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 Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Championship exactly one week ago from today. Enough time has passed in order to analyize and reflect on the 2024 NBA Finals. For starters, the Boston Celtics proved to be the better team in comparison to the Dallas Mavericks. Celtics All Star Jaylen Brown was the best player on the basketball court, as he won the NBA Finals MVP award.  The finals exposes the Dallas Mavericks lack of scoring depth. All Star Luka Doncic was the only consistent scorer for the Mavericks. Luka’s co star Kyrie Irving struggled massively throughout the Finals Games. The Mavs role players including PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones were also unable to step up alongside Luka Doncic. The lack of fight was noticable from the Dallas Maverick in two of the four losses. The Boston Celtics playoff run was dominant and will be remembered as one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history. The Celtics finished the NBA playoffs with a 16-3 record. None of the Celtic...

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 ...

The New York Knicks are in the midst of their final six regular season games. The team has struggled while playing undermanned without Allstar Julius Randle and 3&D wing Og Anunoby. The playing undermanned theme will continue in the upcoming NBA playoffs. The New York Knicks recently announced season ending shoulder surgery for All Star Julius Randle. Randle had been out since late January and was hoping to return before the regular season’s end. Several Knick role players have stepped up in Randle’s absense including Donte Divincenzo, Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Isiah Hardenstein. The disappointing Randle news changes the playoff ceiling for the current New York Knicks team. They were expected to be playoff contenders prior to Randle’s January injury. The Knicks have also missed Og Anunoby, who had played just 3 games since returning from elbow surgery. The Knicks will need Anunoby back for the upcoming playoffs. He is not a high volume scorer like Randle but his three point shoo...

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 ...

The Brooklyn Nets are currently one of the worst basketball teams in the 2023-2024 NBA season. They have poorly underachieved, fired their head coach and botched the trade deadline. General Manager Sean Marks is responsible for this poorly constructed Nets roster and failed coaching staff. The Nets 2023-2024 roster is flawed but the team problems date back as early as three years ago. Sean Marks problems as General Manager began in January 2021, the year he traded multiple first round draft picks, future All Star Jarret Allen, role players Carris Levert and Taurean Prince for Super Stars James Harden. The future first round draft picks would go to the Houston Rockets, preventing the Nets from owning their own picks in the future. Just one year later, Sean Marks traded a disgruntled James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for former multi All Star Ben Simmons. Marks could have kept the Nets big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in tact for the 2022 playoffs. He would liste...

The American League and National Championship Series have come to an end after a intense seven game battle. It was the first time since the 2020 postseason where both league championship series went the full distance of seven games. The final results were shocking when reflected upon. The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies were both favorited to go back to the World Series. A rematch between both teams would have marked the first World Series rematch since the 1978 World Series. The thought of a rematch was legitimate once Game 5 was completed. Both the Astros and Phillies were up 3 games to 2 games with one win remaining. The Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks would need to win back to back games on the road. They did just that, eliminating the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies in seven games. The Diamondbacks won their series witch clutch hitting from Katel Marte, Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel. The Diamondbacks starting pitching and bullpen were nearly perfect i...

The MLB 2023 playoffs have progressed into the league championship series. The final four tesms could be considered a shock to many baseball fans. The 2 Seed Houston Astros will take on the 5 Seed Texas Rangers and the 4 Seed Philadalphia Phillies will take on the 6 Seed Arizona Diamondbacks. All four teams finished the regular season with 90 wins or less. The defending champion Houston Astros will be the favorites over the Texas Rangers. Both teams finished with 90 total Wins but the Astros won the AL West Division through a tie breaker. The Astros won many games in 2023 against the Rangers, recently sweeping them in early September. The Rangers will enter the match up with the hottest offense and have gone undefeated thus far into the playoffs. The Rangers have the better offense but the Astros have the better pitching staff. The Rangers will need Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia to lead the way to victory. The Astros will fight fire with fire as Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker...

The MLB second round has come to a close. The Division Series could be summed up with two words: multiple upsets. For the first time in MLB playoff history, two teams who won 100 or more games were swept at the same time. The 90 win Texas Rangers upset the 101 win Baltimore Orioles and the 84 win Diamondbacks upset the 100 win LA Dodgers. Both series felt like total mismatches. The Rangers offense dominated with clutch home runs from Corey Seager, Mitch Garver and Adolis Garcia. The starting pitching from Nathan Eovaldi was at an elite level. The Orioles starting pitching struggled deeply and their offense went cold in games one and three. The Texas Rangers Vs Baltimore Orioles series could be best described as a veteran caliber team out-slugging and out-pitching a young team on the rise. The Arizona Diamondbacks Vs LA Dodgers series could be described as the complete opposite. The Dodgers were the veteran team, who were competely out-played and out-hustled by the up and coming Dbacks....

The playoff format of the MLB has evolved drastically over last the three years. In 2020, the MLB playoffs saw the introduction of the of best of three Wild Card series. All playoff teams played a first round series at the time. A year later, MLB brought back the one game Wild Card matchup. It was a matchup that saw the most negative criticism. The best of three Wild Card series was brought back last year but with a major difference. A change was made where the best two division winners receive a first round bye. The first round bye would negativily impact both National League 1 and 2 Seeds. The 111 win LA Dodgers were upset by the 89 win San Diego Padres and the 101 win Atlanta Braves were upset by the Philadelphia Phillies. Fast forward to 2023 and it appears to be a deja vu scenario. The 101 win Baltimore Orioles and 100 win LA Dodgers are currently down 0-2 in their respective Division Series. The underdog 90 win Texas Rangers and 84 win Arizona Diamondbacks have a chance to sweep ...

The MLB 2023 playoffs has entered the second round. The remaining playoff matchups are all interesting and fairly even matched. The Division Series matchups include the Baltimore Orioles vs the Texas Rangers, the Minnesota Twins vs the Houston Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies vs the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks vs the LA Dodgers. Each series will have it’s key X-factors. The Texas Rangers have several veteran players with playoff experience, including shortstop Corey Seager, second baseman Marcus Semien and starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. This veter caliber team will go up against a young and upcoming team, led by catcher Adley Rutschman, third baseman Gunner Henderson and outfielder Cedric Mullens. Playoff experience and veteran leadership could play huge roles in this playoff series. The Minnesota Twins will face the Houston Astros for the first time since the 2020 playoffs. Both teams look very different since that timeframe. The Houston Astros will be heavily favor...

The Wild Card round of the MLB playoff has come and gone. There were four total Wild Card series sweeps. Each series had its moments of interest and concern. The Texas Rangers pulled off a series upset against the 99 win Tampa Bay Rays. The Rangers outscored the Rays 11-1 in the two games combined. The Rays were outmatched and outplayed on every level of the game. Their offense missed key players including All-Star shortstop Wander Franco, outfielder Luke Raley and former All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe. The loss of these three hitters played a major role in the Rays complete lack of offense. The Rays have now lost 7 straight playoff games dating back to the 2021 Division Series. The Toronto Blue Jays were very similar to their rival Tampa Bay Rays. The Blue Jays were eliminated by the Minnesota Twins in surprising fashion. The Twins broke an 18 playoff game losing streak and won their first playoff series since 2002. Both Wild Card games were close but ended in the same result fo...

The final day of the 2023 MLB regular season is one week away from today. The defending champion Houston Astros are at risk of missing the MLB playoffs for the first time since 2016. They enter Monday just half a game ahead of the Settle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot, with 6 games left to play. The Astros will conclude their regular season with three games against the Seattle Mariners and three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Mariners will try to jump the Astros in the Wild Card standings, while the Diamondbacks will try to clinch the second National League Wild Card during the final series. The Houston Astros are coming off a poor 2-5 homestand, losing two of three games to the Baltimore Orioles and three straight losses to the Kansas City Royals. The Seattle Mariners will play the Texas Rangers for three final games after the Houston Astros Series. The Mariners were recently swept by the Texas Rangers, entering their final series against Houston. This week’s three...

Every sport has at least one dark horse contender that goes under the radar of the fans and the media. The Milwaukee Brewers have arguably been the most slept on team of the 2023 MLB season. The Brewers are currently 20 games over .500, leading the NL Central Division by 7 games and are 4 wins away from clinching the National League 3 seed.  They may not be as heavily star studded as the LA Dodgers and Atlanta Braves but the Milwaukee Brewers can pitch and hit at a high level. The Brewers led by former All-Star Christian Yelich and former CY Young winning Pitcher Corbin Burnes are making a big statement by bringing the Brewer back to relevancy after a disappointing 2022 season. The Brewers are on track to win the NL Central Division for the 3rd time since the 2018 season. However, the MLB playoffs have always been a problem for the Milwaukee Brewers. They lost the 2019 Wild Card game and 2020 Wild Card Series to the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals and LA Dodgers...

There are long shots in every sport. A long shot is a team who is not mathematically eliminated from contention and has a slim chance of hope towards making the playoffs. With 25 games or less to play, there are quite a few playoff long shots. In terms of being a Wild Card, the first two wild cards in both leagues are nearly settled. The first American League Wild Card will either be the Tampa Bay Rays or the Baltimore Orioles. The second Wild Card could either be the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers or Houston Astros. The Toronto Blue Jays are half a game behind the Texas Rangers for the last Wild Card. The long shots in the American League are the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Red Sox and New York Yankees are 4.5 and 8 games behind of the Rangers. The Cleveland Guardians could also be considered a long shot of winning the AL Central Division. They are 6 games behind the Minnesota Twins. The New York Yankees have a easier remaining schedule compared to the Boston Red Sox rem...