2026 Elimination Ruminations: Cleveland Cavaliers

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (8-10)

I was waiting for weeks for the Cavs to get eliminated just to say that, I hope they didn’t promise the Beard a max extension when they acquired him (like Morey reportedly did).  And now that I’ve done the research, oh sh*t, dude has like a $45mil player option(!) for next season.  And there’s no way he’s going to turn that money down, not at this stage in his career.

If this were the NFL, where the risk of serious injury is a lot greater, I’d say that Harden needs to retire already because after his stint with Cleveland, whenever it ends, I don’t think any team is going to really want him again, at least not for any type of star-level money, regardless of how potent he may be offensively.

None of this is meant to be an insult against the Beard.  The Cavs are a good watch, and whether the Knicks win a championship, Haliburton comes back or whatever, with a full season of Harden, I’m totally expecting them to be the number-one seed out of the East next season.  Like this squad is built for the 82-game grind.  They’re the only team I can think of, off the top of my head, that not only have two allstar level PGs (if you consider Mitchell as one), but furthermore, they two have totally different looks.  In other words, the Cavs play different dependent on which one of them is running the show.

SHOUTOUT TO DARIUS GARLAND

But their braintrust made two big roster mistakes this season.  First was trading Darius Garland.  Why?  Because last postseason, when they got embarrassed by the Pacers, the excuse was ‘Garland is injured’.  So if that’s the case, now that he’s back, let’s at least give him another chance to see if he can compete in the playoffs and be ‘healthy’ throughout, you know, if he was the difference between them failing and potentially making it out of the East.

Second, it doesn’t wholly make sense why they traded him for Harden.  Why?  Because going back to that two PG thing, the argument was already that Darius and Spider’s styles overlapped, and that Mitchell, all things considered, should be given the keys to the car.  Instead, they turned around and gave them to the Beard, in a manner of speaking.

NO BEARD, NO CRY

James is a lot better than Donovan at getting all of his teammates involved.  It’s also cool that when Harden is running the show, Mitchell gets a chance to lay back and rest, until he’s really needed to explode.  But like I said, that kinda confusion, if you will, is good for the regular season but not so much for the playoffs - not against one of the handful of teams that's actually deeper and more talented than Cleveland.  The way the Cavs got to the ECF, given their talent and depth, wasn’t too convincing.

Maybe we can say that, with time, they all will mesh better.  Or rather, as optimistic(?) fans(?) we have to say that, because there’s no way the Beard is going to opt out of that payday.  So we’re going to get another season of this if we want it or not, because even though some of the lower-rung teams may be willing to take on Harden and his contract - I'm thinking something like the Blazers for instance - let's not forget he’s diva-ish and isn’t likely to play for a squad that doesn't look like a contender.  That can be a real problem, i.e. an overpaid player demanding to play on a contender - and furthermore, the contender being dumb enough to give him that money.

So by the looks of things, the one who’s going to have to bite the bullet - be scapegoated, if you will - is Jarrett Allen.  He’s made a name for himself as sort of this perennial DPOY type.  But given the way the Pistons ran all roughshod in the paint, against both Allen and Mobley, it's obvious that the former, not to blame it all on Jarrett, but he's lost a step or two.

He’s still good for lobs and putbacks and stuff like that, which is needed playing alongside Mobley, who prefers the perimeter.  But with that in mind, the Cavs could still use an upgrade.  And it doesn’t have to be a C per se but even one of those brolly type wings like Sengun or Anunoby.  But instead, you know, that money is going to the Beard.

LET’S GO KNICKS(?)

Even though I was expecting NYK to fuck up in one way or another instead of reaching the Finals, I also said, way back at the beginning of this season, that the East was theirs to lose, but lose it they didn’t.  So, give props where props are due.  They have the most all-around talented starting five in the league, and sticking together another season, instead of hastily blowing it all up, has paid off.  Also, unlike last year, everyone is ‘healthy’ this postseason, and they’ve also buttressed the bench.

The reason I'm glad they made it, more than anything, is because they’d be the best matchup for the Thunder.  Taking nothing away from the Spurs, but the way OKC’s roster is built, obviously you’re going to need more than a Wemby to beat them in a seven-game series.  And even if San Antonio does win, they’re probably going to be too worn down to really compete with the Knicks.

NYK and OKC are the two deepest, most-talented teams in the league, and thankfully they’re in different conferences, so it’s only right they should meet.  Also, their contest will finally settle the young vs. old debate, in a way.  You don't see young bucks like Jared McCain getting run on the Knicks.

Also, one last shoutout to Halliburton and the Pacers.  Let’s not forget that they were on the verge of totally upsetting the Thunder last season.  Too bad Myles Turner bounced, and they traded away Mathurin like that.  They should’ve at least gave themselves a chance to run it back and see if they could replicate the magic and, whether win it all or lose, go down as a legendary team in history.

CONCLUSION

Maybe in a perfect world, Lebron would return to the Cavs, and the Beard would head out to L.A. to play alongside - or rather let’s say replace - the perennially-injured Luka.

I recently read that whoever wins the WCF will be the favorites over the Knicks.  But check this out - they're bringing in the rowdiest of the rowdy.  I’m not so sure the Spurs can beat the Knicks in a seven-game series.

But as for OKC, even though they aren’t as all-around talented, they are younger, have better balance and greater depth (the latter particularly if everyone is playable).

If I Could Send One Player to Any Team (Central Division)

There's been a lot more team changing this offseason than many of us anticipated.  Most deals have already been made, but there are still quite a few quality free (and restricted) agents out there, those which, if braintrusts choose wisely, may push this or that team to the next level.  That said, not every suggestion I'm going to make here is free agent but in one case the type of player a particular organization appears to need most, even if the actual possibility of landing him is nonexistent.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (64-18) - JONATHAN KUMINGA

It's arguable that no team disappointed this past postseason moreso than the Cavs.  By the looks of things, they're going to more or less run it back again next season, and on one hand it's like why not?  But on the other hand, I'm not going to dumb out and put my faith in them yet again.

The problem with teams like Cleveland is that it's hard to identify any flaws on their roster to begin with.  People were quick to denounce the idea of having a twin towers, but that strategy worked for the Thunder.  One of the reasons it worked though is because Holmgren is more versatile than Mobley.  You also see that during the Finals, OKC didn't even start Hartenstein.

So the lesson appears to be that, during the regular season if you will, a twin towers may work.  But during the postseason, you need to accommodate or adjust.  And that's why I'm suggesting Jonathan Kuminga.  When the argument is that Allen is too slow to defend on the perimeter or doesn't have enough of an offensive repertoire, then start Kuminga instead.

The fact that no other team has offered Jonathan a contract isn't due to him being undesirable but rather, according to reports, this offseason being one in which virtually all squads are cash-strapped.  So yeah, I don't realistically expect Cleveland to go after him, unless maybe they were willing to give up Jarrett altogether in the process.

And that, once again, is the problem with being really good during the regular season but sucking in the playoffs.  You presume that some type of major change is needed yet at the same time are reluctant to initiate any.  That begs the question of which is better, to be really good but then fail when everything is on the line, or to suck altogether?  At the end of the day, are the Cavs even any better than, say, the Trailblazers?

INDIANA PACERS (50-32) - JOSH GIDDEY

This one was easy, since it appears that Haliburton will not be suiting up at all next season.  Meanwhile, Giddey is a player with a very similar style, in terms of his build and versatility.  It may even be argued that all-around stat-wise, Josh is better than Tyrese.  But if Indiana did go out and get Giddey, then you'd have to ask what role would be play once Haliburton returns, since Josh is more or less a non-factor when he isn't allowed to run point.

I'm not as pessimistic about the Pacers as a lot of people, including apparently their own braintrust, are concerning next season.  Another viable option would be going after Russell Westbrook who, in a manner of speaking, is like Haliburton and Turner rolled into one player.  I don't think Indiana's braintrust just standing pat is the best solution, especially when it comes to trying to do the best for their fanbase.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (48-34) - RUSSELL WESTBROOK

Honestly, I'm shocked that Westbrook remains a free agent as of this writing.  But as I have noted numerous times throughout this blog, "the ScapeGOAT" has regularly suffered from misplaced(?) hate throughout the years.

Russell is the victim of what I would call the curse of greatness.  When you're naturally better than most of your colleagues, people expect you to succeed by default.  It's those types of expectations which has turned players like LBJ and KD to superteam feens.

I could easily perceive how Westbrook would at least prove more valuable to the Bucks than Dame did.  It isn't like they have much to lose in giving him a shot.  And since no one has high expectations for Milwaukee this coming season, if they do fail it's not like everyone can then turn around and blame it on Russell(?).  He may not be the best three-point shooter out there, but given his multitude of other talents, does he really have to be?

DETROIT PISTONS (44-38) - KEVIN DURANT

I know that KD isn't actually available, but there's two reasons I suggested him anyway.  First is that, as I've been saying for the longest, I would love to see more of these old superstars go to young teams.  I'm not talking about the way CP3 went to the Spurs last season but more like old superstars joining younger teams and instantly making them contenders in the process.

In the grand scheme of things, there wasn't any super-major difference between the rosters of the Rockets and Pistons entering this offseason.  They both lost in the First Round, after all.  But Houston is more reputable and also apparently better resourced, so Durant could chose them without giving a less-popular team like Detroit a second or even first thought.

That said, unlike the Pacers and Bucks, it makes more sense for the Pistons not to rush out and make any major additions.  But losing both Beasley and Schroder is far from ideal.  Meanwhile, it seems they haven't made any notable additions at all this offseason except maybe Caris LeVert.

CHICAGO BULLS (39-43) - BOL BOL

Recently, there's been reports of the Bulls being interested in Kuminga or something like that, but I don't really see it.  Jonathan is good and likely to get better, but I doubt if he'll ever be even a consistent number-two option.  For the past couple of years, I've rather been advocating him going to a team like the Grizzlies.  Their roster is more on his timeline, and the onus wouldn't be on him to play like superstar night in and night out.  The Warriors, contrastingly, are a high-pressure team, where if you aren't consistently on point, it will show.

Chicago's roster sucks, so much so that if finish anywhere near .500, that would be considered an overachievement.  They have the type of squad that could literally use any good player, outside of maybe a point, since Giddey already seems to have that role locked down.

The general consensus is the best (restricted) free agent currently available is, once again, Kuminga.  But I can't advocate him going from the Dubs to a team that doesn't look like it'll make playoffs anytime soon, even in the lackluster East.  Nor could I condemn Westbrook to such a fate.

So I'm going to go with Bol Bol because first of all, Chicago obviously needs depth in the frontcourt (as they have for years now).  Secondly, it's sorta surprising, at least to me, that Bol doesn't have a contract.  For whatever reason, after a promising season a couple of years ago, his minutes have been drastically reduced.  Maybe he's not as good as I think he is.  Or maybe, he's never gotten a fair shot due to his appearance and shit like that.  His looks aren't exactly what we would call marketable from a Western civilization perspective.  But I would like to see Bol for once get major minutes, like a starter, to really prove what he could do.  And he'll likely only get that type of opportunity on a completely-garbage team(?) like the Bulls.

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 5)

SGA is MVP.  The reason I'm pointing that out is because he received the MVP treatment at the end of Game 4 - so much so that even the opposing coach had to defend the refs.  But he is MVP.  Out of all the players in the league, Shai is entitled to that treatment, so to speak.

The thing tho is that Game 4 shifted the momentum of the series.  Of course, I can't say that the Pacers would've won if Shai wasn't receiving somewhat generous calls or non-calls down the stretch.  I don't like playing what if.  But let me just say that, up until Game 5, OKC never definitively established themselves as the dominant team, as everyone, including myself, was expecting.  I wasn't expecting them to dominate Indy like they did Minny, but still, niggas was struggling.

Shai was once again magnificent in Game 5, but the man who really led the charge, who was also instrumental during crunch time in Game 4, was Jalen Williams.  SGA recently made a comment where he said he understood the value of a second fiddle when it comes to winning a championship.  Williams is like the second coming of Scottie Pippen.  And what people don't say is that there were times, even if not so often, when Pippen played better than Jordan.

As for Tyrese Haliburton, I sorta see him becoming like a Ben Simmons.  But that's not to say the series is over - far from it.  During these Finals, it's like you can feel the homecourt advantage.  Look at how Haliburton shrinks in OKC.  But in Indy, it's a different story.  And as for Pascal Siakim and even T.J. McConnell, you know, those types, dudes don't give AF.  Try to tell them they don't belong on the big stage or that the Thunder are flatout better.

SHOUTOUT TO AARON NEISMITH & CHET HOLMGREN

Also shoutout to Aaron Neismith, who once again had a ridiculous dunk, this time on Chet Holmgren.  Remember that Aaron Gordon banged it on Chet also.  The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been no joke.

I like Holmgren, because even though he's young and skinny, he's not afraid of the post or playing defense.  It's players like him who are reminding the rest of the NBA that size does matter.  And you know, he's like the Kukoc of the team, so to speak.  But wait until Williams or SGA go down, and then you'll see how valuable he is.

All things considered, that's probably the biggest advantage the Thunder have over Indy - depth.  I can't even call Myles Turner overrated, because I never really heard anyone big him up anyway, at least not in the last five years type shit.  And unless dude turns into Shaq during these last two games, I'm really interested to see how much Indy is going to offer him this summer.  Yeah, let him go to Detroit or whatever team is dumb enough to throw a shitload of money at Myles.

KEVIN DURANT IN "THE DIVA BLUES"

Speaking of Detroit, if there's one team in the NBA I'd like to see KD go to, without them giving up too much in return, it's the Pistons.  Talk about instant contenders.  And it's interesting that there doesn't seem to be any team out there, not even the lowly Spurs or the starchasing Knicks, that seem overly interested in him except, based on reports, Minnesota which, if I were them, I wouldn't give up Randle for Durant.  Giving up Randle or Reid or any of those guys would sorta defeat the purpose.  Gobert, if they can get rid of him, would make more sense, even though that would leave a big gaping hole in the middle.  And now, looking at the way OKC is dominating the paint, you remember the value of interior D.

NBA teams have been incepted and are no longer enamored by divas.  They know that KD has now been at the center of two failed superteams, the latter more disappointing than the first.  They see how trying to placate an over-the-hill Lebron has destroyed what has traditionally been the best braintrust in the NBA.  So, good luck KD.  If you haven't already, learn how to concede the point.

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 Playoff Ruminations (June 5)

Not all of my predictions are correct; no one's is.  But when it comes to foretelling a roster's fortune, you're probably better off reading this blog than resorting to mainstream outlets, some of whom are unable to figure shit out until months after I've already said it, besides sometimes outright biting my shit, you know, without a shoutout or nothing.

For instance, I'm the first pundit that I know of who was like, why TF did the Knicks trade for KAT?  I made that statement all the way back when the transaction first occurred, i.e. October 2024.  I'm not saying it was a bad move, but I did say it was hasty one, considering they had just acquired Miles Bridges, in another trade in which they sent out a few rotation players, like a couple of days prior.  Based on the Knicks playing style in 2023-24, Bridges was a better selection than KAT.  Yet with KAT, as I anticipated, Miles never really got to show his true potential.

And that's the reason why NYK is arguably the most-frustrating braintrust in the NBA.  They can do something spectacular, like acquiring Jalen Brunson back when he was underrated, and then follow up a season later by starchasing instead of properly using their noodle.

'Well, we got further this season than we did last season, so at least that's progress'.  No one wants to hear that shit, Jalen. Why?  Because the Knicks didn't lose in the 2024 Playoffs because of lack of talent.  They lost because of injury, in fact being the most injury-laden team in NBA Playoffs history that I've ever seen.  But within the timespan of just two months, they totally forgot about that and went about more or less retooling the roster.  Well now, they had the talent + health for the most part, but lack the compatibility, i.e. the roster being poorly and overly built.

So now all of a sudden, KAT is the scapegoat.  Well at least he was, until they fired Thibs yesterday, finally.  Meanwhile, NYK prolly would've gotten swept out of the ECF if not for Karl's performance in Game 3.

I was also the first person, while every other pundit was giddy with excitement, who was like Lebron + Luka is not going to work out.  You'd never know it looking at their current makeup, but back in the days the Lakers were like really-really smart when it came to roster construction.  That was back when the likes of Pat Riley and Phil Jackson and what's his name, that original owner dude, were still around.  Now, in the Lebron era, like there's a reason why I always say that GM Lebron is to be feared on an organizational level.  His presence may result in a quick championship, but good luck to your roster in the years that follow.

In defense of these less-than-analytical mainstream reporters, I think there's an advantage, when you're trying to make predictions, to not actually watching NBA games.  When you watch games regularly, it's easy to form biases or favorites based on personal reasons, or something like that.  It's more easy to get caught up in hoopla when you're consuming all the marketing and hype rather than actually using your own noodle.  Like I can imagine the Knicks' braintrust just sitting around watching games all day.  'Hey, that guy KAT is really good, a double-double machine.  Let's get him, compatibility be damned'.  

That said, guru I may be, I'm not a betting man when it comes to the NBA, nor do I advocate such behavior, as in the grand scheme of things, predictions don't really mean shit if games are rigged.  But apparently, to be a long-term beneficiary of rigging, you have to be like a top-notch veteran.  And even these days, you know, I would say Lebron more or less fell out of the powers-that-be's graces a long time ago.  It's rather the Lakers' brand, so to speak, that's keeping him afloat.  And just forget about KD and them.  Like the mainstream is rightfully saying, there's a new day in the NBA, though I've also said that a long time ago, that professional athletics favors the young, and if the league doesn't rig for certain stars the youngsters would inevitably takeover, especially in this day and age of neverending injuries.

GIANNIS TO BOSTON?

My biggest fear when it comes to Giannis (please don't ask me to spell his last name) is that he ends up being a KD, a superstar bouncing around to different teams yet not winning shit.  Remember when Durant went to the Dubs back in the day - that was arguably the most-controversial free agency decision ever.  But it was also hella smart, because it doesn't look like he's going to win anymore championships beyond that.  Like there aren't any surefire squads in the NBA these days like the Dubs in their prime, except maybe OKC, who obviously doesn't need any roster additions.

Practically any team he goes to, except maybe some of those at the very bottom, will instantly become a contender.  Giannis can go to the Magic and, oh shit, they're contenders, like deadass.

But what I suggest, more than anything, is that he needs to go to an organization with a winning culture, and there aren't many of those.  The only two I can think of off the top of my head are the Celtics and Warriors.

I was reading an article a couple of days ago, I believe on Yahoo, that suggested Giannis stay in the East, since the Eastern Conference is easier, so to speak.  So on that note, I'd like to recommend the Celtics.  They're saying that Jayson Tatum may not come back next season.  But if Giannis comes to town, I'm sure that would expedite his return.

The problem is, who will Boston be willing to give up to get him?  This team needs it role players, even Jrue Holiday if Giannis shows up, since they're homeys type shit.  But you know, that's rich peoples' problems, not mine.

INDIANA PACERS vs OKC THUNDER

Of course I'm predicting the Thunder, as I have all season.  Imo, the only team with a roster that was able to beat them was the Nuggets, who they've already overcome.  That may have been the true Finals' series, so to speak.

But at the same time, I'm not going to completely count the Pacers out, because they're obviously on some miracle shit.  Like Steph Curry is a miracle-ass nigga, which is why you can never count Golden State out (unless he's hurt).  Meanwhile, Indiana has Tyrese "Steph of the East" Haliburton.  So this should be interesting, whether or not OKC can shut them down, like they did Minnesota.

Perhaps the bigger challenge, all things considered, will be the Pacers trying to stop the Thunder.  But they should've gotten some preparation in the regard facing the Knicks, who are apparently one of the better offensive teams in the league, even if they did disappoint.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (28 May 2025)

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (1) vs OKC THUNDER (3)

I haven't watched the highlights from Game 4 but am surprised that, based on what I've read, the Thunder were able to totally shutdown Randle and Ant-Man.  Either Julius and Anthony are overrated, OKC's defense really is that good, or there's something else going on.  I don't think they're overrated, but, you know what I mean?  Niggas ain't ready type shit.  Or like I was saying before, the competition, all players considered, is just flat-out superior.

Sometimes, it feels like the Wolves are cursed.  They have one of the better logos and braintrusts in the NBA but still more or less suck.  They aren't one of those franchises like, say, the Wizards, that haven't had a good roster in over a decade.  Remember that Minny once had KAT + Wiggins + Butler but still couldn't make it work, at all.  Meanwhile, their current roster is deeper and more versatile than most.  It isn't the braintrust (per se), and it isn't the players, so maybe it's the coaching.

Besides that, I don't want to say much except Minny should prolly be happy they even won Game 3.  Yes, I do think that it's suspicious that the best team in the NBA suffered their worst lost of the season, a 40+ point blowout(!), not during an inconsequential mid-January game but rather the Conference Finals.  But other than that, this series is more or less playing out as I expected.

Mike Conley may be an anachronism, but at least he isn't the scapegoat.  That's going to fall on Ant-Man, and I would presume, to a lesser degree, Randolph and Gobert.  The good thing about being a lesser-known player is that at least no one blames you when the team loses.

INDIANA PACERS (3) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (1)

The Pacers are now one of my favorite teams, as they arguably have the best brainstrust in the NBA.  They've made a number of unusual, arguably questionable (at the time) moves that are now paying off:

...retaining Myles Turner for over a decade, even though he's never made an all-star team.

...making Tyrese Haliburton the face of the franchise, at a time when he was virtually unknown.

...trading for Pascal Siakim who, previously being stuck up in Toronto, seemed to almost never get his due respect.

But more exceptional than any of that has been surrounding them with an overachieving supporting cast, composed of a bunch of dudes who like no one ever even heard of before last season.

I feel bad for the Knicks if they lose this series, because there's going to be more questions than answers.  Just yesterday, Yahoo published an article basically highlighting how poor of a defender Jalen Brunson is and accordingly, the Pacers targeting him on offense.  They even went as far as to point out that, according to some advanced metrics, he's one of the very worst defenders in the NBA.  Damn, I didn't know it was like that.  Meanwhile, he and Lebron "Godfather" James recently made the All-NBA Team.  That's obviously an accolade that's based primarily on offensive output than anything else.

Besides that, they're also implying that the much lesser-known Miles McBride is better defensively.  Damn.  If this were the regular season, I'd perhaps even suggest, as controversial as it would be, benching Brunson for McBride.  But it isn't, and you can't ask a reigning All-Star to suddenly give up his starting spot in the Conference Finals.

WILL THE LAKERS BE WATCHABLE NEXT SEASON?

Apparently, the answer to that question will be based on how much Luka + Lebron + Reeves you can endure, because it looks like they may be running it back with that same middling core.

More than any other franchise in the NBA, the Lakers have a history of attracting top-notch talent.  But damn, who can they even afford right now?  They're saying that if LBJ opts into his contract, LAL will be on the hook to pay him $55mil(!).  Even Lebron, as confident as he may be, has to be able to admit by this point that this roster is lacking, and he isn't known for being loyal to non-contenders.  But the question is, can even King James walk away from $55mil?

Luka, btw, didn't make All-NBA.  Having played only 50 games, he wasn't even eligible, despite his extraordinary all-around stats.  Does that mean that Lebron, who's almost 15 years his senior, is still a better player?  And if so, why did LAL go after Doncic to begin with (while losing AD in the process)?  That's the real question they should be asking themselves going forward, at least after this season, when they no longer have to pay Lebron.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 24)

INDIANA PACERS (2) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (0)

I didn't even include any exclamation marks in the above subtitle, because I personally am not surprised that the Knicks are in a 2-0 hole, even if they do have homecourt advantage.  Indiana disappointed me in the last round, in that they won even though I predicted and was rooting for the Cavs.  But it's like, fool me once type shit.

As for NYK, I'm not going to get ahead of myself and say okay, they're going to lose to series, even if it does very much look that way.  When they took those two games in Boston, it was on last-second plays.  But the Pacers are like straight up beating these dudes, you know, making history against niggas type shit.

I've been saying all season that the Knicks are overtalented, that Miles Bridges was a better acquisition for this roster than KAT, and as such they should have given the Bridges experiment more time before running out and chasing Karl.  James Dolan has obviously not been incepted.  If he were, he would have known that the era of impromptu superteams is over.

In the whole history of the NBA, an instant superteam only worked once in terms of instantly producing a championship.  That of course was the 2008 Celtics, and it was because it's star were actually compatible (and very hungry).  If the Knicks were actually thinking instead of starchasing, they would have went after a defense-first C instead of KAT.  And my further argument is that, dickridin' a player who isn't compatible with your roster isn't becoming of a professional braintrust at all.

So with that in mind, lol @ NYK.  I can't help but to get at least a few 'I told you so's in.

Beating the up-and-coming Pistons and the limp Celtics (and more or less struggling on both occasions) was not proper preparation to face Indiana, and Thibs is overrated.  The Pacers are like an entire team that has caught the Steph spirit.  Tyrese Haliburton may also be overrated, so to speak.  But he has arguably the most-overachieving supporting cast in the NBA.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0) vs OKC THUNDER (2)

I don't feel like digging back right now, but I'm pretty sure I said at the beginning of the season that, if healthy, the Thunder are likely to bring home the gold.  A lot of other people probably said the same thing, like that isn't actually a bold prediction.  Sometimes the team that's supposed to win actually does.

OKC are the exemplary braintrust right now, because they've been clear contenders throughout the season yet not paying any luxury tax, and even with SGA, you know, he may be a consensus superstar now, but they took a flier making him the leader of this squad when they did.

Meanwhile the Timberwolves, who do have one of the higher tax bills, are not contenders, regardless of what any pundit says.  There's nothing they've done throughout this entire postseason that screams champion.

I'm not trying to place the blame on anybody, but if I were to make one change to that roster, it'd likely be minimizing its dependency on Mike Conley.  Again, I have nothing against Conley.  You may not hear his name come up in those father time conversations, but he's actually one of the older players in the league.  Dude was deadass teammates with Allen Iverson and is still around, in 2025, logging like 30 mins/game in the postseason.  You have to respect that.  It ain't like he's an old dawg who's been relegated to cheerleading.

But if you're going to pay the luxury tax, you know what I'm saying?  I don't mean dumbing out like the Suns, but I already said at the end of last season, after they lost to the Mavs, that Minny needed to upgrade from Mike.  Trading KAT for Randle and DiVincenzo was a sound move but not all that they needed to do.  More than anything, they needed to upgrade at the point.  Duh.

Conley is like an anachronism in today's NBA.  The Timberwolves play that kind of position-less basketball that most teams do.  So, you know what I'm saying?  Maybe they need to spend extra and get a player more compatible with that style, a more appropriate backcourt running make for Anthony Edwards.  I'm not going to jump off a ledge and say the Pacers are going to beat the Knicks, but I will say that about OKC's chances over Minny.

It's probably better like this anyway.  If the Knicks make it to all the way Finals and start doing that Laurel & Hardy shit, some New Yorkers, like those who aren't used to being disappointed like that, may have a heart attack or something.  Oh, the drama.  And speaking of Laurel & Hardy yes, it did kinda seem that NYK really gave Indy a chance to come back at the end of the Game 1.  Man, the NBA.  The type of anomalies that back in the old days no one would expect from professional athletes or that they would get chastised for are now so common that they can happen multiple times in a single postseason alone.  Ben Simmons truly was a scapegoat.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 19)

DENVER NUGGETS (3) vs OKC THUNDER (4)

It was obvious from the get-go that Aaron Gordon shouldn't have been playing.  The fact that he was forced or compelled to do so anyway, even though it was a Game 7, is indicative of how thin Denver's bench is or how little faith they have in their backup players.

Speaking of David Adelman, it also shows a lack of creativity on the part of the team's coaching staff.  Steph went down, and they told him not to come back 'til Game 6, and he didn't try to force himself back, even though his team got their asses bust.  I still believe, if Curry were healthy, the Warriors would have won.

But anyway, the point is that sometimes you just have to man-up and take the lost, if it's like that.  At least the younger dudes, like Peyton Watson - who would have most logically replaced Gordon in the starting lineup - would have gotten invaluable playoff experience in the process.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0) vs OKC THUNDER (0)

Speaking of the Timberwolves, I know that they're a formidable, even if lucky, team.  But I totally expect OKC to dominate them in the next round.

NEW YORK KNICKS (4) vs BOSTON CELTICS (2)

It felt like Boston threw Game 6, maybe not intentionally per se, but it was clear, at least to me, that they didn't really-really try.  The Knicks were dominating, and very early in the game the Celtics gave up.  They're saying something now like Brown was playing through injury, so that probably has something to do with it.  What's the use of making the Conference Finals when you already know that Jaylen needs rest also?  Chasing those championships, some NBAers finally get the trophy but can never make it back again.

The Knicks destroyed the Celtics, at MSG, in Game 6.  But that was something to have been more expected than celebrated.  NYK has the most-stacked starting lineup in the league, and they're all healthy.  Boston, at full strength, is not as talented as the Knicks but have more of a winning culture.

They're saying that Tatum's injury is so serious that the Celtics should more or less initiate a rebuild in the name of saving money, or something like that.  I was saying since before last postseason ended that Boston needed some upgrades, most specifically to cover for the fragility of Porzingis who, ironically enough, did manage to play in Game 6.  In hindsight, maybe they should have went after a Jimmy Butler type , like a third superstar.  That's what they need instead of just gutting the team, but obviously they can't afford it.

I've also been critical of Boston from the get-go for more or less forcing Jrue Holiday to become one of those solely-defense type of players, like Matisse Thybulle, if you will.  Jrue is a traditional PG, stuck in league where old-school, pass-first PGs no longer exist.

Teams are built these days whereas virtually anyone from the 1 to the 5 can bring it up the court.  But reportedly, he's like the player most likely to move, and I guess logically so, since being forced to play that way limits Holiday's overall effectiveness.

But it'll be interesting to see if BOS or anyone else lets him play traditional point next season.  There are certainly teams, like the Magic, who could use a traditional point, if the stars are actually willing to conceded ball handling.  And speaking of Holiday, is it just me, or does he look like he's grown a couple of inches?

INDIANA PACERS (0) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (0)

Both the Knicks and Pacers have had lucky breaks during the 2025 postseason.  But n all honesty, I'm more impressed with Indiana.  The way they dominated the Cavs, even when Cleveland was more or less at full strength, was more impressive than they way NY beat BOS.

But that said, congratulations to NYK.  I would assume that most NBA fans don't want opposing players, especially stars, to get hurt, even if they party like 1999 if their team beats a limp opponent.  So regardless of how the Knicks may or may not have made it, at least they're there.  But it'll still be a disappointment if they can't get pass the Pacers.

HAS PARITY BEEN ACHIEVED?

These Playoffs have been pretty exciting, but we're once again met with a postseason where dudes are being commonly and let's say randomly beat by 20 or more points.  Has parity been achieved, Mr. Silver?  I guess we won't really know until the next round.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 14)

SHOUTOUT TO NICO HARRISON

What if I told you that I'm a member of the Sam Hinkie Fan Club, or that I have a poster of Danny Ainge, in a shirt and tie, hanging on my bedroom wall?  I'm what you call a fan of GMs and other types of executives who make NBA decisions behind the scenes.  I'm not going to act like I can name a bunch of them.  But the organizations that are really good or alternative really stupid, I try to keep an eye on their braintrusts.

I didn't really know who Nico Harrison was until niggas started giving him the Luigi Mangione treatment.  When he traded Luka for AD, of course I was like 'wow, that's unexpected'.  But otherwise, you know what I mean?

I said from the jump that, all things considered, it more or less seemed like fair trade to me.  In fact, I even thought Dallas got the best of the deal, more or less.  Their roster is deep enough that could instantly insert AD into the starting lineup and proceed from there.  But as for the Lakers, since Davis has arguably been their anchor over the past couple of seasons, trading him away for Luka - as the rest of the world, including Lebron, is slowly starting to realize - means that now they have to initiate a rebuild around him.

Then, from a business perspective, let's just say that Luka would have had to sell a whole lot of jerseys and tickets to rationalize Dallas re-signing him for $350mil(!).  Meanwhile, the Mavs were retrogressing from last season.  And even if Doncic was able to lead them back to the Finals in the future, given his endurance issues, what's the chances that they would win?  Rebuilding - as the world is starting to see now that the lesser teams got shitted on in the draft - isn't as easy as it sounds, and it shouldn't be something an organization does unless it really has to.  Some teams, like the Nets, have been rebuilding for like 15 years now.

Sam "the anti-Stern" Hinkie exploited a loophole like no other GM before him.  He was akin to a guru, though one who's methodology was crude.

Though breaking, let's say unwritten ethical codes - you have to remember that the Sixers were garbage between the time Iverson left and Hinkie taking charge.  They were also garbage last season, but look, managed to land the third pick, over a number of teams that were even worse.  I believe that's an acknowledgement of their popularity and thus importance to the NBA landscape, with Philly still benefitting from that standing into the 21st century in large part due to Hinkie's efforts.

But Sam exploited the system so blatantly that now, it's f*cked up for those trying to imitate him a decade later.  Of all the teams that had their hopes dashed, the one I'm laughing at the loudest is of course the Utah Jazz.  They began tanking from like last season type shit and still got the short end of the stick.  That's why I don't advocate intentionally losing.  I think they still have a decent roster and, who knows, may land a gem in the draft.  But now they also have to overcome a self-imposed, fan-betraying, fruitless losing culture, besides being embarrassed, if you will.

Anyway, my point is that everyone thought Nico Harrison was a dumbass up until yesterday.  But now, we're reminded that he's a businessman, and the NBA is a business.  Even if Kyrie isn't around, imo this team has more hope heading into next season than they did coming into the current one.

DENVER NUGGETS (2) vs OKC THUNDER (3)

There isn't much to read here.  As a collective, the Thunder have arguably every advantage over the Nuggets except experience.

The ScapeGOAT fouled out of Game 5, so he couldn't play down the stretch even if David Adelman maybe wanted him to.  But based on the precedent that's already been set, he probably would have went with Braun anyway.

A couple of seasons ago, when KCP was around, I argued that Denver had the best starting five in the league.  To this day, their starting unit remains one of the best, not only in terms of talent but also compatibility.  Skill-wise, their starters are arguably better than OKC's.  But damn that lack of depth, and also the age factor.

Before all that Ja Morant shit started happening, I thought the Grizzlies were going to be the youth movement to dethrone the old dogs.  Instead, it's proving to be the likes of the Thunder and Timberwolves.

INDIANA PACERS (4) vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1!)

I read some shit like Donovan Mitchell was "emotional" after the Game 5, lol.  As a Cavaliers' fan, I was kinda emotional myself, though I don't know exactly what emotion that was.  That said, save the emotions for Jayson Tatum, my nigga.

I remain one of the skeptics who considers the Pacers "lucky", even if they've now made it to Conference Finals two years in a row.  In the First Round, Damian Lillard was injured (as was Giannis last postseason).  Then, they were fortunate in the Second Round by facing a superior opponent, albeit one who is unable to beat them.  The Cavs only lost 18 games in the regular season, and four of those were against Indiana.

What really amazes me is how Tyrese Haliburton not only plays better in Cleveland than he does at home but also outperformed the Cavs' players in Cleveland.  He's like a Steph, in a manner of speaking, though for now he lacks (young) Curry's consistency.

LEBRON (BACK) TO THE CAVS?

As for the Cavs, I mean yeah, something has to change.  As pathetic as it may sound, going into next season they need to make upgrades specifically in the name of overcoming the Pacers.  It would also help if, you know, since they have twin towers, if they learned how to play big.  Kenny Atkinson was recently named Coach of the Year, but maybe that decision was a bit hasty.

As much as I sorta hate to say it, the Cavs could really (re-)use some Lebron in their lives right now.  There aren't any superstars on this team except Spida, but I think the roster is still impressive enough to entice the King.

If they can get Lebron without giving up anybody, that would be ideal.  Don't thin out the roster to the point that they can't win unless he plays well.  You know, dude is in his 40s.  By this point in his career and given his resume, he's supposed to be on a team where he's more of a rotation player, perhaps even a bench player, rather than the onus.

LBJ may not play defense for shit, and he also, despite being a giant, prefers to stay on the perimeter.  But the emotional boost alone may be able to get this organization over the hump.  And if they retain Mobley especially, there won't be much need for James to post up anyway.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 12)

DENVER NUGGETS (2) vs OKC THUNDER (2)

This, dear readers, is what you call a series - not a semifinals' matchup where one team is making a mockery of their opponent, i.e. Indiana v Cleveland.

My main criticism of Denver's performance in Game 4 is, why didn't they play Westbrook down the stretch?  Besides injuries, for the past couple of season this team has suffered from what I would refer to as a lack of energy.  The biggest concern when KCP left was, how would Braun fit into the starting role?  He seems to have adjusted marvelously, better than expected even.  But playing him down the stretch of a close game like this instead of Westbrook, like I don't see the logic.

Remember that all five of Denver's current starters were on that 2023 championship team.  So maybe it can be argued that they aren't really hungry like that.  They're not feening, like Westbrook or maybe OKC.  But perhaps this is all part of that conspiracy against Russell that I mentioned in the last post.

 INDIANA PACERS (3) vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1)

It's now getting the point where I'm like, maybe the Pacers really are just better than the Cavs.  Indiana also dominated Cleveland during the regular season.  Maybe it isn't that they're "better" per se but more like that one team who for whatever reason the Cavs can't beat.  Even the Jordan Bulls and the Shaq + Kobe Lakers had issues like that, but I think, you know, the NBA was more on their side.

Remember that Spida, a couple of those seasons he was in Utah they had the best regular season record also but then flunked in the Playoffs.  I've been theorizing, for years, that the powers-that-be have something against the Cavs.  But "41-point halftime lead" and shit like that, damn.  It's embarrassing, especially when you're the 1 seed.

So imagine you're a Knicks' fan, and you pay who knows how many dollars to attend Game 4 @ MSG, only to have your day ruined, like your team not even compete.  On the other hand, you're a Pacers' fan, pay the same amount of money maybe to attend Game 4 @ the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and, along with thousands of other revelers, have the time of your life.  Shit is real in the NBA, like on a financial level.

If Mitchell can't play in Game 5, that may be a good thing for Cleveland, in that it would make them focus more on the interior, with those bigs being the one advantage or factor they have that most other teams don't.  But on the low, with rotation players like Turner, Toppin and Siakim, the Pacers are actually one of the taller teams also.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: ORLANDO MAGIC

Mentioning KCP made me think of the easily-forgettable Orlando Magic.  Going after Kentavious last offseason was a brilliant move, if they would have complimented it by also edifying their frontline.  Oh well.  I couldn't understand how pundits thought that he alone would move the needle (and at the time were even implying that he's a better player than Westbrook!), but anyway, I'm imagining that Cs may be the most coveted position, around the league, this coming offseason.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 8)

INDIANA PACERS (2) VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (0!)

I don't have anything against Tyrese Haliburton - Myles Turner maybe, though he's reclaiming his strength of late.  Instead, there's a more practical reason I want the Pacers to lose.  If they win, they're going to f*ck up all that shit I was talking about the small-ball era being over.  Remember that shit I said about about 'the Cavs players look like they genuinely like each other, so other teams need to watch out!'  Well I guest at doesn't really matter if the other team is playing harder or smarter.

As for the Cavs, it's kinda hard to blame it on injuries because (#1) by all means at least one, if not two of their big four is likely to be hurt during any given game by this point in the Playoffs, and (#2) they have or had the homecourt advantage.

Me wanting Indiana to lose doesn't mean it's going to happen, of course.  But damn, son.  I saw some headline at NBC that at least gave me the impression that the writer thought the ending of Game 2 was rigged.  When Nesmith banged it on Mitchell, especially the first time I saw the play, it just looked like he wanted it more.  And Haliburton deciding to shoot a three on that last shot, that was a gutsy play, especially considering that the defense on him, though one-on-one (against Jerome), was pretty sound.

Tyrese appears that he may be on the verge of superstardom, if he isn't already there.  If that happens, I would argue that the party who deserves the most credit is the Pacers' braintrust.  They deadass pulled off a Kobe, believing in a player that every other organization slept on.

You also have to give Indiana credit for believing, like Cleveland, in the power of continuity.  Remember that they retained their entire rotation from last season, and the only addition they made was James Wiseman, with that experiment lasting a good game or two.   

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0)

Let me just get this off my chest - if Curry is healthy, I have no reason not to believe that the Warriros would beat, if not swept, Minnesota.  There's something like inexplicable about the Wolves underachievement.

There was this one play when Gobert backed down Butler I think and dunked.  Gobert is like an entire chest bigger than anyone on the Dubs' roster.  And the announcer was like, 'you'd expect to see more of that from Minnesota'.  After all, isn't the size of Gobert how they ultimately finished the Lakers off?  But that's what I mean sometimes when I say head coaches are obsolete on many teams.

Draymond is also playing like a man inspired.  And as for Buddy Hield, previously he never lived up to the marketability of his name.  But this team has a winning culture, so you would expect dudes to overachieve, or at least their achievements to shine more.  But beating Minnesota without Curry, I mean anything is possible, you know, they do have "Playoff Jimmy".  But I can't see it.

NEW YORK KNICKS (2) VS. BOSTON CELTICS (0!)

Zero nigga, lol.

Yahoo currently has a headline up about Tatum not panicking and believing Boston will still pull through.  Yeah, maybe, I guess.  I mean, it's not like the Knicks won either of those games resoundingly.

But the scary thing is like, I mean I only have a small sample to refer to.  But at the beginning of the Playoffs, it looked sorta like the Knicks didn't really know what they were doing but winning on superior talent.  Now, it's starting to look like all the guys know and accept their roles, and everyone expect Brunson I guess understands they need to sacrifice their game in one respect or another to make shit happen.  Does that make Jalen the leader?  Yeah, I guess so.

The thing about Brunson is, remember when he was Luka's sidekick?  No one but the Knicks (and myself) picked up on the fact that Jalen is actually better than Doncic in some applications.  Like there was this one game - I believe it may have been against Mitchell's Jazz - when like Luka was hurt, and Brunson led the Mavs to victory  The next game Luka came back, and they lost.  And I'm sitting there like 'does anybody else see this shit'?  Yeah, I guess NYK did.

As for the Celtics, like now that people are starting to jump on the Miles Bridges bandwagon, remember who was biggin' him up first.  I was the one who said, like two whole years ago, that he's a better all-around player than KD (at this point in his career). So why the Suns preferred Durant anyway, I guess it was in the name of selling tickets or whatever.

My point is that Brown and Tatum are studs, but so is Bridges and, let's not forget, Anunoby.  They have the athleticism to counter.  So then you have to look at the rest of the roster and ask, which team's is better, especially considering the inconsistency of Porzingis?

I believe the Celtics braintrust may be a bit cocky, but you can't blame a champion for running it back.  But win or lose, they should now know that some type of major upgrade is in order.

DENVER NUGGETS (1) VS. OKC THUNDER (1)

The Nuggets won Game 1 on a last-second clutch pay, while the Thunder won Game 2 by absolutely demolishing Denver.  You do the math.

The Nuggets are one of my favorite teams, on some days my sentimental favorite in the West.  But damn do they have a thin rotation, even in these Playoffs, when most teams are playing it tight.

The thing I'm most thankful for is at least Jamal Murray is playing and effective.  Remember that, just a week before the postseason, dudes was like he wouldn't even be suiting up.

Remember that, it was Mike Malone who made that statement, who Denver then like fired the next day or some shit.  And we have to remember also that these dudes lost their coach right before the Playoffs, though whether or not that was a good thing remains to be seen.

I believe ultimately, it everyone stays healthy or whatever, the Thunder are going to simply outrun the Nuggets.  Obviously, they can turn it up on Jokic if they want to.  And who on the bench, nay, the entire team, can alternatively take his place in terms of productivity?  Westbrook is a stud, but he isn't a C.

2024-2025 Offseason Grades (Central Division)

CHICAGO BULLS: B+

I was really hoping that Zach LaVine found his way to LAL.  That didn't happen, but the good thing about Chicago's situation is that now, at least they're a one-alpha team.

LaVine may not be a franchise player in the truest sense of the word, in terms of being able to consistently will a team to victory.  But, he isn't a scrub either.  And the pairing of him and DeRozan was always a questionable strategy, given that the Bulls didn't necessarily surround them with complementary role players, or at least those who were able to stay healthy.

I also like the acquisition of Josh Giddey, because he can fill the role that Lonzo Ball was supposed to.  He may not as good of a defender as Lonzo, but he is a better all-around offensive player.

Also, the way the Bulls' roster is currently made up is such that they can tank without looking like they're intentionally doing so.  You know what I'm saying?  Like they have a respectable roster, but perhaps one not good enough to make the playoffs.

That said, Chicago actually has one of the better braintrusts as far as garbage teams go.  I think what this roster, as is, may need to get to the next level, if they haven't gotten one already, is a speedy, athletic big who focuses primarily on defense and rebounding, not built like Drummond but one you can rationalize starting alongside Vucevic, since he apparently isn't going anywhere anytime soon either.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: A-

The Cavs are literally running it back with their same roster from last season and may be the only team in the league doing so.  That type of commitment demands some level of applause in this day and age.  That's more or less how champions were built back in the days.

That said, I agree with pundits who argue or notice that there's compatibility issues between Garland and Mitchell.  Donovan is a 2 who plays more like a 1 and furthermore is ball dominant.  In other words, if he decides to chuck, there's really no need to force him not to.  Forcing Mitchell, against his will, to share the ball with the other Gs and wings may do this roster more harm than good.

One solution is perhaps to bring Darius off the bench and rather start a G alongside Mitchell who's more defense oriented.  But then, the issue will become if Garland is as effective as a sixth man than he is as a starter.

Either way, at this moment there really isn't much reason to believe that Cleveland is on the verge of winning a championship.  But the ex-factor, once again, is Evan Mobley.  He's the type of player who, if Joel Embiid is unable to find his form, no other team in the East possesses.

DETROIT PISTONS: C-

The Pistons seem to have finally forsaken their youth movement by acquiring a handful of vets, most notably Tobias Harris, over the offseason.  I've been arguing for years that more veterans need to go to young teams like this.  However, I was thinking more along the lines of those who can make more of a difference, not only in terms of winning but also like ticket sales.  Meanwhile, Detroit's youth-laden roster from last season was more exciting, on paper, than their current one (even though they kept most of those young guys).

A little progress is better than no progress.  But the question is, has progress actually been made?

The problem with considering Cade Cunningham a franchise player is first of all, the Pistons are now paying him so much money that if they did decide to part ways, he'd be hard to trade.  You know, first it's like what team actually needs his skillset, and then it's like, what would they be willing to give up in return?  I know I may be projecting too far into the future, but that's the kind of issues Detroit, unless it overachieves, is likely to face.

Obviously no perennial all-star, i.e. the type of player they likely need to actually move the needle, is eager to join the Pistons.  So all things considered, it'd probably be better off if they didn't have any max player and engaged in a full rebuild sooner than later.  Or put another way, if Cade isn't a franchise player (which, imo, he has never proven to be, despite the stats), then they're going to look real stupid the longer they hold onto him.

INDIANA PACERS: B

I criticized the Pacers a lot during the playoffs and don't want to go there again.  If certain other teams in the East are healthy, I doubt that Indiana will make the conference finals again.  But that said, logic will dictate that after the success of last season, the right thing would be to run it back, with an upgrade or two.

That upgrade is expected to come in the form of James Wiseman, which isn't a completely bad gamble, since Myles Turner's style of play can be frustrating at times.  Wiseman was drafted onto the Warriors, a team which, as perennial contenders (up until recently), wasn't necessarily the best environment for young, developing, insecure players.  Since then, he's played for the Pistons and never quite panned out to be the phenom some were predicting when he was in high school.

But maybe, things will be different in Indiana.  Unlike Detroit, this is a team that actually wins games.  And unlike Golden State, even though the Pacers are theoretically contenders, there shouldn't be a whole of pressure or expectations unrealistically placed on Wiseman's shoulders, you know, to instantly prove a champion.  It's like either he finally represents in a definitive way, or he doesn't.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS: B-

I enjoy reminding the world that I was the first pundit to suggest the pairing of Giannis + Dame.  The problem is that, due to injuries, we never got to see their full (postseason) potential.  I think it's safe to say that if nothing else, if Giannis was healthy then the Bucks would have gotten past the first round of the playoffs.

I'm sorta a pessimist when it comes to injuries.  Sometimes, players get hurt really bad and make what seem like miraculous comebacks.  Other times, you're expecting them to return to form, and they never do.  Or let me say that my strategy is that, once a star player proves injury-prone, to always have a viable backup plan, just in case.

The Bucks, though they've made some quality additions, do not appear as if they have done so, nor do they necessarily look better than they did last season.  Besides Dame and Giannis, this squad is banking on a handful of aged starters, one of whom has an even worse injury history.  So I don't feel inspired, and obviously neither does any other pundit, since I have yet to see anyone mention Milwaukee as contenders this upcoming season.

But of course, in theory Giannis + Dame can be the best big/small combination in the league.  Maybe what the Bucks should think about doing is going all out and perhaps assembling what looks more like a win-now roster around them.  They're in a tough spot in terms of facing decisions because when you look at their top-six players, they're definitely contenders if healthy (and maybe a bit younger).

CONCLUSION

The Cavs should be the best team in the Central Division and, if they're able to be more innovative, perhaps even contenders.  They're the only team in the East who, as of now, has a starting five that consists of twin towers, not to mention a perennial allstar 2guard.

But of course, you can't sleep on the Pacers after the showing they had last season.  They now should be fully accustomed to the presence of Pascal Siakim.  But after how they performed last playoffs, injuries and all, I'm not convinced.  But, the same thing can be said for the Cavs.

Trade Talk: Mikal Bridges (to Knicks) vs. 5 First-Round Draft Picks (to Nets)

I agree with those pundits who argue that to Knicks going all-in to win a championship is the right thing to do.  All things considered, if you have roster of contenders on your hand, time is not to be taken for granted anymore.  There isn't anymore of that taking five to six years to build a core into champions, unless maybe they're young, like the Thunder (who I will get to later).  The potential for injury and player salaries no longer allow such luxuries, and injuries in the NBA are real, pretty much across the board.  For instance, the Celtics just managed to win a championship even though their starting C was hurt throughout most of the playoffs and like during half of the Finals.

So I don't particularly agree with the Knicks acquiring Bridges to fill the void, because once again, their roster is health dependent.  Yes, if Mikal was with NYK last offseason and actually playable, they prolly would have beaten the Pacers, even with Anunoby, Robinson, Bogdanovic, Randle, etc. on the injury list.  But that's in part illustrative of just how suspect Indiana is.

It appears that the Pacers are pretty much going to be bringing back their entire roster, i.e. the one that just made the conference finals.  But I have yet to come across a pundit mentioning them as potential contenders in 2024-25.

That said, the way the Knicks roster currently looks, they'll really be banking on Julius Randle staying well or at least healthy enough to make it through a postseason.  I would say Randle and Mitchell Robinson, but we can already take for granted that the latter will have injury issues.  In other words, NYK has assembled this roster full of quality guards and wings which, by default, now makes their bigs more valuable.  That is to say that if a G or F goes down, there's others to replace him.  But such is not so much the case with their Cs.

And I know what you may be saying - 'hey, the Celtics just won a championship with guards and forwards and their premiere big injured'.  That's something that we will touch on later.

I guess that's part of the reason why people were considering Isaiah Hartenstein to be such an important cog in NYK's wheel, but I didn't.  He had one sorta good postseason and was instantly overrated.  In fact, based on what I observed, he became worn down and even proved to be a liability as the series against the Pacers wore on.  Like it isn't that extraordinary for the tallest dude on the court to average 9 points and 8 rebounds.  That's another thing about last season's Eastern Conference Finals, that even if only Mitchell Robinson were around to backup Hartenstein, that could've made a major difference for the Knicks.

That said, I think Isaiah, whether playing behind Chet Holmgren or starting alongside him, is an excellent addition for the Thunder.  There, the expectations on him won't be unrealistic.  I personally envisioned someone like Clint Capela going to Oklahoma City instead.  But it appears that the Hawks, whatever the hell they're doing at the moment, plan to keep him instead.

CONCLUSION

My biggest complaint against the acquisition of Bridges though is that, instead of being more creative, the Knicks are trying to beat the Celtics at their own game.  It's going to be difficult, it not impossible for another squad to assemble a better group of all-around guards and wings than Boston currently has.  The way NYK is strategizing reminds me of all those teams who, in vain, tried to fashion themselves after the Dubs.  But again, if Randle stays healthy (and Porzingis doesn't), the Knicks may well make it out of the East.  But then again, perhaps the same thing could have been said about last season.  Oh well.

As for the Nets, they're sorta like the team that time forgot.  Remember that, around the time they first moved to Brooklyn, they went into win-now mode and gave up their future (i.e. draft picks) for veteran players, kinda like the Knicks just did for Mikal.  So now, there isn't even like a single star on the Nets' roster, unless you're still looking to Ben Simmons to represent.  Also, it's hard to imagine that any veteran who actually wants to win would go to Brooklyn, even if they do have like the best arena.

I guess the person I feel sorry for the most in all of this is Nic Claxton.  Like I would really like to see him on a quality team with committed stars, even if it's one like the Magic who, oddly enough, prioritized a wing player in free agency over acquiring a more-needed post-playing big.

NBA Offseason Power Stinkings (Central Division)

The Central Division could arguably be the all-around most competitive in the NBA, if not for the Pacers.  It's for teams like Indiana that the Power Stinkings were created.  But with them aside, it's easy to predict - or at least fantasize that all others in the division will close out the season with winning records.  The Bucks stand as the favorites, but the Bulls added a couple of quality vets, and it's like who knows what happened to the Cavs last season.  So anything can happen, especially since it seems the Milwaukee failed to really upgrade this offseason.

Since this is the Power Stinkings, we have to start with what looks like the worst team in the division first.  And again, that unflattering honor belongs to:

1.  Indiana Pacers

A decade ago, the Pacers were a contending team with the deepest roster in the league.  Nowadays, they look more confused than the Jazz.  And it says a lot about this braintrust, imo, that they have one of the best centers on their squad but seem unable to trade him.  So it's like are they rebuilding or what?  And then it's also like, who even really cares?

What did say a lot was the Malcolm Brogdon trade.  Ending that disaster of an experiment (and acquiring Haliburton) was supposed to symbolize that the Pacers were now rebuilding.  But maybe not.  So unless they really overachieve, which doesn't seem that likely given the competition, Indiana may be the least-popular team this upcoming season.

2.  Detroit Pistons

There's a couple of reasons I'm leery of the Pistons.  One is that they traded Jerami Grant basically for draft picks, though that move doesn't look so bad now that they got Kemba Walker.  But the way the NBA is these days, I wouldn't be surprised if they try to buy him out.  Everyone is raving about a backcourt consisting of Cunningham - who'll logically get better this season, but to what extent who knows - and Jaden Ivey, an unproven rookie.  I personally don't believe in putting too much faith in rookies, unless maybe it's a Shaq or something.  But how about a backcourt of Cunningham and Walker instead.  How would that fare against others in the NBA?

The Pistons also beefed up downlow with the addition of Nerlens Noel, and Kelly Olynyk is lingering around.  But overall, this looks like a pretty-thin frontline especially, once again, without Grant.

3.  Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs pulled arguably the dumbest trade of last season when they swapped Ricky Rubio for Caris LeVert and then went into an almost immediate freefall.  Well actually, calling it the dumbest may be a bit harsh.  For instance, now they have both LeVert and (a healthy) Rubio.  And sometimes, even some of the wiser braintrusts fall for that 'players are only assets' BS, casting them aside like broken car parts even though their presence may be integral to the team's overall success.  So, you can't be too mad at the Cavs.

Colin Sexton is also back, so now, if he sticks around, Cleveland has the deepest guard core in the NBA, on top of one of the best frontlines.  I'm almost tempted to call them contenders.  So now, it's like just wait and see if the execs dumbout this season also.

4.  Milwaukee Bucks

One of the reasons it doesn't matter that the Bucks didn't make any blockbuster upgrades during the offseason is because they already have a damn good team.  It's one of those situations where the biggest potential threat appears to be health issues (and the Heat).  And the Celtics, who beat them in the Playoffs, have in fact upgraded.  So unless Bobby Portis transforms into an indisputable all-star or Giannis turns it up another notch or two (if even possible), then who knows, the Bulls may prove better. 

5. Chicago Bulls

Putting the Bulls at the bottom of this list doesn't necessarily mean I think they'll fare better than the Bucks.  But at least they upgraded.  Dragic, as I'm sure I said somewhere in this blog before, is like the most-underrated PG of the last decade.  And I still can't understand all of the Drummond hate outside of the fact that it's become trendy to devalue traditional bigs (and that he boned Jennette McCurdy?).

The punchline of The Last Dance is that Jerry Krause and them were absolutely, positively wrong, as the Bulls were not able to promptly rebuild after the departure of Jordan and them.  Instead, it took like a decade to become contenders again, and even that was shortlived.  But now, they're one of the very few teams in the NBA that has been steadily progressing towards contendership throughout the last couple of years, even with Lonzo Ball out until who knows when.  (And then take a look at this, wow).  And that's why I had to put them at the top of this list for now.  But for whatever reason, I'm still hesitant to call the Bulls contenders, maybe because LaVine's playing style is too erratic for my liking.

CONCLUSION

I'm just as excited about the Pistons as the next man, but the Bulls are my sentimental favorites in this division.  But I still think, when you factor in experience and overall depth, the Bucks may be better.  I'm also looking forward to watching the Cavs play, but who knows how long Sexton may be around, and I was kinda hoping that Rubio would go to Golden State instead.  And as for Indiana, well, every year there has to be some team to grace the bottom of the NBA barrel.