DeAnthony Melton are great bench guys that know their role. Hell, they can keep Justice Winslow and Brandon Clarke and turn them into defensive specialist. I’d love that. I think this team is going to be good for a good, long time. They will lose some guys, every team does. But if they can surround Ja with JJJ and Dillon Brooks, this team will continue to play hard and win. They also have Tillman and Bane on rookie deals. Some of these other guys seem to genuinely like Memphis too. Maybe they’ll just stay knowing that they’ll be in contention every year.

Today I’m pleased to be a Grizzlies fan. I’m also hopeful. I love this team, I love Ja and they now have a fan for life. Now let’s hope they continue to trend up. I feel like they’re more than capable.

Ty

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

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Thoughts on The Celtics and Coach K

Two big thinks happened in the world of basketball today, and I’m here with my opinion on both. First we will tackle the whole Boston Celtics.

This is an absolute mess in my opinion. When I read the headlines this morning I had to look at it multiple times before I believed it. For those who may not know, Danny Ainge stepped down and Brad Stevens took his place. Stevens did step down as head coach as well. So what we have is Stevens taking over in player personnel and team decisions, and Ainge waking away before being let go.

That is insane on its own. For years and years all us NBA fans heard was how great of a negotiator and mastermind Ainge was for the Celtics. He acquired picks, he took chances on middling stars, he took the right players in the draft and he was always “one move away from making the Celtics a perennial title contender”. It was becoming too much. Also, he never did much at the trade deadline. He did make good moves and picks. I’ll give him that. He got Kyrie when he wanted out of Cleveland. He drafted Tatum when he could’ve traded up for Markelle Fultz. He took a chance on Isaiah Thomas as a scoring machine. He picked Marcus Smart for his defense. And he gave Jaylen Brown a much deserved Max contract. But he also had his share of crappy decisions. He’s drafted players like Romeo Langford and Robert Williams in the lottery. They’re fine players, but not title contending contributors. He traded for Evan Fournier this season. He should’ve done that three years ago. He gave Tristan Thompson a two year guaranteed deal. He gave Gordon Hayward a super max. He cold blooded traded Thomas after his best season. He has as many mistakes as good decisions. But just biggest whiff was never trading for a legit superstar. Kyrie wanted out in two years. Gordon Hayward is off injured and overrated. He could’ve gotten a player like Victor Oladipo. Anthony Davis was a possibility. When KD left OKC, Boston was up there. But none of those guys wanted to play there, or they couldn’t wait to get out. That Nets trade, the one with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and all the picks, that was so long ago that no one, except NBA nerds like me, truly remember how big a deal it was. That’s because Ainge essentially wasted it.

Now Ainge is out and Brad Stevens is in. This move is like the two Spidermen pointing at one another. They’re essentially the same person. At least Ainge had experience. Stevens is going in cold with a talented young roster. And I think he’s going to waste that talent. He’s going to go after players he coached at Butler, or players he coached against that fit his idea of a good team. That stinks for guys like Tatum, Smart and Brown. Their prime is being wasted. They’re playing with a scrap heap players. Kemba is old and creaky, Thompson is a dinosaur, Payton Pritchard is a late first round “hustle” guy and Romeo Langford doesn’t seem to have the goods. The only other player worth a damn right now looks to be Aaron Nesmith, and he’s a young rookie. Stevens will also be heavily involved in the new head coach decision. I don’t like that at all. I think he will make an unpopular choice, and probably pass on a better candidate because he’s too close to the situation. He won’t be able to flip the switch as quickly as the Celtics will want, and that will hinder this team. This whole situation is messed up, and I think it will only get worse before he gets better. If I were Tatum and Brown, I’d be making plans to find a new team.

The other big news was Coach K’s decision to retire at the end of the 21-22 NCAA basketball season. I think there is so much more to this than him just being “done”. The dude is a good coach. I cannot stand him. I’ve never, ever liked him. I am a true hater of Duke men’s basketball, and Coach K is the main reason. But his resume is stacked. He has five titles, twelve final four appearances and he’s the winningest men’s college basketball coach. The dude has done it all at the college level. But there’s the news, that gets louder and louder everyday, that maybe Zion and other top rated recruits to come through Duke got some improper benefits. It’s becoming so common that I think it’s pretty much true. In college basketball today you cannot win without some kind of cheating, and I think Coach K and Duke were/are doing just that, and they’re on the precipice of being caught. So with him leaving, I think it will “soften” any restrictions future Duke teams may get. He’s pulling a Pete Carroll when he left USC for the NFL. I also think he was never up to the task of coaching in the NBA. Sure he coached team USA, but that’s a group of twelve super stars with the best assistant coaches in basketball. I don’t think he had the nerve to take over an NBA team with one or no stars. He didn’t want the challenge of building a team. I also think he would’ve been baffled when the best talent wouldn’t come play for him simply because he’s Coach K. That would’ve thrown him off. He had his pick of the litter in college. It’s not like that in the pros, and I don’t think he would’ve liked that. I think he saw what happened to Nick Saban in the NFL, and he didn’t want that. Saban is a great college football coach, but he was a disaster in the NFL. I think Coach K monitored that whole situation and decided he was going to stick in college. It’s kind of sad we never saw him coach basketball at the highest level. So I do not think he is retiring because he’s older and tired or whatever was said in his release to the media. I think that’s part of it, but I also think there’s other factors to his decision.

Long story short, this has been a wild day for basketball. That’s for sure.

Ty

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

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Thoughts on Hunter Dickinson Declaring for the NBA Draft

Yesterday, as a little bit of a shock to me, Hunter Dickinson, Michigan's true freshman big man, who was a second team all American, declared for the NBA draft. He did leave the door open to returning to Michigan, and I do like that rule, but still I was a bit stunned.

I sat on the news for a little bit, and I realized how ridiculous it was of me to be "shocked" by this. He had a very good season for a very good team. Michigan was a one seed, they won the regular season Big Ten, they were ranked as high as number two during the year and Dickinson was the one who kind of got them rolling. This decision of his shouldn't be looked at as a shock, but as a right of passage. He led the team in scoring and rebounding. When he finally started, that was when they really took off. I would watch their games and be marveled at how well he played in the interior as a true freshman. I looked to him to get this team going behind only Isaiah Livers, who was a senior. And even when Livers got hurt, and people said that was it for this team, I had faith enough to pick them to make the Final Four, which they did not, they made the Elite Eight, due to the play of Dickinson all year. He should declare. He should see what teams have to say about him. He should get a draft grade. He should stay in the draft if some team guarantees that they will take him in the first round. He earned that. I don't know why us Michigan fans think he shouldn't do this.

The fact is that freshman at every other school do this every year. Kentucky constantly has kids leave after one season and no one bats an eye. The same thing happens at Duke now. Georgia had this same deal with Anthony Edwards. Washington too, with Markelle Fultz. This is the new era of college basketball. Until the NCAA does the right thing, and I will not hold my breath waiting for that, these kids will go pro ASAP, and they should. But, one of the very things the NCAA has done right in recent years is allowing these kids to test the waters as they say while still retaining college eligibility. There are "NCAA agents" that these kids can "hire" to help them gather intel and set up private workouts. These players that declare early can also go to the combine if they get invited. But they have a set time to decide if they are going to stay in the draft or return. I think that is exactly what Dickinson is doing. I think he wants to see if some team will take him in round one. I also think he wants to know what he has to work on to get in better position to be a lock first round pick, or even a lottery pick.

If you were to ask me point blank right now what I think he will do, I think he is a near lock to return. He just wants the info, he wants to get better and he wants to see how he stacks up against elite NBA talent. Dickinson is great, but he does have flaws in his game, as any true freshman would. He is not a great outside shooter, and he didn't show a willingness to do that when presented with the opportunity last season. He took four total threes, missed them all, and very few jumpers. He also gets winded pretty quickly. There would be times he would work real hard on one end of the floor, but then he would be slow to get to the other end. It also takes him a while, and a good amount of touches, to get comfortable. In their game against UCLA in the tournament, he didn't really go hard until the second half, but when he did, he looked dominant. But then he got very tired and started to make typical freshman mistakes. He has a good amount of stuff to work on, and I personally think another season working with Juwan Howard and the Michigan staff will do him wonders. He also isn't listed on any mock drafts, and he isn't inside that golden goose that is the ESPN Top 100 prospect list. Look, guys do this all the time, hell Isaiah Livers did it after his junior year. But they can come back. And I think Dickinson will. But if he doesn't, if he gets a great grade, or has a phenomenal work out, he should stay in the draft. As he said in his letter, that is his dream. Right now, at this very moment, I just do not see it. He isn't up there with players like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Jalen Johnson, any one of Kentucky's freshmen that have already declared, Kofi Cockburn, Makur Maker and even his own teammate Franz Wagner. Those players are ready. They have the pedigree and the talent right now. They are NBA ready.

Hunter Dickinson is really, really good, but I do not think he is ready for the NBA. Not yet at least.

Ty

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

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Ty Watches the Opening Weekend of the 2021 NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs got off to an absolute awesome start this weekend. It was so nice to see the teams playing, playing hard, in front of fans and going all out. I watched so much basketball this weekend, and I was never bored. Not once. I am so amped for the rest of the playoffs, and I hope the majority of the games will be like these openers.

With that said, I do have some thoughts about each team we watched. The weekend started for me watching the Heat and the Bucks. Man oh man was this an opener to end all openers. This game was back and forth, was up and down, gritty and grimy and just how I envision this whole series to be. And the game was won on a near buzzer beater from Khris Middleton in overtime. The Bucks got a much needed win that will help boost their confidence going forward. That being said, the Heat did not play great, and they still had a chance at the end. Jimmy Butler came up big when they needed him too, but they just could not pull out the game. But this series is going to be tough, and one hell of a fun watch for fans of old school NBA.

The Mavericks and Clippers followed, and this game was the polar opposite. The Mavericks came out on fire, and for as much flak as I give Luka Doncic, and I do still think he is overrated, he led this team to a road win. The Mavs hit the three, they made free throws, they got clutch points, they did what they needed to win. The Clippers look disinterested, outside of Kawhi, they could not stop Luka, they took some of the worst fouls late in the shot clock, and they had better wake up if they want to recover from their collapse last season. They did not look good at all, and if Luka and the rest of the Mavs keep this up, they will oust the Clippers pretty easily. This is who the Clippers wanted, but man did they look so tired and bored during that game. Time to start playing defense LA.

Then we got to see the Big 3 of the Nets perform to the top of their abilities. KD was hitting mid range shots, Harden was drawing fouls, getting to the hoop and making nice floating alley oop passes and Kyrie, I mean look no further than what he did to Evan Fournier when he dropped him on a crossover. If the Nets top guys play like this, it is a wrap. The Celtics did hold a lead for two and a half quarters, Jayson Tatum did make some shots, Marcus Smart was all over the floor, but they just do not have enough to stop this Nets team. They are too loaded.

Saturday night ended with Damian Lillard doing his thing, quietly as always, and leading the Blazers to a big game one win at Denver. Portland let Nikola Jokic eat, but they did their best to shut everyone else down, and it worked. Jokic was great, but the rest of the Nuggets just could not keep up. Dame was awesome, Jusuf Nurkic and Enes Kanter kept bodying Jokic, Aaron Gordon had a rough game one and CJ McCollum did his thing. I feel like, after this game, that I am one of the many people that are constantly sleeping on Portland. I'm fully on board with them now, and what else can be said about Dame. He is amazing. Portland may very well win this series going away.

I did not think Sunday was going to be as fun. I was wrong. We got the day started off with the 76ers and Wizards, and the Wizards clearly came to play. They were running up and down the floor, they held a lead, Russ and Beal were doing great, then Joel Embiid just took over. Sure, Tobias Harris had a great, great game, and when Ben Simmons needed to play lockdown defense he totally did. But when this team needed to be sparked, after Beal openly mocked Embiid, he came alive. He could not be stopped. He is the MVP. He is unstoppable.

The Suns then beat the Lakers, and they looked like the better team. I will not buy into the Suns being the favorites in this series now because the Lakers lost two game 1's last season, then went on to win four in a row. But this Suns team is much better than last year's Trailblazers and Rockets. They are more complete. Devin Booker is coming of age in the league. Deandre Ayton played like a legit big man. And Chris Paul was classic Chris Paul. Maybe, just maybe, the Suns are going to make this a real series. The Lakers just looked very blah. LeBron had a not great game, and his flopping has got to stop. It is getting out of hand. Anthony Davis was even worse. Maybe he really is hurt because he looks so bad right now. And when Alex Caruso is your most reliable scorer, that is when you have real problems. I am not jumping to any conclusions because the Lakers have two of the best players in the league, but man did they bad. They looked worse than the Clippers, and the Suns took advantage.

I turned on the Knicks-Hawks game in the middle of the fourth quarter, and that game was amazing. Buckets were exchanged. Leads were changed constantly. The crowd, the biggest indoor crowd since the pandemic started, was heavily involved. And Trae Young made sure we all will take him seriously now. This was the game of the weekend. This was what makes the NBA playoffs the best. This was awesome. I know New York fans are upset right now, but come on, this was an amazing game. I hope the rest of the series plays like this. As for Atlanta, what an offensive performance. They looked so ready for the moment and ready for the playoffs. They may not get much further in this series or playoffs, but they are now here to stay. They are a perennial playoff team as currently constructed.

Sunday night ended with my Memphis Grizzlies getting a big time road win over the top seeded Jazz. Dillon Brooks was tremendous on both ends of the floor. Ja did his thing. The bench and other role players were perfect. I am sure this is still some adrenaline from the final play in game, but I also think this team is not afraid of the moment. They may be young, but they appear ready. And hell yes I would take Ja over all the other players in his draft, and some in other drafts. He is that dude. The Jazz did not have Donovan Mitchell, and they crushed them. The pick and roll wasn't there. Joe Ingles, Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson were not making shots. Rudy Gobert fouled out. Everything went right for the Grizzlies, and everything went wrong for Utah. I hope this trend continues. I hope RD was some kind of oracle when he said they may make a run. I am not going to get ahead of myself as a fan, but damn was it fun to see them get this win. They are ready.

The NBA playoffs are here, and they are incredible. I hope this opening weekend was just a sign of things to come. This is what I love about the NBA. The playoffs are back, and they are amazing.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NBA Playoff Preview

After tonight's final play in game the NBA will have its 16 teams set for the playoffs.

The play in has been a success by the way. The East's games were blow outs, but I enjoyed watching Tatum put in 50, and the Pacers light up the Hornets and then the Wizards putting that same hurt on Indiana. The West's games have been much more competitive and fun. The Lakers got a great knock down shot from LeBron, the Grizzlies held on to beat the Spurs after building a 20 point lead and Steph was being Steph, and will probably be Steph tonight. I do think, as much as it upsets me, that the Warriors will beat the Grizzlies tonight and claim that 8th seed. Then the playoffs will be set. So let's just imagine that the Warriors claim that spot, and I will go on with my playoff preview.

I will start in the East as I always do.

The 1-8 matchup is the 76ers and the Wizards. The 76ers should roll in this series. They are bigger, stronger, longer, deeper and have played like the best team in the East all season. Simmons is as lock down as they come, Embiid is a MVP finalist and the rest of the roster plays their role. Brad Beal and Russell Westbrook will make it fun and exciting, but outside of those two, the Wizards do not have much else. The 76ers should, and will, sweep.

The 2-7 matchup is Brooklyn and Boston. Boston was supposed to be a top team. They were supposed to take the leap. They have all these great young players, but it just did not come together this season. And now that Jaylen Brown is out, they are toast. The Nets have the best three headed monster the NBA has seen in quite some time. They also have excellent role players. They may not play much defense, but they cannot be stopped when they are at full health, which they are right now. The Nets will sweep.

The 3-6 matchup features Milwaukee and Miami. This may be the best first round matchup in either conference. This is exactly what Milwaukee did not want, but here we are. Miami matches up great and they are finally healthy. Milwaukee has been quietly solid all year, and Giannis is still Giannis. Jrue Holiday is also a major upgrade over Eric Bledsoe and the PJ Tucker addition is great. This will be hard fought, gritty and old school. I do have Milwaukee winning, but it will take 7 games and it will be brutal.

The 4-5 is the RD special. We have the Knicks and the Hawks. This is like going back to the 90's. I love this. And, for RD, I have the Knicks winning, and winning it relatively easy. I think it will only take five games. Atlanta is fun, Trae Young is great, but they do not play a lick of defense. The Knicks do, and they have a very solid offense as well.

That would leave us with second round matchups of 76ers-Knicks and Bucks-Nets. The 76ers will end the fun Knicks story. They are just a better team. The Bucks will unfortunately leave the playoffs too early according to their fans because they do not have enough defense to slow down the Nets if they stay healthy. I actually think both series will be no more than six games.

So that leaves us with a 76ers and Nets East Finals. This is, according to the seeding, how it should play out. And while the 76ers are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, they simply do not have enough to stop the Nets. The Nets are absolutely loaded offensively. They will be able to outscore everyone. I think Embiid will feast, but he will be the only 76er that strikes fear offensively in the Nets. The Nets will win in six and be the East representative in the Finals.

Now the West.

As I stated, the 1-8 will most likely be the Jazz and Warriors. The Warriors have Steph, and he is amazing. He may very well win the MVP. Every time he shoots I think it is going in. They also have Draymond who is a defensive genius. He is so so so good on that end of the floor. Outside them we are looking at guys like Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney and Kent Bazemore. Not exactly a murderers row. The Jazz, with a healthy Donovan Mitchell, are a much better team. Mitchell and Conley are shot creators and makers. They can go and get buckets in a myriad of ways. Rudy Gobert is the best defender in the league and a great rim runner and pick and roll partner. Joe Ingles, Bojan Bojanovic and Jordan Clarkson are better than streak shooters. They make tons of shots. The Jazz look like the team we all thought they would be last season. The Jazz will win this series. Steph will have a game or two where he scores 40 or 50 plus, but it will not be enough.

The 2-7 are Phoenix and the LA Lakers. This is a bummer for Phoenix. They had such a great season, a breakthrough season, and their reward is the Lakers in the first round. Pardon me, a healthy Lakers. This is exactly what they wanted and what the Suns did not. This should be a good series, and I hope Phoenix proves me wrong. But they just do not have the dudes yet. Chris Paul is one of those dudes, but this is Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton and Mikail Bridges and pretty much everyone else on this roster's first time in the playoffs. This stinks for them, but they will be back. The Lakers will win in 7.

The 3-6 is pretty awesome with Denver and Portland. It would be way better if Jamal Murray were not injured, but he is, and here we are. I do love how the Nuggets have played since he went out, but they really need him for the playoffs. He was a revelation in the bubble. Portland is really great offensively, especially Dame, but they are horrendous defensively. Like worst in the league. Dame and CJ McCollum will pour in buckets and get the Trailblazers two wins, but that is it. Denver, even without Murray, will win this series in six.

The 4-5 here is pretty awesome. We have Dallas and the LA Clippers. This was a fun first round last season. Luka Doncic, who I am not a fan of, was great. He has been every bit as advertised, warts and all, since he got into the NBA. I do not like him, but the dude is good. Tim Hardaway Jr is also having his best NBA season. He has been really good. But Kristaps Porzingis is not great, Maxi Kleeber is hurt. Josh Richardson hasn't been that great. This feels like it will all fall on Doncic. The Clippers have the best roster in the league, on paper. They also upgraded their head coach in the offseason. Kawhi seems like he is going to turn it on. PG has had a really good year. Patrick Beverly is still one of the better point guard defenders in the league. Playoff Rondo is back. But they did choke last season. They melted the hell down. I wonder if that will happen again. I do not think so. I think they will be more locked in. I think they want to prove the doubters wrong. And I do think they will beat the Mavericks in round one, and I think it will be easier than last season. They are going to load up on Doncic and make everyone else beat them. I think they learned their lesson last season, and I think Kawhi wants to get back to the top of the NBA mountain.

So that gives us a second round of Utah and the Clippers and Denver and the Lakers. The Clippers will carry over their round one dominance to the second round. I feel like Beverly and Kawhi will shut down Conley and Mitchell. That will leave the offense to Gobert, which isn't a bad thing, but he is not the guy you want as your leading scorer. The Clippers should win in six.

The other matchup would be so much better if Murray wasn't hurt. I know I keep harping on that, but that injury stinks. It is brutal. That being said, I do think the Nuggets will be way more competitive than last season. Jokic is playing on a whole other level, and Aaron Gordon is a really good, really underrated defender. I do think the Lakers will win, they have LeBron and AD, and they are two of the top 4 or 5 players in the league. They also won the title last year, and they are way more seasoned. This will be a good series, but the Lakers will pull this one out in 7 also, setting us up for the battle in LA in the West Finals.

This is what we all wanted last season, but we will finally get it. I also think this is where the Lakers will run out of gas. I think the play in, the 2 7 round series before and the "injuries" to star players will finally take its toll. I think the Clippers will win and they will win in six.

That means I have the Clippers, yet again, as the West representative in the Finals. This means it is Brooklyn and the Clippers playing for the title. And I have the Nets outscoring everyone on their way to a title. They have too much. Harden, Kyrie and KD are too good. They can score 90 points between the three of them every night. The Clippers are the best matchup for them, but even they do not have enough defense to stop the Nets. This feels inevitable. The moment they got Harden I felt like it was a foregone conclusion, especially when I saw them play, and saw that Harden was finally trying again. They are just too loaded and too good. The Nets will win in six and KD will take home the MVP. He will be the best player on the floor in every game. He is incredible.

There you have it, my NBA playoff preview. I'm so excited to watch. Let's get to it.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2021 NBA Play in Games Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ty

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

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Ty's Paused Adventures in Running

Yesterday I wrote in my preamble how I suffered an injury that is preventing me from running my first marathon ever tomorrow. Today I am going to talk about said injury, and how I have been feeling about it all week.

First things first, this could've been much worse. I do have a stress fracture in my left knee, but it is a minor fracture. I actually talked to my orthopedist this afternoon and he said that it is much closer to a stress reaction. I didn't know what that meant, so I asked. A stress reaction is the beginning of a fracture. It is what sets it all off. So the fact that they found this very early, that I had enough pain in my knee to go see a doctor on Monday, was a good thing. This means the recovery time is way less than it could have been had I left this untreated. Instead of 6 to 8 weeks, the doctor told me that an injury like this is more of a 2-4 week recovery period. That was some mild relief. But, I cannot run for two weeks, I cannot play basketball for two weeks, I cannot play softball, and while I can still coach my kids in their sports, I have to be braced and move as little, and slowly, as possible. That is going to be the hardest part for me. I like to be active. I get bored sitting still. I don't like not having things to do. It is just who I am. So no running for two weeks, when the weather is perfect for running, is going to be brutal. Luckily I have house stuff and my kids sports to keep me occupied, but it is still not going to be fun. Running is my getaway. It is my alone time. It is when I am doing what I want to do for myself. It is therapy. It is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Then throw in the fact that I cannot run my race, a race I have been training really hard for for three months, I broke down when the doctor told me. I actually cursed really loud in his office. It was loud enough that I had to apologize for my outburst. I have been crushed since I officially found out on Wednesday that I could not run the race. I have gone through many emotions in the last three days. I have felt that my training was all for nothing. I have had worrisome moments where I think that I will never run again. I asked for multiple opinions before finally, mercifully, opting out of the race. This is my athletic life now. I do have rec league basketball and softball, but those don't measure up to running anymore. I first ran to lose weight, but I have fallen madly, deeply in love with the sport. I have gone from barely being able to finish a mile to running 25 miles in a six hour period. I run five times a week. I need it in my life. It is an addiction, but I feel like it is a good addiction. So to have it taken away from me for any amount of time, yeah, it really bums me out. I am not going to lie and say stuff about silver linings or getting my head right. I'm frustrated and mad. I was sad, but now it is just anger.

I do know that I will get back to running, but this really stinks. This is the worst case scenario for me. This was what I have been able to avoid for seven years. I knew this would happen at some point, but to have it happen a week before my first marathon, that is a hard pill for me to swallow. So I will do the rehab, I will do the resting, but I am not going to be happy about it.

This is a setback, but it will not stop me from getting back out there in four weeks, or whenever my doctor gives me the go ahead. I am bummed now, but hopefully it will only be temporary. Hell, I know it will only be temporary. I will run a marathon before 2021 is over. You can count on that.

Ty

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

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It is Time to Give Russell Westbrook the Respect He Deserves

Sorry for no blog yesterday. I got some upsetting medical news, stress fracture in my knee, and our house addition was finally finished, so I had a busy/bummer of a day. But I’m back and I’m here to lavish praise on Russel Westbrook.

I’m a big, big fan of Westbrook’s. I’ve made no bones about it. He more than deserved his MVP. He is one of the most athletic players I’ve ever seen. He’s unfairly criticized by some lame publications and bad sports writers. He plays hard every night. He’s a good dude. And he’s an exceptional basketball player. The other night he made history. He surpassed Oscar Robertson’s triple double record, and he’s going to average another triple double for the fourth time in five seasons. I mean, that’s amazing. We are watching a once in a generation talent. There are not many people that have been as productive and plays as well as Russ has done his whole career.

Westbrook, along with Bradley Beal, have the Wizards in the play in. I thought the Wizards were going to be bad too. I put a nail in their coffin. I assumed they were going to be a lottery team. I liked the Westbrook trade, but I just assumed the rest of the roster was going to drag them down. And while they’re not even a .500 team, they still have won way more games than I thought, and a lot of that is due to Westbrook’s play as of late. He is putting up insane, video game esque numbers. The other night he had a triple double that included 24 assists and 21 rebounds. There are only two players that have ever done that. It’s Russ and Wilt Chamberlain. That’s it, that’s the list. To be in the same company as Wilt is incredible. And Russ has followed that up with a few more triple doubles, and has led the Wizards to some crucial wins while Beal has been out with an injury. Russ has been the dude. He’s willing this team to win. This is akin to his MVP season with OKC. Right now, without Beal, Russ is carrying a team with a bunch of random dudes. He’s crushing it too. He’s so good.

Yet we still have some of these hot take dummies saying it’s “hollow”, or calling him a “selfish star hunting player”. Most of it comes from the staff at The Ringer. First off the writers and podcasters there, for the most part, are Bill Simmons clones, and that makes for bad business. If it isn’t Boston, or an athlete they’ve befriended, they feel the need to trash them. That’s bad journalism. Also, I bet Bill Simmons would kill to have Russ on the Celtics, but he’d never admit it. We also have a writer like Kirk Goldsberry, who I believe works for ESPN, writing an article about Russ that only talked about his poor mid range shooting. He found a way to downgrade Russ’ awesomeness by writing a nonsense article about mid range jumpers. Who cares. There’s also someone I really respect, Zach Lowe, who barely talks about Russ because he’s too busy gassing up Luka Doncic. I just want to know when these “reputable” writers and podcasters, are going to realize and recognize Russ’ greatness. It needs to happen soon. I feel like Russ will continue to be chastised while he plays and then loved when he leaves. There is a lot of Allen Iverson in Westbrook. They’re so similar, and I feel like their careers, both during age after, are going to be the same. But I don’t want that for Russ, just like I didn’t want that for AI. Iverson is one of my all time favorite players, and it blows my mind that he didn’t get his much due respect until he retired. We need to bask in the greatness that is Russel Westbrook while he’s still playing and still doing exceptionally athletic things on a basketball court. I know I have his whole career and will continue to while he’s still playing and when he retires.

Russ is great. He’s a hall of famer. He’s one of the best guards to ever play the game. He might be the most explosive guard to ever play. He’s super human and he’s doing super human things on the floor. Russ rules and he will forever be one of my favorite players to watch. Stop slandering this men and recognize his greatness. He’s more than earned all the accolades he should be getting. Russ is awesome. He’s an timer. He 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.

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Urban Meyer is an Idiot

Urban Meyer is at it again, First he hired a coach that was fired for abusing players at Iowa. Second he goes out and complains that "free agency is too hard" in the NFL. And now he has made the dumbest move as far as player personnel goes that I can ever remember.

For those that have been living under a rock, or do not follow the NFL, the Jaguars and Urban Meyer just went out and signed Tim Tebow, as a tight end, to a one year deal. Now, he has to make the team, which I think is a very, very, very, very long shot. But still, to waste a contract on a guy that hasn't played football in a decade, while having him change positions is such an epic failure as a coach, a GM, a front office and a team can make. I understand that these two have a close relationship, and that Tebow won a Heisman when Meyer was his coach at Florida, but we are talking about things that happened over a decade ago, and the NFL has changed drastically since then.

This is such a puzzling and, quite frankly, stupid move. Everyone who signed on for this, who gave it the go ahead, I have one question, what in the hell are you all thinking? Why would you allow Meyer to talk you into signing Tin Tebow? What can he possibly bring to this team? How does he help as a player or a locker room guy? How does this help Trevor Lawrence at all? What about the other, more qualified tight ends already on the roster? Why on Earth would you do this? Is it simply a PR move? Will he make the team just because he is a buddy of the new coach? This is just asinine. If I were Tyler Davis, Ben Ellefson, Luke Farrell, Chris Manhertz or James O'Shaughnessy I'd ask to be released or traded immediately. This is a spit in all of their faces. These guys are all actual tight ends that made the NFL as a tight end. And then Meyer brings in Tim Tebow to compete for playing time with them. Come on man. That is ridiculous. He doesn't have the talent to play in the NFL. That has been established. And for the very few people that want to bring up his one playoff win, which was a miracle, get the hell out of here with that nonsense. I like to look at his whole career prior to that one moment. He was an absolute mess as a starter. He was an embarrassment. Then he became a gimmick. Then he couldn't even make the Patriots as strictly a gimmick player. Then he was out of the league. And after that, he stole someone else's job in the MLB when he decided he was going to be a baseball player. That is what Tim Tebow is to me, a thief of more deserving players' jobs. He gets fans to come out and watch, but it is like going to a circus. People want to see the freak show that is Tim Tebow. They don't want to see him succeed because he hasn't succeeded in any level of professional sports.

This move is strictly because Meyer thinks he can build a good team by getting his former college players on his team. That is a method that is going to hilariously blow up in his face. First he signs Carlos Hyde, who was toast five years ago, and now he is bringing in Tim Tebow. Who is next, Chris Leak? Alex Smith? This madness he is working on this offseason is going to explode, and I will be laughing the whole way. And for websites like Bleacher Report to talk about what a great move this is, how it will help the locker room and to call Tebow a "weapon", just stop right now. You are embarrassing yourself with that nonsense.

What pisses me off most about all of this is the fact that a guy like Tim Tebow can get a job in the NFL, can take a spot away from someone much more deserving and be praised by major media outlets, it just goes to show that the NFL has clearly blackballed Colin Kaepernick. If it wasn't wildly apparent before, this should hammer it home for anyone who is smart and doesn't think Kaepernick is being blacklisted. This move by Jacksonville makes that fact abundantly clear.

The Jaguars signing Tim Tebow isn't just a joke, it is an embarrassment to the NFL, and it is really showing their true colors. I cannot wait to watch this fail spectacularly because that is what is going to happen. What a bunch of nonsense.

Ty

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

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Ty Listens to "Death at the Wing"

As I am always on the prowl for new podcasts, I was pretty delighted to get a text from RD a few weeks back about one I might like. You all know my love for basketball, and especially the NBA. I am really into the history of the NBA as well, specifically the late 80's and early 90's history. So when RD told me that director and writer Adam McKay had a new podcast about that era, and the players that were lost that could have been great, I was pumped. I immediately subscribed to "Death at the Wheel", and to this day I have listened to every episode, some of them more than once.

This podcast is about some players that could have been great, were great and lost it, or never had a chance. All the people he talks about died or had the game taken away from them over political affiliations or religious beliefs. It is really a fascinating listen. Each episode focuses on one or two guys, usually just one, and McKay talks about them and how they lost the game or their lives. He also talks about the politics that were going on during that era, and how that played into the NBA trying to grow its game and image. I am forever intrigued by the politics since I am so green in that era. I will say it is very eye opening, and it makes my dislike for Ronald Reagan even more than I ever imagined. He was an absolute puppet and a real monster. McKay portrays that perfectly.

The most important stories are the ones about the players, and how they ended up where they ended up. Some of the players I know about, or at least have heard of. We all know what happened to Len Bias. That was such a surprise, and it was something that didn't have to happen. Unfortunately it did happen, and now we are all left to wonder what could have been. The way McKay tells the story makes it even more intriguing. He is so good at weaving the story and telling all sides of it. I could say the same thing about the Benji Wilson and Drazan Petrovic episodes. Benji Wilson could have been a super duper star, but young kids make mistakes. Unfortunately for Wilson it was a horrific, life altering mistake. But what made this episode so interesting was the fact that McKay was able to talk to the man who shot and killed Wilson. He is a completely rehabilitated person, who knows the error of his ways and now he works to help stop gun violence. Petrovic's story was something that also could have been avoided, but it was a terrible accident. Again though, I learned so many things about Petrovic and Yugoslavia and so much more than I ever thought I could know about the basketball played overseas back then, and why Petrovic was so great. Then we have the players I do not know about or never heard of. I had no idea who Terry Furlow was, but Magic Johnson sure as hell did. He was an all time great in college at Michigan State. Magic looked up to him. He was a walking bucket, a player before his time. He died because of the opulence of cocaine in the 80's in the NBA and driving a car erratically. It is a wild, ABA esque story. We also have the story of Ricky Berry. Berry clearly was a person that suffered from depression, but back when he played, you didn't talk about that stuff openly. This was a guy that had everything going his way, seemed like he was going to take over the league, and then the next day he is dead because of a self inflicted gunshot wound. If he could have spoken openly and honestly, he may still be alive today. Hearing Jerry West talk about him, and West's own problems, was very eye opening. Then we have the most recent episode which talks about Craig Hodges and Mahmoud Abdul Raouf. These gentlemen are not dead, but the way they expressed themselves pushed them out of the league. Hodges was an advocate to stop police brutality after seeing the Rodney King outcome. He was another person, a peaceful protestor before his time, that was blackballed because he questioned the super stars of the game back then, the Larry Bird's and Magic Jonhson's and Michael Jordan's, on why they weren't more outspoken This guy was a knockdown shooter, but after going after these players, no one wanted him. That's very unfair. With Rauof. He was just a man who converted to Islam and decided to not put his hand on his heart and look at the flag during the anthem. He was Colin Kaepernick before Kaepernick. But the league all but ousted him after hearing why he didn't want to acknowledge the song, and this guy was an all NBA player and an all star. This was clearly a politically charged move by the NBA. These men were unfairly pushed out of the league.

I cannot wait for another episode. I look forward to the new one every week. This podcast is perfect for a basketball nerd such as myself. I love everything about it and I cannot recommend it enough. I owe a huge thanks to RD for letting me know about it too. "Death at the Wing" is awesome. It is one of the best podcasts out right now.

Ty

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

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It's Time for Green Bay to Trade Aaron Rodgers

Before the NFL draft last night a bunch of rumors started to swirl that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay.

I am a Packers fan, as you all know, but I am not an Aaron Rodgers fan. My dad, who is also not a fan, can vouch for this. Hell, RD can vouch for this. Just ask him about our conversation the day the Packers drafted him, I was not too happy and neither was my dad. But, he has been great. He won a Super Bowl, and should have gone to more. The Packers have pretty much dominated the NFC North ever since he took over as the starter. He always keeps them in games. He has single handedly won big regular season and playoff games. He is a multiple MVP winner. He is one of the best QB's in the league. I was wrong and RD was right.

The fact is that Rodgers is older, he is becoming more of a head case, he has outside interests that are Hollywood centric and the Packers have gotten the best he has to offer in my opinion. I say trade him for a king's ransom, or just let him waste a year not playing if he is going to demand a trade. I'm all for player empowerment too. Players should have some kind of say in where they play, but not one year after they sign an extension. I feel the same way about the James Harden trade. He gave up on Houston, and no matter how good he has been in Brooklyn, the way he exited Houston will always stay with me. And this isn't like Paul George asking for a trade to the Clippers. He worked with Oklahoma City's front office to make the trade work out for both teams. Aaron Rodgers and James Harden did not, or are not, willing to do that. They both just want out because things aren't the way they want it to be with their teams.

I do agree that the Packers have not made the best choices with Rodgers as the face of their franchise. They drafted a cornerback last night when plenty of wideouts were available. I like the Jordan Love pick last year, but they did that without talking to him. They have no real solid number two receiver behind Davante Adams. And the Matt LaFluer hire is still puzzling to me. But he could have just said no to the extension that they offered last season. He agreed to it and put pen to paper, and now he is unhappy, going so far as to tell some of his teammates he wants out.

This is childish. This is one of the many reasons why I did not want Green Bay to draft him so long ago. Everything has to be about him. He only cares about himself. He wants to be the star. He wants to be the only player that people talk about when they mention the Packers. Basically, Aaron Rodgers is selfish. So, like I said, either trade him to a team of the GM's choice, the team that makes the best offer, or let him waste the rest of his contract stewing about still being in Green Bay. I know he has his "wish list" of teams, but I do not think any of those teams can make a solid offer. Denver has already said they are out. The Raiders have nothing of real value except for a plethora of future picks. And the 49ers, I want nothing to do with Jimmy Garroppollo, and they do not have the picks to make this trade work. Hell, I would go the route that the Spurs did with Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi wanted out and he wanted to go to LA. But the Spurs didn't like either offer from both LA teams. It didn't meet their criteria. Then Toronto came calling, offering DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a solid amount of picks. The Spurs also got to keep all their young talent. Kawhi went to Toronto, won a title and then got to go where he wanted as a free agent. The Spurs, while not the dominant team they were in the early 2000's, are still a headache to play, and they are going to be really good again really soon. That's because they dictated the trade. Green Bay needs to go that route.

Personally, I'd trade him for a goldmine of picks and a really good second receiver. I would also try to land a young defensive stud. I'd go after someone like Devin Bush or Khalil Mack or Aaron Donald or Jamal Adams. Shoot for the stars. See who is willing to give up an emerging star on the defensive side of the ball. Why not? Apparently the 49ers were willing to give up a ton, so why wouldn't some other team. Rodgers is better than Ben Roethlisberger, so wouldn't the Steelers give up Bush and a bunch of future picks for him. The Bears just drafted a QB, but Fields could sit for a year or two behind Rodgers and the Packers could get the best linebacker in football. I know the Rams just traded for Matt Stafford, but Rodgers owns him. So why wouldn't the Rams give up Donald to get an upgrade at QB. And I know the Seahawks current QB isn't happy there, so why not swap QB's and then add on Jamal Adams? That would be ideal in my opinion.

In the end I say let Rodgers go. Go out and get as much as possible for a beleaguered malcontent. Now is their best opportunity. Or just let him sit out and be grumpy. Who cares. Green Bay doesn't owe him a damn thing, and they should treat it that way. No matter what choice they make, I say move him. Bring on the Jordan Love era. Let's do it.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty's Not Mock NFL Draft

The NFL draft is tomorrow night. I know, I was as surprised as many were when I found out earlier this week. As I normally do I will pick a few prospects that I think are going to be great, a few that might not be so good and a few sleepers. This is much more fun than doing a mock draft. I have also already read a ton of those anyway. And, I do watch a ton of college football, so I feel like I know the "top" prospects pretty well in this upcoming draft. I even watched all of last season, even though I didn't feel very good about watching. With that being said, let's get to it.

This draft is filled with QB prospects. I would not be surprised if the first four picks are QB's. There are so many draft eligible QB's. It is almost too much. At the very top of that list, and one of the prospects that I think will be a good to great NFL player is Trevor Lawrence. His college career played out pretty much as great as we all thought, and I see no reason why the Jags wouldn't take him first overall tomorrow night. He is tall, fast, smart, has a great arm and has been getting himself ready as soon as he took over the starting job at Clemson. He is as sure a bet as Andrew Luck or Cam Newton. They were bonafide stars the moment they were taken first overall, and I do not see that being any different for Lawrence. The only downside is the fact that he will be playing in Jacksonville. They do not offer too much help for him when he steps into the starting role. He also has a first year head coach that I do not think will have much success in the NFL. But Lawrence is as solid a QB prospect as there is in this draft. He is worth the hype.

Going outside the QB class, this wide receiver class is stacked too. And there are two kids that I think will have very bright futures in the NFL. The first is JaMarr Chase. He did opt out of last season, but his year before was one of the best I have ever witnessed. He had so many catches, so many TD's, and he separated himself from every other wideout in college football in 2019. His two playoff games were absolutely dominant. And if the Bengals end up taking him, as they should, having him and a healthy Joe Burrow could make for one hell of a duo. They could be the future in Cincinnati.

The other receiver I love, who is actually my favorite player in the draft, is Devonta Smith. His measurables may not be eye popping, but just look at what he did on the field last season. He was incredible. He was so good he won every major award, including the Heisman. He was unstoppable. That first half in the title game was magnetic. I was so very impressed with what I saw. My dream would be that he falls to Green Bay and they team him up with Davante Adams. That would rule. Smith is awesome and he will be a very, very, very good pro.

As far as the O line goes, Penei Sewell is going to be a first day starter wherever he gets picked. He is big, physical, hyper intelligent and saved his body by opting out last season. He is going to be a Jake Long esque player. He won't make any crazy noise as a player, but he will be dominant, and his QB and coaches will love him.

Looking at the defensive players, I think Patrick Surtain is the top of the class. He is already a shutdown corner, he is big and fast and physical and he will be a Charles Woodson type corner in the league. He will help any team, no matter who, that drafts him. I also think Jaycee Horn has some Jaire Alexander in him. He is a very good corner that will excel against better competition. I also like Micah Parsons. I know his stock has tumbled, and the exact same thing happened to Montez Sweat and he is a top notch d lineman. Parsons was excellent two years ago and I think he will only get better when he gets to the NFL. And of course I love Kwity Paye from Michigan. Three years ago at a game my dad pointed him out as a legit sack master, and he just got better and better. He is explosive, big and super fast. He is going to terrorize NFL backfields for ten years. He is going to be a day one starter.

For all the love I have given these kids, there are some I am not as high on as others. I do not think Zach Wilson is going to be the answer for the Jets at QB. He is the epitome of a one year wonder that played inferior competition. He is not a Russell Wilson clone. That is an insult to Wilson's incredible talent. The Jets will be trading him in two years just like they did with Sam Darnold. I also do not think Mac Jones is going to be much of a pro. He is a system QB to a T. He is like every other Texas Tech QB not named Patrick Mahomes. He is also very slow footed and not very accurate in my opinion. At receiver I just do not trust Jaylen Waddle's ankle injury. I do not know that it is fully healed, I do not know what it will do to his speed and route running and he was not the best wideout on his own team. I feel like the hype around Kyle Pitts has been totally overblown so much so that I think it will affect his career. I mean, he is good, but he isn't Tony Gonzalez or Antonio Gates. That's another thing, there are going to be better tight ends that can be drafted in later rounds. The hype is too much. Jalen Mayfield has taken a rightful tumble down draft boards. He seemed disengaged at times, he wasn't as dominant as he could've been and he missed most of last season with an injury. I feel the same about Landon Dickerson from Alabama. He just isn't the dominant force that Sewell or Rashawn Slater will be in the NFL. He also looks very slow.

As far as some "overrated" defensive players, one for sure in my opinion is Zaven Collins from Tulsa. He is the defensive version of Zach Wilson. Poor competition led to a fantastic year, but this rise up draft boards is baffling to me. I also think all the stuff that has happened with Caleb Farley lately has been a blow to any type of success he was going to have in the NFL. He was a top player, then he opted out, then he got hurt and now he has COVID. All of that is a rough start to an NFL career that hasn't even started yet. And I do not think Benjamin St Juste is going to be more than a special teams player in the NFL. He got beat like a drum in college, and that will just continue in the NFL.

As far as sleepers, there are some for sure. I love Nico Collins. He is a great deep threat, he is physical and he is very tall. He will be a proper third of fourth receiver on a good team. Elijah Moore is another really solid receiver that will go way later in the first round than he should. This is another guy that I would love to fall to Green Bay. I also really like Rondale Moore. He is shifty, fast and will help on offense and in the return game. I know that Justin Fields is a projected top five pick, but people have been on his case for some stupid reasons. I watched this kid carve up the Big Ten for two years, and then do the same thing twice to Clemson. He is going to be a very good pro.

I have two deep sleepers. I really like Chubba Hubbard from Oklahoma State. He is going to be a late round pick because running back isn't a huge priority anymore, but boy is he going to be a steal. He is an excellent runner and a very good pass catcher. He can also block. This kid is going to be a pro bowler, and I wouldn't be shocked if he starts as a rookie. I kind of expect it. And finally we have Najee Harris. Maybe you don't see him as a deep sleeper, but no one is talking about him as a first round talent. He is the prototype modern NFL running back. He is built like Leonard Fournette, but he is not nearly as injury prone. He can catch like a modern day Marshall Faulk and rack up yards after. He can run with the best of the best currently in the NFL. He can block like a fullback. When I watched him in the title game the only player that I thought that was better than him on that field was Devonta Smith. If a team like Miami can get him, and reunite him with Tua, that would be great. Or if he lands with an ascending team that is a running back away, like Seattle or Baltimore, he is going to be the answer they need. I really like Najee Harris.

Okay there you have it, my NFL draft primer. Now let's see how things turn out Thursday night.

Ty

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

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