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Showing posts with the label lakers

Who are the winners and the losers of the 2025 NBA trade deadline?

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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...

What was learned after the 2024 NBA playoff first round?

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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...

Who will advance in the 2024 NBA playoff first round?

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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...

Who will advance in the 2024 NBA Play In Tournament?

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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 ...

Who are the likely 2024 NBA Play In Tournament teams?

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The 2024 NBA Play In Tournament is a few weeks away from begining. These final weeks are crunch time for NBA playoff contending teams. With just a few weeks left, it has become clear which teams will be in the Top 6 in the Eastern and Western Conference. The possible Play In Tournament teams in the Eastern Conference include the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. The possible Play In Tournament teams in the Western Conference include the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, Sacremento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Health and remaining schedules will be key factors during these teams final stretch of games. According to Tankathon, Play In teams including the Suns, Kings, Pacers and Pelicans rank in top 10 most difficult remaining schedules. The Magic, Bulls, Mavericks, Warriors, and Heat rank in top easiest remaining schedules. The Knicks, 76ers, Hawks, Suns, Lakers and Warriors ...

Who are the winners and losers of the 2024 NBA trade deadline?

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The NBA 2024 trade deadline has offically passed and contending teams have made their moves. There were several buyers as expected but much fewer sellers than intended. Winners and losser could describe several NBA teams at this years deadline. The Winners of trade deadline include the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Dallas Mavericks. Each contending team added key role players to their rotations while trading away non rotational role players and low end draft picks. The Knicks improved their bench depth with the additions of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The Sixers added shooter Buddy Hield to their starting five and Cam Payne to their second unit. The Thunder added former star and veteran Gordon Hayward. Lastly, the Dalllas Mavericks improved their roster depth by acquiring six man PJ Washington and big man Daniel Gafford. The LA Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls could be described as the biggest losers of the trade ...

Who will win the 2023 NBA In Season Tournament?

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The final eight teams are set for the NBA In Season Tournament Knock Out Round. The Eastern Conference teams consist of the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. The Western Conference teams consist of The LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns. The Bucks and Lakers finished the group round undefeated with 4-0 records. The rest of the qualified teams finished 3-1 in the their respective groups. In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics will Vs the Pacers in Boston and the Bucks will vs the Knicks in Milwaukee. In the West, the Lakers will vs the Suns in LA and the Kings will vs the Pelicans in Sacramento. It is best believed that final four teams will consist of the Bucks, Celtics, Suns and Kings. The Knicks and Pacers will be heavy underdogs in their matchups against the Bucks and Celtics. The Western matchups could go eitherway as the talent between the four teams are very similiar. All four games could go down to the wire in te...

Which NBA teams are off to concerning season starts?

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The NBA 2023-2024 began a little over two weeks ago. Every NBA team has played nearly 10 games. A big game sample size usually determines the potential success and weeds out the contenders from the non contenders. A slow start to begin a new season is never a good sign. Several NBA teams are off to slow starts. These teams off to slow starts include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chiago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers, LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies. Injuries to All Star players and key role players has impacted the starts to several of the listed teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers have had several injured players in and out of the starting five including Darius Garland and Jarret Allen. The New Orleans Pelicans have seen day to day injuries to Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. CJ McCollum will also miss extended time after suffering a collapsed right lung. The Memphis Grizzlies are without big man Steve Adams for the entire season and will be without Ja Morant for the ...

Which NBA teams face the most pressure entering the 2023-2024 season?

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The 2023-2024 NBA season begins this week. Expectations increase at the highest when a NBA team starts a new chapter. The NBA has recently become more known as a player empowerment league. A league where a star has the power to request a trade at any time. Entering the 2023-2024, there are several NBA All Stars, who could change the league with the power of a trade request. Last season, mid season trade requests from Kevin Durrant and Kyrie Irving helped reshape the Eastern and Western Conferences. The East and West reshaped again following offseason trades of Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday. With the new season comensing, NBA Teams will need to start their season hot and keep their stars happy. Pressure will surely play a factor for contending teams including the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. The thought of trade requests from Joell Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic could negatively impact these franchises presently and going forward. NBA teams c...

What were the 2023 NBA Pre Season takeaways?

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The 2023 NBA Pre Season has come to an end. It is time to analyze the stand outs from the exhibition games. For starters, the Boston Celtics look like a force to be reckoned with. Their big 4 consisting of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis looked dominant in their pre season games. The Milwaukee Bucks duo of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo look they could become the best duo in the NBA. The East might be a two team race but it does not excuse the quality of eastern conference teams. The Philadelphia 76ers did not see James Harden play a single pre season game for them, hoping he can get a trade to the LA Clippers. Teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks struggled defensively in their pre season games, while teams like the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks showed a lot of promise. Out in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns promoted their elite big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. They looked like ...

Has the NBA Christmas Day schedule lost it’s edge?

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The 2023-2024 NBA season begins on October 24th. The Christmas Day NBA schedule has been announced 4 months in advance. Christmas has always been a special day for NBA teams to showcase their talent on the big stage. It is a day to market NBA teams that are high in the power rankings. There are also teams trying to gain recognition through the holiday showcase. This years Christmas Day slate is arguably a carbon copy last years Christmas Day participants. The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Pheonix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies were last year’s Christmas Day teams. The Miami Heat replace the Memphis Grizzlies as the 10th and final team this year. In some ways there are several NBA teams who should feel like they were snubbed. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans are teams wh...

Which NBA team is having the best early offseason?

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Free Agency in the NBA began on June 30th. Several NBA teams have resigned several key players to their organizations. The sports term “run it back” is often used when a team brings back several players from the previous season. A “run it back” season is usually a follow up season with the same cast of players. The LA Lakers have taken that term to heart. To begin their offseason, the Lakers resigned players Rui Hachimura, Austin Reeves and D’Angelo Russell. In addition to retaining key players, the Lakers added Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes as new faces to the club. The depth chart on the LA Lakers has improved and one can only ask if they have any other additional moves coming. What does Lebron James think of his teams offseason? Will he be ready for training camp or contemplate retirement? Each day comes with a new update about each team’s offseason plans.