Sport Thoughts

Only four teams remain in the 2025 NBA playoffs. The final four include the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves. The rest of the league is watching at home from their couches. With that said, it is offseason mode for twenty-six other NBA franchises. While no trades have been made, a lot could be discussed from now until the 2025 NBA Draft. Several stars and role players could be on the move during and following the June 25th NBA draft. The landscape of the league could be very different in a matter of weeks. Between regular season disappointments, early playoff exits, and injuries, a lot of changes could be on the horizon. For starters, the injuries to stars Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Kyrie Irving will impact the offseasons of the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Dallas Mavericks. Underachieving teams like the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and New Orleans Pelicans could look to trade stars su...

The 2024-25 NBA season is down to the final week left. A lot has happened in the last 6 months among all 30 NBA teams. Injuries, blockbuster trades, and coach firings have all played a role throughout this memorable season. Several playoff contenders have clinched their playoff spot and lived up to their expectations, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Oklahoma City Thunder. There has also been a mix of surprise teams clinching playoff berths after long playoff droughts, including the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets. Seeding is mostly decided in the Eastern Conference, but that is not the case in the Western Conference. In the Eastern Conference, the Play-In Tournament teams are set. The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Miami Heat will battle it out through the Play-In Tournament. Out of the 4 teams, the Miami Heat had the higher expectations entering the season. Their season took a turn following the trade of All-Star Jimmy Butl...

The 2024-2025 NBA Season is down to the final month of regular season play. League wide tanking has risen over the last few weeks entering the month of March. Tanking NBA teams including the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers are sitting starters in and out of the starting lineup on a frequent basis. The inflated injury reports haven gone as far as heavy fines and team investigations. The Utah Jazz were recently fined 100 thousand dollars after sitting former All Star Lauri Markkanen against the Washington Wizards. It has become more and more clear who the tanking teams are and where they stand in terms of draft lottery odds. These tanking teams focusing on draft position include the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Philadalphia 76ers, Charlette Hornets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz. It is clear that NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants to stop league wide tanking. Changing the draft lottery odds would be a great starting point. It is widely known ...

The NBA trade deadline has finally passed, and the league is looking quite different in the last 24 hours. There were blockbuster trades and minor moves. The 2025 NBA trade deadline was perhaps the greatest deadline of all time, as multiple NBA All-Stars, including Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, Zach Lavine, and De’Aaron Fox, were moved. The variation of the winners and losers after the deadline was noticeable. The three biggest winners of the NBA trade deadline include the Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs. The Cleveland Cavaliers gained starting wing Deandre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter entered the deadline as the front runner to win the 6 Man of the Year Award, averaging nearly 19 points per game. The Lakers acquired 5-time All-Star guard Luka Doncic for 10-time All-Star center Anthony Davis. Doncic joins the Lakers with a higher ceiling than Davis, at just 25 years old and a career full of accolades. He is a generational talent, and the Laker...

It is NBA All Star season and the All Star reserves have finally been announced. Like with any sports All Star selection, there are several notable All Star snubs. As previously mentioned, the NBA All Star game consists of 24 selected All Stars. There are a total of 10 starters and 14 reserves selected. The fans, NBA players and the media vote for the starters, while the NBA coaches select the All Star reserves. Often times, majority of the NBA All Stars are selected from top teams in the conference standings. All Star caliber players from sub .500 NBA teams are snubbed often and lack the deserved recognition. Most NBA teams lack several All Stars, as only one or two total players represent their franchise at the Winter Class. The most notable All Star snubs include Lamelo Ball, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, De’Aaaron Fox, Kyrie Irving, Norman Powell, Zach Lavine and Trae Young. These NBA All Star snubs rank in the top 25 scorers, all averaging more than 22 points per game. Each player s...

The half way point has been reached during the 2024-2025 NBA season. The Philidelphia 76ers are without question the biggest disappointment of the 2024-2025 NBA Season. Injuries to star player Joell Embiid and the team’s overall underperformance has led the Sixers finishing the half way point with a 15-26 losing record. They currently sit 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings with no signs of winning improvement. Stars Joell Embiid and Paul George have missed several games during the Sixer’s losing stretch of games. The big three of Joell Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have played just 10 total games together out of the 41 games played. The lack of availability from Embiid, Maxey and George has put a damper in the Sixers championship aspirations. It begs the question how the Sixers front office will manage the team’s trade deadline during the second half of the season. The NBA trade deadline is less than 3 weeks away and the Sixers remaining schedule does not get any eas...

The 2025 NBA All Star game is approaching in the coming weeks. It is around that time where the All Star predictions begin. Like with many All Star games, there are usually several players making their All Star game debut. In the NBA there are a total of 24 players selected as NBA All Stars. Its time to analyze who the potential first time All Stars could be. It is noteworthy that many NBA All Stars are selected from winning teams at the top of each conference. Lets begin with the Eastern Conference. Potential first time All Stars from the Eastern Conference include Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat, Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Derrick White of the Boston Celtics. These potential first time All Stars are averaging career highs in points per game and impacting winning on both sides of the court in the Eastern Conference. Switching to the Western Conference, potential first time All Stars include Victor...

It has been well over a year since the last time a star put out a trade request in the NBA. That recently changed when Miami Heat’s star Jimmy Butler demanded a trade to another destination. Butler’s trade request revolves around a contract extension and the teams roster construction. The drama for the Heat began following the 2023 NBA finals. The Heat led by Jimmy Butler were 3 wins away from winning their first NBA title since 2013. The Heat proceeded to lose the next 3 games to the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets. The 2023 Finals showed a lot of promise from the Miami Heat. They overachieved during their playoff run. They were a title contender, who lacked a third star. Adding a third star would help elevate the Heat’s probability of winning a championship. The team needed to make major moves during the 2023 offseason. However, the Heat made minimal moves and lost several role players from their previous finals team. Fast forward to the 2024 NBA playoffs and Jimmy Butler is injured. Th...

As the holiday season approaches, it is time to analyze the current state of the NBA. While there are several teams finding surprising success including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies; there are many underachieving teams in a state of flux. One could make the argument that these underperforming teams are readying to press the panic button. These disappointing teams include the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns and Sacremento Kings. These four Western Conference teams began the 2024-2025 season with championship expectations. Each team’s struggles have led to poor positioning in the Western Conference standing, falling below 6th place. The underachievement of these teams have also led to several trade rumors. These teams will be forced to buy prior to the NBA trade deadline. Selling is not an option as these teams look to take a leap in the Western Conference standings. A trade could be minimal or drastic depending on the player ...

The NBA Cup Championship game has concluded and the Milwaukee Bucks are crowned a champions. It was one year ago when the Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup Championship. To some fans and the media, the NBA Cup was first looked at as a marketing gimmick during its inaugural season. The Cup games were made in order to increase early season television ratings and limit load management among All Star players. The NBA Cup does not compare to the NBA Finals championship but it does embrace the vibe and emotion of winning the NCAA champion game. The Cup has its own meaning to NBA players and has its own legacy behind the throphys value. Players on the Milwaukee Bucks held the NBA Cup trophy high with pride, knowing that a championship is a championship no matter what the format is. A Superstar player like Damian Lillard can call himself a champion whether the media or the fans like it or not. The Cup allows teams who may not be built to win the NBA Finals championship a seperate opportunity fo...

As the NBA trade deadline approaches in two months, it is time to analyze and examine the trade market. There will be several sellers during the February deadline. Teams open for business will include the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Portland Trailblazers, Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans. There will be several star caliber players and high-end role players on the move between December and February. Star caliber players potentially on the move will include Zach Lavine, Nicola Vucevic, Cam Thomas, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Cj Mccolum Mccollum and Zion Williamson. High-end role players, include Lonzo Ball, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, Malcolm Brogdan, Jonas Valanciunas, Jeremy Grant, Robert Williams, Anfernee Simons, John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton. Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler could the wild card of the trade market. Butler remains on an expiring contract with no contract extention talks on the horrizon. All of these potential trade targets ...

Today begins the early stages of trade season in the NBA. Players who signed during the 2024 offseason are now eligable for trades. Several contendering NBA teams are now in the mix for trade upgrades to their playoff caliber rosters. The question becomes why would a team sell players with over 50 games remaining in the 2024-2025 season. The answer is simple: to tank. The NBA 2025 draft lottery is 5 months away but that wont stop many NBA general managers from selling high or low. Rebuilding NBA teams have a chance to impact their draft lottery odds by selling as soon as possible. Selling early often leads to impacting the number of game losses. For example, the Golden State Warriors traded multiple future second round picks and injured guard Deanthony Melton for Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schroder. The Nets made this trade to impact their season’s tank, while gaining assets for the future. They are now essentialy waving the white flag and no longer foccusing on winning games. Ta...

A new NBA season often allows teams to pick a direction as the season begins. The directions are usually contention or rebuilding. The rebuilding direction often leads to many losses. The losses for rebuilding teams hurt in the standings but often boost draft lottery odds. The odds to win the NBA lottery also leads to league wide tanking. It is becoming more noticable who the lottery teams could potentially be after a 20 game sample size. As previously mentioned, the teams with the worst records are likely to draft high in the lottery. As of early December, the worst teams in the NBA include the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. These five teams are at least 9 or more games under .500. There are also teams rumored to entee to the draft lottery sweepstakes. Teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, and Portland Trail Blazers are also expected to sell off players leading into the NBA trade deadline. Tanking could be a poten...

The 2024-2025 NBA Season began on October 22nd, 2024. Each NBA team has played at least 14 games since opening night. There are a fair amount of surprising teams thus far. In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the biggest surprise team. The Cavs are currently undefeated with a 15-0 record. Their offense and defense has dominated and showed consistency game by game, led by stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. In terms of disappoinment lies the Milwaukee Bucks and Phildelphia 76ers. Both teams are currently sit at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Bucks and Sixers have underperformed and dealt with many injuries. Philadelphia star Joell Embiid has played just 2 total games during the 76ers first 12 games. Khris Middleton has yet to play in a game for the Bucks. Star Giannis Antetokounmpo has shown signs of frustration and disappointment during the Bucks 4-9 slow start. Things could get very ugly for both Eastern Co...

The 2024-2025 NBA season has arrived. It was a long 4 months since the conclusion of the NBA finals. Several teams made impactful free agent signings and trades during the Summer offseason. It is time to predict the Eastern and Western Conference standings. Begining in the East, it is best believed that the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks will finish as the top 4 teams. The superstars of Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Joell Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo will dominate the league. Mid tier teams including the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat should also play well enough to make the playoffs. As for the West, the top of the conference should be led by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Each team has their own MVP canidate including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards. There will be many playoff worthy teams battling in a deep confer...

The 2023-2024 NBA playoffs have reached its final chapter: the NBA Finals. The Dallas Mavericks will take on the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA finals. The series will be one of better finals matchups in recent Finals history. The Boston Celtics coasted to the NBA Finals, beating contending teams missing All Stars and key role players. The Celtics eliminated the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler, the Cleveland Cavaliers without Donovan Mitchell and the Indiana Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton. Some people will argue that the Celtics had the easiest path to the NBA finals in NBA History. The Mavericks had a difficult path to the NBA finals compared to the Celtics path. They were the underdog in all three playoff series, eliminating the 4 Seeed LA Clippers, 1 Seed Oklahoma City Thunder and 3 Seed Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks showed road dominance as they won several of their playoff games as the away team. The battle of the Super Stars and supporting cast will be the main theme of...

The second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs has finally concluded. Much was learned following the advancement and eliminations of the remaining playoff teams. Starting in the Eastern Conference, the 1 Seed Boston Celtics eliminated the 5 Seed Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games. The Celtics had the upperhand through out the series, as the Cavs were missing injured former All Star Center Jarret Allen for all 5 games played. The Cavs were a lot missing injured All Star Donovan Mitchell for games 4 and 5. The Celtics were missing injured former All Star Center Kristaps Porzingis, but his injury did not matter. The Celtics outplayed the Cavs in a gentelman’s sweep. The injuries got the worst of the Cavs, as they were outmatched by the Celtics. The 6 Seed Indiana Pacers eliminated the 2 Seed New York Knicks. The series went the full distance of 7 games. Injuries once again defined the match up, as the Knicks were missing several supporting role players. Injuries to Power Forward Og Anunoby, Center...

The first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs has offically concluded. Eight NBA teams have advanced to the semi finals and eight teams have gone home. A lot was learned about these playoff teams closing out their series. Starting in the Eastern Conference, the 1 Seed Boston Celtics eliminated the 8 Seed Miami Heat in 5 games. The match up was a deep mismatch as the Heat poorly struggled to score the ball without injured stars Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. It was a series loss that could lead to many changes this offseason. Next, The 2 Seed Knicks eliminated the 7 Seed Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games. The series was nearly neck and neck but exposes the 76ers and Knicks inconsistent supporting cast. A Game 7 was with in seconds of being forced. However, Josh Hart hit a Game 6 clinching 3 pointer, helping the Knicks advance past the 76ers in triumphant fashion. In term of a series upset, The 6 Seed Indiana Pacers eliminated the 3 Seed Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games. The Bucks were missing their in...

The stage is set for the 2024 NBA Playoffs. All 16 teams have been established following the conclusion of the NBA Play In Tournament. Some of these playoff matches will be predictable, while others are evenly matched and questionable. Starting in the Eastern Confefence, the 1 Seed Boston Celtics will face the 8 Seed Miami Heat. This matchup will be rematch of last years Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics will be considered the heavy favorites, as they improved their current roster during last offseason and finished with the best record in the NBA. The Miami Heat will also be missing injured All Star Jimmy Butler. The 2 Seed New York Knicks will face the 7 Seed Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks and 76ers series could go both ways as both teams have dealt with injuries to key rotational players. The Knicks will be missing injured All Star Julius Randle, while the 76ers will play All Star Joell Embiid, who not 100% healthy. That series could come down to 7 games, where the Knicks will h...

Sunday afternoon concluded the 2023-2024 NBA season. The final day of the regular season would reveal the final seedings of the NBA playoff and play in picture. In the Eastern Conference; The Philadelphia 76ers will host in the Miami Heat, while the Chicago Bulls will host the Atlanta Hawks. In the Western Conference; The New Orleans Pelicans will host the LA Lakers, while the Sacremento Kings will host the Golden State Warriors. The 76ers, Heat, Pelicans and Lakers will have at least two chances to reach the playoffs. The Bulls, Hawks, Kings and Warriors will enter win or elimination matchups. The Philadelphia 76ers Vs Miami Heat matchup could go eitherway as both teams will play with healthy rotations. The same availibility could be said about the LA Lakers Vs New Orleans Pelicans matchup. Those matchups will come down to levels of talent and playoff experience. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks will battle while missing several rotation players. The Bulls will be without All Star ...