Ty's 2018-2019 NBA Preview: Cavaliers, Mavericks, Grizzlies

Lets get back to the NBA.

At number 21 I have the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whenever you lose a player like LeBron James, you are going to take a tumble. With that being said, I don't think they will be as bad as some think, but I still think they will miss the playoffs. They decided to give Kevin Love the mega extension, and they are making him the face of the team now, but we have seen this movie before, and it is mediocre. The Timberwolves did the exact same thing, and they never made the playoffs. Kevin Love put up numbers, which I fully expect him to again, but he is not a guy to build a team around. George Hill is only getting older, and his shooting and point guard play in general, is getting worse. They drafted his replacement, Collin Sexton, and I hope he takes over very soon. Sexton was my favorite player in the draft last year, I pined for him to go first overall, and I think he will be a star. He has the potential to be this year's Donovan Mitchell. I love Collin Sexton. Tristan Thompson is a scum bag as a person and a mediocre, over paid big. He also said some dumb ass stuff at media day. JR Smith is still there, and still making odd headlines. He was talked about more for being shirtless and getting a tattoo on his calf than anything about his game. He may be done. Jordan Clarkson became a shell of himself when he was traded there. Kyle Korver is somehow still in the NBA. Larry Nance Jr is going to be wasted on this team, playing behind Love. They resigned Channing Frye for some unknown reason. Rodney Hood is in a make or break year, and I would bet dollars to donuts he gets hurt. And Cedi Osman will not get the playing time he needs and deserves. Like I said, we have seen the highest a Kevin Love led team can do, and that is win 41 games. The Cavs are going to take a big step back.

At number 20, I have the Dallas Mavericks. Now, I think the Mavs will be better, but the people picking them to fight for a playoff spot, in the West, need to chill out. Look, I love Luka Doncic as much as anyone. I think he will end up being one of the better players in the draft. I feel like he is the most NBA ready player. He has been playing pro ball overseas for a few years now. But, he is still a rookie, he is still 19 and he still needs to get in shape. Give him time. Dirk Nowitzki is on the team he can still score, but he is old, plays no defense, cannot jump and cannot really run. His roster spot is simply because he is a legend in Dallas. They finally got Deandre Jordan, but it is about 3 years too late. He is still a solid rim runner and defender, but he brings nothing else, at all, to the team. Dennis Smith Jr is a budding star. He and Doncic can become one of the best back courts in the NBA. He is hyper athletic. He can get to the rim with ease. He is a hard defender. His jumper will get better. I love Dennis Smith Jr. Harrison Barnes is who he is. He is a 13-15 point a night guy. He will play solid defense. He will do what is asked of him. But, he is not the star we all thought he could be. He is an okay NBA player, but not a star, not a franchise builder. JJ Barea is on the team, but I think that is simply because he and Dirk are buddies. They also drafted Jalen Brunson, but Doncic is a much better player at the same position. Wes Matthews still hasn't fully recovered from his ACL injury, and you can tell when you watch him play. He was so great, but in a flash, he lost that athletic ability that separated him while he was in Portland. Outside of those guys, it is a bunch of youngsters and old vets. Devin Harris is still on this team. They drafted Giannis' younger brother. And they have no one else of note. The Mavericks, with Doncic and Smith Jr, will be good soon, but they are not ready yet, especially in the West.

My final team for the day, at number 19, I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is another team, just like the Mavs, that are getting possible playoff buzz in the West. That all depends on the health of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. I don't have any faith that both can stay healthy. They will try, but one or both, will eventually get hurt. Conley is a great point guard, but he is older, not as bouncy and coming off an injury. Gasol is a great modern big, but he to is older and coming off a bad injury. He also doesn't get along with some upper office people. I think Jaren Jackson will be great, and the city will love him. He plays hard, can play defense, can shoot and play in the low post. They need to build around this kid for sure. But, just like Doncic, he is only 19, it will take some time. Chandler Parsons will get hurt. I do not care that he looks healthy now, he will get hurt. I really like the pick of Jevon Carter. He is the heir apparent to Conley, but Carter, in NBA terms, is old. He is already 22. But, he is the perfect fit for the city They signed Kyle Anderson away from San Antonio, and while I don't think he will be as bad as others to leave the Spurs, but I don't think he will play as they are expecting. He will do fine, but he is not the instant offense guy they need. JaMychal Green is in a contract year, but he hasn't really translated his game to modern NBA. Dillon Brooks had a solid rookie year, but he was just solid. H doesn't do much wrong, but he also isn't spectacular. I like Ivan Raab on this team, but he won't get the playing time he needs. And they signed Garrett Temple, who couldn't get on the floor with the Kings last year. The Grizzlies, just like the Mavs, will be good soon, once they turn the team over to Carter and Jackson, but it will take some time. I like this team, but their stars, Conley and Gasol, are old, and they cannot stay healthy. I wouldn't be shocked if both are on different teams before this season ends.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 3 teams.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

The Memphis Grizzlies Made a Bad Move Firing a Good David Fizdale

Much to mine, and many others surprise, the Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach David Fizdale yesterday. I was taken aback by this news. Fizdale, at least on the surface, seemed to be a pretty good NBA coach. The Grizzlies made the playoffs last year with guys like Andrew Harrison, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter playing crucial minutes. Yes, he had Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, but the rest of that team was made up of super old veterans and guys just trying to stay in the league. Fizdale also had one of the best post game rants of all time last year, with the whole, "take that for data" rant. It was epic.

This year the Grizzlies started out rather hot. They won, I think, their first 5 games, and 7 of their first 10. Then Conley went down with an injury. This was brutal for this team. They need Conley out there to run that offense. He is one of the best point guards in the league, and for the Grizzlies, he is the perfect point guard and team leader. They survived a Conley injury last year, but not this year. Since Conley has gone out, they have lost 8 straight games.

It was getting so bad that Fizdale benched Marc Gasol for the entire fourth quarter the other night to just try something different to get a win. Gasol was miffed by this, and let the media know. He said, in not so many words, that they would have never done this to Mike, meaning Mike Conley, and that the benching made him feel unwanted. The remarks seemed a little rough, but nothing out of the ordinary in pro sports. Coaches and players argue all the time at every level of sports. Jordan and Phil Jackson fought all the time. Same with Kobe, Shaq and Jackson. I'm sure Isiah Thomas and Chuck Daly squabbled from time to time. LeBron James has fought with every coach he has ever had. Kevin Durant openly did not like Billy Donovan. So a coach and a star player arguing is nothing new.

But, maybe 12-14 hours after Gasol let his feelings known, the Grizzlies fired Fizdale. As I said before, I could not believe it. I know things are rough right now for the Grizzlies, but I did not think this team was going to even be a playoff contender this year. They have 2 stars, Conley and Gasol, but nothing more. The rest of the roster is filled with names like Jaymychal Green, Mario Chalmers, Chandler Parsons, Andrew Harrison, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore. That is not a playoff team, especially in the West. The West, while down right now because they are beating up on each other, is a very, very good and competitive conference. The top teams in the West are great, and the middle of the road teams are pretty good. I had the Grizzlies as a step below the middle of the road teams in my preseason countdown. When they started off on fire I was amazed, and I gave a lot of credit internally to Fizdale. I thought that he was a perfect guy to usher in a new era of Memphis Grizzlies basketball. Then the injury and the losing streak and the Gasol comments and now, he is out of a job. To give up on him, less than 20 games into a season, with an injury to one of their 2 best players, is nuts to me. Who does Memphis' front office think they can get to come in and win with this roster right now? What coaches are available that want to come to a team with an injured point guard and a disgruntled power forward/center? Who is going to have the fire and passion that Fizdale brought to that locker room? These are questions that I cannot answer right now.

To fire a coach this early in the regular season is such a bad idea to me too. They have to change on the fly. If you let a guy go in the offseason you get all that time to let them instill their game plan. Now, whoever may take over, has to try and implement their stuff during the season without a point guard. That is next to impossible. I would like to think that they would just give an assistant the job, but firing Fizdale may mean cleaning house. They could get rid of everyone that was on his staff. But, I do not know who they would bring in that could get them back to a playoff competing team. This firing could also mean that the front office has decided to blow it up, which also means trying to trade Gasol and Conley, but who knows. And again, wait to do that until the season is over.

David Fizdale should have been given a chance to right the ship. He proved last year that he is a decent NBA head coach, and letting him go because of one bad stretch stinks to me. He will find a job elsewhere, and I think the Grizzlies are going to regret this decision.

Ty

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

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty's 2017-2018 NBA Preview: Grizzlies, Clippers, Trailblazers

Two quick hits before I get back into my 2017-18 NBA countdown today.

First, I was going to write a whole article about how I am embarrassed to be a Michigan Wolverines football fan, but I slept on it, and I am not. I'm embarrassed how they played this past Saturday, and they need to not be so god damn predictable on offense, but I have come to the realization, with the youth and John O'Korn at QB, they will be worse than mediocre on offense all season. They were horrendous on Saturday night, and I feel like that will continue to be the case the rest of the season. I'll hit more on it when I do my mid season checkup. But, instead of sitting here and airing out frustrations about the Wolverines, I had an epiphany watching them. While they are great on defense, they are going to struggle the rest of the year because their offense is so far behind. I picked them to win 10 games this year, they look more like a 7 or 8 win team. And this talk of Harbaugh being a poor coach or bolting for the NFL is getting real annoying. If he wants to leave, fine. If he wants to stay, great. But every year I am sick of hearing all the "experts" say that, "this is the year Harbaugh bolts for the NFL". Give it a rest until he does leave. Enough Wolverines football talk.

The other quick thing I mentioned, I saw "Blade Runner 2049" last Friday and it is amazing. I'm not going to spoil anything because this is a movie that everyone needs to see in the theaters. With that being said, it lived up to my very high expectations. The tone, the visuals, the music, the writing, directing and acting, the graphics, everything about this movie is perfection. Please do yourselves a favor and go see this exceptional movie. It may be almost 3 hours long, but it never felt like it was. Go now and see "Blade Runner 2049".

Okay, the quick hits are out of the way, lets get back to the NBA preview. We will finally get a playoff ready squad today.

At number 18 I have the Memphis Grizzlies. I pored and pored over where to put this team. They have been really good to great for the majority of my twenties and early 30's. But, they lost a ton of key players this offseason. Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Vince Carter are all gone. I know those guys are old, but they were some of the most important glue guys to the "grit and grind" style they play. They do still have Mike Conley Jr and Marc Gasol though. Conley Jr has turned himself into a premiere point guard. It was so hard for me to see this, because of where he played college ball, but damn is he good. He gets the big guys involved, he runs the offense perfectly and he has turned himself into quite the scorer. Marc Gasol is one of the better big guys in the league too. He is an exceptional passer and can fill it up too. He is also underrated as a defender in my opinion. But, after those guys, it gets murky and that is why I don't see them as a playoff team this year. Chandler Parsons will get hurt. He always does. His contract is dreadful for this team too. Ben McLemore is going to love being away from Sacramento, and I even wrote how I liked the signing, but he is what he is in the NBA. He is wildly inconsistent. Andrew Harrison could be good, but he hasn't shown it yet. JayMychal Green has the makings of a decent player, and with more playing time, he could get there. Mario Chalmers is back, but he is toast, especially after tearing his ACL. Tyreke Evans is too much of a ball stopper and not good enough of a shooter to do that. They drafted Dillon Brooks and Ivan Rabb, but I don't see how they get much time with the other guys on this roster. I feel bad for Conley Jr and Gasol. They are good, but if things start out rough I could see the Grizzlies blowing it up and trying to trade them to contenders. I still like this team, but they need an entire new identity, and that will be tough to find.

At number 17, just outside of my playoff teams, I have the Los Angeles Clippers. I do not get the hype surrounding this team. They lost a ton from a group of players that never really achieved much of anything anyway. They lost Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick and, most importantly, Chris Paul. That is brutal. How is DeAndre Jordan going to fair without Paul? I think it will be disastrous for him. I know Crawford is most likely done, but who will be his replacement for instant offense? Lou Williams? Isn't he the same player? Wesley Johnson? He isn't that good of a pro. Danilo Gallinari? How long until he gets hurt? Oh, that's right, he punched a guy in a Euro League game, and he is already hurt. What about Redick's replacement? I think he is pretty overrated, but Austin Rivers as his replacement, bull shit. Rivers might be a solid defender, but he is a horrid shooter and an all around bad offensive player. Blake Griffin is the point forward, and the face of the franchise now. But, he isn't one tenth the guy that the Clippers think he is, LeBron James. Griffin is incredibly overrated, and how long until he gets hurt? He will miss time again this year. You can bet on that. I do not like Patrick Beverly's fit on this team. I like Beverly's game, but he will not thrive off the ball, and Griffin is going to be the primary ball handler on this team. Sam Dekker is of no consequence in the NBA, and the same can be said for him on the Clippers. Jawun Evans and Sindarius Thornwell were good picks, but will Doc Rivers even play them? He didn't play Brice Johnson hardly at all last year, and he is a full year behind the rookies from his class. I do not see this team staying healthy, and even if they do, I do not see them being a 44 or 45 win team like some others do. They are, at best, a .500 team.

The final team for today, the first "playoff" team, is the Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers play no defense at all. They are really bad on that end of the floor. But, when you have Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, you can outscore enough teams to win enough games to push to the playoffs. Hell, they made it last year with those 2 as their only threats. Where the Trailblazers struggle is the front court. I love how well Jusuf Nurkic played after he was traded, but he needs to do that for a full year before I fully buy in. He also suffered a rough injury in their first round playoff appearance. Meyers Leonard is trash. Why this dude is still in the league, and not in the G League or overseas, is baffling to me. Al Faroq Aminu is a pretty good player, and if you forget about him on offense he can score. He is not a horrible third option. Evan Turner just doesn't fit with this team. He had a good thing going in Boston, but he got a big contract, and I can't fault him for taking the cash. He just is way too ball dominant, and that doesn't work on a team with Lillard and McCollum. Noah Vonleh is a bust. He was all hype and has been no production. Maurice Harkless is a fine 8th or 9th guy, but he plays too many minutes on this team. Zach Collins was a so so pick. I do not like that they took him that high when he really didn't prove himself until tournament time. I do like the Caleb Swanigan pick though. That kid has had to work extra hard for everything in his life, and his work ethic is unparalleled. He will be a great grinder in the NBA. The Trailblazers are not great by any stretch of the imagination, but they won 41 last year, and Lillard and McCollum will only get better. I could see them winning 43 or 44 games this year to just get in to the playoffs and get swept by the Warriors.

That's it for today. Come back tomorrow for the next 3 teams. Nothing but playoff level teams from here on 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. 

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Ty Tells You How each NBA Team can Win the Title: Pistons, Grizzlies, and Pacers

We are on day 8 of my NBA countdown. We are on the final 9 teams. These teams are all pretty good, each of them coming off a decent season last year. These teams will make noise, especially in the playoffs. One thing before I continue my countdown, I know that Michael Carter Williams and Tony Snell got traded for each other. After some thought, I still like where I have the Bulls and Bucks. I don't see this trade causing any kind of shift for either team, either positive or negative. Anyway, on with the countdown.

At number 9, I have the Detroit Pistons. Now, I am fully aware that Reggie Jackson got hurt, and will miss extended time, but I am not as worried about this injury as some other people are. I watched Reggie Jackson squander chance after chance while he was in OKC, and last year, that dreadful air ball to end the Pistons season in round one, shows me what kind of player he really is. He is a very good guard, but he is often selfish, clashes with coaches and teammates and thinks he is the best player on the court. He is not. He's a good starter, but he will never be an all star, and until he realizes that he has better players around him and starts to distribute more than shoot, I will always look at him as an overrated player. On the other hand, I love Andre Drummond. The dude can do everything, except shoot free throws. He is a TERRIBLE free throw shooter, but he is a world class rebounder, he's an incredibly good rim protector, and he is basically unstoppable in the low post. Drummond has gotten better every year he's been in the league, and I see that continuing for most of his career. The dude is awesome. Brandon Jennings is gone, which is kind of a bummer, but they do have Reggie Jackson, but until he gets back, the point guard duties will be in the hands of Ish Smith. This may be disconcerting. Smith is not a good scorer, so hopefully he will be a good distributor, which Jackson is not. Stanley Johnson is on his way to becoming a very good small forward. He has the confidence, calling out LeBron in their first round series last year, now he just needs the game to be at the same level. He is getting better, and that should scare the NBA. He is a tank, he is getting a better jumper, and he is a pretty good, young defensive player. Kentavious Caldwell Pope should be a much better shooter, but he hasn't been able to put it all together in the NBA. Tobias Harris is a good swiss army guy for this team. He does almost everything pretty well. He isn't dominant on one single thing, but he can give you some scoring, play a little defense and get the team going when need be. Marcus Morris is a good inside out forward, and he is not a head case like his brother. Win win. Aron Baynes is a fine back up center. He will mix it up with opponents. They signed Boban away from the Spurs, and I think, with some playing time, he could actually be a pretty good bench guy. This Pistons team should take the next step this year. I know Jackson is out, but that doesn't worry me. They will win about 46 or 47 games and be firmly in the playoffs.

So Ty, how will the Pistons win the title? The Pistons will win the title if Drummond becomes as dominant as Shaq. That isn't happening yet, but it could happen in the next few seasons. Also, they need Stanley Johnson to become a major offensive threat. Detroit is still a few seasons away from being a legitimate contender.

At number 8, I have the Memphis Grizzlies. This is a team where health, above all else, will determine how they finish. I think they will stay relatively healthy, so that is why I have them this high. Mike Conley is a very good point guard. He knows exactly how to run this team. He gets his big guys the ball when they need it. He feeds the wings at the right time and he gets his when he knows the team needs him to. He just needs to stay healthy. Z Bo and Marc Gasol are 2 great big men. Z Bo may be getting older, but he has figured out a way for his game to work every year he has been in the league. He may not be a good jumper at all, but he has a good shot, he gets crucial rebounds and he plays aggressively every night. He is the epitome of this team's toughness. Gasol, coming off a major injury, is one of the better big men in the league. He is a great inside out player, he ruffles opponents when it's needed, he is a good rebounder and a serviceable defender. He, much like Conley, just needs to stay healthy. Tony Allen may be the best defensive guard in the league. He guards the best player every night, and those players will say that he gives them the toughest times. He's a tough dude. He's not much on offense, but he more than makes up for it on the defense. Giving Chandler Parsons a max deal was kind of a head scratcher, but if he can stay healthy, which is a big if, he is exactly what this team needs. He's a good slasher, can shoot the three, plays good defense and knows his role. Jaymychael Green is a good back up center. He was asked to play too much last year because of injury, but in the right circumstance, he is a serviceable guy. Vince Carter is still plugging away. He doesn't leap like he used to, but he has found a jump shot, and can still score 20 on any given night. The rest of the team is very ho hum. This team needs their main guys to stay healthy. They will be a very good team, perhaps even a 50 win team if their core plays most of the 82 game season. I think Gasol and Conley are all stars and Z Bo and Allen do the best things they can do for this team.

So Ty, how will the Grizzlies win the title? The Grizzlies best chance at a title is to make every game a slug fest. The NBA has become a bit soft, but not the Grizzlies. They remind me of a not as good version of the "Bad Boy" Pistons teams. They will beat some dudes up, and that may be the only way they win a championship.

At number 7, I have the Indiana Pacers. I think the Pacers might be one of the most overlooked teams going into this season. Sure, they fired Frank Vogel, a good coach, but I think Nate McMillan will do just fine with this roster. Paul George is back. He was back last year. He looked like he never had that gruesome injury from two years ago. He was flying around the court on offense and defense. He was filling up stat sheets. He looked great at the Olympics. George is one of the top 10 players, easily, in the league right now. On any given night, he is the best player on the floor. They did lose George Hill, but they got Jeff Teague. Teague and George will make for a deadly back court. Teague is quick, can make shots and find the open man. He is going to thrive in Indiana. Monta Ellis is another guy that can score a ton of points. He is not the best defender, and he sometimes takes too many shots, but the older he has gotten, the better of a teammate he has become. And, as I just said, he is capable of going for 50 any night. Myles Turner is going to be a handful for opposing teams. He got so much better as his rookie season carried on, and I see no signs of his improvement slowing down. He is a great big man. They also went out and got Al Jefferson this offseason. Hardly anyone has talked about this, and that is crazy to me. Jefferson is a very good, dependable NBA player. He is great in the low post, and he can score a ton, if need be. Aaron brooks coming over is going to be a good deal for the Pacers too. He is instant offense off the bench, and you could pair him with any of the other guards on this team and not miss a beat. Thad Young is also a very athletic, yet inconsistent player. I really like this Pacers team, even with the signing of Ty Lawson. They will score a lot of points, but unlike the Rockets, they will also play some good defense. The Pacers are the first team on my list that I truly think will win 50 plus games. They are really good.

So Ty, how will the Pacers win the title? The Pacers can win the title if George can lock down LeBron for a full series. I know I haven't gotten to the Cavs yet, but they are a shoe in for the East Finals, spoiler alert, and if the Pacers have any shot at a title, they need George to shut him down. They will score and score and score, but they will need to beat a few teams that a tad better than them. The Pacers could do it though. They are the first team on my list where it wouldn't shock me if they made the finals.

That's it for today, come back tomorrow for the next three teams.

Ty 

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He loves to talk about basketball, his favorite sport. The one where they dribble the ball up and down the court. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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

Tom Thibodeau Took the Wrong Head Coaching Job

The sign Tom Thibodeau should have heeded in Minneapolis 

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced earlier today that they are finalizing a deal to hire Tom Thibodeau as the coach and the president of basketball operations. Now, I think Thibodeau is a good, possibly even a great head coach, but I don't like him taking over this team and I don't like that they made him the president. Sure, it seems nice on paper, and I'm sure Timberwolves fans will be jumping for joy, but he puts players to work. He grinds every last ounce he can get out of his players, but with a roster this young, I don't know how that will work.

Thibodeau achieved pretty good success with the Bulls, even taking them to a conference finals once, but those teams, by that time of year, were spent. Thibs worked them, maybe, a bit too hard. These guys are pro athletes and they should be used to a heavy workload, but Thibs can push a bit too far. Derrick Rose was great when the Bulls hired Thibs. He won an MVP one year, but his body has completely broken down on him. I'm not saying that it's all Thibodeau's fault, but if he let him rest a bit more and gave him a few off days, maybe he wouldn't be as frail as he is now. Joakim Noah was a beast defensively and on the boards during Thibodeau's first year. He was even being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate himself, but his body has worn down too. He barely played last year or this year. Jimmy Butler is a star in the making, but Thibs never let him run the show, and he too has started to get injured. All of this simply cannot be a coincidence. Yes, the Bulls letting him go was one of the dumber decisions last offseason, I mean look at how bad they played this year, but Thibodeau seems like a coach that will wear out his welcome in three or four years. The Bulls also had a roster of veterans when Thibodeau came in. They knew what it took to be NBA players. They knew the dedication and work it took when he was hired.

This Minnesota team is very talented, but they are also very, very young. Rick Rubio is considered the veteran and he is in his mid twenties. The players on this team, guys like Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns and Zach Lavine, among others, look like they may have what it takes to succeed, but I worry about the amount of pressure that Thibodeau will put on them. Don't get it twisted, I don't want these players to be treated with kid gloves, but they also shouldn't be treated like freshman on a JV or varsity team in high school. Coaches make so much less than players in the pros, so if Thibodeau comes in and punishes some of these young guys, they can walk after their contract is up. That would be a disaster for Minnesota. I really, really like this Timberwolves team. As I already said, they are loaded with young talent. Wiggins looks to be a perennial all star. Towns can be the next Anthony Davis. Lavine can sky out of the gym and Rubio is very crafty with the ball. But, what if Thibodeau rears his ugly head and over works these guys? That would be dreadful.

In today's NBA, guys leave when they don't like their current situation or they get a coach fired. That's what happened to Thibodeau when Chicago let him go. That's what happened to David Blatt when the Cavs fired him. That's what happened to Scott Brooks in OKC. It happens all the time now. Chicago grew tired of a very stressful workload. LeBron didn't want Blatt to be the coach anymore. Scott Brooks couldn't utilize two of the five best players in the NBA properly. Coaches today get let go for miniscule details.

Another question, why would Thibodeau want this particular job? He clearly had choices. He was the hottest commodity in the coaching market by far. He could have went anywhere with a vacant head coaching job that he wanted. Hell, I bet some teams with a head coach would have fired their current coach and taken him. I'm looking at you Memphis. But, he has chosen the Timberwolves. That is puzzling to me. Thibodeau seems like the type that wants to win right away. That's how it was when he took the Chicago job and that's how it was when he was an assistant on Doc Rivers staff in Boston. Those teams where built to compete and win right away. This Timberwolves team though, they seem content to be mediocre for the next couple of years and then try to make a free agency splash. I don't think that will work for Thibodeau's demeanor. Like I said, I love watching this team, but they are not ready to compete for anything, especially in the West, for at least two years. How is that going to make Thibodeau feel? What is he going to be thinking when he is in year three of his five year deal and the Timberwolves are at home during the playoffs for the 13 or 14th straight year? He seems like the kind of guy where something like that would drive him insane. It just doesn't make sense to me at all.

I feel like there were two better options for Thibodeau to take over as head coach. I already mentioned one, and that's Memphis. They are staggering right now. Yes, they have lost a ton of players to injury and yes, they look absolutely dreadful in the playoffs right now, but their roster, when fully healthy, is pretty good. They also have the look and feel of a Thibs team. I know they have a coach, Dave Joeger, but they are looking for any reason to get rid of him. Had they had a shot at Thibodeau, I bet they would have taken it. The roster is good, as I said above, too. They have Mike Conley Jr, who is a free agent, but hiring Thibodeau would keep him in Memphis I bet, and he is a good, gritty point guard. They have Marc Gasol, who is a younger, better version of his brother, whom Thibodeau coached for one year in Chicago. They have some decent vets that play gritty defense and get good shots at the wing. Guys like Matt Barnes and Tony Allen, who Thibodeau coached while at Boston. The Memphis roster just seems like a Thibodeau roster and I think, had they tried, they could have hired him.

The one team with a head coaching vacancy that would be perfect for Thibodeau is the Washington Wizards. This is clearly a veteran laden team in need of a defensive minded coach. Two years ago they were on their way to a conference finals until John Wall broke his hand. This year, they forgot how to play defense and where terribly coached and stunk it up. Tom Thibodeau could have done wonders with the Wizards. They have all the pieces, they just need a good, hard nosed coach. That's Tom Thibodeau. He could have done for John Wall what he did for Derrick Rose. He could have turned Bradley Beal into a poor man's Jimmy Butler. His bigs, Marcin Gortat and Nene, I feel like they would thrive with a coach like him. Otto Porter Jr is already better than Mike Dunleavy Jr. And, all these guys are multi year vets. They wouldn't mind being whipped into shape by a tougher coach. The Wizards made the most sense to me of any team. But, he has apparently chosen a reclamation project in the West. I think it will be very tough sledding for him, and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't last his entire reported contract.

I know a lot of basketball people will disagree with me, but I think, both Thibodeau and the Timberwolves, have made a not so good decision. Hopefully they prove me wrong because I like Thibodeau and I love this Timberwolves team, but I don't think that will happen.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is thinking all about coaches while the useless first round of the NBA playoffs commence. That is the type of guy he is. It is your destiny to follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Warriors may be the best team in NBA history

Steph Curry would average over 60% on these rims

As you all know by now, I'm a HUGE NBA fan. It is on my TV whenever possible. I wrote a ten part season preview. I love the NBA almost as much as college football.

NBA basketball is getting back to the good ole days. Sure, teams don't shoot the midrange jump shot as well anymore, and if you turn on ESPN, all they show are Clippers highlights and the men's college game is becoming borderline unwatchable, with all the one and done players, but the NBA has gotten a wee bit better. It's more enjoyable to watch games now than it was 5 or 6 years ago. Most of the teams have become pretty competitive, save for the 76ers, Lakers and Nets. The East has even improved from last year. The West is still much better though and will continue to be for awhile. The Spurs signed LaMarcus Aldridge and resigned Kawhi Leonard. They also still have Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli and Tim Duncan. When the Thunder are at full strength, Durant has missed the past 10 days, they're as competitive as any team in the league. The Clippers look bad right now, much to my delight, but they will fix things and still win in the 50's. The Mavericks have played surprisingly well 15 games into the season. Dirk is still Dirk, and Wes Matthews, coming off a torn ACL, looks pretty good. The Pelicans had a terrible start, a possible playoff hopes crushing start, but Anthony Davis is back completely healthy, and they've won their past two, beating the Spurs in one of those games. The Rockets are a mess, I'll give you that. Firing Kevin McHale may prove to be a huge misstep. It's not his fault that Dwight Howard doesn't care about basketball that much anymore. And what in the world has happened to James Harden? He was the MVP runner up last year, but this year, teammates are griping about playing with him, calling him a diva and a ball hog, and he spent the entire offseason partying and not staying in shape. It's gotten so bad with him that even Bill Simmons has cooled on the Thunder trading him being the worst thing that ever happened in the NBA, and he hasn't shut up about it for five straight years. The Grizzlies and Jazz are .500 teams right now, but they, much like the Clippers, will figure it out.

All these teams pale in comparison to what the Golden State Warriors are doing right now. As you all know, the Warriors beat the Nuggets last night and tied for the best start in NBA history at 15-0. Sure, they've had some close calls to inferior teams, the Nets, but other than two or three games, they've been blowing out teams. Each win seems to be by at least ten, and the starters rest almost all of the fourth quarter. Steph Curry has been unbelievable to start the year too. He's averaging something like 33 or 34 points a game, shooting almost 50 percent from three, 60 percent from two and 90 percent from the free throw line. That's incredible! I don't know that there's ever been a 60, 90, 50 player ever. It would be astounding if Curry can accomplish that this year. He's also stepped up his game on defense as well this year. Sure, he won't be first team all defense, but second or third team is a real possibility. But, it's not just Curry winning these games. You're probably thinking, well it's him and Klay Thompson scoring in bunches. Nope, Thompson has, I don't want to say struggled, but he hasn't been scoring like he normally does. He still is playing absolute lock down defense though. That part of his game has never wavered. He's one of the best, if not the best, maybe a step behind Kawhi Leonard, the best defender in the NBA. Harrison Barnes, who turned down an extension, betting on himself, has been a beast so far. His numbers may not show it, I think he's a 14 point per game and 5 or 6 rebound per game player statistically, but what he's doing for the Warriors is awesome. He's already had two of the best dunks of the year, he's is getting to the line more frequently, and he's hitting midrange and floaters on a regular basis. He's going to get paid this offseason if he keeps this up. Draymond Green is proving that he's an elite defender, rebounder and he's becoming a pretty good scorer. He's also a total pain in the ass with the opposition, and the Warriors love that about him. I've never seen a guy under 6'8 that can guard centers like he does. It's amazing. He made the right decision to stay in Golden State. This is the perfect team for him to be on. The other players on the team are doing whatever they need to do to help this team to continue to dominate. Andrew Bogut is protecting the rim and grabbing rebounds like he has his whole career. Andre Iguodala is knocking down open threes and dominating on defense like he has his whole career. He's also taken to being a sixth man better than anyone who used to be a franchise player that I've ever seen. He clearly just wants to win. Shaun Livingston is still a point guard in a 6'7 players body. He has command of the second unit and he finds the open man every time. Festus Ezeli is still crushing it on defense for the second unit and he seems to have found a bit of a scoring touch lately. Mo Speights and Leandro Barbosa still play out of control at times, but they are both instant offense off the bench for a team that has a ton of offensive weapons. The only other bench player that kind of contributes is James Michael McAdoo and in his limited playing time, he hustles his ass off. That's great for an 11 or 12th man off the bench. You usually don't see a lot of hustle from guys that deep on the bench.

The main reason I'm singling out the Warriors today is, I feel like I didn't give them enough love in my preseason preview. I had them as the second best team coming into this season behind the Spurs. Time will tell, but the Warriors, right now, are far and away the best team in the NBA. They may be historically one of the greatest teams of all time if they continue to play like this. I never thought, not only would I say it, but see a team that has a chance to win as many games as the Chicago Bulls did in the 95-96 season. That was the team that went 72-10. That was unreal to watch that team play because they could've won 75 or 76 games that year. The Warriors won't win all 82 games, that's impossible, but I think they have a real chance to tie, or even surpass the Bulls team that won 72 games. Their schedule will get tougher and players will get injuries, it's a long season, but they seem to have a goal in mind. This offseason a lot of people said that they didn't earn the title, they didn't have to play all the tough teams, they faced teams with key injuries and so on and so forth. The thing that was said that really got to them, in my opinion was, that they were "lucky", and that they weren't "true" champions. First of all, that's bull shit. Any team that's won a title in any sport needs luck, be it with health of their players, bounces going their way, a player on a hot streak, any kind of luck has been involved with every champion in every sport. But saying they weren't "true" champions, that just gave a team that won 67 games and a title last year, a chip on their shoulder. Now, they don't just want to beat you, they want to destroy you. That's the killer instinct that people talk about when it comes to champions. Sure, they won last year, but they want to continue to win and they want to crush you while doing it.

I'm not a Warriors fan, I'm indifferent when it comes to the Warriors. They're a ton of fun to watch, and Steph Curry has surpassed LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the best basketball player in the world, but I'm a Thunder fan, so that's who I root for.

Oh, they are also doing this without Steve Kerr. Luke Walton has been the interim head coach while Kerr's back heals. That's crazy.

I just want to apologize to the Warriors fan base and the Warriors organization for not ranking them as the preseason number one team in the NBA. They're doing something magical right now, and this could be a historic season. Just sit back and realize when you watch the Warriors this year, you could be watching a historically great NBA team. Maybe the greatest of all time. The rest of this season will be the judge.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has seen one team go 82-0 in an NBA season, his Oklahoma City Thunder on NBA 2K13. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Ty tells you how each NBA team can win the title: Bulls, Grizzlies, & Pelicans

I love watching the NBA, I especially love watching really high quality competition.

Now we are getting to the elite teams in my NBA countdown. We are officially in the top ten and every team from here on out has a legitimate shot to win the NBA title this year. They all need some breaks to go their way and health is of the utmost importance, but these teams are the cream of the crop in the NBA. On with the countdown.

Coming in at number 9 we have the Chicago Bulls. This team is the epitome of a team needing health and everything to break in their favor to win the title, but , that could happen. Let's start with the bad news about the Bulls. First, they fired Tom Thibadeau for being too tough on his players. Never mind the fact that they improved every year under him and they played some of the best team defense in all of the NBA, management felt that a hard nosed coach wasn't the right fit. So, to replace Thibadeau, they reached into the college ranks and hired former Iowa State head coach and former Chicago Bull, Fred Hoiberg to take over. I don't know if this will work, but the Bulls seem to think it will. Another bit of bad news for Chicago is all the off the court and new injury to Derrick Rose. First, he was accused of sexual assault in the offseason and I don't know if that case has been closed yet. Next, he said at the preseason meetings that he was in a contract year, and claimed that if the Bulls don't pay up, he'd think about leaving. Now, I can't think of a franchise that's been this patient with a star player, waiting for injury after injury to heal, hoping that he'd be back at full strength. They've given him all the time in the world, letting him miss seasons and multiple games during "healthy" seasons, just to get back to full strength. Now, he is out for all of the preseason and may miss opening night due to an orbital fracture. Since his MVP year, he can't stay healthy and he doesn't play like he used to. I think it's time for the Bulls to move on from Derrick Rose. This brings me to the good news, Jimmy Butler is on this team. He's the unquestioned leader of this team now, in my opinion. He's an All Star, a 20 point per game player, a lockdown defender and has a tireless work effort. Jimmy Butler is a legitimate MVP candidate. They have Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. Gasol is a great post player and fits in with what the Bulls want to do on both ends of the court perfectly. Noah, when healthy, is one of the better rebounders in the league and plays some of the best defense in all of basketball. Younger players like Doug McDermott and Tony Snell are going to get more of a chance to play with the new coaching staff. One of the knocks on Thibadeau was, he didn't like playing younger guys, well, this staff will play whoever is playing best, regardless of age. McDermott looks to be a good three point shooter, but has to work on every other aspect of his game before he's a legitimate NBA player. Snell on the other hand, he's got a quick first step, can shoot the mid range jumper, is long and lanky and plays good defense. Given more playing time, he'll continue to get better and better. Another younger player that did get critical playing time last year, Nikola Mirotic, is back and looks like a better, in shape basketball player. He's good. Aaron Brooks, Taj Gibson, Kirk Hinrich and E'Twaun Moore all come off the bench. Brooks is a good back up point guard, Taj Gibson was, at one time, one of the better low post players in basketball, and while injuries have hampered his development, he's still pretty good. Hinrich is fine off the bench, but his best days are behind him. E'Twaun Moore is an interesting piece on this team, providing instant offense, but he's very inconsistent. Bobby Portis, the rookie from Arkansas, was a good pick by them, and I see him playing a pivotal role off the bench for the Bulls this season. The Bulls will be one of the top three seeds in the East and win 52 or 53 games this year.

How the Bulls can win it all.

The Bulls win will the title is all their pieces buys into the new coaching staff's philosophy on offense and continues to play suffocating defense. They also need a healthy, focused solely on basketball Derrick Rose to compete for the title. The Bulls will be good, it's just a matter of how good and how healthy everyone can be all season long.

Coming in at number 8 is the Memphis Grizzlies. This team is good, plays old fashioned basketball and are a tough team to face in the playoffs, but they are also getting very old and may have missed their window to win a title. They gave Marc Gasol the big contract he deserved this offseason. Gasol is probably, right now, the best center in basketball. He has great low post moves, a decent jumper, he's a good rebounder and plays good defense. Gasol is great. Mike Conley is a great point guard. He shoots the ball very well, finds the open man every time, plays good defense and runs this offense perfectly. When he needs to score, he scores, when he needs to get players involved, he gets them involved, he's the best example of how a point guard should play their position. The only problem with Conley, he gets hurt at the most inopportune times. Take last year for example, the Grizzlies are cruising in the playoffs, take a game from the Warriors in Oakland and then boom, Conley basically breaks his face. The Warriors cruised after that. Jeff Green joins Conley in the back court, and while he's extremely athletic, he's also extremely inconsistent. One night he'll go for 20 and 10, the next night, he'll foul out in 12 minutes. Zach Randolph is still there and still averaging double figures in points and rebounds and still getting on other teams nerves. He's the definitive player of how Memphis wants to play basketball. He's the inventor of their motto, "Grit and Grind". Tony Allen is exactly the same type of player as Randolph, he just happens to play guard and he's not as good a scorer. Allen is a pest on defense and that's exactly what Memphis needs from him. Coming off the bench you have guys like Beno Udrih, he's fine, but not great, Vince Carter, bless his heart that he's still playing, but he's not the same player, Courtney Lee, who's a good scorer off the bench and they signed Matt Barnes. I can't stand him, but I can't think of a better place for him to play than Memphis, he'll fit in there great. The Grizzlies will be good, and win 45 to 48 games, but, as I said before, their chance to win the title probably passed. Too many other teams in the West have gotten better and a younger than Memphis.

How the Grizzlies will win it all.

The Grizzlies will win the title if they "Grit and Grind" every team to death in the playoffs, making the games very low scoring. That's how they win in the regular season, and they'll have to do that in the playoffs to win the title, that's their only chance.

My number 7 team is the New Orleans Pelicans. They have the best young player, and future best player in the NBA in Anthony Davis. He's the best all around center in the NBA. He's a fantastic rim protector and rebounder, can fly through the air for alley oops, can shoot mid range jumpers and is now working on his three point shooting. He's already unstoppable, but add in three point shooting, he'll go down as one of the greats. I love the way Anthony Davis plays. If anyone one single player can lead his team to a title, it's him, he's that good. The problem with the Pelicans is the rest of their roster. It's a good roster, but needs to be great. Guys like Jrue Holiday, Omer Asik, Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon have the potential, they just haven't lived up to it yet. Jrue Holiday is a really good point gurad, he just needs to get other players involved more often. If Asik can stay on the court, it would be impossible for most teams to score on him and Davis. Tyreke Evans has all the tools, he just needs to put it all together. Ryan Anderson is a great three point shooter, but he's not so good on defense, and he has a hard time staying healthy. And Eric Gordon was at one time, the next big thing. Now, he's a bench player, but he can still light up a scoreboard, if he's interested in focusing on the game. The Pelicans took a huge step forward last year, making the playoffs, and they'll continue to get better. Anthony Davis is one of the top three players in the NBA right now and he will single handily make this a 48 or 49 win team.

How the Pelicans will win it all.

The Pelicans will win the title is Anthony Davis goes on a Michael Jordanesque run in the playoffs and wins every game, making every critical play in every critical moment. It's a tall task, but he's that good.

There you have it, teams 9, 8 and 7. Come back tomorrow for 6, 5 and 4. We are truly getting to the elite of the NBA.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He is still troubled by the time the editor had Tom Chambers go for 100 on him in a Playstation game. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.