The Celtics are Going to Win the Finals and that Sucks

My son and I returned home from his baseball game around 9:45pm last night. During his game I would occasionally check the score of the Finals game that was going on. Boston controlled most of it. But in the third quarter Golden State woke up and made it a game. They’ve owned the third quarter all three games of this series. I checked my phone when we left the field and the Celtics were only up six to start the fourth. I was pumped because I assumed we’d get to watch a good, close fourth quarter. We walked in the door, my son got cleaned up and we turned the game on.

The Celtics were up ten when we resumed watching. I didn’t know what had happened. There was still about six minutes left in the game so I thought the Warriors could come back. That didn’t happen. There were two plays that really hammered it home for me. Both involved Jaylen Brown. First he completely locked Steph up on a one on one. Try as he might, and Steph is a wizard handling the ball, he couldn’t get by Brown. He was all over him. He eventually knocked the ball out of his hands with about four seconds left on the shot clock. The Warriors would miss a three after that and Boston would go down and score. It was the first knockout blow. Then Brown swatted a Klay layup. Klay and Jordan Poole ran a beautiful give and go and when Klay got the ball back it looked like he had an easy finish at the rim. Brown had other ideas. He recovered, chased Klay down and beat the ball into the first row. He then let Klay and the crowd know about it. After that block that was when I told my son it was time for us to go to bed. The game was over. He told me there were still three minutes left, but you could tell the Warriors were waving the flag. Draymond fouled out. After the block they took Steph and Klay out and Boston had pushed their lead to fourteen.

Watching that last six minutes last night has me facing a reality I don’t care for as a basketball fan. The Celtics are going to win the title. They are younger. Their defense is better. Steph is making shots and it doesn’t matter. Draymond is playing terribly. Klay didn’t start to make shots until last night. Marcus Smart put up twenty four. The Celtics are hitting threes. Robert Williams looked as good as he has all playoffs last night. Tatum hasn’t lit the world on fire, and the Celtics are still up. And he’s about to break out. The Warriors look frazzled. They’re passing up open looks. The Celtics appear tougher. They are also deeper. It just feels like they have all the control. The series can always change. The Warriors can explode and make 20-25 threes in a game and win. But the Celtics have made a habit of bouncing back every time. And stealing game one in Oakland was a way bigger deal than I thought at the time. That kind of turned the tide. That’s when the Warriors showed their cracks. They need Andrew Wiggins, but he hasn’t shown up yet. They are barely playing Kevon Looney. He needs more minutes. Jordan Poole is scoring, but he’s also being hunted defensively. And the Celtics just keep coming. I have to think beating the Nets, Bucks and Heat really helped them to be ready for this series. They had to go through KD, Giannis and the modern version of the Bad Boy Pistons. The Warriors cruised by a depleted Nuggets team, held off the Grizz without Ja and dismantled the Mavericks, who shouldn’t have made it that far in the first place. The Celtics had a tougher path and they navigated it fairly well. I am not a fan of either of these teams. But I really dislike the Celtics. In fact I do not like any team from Boston. I never have, even when I was a kid. I like Tatum because he’s a STL kid, but I just loathe the Celtics and their holier than thou fans. But it’s looking like they’re going to be super loud and super annoying.

I’d much rather deal with annoying Warriors fans than Celtics fans. Bill Simmons is going to be insufferable. And he’s almost like their ring leader. This really bums me out. I’d love for the Warriors to prove me wrong, but the Celtics seem destined to win it all this year. What a bummer and a tough time to have to deal with their awful, awful fan base.

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 2022 NBA Finals Preview

The NBA Finals are set. We have our two teams, the Celtics and Warriors. I wrote about a week back how I did not want to see the Celtics in the Finals. I like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but that is about it. I also wrote a thing last week about, even though I am not a fan, how great this iteration of the Warriors is. They are a blast to watch. I will say I am stoked that the Mavs, and the white journalists golden boy Luka Doncic, got their lunch handed to them. I don't want to hear about how "far ahead of their process they are", or "how Luka needs help". They got destroyed by a much, much better team. And Luka was not out there talking his shit like he was in the Phoenix series. He got abused over and over again on the defensive end of the floor. The Warriors attacked the weakest defensive link, and it worked. It was glorious.

Anyway, I want to write my final Finals preview. No more after this. I have been so off on all of my predictions. Take this with a very big grain of salt. I had both of these teams out in the conference semifinals. I was very low on these squads and both teams proved me very wrong. So, breaking this down, and taking in the knowledge of watching these playoffs as closely as I have, this is tough. This is, maybe, the best matchup we could have hoped for. Both teams have weaknesses that the other can exploit. But both teams are defensive dynamos. They can stop pretty much anyone in the league. That is how they both ended up here. If I take off my fan goggles, and just look at it from a pure basketball standpoint, I think I would favor the Celtics. They are slightly deeper. They are younger and more athletic. Their defense is slightly better. They have been the best team in the league since mid January. They beat the Nets, in a sweep, and the Bucks. They also took down the Heat, the one seed in the East, in Miami in game seven. They have the "championship metal" that everyone always talks about. But the Warriors are the god damn Warriors. They have been here before. This is their sixth finals trip in eight years. Steph is, maybe, the greatest point guard of all time. Klay looks like his shot is coming back. Draymond is the best defender in the league, and he has suddenly started scoring again. Jordan Poole has been a tremendous revelation. Kevon Looney is a rebounding machine. Johnathan Kuminga played real minutes in the West Finals. Steve Kerr has proven to be a brilliant coach. This is one of the better, more seasoned teams in the NBA.

I am really finding it hard to find one or two things that separates one team from the other. Tatum is going to be a matchup problem. The Warriors will most likely put Klay on him, but Klay is not the defender he used to be. But the Warriors talk and switch so well. And Tatum has shown a tendency to turn the ball over a good amount. Jaylen Brown will be a problem, but Looney showed he could stay in front of Doncic and Ja, when healthy, so I'm sure he is not scared. Draymond will match up great with any big the Celtics throw out there. But Tatum will be able to guard Klay. Marcus Smart is going to harass the hell out of Steph and Jordan Poole. Al Horford will be the best big Looney has faced. Jaylen Brown should clamp down Wiggins. It is going to be a close series, and that is how the Finals should be. If the Mavs had found a way to beat the Warriors, and they were facing the Celtics, I'd pick the Celtics to sweep. I'd say the same for the Heat if they were facing the Warriors. The Heat may have gotten one win because of Jimmy Butler, but it would have been an easy win for the Warriors. Both these teams earned their spot. Both teams are playing very well. The Warriors are playing better, but they played worse competition. The Celtics ran through a gauntlet, but it is the East, and they are probably tired. Also, Smart and Williams are seemingly game to game time decisions.

This series is going to go the full seven. I have true belief in that. And I think it has the promise of being epic. But I do think, in the long run, that the Warriors will pull it out. The Celtics have won big in other arenas in game seven, but not this time. Oakland is a totally different animal. And with Klay finding his shot, and Jordan Poole blowing up, the Warriors have so many scorers and you cannot guard all of them at once. I also think it would be rad to see this Warriors team, as constructed, with the three original dudes and Steve Kerr, win the title. That would rule. That would make them the modern day Spurs.

So that is my pick, Warriors in seven. Now I just have to wait for Thursday night to watch this series start. I can't wait.

Ty

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

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The Warriors are a Pretty Damn Good Basketball Team

Last night I watched the Mavs-Warriors game just to see if they could close out every white journalist's favorite player, Luka Doncic. They did. They won the game with ease. They had a 20 plus point lead at one point. Sure the Mavs cut it to 8, but the game was never really in doubt. This was as easy a closeout win as the Warriors have had since KD was on their team. And before you all think my blog is going to be me dumping on Luka, it is not that at all. I am turning a new leaf. I'm done criticizing people I don't root for all the time. Sure I will still get on some people's heads, but not today.

Today I want to talk about how great this iteration of the Warriors has been for over a decade. This is their sixth finals appearance in eight years. They have had stars come and go, but this team is really all about Steph, Draymond, Klay and Steve Kerr. They have been the core of this squad that just keeps winning. I told RD earlier today that this Warriors team is as close to the late 90's, early 2000's Spurs. They play an extremely pretty version of basketball. The way the ball moves around, the way they pass, the shots they get up, it is a thing of beauty. I am willing to look past all the turnovers because they back it all up with a string of possessions that will have four wonderful passes that leads to an easy layup or wide open three pointer.

I started to really watch the Warriors in the West Semis because they were playing the Grizzlies. I wanted to see how my team played against one of the best teams of all time. They gave it their best shot, but amongst the injuries and lack of shooting, they couldn't pull it out. They did win two games, one of which by almost 50, but it was a series that was never really in doubt. But it was during that series where I started to really respect the Warriors. I am not a Warriors fan. Not by a long shot. But my brother Seth is. My son likes Steph. I have other basketball friends that have been Warriors fans since Chris Webber was traded on draft night to them. So I have watched them for years. But the respect just came last month. It was the ball movement. It was the actions and pick and roll game. It was the open drives to the basket because of how open the floor was. It was a lot of stuff. But the most eye opening thing I noticed this year was their defense. They were suffocating. They were shutting down legit players. Before he got hurt, Ja could not do much against them. They shut down Nikola Jokic with ease. Kevon Looney kind of shut him down by himself. And even though his numbers might look good on paper, Luka Doncic was not nearly as dominant as some would make him out to be. Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green made his life hell on the offensive end. The Warriors defense really stepped up their game. They are not just a team that will shoot you out of the gym. They can still do that, but they can also shut you down.

Which leads me to another point. How good was Andrew Wiggins in this series? I mean, I had given up on him. I was wrong. He was the "Luka stopper". He hounded him for five games. He made it tough. He also found his scoring stroke. He was hitting mid range shots. He was making threes. And he snacthed Luka's soul on that dunk in game three. He almost took Frank Nkilitina's too, but he smartly got out of the way. Wiggins was great. So was Kevon Looney. Man that dude crushed it. He probably out rebounded the Mavs by himself. He was great. Jordan Poole has been a revelation. He is another microwave scorer on this team loaded with them. But what this all really boils down to is the three main guys. Steph was great as ever. He was hitting threes, making pin point passes and doing what he has grown accustomed to doing. He was the rightful WCF MVP. Draymond was as dominant as ever on the defensive end. I always thought he was kind of overrated. Not anymore. He is a genius defender. He was doing some wonderful things. And Klay looked like old Klay. He had eight threes last night. He scored a ton of points in a close out game. He could not be stopped. He was also great on defense. He, again, looked like his former self. Like he had not lost two years due to two ACL injuries. It was astounding to watch him play like he always has. I was openly rooting for him. Finally we have Steve Kerr. I thought he kind of lucked into a cherry job. He took over a team that was already established and didn't have to do too much. Then he got KD. But it was these last couple seasons that have really stood out to me. He had to do a lot with some minimal pieces. He had to find a way to work Andrew Wiggins into this team. He played Looney. He took a chance on Jordan Poole. And he helped keep the core together. He is the mind behind the madness that is this dynastic team.

Again, I am not a Warriors fan, but this team is fun to watch, and no matter who they play in the finals, I will be rooting for them. This is my ode to a wonderful basketball. A team I am happy to say I got to watch in their prime. What a fun, fun modern NBA team.

Ty

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

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Nick Saban is a Stupid Head

I have been following all the Nick Saban nonsense. I am a college football fan, and during this time of year there are not too many sports that intrigue me. I love the NBA, but these conference finals have been nearly unwatchable. I do not like MLB. Baseball is boring and dull and takes forever. These run of the mill little league NFL leagues are bad, bad football. And the college sports landscape is really rough right now. So college football news is my go to. And there is no recruiting news I follow because I honestly do not care what an 18 year old has to say. They can make all the verbal commitments they want, that does not mean a thing until they are at the school, and even then things can change. But this story, this particular recruiting story has been impossible and so, so intriguing.

For the non sports fans out there, Nick Saban did a speech a week or so ago and made claims that Jimbo Fisher only had the top recruiting class because he paid every kid to go there. He claimed they all had a promise of instant NIL success if they attended A&M. Saban didn't stop there. He also accused Deion Sanders and Jackson State of giving the top recruit in the country a one million dollar deal to go there. Deion and the recruit instantly went after Saban and let him know how wrong he was. The recruit made a point to say, via Twitter, that, "if I got a million dollars, why is my mom living in a one room apartment with five kids?". It was such a perfect response. Deion went after his neck. Deion called him out over and over again. It was great, and what I expected Deion to do. He stood up for himself and his players. I loved his response. Seriously, go look up his response, it is poetry.

Not to be outdone, Jimbo Fisher went after Saban's neck, throat, heart and his soul. It was brilliant. I loved every single second of his presser following Saban's remarks. It was simply perfect. I also appreciated how Fisher did not talk around how there is rampant cheating in college football recruiting. He called out Saban. He said he thinks he is "god", and "the czar of college football". He also let it be known that Saban isn't the saint that he makes himself, and ESPN for that matter, out to be. He told the reporters to go out there and check on Saban's past, that they wouldn't necessarily be surprised by what they found. But he also never said he didn't cheat. He never said he did, but he also never said he didn't. I know he came out and said that only one of the ten 5 stars they signed has a NIL deal already, but who knows what he is hiding from everyone else. And I like that he didn't say either way how he got such a great class.

What I think this all really boils down to is Saban is frustrated that he doesn't control college football recruiting anymore. My dad has said it many times, but prior to NIL, Alabama and Nick Saban were like an NFL team that had all 30 first round picks. Every kid wanted to go there because they knew they had a straight line to the NFL. They may have had to sit for a year or two, but if they started eventually they were going to get drafted. They also got any transfer they wanted, again for the same reasons. Alabama is like a minor league football team, and the NFL loves them for that. They also love Saban for that. But now with a somewhat level playing field, Saban is frustrated and lashing out. He is making wild accusations. He is yelling and whining and complaining because he is not getting his way. He is acting like a selfish child who cannot just take their ball home. Saban has to deal with a new reality, and he doesn't love it. He's always wanted to be the czar, as so many have made him out to be. He has always wanted to be the Bill Belichek or Greg Poppovich of college football. But it doesn't work that way. Those guys are pros. Those guys are at the highest level. The players they coach make millions upon millions of dollars. College players don't, but now some can. And others can go wherever they want and make money and start right away. The kid at Jackson State, Travis Hunter I believe is his name, decided he wanted to go to a HBCU and play right away. He didn't want to sit out a few years and wait. He wanted to play and show his talent. And maybe he wants HBCU's to get more attention. Or take the kids that signed with A&M. Maybe they have been told they will have a very, very good shot at playing immediately. Maybe some were guaranteed to start. A&M is not some world beater. But with a class like this, maybe they can make some noise. And there are so many other players who made their own choice to go to the school they wanted to and play sooner than they would if they went to Alabama. The NIL has made it, as previously stated, a more even playing field. This has seemed to make Nick Saban upset, and I am here for it all. I'm so sick and tired of his holier than thou attitude. He is not the bell of the ball anymore. He has real competition. And it is pissing him off.

This rules. I hope Jimbo Fisher, Deion Sanders and every other coach in college football continues to go after Saban's neck. That would be best.

Ty

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

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Boy Was I Wrong About the 2022 NBA Playoffs

I'm here to eat some NBA playoff predictions crow. I was wrong. I was way off. I naturally assumed we would see a rematch of last year's finals. I could not have been more wrong. Everything looked good for me after round one, but since then my "bracket" has gone off the rails. Let’s review.

I had the Grizz beating the Warriors. Well, Ja Morant missed most of the series and the Warriors easily handled them in six games. I had the Heat barely getting by the 76ers. Well, Joel Embiid missed two games, James Harden did what he always does and the Heat won that series in six relatively easy games. I had the Bucks winning their series over the Celtics in seven games. The series did go seven, but the Celtics won. This was the best series of the second round. This was the most competitive. Both teams gave it their all. There were some blowouts, but most games were close to the end. Giannis played great. He further proved to me that he is the best player in the game. He had multiple games of 40 plus points and 15-20 plus rebounds. He also played very good defense, as he always does. He just did not have the help he needed. Khris Middeton was out. That was a much bigger deal than people made it out to be. They needed his scoring. Jrue Holiday played wonderful defense, but his shot was off. Grayson Allen is not a championship player. He totally disappeared. Bobby Portis Jr could not replicate last season. It was clear they miss PJ Tucker. And Brook Lopez was never fully there all year. Oh, and the Celtics are a very, very good basketball team. Jayson Tatum is a top 10 player. He matched Giannis in a few games. He hit big shots. He had one bad game and followed it up with an amazing game. Tatum is legit. Jaylen Brown is a perfect second fiddle. Marcus Smart is crucial to this team. He is the engine that runs it all. Al Horford has found a fountain of youth. Robert Williams is in and out of the lineup, but his presence is felt when he is on the floor. They are expertly coached and they play incredible defense. They are legit. They may be the favorite for the title right now. They beat the Bucks. They did what a champion is supposed to do.

And then we have the Mavs-Suns series. I picked the Suns to win it all. I assumed they were destined this season. They had it all. They were the most consistent team. They were the only team to win 60 games. They were a machine. I did not think anyone could stop them. Well, they stopped themselves and they let the Mavs let it fly. The Suns defense, top five all year, totally vanished. They could not guard the three and they let Luka Doncic do whatever he wanted. Chris Paul played terribly in games 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. He completely disappeared. He looked like Harden. He was so bad. Devin Booker talked his shit, but he could not back it up when it mattered. Deandre Ayton couldn't stay on the floor. Mikail Bridges missed shots he makes all the time. Cam Johnson couldn't buy a three. Cam Payne played really poorly. And Monty Williams, as much as I like him, did not make proper adjustments. The Suns were outplayed and out coached. It is no secret how much I loathe the Mavs, and to see them displace the Suns with so much ease, it was tough. Doncic did what he does. He held the ball, griped at the refs, initiated all the contact and got every white NBA nerd and journalist to essentially cum in their pants. You would have thought he invented the game of basketball the way these people were talking. His teammates showed up too. Reggie Bullock harassed Chris Paul and made threes. Dorian Finney Smith seemingly could not miss from the corner. Spencer Dinwiddie was a microwave. Davis Bertans somehow made shots again. Maxi Kleber found his shot. Even Dwight Powell figured it out after the first two games. The Mavs destroyed the Suns, in Phoenix, in game seven. The Suns had 27 points at the half. It was an all time choke job. And the Mavs, as much as it pains me to write this, earned this series win. And you better believe the Zach Lowe's and Bill Simmons' of the world are letting anyone who will listen tell us how great their beloved Luka Doncic is at basketball.

I really, honestly do not know what happens from here. Knowing my luck as a sports fan we will get a Dallas-Boston finals. I'd rather watch the university of Ohio State and Notre Dame play for the college football title. But I truly think that is where we are headed. Sure the Warriors won game one, but the Mavs have gotten beat in game one of every series. I'm sure the refs have been told to keep a tighter watch on Golden State tonight. And the Celtics dismantled the Heat last night, and they didn't even have Derrick White. So a Boston-Dallas finals feels inevitable. Again, I loathe it, but that is how this postseason has played out. I'd much rather see the Heat and Warriors, but I also really hoped Michigan football was going to beat Georgia in the playoff, and Georgia won the whole thing. So, who knows. At least I get to watch the games with my son, and he doesn't have any built in preconceived hatred for any of these teams. It is neat to watch it through his eyes. That brings me comfort.

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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Embiid is Way More Valuable Than Jokic

Last week I wrote about the NBA MVP award. It was not given out yet. I broke down how the same writers who criticized Russell Westbrook's MVP season were the very same ones that would almost assuredly vote for Nikola Jokic. Welp, it was announced yesterday that Jokic had indeed won his second straight MVP.

I was surprised, but I guess I shouldn't have been. I laid it all out for all of you anyway. I knew that these writers were licking their chops at the chance to crown another white superhero. If it couldn't be Jokic, you better damn well believe that would have wanted it to be Luka. But they got their wish. The voters voted, they were counted and Jokic narrowly beat out Embiid. All of the talking heads on ESPN said they were fine with it. Most of those people were white or old. Most of the writers on Bleacher Report were talking about how great it was that they went with analytics. That the game is changing for the good. Most of the analysts on NBA TV, mostly white, were happy with the outcome.

Jokic has now won two straight MVP's. There are only a few players in the history of the game that have done that. The only current players that have done it are Steph, LeBron, Giannis and now Jokic. To write his name in the same sentence with those guys has me utterly baffled. Jokic is a very good player. He can shoot, is a very good passer and is pretty lethal in the low post. But is he Steph? No way. Steph revolutionized the game. He has done things that no one has ever done in the history of the NBA. Giannis is a modern day Shaq who can shoot. He is un guard-able. When he has a head of steam, get out of the way. And, even though he didn't need to prove anything to anyone, he put up 50 points in a closeout game in the finals. He is currently the best player in the NBA. And then we have LeBron. I mean, it is LeBron. He is the second greatest player to ever step on an NBA floor. He is a giant among men. As for some other names that have won back to back MVPs we have Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan. And now Nikola Jokic. Looking at that list, and having to now add Jokic is jarring. He is not on the same level as any of those guys. Russell and Wilt are Mount Rushmore guys. Jordan is the GOAT. Larry and Magic are freaking Larry and Magic. Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all time. I mean, even Steve Nash is more important than Jokic could ever dream of being. But now he is on this list. That is messed up.

This is purely analytical driven. The NBA voters, for the most part, are a bunch of dorks that only care about pointless stats. They will talk about VORPS and second hand assists and any other nonsense that makes basketball as boring as baseball. I do not watch basketball for the analytics. I go by the eye test. I watch and decide who I think is the MVP.

With my eye I can see Joel Embiid is a much, much, much more palatable player to watch. He is infinitely more fun. He is a far superior defender. He is a better offensive player. The only thing Jokic has over him is passing ability. And Embiid is a serviceable passer. People will point out the teammates and all of that other stuff, but do not act like Embiid didn’t have some shit to deal with this season. Ben Simmons was a selfish little baby all year. Embiid kept them afloat. Embiid missed two playoff games and the 76ers looked lost. He comes back and they win the next two games. It is wildly clear to me that Embiid is far more deserving of MVP.

This is going to be looked back upon as a miss. This is Nash over Kobe. This is Russ over Harden. This is Malone over Jordan or Barkley over Jordan. This is BS. This is white voters finding a white savior and trying to ride him for all he is worth. So when Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe and all these other writers that hemmed and hawed about being a "basketball pervert" when they voted for Russ over Harden, just remember that you all voted Jokic over Embiid, and that is a far worse fate in my opinion. Embiid is the MVP. I will debate anyone on that. Bring 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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Bad Calls Has Been the Story of the NBA Playoffs

The next few days are going to be dedicated to the NBA. This is the big part of the year and lots of stuff is happening. What I want to talk about today is the officiating so far in the playoffs.

It has been abysmal. The fact that people are talking about it daily speaks volumes as to how bad it has been. People do not talk about officiating if it is going okay. The last time, in my opinion, that the officiating was brought up this much in the playoffs was when Tim Donaghy was reffing Lakers-Kings. That was historically bad. Donaghy went on trial for it. The Kings got robbed. It is a well known time in NBA history. This officiating has been almost, almost as bad. And there is still time for them to get to that level of bad.

I did not watch game three of Celtics-Bucks, but I read about it. I also watched the Marcus Smart three point play, and boy oh boy was it as bad as I read. I am not a Celtics fan by any stretch of the imagination, but they got absolutely robbed by the officials. Smart was clearly shooting a three pointer when he was fouled. It should have been three shots. There is no doubt in my mind. I have been watching basketball for decades, and there is no world where that is not a 3 shot foul. But the officials deemed it non shooting. And Smart made the first, missed the second intentionally and the Celtics could not tip the ball in before the buzzer. The Bucks won and took a 2-1 series lead. They also shot many, many more free throws. I understand it is a home game, and the home team gets calls, but the Bucks shot 34 free throws to the Celtics 17. That is too much. That is Duke level favoritism. It was rough.

I did happen to watch the Suns-Mavs game yesterday though. That was rough stuff. The numbers do not tell the whole story either. There is not some free throw disparity or anything like that. But some of the calls, in favor of the Mavs, were downright atrocious. They were flat out wrong. I always tell my kids and players that officials are going to screw up, they are human, but these are supposed to be the best of the best. They should not be screwing up this much. If this is the best, the NBA has a real officiating problem on their hands. This was one of the worst called games I have ever watched. And I have no rooting allegiance. Sure, I despise Luka Doncic and think he is overrated, but it is not like I am a Suns fan. I rooted hard against them in the finals last year, and really wanted the Pelicans to win round one. But the Mavs were flopping all over that floor yesterday. They would get blown by and simply fall down and the refs would blow the whistle. Devin Booker went up for a jump shot at one point, was fouled, yet somehow got a technical called on him. The refs claimed he slapped Dwight Powell in the face on his follow through. He did not. Booker made zero contact. Powell maybe, maybe got a pinky on him, but acted as if Booker open hand slapped him. And the Mavs were rewarded. Almost the exact same thing happened to Javale McGee. He was going for a rebound and, in any regular scrum under the hoop, got his arms up. He was subsequently called for a tech. But when Booker drove to the basket later in the game and made a layup, he was smacked on top of the head by Maxi Kleber. But Kleber got no technical. There was not even a review. They called a common foul. There was another play, when the Suns were really cutting into the lead, where Mikail Bridges was boxing out Jalen Brunson. Bridges arms did get up in the air and make minimal contact with Brunson, something I would never call in a pickup game, and he was called for a foul. It has to be because Brunson jerked his head back and acted like he was punched in the jaw. This happened with Bridges and Doncic too. There was a loose ball they were both chasing and the two players made contact. Bridges stood his ground and Luka fell to the floor as if he had been shot. Of course the Suns were called for a foul. But the most egregious stuff happened to Chris Paul. Again, not a fan, but there is no world where he should have fouled out of that game. There were some ticky tack calls. Luks would bury his shoulder into Paul's chest, but Paul would be called for a foul if Doncic missed a hot or looked at an official. Paul ran after a missed shot and picked up a terrible fourth foul before halftime. But after a replay, he made no contact with the Mavs player. But, I do not remember which player, fell to the floor as if Paul had body slammed him. The worst was Paul's sixth foul. He did not even touch Brunson. In fact he let him go to avoid a sixth foul because there was still 9 minutes left in the game. The game was still in the balance at the time. But Brunson missed the shot, threw his arms up at the nearest official and, like clockwork, the official called a foul on Paul. He bought into the flopping and fouled CP3 out of the game. It was all downhill from there for the Suns. This was some of the worst officiating I have ever seen. I was openly laughing at the screen. I know the Mavs tried to play it off and say that they learned it from Paul himself. But this was horrific. This was bad. This looked like a fix was in. This was atrocious. I understand that the playoffs is a TV show, and the league wants it to go on for as long as possible, but this was bad.

Like I said at the top, the officials should not be a topic of discussion. Yet that is what is on most people's minds that watched or paid any attention to this past weekend. It was bad and something needs to be cleaned up. The flopping and whining and crying to the refs has got to stop. And if the players continue to do it, they should be held accountable. I do not watch these games to see players mope and flop. I watch them to see the best athletes in the world playing at the very height of their game. The refs should never, ever be this involved.

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 Memphis Grizzlies are Not Ready to Take Down the Warriors

I was following the Grizz-Warriors game yesterday, obviously. I could not watch it because I went to my nephew's first bday party, then we planted our veggie garden and then my daughter had a softball game. It was quite the afternoon.

Even with my busy Sunday, I would periodically check my phone to see how the game was going. The Grizz played pretty well. They were loose, had fun and were winning for a good chunk of the first half. They held a six point advantage after the first half in fact. I was happy. They were in it. They were playing well. They were making shots from what I could gather during my phone checks.

Then the Warriors woke up. They had one of their patented rain storms of threes in the third. It felt like they could not miss. I was bummed. The Warriors even held a ten point lead early in the fourth. I stopped checking after a while. We were driving to softball, I was tired and I was frustrated with the Grizz.

Then I checked a few minutes before the softball game started and the score was tied. I was stoked. I figured they would do what they had done in round one and win on a comeback. Well, that did not happen. The Grizz led by two with just over 35 seconds left. The Warriors had the ball, but the Grizz won games like this in round one. Every game, except one, was a comeback win. But the Warriors got Klay wide open, of course he hit the three and the Grizz turned the ball over with a chance to win. That was it. Game one goes to Golden State.

I understand it is just one game. The T'Wolves beat the Grizz in game one in the last series. The Bulls got a game from the Bucks in round one. Hell, the Pelicans took two from the Suns. But this one felt different. This was a game that the Grizz controlled for three of the four quarters. They weathered the Warriors storm of threes. They had the lead. Hell, they even had a chance to win game one in the end. But they didn't. And I am terrified that this is going to haunt them. This could be their undoing. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr were amazing in this game. The defense, minus the third quarter, was solid. They kept things at bay. Draymond got ejected, which was very, very questionable. But they still did not win the game. They still got beat. The Warriors got the win. Steph hit threes and played really good defense. Jordan Poole has been a revelation. I love watching him succeed, being that he played at Michigan. I just wish it was not against the Grizz right now. Looney and Wiggins and the "other guys" did what they needed to do. But Klay did not do much until he was absolutely needed. And he showed up. A guy who has not played much basketball for the past two years did what he does. He hit that three. He let the crowd know. He actually said, "this is what I do", and he is not wrong. Klay is a killer. Klay loves taking big shots. He thrives in moments like this, no matter how off he has been all game. He is that good. It is frustrating to watch when he does it to your team. But as a fan of basketball, it is hard not to admire. That is the sole reason why this game felt so different. The Grizzlies played well. Their stars showed up. They hit open threes that they usually don't. They did enough to win. The Warriors goofed off for a half, then had a super hot quarter and then had a player who was struggling hit the biggest shot of the game. They did not have to go 100 percent and they still won.

The Grizzlies are young and brash and they have the feel of a team that can put this past them. But this is also the playoffs. This is against the Warriors. This is Steph, Draymond, Klay and now Poole. This is Steve Kerr. This is the NBA who'd much rather see the Warriors in the conference finals. This is the big time. And the Warriors did what they have become known to do. I am still pulling hard for my team, but they have a very, very, very big uphill climb, and I'm scared, as a fan, that they aren't ready. Prove me wrong Memphis. Win this series. I am rooting big time for that to happen. But my expectations have been squashed after seeing what happened in game one.

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 2022 NFL Draft First Round

The first round of the NFL draft was last night, and there were some good picks, wild trades and some head scratching stuff. I wrote my preview a few days ago, and today I want to talk about a few things.

First off, the Lions nailed it. Hutchinson "fell" to them at 2. They traded up to get Jameson Williams who I think may be the best receiver in this class. The Lions made picks that should help them in the near future. Williams gives them an immediate deep threat. I know he is coming back from an ACL injury, but all the reports seem to say that he is rehabbing nicely and he should be good to go for the season. Also, teaming him up with Amon Ra Brown gives them a great, and young, receiving duo. Hutchinson is going to have a long and strong career. He is a day one starter, a fun dude in the locker room and has all the tools you want from a pass rusher. These two young guys were great, great picks by a moribound franchise. If I were a Lions fan I'd be happy today.

I could say the same thing for the Giants. They got Thibodeaux at 5. He is as good as Hutchinson. He has amazing burst and get off. He will wreak havoc in NFL backfields for a decade. And to get Evan Neal a few picks after that, that was a homerun. The Giants have done some wild stuff the past couple years. But this season, at least in the first round, they made smart picks that will benefit this team right away. That Neal pick was a genius, genius move. Saquon Barkley is probably pumped right now.

The Eagles made a humongous move, and it was not a pick. But it did happen on draft night. The Eagles acquired AJ Brown for some picks. Brown is an awesome receiver. He wanted out of Tennessee and was given his wish. Now Jalen Hurts has a real weapon on the outside, and Brown is stoked to be going there. That is a big deal. And, not to be outdone, the Eagles still saved a pick and took Jordan Davis out of Georgia for their defensive line. Davis is the biggest human being I have ever seen. He is a bigger and much, much faster Vince Wilfork and he is going to be a great run stopper and gap chewer for this d line. What a pick.

The Ravens will be here twice, but this is the good part. Getting Kyle Hamiltion at 14 was tremendous. He was a highly touted prospect out of Notre Dame, and for him to fall into Baltimore's lap was wild. The Ravens also got some assurance on their o line with Tyler Linderbaum at 25. He may have been the best o lineman in the Big 10 last season. Both guys should be day one starters.

I think the Bengals got a true steal at 31 with Dax Hill. He can cover, can tackle and plays some of the most sound football I have ever watched. That will only help them maintain this elite level of play they had last season.

Some stuff I was not so high on was, first off, the Packers draft. What were they doing? They traded Davante Adams, let a few other receivers go, and with two first round picks they took two studs from Georgia, both of which are defenders. Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt are both very, very good. But the Packers have decent players at both spots. The Packers defense got better last year. They needed offensive help. And I understand they can get that in later rounds. But I was hoping they would trade up to grab a receiver. They chose not to. They went for depth as opposed to need. That is not what the first round should be used for.

I also loathe the Kenny Pickett pick by the Steelers. If they were going to take a QB, why not take Malik Willis? He is clearly the best QB in this class. But the Steelers would rather have a one hit wonder in Pickett learn from Mitch Trubisky. Oof.

I also do not get the Patriots pick at all. What are they doing? I think Bill Belichek might actually be losing the luster of how he drafts after this. It was such a weird pick that Sean McVay openly laughed at it on camera. That was confusing.

I do not like the fact that the Ravens traded Hollywood Brown. That would bum me out if I were Lamar Jackson. I just do not get why they would trade away one of his favorite targets for some picks. That is rough stuff. The Ravens really toed the line of having a good or bad draft night.

I feel for Drake London going to the Falcons. He and Kyle Pitts should make for a good tandem, but they do not have a solid enough QB, and their o line is not the best. They may not get a lot of targets.

The first round was wild and as fun as a draft can be. I'll be curious to see how the rest of the draft goes. If it is anything like the first round, it should get pretty wild and possibly memorable. Time will tell.

Ty

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

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Ty's 2022 NFL Draft Preview

The NFL draft starts tomorrow night. I do like the new format, doing the first round in one night and finishing the rest off throughout the weekend. It makes for a bit of a quicker process. They still have the full fifteen minutes in between picks, and I still do now watch, but it is a better system.

Today I am going to do my version of a "mock draft". It feels wrong even calling it a "draft". I will not do picks, trades or any of the other stuff that other writers do on their mock drafts. I like to name a few players I think will be first day starters, some that may not be as good as they are being projected and then a few of my own personal "sleepers". Without further ado, let's get into it.

I am going to start with my "sure things". These are the players that should have good careers. Some will be solid starters and others will become stars.

My first sure thing is my guy Aidan Hutchinson. I know I am a Michigan fan, I have sung his praises a ton and this is a total homer pick. But come on, he is going to be a day one starter. He has incredible speed off the edge. He can bull rush with the best of them. He made other first round picks look human this past season. He comes from a football family. Whatever team drafts him, most likely in the top three, is going to get an all pro caliber player. Hutchinson is the real deal.

Staying on the defensive line, I also really like Kayvon Thibodeaux. I do not get the sour taste that some have for him. He is almost as explosive as Hutchinson. He is big and fast and plays with a mean streak. He is also a plug in on day one starter. He is going to be a force the moment he enters the league. And if he gets passed by a few teams on draft night, he will not forget that and it will only fuel his fire.

On the offensive side of the ball, the lineman in this draft are great. Evan Neal is a beast. He is going to be a starter for a long, long time in the NFL. He is great. So is Ikem Ekwonu from NC State. He is big, can pass and run block and will be an all pro. If they gave out rookie of the year to lineman, he may damn well win it. Charles Cross also has the ability to be a dominant pass blocker. He played in a system that favored passing, and he knows how to get it done.

This class of receivers is also very top notch. Garrett Wilson is small, but he is fast and can get open down the field with the best of them. Jameson Williams is going to be a legit number one when he gets fully healthy. Drake London looks to be one of the most reliable wideouts in the draft. And Chris Olave and Jahan Dotson were stars in the Big Ten on teams that passed exclusively.

I also like Sauce Gardner at corner. He is as lock down as they come. Andrew Booth Jr is also very good and pretty tall. That is a plus.

As for QB's, the only one that I think will be solid, should be a day one starter and will have a solid career is Malik Willis. He has a cannon for an arm, can scramble really well, is big and has the mentality to run a team from the jump.

Now to the guys that I am not so high on.

So running back is a tough one in the modern NFL. I feel like they are disrespected and often get overlooked. I, unfortunately for him as a player, think Breece Hall is going to get picked too soon and have to play too soon. I like Hall, but I think he will be picked far too soon. I'm also a little nervous about Derek Stingley Jr. He only played three games last season, missed a ton of time in the COVID season and has to deal with this Lisfranc injury. He will need time, but I do not think he will get it. Trent McDuffie is good, and I know Michigan did not pass a ton in the early season game, but Washington was pretty bad last season and their defense was not that great. McDuffie is their best player, but he seems a bit undersized and overvalued at this point in the process.

I also do not like any other early mocked QB's. Kenny Pickett is too inconsistent. Matt Corral is coming off injury and seems erratic. Bailey Zappe is a system QB. And Sam Howell is a poor man's Baker Mayfield, and boy oh boy do I dislike Baker Mayfield.

Finally, I do have a few sleepers in this class. Wan'Dale Robinson is a jack of all trades type player. He reminds me of Tyler Lockett with more speed. He was awesome in the SEC and he will do some nice things in the NFL. Calvin Austin III is a great route runner, has some shiftiness and he will be a nice slot receiver in the league. And even though I said that running backs are treated unfairly and are out of the league sooner than usual, I am going to go full homer here and say that Hassan Haskins is going to be the steal of the draft. He is a Saint Louis kid who played his college football at Michigan. How could I not like him? But he is a great blocker, a hard nosed runner, can catch a bit out of the backfield and always falls forward. He beat out a group of five star players to become the starter at Michigan and he was the reason why they had such a great season last year. Haskins is my guy. I not only think he will be very good, I am rooting like hell for him.

That is it for my draft preview. Good luck to all the players about to be drafted.

Ty

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

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The Wind is Not to My Running Back

I've been in a bit of a running rut lately. I am still running, I will not give it up, but I'm in a funk.

I've been racking my brain trying to figure out why I'm at where I am at right now. I thought it was because of my allergies. My allergies have been very rough lately. Everyday I feel like I have to blow out a full cup of mucus from my body, sorry to be gross. I then thought it was because of too much running. I was on a run streak of nearly 300 days, but I was becoming disillusioned with it. Running became a chore. It wasn't fun. So I stopped that. I even thought that it was maybe due to my anxiety issues. My anxiety has been a little elevated lately, I'm fine, but I thought it was causing my running to take a nosedive.

Today I think I finally came to as solid a conclusion as I can find. I went for a run today. I have backed down to four runs a week as opposed to seven days a week. I feel better, but my time was slower than usual. I also ran the Lion's Roar this past weekend, I did the same race last year, ran 25 miles, but this year I could only do 20 miles. The same thing happened each time, and has been going on since late March and all of April. I think my continuing rut is due to the wind. It has been so damn windy lately. And it has been windy everywhere. I thought driving 120 miles this past weekend would help. It did not. It was even windier in Columbia. And today, here in Saint Louis, it seemed like the wind might be gone. It is 60 degrees and beautifully sunny. There are no clouds in the sky, it is calm and just a glorious day. But during the whole 4.75 miles I had god damn wind blowing in my face. The same thing happened in Columbia. I would turn a corner, the race was a 2.5 mile loop run over and over again for 5 hours, and the wind was so hard that, had I not had headphones on, my hat would have blown off every single time. I did eight laps and I would have lost my hat, at the very least, eight times. It was rough.

This has been going on every day since late March, as I said. I have been going out and running and there has not been a run where the wind was not blowing in my face or coming at me from the side. There have been times I have gone on a road run and had cold wind blowing in my face so hard that my beard would freeze, and there was no snow or ice. I have found that trail running is a bit better, except when there is an open space. I've gone trail running a few times lately, and when I'm under the trees it is fine. But, I will turn a corner, or hit an open switchback, and that is when the wind comes in and totally slows me down. It is brutal. I get frustrated by it at times. I have openly cursed the wind while running. I cursed it this afternoon. I kept yelling during my race "WE GET IT!!!!! IT IS WINDY!!!!". I did make some other racers laugh with that one. I have been doing this since all this wind started. It is wild. I never thought that windy running would cause such a problem. It has made me slower. I have been actively trying to go slower, but not as slow as I have been lately. The wind has angered me, and that is ridiculous. The wind makes me cold when I should not be cold. It has knocked my hat off multiple times. It has messed up my headphones when I wear them.

This wind is crazy. The only time I do not mind it is when it is at my back, which is very rare lately. I'm sure that there are other, underlying things that are causing me to go through this mini slump, but for right now I am going with my theory that it is the wind that is my biggest obstacle. The god damn wind. My new running nemesis.

Ty

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

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I'm Done with Ben Simmons

The Nets are struggling. They look bad. Durant is playing as bad as he ever has since returning from injury. The Celtics own them right now. They are getting whatever they want on offense and totally shutting the Nets down on defense.

Fact is that I do not like either team, especially the Celtics, but they look like the best team in the playoffs right now. They are impenetrable. They are getting switches and scoring at will. They should be the favorites.

Also, I could not have been more wrong on the Nets coming into this season. They have been a total mess. They were clear paper tigers. Kyrie is a selfish asshole. KD cannot stay healthy. Steve Nash is not a good coach. They have never gelled. And they traded James Harden away for Ben Simmons. That looked like a big time deal at the time. But I think we are now seeing who Ben Simmons really, truly is as a basketball player. All the talk before game three was that Simmons was going to be back for game four. He was going to be the defensive lynchpin and run the show getting the ball to all those shooters with wide open looks. It was all going to come together for the Nets when Simmons came back. Sure, they were not going to win this series, but they would put up a fight and be the true contender they should have been this season next season. Well, Simmons is now listed out for game four. After the Celtics cruised to a game three win, it seemed all but decided, both the series and Simmons not playing. In all reality I think it is the right move. I told my son that I would have sat him out for game four. The Nets have no chance, so why risk it?. But then the news came out that it was Simmons' decision. That his back was tightening up. That he just could not go out there and further hurt himself.

This is not a very good look. This is exactly what people have been saying about him all season. He is a diva. He is afraid. His nerves are shot. He does not want to go on the floor in a meaningful game and make a mistake. All of it, all of it is true. He is scared. Look, I get being nervous and not wanting to screw up. I live my life every day with anxiety, but Ben Simmons is a professional basketball player. He is paid to play a game. He cannot live in fear of messing up. He will mess up. It is going to happen. But if he continues to live in fear of playing basketball, his career is going to be over before he can even have a chance to redeem himself. This makes all that stuff he did in the offseason and when he returned to the 76ers look even worse. He did not want to show up to practice unless he was traded. That never happened. He was willing to give up his salary to "prove a point". Then he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars a day. He was happy to stare at his phone and sit out drills during practice. He was called out by teammates and coaches. And then he finally got traded and said all these things about seeing him succeed when he got back on the floor. And now he has decided to sit yet again. It is all too much.

I have tried with Simmons. I genuinely like his game. I like a big point guard that plays excellent defense and can find open players everywhere. I rooted for him in college and fully supported him leaving school early to get ready for the pros. I even took time to process him talking about the anxiety and stress he was dealing with while still in Philly. But this is too much. He has said and done too many things for me to root or care about him anymore. He is a liar. He is afraid. He is skittish. He is a child. He is selfish. He only cares about himself. He will never be happy on a basketball court. That is the player I see now. I'm done looking at his jump shots online. I'm sick of hearing about his "progression as an all around player". I'm sick of the media and talking heads telling everyone to give him time. He has had enough time. He got everything he wanted, acting as childish as he did. He got his way. And this is how he repays the league and team that pays him millions upon millions of dollars. Ben Simmons wasted an entire year of his prime trying to prove a point. The only point he proved to me is how afraid and selfish he is.

This is a mess and a Brooklyn Nets team being led by an under qualified Steve Nash is not the place to fix it. Ben Simmons is officially, to me, the most overrated player in the NBA. Well, should I say the most overrated wannabe player in the NBA.

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 White Problem in NBA Journalism

NBA award season is upon us. They have already given out Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, and more are to come. I have my choices for who I want to win, and who I think should win. And I have been very vocal about my want for Joel Embiid to win the MVP. He led the league in scoring, kept the 76ers afloat with Ben Simmons being a selfish child, kept doing his thing after the trade for James Harden and has been a defensive force all season long. He has also been a killer in the first two games of round one of the playoffs. He should be the clear favorite.

But he is not.

The NBA nerds and journalists and podcasters and bloggers all want their new hero Nikola Jokic to win the award for a second straight season. They have sung his praises up and down the floor. I was listening to "The Lowe Post" earlier today and Zach Lowe made every single excuse he could for Jokic playing poorly in the playoffs right now. So have all the other white NBA nerds on the internet. They have pointed out his VORP, his plus minus, his shot chart, his passes that lead to assists, and how he has become a "serviceable" defender. Again, nerd shit. What they are failing to point out, well it is actually a few things, is that Jokic is a dirty hotheaded player, and the exact same journalists and podcasters and bloggers and talking heads all slammed Russell Westbrook when he was the MVP favorite the year he averaged a triple double and won it.

I want to touch on the hotheadedness and dirtiness first. We have seen him implode in the playoffs so far. The Warriors, namely Draymond Green, are so inside his head. It is affecting his play. It is affecting his team. And instead of being a leader and showing MVP leadership, he got himself ejected and tried to chase Gary Payton Jr when he tapped him on the backside on his way off the floor. But he did stuff like this all year. He gets away with trips and elbows and griping all the time because the nerds love him. He injured Markieff Morris. He shoved him when his back was turned. He cheap shot him. Some, again the white journalists, have made excuses for Jokic. But what he did was childish and shows how easy it is to get under his skin. He is the classic "can dish it out but cannot take it". He thinks it is funny when he pulls his nonsense, but when someone fights back, he gets angry and dirty. Morris missed a ton of time, but people just let it go. They talked about it for a day and then it was gone, forgotten. That's nuts.

What irks me the most, why I wanted to write this piece, is the Russ comparison. When Russ won the MVP the Thunder went 47-35 and were the 6 seed in the West. Some of Russ' teammates, this was the season KD left for Golden State, included a very young and inexperienced Steven Adams, an oft injured Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis as a rookie, Alex Abrines, Norris Cole, Taj Gibson, Kyle Singler and Cam Payne, to name a few. The names may pop off, but this was before Adams was the dude he is now, before Sabonis was an all star, Oladipo didn't fit, Norris Cole was on his last leg, this was a team that Russ had to carry. He did all the things he did because his coach told him to. He had to carry the load. If he didn't, that team would have been a lottery team. And after he did his thing, and rightfully won the MVP, he had the Thunder playing tough, but the Rockets were a much better team that ousted them in five games. But people called Russ "selfish", a "stat hog", a "rebound seeker". They said people that voted for him were "basketball perverts", that we "didn't understand the game". They bad-mouthed fans that rooted for him and wanted him to win the MVP. We were all wrong and the white journalists and nerds were supposedly right.

Well, let's look at Mr Jokic this year. His teammates include Aaron Gordon, Bones Hyland, Jeff Green, Will Barton, Bryn Forbes, Boogie Cousins and Monte Morris. It is true that Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray have missed significant time. But the same nerds that love Jokic like guys like Hyland and Morris. I hear all the time that Will Barton can heat up at any moment. I see how athletic and versatile Gordon is when I watch him play. The teammates are similar, but I honestly think, even with the injuries, that this Nuggets team has more talent surrounding their star than that Thunder team did. And when you look at the record, the Nuggets are 48-34. That is one game better than the 16-17 Thunder. They are also the 6 seed. They are also being demolished right now by the Warriors. The parallels are insanely familiar, but no one is calling the nerds and journalists "perverts", saying they are "dumb" and "stupid". They find excuses for Jokic where they found flaws with Russ.

It is maddening that, in 2022, the NBA still has ignorant racists voting on these awards. It has never been more blatant than that this season. Joel Embiid should win this award. It should not even be a conversation. But when they announce Jokic as the winner, I am almost certain they will, the journalists and nerds, all of them white, will rejoice and still be quietly racist. It is frustrating. I feel for Joel Embiid. He is so much more deserving of this award. He is the clear MVP. But it is not up to him or me. Unfortunately it is up to the white journalists, a lot of which live in Boston. And that stinks.

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 2022 NBA Playoff Preview

With the play in tourney ending tonight, today I have my NBA 2022 playoff preview and prediction.

Real quick, I have the Clippers beating the Pelicans tonight to take the 8 seed in the West, and I have the Hawks beating the Cavs, which hurts my heart because I love Evan Mobley and Darius Garland, and taking the 8 seed in the East. And even if I am wrong, I do not have either number 1 seed going out in the first round, so the play in finale tonight has no real bearing on my predictions today. With all that, let's get to it.

I'll start with the East. The 1-8 pits the Miami Heat versus the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are fun. They score a lot. They have been on a tear. They demolished the Hornets. And they were in the conference finals last year. That is all well and good, but the Heat are a far superior team. And they are whole. They play defense. They muddy the game. They do not mind bullying you. And the Hawks play zero defense. Bam is going to feast. Tyler Herro will thrive against the Hawks second unit. Jimmy Butler is going to get to the rim with ease. Kyle Lowry is going to make Trae Young's life miserable. The Heat are going to win this series, probably in five games.

The 2-7 is going to be fun to watch, but I also loathe both teams. At times I think about picking Boston because they are, relatively speaking, deep, play great defense and Jayson Tatum is ascending to star level. But then I look at the Nets and they have KD, Kyrie Irving is eligible for all the games and they can score in bunches. But when I really sit back and take a deep, deep look, Boston's defense is really, really good. I understand that Robert Williams is out, and that will hurt, but I do not think it will cause them to get beat. I would be terrified of KD, but I do think the Celtics will pull it out in seven games.

The 3-6 matchup pits the Bucks versus the Bulls. My son is a big Bulls fan. He loves DeMar DeRozan and DeRozan has been awesome this year. Zach Lavine has been hot and cold, but when that dude gets it going, watch out. And I have liked Coby White since his lone college season. But the Bulls do not stand a chance. They started too hot and have been really bad down the stretch. Oh, and the Bucks are the defending champs, and Giannis has been amazing all season, and Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are playing well, and the team is whole. I just do not see a world where the Bulls win even a game over Milwaukee in this series. If the Bucks take it seriously, which I am sure they will, they will sweep the Bulls.

This leaves us the 4-5, Philly and Toronto. Philly is good. Joel Embiid is the MVP. I do not care what white journalists have to say on their podcasts. He led the league in scoring, is a top flight defender and is as dominant as Shaq. James Harden is a great scorer, he just needs to show the hell up in the playoffs. It is time. It is now or never. Unfortunately the 76ers second best defender, Matisse Thybulle, decided to not get fully vaccinated and he cannot play in the games in Toronto. That is a blow to the 76ers. Toronto is playing with house money and Nick Nurse is a very good coach. He will find stuff to throw wrenches in the 76ers game plan. He will frustrate them to no end. And he has the players to do it. Pascal Siakim is playing great. Fred Van Vleet is a young Kyle Lowry, OG Anunoby is hyper athletic and Scottie Barnes has a real case for ROTY. This team is good. But I think Joel Embiid will not let this team get beat. He will single handedly win this series for them. It will be a tough seven games, but the 76ers will find a way.

This leaves us with second round matchups of Miami and Philly and Milwaukee and Boston. As much as I love Joel Embiid, I think this is where the playoff Harden will show up, and that is no good. Miami will frustrate and force Harden to make bad decision after bad decision. I have the Heat winning in six.

The Bucks and Celtics should be a good, hard fought series. But this is where no Robert Williams will hurt Boston. Giannis will feast. And when he gets double teamed he will find wide open shooters like Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton. And Jrue Holiday is going to make Jayson Tatum's life miserable. The Bucks will win in seven.

So this leaves me with an East Finals of Miami and Milwaukee. This is where Miami will not have an answer for all the scorers and shooters on Milwaukee. Giannis proved last season that he has that killer instinct, and he is even better this season. And the fact that Milwaukee is healthy, that changes things drastically. It will be a decent series, and Miami will take two games, both at home. But I have the Bucks winning in six and returning to the Finals.

Now let's move to the West.

The top three teams are legit. Anyone of them would have been the 1 in the East. The West is going to be a killer. The 1-8 features The Suns and the winner of tonight's game, I am assuming the Clippers. The Clippers have been a nice little story this year, winning 42 games with a totally depleted roster. Well, all the fun stops now. The Suns are a machine. They are the best team in basketball by a very wide margin. They have it all. Star power, veteran leadership, young players buying into their roles, depth, great coaching, they are all set. There is a reason they won so many games this season and lapped the field. The Suns are the clear favorites, they will be out for blood and they will sweep the Clippers. The Suns are loaded and ready.

The 2-7 features my squad, the Grizzlies, facing the Timberwolves. I'm kind of nervous about this matchup. The Timberwolves are very similar to the Grizz. They both have the same team makeup. They both talk shit and back it up. They both really, really want to win for their city. This will be fun. But where the Grizz separate themselves from the Timberwolves is their depth and star power at the point guard position. Ja Morant is better than D'Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverly. Jaren Jackson Jr is not the offensive weapon KAT is, but he is a far superior defender. Anthony Edwards is going to hate going up against Dillon Brooks for a whole series. The Grizzlies will prove this season was no fluke and take this first round matchup in six games.

The 3-6 matchup pits the Warriors against the Nuggets. Steph will not be 100 percent, and I do not know when he will return, but the Warriors have Klay, who has been great as of late. Draymond Green is looking more and more like himself. And Jordan Poole has been a revelation this year. Sure the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, and I cannot believe he will win a second straight MVP, that is pure nonsense. Quick little rant coming up here. When Russell Westbrook won his MVP a ton of the sports writers I read and listen to called it all types of names. They said the people who voted for Russ were basketball perverts, whatever in the hell that means. They chastised the fact that the Thunder had 45 wins and were a 6 seed. He averaged a triple double and dragged a team that lost KD to the playoffs in the West. Jokic's Nuggets are a 6 seed. They have three more wins than the Thunder did in Russ' MVP year, which is not all that much. And while Jokic is missing two key guys, the Nuggets bench players and current players are better than anyone Russ played with, with Steven Adams being the lone exception. I'm sick of all the excuses being made for Jokic when these same guys were crushing Russ and bitching and moaning all throughout his MVP season. It is racism at its best. Anyway, the Warriors are going to win this series. They are the better team. I think it will go seven, but when Steph gets back, it is lights out for Denver.

The 4-5 has another journalist beloved player-led team in Luka Doncic and the Mavericks, playing the new team that gets shit on, the Utah Jazz. The white journalists that are begging and pleading for Doncic to be "appreciated like the star he is", will finally get their wish and the Mavericks will finally win a series. The Jazz are too dysfunctional. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell clearly dislike one another. Quinn Snyder seems to have one foot out the door. It looks like Utah is about to blow up their team. The Jazz may take a game, Doncic is out for game one, but they will not muster another one in the series. The Mavs will win in five and all the white guys at ESPN, Bleacher Report and SI will finally be able to cream their jeans now that Luka will get out of round one of the playoffs.

So, I have the Suns and Mavs in one second round matchup, and the Grizz and Warriors in another. All those journalists that will be drooling and bending the knee for Luka will have to eat their words. Again, the Suns are on a mission. They do not care who is in front of them. They will score and score and score all over the Mavericks. And they will force everyone not named Luka Doncic on the Mavs to beat them. That will not work. I have the Suns sweeping yet another round. They are that good.

The Warriors and Grizzlies should be a total blast to watch. And I have some faith in the Grizz in round two. The Timberwolves will be tougher than the Warriors to face. The Warriors are better, and they have the two greatest shooters of all time, and Draymond is awesome, but there is something in the air in Memphis this season. I think Ja, after having beat the Warriors in the play in last year, will have no fear. I think JJJ will be able to help off Looney and Green and cover the shooters. Dillon Brooks is a beast and he can score. Tyus Jones is one of the better backup point guards in the league, and the Grizzlies second unit is better than the Warriors. I really, truly think the Grizz will win in seven games and advance to the West Finals.

Then the party will be over. The Suns are too good. I do not know how many times I have to write it. They are absolutely loaded. They are locked in. They have a bad taste in their mouths from last year. They are out for blood. I do think Memphis will get a game, but no more after that. Suns in five.

That means I have a rematch from last year. I have to be this boring, but the Suns and Bucks are the two best teams in the NBA in my opinion. I think the series will go six again, but this time the Suns will win. Chris Paul will get his ring. Devin Booker will establish himself as one of the new faces of the league. Mikal Bridges will start getting his much due respect. Deandre Ayton will be the first number one pick that has played a smaller role to grab a ring. And Monty Williams will etch his name as one of the best coaches in the league. Devin Booker will also score his way to Finals MVP.

So there you have it, my 2022 NBA preview and predictions. Hey, the Suns look that good everybody. I do not know what else to say. Enjoy the 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.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Previews the 2022 NBA Play-in Games

I will be doing a full NBA playoff preview when it is fully set. Which leads me to today's piece. Since the NBA playoffs will not be starting until later this week, I will do a preview and prediction for the four play-in games that will be happening tomorrow and Wednesday.

I love the play-in tourney. This was a wildly successful idea. I cannot wait until it becomes a permanent fixture. It makes the first few games so exciting to watch. I think it is the absolute best. I'll start with the East.

The 7-8 features the Brooklyn Nets facing the Cleveland Cavs. This would be a much more fun game if Cleveland was at full health. Unfortunately Jarrett Allen isn't likely to play, and that will be the ultimate downfall for the Cavs. They need his rim protection. Evan Mobley is good. He will be the ROY. But he is not ready to be a full time rim protector yet. Darius Garland is good, but Kyrie Irving, whom I loathe, is more prepared for this stage. Kevin Love has been great, but he is a zero on defense. And Caris Levert is trying to come back from yet another injury. Oh, and the Nets have a fully healthy KD. As much as I'd love to see the Cavs win, and they could, I just do not think it will happen. KD is too awesome, the Cavs are not full and the game is in Brooklyn. The Nets will win and clinch the 7 seed.

The 9-10 game is going to be a score fest. The Hornets and Hawks do not play a whole lot of defense, but man oh man do both teams score. The Hornets love to run up and down the floor and bomb threes. LaMelo Ball finds open guys, Miles Bridges is a better creator and Kelly Oubre is a microwave off the bench. As for the Hawks, Trae Young is wonderful. He is an offensive wizard. Clint Capela is an excellent rim runner and rebounder. Bogdan Bogdanovich is a scorer off the bench. Deandre Hunter is a solid three and d guy. The Hawks have scorers. They also have more experience. And they have been on fire lately. The Hornets are on the come up, but not yet. The Hawks will win this game.

With the Cavs getting beat, and the Hawks beating Charlotte, that means they will face off for the 8 seed. I would love to see the Cavs win this game and make the playoffs, but they will not. They just do not have enough guys, and no one to fully protect the rim. And the Hawks are on a bit of a tear lately. They will grab that 8 seed and make a return trip to the playoffs.

Now we head to the West.

The 7-8 game is going to be fun and I have an interest since the winner will be facing the Grizz in round one. The Timberwolves are the 7, and they are a very good offensive team with a somewhat serviceable defense. KAT has also taken a leap. So has Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves are young, but they are confident. The Clippers found a way to get in without Kawhi all year and with PG missing more than half the season. The utility guys have made the most of the season and Ty Lue has coached one hell of a year. And, as much as I'd hate to see the Clippers in round one, I do think that will be the Grizzlies first round opponent. I think the Clippers, with all the veteran leadership, will find a way to grind this game to a halt and win.

The 9-10 game features the Spurs and Pelicans. This game will be a ton of fun to watch for the young talent on both squads. I think neither one of these teams thought they'd be here, but they are and they have a game to play. I like what the Pelicans have done this year too. They started real slow, 3-16, but they have found a way to turn it around somewhat. And I think the CJ McCollum trade was great. The Spurs probably had no desire to be here, but they found a way. And they are getting their guys back. Dejounte Murray is back. Josh Primo is healthy. Devin Vassell is playing well. This Spurs team is young and they are playing with house money, and I think they will win this game. The Pelicans are very inconsistent and the Spurs have the best coach to ever coach in the NBA. He will devise a game plan to find a way to win.

So that leaves us with the Spurs and Timberwolves fighting for the 8th spot. The Spurs have had an odd and fun year, but this is where it all ends. The Timberwolves are a better team and they really, really, really want to get in the playoffs. That is not to say the Spurs don't, but the Timberwolves need to get in the playoffs. And they will and their reward will be the best team in the NBA.

So I have the Nets as the 7 and Hawks as the 8 in the East. In the West I have the Clippers as the 7 and the Timberwolves as the 8. Again, I love this play-in tourney and I cannot wait to watch. Bring it on.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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The SeedSing 2022 MLB Preview

Much to my surprise, yet again, the MLB season started this afternoon. I was oblivious to this news. I have been more focused on my son's baseball team, we started on Tuesday. I remember the lockout, and them resolving it eventually, but the season always seems to sneak up on me. I just do not seem to give it the same attention I did as a kid. Truth be told, I am much more pumped for the NBA playoffs, which start in about a week.

Like I do every year, I have my version of a "preview" of the season. RD is much more the expert on MLB, but I will give it a go and give you guys some predictions. I'll give division winners, the multiple wildcards, the AL and NL champs, some award winners and my World Series winner. Like I say every year, take this with the biggest grain of salt you can find. I truly am out of my element, but hey, I still like baseball. Here it goes.

The AL seems to be solid. There are some really good teams. I do not remember who the Braves played in the World Series last year, had to look up who won in fact, but there are always big hitting, high run scoring teams in the AL. The Toronto Bluejays seem to be the vogue pick in the East, and I am not different. I adore Vlad Guerroro Jr, and I think he alone can lead them to the playoffs. The Central will be competitive. The Tigers look good on paper, the White Sox won it last season and they appear to be loaded. Most "experts" are picking the White Sox, but I am going to go with the Twins. I have family members that are big time Twins fans, so this is a family fueled pick. For as much as they cheat, the Astros should win the West. They are the far superior team in that division. The Angels cannot seem to get it together and the Mariners are done being everyone's "surprise" team. As far as the three, that is right three, wild card teams, I'll go with the Yankees because they can buy talent, the Red Sox because they too can buy talent and the Rays because they seem to have dope pitching every season.

Moving over the NL, we will start with the East here too. The Mets and Phillies seem to be the vogue picks for the division. But why is no one on the Braves? They won it all last year. They did it without Acuna Jr. And I don't think they lost too much. I'll stick with the defending champs in the East. Man oh man would I love, love, love to pick the Cardinals in the Central. But the Brewers are too loaded. I remember seeing them in the playoffs for a minute last season. They are better than any team in that division. But, at least the Cards will be better than the Cubs. The Brewers will win the Central. The West will be owned by the Dodgers. They have the most talent, the most money and if push comes to shove, they will buy any type of talented player they want. The Dodgers are now the villains of baseball. They are the Yankees of the 90's. They will coast. As for the three wild cards, I am going full homer with the Cardinals in one spot, and the Phillies and the Mets to round it all out.

As for the AL pennant, I think the Bluejays will play the Astros, and the Bluejays will win. Good will prevail. And I just want to see Guerroro Jr get his just due. That kid is awesome. He makes baseball fun to watch. Him, Shoehai Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr make the game of baseball watchable nowadays. In the NL, I'm going with the Dodgers over the Brewers. I would love to see the Brewers win for multiple reasons, mainly because that is my dad's team, but the Dodgers are too good. They have so many all stars on that team. And like I said, if someone gets hurt or wants out, they will just replace them with an equal or better player because they have so much money.

I think it is pretty obvious that I have the Dodgers beating the Bluejays in the series and winning it all. Unfortunately. But the sports world will really get to know Vlad Guerroro Jr very well this baseball season. I even think he will find a way to beat out Ohtani for the MVP this season. Well, maybe. I do think that someone, maybe Mookie Betts, from the Dodgers will win the NL MVP. I could see Juan Soto giving a fight, but Betts is probably the best player on the best team. I want, and am predicting, that Shoehai Ohtani will win the AL Cy Young and Max Scherzer will win the NL Cy Young. As for the other stuff, honestly, I have zero idea what is going to happen, and I don't know enough to throw some names out there.

There you have it, my 2022 MLB preview. Play ball.

Ty

Another View

2022 the first “normal” season in years, is all about transition. A few teams are taking one last plunge with their guys. The Cardinals, Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers are all or nothing for 2022. Other teams, like the Padres, Blue Jays, Brewers, and Mariners, are ready to take that next step. Let’s break it down.

The AL East will be the most competitive division in baseball. Every team except the Orioles will have over 85 wins. In the end the Toronto Blue Jays will have the most wins.

The NL East is going to be a paper tiger. The Phillies and Mets look good now, they will not be good in the end. Atlanta takes the division again.

The AL Central is the White Sox and everyone else trying to get into the wild card conversation. Any of them could make it, but Chicago will win the division again.

The NL Central has the good, Milwaukee and St. Louis, and the bad. Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh will not compete this year. The Pirates may lose over 120 games. They are terrible.

The AL West is like the AL East, just not as good. Texas Anaheim, and Oakland will be bothersome, but it will be a fight between the been there Astros and the upstart Mariners. I’m going with Seattle to win the division.

The NL West will be interesting, yet predictable. No way the Giants win 107 games again, but the Dodgers will still have to contend with them and San Diego. Dodgers will win the division.

The three Al Wild Cards will be the Yankees, Rays, and in a surprise, the Detroit Tigers.

The NL Wild cards will be St. Louis, San Diego, and San Francisco.

The ALCS will pit the surprising Seattle Mariners against the soon to be dynastic Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays win.

The NLCS will be a division matchup between the Cardinals and Brewers. The old guys on St. Louis will win the pennant.

Blue Jays and Cardinals, battle of the birds for the World Series. St. Louis wins with a walk off homerun from Albert Pujols in game seven. Fairytale ending.

RD

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

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The Lakers are a Disaster

At the start of the NBA I did my massive preview. I had the Lakers relatively high. I remember saying that I thought they would be a very good regular season team, but be running on fumes by the playoffs. I think I had them going to the second round of the playoffs. I assumed, with LeBron, they would win one series. And even though they started out kind of slow, I figured they would figure it out. I never put too much stock in early regular season NBA games. As the season wore on, and the injuries piled up, as did the losses, it seemed inevitable that they would not make it. They had been on the backend of the play-in tournament for a month, and then fell out completely. And with the Spurs beating the Nuggets, and Suns wallopping a LeBron less Lakers last night, they were officially eliminated.

To be honest, I am kind of stunned. This team has a very solid collection of talent. Sure, it is old. and tons and tons of people made the same joke over and over again, but still, tons of stars. They also got some solid guys on the buyout market and got some younger vets to sign for the league minimum, assuming they would make a title run. I wasn't crazy about the additions of Russell Westbrook, who I adore, and Carmelo Anthony. But I did like getting Malik Monk and Kendrick Nunn for very cheap. I thought Dwight Howard was a solid backup center choice. I loved the shot they took on Stanley Johnson late in the year. Austin Reaves turned out to be hot and cold, but when he is hot, watch out. When healthy, Talen Horton-Tucker is a good creator. I thought that Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore and Trevor Ariza would bring good veteran leadership. And Avery Bradley is still a decent defender. But it never came together for this team.

LeBron got what he wanted. Three years ago they emptied the picks and young players to get Anthony Davis, which worked. They won a title with those two. But, in letting Alex Caruso walk, in trading KCP and Kyle Kuzma for Russ and picking Deandre Jordan at the start of the year was way, way off. Jordan couldn't get on the floor with any regularity. He was mercifully let go. It is clear they miss Caruso on the defensive end of the floor. They just do not have the guys to play competent defense. And Russ, again a player I love, has been downright bad this season. He just doesn't have the explosiveness that so well defines him. And he is not a shooter, especially a three point shooter. They could have had Buddy Hield. They had a trade ready to go. But LeBron wanted Russ. They could have had DeMar DeRozan. He wanted to play there. But LeBron wanted Carmelo. It was some bad choices I'm sure they wish they could have back. When the trade deadline came and went, and the Lakers did nothing, that clearly pissed him off. But I say again, these are the dudes he wanted to play with. He went to bat for these guys. He told the media to keep bad mouthing them and call them old, that he would get them to prove everyone wrong. Welp, the date is April 8th and the Lakers are 31-48 and officially out of the playoffs.

LeBron is not solely to blame. The front office did not do a thing, as previously mentioned, to help shore this team up at the deadline. And maybe the front office should have put their foot down when LeBron came to them and said give me a mid 30's Russ and late 30's Carmelo and Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk. Those were poor, thoughtless moves. Injuries did not help this team either. LeBron continues to miss more and more time with each passing season. He is getting older. Anthony Davis has proven that, while an incredible player, he simply cannot stay healthy. He misses time every year. He gets cuts and bruises and sits out multiple games. Russ, while not hurt too much, is just old. Same with Carmelo. Kendrick Nunn has not played a single minute all year, and he is done for the year. It just never came together for this team. They never gelled. They openly fought and griped with the media. Frank Vogel never found a way to get these guys to play for him, and that is fully his fault.

I would love to be all hate and doom, like I was with Duke the other day, but this is really simply sad. This team should have been good. They should have been a playoff team. They should not be 17 games under .500. But here we are. It is a bummer that we will have no Lakers or Knicks in the playoffs this season.

No matter what anyone says, this season was a massive failure for the Lakers. They are, without a doubt, the most disappointing team in the NBA. And, quite frankly, it stinks. I wonder what will happen this offseason, but it cannot be much because this team has no picks and no really desirable trade pieces. Time will tell.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Ty Watches the 2022 Mens College Basketball Championship

The men's NCAA title game was quite the event last night. It was played in a football stadium, it was filled to the brim, there were a ton of famous people and alums of each school and the game itself was pretty gratifying, especially for this viewer who had no skin in the game.

I hoped for a good, close game, and when that second half started, that is exactly what I got. The first half was pretty one sided. Kansas came out and scored the first seven points, but then UNC took over. They calmed down, hit some shots, and before I knew it they were up 16, at 38-22. They went on an incredible scoring run. They went 38-15 after being shut out for the first few minutes. And they looked like they could not be stopped. While KU settled, UNC attacked. They went inside, which opened up the outside, and UNC feasted. At one point they scored 16 unanswered points. When it went to half, UNC was up 40-25.

I thought we might be in for a blowout, but I still wanted to see the start of the second half. Basketball is a game of runs, and KU has shown all tourney long that they seem to rev it up after halftime. That is precisely what happened. KU came out and attacked. They became the aggressors. They got to the rim seemingly at will. The layups they missed in the first half were falling. UNC was fouling. Things started to turn around. The lead was cut to 12, then 10, then 7, then 4. Before too long KU cut the lead to 1. UNC would answer each run though. KU would cut it to 1, UNC would follow with a dunk or a 3 to stretch it to two possessions. But KU kept going. They stopped settling and kept attacking. They were passing up threes for layups and dunks. The attacking nature in the second half then opened up the outside shot. This was where super transfer Remy Martin showed up. He nailed three big time 3 pointers in the second half. He made big shot after big shot. Ochi Agbaji started to hit shots as well. He stopped shooting mid range shots and threes, and went to the rim. He was making shots and getting fouled. He was getting 3 points the old fashioned way. KU's big man, Tim McCormack, started to own the paint. Armando Bacot played a hell of a game too. That kid was everywhere for UNC last night. But he could not stop McCormack. He was playing hurt, and the second half showed that. He also got far less touches. Brady Manek was not making his usual shots either. He played great defense, but he just couldn't put the ball in the bucket. Caleb Love, who has been sensational all tourney, had a very poor and unfortunate shooting night. RJ Davis kept UNC in it, but he had to put up a ton of shots. And Puff Johnson, even though he hurled during the game, played one hell of a game off the bench. But KU kept grinding and getting to the basket and playing world class defense. Their defense in the second half was a thing of beauty to a basketball nerd such as myself. They played tight defense up and down the floor. KU's guards were making life miserable for UNC's guards. UNC kept trying to pick and roll, but KU's guards were jumping screens and fighting every time. McCormack would not let Bacot get his touches. They flustered UNC in that second half. It was a clinic.

All in all this was a very well played, hard fought title game. I was glad I stayed up to watch the whole thing. I feel for the UNC fans and players and coaches. But I am also happy for the KU players and fans, not so much their coaches. But I want to extend a big thank you to UNC and KU for putting up a wonderful, down to the wire title game. I love it when they are close like this. A blowout is not fun. Last night was fun. A well played game won by a very deserving Jayhawks team. Congrats.

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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In the End Coach K Will Always Be Coach K

I figured I was done talking about Duke after I stated that they would win the title no matter what. I am glad to say that I am wrong. I have to eat a lot of crow on this site, but this time it doesn't taste as bad as it usually does. I loathe Duke. I love to hate them and hate on them. I have never ever liked that school, the majority of their star players and, obviously, their head coach.

Which leads me to my point today. I was so, so, so happy that UNC beat Duke Saturday night. It ruled. I was so happy that I was wrong. I was stoked to see UNC not only beat Coach K in his last game in Cameron, but even more happy to see them beat Duke in the tourney, and end Coach K's career without another title. It was akin, I kid you not, for me, when Michigan beat the university of Ohio State in football this year after Ryan Day said he was going to hang 100 points on them. I was almost as excited by what UNC did.

Yet that still did not stop Coach K from revealing the slimy asshole he has always been and will be until the day he passes. He, during a presser on his last game as a head coach in college basketball, managed to throw an 18 year old under the bus. He still found the time to blame someone else for a loss. He may have said some nonsense about how "other factors led to us being beat tonight", but that does not change the fact that he did not take any blame for his much, much better team getting beat in a game where they had the refs, most of the media and a good amount of fans on their side. A player on his team, a freshman, who has had a really good year by the way, missed two late free throws. That stinks. I did feel bad for the kid afterward. That is not something anyone that has ever played basketball wants it to go down. You dream of being the hero, not the goat. But, even at the lowest level of basketball, you never expect your coach, on live TV with millions upon millions of people watching, to openly blame you for the loss. That is just unspeakable petty. I would have lost my goddamn mind if I was that kid. That kid came to play for Coach K when he could have gone anywhere. He did everything that was asked of him. He probably put in as much extra effort as anyone else on the team. I'm sure he gave it his all. And what thanks does he get from the "might Coach K"? He gets completely and utterly run over by a bus followed by a mack truck ending with a semi rolled over him.

Again, how petty does Coach K have to truly be? I mean deep down, what is this soulless person really like behind closed doors? But it just shows who he really is to people who do not know him. I have never liked the guy, and this only reaffirmed my dislike. It is about as classless as one can be. He even said some garbage about how "this was all for the team" and he "really loves and cares about these kids". Well, he may love and care about a few of them, but not the kid who tried really hard to make some free throws and came up a bit short unfortunately.

I do now get it now why he wouldn't have been able to hack it in the NBA. I understand why he stayed at Duke and never gave it a real try with the pros. You can tell me he coached Team USA, but he was a figurehead coaching a bunch of super duper stars, just like he had done at Duke. If he had tried, like really tried for an NBA job, it would have been similar to Rick Pitino and John Calipari. Hell, he may have been closer to John Beilien. But, truly, he is a less successful Nick Saban. Saban could not hack it in the NFL and cowardly left Miami without telling any of his players for Alabama. And he has turned into the greatest college football coach of all time. But a vast majority of people despise Saban. That is Coach K, minus the trying at the highest level. And he is not nearly as dominant in basketball as Saban is in football.

Coach K is a bum. I'm so happy he is retired. I am so happy UNC beat him again. I'm so glad that, even with all the extra help, he still could not get it done. And I am incredibly disappointed, but not at all surprised that he would blame an 18 year old for the defeat. That is the man that he really is. Inside and out.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

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Some Praise for the College Transfer Portal

Following college sports means I read a lot about the transfer portal. It has been on fire the past couple years. In the past I used to get mad about players transferring all the time, but then I grew up. If a kid wants to go somewhere they can get more playing time, so be it. They deserve that choice. If they are promised time somewhere else, go play somewhere else. Coaches can leave whenever they want, so why cannot players do the same? Coaches leave for bigger and better opportunities, players should be able to as well. The same goes for fired coaches. If a player is recruited by a certain coach, and that coach gets fired, why wouldn't they want to go play elsewhere?

This leads me to LSU men's basketball. They have lost, at last count, seven players to the transfer portal this offseason. Will Wade was fired, and for cause. That dude cheated incessantly. He did so many wrong things, and he was horrific at hiding it. Coaches like Coach K, John Calipari, Bill Self, they all know how to, or how to get away, with illegal recruiting. And now with NIL, it is even easier to cheat. But Will Wade found a way to get caught and was let go. Now LSU men's basketball is paying the price. Will Wade cheated, got caught and now players are making a mass exodus. Again, seven players are gone. A few of their top recruits have decommitted and I would not be surprised if a few more decide to leave.

I ask yet again, why are fans and other people mad at these kids? They did nothing wrong. I have told my kids that if they become big time recruits, and someone offers them an ungodly amount of money, take it. They may not have another chance at that kind of money. I have also let them know that if they go to play sports at a school, and the coach gets fired or leaves, they should look elsewhere to finish their college careers. So I have no problem with what these kids at LSU are doing right now. I would love it if some of them were to choose Michigan to finish their college careers. I hope most of them go to another school and thrive. I would love to see a few of them head overseas or go play in the G League if they have the skill. I think the high school kids that decommitted have made the absolute right choice. Now they can reopen their recruitment and find a much, much better fit for their ability.

The transfer portal is there for a reason, and LSU men's basketball is a prime example of why the portal is a good thing. These kids have many better and newer options. They can find places that will hone their skills and help them get better and possibly play at the next level. What has happened at LSU makes me like the transfer portal that much more and makes me believe that it is a great thing for college sports. A lot of people may disagree with me, but hey, I am all for these kids finding the best possible situation for them and their families.

The portal works.

Ty

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

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.