2026 NBA Offseason Grades: Northwest Division

DENVER NUGGETS: B

The Nuggets have acquired the services of DeMar DeRozan, which is a quality pickup.  I would even argue that he's an upgrade over Watson, even though they're different types of players.  DeMar is more resilient and proven.

But it looks like, based on preliminary suggestions, that they may actually bench him on behalf of Christian Braun.  If that's true, that means both Westbrook and DeRozan, i.e. one lock and one probable future HoFer, would have been benched in favor of Braun.  Please, someone make sense of that to me.

I think Lonnie Walker IV was also a solid acquisition.  But unless you're a fan of nostalgia, I really don't see any need to get excited about Denver from the jump though, with DeMar, it is possible they'll overachieve.

The bench, regardless if he or Christian leads the second unit, is nothing to write home about.  But I guess, all things considered, the braintrust did the best they could.  Losing Watson kinda sucks, but not really, after it was revealed, reading in between the lines, that he wasn't overly committed to the organization.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: A

It remains to be seen if the Wolves have gotten better.  Kuminga for Reid and Ball for Conley + Randle are like equal tradeoffs on paper.  But I agree with other pundits that it was better for Minny to do something (drastic) rather than standing pat.  Looking at the signs last postseason, you don't want to risk a situation where Edwards may decide to force his way out.  And things have definitely improved in that, besides Philly (and San Antonion, I guess), so long as they're healthy, the T-Wolves are the only other team that's must-watch, win or lose.  Building that kind of roster, without Lebron or Wemby, is something to be applauded.

OKC THUNDER: A-

The NBA is more injury prone than ever, and likewise having insurance (i.e. a deep roster) is also more ideal than ever.  But I like the fact that the Thunder have trimmed down, because even though all those moving pieces were intimidating, they weren't as good as a lot of people thought.

That championship they won, it's arguable they wouldn't have (despite homecourt advantage) if Haliburton didn't get hurt.  And last season, deep roster and all, they lost in the WCF anyway.  Yes, I know Williams was hurt (and they rushed him back) and one of those redundant yet effective wing dudes was also injured.  But not being able to survive a couple of injuries defeats the purpose of being that deep to begin with.  And also, as fans, we could use more Alex Caruso and Jared McCain.

But I guess the one downside is people now believing that Holmgren is overrated, yet OKC failed to acquire any additional, notable bigs to back him up.  I don't necessarily feel that way.  I believe Chet is so tall that Wemby is the first time he ever faced anyone whose actually taller.  He lost his biggest advantage, so it's a learning curve.  Dude may have that Ryan Reynolds' head, but he's still a child.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: A-

I like the fact that Portland acquired Morant and also that they've retained the services of Scoot, for what it's worth.  This is a deep and formidable, albeit undersized, G core, especially if Lillard returns anywhere near his previous, perennial-allstar form.  It's also balanced, like you have two elders and then two younger bucks.  They could be a surprise team.  But at the same time, it doesn't necessarily appear as if they're vying for a championship.  Or let's say that, if they are expecting to win it all, then the onus has once again been placed on Damian, despite his age and injury history.

UTAH JAZZ: C

Last season, the Jazz were being advertised as a team who, despite sucking since the departure of Spider + Gobert, would finally have their shit together this coming season, or in the very least a frontline to look forward to in Markannen + Jackson Jr. + Kessler, buttressed by a young, promising G core.  And just like that, with the departure of Walker, the vision has evaporated.

Meanwhile, I'm looking at the roster like okay, a lot of these younger dudes I don't really know.  But it's like, who cares?  Has progress been achieved, as envisioned in February?  I'm surprised a braintrust led by Danny Ainge is mired in mediocrity like this.  Maybe he shoulda stayed in Boston.

CONCLUSION

A couple of teams in this division, i.e. Minnesota and Portland, have made powermoves as compared to last season's rosters.  And since the conference has gotten weaker in general, a sleeper or two will inevitably emerge out West.  But none in this division have clearly upgraded besides, fingers crossed, the Blazers.  And the only indisputable contender, as it currently stands, is of course OKC.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 7)

 THE PACERS HAVE EARNED MY RESPECT

A week or so, after taking the Eastern Conference and maybe a game or two in the Finals, Haliburton was talking about how the Pacers have been underestimated all season long, how many critics considered their success of last year a "fluke" and shit like that.  I was thinking like man, dude must've been reading this blog, because that's exactly how I felt about Indiana's 2024 postseason showing and to some extent this year's also.  But dudes have now firmly earned my respect, for what it's worth.  IMO, there's no reason to believe if Tyrese didn't get hurt or whatever, they probably would have taken Game 7, in OKC.

Obviously though, this is a team that needs and upgrade or two.  If Haliburton is incapacitated, you can't put the onus on Siakim because he's too old in NBA years, and frankly put, even though Pascal is a star, he's never been a superstar.  You know, he ain't KD type shit.  But dude really tries.

I'm also hoping that Myles Turner sticks around.  Yes, it's frustrating at times seeing the biggest man on the team, especially one as mobile as he is, going through stretches where he has like zero impact.  But if they retain Turner, instead going out trying to fill a specific position, their roster is such that Indy can just go for whoever is the best free agent on the market.  But ideally yes, they would make an addition that'd edify the frontcourt, preferably a big who like rebounds and plays defense.  Why not?  The Thunder - and especially Jalen Williams - were like killing them in the interior.

HALIBURTON FALTERS

No disrespect, but I was looking forward - one way or another - to Tyrese proving ineffective in Game 7.  I thought it was going to be something like the crowd getting in his head.  Instead he came out the gate ultra-hot, easily looking like the best player in the contest, and then fucked up his ankle at like totally the worst time.

To some extent, I think there are legitimate questions as to just how much an "MVP" SGA is, you know, how much he deserves that title, because in the grand scheme of it all Haliburton has been more or less playing just as well, up until Game 7.  You know what I'm saying?  There were games during this series where you're like 'is SGA really MVP'?

"THE FUTURE OF THE NBA"

You now have these news outlets dubbing OKC and Indy 'the future of the NBA', with the current youth movement being something I first predicted at least three years ago.  But anyway.... if niggas is playing in the Finals and winning championships and shit, obviously they're the present, not the future.

The Thunder, in my humble opinion, didn't overly impressed.  I'm genuinely convinced that the Pacers had OKC's fandom shook more than vice versa.  That's one of the advantages of being the underdog - there isn't as much pressure to succeed, so to speak.  But still, even if Indiana did proceed to win the championship, it would've been hard to argue that the Pacers' roster is superior.  It's more like Indy just had the bigger heart, which is understandable considering the road they took to get here. 

Indy relied more heavily on the three which, as the series progressed, did appear as the preferable strategy, so long as the shots were going in.  I was hoping that, given the size of OKC, the Finals would prove the end of the smallball era.  Obviously that's not going to happen just yet, if ever.  But I think it did reaffirm that size does matter as teams, such as the Thunder, rely on drives and midrange shots.  In other words, if other squads don't have the adequate size/talent to defend the key (which most don't), it's going to be virtually impossible to dethrone the defending champs.

IS OKC OVERRATED?

I know that's a funny question to ask, considering they just won the championship.  But I think they are overrated in the sense that many of us presumed, or I guess you can say assumed they'd best the Pacers more convincingly.

The Thunder also seems to have issues sometimes maximizing all of the major pieces on their roster, which isn't really anything new, as I remember last postseason Josh Giddey getting lost in the sauce.  I'm not saying that anyone was neglected in 2025 per se, but again, you have to believe this team could have played better - or perhaps smarter - during the Finals.  Like I don't foresee Mark Daigneault winning COY anytime soon.  If you have a team who, on paper, is better than everyone else, than you're not just supposed to win games; you're supposed to dominate.

But I guess now that the roster is used to each other, we'll really see what's up next season.  I'm looking forward to dudes, if healthy, winning 70 games next year.  Like I hope more pundits start calling out their less-than-stellar performance rather than dickridin.  Now that OKC has won a championship, they'll prolly need that extra encouragement to stay motivated.

It'd be cool if Chet Holmgren especially learned how to play better or more consistently in the post.  Maybe he will, as he ages and get fatter(?).  These days, it's like you have to push bigmen to bang down low, to take advantage of their size instead of relying on jumpers, and you don't want to wait until too late, kinda like how the Cavs have done with Mobley.  Conclusively, OKC could really benefit, imo, from adding some versatility to their offensive style/strategy, because dudes may have struggled more than they should have versus Indy.

SHOUTOUT TO LU DORT

Speaking of being lost in the sauce, Dort is probably the fifth or sixth most-popular name on OKC, but he's like their glue guy.  Lu may never be like a star in his own right, but in the grand scheme of things he's just as important to this roster as anyone outside of SGA and Williams and is arguably just as important as the latter.  He's the one who, when defenders are paying so much attention to the stars, can do unexpected shit that like changes the momentum.

A GOOD, SCRAPPY WHITE

If I were able to put together my own NBA team, the rotation would definitely have to include a scrappy White, and I'm not talking about any of those European sissies.  I mean an American whiteboy like T.J. McConnell, Alex Caruso, Tyler Herro if you want to take a more 'civilized' approach or even Austin Reeves, who's been developing swag of late.

As for McConnell, I'd have to presume these Finals raised his stock significantly.  He's far from being a max player, and he's also kinda old in NBA years.  But more than anyone on the Pacers' roster, based on the Finals, he deserves more burn next season.  More importantly, he's proven to be exactly the type of player you want on your team during big games.  He's a small, unpretentious Whiteboy - so much so that even if T.J. scores 40 points, it'd still be difficult for the opposing defense to focus on him.  McConnell played better than Haliburton in at least two games during this series, but the D could never rationalize giving him the full Haliburton treatment.

There's a headline currently circulating insinuating that T.J. was like crying or some shit after losing Game 7.  It's hard to imagine what, from a professional perspective, would compel someone being paid $10mil/year to play basketball to cry, you know, in public even.  But that just goes to show not only how much dude wanted to win but how much he believed they could have won, even without their star.

And speaking of American whiteboys, you know, I never seen Cooper Flagg play, but I hope he knows or learns how to scrap.  He's going to need that playing alongside the likes of AD and Klay.  Coming into the NBA as an American white, you're already an underdog.  That's one of the reasons, I believe, that Cooper has gone from being unanimously considered to be the next big thing to now analysts saying 'who knows how he'll pan out against the big guys'.  Learn from Alex Caruso; learn from McConnell my nigga.  A lack of athleticism can be mitigated by doggedness.

THE RISE OF THE TALL POINTGUARD

I'm sitting here ruminating over that stupid-ass Desmond Bane trade and thinking to myself that yes, the Magic could've used an upgrade at point, but they needed one more in the interior.  Pointguard is the most stacked position in the NBA, like the easiest one to fill with a proficient player.  Why?  Because more people are playing basketball these days, and most of us are normal-sized, not giants.

But on the surface, the NBA is getting taller, not shorter.  The game may have transitioned more towards the three, with guards traditionally being better shooters.  But now, as compared to the past, people no longer believe that really-tall dudes are like too dumb to dribble type shit.

If you look at this year's Finals, you'll see that Haliburton is listed at 6'5" and SGA 6'6".  Even looking at those dudes on TV, you can tell they're lengthy, like tall enough to reasonably play SF (in today's NBA).

Contrast this with back in the days, when tall points like Magic Johnson were considered anomalies.  Even into the 21st century, PGs like Shaun Livingston and Michael Carter-Williams stood out due to their height.  Now, we have a Finals with two tall starting points, and like no one even blinked twice.  Meanwhile, this may have been the first time in history something like that happened, i.e. both starting points being taller than 6'5".

Most of the PGs in the NBA are still short, relatively speaking, but maybe we're witnessing the start of something new.  It isn't unfathomable to imagine, say, Wemby and Holmgren one day being on the same team.  Lu Dort, at the 2 (and listed at 6'4") is the shortest starter in OKC.  Just something to think about, once again headed into next season.  If you want to beat these guys, throwing all your disposable assets at Desmond Bane (listed at 6'5", tho he obviously isn't that tall) probably isn't the (complete) answer.

SHOUTOUT TO JOSH GIDDEY

I always wonder how it feels to be a starter on a team, get traded, and then the very next season the team wins a championship, like what happened to DeMar DeRozan.  Well, the same thing just happened to Josh Giddey, whom the NBA world seems to have more or less forgotten about (probably by design, all things considered).  Those two situations were kinda different because, I don't think anyone would argue that DeRozan is better than Kawhi.  But with Giddey, it's not like Caruso isn't necessarily better - a better fit in OKC, yes, but probably not better all-around.

That was just one of a couple of shrewd moves the Thunder made last offseason to get to this point.  It'll be interesting to see what they do this summer, if anything, but even moreso with the Pacers.  I don't envy Indiana, because one of the worst predicaments you can be in as an NBA team chasing a championship is reliant on a superstar who is, well, unlucky health-wise.  It's funny because, if you would have asked me just a week ago, I was on the verge of even concluding that Tyrese is blessed type shit.  But this goes to show how you can't take nothing for granted.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 4)

I finally got around to watching the highlights from Game 4, and I would say the biggest mistake the Pacers made down the stretch, with about 30 seconds left in the game, down by 4 with approximately 10 seconds on the shot clock, was having Turner shoot a three instead of Haliburton.  But it wasn't all Myles's fault, because Tyrese, if he really wanted the ball like that, would've bolted out to the perimeter, away from defenders, after passing the rock to Turner.

The media has been making it sound like SGA was the big hero of the game.  He made some tough shots, as usual, but it wasn't really like that.  But I guess that's how it is when you're MVP, like your name always has to be mentioned in the headlines.  Meanwhile, Jalen Williams proved just as important down the stretch, not to mention Chet Holmgren and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Lu Dort.

The Thunder basically won on fouls and free throws.  I would further go on to say that the officials were on their side but not go as far as to proclaim, based on the small sample I've seen, that the game was rigged.  The NBA powers-that-be probably don't favor either team, but I would presume that a longer series benefits the league financially.

Everyone thought Indiana were just going to get their asses kicked, but it hasn't been like that, at all.  These victories have been down-to-the-wire affairs, to the point where I can no longer definitively say that OKC is the better team.  They have a superior or better-rounded roster but don't have that type of offensive firepower the Pacers have become known for.  Indiana's offense has really impressed, matching up with the best defense in the league.

Speaking of which, another pivotal play was when Andrew Nembhard, with about 2:30 left in the game, for whatever reason decided to drive to the basket, even though he was being firmly defended by Alex Caruso, and Holmgren, the best shotblocker in the series, was lingering right there under the rim.  That was a very poor decision in a contest of this magnitude, even though the other four Pacers on the court, all of are noticeably taller than Nembhard, were lingering behind the three-point line, as if they didn't really want the ball.  Maybe the Pacers actually called an isolation play for Andrew, which again, all things considered, would be stupid.

SHOUTOUT TO ALLEN IVERSON

I intend to write an article in the near future the about most-influential NBA players of the last five decades, of which I only intend to mention like three or four, not the most-popular or winningest per se but those who actually changed the way the game is played.  One of the handful of people to make that list, the only one who didn't win a championship, is Allen Iverson.  And I was thinking about him because you see a couple of players on OKC wearing those forearm braces.  That's a style that AI brought to the NBA, not to mention the cornrows which, due largely to his influence, went on to become a society-wide cultural phenomenon, not just one practiced in the NBA or basketball circles.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 3)

Everybody's been talking about how it isn't a good idea for the Pacers to allow the Thunder to build up a big lead early in the game.  But it also isn't wise to be down by anything close to 10 points in the fourth quarter against Indiana at home, complete with a confident Tyrese Haliburton.  You're not likely to overcome those odds.

Chet Holmgren once again showed why he's perhaps the most-unique player in this series, and the Pacers' interior defense, like most teams in the league these days, sucks.  But also like most teams these days, the Thunder play like they don't know how to capitalize on a size advantage.

That said, if the Pacers themselves play a more versatile game, i.e. using their bigs in the post more during Game 4, they may be able to deliver a knockout punch.  They've re-established control of the series, but honestly it still kinda difficult to declare them forthrightly as the better team.

One thing I say about the NBA is that, in theory, any team can beat any other team.  "You have to be in it to win it", as the saying goes, and you know, you can't actually beat Lebron unless you first on the right of being on the court with him.  The way the Pacers have been winning this offseason, now facing their third opponent in a row who is, all things considered, superior, kinda gives the impression that their winning was meant to be.

SHOUTOUT TO T.J. MCCONNELL

Besides for Haliburton, Turner, Siakim and Toppin (and to a lesser degree Thomas Bryant), the only other Pacer I'm sorta familiar with is T.J. McConnell.  And again, an overachiever.

The biggest fantasy of any basketball nobody, even those of us reading this blog, is to one day make an impact in a big, championship-level game.  You can't really ask for more as a C-lister.  And at the end of the day, that may be the one biggest advantage Indy has over OKC.  Their role players like really-really step up.  There are stretches when Indiana's big three aren't really doing shit, but the team is being carried by someone you like never heard of.  And that includes Obi Toppin.  The only reason I really know who he is because he used to play for the Knicks.  Meanwhile, OKC's role players also step up from time to time, but they don't like takeover games.

Meanwhile, you have dudes like Mathurin, like whodafuk is that nigga?!  Dude's first name is deadass "Benedict".  And then, remember that time Neismith dunked on Mitchell?  I don't like using the term 'catching a body' in reference to someone getting dunked on, but Neismith deadass bodied Donovan Mitchell during Round 2.  When you look at Neismith and Mathurin, they have like average NBA player height, build and color.  But again, overachievers.

All things considered, it's hard to make suggestions on how OKC can right their ship, if such is actually necessary.  Again, Indy winning a couple of games doesn't instantly make them the better team.  Me being the type of analyst I am, I would say that the Thunder need to focus more on their height advantage.  But again, teams don't even know how to do that these days.

I BELIEVE IN 'THE GREAT WHITE HOPE'

As a longtime fan of the NBA, I know that No. 1 draft busts are a lot more common than outsiders may think.  So I understand, all things considered, how there's a significant amount of skepticism surrounding Cooper Flagg.  I would like to think, in part due to this blog, that the days of blind dickridin are over, or at least they may be as far as draftees are concerned.

But I believe Flagg is going to make an immediate impact and may thrust the Mavericks back into contender status.  The reasons I believe so is because:

#1 - The NBA powers-that-be more or less gave him to the Mavericks.  The way I see it, Cooper was too popular to let him go to some middling organization.  You know, live and learn.  I think the NBA now understands that a popular draftee who is chosen by a poor organization may result in irreparable damage to that player's standing, and that's not good for business.  All because Flagg is good doesn't mean he'll prove to be a franchise player like out of the gate.  He doesn't come off as being a Shaq or a Duncan, but he reads like exactly the type of player this roster needs, even more than a PG.

Most No.1 picks come into the league with a significant amount of pressure.  Remember how Cade Cunningham was expected, at least by fans, to instantly turn the Pistons around.  That's not the case with Flagg.  From the jump, he's going to be protected by AD, arguably the second-best C in the league, besides being backed by future HOFer Klay Thompson and a Dallas roster overall that's above average.  If they suck this season or otherwise disappoint (which I doubt, since they have favoritism from the NBA), there's bigger names of the list to serve as scapegoat than Cooper.

# 2 - He's White.  In fact, having now followed the NBA for 30+ years, I can't remember even once that a White American player was a consensus No.1 pick.  Off the top of my head, I can't even recall a White American player being a lottery pick.  So again, the league wasn't about to let this one go to waste, you know, being drafted by the Wizards or some other organization that doesn't excel at player development.  And also, if he were drafted onto the Pelicans or some shit, you know, do they even have any nationally-televised games scheduled for next season?

# 3 - Cooper Flagg is classified as a wing, but he has the size of a PF, and the way things are sounding is that Dallas intends to use him as a big.  I would say it's a lot easier to excel in the frontcourt than the backcourt, so long as you can rebound and shoot, both of which he's apparently exceptional at.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 1)

FUK IS CHET?

While watching the highlights from Game 1, the thing that kept playing in my mind is 'where is Chet Homlgren?'  Like why aren't the Thunder going to him more?  They de-factored him, basically.

Either Indiana outsmarted OKC, or OKC outsmarted themselves. They got sucked into sort of a fast-paced, athletic game.  The Thunder can run with the best, but still, downsizing their strategy to match the Pacers' speed wasn't particularly smart, almost like they forgot what got them here in the first place.  Holmgren may be hell of a basketball player, but he isn't necessarily fast and athletic.  The Pacers' win wasn't overly convincing, in terms of them proving that they're actually a better team, but they did win the mind game.

To my knowledge, Isaiah Hartenstein has been starting throughout the entire Playoffs.  So why now all of a sudden they decide to bring him off the bench?  Are the Pacers truly that intimidating, that you have to change what works, and then still lose?  At least lose a game with the proven starting lineup before making changes.

THE SIZE FACTOR?

The one clear advantage OKC has over Indiana, all things considered, is their size.  The Pacers aren't exactly small themselves, but since Myles Turner doesn't play like a traditional C, nor Obi Toppin like a standard big, still there's a size advantage.

It may be debatable how much size is truly advantageous against a team that not only favors the three but also tends to make them.  But again, let the Pacers actually beat the bigs before concluding that the starting lineup needs to change.  Now, if OKC does roll out the starting bigs in Game 2 and lose again, oh my goodness, confidence shaken.

The thing about the Pacers is that there's so many guys you have to keep your eye on.  You have these long stretches where like Tyrese Haliburton doesn't really seem to do shit.  Sometimes, it looks like he's even hiding. like 'please don't pass me the ball'.  But when they need him most, he shows out and succeeds.  If Indiana also wins Game 2, you know, on some last-second play type shit, the "miracle" implications are going to reach a whole new level.

SHOUTOUT TO OBI TOPPIN

Of all the players in this series, the one I would like see win a championship most is Obi Toppin, not saying I necessarily want Indy to win, but still.  He was one of the first players, upon the Knicks recently going into GM Lebron mode, who ended up being devalued and eventually 'traded to the Pacers for two future second-round picks', despite being a NY fan favorite.  Damn, the disrespect.

SHOUTOUT TO PASCAL SIAKIM

Pascal Siakim isn't necessarily what you would call a superstar.  Like he seemed, after a hot start, to sorta fade away as Game 1 wore on.  But that hot start was exactly what the Pacers needed, like 'yeah, it is possible to beat OKC in the Finals on their homecourt'.

Pascal is aging, but he's always been more or less a supporting star anyway.  And that's the thing about Indiana, like their entire roster is made up of (overachieving) supporting players.  Even Haliburton, you know, he may be "Steph of the East", but he isn't like a deadass Steph, like he hasn't reached (prime) Curry's level of consistency yet, if ever.

These guys all like compliment each other well.  The mark of a good team isn't when all players are perfect but rather when they mitigate each other's deficiencies.  OKC is also like that, to some degree, but they need to stick to the gameplan, win or lose, that got them here.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 16)

DENVER NUGGETS (3) vs OKC THUNDER (3)

At this point to be honest I'm kinda hoping that the Thunder win, because I'm just sorta tired of seeing Denver.  I heard one of the commentators say that Murray + Jokic have now been teammates for eight (consecutive) years, and I mean, who does that in the NBA anymore?  Are we now going back to the old days, before videogame GM mode?

If the Nuggets are out there straight dominating dudes, okay.  But if they have to struggle, you know what I mean?  They won a championship just a season ago actually, and you know, whereas dudes are old, they ain't old like that.

But it's like if they wanted to keep the world's interest, then they should have won or at least made it to the Finals last season also.  Besides having Michael Jordan, the 1990s' Bulls were able to say popular because they kept winning.  Now I see that when a team falls off and someone else comes up and take the top spot, it's like they lose some popularity points.  Jokic is arguably "the best player in the world", but he isn't particularly marketable.  Dude needs to drop like a rap video or some shit.

I like watching Rudolph play.  He's like a really big PF or a point-center, as I like to sometimes call him.  You see teams like the Cavs and Knicks and even to some degree OKC running two Cs at the same time.  That's the point I'm trying to make.

I hope this offseason, Denver finally makes some like major roster changes, whether they win a championship or not, because the clock is ticking, if not already expired.  Westbrook is a spark of energy, but sometimes I see why people say he's too erratic.  So I mean more of that Draymond type of swag, dudes who can like bang with Jokic in the post while not sacrificing their own game.

Man do I love me some Chet "Deadpool" Holmgren.  "White Wemby" looks like someone took Ryan Reynolds and stretched him out by a foot.  Remember that, two or three seasons ago, Wembanyama was actually drafted before Chet, but the latter was lucky enough to land on a team on the rise with an exceptional braintrust .  He's had more opportunity, so to speak.  That said, I intend to write something soon about the Spurs, i.e. them being 'lucky' in the 2025 Draft; Trump forcing Popovich to retire, etc.

BOSTON CELTICS (2) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (3)

When Tatum got hurt and I said that now it's almost inevitable the Knicks will win the series, let me reiterate that I wasn't predicting that NYK would win Game 5, even though they were quote/unquote supposed to.  And with that said, it wouldn't be all that mind-blowing if they did go on to lose the series, because this is, after all, the New York Knicks.  That's a statement you prolly wouldn't understand unless you were unfortunate enough to grow up in New York and thus be a lifelong Knicks' fan by default.

Being a Knicks' fan is not like, say, rooting for the Wizards.  With the Wizards, you already know to expect like failure and mediocrity type shit.

Contrastingly, the Knicks are or were the most-valuable team in the NBA.  That's another way of saying that they're not short on money and furthermore, as us fans know, aren't afraid to spend it.  So most seasons they're able to field exceptional rosters, just for us to sit back and watch them flunk in one way or another.  Lauren Hill was talking about that shit way back in 1996, and to this day, almost 30 years later, they still haven't brought home the Larry O'Brian.

Let me also reiterate that there has never been a consensus on who's better between Brown and Tatum.  Jayson is more marketable within the context of, let's say Western culture.  But remember that last season, when they won a championship, Jaylen was better throughout and won Finals MVP.  I theorize that's why last summer with Team USA, Steve Kerr was like f*k Tatum, not that Brown is better, but he did deserve to be there more.

These dudes are the best SG-SF tandem since Jordan + Pippen, but one is not convincingly better than the other.  And my point is that, the Knicks can choose to fall asleep if they want.

The NY Post is reporting that, you know, there's a lot of energy in NYC right now, in hopes that dudes put the Celtics to bed tonight at the Garden.  To some degree I understand that anxiety, because remember that, Tatum or not, they do have homecourt advantage, and if this series goes back to Boston, smh.

If the Knicks do win this series, you know, they need to blow Boston out.  Otherwise, considering how difficult a time they're having, it's not really anything for NYK to celebrate imo, winning two games on last second plays and then struggling to beat dudes with their star player out.  The Knicks never give their fans an opportunity to relax.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) vs MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (4)

As far as I'm concerned, even though we're now two years after the fact, all things considered - such as them since going after aged players like CP3 and Jimmy Butler - when Golden State traded away Jordan Poole a couple of seasons ago, they also traded away their future.  I like Jonathan Kuminga, but the idea of him, Podz and Moody leading the next generation of Warriors, given this team's standard of like the winningest of the last decade, that prospect doesn't really make me feel comfortable.

Poole, he may not be as good as I thought he was, but he did have that magic while in Golden State (i.e. "the Ewing effect") and was the on-court senior, the leader, amongst all the young dudes.  Who's their young consensus leader now?

Trading him away because Draymond punched him and all that shit, why is everyone so afraid of Draymond?  Either discipline Green or forget about the incident, but in any event move on.  Butler is a better player than Poole, but that doesn't mean he fits better in the Dubs' run-and-chuck system.

And going back to this idea of seeing aged cores play together over multiple seasons, I mean I'm not super exicted about the prospect of Steph and Draymond once again teaming up.  Grabbing Butler, on the surface, was a masterful move.  It's not far fetched to believe that since they do have Curry, if he didn't injure himself or whatever, like dudes could've made it all the way to the Finals.

But who is it that actually believed or gambled that the older timers would endure like that?  That's the problem with teams like Golden State and to some degree even the Cavs, lack of contingency plans.  Meanwhile you have a team like Boston who's most popular goes down, but their opponent is still nervous lol.

2024-2025 Offseason Grades (Northwest Division)

DENVER NUGGETS: A

I like to refer to Russell Westbrook as "the ScapeGOAT".  Pound-for-pound, he's perhaps the best player in NBA history in terms of overall skillset.  Yet every time a team he's on underperforms, it's Russell's fault.  That was even true after KD bounced on the Thunder even though, all things considered, there was no way they were going to win a championship after that.

I have a lot of respect for KCP.  He's obviously one of the better role players when it comes to palpably contributing.  But him being better than Russell Westbrook?  C'mon, man.

The Nuggets are a team which, besides Jamal Murray, tends to appear too lethargic at times.  Ideally, the energetic Westbrook will be able to mitigate that.

Dario Saric is also an underrated player.  And as for Christian Braun, at least now he'll really get a chance to prove himself, you know, like over the long term.  So I'm feeling what Denver has done this offseason.  If nothing else, they will give fans a slightly different look.  And you know, sometimes when you lose like they did in the postseason, trying to evolve is preferable to standing pat while key free agents bounce.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: D

Minnesota tore my heart out during the postseason, going that far and then losing to the Mavericks, even though the Wolves had the height and also arguably the depth advantage.

The issue, imo, is that Minny needs a faster, and let's say younger starting PG.  I'm pretty confident that Conley, back in his heyday, would have been able to more or less contain Luka (as best as anyone could), and he did have impact moments against Dallas here and there.  But what did Minnesota do instead of upgrading at the 1, or even overall for that matter?  Practically nothing in terms of offseason additions, at least not anything in terms of actually being a better team than they were last season, considering most notably that Kyle Anderson has bounced.

Seemingly, they're banking on the progression of Anthony Edwards, which isn't a bad thing considering his talent, athleticism, age and societal standing.  But let's just say that he seemed out it at certain points during the WCF.  So whatever it was that may have been bothering him, I hope that they focus more on that than, you know, making him practice more.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: A

I like Josh Giddey, if for no other than him being one of the more pleasant NBA players to look at.  But it became blatantly obvious during the postseason that his style of play doesn't mesh particularly well with the Thunder as a whole.  Or let me say that they don't really need him per se if SGA is healthy.  At times, during long stints on the court, Josh wasn't doing jacksh*t.  So replacing him with Caruso, who's effective off the ball, totally made sense.

More importantly, OKC needed help in the middle.  In most seasons, someone like Chet Holmgren would have prolly won ROY.  But it also seemed obvious that, you know, you don't want his skinnyass to be forced to bang downlow throughout an entire game.  So bringing in Hartenstein, the type of effective big who won't take the ball out of the hand of scorers, also makes sense.

And with that OKC, a team that was already in position to contend for a championship, had arguably the best offseason.  The only reason I didn't give them an A+ is because I don't want to get my hopes up too high to later eat my words, like I did last season.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: C

In a manner of speaking the Blazers traded Damian Lillard, one of the best scorers ever, for Scoot Henderson, a young, unproven PG.  One thing I admire, after Henderson's less-than-stellar rookie campaign, is that at least Portland has remained committed to his development without changing direction.

Scoot is getting his chance, from the jump, to either prove a star or a bust.  None of that Markelle Fultz sideline sh*t.  But at the end of the day, if he does fail to impress, I'm not going to blame it on him, because they should've never thrown a suspect rookie PG in the fire like that to begin with.

If you can't be competitive as an NBA team, then at least be entertaining.  And the addition of Clingan, you know, he was like the second most-popular rookie in the draft and moreover plays a position that won't overlap with Scoot.

Also, it's not like Portland has a bad roster.  I would say that talent-wise, it's good enough to make the playoffs by default if they were in the East.  But potential lack of overall compatibility and talent being overly concentrated at certain positions seem to be other issues this team may have to contend with.

UTAH JAZZ: F

Remember a couple of seasons ago when the Jazz were overachieving but then proceeded to like intentionally tank?  This is why you don't do things like that.  There's no guarantee that once you develop a losing culture, you'll be able to overcome it.

That's not the reason I'm giving them an F though.  It's more because of these Markkanen trade rumors.  If those are true then, coupled with their less-than-impressive roster, it's like Utah have totally lost their direction or conviction from a couple of seasons ago.

I understand that rebuilding, if that's what Jazz is actually doing, usually takes time.  I also understand that they may be compelled to tank in hopes of landing Cooper Flagg, who's not only White (Utah's favorite color) but furthermore an actual American.  Like when is the last time a White American player generated such buzz?  But damn, in terms of last season and presumably this forthcoming one, what a way to let the fans down, especially for a braintrust led by Danny Ainge.

CONCLUSION

There really isn't much reason not to believe that OKC will once again be the best team in this division.  Their biggest deficiency last season was lack of size, to the point that they were prolly fortunate not to have faced Minnesota or Denver in the playoffs.  But now all of a sudden, they have one of the biggest frontcourts in the league.

Where Do We Go From Here? (OKC Thunder Edition)

At first, I didn't have any plans of writing an article like this about the Thunder.  That's because there isn't anything wrong with their roster per se, as in rotation players who I've noticed during the Playoffs that need to be replaced.  OKC has one of the easier rosters to fix, as the team is talented with a clear identity and apparently is on the rise.  So all they need to do is make the right addition.

SIZE MATTERS

The reason why the Thunder couldn't best with the Mavs and likely wouldn't have prevailed against the Timberwolves anyway is because this team looks like is built to beat the Warriors.  I've been arguing for years that size matters in the NBA, even when the mainstream turned against traditional bigs.

I've also been saying that it wasn't wise for teams to try to build their own versions of the Splash Brothers or to go out of their way to try to beat the Dubs at their own game, especially not now, in the 2020s as their dynasty is coming to an end.

Steph + Klay are an anomaly, not the new norm.  They helped change the NBA by encouraging more three-pointers.  But you see who else has won championships in recent years.

The Lakers did it during the bubble with Lebron + AD.  The Bucks won in 2021 with Giannis + Lopez up front.  The Nuggets prevailed last year with the biggest frontline in the NBA.  And if Minnesota takes it this year, as I believe they will, they have twin towers, buttressed by long-ass athletes like Naz Reid.

And wait until Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama are on the same team.  Then people will understand what I meant years ago when I said that the future of the NBA will be teams with five Giannises.  Last season, the Thunder didn't even have a recognizable C, and this season, it felt as if Chet was the only true bigman on their roster.  That's how little this braintrust has come to respect size.

But again, I'm not lambasting OKC, because the progress they've made has shown true growth, the type of which most NBA rosters can only dream of.  Even with a rookie manning the middle, they went from 10th place in the West in 2022-23 to 1st place in 2023-24.  In other words, this is the young team that has shown the most development in recent years.  And come next season, they'll still be relatively young.

ENTER CLINT CAPELA

What actually prompted me to write this post was reading that Clint Capela may be on the trade block this summer.  Back in January, I already stated how he would be an ideal fit on the Thunder.

Capela, currently being 30, may seem a bit aged for OKC.  But his style of play, which relies heavily on rebounds and alley-oops as opposed to needing the ball in his hands, would be perfect for this team.  He's a true bigman, one who doesn't shoot three-pointers and won't need to on the Thunder.  Also, OKC could use a recognizable and experienced vet in their rotation.  Capela has a youthful, energetic playing style that hopefully a team in a better position than the Hawks can capitalize on while he's still vibrant.

And no, I'm not writing Atlanta off for next season.  But it's obvious, to me at least, that they're currently in a rebuild.  And it's not really fair to drag a vet like Capela - who played for the Rockets back when they were contenders during the late-2010s - along for that ride.  After a promising start, the Hawks have underachieved during the Trae Young era and need to like move on type shit.

My second hope is that if the Thunder do go about acquiring Clint, they'll be able to do so without giving up any of their playoff-rotation pieces.  I'm a big advocate of quality roster retention, because familiarity and trust can win games.

For instance, imo the downfall of the Grizzlies didn't began with Ja Morant's antics.  It was when they lost key players like Kyle Anderson in 2022 and Tyus Jones in 2023 that set the stage for their forgettable 2024.  And let's not also forget Xavier Tilman, who was traded earlier this year and isn't even getting playoff burn on the Celtics, despite Porzingis being hurt.

Neither Anderson or Jones are big names in the NBA.  But it would have been more beneficial for the Grizzlies to have Jones this past season than Marcus Smart (who he was traded for), as Tyus had established a standard of overachieving on Memphis and was part of the brethren-like culture their roster managed to build.

CONCLUSION

It may be disappointing to some of us that the Thunder didn't make it pass the 2nd Round after finishing first in the West.  They were also my sentimental favorites entering into the Playoffs.  But their future looks like a lot brighter than many of their rivals, including the Nuggets and Pelicans.  That's because OKC isn't plagued by injuries (fingers crossed), an aging roster or incompatible players.  All they need is a certain key addition (Clint Capela) to take them to the next level.  And to note, the Thunder also have one of the lowest payrolls in the NBA.  That means they may well be able to afford Capela without giving up any key players.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 5, Round 2 Ruminations

NUGGETS 3, TIMBERWOLVES 3

If I had written this post yesterday like I was supposed to, before Game 6, I really didn't have anything good to say about how the T'wolves were looking.  Jokic went straight at Gobert, who's supposed to be like the best defensive C in the NBA, and soundly prevailed.  So I was about to be on some 'better luck next year' type shit.

But then, they turned and totally destroyed the Nuggets in Game 6.  I do believe that Minnesota is the better team, even if Denver has actual experience on their side.  But considering how this series has played out over the past week, I'm not overly confident that they're going to take Game 7, in Denver.

If they do, then I think it's safe to say that their time - and the era of Anthony Edwards - has officially arrived.  Whoever wins the West will likely be the champion, in part because their rival is coming from a less-challenging, injury-ridden conference.  And I do believe that whoever wins this series will take the West, but that no longer feels as much as a given as when Round 2 first began.

MAVERICKS 3, THUNDER 2

This has been another exciting Western Conference series in which the two teams appear for the most part to be evenly matched.  I think it's safe to say that Dallas is the Cinderella of the West.  Of course the Mavs are extremely talented and, in terms of all-star appearances, have the best backcourt in the league.  But this team has been underachieving and poorly constructed for so long that now they do seem like a legitimate threat, it's sorta hard to believe.

I don't really have anything bad to say about the way either of teams are playing.  If I do see one potential flaw in OKC's makeup, it's lack of depth in the middle.  And speaking of Holmgren, I think it's safe to say that in most NBA seasons, he would've been ROY.  Dude it out there, deep into the playoffs, manning the middle like a vet.

KNICKS 3, PACERS 2

I read that, after Game 5, Rick Carlisle was pissed off.  And even before reading this article, I already had a good idea why he would be.  There's really no excusable reason why a team in the 2nd Round of the Playoffs should lose to an opponent with half of their rotation players too injured to play.

Well actually, there is a reason - Jalen Brunson.  And I'm about to say two things about Jalen I thought I never would.  #1 - He may be the best scoring PG in the NBA, and #2 - he's the greatest Knick, in terms of actual performance, since Patrick Ewing.

Of course the Pacers still have a chance, but you know what I'm saying?  It's the same thing with Round 1, like it's hard to respect a team who struggles to capitalize on their opponents' injuries.  And if they do flunk out like that, without any clear signs of the other team being favored by the NBA, then who's really to blame besides Carlisle himself?

CELTICS 4, CAVALIERS 1

There's a celebratory spirit in Boston, but there's reasons for the Cavs to rejoice also, if not more.

The Celtics making it past these teams with their best player injured is not properly preparing for a potential Western opponent.  It was like Kobe said during one of those years he was still playing, about why he was confident in his team's Finals' chances, because they had been "battle tested".  In other words, they endured challenging playoff series against exceptional teams on their way there.

Meanwhile, the Celtics beat the Heat without Jimmy Butler, 4 to 1.  Then they bested the Cavs, in large part without Mitchell, 4 to 1.  If the Knicks make it to the Conference Finals, that's another team with major injuries that Boston will face.  And let's not forget that Kristaps "the Knee Brace" Porzingis remains out like indefinitely.  But from a preparation perspective, maybe the Celtics should be be rooting for the Pacers, since they're at least near full strength and may serve as better practice, so to speak, for the Finals.

As for the Cavs, I think at least one question has been answered, which is it being time to move on from Jarrett Allen and start Mobley at C.  I've noticed that, once it became established that he's holding down the middle, Evan started busting out impressive post-up moves here and there.  And the offense seems to be more fluid without Jarrett, which isn't a bad thing for him personally, as there's other teams out there, even the Magic, that could probably utilize him better.

What Cleveland should be focused on, taking for granted that Donovan will stick around (I hope he doesn't dumb out and go to the Lakers), is acquiring a stretch 4 to play alongside Mobley or a 3&D.  It has to be someone who can not only shoot but play defense, block shots and rebound.  And there aren't many of those floating around these days, meaning they may have to look to the draft.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 1 Ruminations

Originally, I was intending to write playoff predictions for each separate team.  But there's too many variables to be making long-term guestimations at the moment.

At the top of the list of those variables is the potential for injury.  Back in the old days, when a team submitted their playoff roster, you could pretty much take for granted that the players listed would be active throughout.  Nowadays, I would speculate that every team in the playoff has at least one key player, a star even, who is either currently injured or injury prone.  So even if none of the games during this postseason are rigged, still, you can't be going crazy with the predictions.  And that brings us to the first contest on this list:

SIXERS 104, KNICKS 111

Joel "the Injury Report" Embiid got hurt but still managed to play the fourth quarter.  However, despite putting on a show during the earlier parts of the game, he didn't appear to be a factor near the end.  That would likely have something to do with injuries.  Now, I'm reading he may not play in Game 2.  So the luck of the Knicks continues.

For instance, I'm now starting to believe that NYK may actually be better off without Randle and with Anunoby starting in his stead.  Why?  Because OG is a lot saner than Julius in terms of shot selection.

As for the Sixers, they've been playing musical chairs for too many seasons now.  Now, I also see why they need a second superstar.  With a second superstar alongside Maxey, even with Embiid hurt, they could still probably beat most teams.  But that said, Philly's depth also isn't as intimidating as it has been in the recent past, even like going back to the beginning of this season.

That dunk Joel did off the backboard, the one that re-f*cked up his knee, has to be one of the top 10 in-game dunks in NBA history.  Like that sh*t almost caused me to jump out of my seat.

SUNS 95, TIMBERWOLVES 120

That, my friend, is what you call an ass bustin.

I picked Minnesota to win it all at beginning of last season, but fortune and favor wasn't on their side.  This year, it looks like they're actually entering the playoffs at or near full strength.  Also, Anthony Edwards has emerged as perhaps the best 2-guard in the league.  So, to me at least, it's easy to envision the T-Wolves emerging as WC champions.  The only western teams I think may be able to beat them in a series are DEN and LAC.

As for the Suns, their roster is designed to thrive on firepower.  So if the big 3 aren't dropping like 30 points each against an opponent of this caliber, Phoenix doesn't stand much of a chance.

Braintrusts are finally starting to wise up and realize that size does matter.  So we  may be entering the age of twin towers, with organizations such as MIN, CLE and to some extent even the likes of DEN, LAL and NOP having already gone such routes.  Up against those types of odds, Nurkic isn't likely to cut it.  So dudes are prolly missing Ayton right about now.

PELICANS 92, THUNDER 94

Holmgren may have had five blocks, but OKC's interior defense still sucks, to the point of being a cause for alarm.  They put the defensive onus of holding down the post on a rookie who's too skinny for that kind of responsibility.

SGA showed why he's a tier above most other stars in the NBA.  It isn't only about points.  He has the ability to takeover and actually win games, with consistency, which is rare, jordanesque even.  McCollum, who's a damn fine player himself, had a chance to win the game.  But ultimately, he's not in the MVP conversation.

That said, the Pelicans aren't the ones to sleep on.  I believe I said last season that they were deepest team in the league, and that may also be true or near true now.  The homey Alvarado, repping NYC, needs to play with a more level head.

PACERS 94, BUCKS 109

When the star of your team is an (oversized) PG, if you go out to seek a second star, you're supposed to look for one who's dominant in the post.  Instead, the Pacers went out and got Siakim, who has a  similar playing style to Tyrese.

That would imply that they intend to rely on Myles Turner into the foreseeable future.  He's like a fringe allstar, so that isn't a bad decision.  But something just didn't look right with the way they played, like they didn't have composure.  Maybe it's just lack of experience running together under such circumstances.  Contrastingly, Milwaukee's core already has experience playing at the highest levels, and you could tell by the way they handled business.

That said, dudes should be praying that Giannis pops up sooner rather than later.  Dame will do what Dame does, but, you know what I'm saying?  Once the Pacers settle down, I don't think they're going to be getting their asses bust like that.

MAVERICKS 97, CLIPPERS 109

Dallas is a perfect example of what I mean by you can't have a star PG without a post player to match.  Lack of interior presence is one of the issues they continue to deal with during the Luka era.

A couple of months ago, reports were implying that the Mavs finally found their C in Daniel Gafford.  By the looks of things, that may have been more of a regular-season type of phenomenon.  Dwight Powell, who has been relegated to the bench, may not be the most talented bigman in the NBA, but at least he knows how to put up a fight.

Also, I just checked and, oh sh*t, Jason Kidd is still coach of this team.  If he had been reading this blog, he would have known that Doncic's biggest on-court issue, regardless of how many assists he may tally, is lack of rapport with his teammates, thus disqualifying Luka as the ideal PG.  That means, move him to the 3.  But, you know, these days coaches are afraid to tell superstars to play in positions where they may not want to.

As for the Clippers, the world needs to realize that there is a such thing as a "Playoff James Harden" - a beard for all seasons, so to speak.  Also - wait a minute - Westbrook is the best pound-for-pound player in league history, in terms of actually generating stats.  So, sleep on him if you want.  He didn't thrive with LBJ + AD, but then again, who does?  If you play for the Lakers, either you're going to underachieve and become a scapegoat, or overachieve and get traded or snubbed.  The only player who has really bucked that trend has been Austin Reaves.

The thing that impresses me the most about LAC is that they have multiple stars with similar skillsets, yet they don't overlap each other.  You have the Beard out there busting ass with PG13 lurking in the shadows, and you forget like oh dip, their third and fourth options are future hall-of-famer.  I guess that's one way of beating the injury bug, by having so many superstars that it doesn't matter so much if one is hurt.

HEAT 94, CELTICS 114

This one pretty much went as expected.  Miami is a different team without Jimmy Butler.

Still, I'm not so quick to completely count them out, as in getting swept or blown.  Soon, some team is going to expose Boston's lack of interior defense.  They have Porzingis, who's visibly the tallest dude on the court in most games he's in, out playing at the top of the key and behind the three-point line.

'Hey Kristaps, get your ass down in the post.'

'But, I don't like playing there, coach.'

'Then TF is you 7'2" for?'

Also, I'm sure I stated in the past that Adebayo should be moved to the point.  That's taking nothing away from Jacquez, who has a ridiculously amount of grit for a rookie.  But Bam needs to at least touch the ball during every offensive position, and all things considered, it'd just be best to let him bring it up.  The Heat have the best pair of jump-shooting whiteboys in the league amongst their wings.  And I don't see any reason why Thomas Bryant can't start at C.  Hey Erik, time to really exercise that bigass P-pop dome head of yours.

MAGIC 83, CAVS 97

You really can't ask for a better franchise player than Donovan Mitchell.  He's confident, fearless, and the fans totally feel him.  But I've believed, since the time he was drafted, that Evan Mobley is Cleveland's x-factor.  I'm not saying that he needs to shoot threes like other people are recommending, but it should be that when he's on the court, he makes it impossible for the opposing team to forget, even for a moment, that he's there.

The Magic are likeable, and I deadass didn't know that Jonathan Isaac was now playing.  Last I heard, he came back and got re-injured yet again.  Dude is tall AF, which is something I never knew.

But that said, now obviously isn't Orlando's time.  But again, they are likable, have a valid leader in Banchero and, I would say most importantly for a young team like this, at least made the playoffs.  So their future is looking brighter than any other of the youthful squads in the East. 

LAKERS 103, NUGGETS 114

Of course, the first thing I'm going to argue, as always, is that LBJ should be running the point.  After that, LAL's second-biggest problem is lack of continuity.

It's amazing how teams who are a lot less storied than the Lakers are able to consistently field better rosters.  And, it isn't as if the one Los Angeles currently has is that bad.

I'm not going to call for Darvin Ham's head yet.  But he's another one who needs to, let's say take full advantage of the extra cranial circumference he's been blessed with.

Also, I'm still foreseeing that, at some point during these playoffs, the Nuggets are going to miss Bruce Brown.

CONCLUSION

It feels strange writing about the playoffs without mentioning Steph, so I wanted to do it at least once before closing out.

SGA for President

A more accurate title for this post would have been "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP".  But "SGA for President" sounds better.

The thing about the MVP Award is that you can't have the same person winning year in and year out, even if they do deserve it.  This is something I learned back during the Jordan Era.

From 1991 to 1998, except for those a couple of seasons he more or less took off, there was no question that MJ was literally "the most-valuable player", not only in the NBA but sports in general.  But one of those years, the league gave it to Charles Barkley and during another, to Karl Malone.

I'm not going to sit here and try to imply that the "Round Mound of Rebound" and "the Mailman" didn't earn it.  But the point is that, there's politics behind these awards.  The type of players who perform at an MVP level tend to do so perennially.  So sometimes, instead of giving it to the same person, decisions have to be made based on other criteria, i.e. in the name of not appearing as if you're dickridin.

That's why I'm advocating SGA as MVP.  I'm not doing so not based on the argument that he's actually better Nikola Jokic or any of the other one or two top candidates this season.  The Thunder are a pretty talented team and would probably make the playoffs even without SGA.  And I knew it was only a matter of time before one of these really young squads transforms into a contender, considering how they're more energetic, and recent champions are aging.  I thought the Grizzlies' would reach that level before OKC, but things didn't quite turn out like that.

But even with phenoms like Giddey, Dort, Williams and I would say Holmgren especially in terms of pushing this team over the top, SGA is the alpha and the one who has proven that he can win games when need be.  And honestly, I think most of us were expecting the Thunder to gradually become better, not anticipating that they would conclude the season with the number one seed, even over the defending champions, in the highly-competitive West.

SGA has already been in the MVP conversation for a couple of seasons, so might as well give him his flowers.  Like, you can't take sh*t for granted.  A couple of seasons ago, when Jokic won his first MVP, the award should've rather gone to Chris Paul.  And since then, CP3's game has never been quite the same.

The funny thing is, given Embiid's injuries, there probably really isn't anyone else really in the MVP conversation, outside of SAG and Jokic, besides for maybe Luka, Brunson or, if you really want to go there, AD.  The Celtics have become so well balanced that even though they have the best record and will likely take the East, it's hard to single out Tatum as the league's MVP.  So this season definitely doesn't feel like others in recent memory, where you'd may have five or even more viable MVP candidates.

CONCLUSION\

The Thunder are one of my favorite teams to watch.  I like Josh Giddey, because he's a pretty Whiteboy who looks like he should be on a fashion runway or album cover rather than leading fastbreaks.  I like Chet Holmgren, because he's dumb tall, visibly so even, but also multi-faceted and an impactual rookie.  I like Lu Dort, because on TV he looks too short and stocky to be in the NBA.  But most of all, I like SGA. 

I still remember when he was a rookie.  Shai was a number 11 pick, not someone you'd expect to one day be an MVP.  He wasn't one of the players who people were talking about going into that draft.  So it's like, give props where props are due.

Jokic, who by the way wasn't drafted until the second round(!), has too many accomplishments to still be considered a cinderella (lol).  The other usual suspects, like Lebron, Giannis and Steph, didn't represent like that this year.  So now, it's time to finally move on to the next big story, either SGA or Luka.  And with the Thunder having secured the number one seed, the decision is sort of a no-brainer.

NBA Offseason Power Stinkings (Northwest Division)

It's that time of the year again when we go about predicting who's going to succeed and who's going to suck during the upcoming season.  And for the first time since who knows when, there may be a champion coming out of the Northwest Division.  But instead of harping on the more competitive teams first, since this is the Power Stinkings we'll rather start with:

1.  Utah Jazz

Within the blink of an eye, the Utah Jazz went from perennial (regular-season) contenders and one of the more-admirable braintrusts in the NBA to now looking like they don't what the hell they're doing.  Deciding to engage in a full rebuild wouldn't look like that bad of a decision if not for the fact that just the week prior to making Donovan Mitchell available, they were rather sounding like the plan was to build around him.  Perhaps the lot of them have been incepted.  So now it's like so long as Mitchell is out dangling on the market the Jazz aren't making any progress, as in being out actually shopping for players who complement his skillset.  And since this team has been so good throughout the last few years or whatever , they didn't even have any draft picks, meaning that once the vets get discouraged/traded, this may well be the worst squad in the NBA.  And the funny thing about it is that their current roster, with Mitchell, may actually be a playoff-bound team if they were committed to staying together.

2. OKC Thunder

I regret not watching the Thunder play more last season because now, with Chet Holmgren, this is supposed to be a team on the rise or at least one that's now more entertaining.  Even last season they were pretty entertaining with Shai and Dort and them, but I have yet to see Giddey play.  Either way, Holmgren doesn't look like a player that's going to come in and have an immediately profound impact.  So dudes may be better than they were last year and put up good fights now and then (when their stars aren't hurt).  And if they remain healthy I wouldn't be totally surprised if OKC made the Playoffs, considering how thin the West is looking at the moment.

3.  Portland Trailblazers

The Blazers have my hard-earned braintrust respect.  And it isn't only about what they did this offseason by getting Payton II and Grant but also the fact that they've been competitive for like a solid decade now.

And this is how you build a team around an injured, aging, loyal superstar like Lillard.  If Kobe had this kind of roster around him during his latter seasons, the Lakers would have still been making the playoffs.  Like no one is predicting that the Blazers are going to win a championship.  But at least Damian won't be stuck on a garbage team like some of the other older perennial all-stars.  And as much as I like CJ McCollum, if this were vintage Lillard playing alongside Payton, a player who complements his skillset better, I'd probably be predicting contender right now.

2.  Denver Nuggets

Last season I was convinced that, if the Nuggets were fully healthy, they were the best team in the NBA.  This season I'm convinced that they'll never be fully healthy.  Maybe they will for stints, and hopefully that'll be around playoff time.  One thing I will give them credit for though is that landing Caldwell-Pope, imo, was one of the smarter moves of this offseason.  Kentavious may never be an all-star, but he is someone who should complement this roster well or better than some of those dudes who were around last season.  But like I don't see why the Nuggets didn't hold on to DeMarcus Cousins.

1.  Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves, for the first time in franchise history to my remembrance, have the best starting 5 in the NBA.  There shouldn't even be any debate about that.  So I agree with KAT that now, it is like championship or bust.  In fact the Wolves looked good during last season's playoffs also, to the point that I wouldn't rule out the possibility of the Grizzlies having been recipients of some favoritism.  

There are certain things that have to be hashed out, and this is a roster that could definitely benefit from a good jump-shooting Whiteboy (which are kinda rare in the NBA these days) or a PG that doesn't shoot (who they kinda just got rid of in recently Beverly).  But Gobert + KAT has to be the most-potent twin towers the league has seen since Robinson + Duncan.

CONCLUSION

I would say that at least four of the NBA's six division have at least two contenders amongst their ranks.  But with the Nuggets and Timberwolves, the Northwest has to be the most top-heavy - if the Nuggets are healthy.  And hopefully, we'll finally be able to see Jokic + Murray + Porter compete.