The NBA Next Breakout Superstar?

In today's NBA we are often looking for the next story of triumph and success. We are often waiting and debating about who is going to be the next breakout player. Last season it was Pascal Siakam, of the Toronto Raptors. This year it is quite easily Devonte' Graham of the Charlotte Hornets.

Graham isn't being talked about nationally because of how little attention the Hornets receive. They only play 3 games on National TV this year. Anyone who has kept up with the Hornets at all should know that they've been impressive, compared to the expectations that were set for them before the season started. They are currently 8-13, currently sitting in the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference only one game back from the 8th seed.

Devonte' Graham has been quite impressive this year scoring 18.2 points, 7.4 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. To put this into comparison last season Graham averaged 4.7 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 rebounds. Last season Graham only played 46 games and had 3 starts, this season he has played in all 21 games and has started in 11 of them.

Graham has been quite impressive for the Hornets so far. Graham has lead the Hornets in points and assists, and he's second in 3 point percentage. Graham has lead the Hornets into a possible push for the playoffs. He truly is the breakout star this season, but only time will tell when the National Media coverage will catch up to it.

Can The Cleveland Browns Turn It Around?

The Cleveland Browns are currently 1-2, with their only win being against the New York Jets. When they played the Jets, they were without Sam Darnold and were forced to play with 3rd stringer, Luke Falk. The Browns looked unstoppable and seemed to have bounced back from the horrific week 1 loss to the Titans, the final score was 43 to 13.

In week 3, the Browns lost to the Rams 20-13 in a heartbreaking fashion. The Browns were the 6 yard line with 4 attempts to score. Baker Mayfield's first pass was overthrown, second one was tipped, the 3rd one was incomplete, and the 4th one was ultimately intercepted with 30 seconds left in the game. The Rams would take a knee and win the game. What made this loss feel even worst than normal was the fact that Daniel Jones looked like a top 5 quarterback, passing for 336 yard, 2 passing touchdowns. and rushing for 2 more touchdowns. With Odell being traded from the Giants, the question was being asked on if Odell would've been better off with Jones instead of Mayfield.

The Browns biggest problem is their offensive line, they can't seem to protect Mayfield most of the time. The Coaching staff for the Browns needs to address this problem and quickly change their playbook to adjust. With Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, the Browns, in theory, should have no problem moving the ball at all. With Baker having little to no time to throw, they should be running more slant plays and screens for Odell and Landry. When Odell catches the slant is when he's the most dangerous, the Giants mainly ran slant plays to Odell and it proved to be the most effective.

The Browns arguably have the best wide receiver duo in the league with Landry and Beckham, it's ultimately up to the coaching staff to adjust to their glaring weakness on the line. Odell Beckham is the most electrifying receiver in the league, and Baker has the balls to throw any play ball up to Odell. This quarterback-reciver duo should be working and they need to have a better record than 1-2. If the Browns coaching staff doesn't turn this around. this has the chance to leading to most of that staff being fired before December.

Rookie no more! Will the younger generation rise up?

This exciting NBA has many story lines about teams preping for their window of championships in the next 2-3 years. But one of the most important story lines are the rookies who played so well in their rookie year. With the top 3 players of that rookie class. The top 3 were Luka Doncic, Trea Young, and Deandre Ayton. Who will have there season this year?

Luka Doncic won the Rookie of the year for his first season. His career looks so promising for so many reasons. The first one is because he just got help from another young star in Kristaps Porzingis. This will take off pressure on the Luka in every possion. they are both young and can work well together if they have time to develop a good duo in the two of them. Also Luka is greatest weakness is his athleticism and that can be covered with good coaching and training in athleticism.Luka is looking to improve his game and make his team a real threat in the near future.

Trea Young is also coming off a great season from the last. His second hal of the season had him putting great numbers and triple doubles in multiple games. He put the pressure on voters to look away from luka in the voting process for Rookie of the year. Tea is a player who has shown great skill but now must face defense that are more prepared for his game this season. they will be waiting to see if he can still play his game again this year.

the final player to talk about is the number 1 pick Deandre Ayton. He had a solid year with his team the year before. I believe we wont see the best version of Deandre this coming season because the sun management isn't playing a plan. the team has no path to improving and it is showing. i believe Deandre is going to play well this year but nothing that will over shadow the other two because they will have the ball more then him. Deandre will have to put a practice in defense but his offense will show how good he could get.

Overall the future isn't that far away. it could happen this year where young players take the crown from the older players this or next season. There is always a toss up on who and what team will show that. there is a chance that these teams that just formed will have a short life span.Which one of theses players will succeed is all about work and luck for the most part.

The New York Giants Horrific Season

The New York Giants have been the absolute laughing stock of the entire league since trading away Odell Beckham and losing Landon Collins for nothing. So far this season hasn't even began but has been filled with many disappoints.

Sterling Shepard has suffered a fractured thumb and is listed as week-to-week. Sterling Shepard is going to be the best receiver on this team and hearing the news that he's already hurt is going to make any Giants fan discouraged about this upcoming season. Shepard will ultimately come back and be healthy again, which is a great thing for the Giants fans.

Corey Coleman has suffered a torn acl, that just means he's out for the rest of the season. Golden Tate said that Coleman was having a great offseason before this point. Tate also admitted that it's been a very deflating 24 hours in the wide receiver room.

The Giants have been having a very horrific offseason and it seems like it will only translate into a terrible season. The Giants only hope is that Saquon Barkley has an incredible season. I believe in Barkley who has already shown in his rookie year that he is going to be truly special and has what it takes to be an all-time great.

The Biggest Issue Facing Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson played a total of 9 minutes and recorded 11 points and 3 rebounds. In those 9 minutes Williamson showed how excited he could be in the league, having a few highlight plays being shown all over ESPN, Twitter, and Youtube. Ultimately Zion would sit for the rest of the Summer League as a "precautionary."

This "precautionary" has created a story of it's own as everyone is debating if the biggest issue facing Zion Williamson is his weight. Zion is the second heaviest NBA player, coming in at 284 pounds. Williamson is a 19 year old kid and still hasn't played an official regular season game. Zion is going to lose weight and the Pelicans will make sure he gets the right. They will have him working with their nutritionist to make sure Zion hits his ideal weight. Zion Williamson's weight will not be an issue with him by his 2nd year or 3rd year, at the latest.

The biggest issue facing Zion Williamson is the fact that he is Zion Williamson. Zion hasn't played a single game in the league and is already being compared to LeBron James and talked about if he will be one of the greatest players of all-time. If Zion has a bad game it'll be front page news, if he hits the "rookie wall," that almost all rookies hit, there will be discussion on if Zion is actually worth the hype. The pressure the media and society as a whole has place on this 19 year old kid is incredible. He's front page news, he's in everyone's debates about basketball, even Drake wore Zion's jersey during one of his concerts when Zion was still in high school.

With all of this hype there definitely some resentment from players around the league, not every player just some. Some of the players are probably feeling like what did this guy do to get this much hype? Zion Williamson will be a target to some of these players, they will try their hardest to ball out on him and lock him up to help make a name for themselves. It'll be like when Lonzo Ball was a rookie and Patrick Beverly went after him all game. Patrick locked Lonzo up from full court and made Lonzo's life that night terrible.

Zion's biggest issue he will face is the hype that surrounds him. If he doesn't become a great player in his first game in the NBA, then he will talked about as a bust. The pressure he faces is incredible and it's unbelievable that a 19 year old will face this issue. Zion Williamson will lose that weight that shouldn't even be a discussion of debate.

Ben Simmons got paid! What does the Sixers want?

The Philadelphia 76ers have just signed Ben Simmons to a have a 170 million dollar extension for 5 years. The sixers have made sure to keep there young talent for a good while longer. But will this experiment work?

The pros with signing this extension for Ben is pretty straight forward. The first is he has his max money early on he doesn't have to try and prove he is worth it now. Also the sixers have given him a the message that they believe in his game for future seasons. He can train and improve with confidants from his coaching staff. For the sixers the pros are keeping a young talent who's can so many things on court. There are very few players who has his skill sets in the league.

The only questions that this move bring up is what kind of team does the sixers want. They have also express the same concern in keep their young center Joel Embiid for the future. The issue with this is both Ben and Joel are inside scores and must share the paint. Ben is a point guard but doesn't have a shoot to extend his range to help his co-star Joel Embiid.There has been reports saying he getting better but in game it doesn't show. The talent of Ben Simmons is unquestionable but still lacks so much that his future his always in a weired spot. He may have gotten his extension but i believe the sixers have hope that he will develop the one important shot so he and his co-star can play together more fluidly.

The Houston Rockets Demise

With the acquisition of Russell Westbrook, the Houston Rockets are looking at unprecedented territory. This new NBA duo is use to having the ball in their hand all the time. Over the last 5 NBA seasons Westbrook and Harden have been one and two in a variety of categories, usage rate, points, assists, steals, field goals attempts, and free throws. Westbrook and Harden are use to having the ball in their hands a majority of the time, with these two now on the same team they will have to learn how to compromise on the court.

These two players are going to have to learn how to play without the ball. Both Westbrook and Harden are often criticized for their off-ball play. Westbrook has potential to becoming the best slasher in the NBA, if he can learn how to move better without the ball. With Westbrook's athleticism he can easily catch alley-oops and be hard for any player to defend the entire game. James Harden could become a lot better at his off-ball play also, he is a phenomenal shooter and has the chance to become even more unguardable. If Harden could learn from Stephen Curry off-ball play, he could learn how to keep moving without stopping. Curry is constantly moving and is always getting wide open 3's, if Harden could learn from this he could become the most unstoppable force in the league.

The best solution for the Rockets could be that Russell Westbrook's and James Harden's would be to do what they did when Chris Paul was on the team. Westbrook and Harden should have their minutes so they only play 18-20 minutes max together, the rest of the game they should make sure at least Harden or Westbrook is on the floor at all times.

Ultimately if the Rocket's don't come up with a plan on how to successfully play James Harden and Russell Westbrook this experiment could blow up this team. James Harden is coming off of the 2nd highest usage rate of all-time, the highest usage rate of all-time is Westbrook during the 2016-2017 season where he won MVP.

The Rockets now have two former MVP's on their team and have potential to make this team something special. With that being said, this experiment could blow up in everyones face and potentially get the Rocket's Head  Coach and General Manager fired if this doesn't work out. I believe in them to figure this out, but the first few months will be very rocky.

Chris Paul for Russel Westbrook Biggest Trade This Offseason!

The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a monumental trade to send Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets to reunite him and James Harden, league sources told ESPN.

The Rockets will send guard Chris Paul, two protected first-round picks 2024 and 2026 and two pick swaps 2021 and 2025 to the Thunder, league sources told ESPN.
The Rockets are reuniting two former MVP guards who started their careers together with the Thunder. This was a deal that Harden and Westbrook were each enthusiastic about happening, league sources said.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti worked with Westbrook and his agent Thad Foucher to help honor his hopes of playing with the Rockets, league sources said. The Thunder also discussed a possible deal with the Miami Heat, sources said.

The Thunder could continue to work to find a new team for Chris Paul, league sources said. If the Thunder keep Paul, they'll have a representative lineup that currently includes him, center Steven Adams and forward Danilo Gallinari.
Westbrook has four years and $171 million remaining on his contract with a player option in the final year of his deal set to pay him $47 million should he opt in.
After Paul George's trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, Westbrook and Foucher worked with the Thunder to find an agreeable path forward on Westbrook's future with the franchise. With free agency effectively concluded, and Westbrook's list of preferred destinations extremely short, the timing made trade negotiations complicated.
Still, the Thunder wanted to accommodate Westbrook's wishes as much as possible, which was to reunite with former teammate Harden in Houston, while also finding a trade that fit OKC's objective of rebuilding.
Drafted fourth overall by the Thunder then the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008, Westbrook leaves as the franchise's all-time leader in points 18,859 and second in assists 6,897, third in rebounds 5,760 and steals 1,442. In the Oklahoma City era, Westbrook ranks first across the board.
Westbrook is one of just 10 players in NBA history to record 15,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists with a single franchise, seven of which are in the Hall of Fame. The other two are Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Westbrook will be forever connected to the Thunder as the face of the franchise, pledging his loyalty to the organization in the wake of Durant's departure to the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Westbrook re-upped with OKC, stabilizing the roster and providing a path forward, and then signed a five-year extension in 2017, at the time the largest contract in NBA history.
Westbrook re-upped with OKC, stabilizing the roster and providing a path forward, and then signed a five-year extension in 2017, at the time the largest contract in NBA history.
Westbrook has four years and $171 million remaining on his contract with a player option in the final year of his deal set to pay him $47 million should he opt in.

The Kobe experiment.

Jerry West is a legend who was a great player but a better general manager . There are many things he has done. But besides his hall of fame resume, his post career helping teams improve as a GM or consulting for teams. There are many teams he helped with his eye for talent but none more then the La Lakers.

One of the most impressive things Jerry west ever had was getting Kobe Bryant the night of the draft. He only saw Kobe once in pre-season before he set his plan into action. Kobe was sought out by many teams in the top ten but not many knew if they would go for the risk that was a high school player with men. Jerry West knew if he showed to much interest team would take a risk. He had to make it seem like he wasn’t at all interested in Kobe. Not only that but Kobe’s agent knew that Jerry had a plan and helped him do it. Kobe agent wanted his client in the LA market. Some of the teams that were interested were the Sixers, Nets and the Grizzlies. The plan that jerry had needed Kobe to get drafted by the Hornets.  The Sixers were watching but had one big fear. If he would choke in his home town in Philadelphia. So Jerry and Kobe agent  decided to feed that fear for the team. The Nets were harder to foul but they had to show that they have no interest at all but also his age would bring him down. So the Nets ultimately decided not to for those reasons. The last one was easy, Kobe did not want to play for the Grizzlies at all so his team decided to threaten to go over to Europe if he was drafted by them.

Overall  the teams who didn’t pick Kobe probably feel bad but at the end of the day it didn’t matter. Kobe career is a great for him to Laker. He other teams let fear decide the choice they made. The Laker not only took the risk but planed for it. And they won the gamble.

Clippers Shock the World

It was announced that Kwahi Leonard will sign a four-year $142 maximum contract. Kwahi is coming off of a Finals MVP performance and has a chance to recreate it again. Kwahi Leonard shocked the NBA world going there, because it was presumed he was going to the Lakers. It was the assumption around the league that the Clippers were out of the race for Leonard and it was a two team race between the Lakers and the Raptors. The Clippers pulled off the Finals MVP to pair up with another All-Star.

In a surprising trade, the Clippers pulled off NBA All-Star Paul George. The Clippers sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and 4 first round picks to the Thunder in exchange for Paul George. George reported asked for a trade from the Thunder a few days ago. Kwahi Leonard has been trying to convince Paul George to join him in LA to create a new super-team in Los Angeles.

The Clippers last night became the favorites for the NBA Championship, in Vegas the Clippers are +275 to win. Without any Superstars the Clippers went to the playoffs and took the Warriors to 6 games in the playoffs, now they will add a Finals MVP and a finalist for MVP last year. The Clippers will own Los Angeles as they added 2 LA natives.

Tobias Harris Stays With The 76ers!

The Sixers just resigned Tobias Harris to a 5-year $180 million deal. Harris averaged 20 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last year. Harris was acquired through a trade with the Clippers. The General Manager of the 76ers made it clear that they made that trade with Harris in a "win now" mindset. With this signing it shows that the 76ers are committed to winning and see the Eastern Conference as wide open.

The Sixers might be the favorites next season to win the East, but they still will need to learn how to better fit Tobias into their system. Often times Harris was looked at as the 3rd to 4th option on this team, with JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler leaving Harris will need to become the 2nd to 3rd option. Depending on what the game requires and who they are playing Harris should be looked at as more of a vital scorer in the 4th quarter. Tobias Harris will need to become more of a threat on offense and mimic more of what he did with the Clippers. Harris has a chance to become an All-Star for the first time ever in his career. I fully expect a career year for Tobias Harris and recreate the magic he had with the Clippers.

Jimmy Butler To The Heat! Signs Max 4yr Deal $142 Million

In a deal that came about in the last few hours, Jimmy Butler has been traded to the Miami Heat in a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks. The Sixers will acquire Josh Richardson, who emerged as the Heat's leading player this past season, while the Mavericks will acquire Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones Jr.

Shams Charania of The Athletic also reports that Butler will sign for the four-year, $142 million max with the Heat once the trade is completed.

There is no doubt this is a major move for both squads. Not only do the Sixers replace Butler with a younger version in Richardson, they also agreed to terms with Al Horford formerly of the Boston Celtics. Despite losing a multiple-time All-Star in Butler, the Sixers remain one of the elite teams in the East due to their ability to replace and reload.
As far as the Heat are concerned, after missing the playoffs last season by just two games, they finally acquire the star they've long coveted since LeBron James left South Beach in 2014. Butler brings a large amount of playoff experience and grit that matches Erik Spoelstra's coaching style for the Heat.

Unlike most trades that take place, both the Sixers and the Heat look like they end up better off following this deal.

Only downside I would say to the trade is that Butler does have some baggage. He didn’t get along with younger players in his previous stops in Chicago and Minnesota. And, while the Sixers downplayed it, teams are concerned about his well-publicized verbal altercation with coach Brett Brown. Other than that I would say this was a great pick up.

Welcome To New York: Julius Randle Signs A 63$ Million Dollar Deal

New York and Julius Randle have agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal, according to ESPN.

The 24 year old forward averaged a career-high 21.4 points, along with 8.7 rebounds, in 73 games with the Pelicans in 2018-19. He shot 52.4% from the field and 34.4% from 3-point range.
"It just shows opportunity and preparation," Randle said about his season. "Just years of preparation and hard work and finally coming and getting my opportunity, I was able to make a jump. So, I expect that next year, as well, out of myself. My job is just to prepare."
Randle spent the first four seasons of his career with the Lakers before signing with the Pelicans in July 2018.
"You've just got to look at every situation," Randle said about free agency in April. "I don't know what the situation will look like. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here. Would love to be back. But, like I said, you have to look at every situation, look at options, and do what's best for you and your family and your career at the moment."
This was a great pick up for the Knicks they really needed forward due to the fact that they lost their chance to pick up Kevin Durant.

The Knicks have cap space to sign multiple top-level players and had been pursuing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant but missed out on both of them early in free agency, as the pair has agreed to sign with the Nets.

Nikola Vucevic To Stay With The Orlando Magic

Nikola Vucevic is going to resign with the Orlando Magic for 4 years $100 million. Vucevic is coming off his first ever all-star season. Vucevic averaged 20.8 points per game and 12 rebounds per game this season. He lead the Magic to their first playoff appearance since the 2011-2012 season.

Personally if I was the Orlando Magic I would've let Vucevic walk, I wouldn't have resigned him to the Magic. In the playoffs, Vucevic's numbers dropped dramatically as he averaged 11.2 points, and 8 rebounds per game. His play dropped dramatically in the playoffs and if I was a general manager I would be worried of this play. He wasn't as aggressive in the playoffs and often looked like an average player.

If you're getting paid to be a superstar player, you should lift your play in the playoffs. Vucevic is the best player in Orlando and the general manager is most likely fighting for his job. He probably doesn't want to fully rebuild the team.

Kevin Durant To The Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant will sign with the Brooklyn Nets for four years $142 million deal. This deal is starting off the craziness of this NBA free agency period. With 40% of the league currently being a free agent we are set to see one of the craziest off-seasons of all time.

Kevin Durant will leave the Golden State Warriors and join the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have became the favorites in the Eastern Conference in a year. This year Durant will be out due to an achilles injury he suffered in the Finals. The Warriors have just lost a huge asset, they just lost one of the best scorers of all time and a two time Finals MVP. The Warriors just lost that player that put them over the top of everyone else in the league.

Brooklyn just got one of the best scorers off all time. He is a 7 foot shooter, who even after his achilles injury will still be able to shoot. The Knicks are the biggest losers in this deal, as they will miss out completely in another offseason. Kevin Durant has averaged 27 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists throughout his career. Brooklyn Nets just won this free agency.

The New York Knicks Free Agency Disaster

The New York Knicks have successfully had the worst offseason in history and free agency hasn't even began yet. Originally the consensus around the league was that the Knicks would end up with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Zion Williamson. There was also that chance that the Knicks would've trade Zion to acquire Anthony Davis, to help them win their first championship since 1973. So far everything has fallen through and nothing has happened for the Knicks.

To begin this offseason the Knicks dropped in the draft to get the 3rd overall pick. They selected RJ Barrett, who is a great player to have but he doesn't have the hype or value of a Zion Williamson. Barrett doesn't have the same guarantee to be a great player like how Zion does. Since the Knicks dropped to the 3rd pick, they didn't have the assets to acquire Anthony Davis. Davis is now a Laker and Zion is now a Pelican. RJ Barrett can still be a great player, but as of right now he's apart of this terrible offseason for the Knicks.

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, by all accounts, were going to the Knicks. They both were going to bring the Knicks back to the promise land and help them reach the finals for the first time since 1999. Kyrie Irving is reportedly going to sign with the Brooklyn Nets, and Kevin Durant will either follow him there or resign with the Warriors. There are conflicting reports about what the Knicks will offer Durant. Some reports are saying that the Knicks will offer Kevin Durant the Max but others are saying that the Knicks are getting cold feet and won't offer Durant the Max. Durant is currently dealing with an achilles injury, which is the worst injury for a basketball player to have.

So who are the Knicks planning on getting this offseason? The Knicks needs to spend $60 million this offseason so they can hit the minimum. Basically every team in the league needs to spend so much money per season and the Knicks are currently $60 million below that amount. It is reported that Julius Randle and the Knicks have mutual interest in each other. Randle averaged 21.4 points and 8.7 rebounds last year. The Knicks are also reportedly going to offer Demarcus Cousins a significant one year deal.

The Knicks went from going to have Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and either Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis, to having RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Demarcus Cousins. The Knicks went from having a championship team to competing for a chance to get swept in the playoffs next season.

The Worst Draft Pick

The Phoenix Suns keep proving to the league that they are truly the most incompetent team in the league. Since the 2010-2011 NBA season, the Phoenix Suns best record was 48-34 and finished 9th in the Western Conference. Other than that one season the Suns have been a complete disappointment, placing last in the West 4 times. It's been 9 seasons, with 10 approaching, that the Suns have missed the playoffs. The Suns need to use the draft to help them rebuild, but during the draft they somehow manage to make the worst possible pick at 11 with Cameron Johnson.

With a lottery pick you are suppose to grab a player who can help you start winning games and getting a complete player. Cameron Johnson is a player who almost every mock draft had him going late 1st to 2nd round. Johnson has a lot of question marks about every part of his game, expect for his shooting. He's a great shooter who shot 45.7% from 3 point land, but ultimately he isn't great on anything else. His former teammate, Colby White, said that Johnson is the best shooter he's ever played with. Johnson is great at coming off screens, and a great spot-up shooter. His shooting is not in question at all, with today's game being focused on shooting 3's he seems to fit the mold of what you're looking for, with that aspect of it.

Johnson has a lot of question marks about the rest of his game. He's a questionable defender and often looked stiff out there, mainly because of his hip surgery. Johnson has had a lot of injuries in his history. In 2018 Johnson had to have surgery on his hip to correct a bone impingement and a torn labrum, this has caused his defense to slip a lot. Cameron Johnson can not create off the dribble, his shot off the dribble just isn't good. He becomes a less accurate shooter off the dribble and that's an area where he needs to improve on dramatically. Another huge question mark is his age, he's already 23 years old, which is older than Devin Booker. By the time Johnson is done with his rookie deal he will be 27 years old. Typically at this early of a pick a team will pick a younger player because they can mold the player into what they want to get, where here Johnson is almost a finished product.

The Phoenix Suns have a lot of explaining to do to their fans and Devin Booker after this draft. They desperately needed a point guard, that was by far their biggest flaw last season. The Suns had no real NBA caliber starting point guard, which is a huge problem when you draft a Center. A point guard could help take the load off Devin Booker and make it easier for Ayton to score. Instead the Suns drafted a forward, who isn't a shot creator but a spot up shooter.

How Zion Williamson Will Be A Perfect Fit For The Pelicans

Zion Williamson will certainly be selected by the Pelicans with the No. 1 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. But his new team is about to get a full makeover.
New Orleans sent its first-ever No.1 overall pick, Anthony Davis, to the Lakers for a bevy of assets, including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three first round picks.

The Pelicans now have one of the most talented young cores in the NBA, and Williamson, will be at center stage in the franchise's renaissance.

The Pelicans will have one of the more intriguing defensive units in the NBA this upcoming season, as it has acquired plenty of length and athleticism. The starting unit, however, may have to face some unique challenges given it's personnel.

Jrue Holiday has made an NBA All-Defensive team in each of the last two seasons, so he's unquestionably one of the more talented defensive guards in the NBA. The 6’4 floor general can defend both guard positions with ease and likely will see plenty of minutes with 6’6 Lonzo Ball, who is one of the NBA's most underrated off-ball defenders. And then there's Josh Hart, who ranked third in defensive real plus-minus among all shooting guards in 2018-19. Only Jimmy Butler and Danny Green edged him out in this category. New Orleans has a solid rotation of defensive guards lined up.
Williamson will likely play in a forward spot alongside the lanky,Ingram. Ingram's 7’3 wingspan next to Williamson's 285-pound frame and 45-inch vertical could be a nightmare for opposing teams. Both are quick on their feet, as well, so this bodes well for shot blocking and switchability on the perimeter and in the paint. These two can definitely provide some versatility on the defensive end.

Julius Randle has declined a $9 million player option and, while he'd be an undersized center at 6’9, the experiment could be worth a shot. Jahlil Okafor might come into the picture, but given the lack of depth in the middle, Williamson could fill in as a small-ball 5 from time to time. He has a natural ability to protect the rim.
All in all, the front line of this Pelicans team doesn't look as if it'll fold easily on this end.
Offense
One interesting topic of discussion is what position Williamson should play in the NBA.

Though he was a power forward at Duke, Williamson is "only" 6’7. But we've seen other undersized forwards thrive in an era of positionless basketball most notably Draymond Green, who also is 6’7. Green can push the pace and serve as a primary distributor, something Williamson has yet to do but has plenty of room to grow.
Williamson made it clear at times that he can handle the ball and is an able and willing passer. But by no means will he be asked to run the offense. Can a high-flying Williamson develop a traditional back-to-the-basket game against considerably taller players?
He certainly has the speed and spring to jell with the Pelicans' new roster. At the very least, he'll be a lethal option on the break. If he develops his jump shot for pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop scenarios, even better. New Orleans' newest attraction simply isn't the kind of player you can just draw up a play for on the block right now, but he is someone with the natural talent to rack up hustle points.

The Pelicans also still have the No. 4 pick in their back pocket. It appears as if they'd ultimately like to trade it for a veteran piece. New Orleans needs a shooter, as its current group won't allow for much floor spacing.

Ja Morant in the Draft!

For every pick in the Draft there are some that everyone believes that it will happen. Ja Morant is one them and it is well deserved for many reason. He has pros and cons to his game and how well can he transition in the league.

The pros of Ja are so many. He is a great passer. His ability to get the ball to his teammates is very high. It is the thing were you can never really teach that to the players. His instincts on the court and around the rim are very impressive. His ability to run the offense or pass up to others is unreachable at his age. Creating shots and opening the space is another prowess he has. His offense skill is very high and all the things a coach could want to is there all the things can’t be taught with skills improving everyday. He will benefit from NBA system because his offense is something that the higher levels of basket ball will thrive for his game.

The cons that he had is something able to change. The first major con is his shot form. He needs to shot at a higher release so he can get it to be more difficult to defend him. With this change creating space would be more effective for his offense. The other issue he has is to much passing. With his ability to score, he tends to over pass and get more turnovers then he needs. The playmaking should get better if he wants to truly Handel the ball well in the NBA.

Overall he is a A plus player with a lot of up side. He has skill and talent that most players in the draft don’t show. He is probably going number 2 right behind Zion Williamson. This prospect is a true ball player.

RJ Barrett: Best Player In The Draft

RJ Barrett "is like a real 1988 New Yorker. He's not some 2016 Instagram model. He's trying to kill you." Barrett's youth basketball coach, Dwayne Washington, said this to The Knick's Blog in a recent interview he gave. Barrett is projected to go 3rd overall to the Knicks and has a chance to finally be the player to get the New York fan base excited to watch the team again. 

If RJ Barrett can bring the New York attitude to the court, he'll win the fans over and become the face of the franchise. RJ is described as being "aggressive, determined, confident, and always pushing the envelope." If RJ Barrett can bring all of those things to the table he will easily be one of the most beloved Knicks fan in a long time. New York is dying to be relevant in basketball again and if someone can bring them to that land they will be forever loved.

Coming out of high school Barrett was the top ranked player in his class. He was projected to go first overall before the college season began. According to the Ringer, they have RJ Barrett compared to Jalen Rose, alpha Andrew Wiggins, Harrison Barnes, and Rudy Gay. These comparisons show that Barrett will at least be a 15 to 17 points per game type of guy. Hopefully he doesn't let someone drop 81 on him, like how Jalen Rose did when he was guarding Kobe Bryant.

Barrett has potential to be the best scorer and passer out of this draft. RJ averaged the most point out of everyone on the team, at 22.6 points per game. Barrett scored 33 points twice in college, against UNC and UK. Barrett is excellent at shooting off the dribble and has the potential to being one of the best scorers in the NBA. Barrett is going to be an excellent passer, his God Father is NBA Hall-Of-Famer Steve Nash. Nash is known for being on the best passers in NBA history, and having him mentor Barrett will be a great help to making him an elite passer.

When the Knicks take Barrett on Thursday they will be getting the player they have been looking for in the past few drafts. They will be getting great player who can embody what a New York fan base wants from their players. Barrett has potential to being one of the best players in this draft, and has potential to being the best player out of Canada since Steve Nash.

Anthony Davis Is Finally A Laker

Anthony Davis has just been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and 3 first round picks. Anthony Davis has finally been granted a trade and now we can move on from the speculation of where he'll go, to now finally being able to talk about what his impact will be in Los Angeles.

The New Orlean Pelicans won this trade easily, they just got the best value possible for Anthony Davis. Davis wasn't going to resign with the Pelicans and the league knew it, this typically means that teams won't give up mostly all their future. The Lakers were desperate to get a star to line up with LeBron James, which created a perfect scenario for the Pelicans. The Pelicans could squeeze everything out of the Lakers to help them rebuild for the future. The Pelicans just got the Laker's future today and got the 4th overall pick in this draft. If by any chance that the Knicks do pass on Rj Barrett, which would be the typical Knicks thing to do, New Orleans could pair up Rj with Zion Williamson.

The Lakers finally got the Superstar they wanted to pair up next to LeBron James. They were adamant to making sure Kyle Kuzma wouldn't be apart of the trade for Anthony Davis. This trade feels like the Lakers are putting everything on the table to prove to LeBron James that they are going to do everything they can to put a winning team next to him. Anthony Davis paired up with LeBron James could be the scariest front court pair in the league next season. Their will be a lot of alley-oops, with Anthony Davis being on the receiving end of most of them. The Lakers are finally relevant again, it just cost them their future.

This move showed the league that the Lakers are truly putting all their chips on the table for now, they aren't thinking of a future or getting young assets because they want to win now. This was a win now move by the Lakers, and a move to show LeBron that they are committed to winning now. The Pelicans just got handed the perfect trade to fully commit to a proper rebuild around Zion Williamson, and honestly the Pelicans won this trade. When we look back at this trade we will all agree the Pelicans won.

Raptors are NBA champs!

The final game of the the NBA season ended. The NBA finals was up to 6 games and the Toronto Raptors won the big one. Lead by Kawhi Leonard the Raptors have beaten reigning champs to become the new ones. The big quesntion is what does this say about the two teams.

For the Champions Toronto Raptors, does this mean they keep their star player? Does Kawhi Chose to sign with the team he won his title with. The answer here is yes. I cant see why he would leave. The team around him right now can improve but overall there is the experice plus the skill they have to compete in close game is well above the average team.only  a hand full of teams could do this type of run without major changes. Also what kind of move will they make to improve for next years season. the team has shown willyiness to do what they need. If they do keep Leonard the team should be in go shape and resigning key players that played well these platoffs. Danny Green and Marc Gasol are key factors that are up for free agents this off season.

The Warriors on the other hand have more quentions then answers. Fisrtly they have to find out if they will be able to keep Keven Durant or if they wa nt him. He wont play all season next year because of imjury. The newsat injury thay have is klay with no real timeline yet. going into the new season  the team will have many injuries and the they will need find out how they will play though all this. Curry was in good shape this year but was gased out during the last couple of games. Also will they pick upget the bench  they have needed. When the team got Kevin they had to give up the bench to win KD. There free agents are all over there benchwho are key players but need to be signed.

Overall the teams have serois quentions to answer for both to keep pushing. The Raptors want to keep thir guy and try to repaet next season.The warriors have been hurt next season will have them getting over all thier injuries. Raptors has champions is a great feat for the team and they earned it.

Kevin Durant Injury Update!

Golden State Warriors Sf Kevin Durant announced Wednesday on Instagram that he ruptured his Achilles tendon and underwent successful surgery in New York after leaving Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals early.

He added a heartfelt message with a photo of himself in a hospital bed.
"My road back starts now! I got my family and my loved ones by my side and we truly appreciate all the messages and support people have sent our way," Durant wrote. "Like I said Monday, I'm hurting deeply, but I'm OK. Basketball is my biggest love and I wanted to be out there that night because that's what I do. I wanted to help my teammates on our quest for the three peat.

"Its (sic) just the way things go in this game and I'm proud that I gave it all I physically could, and I'm proud my brothers got the W. It's going to be a journey but I'm built for this. I'm a hooper I know my brothers can get this Game 6, and I will be cheering with dub nation while they do it."

Durant, who prior till Monday’s game, was out for a little over a month since suffering a calf injury, went down in the second quarter of Monday's game and had to be helped off the court. He left the arena on crutches.
He had worked his way back into the lineup after going down in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Rockets, forcing him to miss the Warriors' previous nine playoff games.
Coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday that Durant had been cleared by multiple parties, including an outside consultant. The main concern was just about the possibility of Durant re-injuring his calf so they were surprised by the Achilles injury.

"That was the advice and information we had," Kerr told reporters. "At that point once Kevin was cleared to play he was comfortable with that so the Achilles came as a complete shock. ... Would we go back and do it over again? Damn right."
Kerr added: "If we knew this was in the realm of possibility, we would've never allowed Kevin to come back."

The Warriors came back from a six-point deficit late in Game 5 to cut the Raptors' NBA Finals lead to 3-2.

Kemba Walker On The Move

Kemba Walker is eligible for a Super-Max extension this offseason, for 5 years $221.3 million, from the Charlotte Hornets. Walker is the best player the Hornets have had in their franchise history, with him being the all time leading scorer. Kemba Walker has been the face of the franchise since being drafted in 2011. He is a 3 time All-Star and made it on the 3rd All-NBA team this year.

The Charlotte Hornets should have Kemba Walker as their top priority this offseason. Walker is their best player, and without him they are looking at a complete rebuild. They would get nothing in return for Walker, which would be the biggest blow to their fans. If the Hornets do decide to let Kemba Walker leave Woj has reported that the Lakers, Knicks, and Mavericks would all be interested in Walker.

The Lakers desperately need some Superstar player to come to Los Angeles and play beside LeBron James. Walker would be a great fit to play next to him. He's a versatile scorer, who can pull up and create his own shot or drive in for a layup. Walker could come in and be that secondary scorer the Lakers need. The Knicks are Kemba Walker's hometown team, being from the Bronx it would be a homecoming for Kemba to come to New York. Finally the Mavericks would be a great fit for Kemba to go play. He would pair up with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis to become their own Big 3. This would be a scary trio in the Western Conference, and Kemba's best chance to make it to the playoffs next year.

Ultimately I believe that Hornets are going to sign Kemba Walker to the Super-Max and not let him walk. Walker has been the best player in Hornets history and quickly making his way to being the most underrated player around the league. Walker is a phenomenal player and should get recognized more, unfortunately being on the Hornets means no real press. Kemba will truly never be fully appreciated for how great he is, until he is retired.

How Did The Warriors Win Game 5?

The Golden State Warriors have done the impossible, they just won Game 5 with Kevin Durant getting hurt early in the game. The Warriors won 106-105 in Toronto. Kwahi Leonard was getting hot with less than 5 minutes left in the game, finishing with 26 points, and put the Raptors up by 6 at one point. The question around the league will be, how did the Warriors pull off a win?

Kevin Durant went out after playing 11 minutes and 57 seconds, he scored 11 points and was looking unguardable. He went down on a freak injury, the results are yet to be known but it does look like potentially a torn Achilles. Kevin Durant did leave with a walking boot and crutches.

With 5 minutes left the Raptors were up by 1, then Kwahi Leonard got hot. He hit huge shots to put the Raptors up by 6, and the Warriors chances looked bleak. The Raptors called a timeout when the momentum was on their side, which will be discussed about why they did that for days to come. After this timeout, the Raptors only scored one more time the rest of the game. This timeout could be the reason why the Raptors aren't the Champions tonight, and it could be the reason why the Raptors ultimately lose the series.

Klay Thompson has proven that he can be the most clutch player on the Warriors if he is needed to be. Klay Thompson went on to score the most clutch baskets of the game. He scored the 2 most important 3 point shots in the game and should receive all the credits why they ultimately won tonight. Stephen Curry tied the game late, but Klay hit the shot to put them up by 3. The Splash Brothers combined for 57 points tonight and showed the league why they are the best backcourt in the league.

The biggest surprise of tonight's game was the great play of Demarcus Cousins. Demarcus Cousins was the last center for the Warriors to come in tonight. When he came in he proved to everyone why he is considered a great player. He scored 14 points, 6 rebounds, a block, and had a huge put-back dunk, that the refs ultimately called off but was a huge play. The only bad play for him was the illegal screen at the end of the game. He set a moving screen for Stephen Curry that almost cost the Warriors the game tonight. Since the Warriors won no one will truly care about this play he messed up in tomorrow.

Ultimately the Warriors won because of the Splash Brothers and the great surprise play of Demarcus Cousins. Stephen Curry, 31 points 8 rebounds and 7 assists, and Klay Thompson, 26 points 6 rebounds and 4 assists, were incredible tonight. The Warriors showed tonight why you can never count them out. They also showed the Raptors that you can't give them any hope at all if you want to beat them.

Warriors Injury Update !

The Golden State Warriors will continue to play without Kevin Durant during Game 4 of The Finals on Friday.

Coach Steve Kerr confirmed that Durant will remain out as he rehabs back from his right calf strain suffered during the Western conference semifinals.
"Kevin will not play tomorrow," Kerr said during media availability on Thursday. "He will continue to get treatment, get on the court and continue to work. But he will be unavailable for Game 4."
Steve Kerr also said "I was hoping that today would be the day he could get back on the floor," Kerr said when asked if Durant had suffered a setback. "It's not going to be today, it's going to be probably tomorrow...The following day ... the next couple days. So the hope would be that he could still make it back at the end of the series. But there was no setback."

Kerr also confirmed Thursday that Durant had participated in a 3-on-3 scrimmages later in the day and that he has been progressing well through his workouts. The star forward hasn't played since straining his calf in Game 5 of Golden State's second-round series against the Rockets.
Kerr also confirmed reports that Klay Thompson is expected to return to the lineup on Friday. Thompson was considered a game time decision for Game 3. He initially suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter of Game 2 after he landed awkwardly while attempting a 3-pointer. The Warriors went on to win that matchup 109-104, evening the series at 1-1.

"The whole point was to not risk a bigger injury that would keep him out of the rest of the series," coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Wednesday's loss. "So that was the decision we made, and I feel very comfortable with it. … So the good thing is, Klay has done well the last two days; now he has a couple more days to heal, and hopefully he'll be out there on Friday."

Afterwards Klay reported to the media,"I just can't wait to get out here tomorrow."
Klay Thompson says he's ready to play in Game 4 of the Finals.
The Warriors struggled during Game 3 without Durant and Thompson. Golden State trails Toronto in the series 2-1.


Even though they aren’t getting both of them back I’m sure they will be glad to get back one of their superstars.

Are the Warriors in trouble?

The NBA final are underway and the series is tied 1-1. The series looks even with both team giving good looks of the team each one has. But the biggest question is coming is if the Warriors are really in trouble or not?

It is no secret that the Warriors are a very good team. They have dominated the finals in the past 4 years. But the major thing that has the question coming up is the injuries they have had. Kevin Durant hasn’t played since the Rockets series and the no one knows outside of the team on how he is and how ready he is. The team has given up their bench to have Kevin on the team and play well. So if he doesn’t play well or at all this series, the Team will have to have hope that the bench they have will show up. Also some minor players that are injured  like Kevin Looney who has played well is out for sure this whole series. Also the Klay Thomson injury isn’t serious but how well could he play?

Overall the the team has injuries that have shown the champs weak right now with a team like the Raptors  who will do anything to win with  of there team. Can the Warriors really beat a young team trying to win at all cost. The warriors have to show they are more then there star players.

The Warriors Plague

The Golden State Warriors are currently tied with the Toronto Raptors 1-1 in the Finals. Golden State has been in the Finals 5 straight times, winning 3 of them going for their fourth. During this run, the Warriors have remained healthy, until this season. The Warriors have been absolutely plagued with injuries and this could be their demise.

The Warriors are currently facing a bountiful of injuries, with huge key players facing injuries. During Game 2 Stephen Curry was reportedly sick during the game, which showed on the floor as he went 6-17 from the field. Klay Thompson is currently questionable for Game 3, as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. Although Thompson will most likely play through this injury, it will be interesting to see how much it will affect his play. Kevin Looney, who has became a part of the Warrior's strategy during these playoffs, has suffered a fractured collarbone, which will keep him out indefinitely. Andre Iguodala has suffered many injuries this playoffs run and is playing through them. Andre is truly putting everything on the line currently because of these injuries. Finally we have the Warriors most versatile scorer, Kevin Durant. Around the league it is assumed he is dealing with a partially torn or torn calf. His injury has kept him out almost a month at this point, and the expectation is that he will be missing Game 3.

The Warriors are currently going through their most difficult playoff run during this Dynasty they have created. They are faced with the injury plague and every game it seems to be another player getting hurt. This Finals run is setting up to be Draymond Green's Final MVP run as he has been killing it. Game 1 he recorded a triple double and during Game 2 he was 1 assist away from a triple double. This plague doesn't seem to end soon, they just need Curry to get healthy and Kevin Durant to come back so they can win another Championship.

NBA Finals Game 1 Takeaways

The Raptors just beat the Warriors 118-109, the Raptors were lead by Pascal Siakam who had 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Warriors were lead by Stephen Curry who had 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Warriors looked like they were the lesser team and the crowd got into their heads, with Drake and Draymond Green even getting into an argument after the game. So now we have to ask, what are the biggest takeaways from Game 1?

For the Warrior's side there lot of concern on their side, if Durant doesn't return for Game 2. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had a combined 55 points, the rest of the team had a combined 54 points. Two players outscored their entire team, if they want to win Game 2 they need more contribution  scoring from guys like Iguodala, Livingston, and Cousins. They had a combined 15 points, Iguodala is a former Finals MVP, Livingston was a key factor for the past Warriors scoring on the bench, and Cousins was added to make them the best team we've ever seen. Cousins was a shell of himself and it looked as almost he was playing for the Raptors. Cousins is coming back from an injury but I can't help but wonder if he did any conditioning at all before tonight. He played 8 minutes in total and when he would check out he looked completely out of breath, in fact during one of his free throws he looked as if he was trying to catch his breath. Cousins looked absolutely terrible tonight and you have to wonder if Steve Kerr should play him again in this Finals. I would say he shouldn't play again, this is the Finals there's no time for him to get reacclimated to playing again. Kevin Durant desperately needs to come back if the Warriors want this series to become more competitive and send Toronto home. The biggest worry about Durant not coming is the fact that at the end of the game it looked like Iguodala got hurt at the end of the game. If he is hurt we have to see how much this injury affects him, and if he can still play at a high level.

The Raptors have a lot to celebrate for how they played against the Warriors. Pascal Siakam was absolutely lights out shooting, going 14-17. This game was all Siakam, it was his game he was in the zone and no one could guard him tonight. Kwahi Leonard appeared to be worn down from his series against the Bucks, he went 5-14 tonight. Kwahi got the help he needed tonight so this won't be talked about as much. Kyle Lowry played a huge role tonight, even though he went 2-9 with 7 points he played a major role tonight. He finished with 9 assists and had huge defensive plays, he even drew 2 charges tonight, which he is leading the league this postseason in charges drawn. Marc Gasol played absolutely phenomenal tonight, he scored 20 points and played good defense on Curry. He kept at least stepping out to help make sure Curry didn't get a constantly wide open three pointers. Fred VanVleet scored 15 points and kept this crazy run he is having keep going. VanVleet has one more season on his contract, after this season, and he is playing like he is looking for a huge paycheck. If you perform well in the Conference Finals and the Finals, you're guaranteed a huge paycheck. With Kwahi being uncertain on his return to the Raptors next season, VanVleet is taking advantage of what could be his only chance in the Finals.

The Warriors ultimately got outplayed tonight, they looked Rusty and they only received helped scoring from two players, that needs to change if they want to win. Cousin's shouldn't play again for the rest of this series and Durant needs to come back. The Raptors need to keep the crowd going, as you could tell that really helped swing the game into their favor. Siakam has became a name everyone around the league knows tonight, now we will have to see how he responds when the Warriors strategize around him on defense.

Mike D’Antoni Agrees To A Three Year Deal With The Rockets

Mike D'Antoni has came to an agreement with the Rockets about a contract extension, ESPN reported Thursday.
According to the report D'Antoni has one more season remaining on his current deal and will return to coach a final year in Houston.

The 68-year-old D'Antoni has taken the Rockets to a new level in the regular season in his three seasons there, as he's compiled a 173-73 mark. But the Rockets have been knocked out of the playoffs for the past two years by the Warriors. They lost a 3-2 series lead in the Western Conference finals last season and then falling to a weakened Golden State squad, 4-2, in the semifinals this season.
Those outcomes raised questions about whether the Rockets would look to extend D'Antoni. After a 65-win season in 2017-18, the Rockets regressed to 53 wins and a fourth-place finish in the West. Chemistry was an issue early, with the team trying to work Carmelo Anthony into the rotation. D'Antoni has also come under criticism from some for his use of strange rotations and game management, such as his use of timeouts.

Yet D'Antoni revealed to ESPN earlier this month he had begun talking about an extension that would keep him with the Rockets at least three more years.
"I've let general managerDaryl Morey and team owner Tilman Fertitta know that I'm energized to keep coaching - and believe that I can continue to do this at a high level for at least another three years," D'Antoni said. "I want to be a part of a championship here."

It’s great they had agreed to another three year deal he proved that he’s a good coach by the success he’s been having with the team. But as far as winning championship that’s a whole different story. D’Antoni won’t win a championship unless some big changes happen.

Jimmy Butler To The Lakers?

Brian Windhorst has reported that LeBron James has already began his recruiting process for this offseason, he has contacted Jimmy Butler about being a Laker. The Lakers getting Butler could be the exact thing they needed, or it could completely flip the franchise upside down and be the worst decision of all time.

Jimmy Butler is a top 25 player in the NBA today and a great defensive player. He is someone who will outwork the next person and demand the absolute best version of every player. Some players will hate him, like how the Timberwolves did, but he will be loved by LeBron James. LeBron is someone who demands the best from everyone to and with Jimmy, the Lakers will either completely fold or band together to make the playoffs.

With the Lakers becoming a complete joke overnight, with this offseason, adding Jimmy Butler could harm them. The Laker's young core is already at in a fragile state, with LeBron James trying to trade them for Anthony Davis, adding Butler could destroy them mentally. Butler arguably hurt Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns development and has harmed them mentally for years to come. With all of Butler's antics to demand the best out of you, some people will fold while others will rise to the occasion. In today's day and age it's unclear if the Laker's young core could take Jimmy Butler mentally on the team.

Butler at the end of the day is a phenomenal player who the lakers need to get on their team. Butler lead the 76er's during the playoffs and was doing everything he could to beat Toronto. Jimmy Butler is one of those player's who will be the greatest decision you ever made as a general manager, or the worst, but Butler is someone who you need to take a chance on.

Final race to the top!

We are here lady’s and gentlemen the nba finals! The winners of each of each conference are set and the big prize is up for grabs. The stories here are endless for anyone to cover. But the biggest question who will win the games for the chip?

The returning champions of last year finals are back and ready to prove they are the best. Can they win another championship with this team that is banged up from all there hard battles in the western conference. Kevin Durant is still kinda hurt and will return for the series. Can Kevin come back without hurting the way the team has been playing since he has been hurt. He bring a whole new power the offense but also takes a lot more shots away from Klay and Draymont. Also the fact that klay will have take another back seat to Kevin again and we don’t know if that will do if Kevin is playing full minutes or limited. Also the Draymont Green has played his best best basketball in the Portland series. Can he recreate it playing with Durant? The last question any can have is who is the number one option and will Curry give it back to Kevin?

The raptors have surpassed all expectations they had for this season coming in. But unlike the warriors the raptors have less talent on the team as a team. They probably have the best player in the playoffs in Kawhi Leonard. He has been carrying all the widget like a champ this playoffs at a high output. The rest of the team has to show up in the weeds for this team to win. Other players have to score take some weight off his shoulder. Pascal who has play welled in the post season needs to continue to bring in a player like Draymont Green slower. Make him match you type of mentality for the Raptors. They point guard Kyle Lowry also will need to show up to to try the defend and match Curry output as much has he can for his team.

Overall the team seem to be like the last couples years in the finals. The team with the best player vs the team who is the best. This finals has the vibes of those past Warriors finals but the will the outcome be the same?

The Real Reason Why Zion Doesn’t Have An Agent Yet

There is less than four weeks remaining before the 2019 NBA Draft, and there's still something curious about Zion Williamson, the player on whom the entire draft world has been focused since he entered college.He still has not signed with an NBPA certified agent. But at the same time it’s not like he needs one. There's no doubt that Williamson will land in New Orleans, which lucked into the No. 1 pick on the night of the NBA Draft lottery. There's also no doubt that Williamson will put his name on what likely will be a record-setting shoe contract once the dust settles.

As long as Williamson has an agent in place by the week of the draft, he’ll have time to work out the details for the NBA transitioning process. But it’s still extremely odd a player of his caliber to still not have an agent, we all know people would die to represent him. But Williamson doesn’t just want any agent, sources told Sporting News that the reason behind the delayed process goes back to Williamson's advisor, former NBA agent Chubby Wells.
Wells played at Clemson for three years in the late 1970s when he was a teammate of Lee Anderson, Williamson's stepfather. Wells had been an Atlanta-area NBA agent going back more than a decade, representing players like Dale Davis and Ramon Sessions. But his certification with the NBPA lapsed.

Through his friend Anderson, Wells got involved with Williamson's AAU team, SC Supreme, and the plan had been to have him recertify as an agent and represent Williamson. But when that plan fell through this spring, Williamson did not have an official agent and top agencies across the country piled into the process.
Among those were Creative Artists Agency, Roc Nation, Klutch Sports and BDA Sports.
While Williamson's family will still lean heavily on Wells for advice, the goal for choosing an agency is, according to a source, "one that can be most effective at building his brand."
A source told SN that Williamson and his family are nearing a decision, which will come possibly as early as next week.

Best in the World?

In the NBA the players have had the motivation to become the best player they can. Many just chase the fame of being good. But very few can say they are in the chase of the best player in the league. The question has a risen again because the poor season from the player who once “the Best in the world”. My question for this is who will take it next or will LeBron James take it again?

The best player is alway an interesting topic of conversation because most people are picking there favorite player or the best on their team. But in rare occasions is there player that most people even if they hate a player have to admit that he is the best. For a long time LeBron was that guy for the NBA to look at. Unfortunately due to injury and missing the playoffs this year he has lost his title in the eyes of most fans. He could reclaim his title if he plays well and makes it to the finals again but what other player could take it away from him. That is the burning question. And right now I would say no one because no has all the things he had while he had his reign. The things he had were numbers like a beast player. Always put up some kind of monster numbers on points or assist or even rebounding at the time. Also he has been seen has a leader to his team and the league on how to take care of ones career. He been nothing but a model player even helping the players union improve life has a player. Other players like Kevin Durant and James Harden have had great numbers but have never been seen has leaders of the league or ever wanting responsibility for the players movement in the league. Also other great players have had great careers in winning and leading but don't have dominant numbers on a game by game average. Curry has been a good example of that form of player who is dominate but doesn’t take a more active role in the players union. Also him and Kevin Durant have won titles but have done it together so many view it as a team success not an individual success for the legacy of there career.

Overall I believe right now no players have that the combination of success and contribution. I don’t believe we will see LeBron back at top like he was in the past but I do believe he has set the bar to such a high level. Can there be a player like that I think so but we have to wait and see.

Stephen Curry Back To MVP Form

Stephen Curry starting this playoffs rocky, with most people questioning what happened to him? Curry and Kevin Durant have had this really weird play this playoffs, where they are viewed as equals but more as this is Durant's team. This has caused a dynamic we haven't seen with this Warriors team where it has hurt Curry's play on the court, but since Durant has been out Curry has been on a tear.

In the first game without Durant, everyone thought the Warriors would ultimately lose to the Rockets. Stephen Curry wouldn't allow this to happen as he scored 33 points, and had 5 rebounds and 4 assists in that game. The Warriors went on to win that game 118-113. Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half and had some extremely clutch shots.

When it was announced that Kevin Durant would miss the first few games agains the Trailblazers everyone thought it was going to be an extremely hard series for the Warriors, no one was predicting a sweep. Stephen Curry was historic this round, averaging 36.5 points, 7.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds per game, he even recorded a triple double in the final game. Stephen Curry now has the most points ever scored in a Four-Game Sweep. Curry has 146 points beating out Hall Of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, who had 145 points in the 2002 Finals against the New Jersey Nets. We've never seen Stephen Curry take over an entire series like this before and it's very concerning for whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference. If Curry remains this hot we could be looking at him finally capturing his first ever Finals MVP. Stephen Curry was an absolute monster in this series and couldn't be stopped.

When he was guarded by his brother Seth, Stephen had 29 points, he shot 9-14 field goals and shot 4-8 from 3 point land. Seth only had 3 points and went 1-7 field goals and 1-6 from 3 point land when Stephen was guarding him. He completely outplayed his brother and even hit 2 back to back clutch free-throws when Seth tried to jinx him. In the 4th quarter and overtime Stephen hasn't missed a free-throw in the playoffs since 2015 and Seth told him this to jinx him, but it didn't work.

Stephen Curry is playing some of the best basketball he has ever played, in the playoffs. He is setting himself up to win his first ever Finals MVP and is getting ready to tear apart whoever he has to play in the Finals. Since Kevin Durant has been injured, Stephen Curry looks like the best player in these Conference Finals.

Kevin Durant Injury Update! Might Be Out Longer Than Expected

What we do know about Kevin Durant’s calf strain is that it’s severe enough that it’s going to keep him from traveling with the Warriors on a second road trip this postseason, this one to Portland in the Western Conference Finals.
We know that he definitely won’t play in Games 3 and 4 and if Portland wins a game or two in the Pacific Northwest, he isn’t going to play in Game 5, either. The fifth game of the series would be played back in Oakland on this upcoming Wednesday, and Durant is set to be re-evaluated on Thursday.
                        

So there is a chance that Durant could be fine following his evaluation this week, but the signs aren’t promising. Durant has yet to be cleared for on-court after Game 2activities, and head coach Steve Kerr told reporters that Durant's availability for the rest of the series is in doubt after the forward was re-evaluated Thursday and wasn't cleared for on court work. The Warriors said he would be re-evaluated again in a week.
Following the Warriors' 114-111 Game 2 victory, Kerr said the injury was "a little more serious than we thought at the very beginning." He amended that thought on Friday, however, saying he meant to convey that there was a wide range of possibilities regarding a timeline for Durant's return.
"The right way to put it would be, with a calf injury, there's kind of a wide range of how long a guy's going to be out, and so he's had them in the past where he was out a week or 10 days but right from the beginning, [Warriors director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] was telling me that you really can't put a number of days or weeks on this," Kerr said.
"There's a big range of how long it could be depending on how he responds and how bad the strain is. This one is taking a little bit longer than the ones he's had in the past, but that's OK. He's coming along well and if he continues to improve at the rate he's improving now, we're confident that he'll be back. We just don't know when."

If both Conference Finals continue the way they’ve gone thus far, we could see both ending in four or five games, meaning that if Durant isn’t cleared by his Thursday evaluation, we’re looking at him potentially missing time in the Finals — and with the way Milwaukee is looking, the Warriors are going to need all of the firepower they can get to slow them down.
With Durant sidelined, Steph Curry has done a great job leading things on the offensive end of the floor while Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala have been fantastic in leading the charge on the defensive side of things. The Warriors have the personnel to compete with Milwaukee and maybe even win the series, but the team would likely feel much more comfortable with Durant’s scoring ability and length on the defensive end to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo and all of the shooters along the perimeter.

Until Thursday, it’s just a waiting game to see how the evaluation goes, but the Warriors have to be hoping for good news at this point, but because the Finals are coming whether he’s ready or not.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr acknowledged that Durant's availability for the rest of the series is in doubt after the forward was re-evaluated Thursday and wasn't cleared for on-court work. The Warriors said he would be re-evaluated again in a week.