After an entire season full of drama, the Steelers are finally beginning to get back to normal. Antonio Brown met with Art Rooney, and they mutually decided it was time to move on. The general manager has also made it publicly know that he will not use any tag on Bell this year, which will allow him to become a free agent. The Steelers are cleaning house and are putting their best foot forward while trying to change the culture back to what it used to be. As a proud Steelers fan, I can’t begin to explain how happy I am to see the organization try to make some drastic changes and get back to being a contender. This past season was extremely hard for me to watch, so I am not even going to speak on it. Instead, I’m going to outline what moves I want the team to make to help ensure a bright future.

The Trade

Agreeing to trade Brown is one thing, but the Steelers will actually have to get the job done. The Steelers need to play hardball right out of the gate. They need to make it very clear to teams that they want either a first-round pick, an impactful player, or a combination of average picks and at least a solid starter. They CANNOT let Brown leave without getting close to equal value, if not exactly equal value for him. Let’s be honest, although Juju had a statistically better season than Brown last season, Brown’s talent is what made that possible. Opposing defenses consistently focused on Brown and made Juju beat them. It is going to be hard to replace Brown’s impact on the offense, so the Steelers need to make sure that such a huge part of their offense doesn’t walk out of the door for less than what he’s worth. My dream scenario is that Brown is traded to the Raiders for one of their three first round picks. In my opinion, this scenario works for both teams. The Raiders get an incredible talent at wide receiver, where they are lacking, and still have two first round picks to play with. The Steelers would get rid of Brown, clear some future cap space, and get an extra pick in the first round to sure up that defense.

The Draft

This is where the Steelers’ front office really needs to come together and get it together. The Steelers have had up and down results lately in terms of draft production. Bud Dupree and Artie Burns are the most recent examples of this. Burns has been repeatedly burned deep since he’s been in the league and honestly it kills me inside every time. Dupree had somewhat of an excuse prior to this past season. He has had a plethora of injuries since he’s been in the league and finally played a relatively healthy season this past year. Even though that is the case, he majorly underperformed. The coaching staff even tried switching his and Watt’s positions in hopes of playing on Dupree’s quick first step and pass rushing ability. In order for the Steelers to get the most out of this draft, they need to get Devin White or Mack Wilson to man the middle of the field. Now, I know that this will be hard considering the fact that both of these players are projected to be gone before the Steelers get the chance to pick. So here’s what I suggest: whatever the Steelers get for Brown, they need to use it to move up in the draft. I think both of these players, especially White, are worth the gamble. I truly believe that White can be a game-changer over the middle. Watching him play reminds me of Shazier, and we all know how much of an impact Shazier’s play had on the Steelers defense. If they can find a way to get him, they HAVE to make it happen.

Free Agency

Once free agency hits, the Steelers need to do whatever they can to increase the talent in their secondary. The Steelers defense broke down in crunch time. They gave up more passing yards (1,108), passing Tds (8), passing first downs (61), and a much higher passer rating (91.5) in the fourth quarter than the league’s average (via pro-football-reference). I think the Steelers should attempt to pick up Ronald Darby. He is a good enough corner to stabilize the secondary. He is a risk because of his injury concerns, but that can play in the Steelers favor when it comes time to sign him to a contract. I also think they should re-sign Sensabaugh if he is willing to come back. The next thing the Steelers need to do is pick up a receiver to support Juju. I do think that Washington had the potential to break out next season, especially because the Steelers have a great reputation with receiver development, but they should pick up a veteran just in case Washington doesn’t pan out the way everyone hopes. Lastly, if the Steelers can find a way to pick up some pass rush help, that would be absolutely perfect.

The Culture

The final move needs to be made within the locker room. Tomlin needs to limit the freedom of his players. The way that the Steelers’ offensive line spoke so freely about Bell’s contract situation last season is unacceptable. The players need to understand that it takes more than saying that they have a brotherhood to actually have one. They need to keep a lot of things in-house and learn how to critique one another’s play one-on-one rather than blasting it on the media (*cough* Ben *cough*). If the Steelers can adjust their culture and make the moves that I have suggested, next season should be much better than this one.

All-Star weekend was filled with storylines! AD announced that all 29 teams were on his list, Steph Curry hit Giannis with an alley-oop pass that the world is still feeling today, and J.Cole hit the stage with a performance that put the Superbowl halftime show to shame. All-Star weekend was so much better than anyone could have expected it to be. Today, I’m going to lay it all out for you guys in my All-Star Wrap Up.

On Friday, the future of the NBA was proved to be in good hands. Usually, I am a little underwhelmed by the Rising Stars Challenge but this year it was a battle between the two Anthony Davis trade pieces. Though Kyle Kuzma and Jayson Tatum were on the same team this weekend, it seemed as though they were both trying to prove a point. Kuzma was undoubtedly trying to show the world that he is just as valuable as Kuzma, if not more valuable. The Lakers’ starting forward provided 35 of Team USA’s 161 points on 15 of 27 from the field. Tatum was no slouch either. He did not want to be outplayed by Kuzma. Tatum poured in 30 points of his own on 12 of 24 from the field while collecting 9 rebounds. In the end, Kyle Kuzma was able to bring home the MVP for the game. This will be big when it’s time to bid on Davis again. Did Kuzma do enough to show the Pelicans that he is as valuable as Tatum by outplaying him? Does the potential of Tatum’s career overshadow the solid play of Kuzma up to this point in their short time in the NBA? This game will definitely serve as an interesting tool for Magic during the offseason.

Saturday took the action to the next level, with three underdogs taking home trophies during each competition. Jayson Tatum stood out again on this night during the Taco Bell Skills Competition. In the final round of the competition, he took on the favorite to win it all, Trae Young. Young had Tatum beat, but Tatum threw up a prayer from half court and swished his shot before Young could make his. The next competition went down to the wire, much like the skills competition. Everyone thought a curry brother would win the competition because let’s face it, Steph is probably the greatest shooter to ever do it and his little brother Seth led the league in 3-pt percentage for the majority of the season. Imagine the surprise when Seth was knocked out in the first round. I was flabbergasted because he was my pick to win it all. In the final round it came down to Joe Harris from the Nets, who put up a tone-setting 25 right out of the gate, and the Baby-Faced Assassin after easily knocking down enough shots for a whopping 27 points. Because Harris had the lower score, he shot first. Just like in the first round, Harris was not playing any games. He knocked down 26 points and walked to his seat with pride. Even though Harris put up 26, you couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t score enough to win. With Curry as his opponent, anything could happen. In the waning moments the shoot-out, it became clear that Curry would have to sink all of the balls on his last rack to tie Harris. Curry was able to knock down the first four with ease, but he couldn’t get the win. His last ball hit the opposite side of the rim and bounced out, securing the Nets’ shooting guard’s first 3-pt competition win. The next event, the slam-dunk competition, was just as good (at least toward the end). It came down to Dennis Smith Junior and Hamidou Diallo in the final round. DSJ set the stage by using a crowd favorite, North Carolina Native, and the All-Star halftime performer, J.Cole. He called Cole onto the court and had him sit in a chair. Cole’s assignment was to throw an alley-oop pass and get dunked over. DSJ threw on Cole’s old high school jersey and threw down a perfect pass from one of the best rappers today. To make the dunk even better, Cole attempted a dunk of his own ( ok, it didn’t affect DSJ’s score but he’s my favorite rapper so I had to mention it).  Diallo upped the ante by bringing out the 7’1” Hall of Fame Laker, Shaquille O’Neal. Diallo placed Shaq near the basket and told him to stay still. Then, Diallo did the unimaginable. HE JUMPED OVER SHAQ AND STUCK HIS ELBOW INTO THE RIM! Diallo jumped over Shaq and honored one of the greatest dunkers in history with a single dunk. With this dunk, it was over and Diallo took home the trophy.

Sunday, produced possibly the most exciting part of the All-Star weekend (for once). It was Team Giannis vs Team Lebron. Team Giannis was the underdog after the draft. People questioned Giannis’s drafting style. They immediately began dragging Giannis’s basketball IQ through the mud. But to everyone’s surprise, Team Giannis came out blazing. They led by 18 for the majority of the game with 3-point barrages by Middleton, Steph, and the MVP Candidate Paul George. They even produced THE highlight of the night. Steph Curry’s hammer bounce pass to a sprinting Giannis was poetic and was NBA play at its absolute peak. In the second half, Team Lebron came storming back with the help of Damian Lillard. Lillard knocked down three after three from the NBA logo and single-handedly became the catalyst for the epic comeback win. Though Lillard lit the spark that won the game, Durant received MVP honors at the end of the game with a stat line of 31-7-2.

In the end, All-Star weekend exceeded my expectations. In my defense, they weren’t very high from the beginning. This weekend was exactly what it should have been: the best players in the world coming together to have fun and put on a show for all of the fans to enjoy.

Is Zion worth the #1 overall pick?

Today, I’m going to switch things up a little bit. Lately, I have been talking a lot about NBA basketball. For this blog, I am going to focus on college basketball, one player in particular. The player, I am going to focus on is the talk of the NBA world. His skills are held at such high regards that teams are “tanking” for him. He has gotten comparisons to Lebron and Charles Barkley. He is projected to be the number one overall pick on many mock draft boards. Yes, that’s right! It’s ZION WILLLLIAMSON!!!

I know my entrance was a little cliche, but that’s the kind of hype a potential first overall pick should have right? WRONG! I know Zion is most likely going to get picked first overall regardless of which team ends up with that honor. To be completely honest with you, I can see why anyone would want to pick him. He has a motor that is out of this world! It’s like the kid never slows down. (Yes, I can say kid, even though I am only 3 years older than him.) He plays at full speed 100% of the time. He is athletic as any player I have ever seen. For him to be 6-6 and 284 pounds, he is a true freak of nature. Not to mention, he probably has the most upside of any player on that loaded Duke roster. If he can become a dependable stretch four in the NBA, he has the potential to become one of the greats. Even with all of that being said, I would not choose Zion with the number one overall pick.

I do believe that Zion has great upside, as I said before, but you should not pick any player in the top three based on upside. Zion is hyped up because of his play in high school where he was clearly a man amongst boys. In high school, Zion averaged 32 ppg, 11 rpg, 2.9 bpg, 3, spg, and 3 apg in his 100 games played. That’s insane for anyone! He was clearly head and shoulders above almost every other high school player in the nation. Now, let’s look at his college stats up to this point. At Duke, he is averaging 22 ppg and 9.2 rpg. I would pull up the rest of his stats, but I do not see the point. The rest of his stats do not even crack the top 40 players at his position. A stat line of 22 and 9 is outstanding, especially when all you’re asked to do at his position (PF) is rebound, play defense, and score when possible. However, when you look at how Zion gets his points, it isn’t all that impressive. Majority of Zion’s points come on fast breaks, which doesn’t surprise me because that’s how he built his hype. The dunks he throws down off of those fast breaks are incredible, but as a power forward in the NBA, that should not be where you make your money. I was unable to find a definitive stat that told me exactly how many of his points come from fast breaks. I do know that from watching his game, at least 10 ppg come from fast break points. Based off of that, he would be averaging a paltry 12 ppg, which is right around the average of the players in his position. Not to mention, the NBA today is shifting toward shooting more threes. So far this season, the league is shooting 31.4 three-pointers per game, that’s two more than all of last year and the season hasn’t reached the all-star break yet. Why is that important? According to the Orlando Magic’s top 10 power forwards in the league, all but two are shooting above 35% in three-pointers per game. What about Zion? He is only shooting 28%.

I am not saying in any way that Zion is a bad player. I do believe that Zion should go in the top five or maybe even top three. I just don’t think it makes sense to pick any player first overall if when their playing style doesn’t match the trend of the league, or when most of his points come from fast break points. I understand that players are drafted based on more than just their scoring, especially if they are playing a position that isn’t looked at as a scoring position. That is a huge part of today’s game though. Teams are scoring more than they have in the past 20 years and that trend is unlikely to change anytime soon. Zion’s style of play does not fit today’s game. Right now, I think Zion’s level and style of play is similar to that of Julius Randle. They both run the floor, can handle the ball a little, play aggressively and rely heavily on their superior athletic ability. Can Zion be better than Randle? Of course! But my point is, do you see anyone risking it all for Julius Randle? NO! So why do it for Zion Williamson?

The Knicks have traded the Latvian 7’3” unicorn, Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks for Dennis Smith Jr. and Deandre Jordan (there were other pieces involved but they are less important). This trade comes after a season-long dispute about whether DSJ was a good fit next to Luka Doncic, and recent rumors about whether Porzingis was content with being on the Knicks. Personally, I would not have made this trade if I were the Mavs owner but I will go into that deeper a little later. Now that this trade has taken place, it is time to look into the future. Today, I am going to focus solely on the Mavericks because let’s be honest, this trade is way more important to them. The Mavs are hoping that this new duo of Doncic and Porzinigis can be Nash and Dirk 2.0. They are hoping that this duo can bring home a championship, which is something that Nash and Dirk could never do. The issue is, if this plan doesn’t work out the way that they expect, it will be a long time before they are able to pair the promising young talent of Doncic with anyone good enough to help them get over the hump.

I know the Mavs have great expectations for these two, but I have my doubts. My doubts aren’t in Luka’s game or even Porzingis’ game. I think they compliment each other very well. Their pick and roll offense is going to be so lethal. Both of them can shoot. Both can get to the basket. Luka has great court vision. Porzingis can face up and use his height to win matchups. These two are going to be great! Well, they will be great it Porzingis can stay healthy. Yes, guys that is my only concern. Porzingis is a great offensive talent, and before he got injured last season he was making strides on the defensive side of the ball. But this man CANNOT STAY HEALTHY!!! He is yet to play a full season. He played 72 his rookie season, 66 his second season, 48 games last season, and he hasn’t stepped on the court at all this season. Up to this point in his career, he has played in fewer and fewer games every season. That is why I wouldn’t have made this trade. If I were the GM of the Mavs, Porzingis would have stayed in New York.

To be completely honest, it isn’t only about the injuries. It’s more about the money they are about to give to Porzingis. In order for the Mavs to get Porzingis to sign long-term, they’ll likely need to offer him a max contract, or close to it. And in my opinion, he is not worth it. He has the potential to be a max contract type of player, he is just not there quite yet. He gets injured too often and his stats are not outrageous for the time that he is on the court. Porzingis is only averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds a game. As a 7’3” center, 7 rebounds per game is not acceptable. On top of that, he needs to get more physical when he plays. Porzingis gets pushed around on a regular basis, which makes sense because he is very thin. I do believe that once he begins to gain more muscle, he will be able to take full advantage of his offensive game and bully people for rebounds.

I know this may seem like I hate Porzingis, but I don’t. Porzingis has A LOT of talent and has the potential to be great in this league. However, history is not on his side for players his height. The average height for an NBA center is around 6’10”. Porzingis is 5 inches taller than the average center and but weighs about the same as the average power forward.  Players built like him are typically injury prone. Only 25 players in NBA history have been 7’3” or taller, and only 7 of those players are household names. Only 2 of those seven players played longer than 10 seasons in the NBA. With exception of those two, each of those players were either injury prone or too clumsy to make it. If we go strictly by the numbers, that means Porzingis has an eight percent chance to play more than ten seasons. I know. I know. Everyone is different and each one of these players is independent of one another, but you cannot argue with history.

I guess my point in all of this is: I would not have gone through with this trade because it is too risky. Also, do I think they will be the next Nash and Dirk? No, and that’s honestly laughable. In my opinion, Nash is a top five point guard (bias because I loved Nash’s game) and Dirk is a first ballot Hall of Famer. It is extremely premature to compare the two duos, considering Luka and Porzingis have never played together before. Also, Porzingis isn’t the offensive threat nor the leader that Dirk has been, and Luka doesn’t have the basketball IQ that Nash had from the very beginning of his career ( yes, I’m aware Nash’s started out slow). I just cannot see these two becoming the players that Nash and Dirk were. I’m sorry if you don’t agree, that’s just how I feel. If you disagree, comment below and let’s hash this out.

It’s almost that time of the year again! The NBA All-Star weekend is only a few weeks away, so voting is currently taking place. There are some big surprises in this year’s voting. For example, Luka Doncic (my pick for ROY) has been consistently the number two vote getter in the Western Conference Frontcourt. He has been blowing out the likes of Paul George, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis in terms of votes. Another huge surprise is to see Derrick Rose as receiving the second most votes for the Western Conference. He trails only Steph Curry. Anyone who knows Derrick Rose’s story knows that it has been a long ride back to the top for this man, and I am extremely happy for him. In the Eastern Conference, there haven’t been any real surprises. Giannis and Kawhi are the two top vote-getters for the frontcourt in the east, and Kyrie is running away with the votes for the backcourt. The next step is to pick the captains for each team, which is going to be the top two vote-getters from each conference (Lebron and Giannis). Each of them will pick their teams, but the best part it THIS YEAR IT WILL BE LIVE!! Last season, the voting was in private and that was terrible for the fans. This year, we get to see: who goes first and who goes last? Is there a strategy for each captain? Well, I am going to take on the role of a captain and pick starting five that I think would win. Without further ado, let’s begin!

With the first overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft, I pick Kawhi Leonard

Now, the easy pick would be Lebron, KD, or Steph right? Well, I am a traditional type of man and I prefer defense over offense. So why not get the best defensive player in the league right now? He can guard the 1-4 and his offense is just a lethal as his defense. He’s 28 ppg on 50% shooting from the field and 37% from the 3-point line. He can provide me with the defense needed to make things difficult for KD or Lebron while going on the offensive and dropping 25+ on them as well.

With the second overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft, I pick Lonzo Ball

Like I said before, I am a traditionalist. I love point guards who are pass first and play lockdown defense. Lonzo has a defensive rating of 105.3 for the 2018-19 season, which is in the top 40 of all guards who have played at least 40 games this season. I know that sounds bad, but only one other guard getting votes has a better defensive rating than Ball. Ball has long arms and he harasses his opponents on a regular basis (1.5 steals a game). Now, Ball isn’t going to shock you scoring-wise, but he could easily get you a triple-double on any given night while making things difficult for any opposing guard.

With the third overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft, I pick Klay Thompson

This pick isn’t really difficult to understand. Thompson is probably the only player on the entire all-star list who does not need the ball a lot to make an impact in a game. In 2016, when Klay scored 60 points against the Pacers, he took 11 dribbles. In a game against the Bulls this year he scored 52 points but was only on the floor for 26 minutes. What makes these games so impressive isn’t how much he’s scoring but how he is doing it. I could understand in Klay was the main ball-handler or even a secondary ball handler, but Klay is purely a 3-and-D guy. Most of his points come off of catch and shoots. That is the type of guy I want on my team.

With the fourth overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft, I pick Anthony Davis

Once again, this pick is easy to understand. Davis is one of the best players in the league and will play the Power Forward in my starting five. He has made it clear that that is the position he prefers to play, so why take him out of where he feels most comfortable. With Lonzo and Klay not being premier scorers, it is only right that my team be absolutely loaded at two of the three frontcourt positions with Davis and Leonard. Davis can spread the floor with his three-point shooting. He can post any player up and play with his back to the basket. He can face-up and take on any frontcourt player. He can handle the ball a little bit. This man is even considered one of the better rim protectors in the league. So why would I even think about playing anyone else?

With the fifth overall pick in the NBA All-Star Draft, I pick Joel Embiid

Once again, another easily understandable pick. Embiid is an absolute monster on every aspect of the offensive side of the ball. He has good court vision, has a little handle, can face up, shoot the three, run the floor, and that is all without mentioning his best trait: posting people up. Embiid’s post game is the newest version of the “Torture Chamber” and he welcomes any and all victims. I honestly can’t name any individual player who can take Embiid one on one and win. Defensively, Embiid is a force to be reckoned with. He’s one of the better post defenders in the game and can switch on any player in the frontcourt.

Overview

I’m going for a team that plays defense at the highest level in the game today and is long (height and arm length). I want players who are willing to push the tempo when necessary but won’t force the issue. I need players who force players to play honest when they step behind the three-point line. Each of my players covers all of these criteria and can three of the five can take the big shot at the end of the game. All of my players move the ball around in hopes of getting the best shot, with exception of Embiid). Four of my five players are adept at creating for themselves and can create for others as well. I whole-heartedly believe that this starting five could compete with any starting five you put on the floor against them. If you don’t believe so, let me know how you feel and comment below.

Today is the day! Yes, it’s the trade deadline. Today is the day that teams pull off any last minute moves they think can help them contend for a title, free up any cap space, or get them as many picks in the draft as possible. Today’s deadline was no exception. Players were traded all day long, with the final big trade coming only 15-30 minutes prior to the deadline at 3 pm. Though there were dozens of trades today, I am only going to the big/most impactful ones.

Let’s start with possibly the biggest trade of the day: Marc Gasol to the Raptors for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, and a 2024 second round pick

This pick made my day, you guys have no idea. The Raptors are my pick to win it all at the end of the season. This pick just made my prediction that much more realistic. Adding Gasol to the starting lineup of the Raptors gives them the potential to matchup on every level with the Sixers. Obviously, Embiid is the better player when it comes down to him vs Gasol but Gasol gives Lowry a dynamic pick and roll partner. Gasol can shoot it from deep better than any big man in the league, has great post moves and his passing ability is elite. Adding Gasol to the lineup will force Embiid out of the paint and open up the lane for every other player on the court. I am so excited to see the Sixers vs the Raptors in the playoffs if neither team gets kicked out by the Celtics. I think that has the potential to be the best matchup in the playoffs. I honestly think it’s a toss-up between the two teams if they play each other. Each team has a chance to dethrone the Warriors, but I think the Raptors have a better chance due to the level of experience on their roster.

Markelle Fultz to the Magic for Jonathan Simmons, a first-round pick, and a second round pick

This is probably the most anticipated trade, other than the non-existent AD trade). Since the Sixers drafted Fultz there has been issues. He’s sat out more games than he’s played and in the games that he did play in he didn’t look to be worth a first overall pick, at least in my opinion. I am biased though because I predicted Fultz to be a bust when he was at Washington. This is a good trade, at least for the Sixers. The Sixers are picking up a reliable defender for a relatively cheap contract. His offensive efficiency had dipped a little this year, but he does have the ability to create for himself. I can see him being a great bench option for the Sixers, especially in the playoffs where the focus and intensity on defense are tripled. I do not understand the trade from the Magic’s perspective though. The Magic are giving up their starting small forward for a player who they aren’t even sure is going to be ready to play any time soon. As I mentioned, Fultz hasn’t gotten much playing time due to injuries. I don’t know if I would have given up so much to acquire someone who is so questionable on the injury front. But, I am not an expert so maybe they know something about Fultz that the public does not.

I was attempting to stick with the trades for the final day of the trade deadline, but becasue there aren’t any more intriguing trades for today, I’ll go to biggest trade of yesterday. If you’re even a casual NBA fan you should know what I am referring to.

Tobias Harris, Boban, and Mike Scott to the Sixers for Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala (later traded to the Lakers), Landry Shamet, 2 first round picks, and 2 second round picks.

This trade all but sured up the Sixers future. They are already using the term “Core Four” to describe Embiid, Simmons, Butler, and Harris. They also have come out and made it known that they are planning to sign Butler and Harris to long term deals this summer to keep this team together. Other than the Gasol trade, this is without a doubt the biggest trade of the week. The Sixers starting five is going to be hard to slow down. Butler, Embiid, Harris, and Simmons can all create for themselves with ease, and with that much talent on the court at once, it will be extremely easy for Reddick to get wide open looks behind the three-point line. This team is going to be dangerous and hard to guard in the playoffs. With this trade, the Sixers now have 3 players shooting above 36 percent from long range and Tobias Harris is shooting the best with an insane 43% from distance. If you don’t understand why I am so hype to see this team play the Raptors in the ECF (hopefully), I don’t know how else to spell it out for you.

Of course there were a lot more trades than the ones that I have talked about, but these are the most impactful to me. Based off my trades, it is easy to see that the Eastern Conference was trying to even the talent competition with the Western Conference. Prior to the season, I wasn’t even the slightest bit excited to watch the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Now, my eyes are going to be glued to the TV as soon as possible.

Why the Lakers Should Hold-out on AD Trade

Anthony Davis has been the talk of the NBA for the last 24 hours. Even if you do not watch basketball, you probably know that Davis requested a trade yesterday. At this very moment, about ten to fifteen teams are preparing trade proposals for the three-time All-NBA player. Though this is the case, most of the basketball world is imagining that only one team really has enough attractive assets to entice the Pelicans into accepting a trade. That team is the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Nick Wright on First Things First, the best offer that the Lakers can give to the pelicans consists of Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Lance Stephenson, Ivica Zubac, and 2 future unprotected picks. I, too, believe this is probably the best offer that the Lakers can give to the Pelicans. I have one issue with this proposal: IT IS RUINING THE LAKERS FUTURE!!! Before you jump all over me and say “Davis is a once in a lifetime talent”, let me explain why I feel the way I feel.

If this is the offer the Lakers send to the Pelicans for Davis, the Lakers’ starting five will probably look something like Lebron, Rondo, Davis, Javale, and Hart. This starting lineup could do some damage if they can learn to compliment each other’s playing style before the playoffs begin. As for the depth behind these players…. Let’s just put it this way: They don’t scare anyone. Walton and his staff will probably put together a rotation consisting of the starting five, the old and slow Tyson Chandler, Michael Beasley, and Kentavious Caldwell- Pope. That would put the average age of the eight-man rotation on the wrong side of thirty. There’s no issue with that since they are trying to compete right now. With this lineup, you do not really have to wait for anyone to progress and come into their own. With this lineup, the only real issue is managing minutes and ensuring that none of the older players are overwhelmed with the amount of time they are on the floor. However, this lineup will not win you a championship. This lineup will not be able to keep up Harden and the Rockets, let alone the Golden State Warriors. This lineup would just to hold you over until the next offseason.  If the Lakers decide to trade all of these pieces for Davis and are able to sign Kyrie, Klay, KD, or Kawhi, then they are set. My point is this: what if they can’t? What if they are stuck with Lebron, AD, and a bunch of role players? What if after Lebron’s contract is up, he chooses to retire and you have AD a second tier player, and a bunch of role players? By trading the pieces you planned to build around, you open yourself to that reality. You leave yourself vulnerable to being stuck in an unmanageable situation with no building blocks and no first round picks.

If the Lakers do trade away their future, their best bet is to make one HUGE move in the offseason. According to Nick Wright on First Things First, if the Lakers use his proposed trade, they will have about $31 million in cap space. That is just enough to sign one key player to a near max contract in the offseason. The good news is that if the Lakers are able to obtain Davis, I am sure that they will have a bunch of players looking to jump on the bandwagon. In fact, Klay Thompson has already voiced that he would be willing to join the Lakers if they can take Davis from the Pelicans. Also, it’s not much of a coincidence that now there is speculation that Kyrie Irving will not resign with the Celtics this offseason AND is willing to team up with Lebron again. The trend has slowly begun, the Lakers just have to close the deal. If they can close the deal and sign someone like Klay, Kyrie, Kawhi, KD, or Kemba, then all of my issues with this trade get thrown out of the window. Because if they can sign one of them, especially Kyrie or Kemba, they are set for the next eight to ten years at least.

What do I think the Lakers should do? Well, in my opinion, the Lakers should ride out the rest of the season. They should not make a strong push for Davis until the end of the season. It is believed that the Pelicans are going to hold out on a trade until at least this offseason so that the Celtics can make an offer as well. I know it makes the competition for Davis harder, but it will give the Lakers a chance to see what their current team is really made of. It could also raise the trade value of players like Ingram and Zubac, allowing the Lakers to possibly get away with holding onto one more piece as opposed to giving up everything. To add, even if the Celtics join chase for Davis, the Pelicans would probably want Tatum. The Celtics are very unlikely to offer him unless Davis makes it known that he is open to signing an extension. Thus, pushing things more in the Lakers favor. It also makes sense for the Lakers to just wait it out because it gives them the opportunity to sign Kyrie and trade for Davis in one summer, and get them some playing time early on in the season before the games really begin to count. I ultimately think the success of this hypothetical trade comes down to whether the Lakers can sign another big name in the offseason to add to Lebron and AD. If they can’t this trade would not be a failure per se, but it wouldn’t make as much sense as most people believe it to be.

Disagree? Let me know below. Want to debate other options, maybe some sleeper teams in the competition? I’d be happy to hear your opinion. Just comment below

One of the most debated topics of today’s NBA is, “Who is the Greatest Player of All Time (G.O.A.T)?” There are many different takes on who holds that title. Some say it’s Michael Jordan, some say it’s Lebron James and some throw in arguments for Kobe, Kareem, and Wilt. I personally believe that the GOAT is Lebron James for way more reasons than just the number of rings he has, which is the only real argument for Michael vs. Lebron. With all of these different contenders for the title of “GOAT”, I started thinking: Why are Michael and Lebron the front-runners in this debate? What should we be taking into consideration when we talk about the greatest player of all time? Today, I’m breaking down my unpopular opinion on “What makes a G.O.A.T.”

Unpopular Opinion: The GOAT should be decided by his game and his game alone. 

The greatest player of all time debate should be decided by his ability to play the game, meaning all of the different things that he can do on the court. The best player of all time should be able to impact the game in more ways than one. He should be able to handle the ball in the waning moments of the game, he should be able to attack the boards, he should have a plethora of ways to put the ball in the basket, and most importantly, he should be able to play both sides of the ball at a high level. Too many people today use the number of championships a player has as the main way to determine who the best player of all time is. I think that is preposterous because ultimately winning a championship is a team accomplishment. It is impossible for one player to win a championship on his own. Also, if that was the criteria people wanted to use, then Bill Russell would be the GOAT because he holds the record (11). 

In my opinion, you should be able to strip the GOAT of his best attribute and he should still be able to lead his team to multiple wins. For example, my friend came to me and made a BOLD statement. He said, “Steph Curry is the best point guard to ever play the game.” His main argument was the impact that Curry brings when he’s on the court. I naturally disagreed with him because Curry’s only real threat is his ability to shoot the three. If you examine the stats, when Curry had a bad shooting night (35% or less) from the 3, his team was 10-9 last season (including the playoffs). If you were to take his 3-point shooting away from him, his teams would just barely be above .500. Therefore, making him incapable of being the best point guard of all time. 

A GOAT can win the game even if you strip away his best talent. According to popular belief, Lebron’s best ability is his court vision. His ability to pass out of double teams and always find the open man is second to none. If you were to take away Lebron’s ability to pass the ball, he would be able to take over games through scoring, defense, and rebounding. In games where Lebron had less than 5 assists last season, his team was 7-3. Lebron is still able to dominate games in multiple ways AND win. Kobe Bryant’s most dominant trait on the court is his scoring. In games where Kobe shot less than 30% (09-10), his team was 6-2. Jordan’s biggest on-court impact was in the scoring column as well. Jordan rarely shot under 35% during the 92 season, so I am going to raise it to 40%. In games where Jordan shot less than 40% his team was 9-4. All three of these players are arguably the greatest players of all time. Each one of them is on the Mount Rushmore of basketball and each of them have led their teams to championships in different ways. Throughout their seasons, there are plenty of examples of how they were stripped of their best quality and still able to win the majority of those games. According to this evidence, my criteria of what makes a GOAT stands tall. And that is my Unpopular Opinion.