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.

NBA Power Stinkings (December 2025)

1. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (6-16)

The Clippers are the most intriguing team in the league, like if someone were to write a book.  First, they came into the season more or less being accused of cooking the books.  The idea of overpaying Kawhi Leonard may seem laughable now, but a few seasons back there were apparently people who believed that his health wouldn't be as inconsistent as it has become.

LAC also entered the league with arguably the most stacked, albeit aged, roster in the league, replete with at least three future HOFers.  And that's why, even though they don't have the very worst record, the Clips still managed to top this month's Power Stinkings.

And now, just a couple of days ago, they unceremoniously and unexpectedly cut Chris Paul.  This is despite the fact that "the Neck", after a long and illustrious career, already asserting he'd be retiring at the end of the season.  Beyond that, it's safe to say that he's the greatest player in LAC's history.

Dude must've been a real pain in the ass for them to just sack him lack that, while generating national headlines in the process.  The good news is that now, he may end up on an actual contender.  The bad news is that he'll probably do some dumb shit and pick the Knicks.

As for the Beard, I'm sure I already stated at the beginning of this season that it's time for the Clips to move on already.  Being able to occassionally drop 40+ pts isn't as big as news as it used to be, and it's more or less expected when you're a former MVP.

I'd like to think that if I were a team exec, I wouldn't overpay an aged star regardless of how much name recognition he has.  Or at least, move James to the 2 and start breaking in a younger point, though in the 'positionless' NBA it's like everyone now has the license to chuck.

2. SACREMENTO KINGS (5-17)

While we're on the subject of teams whose record should be a lot better based on their rosters, there's at least one future HOFer on the Kings and maybe, by the time all is said and done, three or four more(!).  Yet this team sucks ass, and you have to wonder if this were another organization (with a winning cultgure) with the same roster yet, if things would be different.

I recently came across a headline stating that Keegan Murray is now the man in Sacramento.  This may be the first time I ever actually mentioned his name in this blog.  I don't know much about him except he's supposed to be a really good shooter and defender.  He's also younger than the rest of the core.  If someone like that, with C-list name recognition, is able to overshadow Westbrook, DeRozan and LaVine, yeah, that says a lot.

But I think it's safe to say that Sabonis remains the best all-around player on this squad, and finally the Kings are ready to shop him, maybe, according to reports.  It'll be really interesting to see where he ends up.  While everyone is panting over Giannis, Domantas' style, which to my understanding doesn't demand him controlling the ball, may be preferable based on a roster's makeup.

3. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (3-19)

Back when Zion was being drafted, I was the only pundit who was like 'wait a minute' - and it wasn't even so much about his injury history.  No one really knew back then that he would miss more games in the NBA than he would play(!).  But I was like yeah, the guy is really popular and athletic, but it isn't like he actually dominated in college.  And now we see, even when he is healthy, it ain't like the Pelicans are unstoppable.  With Williamson on the court, thorughout his entire year, they've been more like an average or even below-average team.

Ultimately, the issue with the likes of Harden or Zion, these superstars whose skillsets may be better served with another roster than the one they're currently one, is that oh dip, they're making a shit ton of money which, when it comes to on-court success, they're not actually worth.  So all things considered, it may be more probable that Zion, if he is finally traded, ends up on a team that won't suddenly become contenders with his addition.  No braintrust in their right mind would actually belive they could win a championship with a player this inconsistent (healthwise) as a center piece.

4. INDIANA PACERS (4-18)

I don't think I've watched the Pacers yet this season, and there really isn't anything compelling me to do so now.  It really sucks, you know, considering where these guys were at just a few months ago.  They went from having the most-clutch star in the NBA - if not professional sports altogether - to now being must-not watch type shit.  But to my understanding, they still have enough pride to at least put up a fight.

5. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (6-16)

I was recently watching this video which indirectly made a convincing argument for the Hornets to part ways with LaMelo Ball.  The one fact I remember the most is that in six seasons as the team's alpha, they still have yet to make the playoffs and by the looks of things are headed home early this season also.

The idea of Ball landing on a different squad is an interesting prospect, depending on where he lands.  But you have to ask - how many teams actually need one of these ball-chucking PGs?  It ain't like he's Jamal Murray type shit.

6. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (3-17)

I feel good about the Wizards.  McCollum + Middleton, if healthy, is one of the best (scoring) 2-3 combinations in the league.  That said, I don't know any of the young guys besides Alex Sarr, and even him, like I don't know how he looks or what position he plays.

The good thing about hitting rock bottom is there's no way to go but up.  If Washington can figure things out, this iteration may never be contenders, but ideally they won't be pushovers either. 

7. DALLAS MAVERICKS (8-15)

If not for the Clippers, I think it's safe to say that the Mavs would hold the distinction as most disappointing squad.  No one was expecting them to lie at the top of the standings after losing Luka and subsequently Kyrie.  Speaking of which, the braintrust should have definitely had a better contigency plan in place, after letting Doncic go, than depending on Irving's health.  Anyhow, this is a team with a deep frontline, replete with a no.1 pick and somewhat of a winning culture, so no one was expecting them to be this bad.

Speaking of which, I have finally come across the word "bust" in the mainstream media in relation to Cooper, as in 'is Flagg a bust?'  I wouldn't go that far, but readers of this blog know that I did state Dallas was gambling, so to speak, in selecting him number one.  Like who takes an American whiteboy with the top pick?

Having the top pick in a draft with a player who's unaminously considered as the best in the class can't be easy, not now, in the 21st century when players and indeed the system itself is less reliable.  On one hand, you may be thinking, 'I'm going to do what my heart tells me, not go with the flow'.  But on the other, you know what I'm saying?  How could they not have chosen Flagg?

That said, maybe he'll end up being a later bloomer, like Cunningham.

8. BROOKLYN NETS (5-16)

If you dig through this blog, you'll see that a few years back I stated that Micheal Porter Jr., if finally healthy, may one day be MVP.  Yes, I seriously said that.

Since then, we've both come to our senses.  Michael is like 'wait a minute, not only am I talented, but I'm also like the tallest dude on the court'.  And as for me, my expectations of his potential have been tempered a bit, but still, you know what I'm saying?  If only he was able to go wild like this on a team that actually wins.  Maybe they should think about shipping his biege ass out to the Jazz(?).

9. UTAH JAZZ (7-13)

I haven't heard much abotu the Jazz except that maybe they'll shop Markkannen, or they'll try to retool around him come trade deadline.  In the grand scheme of things, neither of those courses are likely to turn this season around.

When Ainge went ot Utah, I was giddy (pun intended?).  I was looking forward to Danny working his guru magic and turning this ass-backwards franchise around.  Instead, after like two or three seasons, there hasn't been any progress whatsoever.

Having a bunch of tall whiteboys is cool.  It's novel, in a way.  But it'd help to have at least one electric Black player beside them.  And also, win games type shit.

10. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (9-13)

I sorta forgot about the Blazers for a second there.  That's a result of the cursed combination of being a less-popular franchise that isn't even like .500 type shit.

When these guys had a winning record, they were the talk of the town.  But now it's back to like, if you asked someone to name all 30 NBA teams, Portland would be one of the last ones they remember.

Imagine if Dame were actually healthy?  Yeah, I know that's a big wish, but he may exactly what a young squad like this needs.

Also, shoutout to Jrue Holiday.  When I did peep the Blazers a couple of weeks ago, he was doing his thing, as usual.  Speaking of trade deadline, he should one of the most sought after players, not some big star that you have to go out of your way to accomodate.  Jrue knows how to make an impact without disrupting a team's chemistry.

11. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (9-13)

So I was wathcing this YouTube video the other day that was saying something like both Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson have fallen off, and the Grizzlies may actually be a better team without them (or at least without Ja).  Meanwhile, besides for Zach Edey and Pippen Jr. (is he still around?), oh yeah, and that dude Aldama, I can't even name anyone else on this roster off the top of my head.  In any event, that has to be a hard pill to swallow, i.e. a team performing better without their star than with him.

Ja may also be stuck in the unenviable position of no longer possessing the energy to be a superstar yet being paid so much that he has to be one.  It's obviously time for him to be traded.  But if so, due to his salary he isn't likely to find himself, if his skills have actually declined, in a situation where he'll like vault a roster to the championship level.  But at this point, I am hoping for a quick change of scenery.

12. MILWAUKEE BUCKS

So finally, moreso than any other time in history, it feels like Giannis may be on the cusp of getting traded.  The game after that news broke, he suffers a (fake?) injury in the 1st Quarter, yet the medicore Bucks go on to defeat the best team in the East.

Man, if he does forces himself out, I feel sorry for these dudes, as they obviously want to keep him.  Or maybe they're preparing for the inevitable by playing hard, so that the star player who will come in his stead will at least be entering the right type of culture.

13. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (11-11)

The Wariors have been here before, being led by Steph Curry yet struggling to even maintain a .500 record.  But I still contend, out of every player in the NBA, that Steph is the last dude you want to face in the playoffs.  However, his era is clearly coming to an end, as it has been more or less for seasons now.  But now it's becomign more like one of those, do we really want to see dude eventually bow out limping type shit?

14. PHILADELPHIA SIXERS (11-9)

The Sixers' record isn't really that good, but they're the only team in the NBA to have established and maintain a winning record with their two most popular players being more or less nonfactors.  But generally speaking, this organization is not known to overachieve like, say, the Heat.  So it'll be interesting if all of the load management or whatever does lead to a healthy Embiid and/or George come playoff time, because dudes will likely need them.  Like when's the last time Joel has been at full strength during the postseason?

15. CHICAGO BULLS (9-12)

TF happened?  Just a couple weeks ago, dudes were like the feel-good story of the league.  If not for the Jordan Era, the Bulls would be like one of the worst organizations in NBA history.  But the reason I put them on the mid-stink level, rather than casting them into the sewer is because maybe, just maybe they can reclaim some of that magic from a month ago.

Trade Talk: Luka Doncic vs. Anthony Davis

Oh boy.

I was just as shocked as the next man when I saw the headline this morning.  Even NBA insiders, including Lebron himself, reportedly didn't see this one coming.  And this trade is odd for a number of reasons yet at the same time, from certain perspectives, does make sense.

WHAT MAKES SENSE

THE MAVS MOVING ON FROM LUKA, IF THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP

Maybe the Mavs' braintrust has been incepted and were like 'yeah, Jah Iteh is right.  Luka got us to the next level but isn't likely to take us beyond that.  After all, it's hard to rely on a superstar who, even if the team does make the Finals, will probably be so exhausted by that point that he can't consistently contribute'.  That's what seemed to have happened last year, i.e. Luka running out of gas, as exacerbated by the Celtics' stiff wing defense.

This is also, in a way, Klay Thompson's fault or more specifically whatever faction of Dallas' braintrust thought it was a good idea to acquire him.  Yeah, it was a good idea as far as generating headlines are concerned.  But here you have a team that just made the Finals and are, in theory, just a player away from a championship.  And that player is ancient ass Klay Thompson, whom his former team - who by all means will retire his number one day - didn't even want anymore?

That was a lazy, hasty and may I also chime stupid move on the part of the Mavs.  Instead of getting someone to actually move the needle forward, they just more or less replaced Tim Hardaway Jr.  Also, it ain't like when Luka is inevitably out icing his knees or whatever, Klay is a viable replacement for him.  Man, if I had a dollar for every time NBA franchises chased waterfalls instead of sticking to the rivers and lakes that they're used to.

KYRIE + AD

I can envision the pairing of Kyrie + AD.  Remember that a season or two ago, the Lakers, with AD on their roster, actually tried to get Irving.  Or at least Lebron wanted him, or something like that.

This pairing would have been really exciting news if it happened five or six years ago.  And I get it -  better to make a powermove than sit back and watch the ship sank.

But from what's being implied by news reports, the main impetus to move Doncic may not have even been (solely) lack of progress from last season.  Instead, he would have demanded something like a superduper max from the Mavs next offseason.  And it's like yeah, if you're not going to win a championship with dude in the foreseeable future, if ever, then why pay him close to $400mil(!).

WHAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE

First of all, Luka and AD play like polar opposite positions and have different playing styles.  So it's not like you can literally replace one on the roster with the other.  Dallas can accommodate AD, since they have notable depth @ G.  Contrastingly, the Lakers' frontline is lacking, and that was true, all things considered, even when AD was around.  Like it's shocking they didn't also try to get at least one of the Mavs' bigs in the transaction.

LUKA AND LEBRON ARE TOO SIMILAR

It makes no sense to have Luka play alongside Lebron, since they have almost identical playing styles.  It isn't like, say, Pippen and Jordan.  Their styles were also similar, but they were also able to dominate opponents with athleticism and defense also.  Meanwhile, Lebron is now too old to play defense at an NBA level, and Luka was never known to have any type of true defensive or athletic prowess.

I haven't really watched the NBA this year.  But if Lebron, with his gigantic ass, is still jacking up threes instead of using his body to more consistently exploit the post, I mean, he plays out of position.  This is something I've written about so many times in the past, with the conclusion being that, hey, if King James wants to run point - even if he could serve the Lakers better at another position - then fuck it, let him run point.  Like who can tell him no type sh*t?

LEBRON ALSO LEAVING TOWN?

Here's a hot tidbit.  MediaTakeOut ran a story today saying that, in the aftermath of the AD trade, Lebron is interested in migrating over to the Knicks.  A mainstream media site would be reluctant to publish a rumor like that.  But before you laugh at the notion, consider this.  First of all, James has a history of bouncing on teams, even ones built around him, when they're no longer competitive.  Yes, the Lakers haven't realistically been contenders in years.  But the departure of AD has now like officially driven that notion home, you know, has woken Lebron up type shit.

Secondly, MTO did foretell KAT going to the Knicks about a month or two before it actually happened last summer.  And third, Lebron also has a history of, when leaving one team, going to another that has a clearly better roster.  But now that they are contenders, I shudder to think, if these reports are true, that the Knicks would actually bite the bait and like trade or let go off some valued players go to receive Lebron.

Reading in between the lines, if they Lakers really did trade AD without informing or consulting Lebron beforehand, then you know, the writing is on the wall that it's time for him to go also., esp since they more or less went out and got a younger version of King James.

LUKA, THE LAKERS' STAR OF THE FUTURE?

The way NBC, and others I would presume, are trying to spin it is that now, the Lakers have their star of the future.  Lebron\s career is currently like you never know when he's going to retire.  And if AD isn't healthy now, there's no reason, given his history, to believe he'll be better off in the future.  But the same thing can be said for Luka, which once again makes the Lakers' logic in this transaction questionable.  Maybe by the end of the day, AD, Luka and Lebron will all be gone, and they'll truly have to 'rebuild' from the ground up.

If you aren't going to win games, at least be able to sell tickets.  And as far as young stars go, Luka's name is, as far as I know, as big as any in the NBA.

The Lakers also, you know, if any team can flesh out a roster, it's LAL.  Their rosters over the past few seasons haven't really been that bad and sometimes were actually impressive.  The bigger problem has been Lebron and even AD (in times past) like refusing to play their right positions, i.e. to their strengths instead than getting caught up in the jump-shooting craze.  If you have arguably the best all-around C currently in the league coupled with the best PF in history, you're supposed to be completely dominating opponents in the paint, not just winning one championship because you'd rather play like the Dubs.

Over the next season or two, if Luka remains in LA, we can expect the Lakers to put an admirable roster around him, presumably sans Lebron.  If any team can pull off some miracle roster shit, it's them.  But like, didn't he already have a damn good supporting cast in Dallas?  And even though he's only 25 years old, can we really take for granted he's NBA-strong enough to lead a franchise into the future?  Fuck 82 games, Luka needs to be playing in Europe or some shit.

I can also imagine this move may alienate some Dallas fans.  The Mavs are a team, like the Spurs, who're like known to accommodate foreign stars and in their case, let's say White Europeans in particular.  Here we all are, thinking this would be a lifelong relationship, similar to the one Dirk had with the franchise.  But instead, the Mavs have proven that they're more interested in, well, saving money than adhering to tradition.

CONCLUSION

I didn't even mention the Jazz, who are also involved in here somewhere.  They've become arguably the most insignificant team in the league, which is shocking, at least to me, with Danny Ainge involved.  Like Ainge was my deadass braintrust hero before bringing about the fiasco the Utah Jazz have become.

That said, the Mavs aren't any worse off now than they were with Luka.  All things considered, it might even make more sense having AD around rather.  But it's like a new day yet the same ol' shit, as Dallas remains a team banking on the health of two oft-injured superstars.  But, you never know.  At least, unlike the Lakers apparently, there's a chance this Dallas roster can work out sooner than later, perhaps even instantly, once everybody is healthy(?).  When you know you have to eventually face up against squads like the Thunder and Nuggets, teams with quality bigs, then yeah, might as well give up Luka for AD.

You F*cked Up This Time, Danny

Danny Ainge is the top guru currently employed by any team, being vastly superior even to the likes of Lil Taiwan and future hall of famer Sam Henkie.  The greatest example of his ability to perceive what others cannot was when Ainge prioritized Jayson Tatum over Markelle Fultz in the 2017 NBA Draft, because everyone else thought that Fultz was a better player and would fit with Embiid + Simmons.  Now people are like 'imagine if they drafted Tatum instead?'

Last season the Jazz, who had been a dominant regular-season team yet again, faltered in the playoffs.  So it became obvious that something needed to be done, since on the surface they were looked like contenders.  You know what I mean?  Like if you're looking at the shit and know there's a problem but can't see the problem, still, it's like something must be done.

What I initially suggested was at least trading Rudy Gobert, which the Jazz did.  Afterwards there was a bit of confusion, but dudes were like 'okay, we got Danny Ainge and a shitload of draft picks, so we're going to build around Mitchell.'  In other words, they were going to give him the Michael Jordan treatment, being the undeniable alpha dog into the foreseeable future, with all new additions coming in under his leadership.  Mitchell is now in his sixth season, which is arguably late to commence an initiative like that.  But still it wasn't the worst idea, like you know what I mean?  The Jazz drafted dude, and with Rudy gone he was their sole perennial all-star, and he's also a very excitable player.  So building around him would, if nothing else, entertaining.  And it would also finally solve the speculation of if he could be better without Gobert.

But instead, you know what I mean?  That's the first time you f*cked up, Danny.  If an anonymous guru like myself is able to sit behind a computer somewhere and know that building around Mitchell isn't a bad idea, then that means Ainge definitely knew that shit.

What that means, at least to me, is that they had some kind of personal beef.  That's what I hate about today's NBA.  The entire Last Dance was themed around this internal beef Jordan had with the Bulls.  Yes, the Bulls' braintrust totally dropped the ball on that one.  But at least at the end of the day, everyone walked away a champion.

These days, the NBA feels like some high school Clueless type shit.  You know, like 'I swear I'll get you back, Lebron' type shit.  That's the kind of stuff that fans like myself hate more than anything, like teams being unable to focus.  That's the kinda shit that be fucking up my predictions.  You make a gazillion dollars, and the other dude makes a gazillion plus.  So what is it you're fighting about anyway?

So now what's happened is that Mitchell was traded to a team that wasn't built around him but still a perfect complement of talents and personalities for his own.  The Cavs made the mistake of trading when they didn't have to have any palpable reason to do so last season, and they may well replicate the asininity this year.  But as it currently stands, it's like Cleveland and Mitchell were made for each other.

So now the question becomes do the Cavs too have faith in their boy, or will they also outsmart themselves like the Jazz did?  Unless you can get Jimmy Butler or Kawhi Leonard or some shit, at least see how far he can take the team as is.

And as for the Jazz, now the question is like what if they had kept Mitchell?  The roster did not instantly approve after the Gobert trade, and I'm sure at times, Ainge doubts how smart he himself actually is.  So it would have been a test to both the organization's and Donovan's patience if they had kept him.  But like if he was down with that idea, even for a second, they should have just rode the wave.

CONCLUSION

Wisdom is always wiser in hindsight, or however that saying goes.  Ainge orchestrated the grouping of Garnett + Allen + Pierce (not to mention Rondo), the only superteam since the Showtime Lakers to have instantly won a championship.  Then shortly after that, he kept the Celtics contenders for like a decade straight.  Then he put togehter this current Utah squad who everyone, including myself, had written off but instead look like they can at least get to the 2nd round of the playoffs.

But if Mitchell proceeds to become MVP or even NBA champion, then by all means some people are going to say Ainge and the gang dumbed out.  Lauri Markannen, all-star he may be, is not in that conversation.  And the reason it looks bad for the Jazz is because they are on record as actually knowing at first that keeping him was a better idea.  So it's like Ainge, for whatever reason, went against his own gut instinct.  And it can be hard maintaining a guruship acting like that.

F*ckin Up My Predictions (Utah Jazz Edition)

As far as the future goes, I don't think there's any other team in a better position than the Utah Jazz.  Why?  Because they have a sh*tload of draft picks and Danny Ainge - someone's who guruship, imo, is only rivaled by Gregg Popovich.

But I'll be honest and admit I thought they were going to be crap this season.  Who knows what'll happen down the line, but right now, they're better than the Lakers(lol) and Clippers(!).

But in my defense, the reason I couldn't accurately predict was because there's always misreporting surrounding the Jazz.  First they were going to keep Mitchell - which I personally thought was a good idea - but then decided to trade him.  Imagine if they had been able to make Donovan happy enough to stick around and then used these draft picks to build around him?  But oh well, can't cry over spilt milk, like they're currently compelled to anyway.

Then they were saying that Colin Sexton would be handed to keys to the car, and we all know he can chuck.  But instead he's currently the third-highest scorer, and the players that proceed him, Markannen and Clarkson, are taking more shots.

And then of course, everybody was like 'oh, the Jazz are going to tank".  After all, at one point they had their entire roster from last season on the trade block.  But I'm now starting to believe that Adam Silver like really ain't having that sh*t.  So fukaround, and we have Wembanyama going to the Lakers or Warriors, you know, winning franchises that can also be convincingly garbage.

CONCLUSION

I was watching this old episode of Married with Children where Clyde Drexler dissed Danny Ainge.  But I also recently saw one of those games from the '92 Finals, and it damn sure wasn't Ainge's fault the Blazers lost.  He was never the most-athletic dude on the court, but he knows the game.

And I also believe that he's the reason the Jazz are outperforming, because Ainge is around - that, and them deciding not to tank.  Well again, we still don't really know how the season will end.  But at this rate, we may be looking forward to a Jazz vs. Cavs Finals.