Winners:

Kings: I know, it’s a shocker. First the Browns nailed the draft and now the kings. What has the world come to? Anyway the question is how did the Sacramento kings nail the draft? By getting a perfect blend of fit, potential impact, and long term potential. De’Aaron Fox was the perfect pick, cat like quickness and explosive upside, his defense and fast break potential are incredible. Fits perfectly next to Buddy Hield and could be the point guard of the future. They get another shooter and defender (known as 3 and D) in Justin Jackson from UNC, who brings a winning culture, being the best player on a national championship team. Harry Giles has huge upside, and you know as a Kansas fan how much I admire Frank Mason. Tough as hell while also showing tremendous improvement throughout his career, he will be the perfect backup to Fox. They also got guys with winning pedigree from winning cultures(Kentucky, UNC, Duke, Kansas) as well.

Suns: It’a the dream when you can get perfect value while also getting a great fit. Josh Jackson to the Suns was a match made in heaven. The suns have a lot of talent but that talent are guys like Devin Booker, Tyler Ulis, and Eric Bledsoe, who are offensive minded and don’t have much to offer in terms of defense and versatility. Jackson is the perfect fit. He slides between Booker and Chriss, and will bring defense, versatility on both ends, and toughness to this Suns team that lacks in all three areas.

Timberwolves: Forget the draft if you could trade a solid shooting guard, a young point guard who hasn’t shown much and only moving back 9 spots in the draft to get an all star, it’s an amazing trade. The timberwolves have so much talent, especially offensive, and everyone knows it. They needed a veteran guy who brings defense. They got so much more, because Butler is a star. With him and Wiggins on the wing, and Towns down low as a superstar, they could be a legit threat as soon as next year.

Losers

Knicks: They threatened to trade the only thing good going for them. A 7’3 soon to be superstar reminiscent of Dirk in Porzingis. Ntilikina is a very good pick and a nice fit, but this is more towards the sadness and disfunction of the knicks starting from the top with Dolan and Phil Jackson #firephil.

Celtics: They need a star, but instead they trade back, don’t pull the trigger on trading there pieces for a star, and take another solid pro in Tatum who is a good fit, but doesn’t get them any closer to a championship. Everyone talks about how great Ainge is and how great the nets deal was but resources are only as good as how you use them and Ainge continues to trade back and not turn the picks he has accumulated into actual results.

Bulls: They trade their most valuable asset for a young guard who struggled, an explosive guard coming off an ACL (sound familiar Bulls fans) and a shooting big man. The deal was virtually Jimmy Butler and Justin patton for Lauri Markkanen, Kris Dunn, and Zach Lavine. What a joke of a trade and what a joke of an organization the bulls have been since MJ.

With the NBA draft being tonight, I decided to do a mock draft…..

 

1. 76ers: Markelle Fultz G Washington

Breakdown of player: Extremely skilled, can score from all three levels of the court. He is refined as a passer, has excellent height and length, and can handle the ball with ease. He is a good defender when he wants to be, and has a nice chase down block. Excellent finisher around the rim. Needs to work on free throws and his defense. He isn’t a super athlete, and that can hold back his potential a little bit.

Fit with team: The 76ers have accumulated a lot of talented, athletic guys, but they are missing a shooter, go to scorer kind of guy. Fultz can and will be that guy.

Pro comp: James Harden

2. Lakers: Lonzo Ball PG UCLA

Breakdown of player: Ball is a high IQ point guard with incredible vision. He has great instincts on both offense and defense, and he is a good shooter with range. He just has a feel for the game. His shot is funky, and his upside as a scorer is not high. His dad is also a big distraction off the court, he struggles on defense because he isn’t a great athlete.

Fit with team: Being the hometown kid, his team, the Lakers, need a facilitator and point guard. With D’Angelo Russell gone, he is the future point guard star in L.A.

Pro Comp: Jason Kidd

3. Celtics: Jayson Tatum SF Duke

Breakdown of player: Tatum doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he is the most polished player in the draft. He is very advanced as an isolation scorer, and he lives in the mid range. He is a 15+ points per game guy from day one. Struggles with vision, defensive effort, and shot selection.

Fit with team: Celtics need a scorer that is a complement to Crowder and Jaylen Brown. Tatum is that kind of player.

Pro Comp: Paul Pierce

4. Suns: Josh Jackson SF Kansas

Breakdown of player:  Athletic freak with top tier competition. Slasher on offense, sees the floor well, can handle, and is an okay shooter. Great instincts and aggression on defense. Off the field issues, over aggression at times, and a weird shot are things that might be looked at negatively.

Fit with team: Suns have a lot of scorers, but they need athleticism and defense on their team. Jackson is the guy for that. He fits perfectly between Booker and Chriss to form a nice young core.

Pro comp: Jimmy Butler

5. Kings: De’Aaron Fox PG Kentucky

Breakdown of player: Speed speed and more speed. His whole game revolves around that. Phenomenal athlete, has the stamina to run for hours. Vision is solid, very good at attacking basket, dribbling is good because of how fast he is.  Defensive potential through the roof. Strength and shooting are two major concerns for Fox that limit his full potential.

Fit with team: Great complement next to Buddy Hield, as he is a drive and kick kind of guy and Hield is a shooter. The kings desperately need an athletic point guard. Fox is perfect fit.

Pro Comp: Mike Conley

6. Magic: Dennis Smith PG NC State

Breakdown of player: Super athletic, score first point guard who does have the ability to pass. Potential to be a good defender. Very strong for a point guard. Very quick first step. Don’t love his effort, consistency, and his ballhogging at times.

Fit with team: Magic just need guys. They have no one you can point to and say he’s our guy. Smith has the potential to be that guy.

Pro comp: Eric Bledsoe

7. Timberwolves: Jonathan Isaac PF FSU

Breakdown of player: Modern player. Good at everything, not great at one thing. Solid shooter, pretty good offensively, needs to refine skills. Defensive potential is big, good athlete, good shot blocker. Not a player you build around because he isn’t great offensive player and might never be one either.

Fit with team: Slides right in to the 4. Twolves need defense and versatility, and he brings both. Perfect player for coach Thibs.

Pro Comp: Serge Ibaka

8. Knicks: Malik Monk G Kentucky

Breakdown of player: Streaky but whens he is hot, he is the best shooter in the draft. The guy knows how to score, and he is a very good athlete. Lack of height and length makes me question defensive upside and what position he plays.

Fit with team: Knicks need a shooter to fit the triangle and just need young, exciting talent in general

Pro comp: J.R Smith

9. Mavericks: Lauri Markkanen PF Arizona

Breakdown of player:  Big guy who can shoot. Perfect for the modern NBA. Can really stroke it. Questions of athleticism, defense and strength make him a polarizing prospect.

Fit with team: Dirk is getting old and they will need to fill that spot soon. Adds shooting to the roster and depth.

Pro comp: Ryan Anderson

10. Kings: Zach Collins C Gonzaga

Breakdown of player: Love him. Skilled, aggressive player who has great potential as a shot blocker. He is tough, he finishes well around the rim, and he has light feet and good hands. Just needs to develop more and isn’t a great athlete.

Fit with team: Kings just need talent. BPA (Best player available)

Pro comp: Al Horford

11. Hornets: Frank Ntilikina PG France

Breakdown of player: He is a big guard with a ridiculous 7ft wingspan. Has potential to be a lockdown defender. Has shown flashes of playmaking skills. Very raw, needs to improve in all areas. Boom or bust

Fit with team: Great complement to Walkers offensive skill set. Can play behind or with him. Brings defensive versatility to a team that needs it.

Pro comp: Dante Exum

12. Pistons: Donovan Mitchell G Louisville

Breakdown of player:  Defensive is already spectacular. Athletic with a 6’10 wingspan. Shooting and offensive game improving dramatically. Height is a problem. Only 6’2 and has trouble consistently knocking down jumpshots. Shot 40% from the floor in college.

Fit with team: Pistons don’t love Reggie Jackson and KCP is a free agent so he can play both the 1 and the 2.

Pro comp: Marcus Smart

13. Nuggets: Justin Jackson SF UNC

Breakdown of player: Good shooter with nice floater game and good defender. Potential to be a nice 3 and D player. Needs to add strength and limited as an athlete.

Fit with team: Nuggets don’t have a glaring need so they can just go BPA. Gallinari is a free agent and Wilson Chandler is upcoming FA next year so he can be SF of the future.

Pro comp: Trevor Ariza

14. Heat: TJ Leaf PF UCLA

Breakdown of player: Very skilled, can shoot, pass, and rebound. Very high IQ for a PF and sees the floor well. Isn’t a good athlete and does not play a lick of defense.

Fit with team: Need a stretch 4 opposite of Whiteside. Leaf is the perfect fit

Pro comp: Boris Diaw

15. Blazers: Harry Giles PF Duke

16. Bulls: Luke Kennard SG Duke

17. Bucks: Jarrett Allen C Texas

18. Pacers: OG Anunoby SF Indiana

19. Hawks: Terrance Ferguson SG 36ers

20. Blazers: Anzejs Pasecniks C

21. Thunder: John Collins PF/C Wake Forest

22. Nets: Juwan Evans PG Oklahoma State

23. Raptors: Isaiah Hartenstein PF Germany

24. Jazz: Derrick White G Colorado

25. Magic: Justin Patton C Creighton

26. Blazers: Bam Adebayo C Kentucky

27. Lakers: Ike Anigbobu C UCLA

28. Lakers: Jordan Bell PF Oregon

29. Spurs: Mathias Lessort PF France

30. Jazz: DJ Wilson PF Michigan

 

Yesterday, always reliable Adrian Wojnarowski broke two big stories that sent ripples through the NBA. The first one was D’angelo Russell and Timothy Mozgov for the 27th pick and Brook Lopez. Wow. Then, Dwight Howard was traded along with the 31st pick to the Hornets for trash (Otherwise known as Marco Bellineli, Miles Plumlee and the 41st pick.)

The first, and more important trade was the Lakers-Nets deal. I love this trade for both teams. Makes so much sense. The Lakers had to do two things. Clear cap space, and make room for Lonzo Ball. They accomplished both in this trade. I actually really like D’angelo Russell, so that kinda sucks, but I don’t know if him and Lonzo would play well together. So they had to trade him. And they had to clear cap space, getting rid of Mozgov’s horrendous 4yr/64mil dollar contract given in the former regime. They are clearing cap space for Paul George and Lebron, so good job at that. But this was also a good trade for the nets. Brook Lopez was leaving, so with one year on his contract, so they got D’angelo Russell back for him. He is a guy they can build around, and he will put up big numbers and have an identity for the team. They have too much cap space, so they can eat up Mosgov’s contract with no trouble, so this was a very good trade for the nets.

While I can understand what direction both teams were going in with the other trade, I have no idea what the Hawks are doing. They traded a guy averaging 13 and 13 for NOTHING. This likely means Paul Milsap is gone, and they are going to go through a full tank. They are going to get rid of Schroder, and now their roster is horrible. Who is in the frontcourt? Such a horrible trade. You can make the argument that they are clearing cap space, but for who? Just a dumb trade. For the Hornets, they get a good starter and he and Walker can make a solid duo, possibly making the playoffs. Love it for the Hornets, and a total head scratcher for the Hawks.

A couple days ago, the celtics traded the first overall pick to the 76ers for the 3rd overall pick this year, the lakers 1st round pick next year if its 2-5 and if its not that, then kings 1st round in 2019. So the question is, who won the trade? Instead of picking one or the other, Im going to say both; Because I understand why both teams did it.

 

I’ll start with the 76ers. They needed a scoring guard. But at the 3rd pick, they couldn’t get the scoring guard Markelle Fultz,and taking Malik Monk would have been a reach. So they did what they had to do. Finally take their draft pick currency, and go up and get their guy. Now the 76ers have Ben simmons, Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz with tons of Salary cap. Trust the process.

The celtics were also winners with this trade. They don’t have a clear need, and there have been reports that they don’t think their is a huge gap between the top 7 guys, so they trade back, get Josh Jackson and add to that draft capital. They continue to add picks, and they are going to try to package all those picks to make a run at Anthony Davis. They didn’t think Fultz was the guy so they trade back, get a tough, athletic player in Josh Jackson, and add to their trade currency. Both teams were winners in this trade because it made sense on both sides.

 

 

11. Lauri Markkanen- Arizona: Perfectly suited for the modern NBA. A 7 footer who can shoot the ball at a consistent basis and has potential to be a inside presence on offense and potentially defense. Just his defense is atrocious right now and he disappears from stretches of games.

12. Donovan Mitchell- Louisville: Athletic freak with ridiculous length, has improved his offense tremendously over his career at Louisville and can guard multiple positions. Very streaky offensive player who settles for jumpers too often

13. John Collins- Wake Forest: Best post player in this draft and put up huge numbers in the ACC. Has height/length, he’s athletic, and he has a decent jumpshot. But his defense is also horrible, especially in Pick and roll situations, so he might have trouble getting on the court early in his career.

14. Luke Kennard- Duke: Great shooter, Whether it’s off the dribble or spot up, kid knows how to shoot. He is crafty with the ball and knows how to create his own shot. Also is a clever passer. Limited athleticism and explosiveness cap his ceiling. 

15.Justin Jackson- UNC: One of the better shooters in the draft. Good score, very good finisher, utilizes his floater often. Has good size, but could be defensive liability because of his lack of strength and lack of athleticism/quickness, even though he is a good defender

16. Juwan Evans- Oklahoma State: Exceptional handle, quickness off dribble, very good at reading the defense and setting up his teammates. Good shooter, great at driving to the lane, and can finish over the trees. He isn’t a top tier athlete, which he needs to be at his size considering he is only 6’0. Nevertheless, he is one of my favorite prospects.

17. Justin Patton-Creighton: Has all the physical tools. Height, length, and athleticism are all there. Has showed signs of having a nice shot, and his shot blocking is top tier. He has shown potential as a post player but he cannot score right now, and his rebounding for his size is bad. Boom or bust prospect.

18. Jarrett Allen- Texas: Great athleticism, length, and hands. Has shown he can do a bit of everything, shown flashes of being a monster. Lack of passion for the game is the main issue, and the fact that he is raw. Another big man boom or bust prospect.

19. TJ Leaf- UCLA: Pretty safe player here. Very skilled offensively. High IQ, can shoot, can finish, can rebound. Not athletic, and will be a liability on defense. But he can be a scoring big man off the bench.

20. Jordan Bell- Oregon: One of my guys here. Ultra athletic for a power forward. Can rebound, finish, and boy can he protect the rim (8 Blocks vs Kansas!!). High energy, knows what he can do, will be a great defender off the bench. 

NFL TOP 100

1. Tom Brady
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Von Miller
4. Antonio Brown
5. Khalil Mack
6. JJ Watt
7. Le’veon Bell
8. Matt Ryan
9. Odell Beckham
10. Julio Jones
11. Derek Carr
12. Ezekiel Elliot
13. Landon Collins
14. Patrick Peterson
15. Eric Berry
16. Luke Kuechly
17. Aaron Donald
18. Tyron Smith
19. Matt Stafford
20. David Johnson
21. Vic Beasley
22. Janoris Jenkins
23. Dak Prescott
24. Rob Gronkowski
25. Joe Thomas
26. Russell Wilson
27. Mike Evans
28. Bobby Wagner
29. AJ Green
30. Fletcher Cox
31. Marcus Peters
32. Richard Sherman
33. Drew Brees
34. Earl Thomas
35. Ben Roethlisberger
36. Gerald McCoy
37. Xavier Rhodes
38. Travis Kelce
39. Amari Cooper
40. Travis Frederick
41. Damon Harrison
42. Andrew Luck
43. Leonard Williams
44. Malcolm Butler
45. Marshall Yanda
46. Cam Newton
47. Darius Slay
48. Josh Norman
49. David Bakhtiari
50. Tyrann Mathieu
51. Jordan Reed
52. Trent Williams
53. Chris Harris
54. Jadaveon Clowney
55. Jarvis Landry
56. Michael Bennett
57. Jameis WInston
58. Devonta Freeman
59. Casey Hayward
60. TY Hilton
61. Eric Weddle
62. Calais Campbell
63. Greg Olsen
64. Geno Atkins
65. Dez Bryant
66. Michael Thomas
67. Zack Martin
68. Kam Chancellor
69. Marcus Mariota
70. Lesean McCoy
71. Brandin Cooks
72. Jurell Casey
73. Joey Bosa
74. Kawann Short
75. Larry Fitzgerald
76. Sean Lee
77. Ndamukong Suh
78. Deandre Hopkins
79. Tyreek Hill
80. Everson Griffen
81. Brandon Graham
82. Harrison Smith
83. Jordy Nelson
84. Aqib Talib
85. Julien Edleman
86. Delaine Walker
87. Demarco Murray
88. Doug Baldwin
89. Chandler Jones
90. Mike Daniels
91. Jordan Howard
92. Melvin Gordon
93. Cameron Wake
94. Taylor Lewan
95. Cameron Jordan
96. Anthony Barr
97. Jordan Hicks
98. Kirk Cousins
99. Demarius Thomas
100. Aj Bouye

1. Markelle Fultz- Washington: Very advanced in creating his shot, good at setting up teammates and has intriguing athleticism. Playmaking skills are there.  Question is, does he lead his team to success going 9-22 in college?
2. Josh Jackson- Kansas: Freak athlete? Check. Crazy Competitor? Check. Offensive potential? Check. Defense Monster? Check.
3. De’aaron Fox- Kentucky: Fox has clear strengths and weaknesses. He is crazy quick, elite speed, has good height and length, takes care of ball and is a very good facilitator. He just needs to add weight and continue to improve his shot. Dominating Lonzo Ball twice helped his stock a lot, especially going for 39 points in the sweet 16 game.
4. Jayson Tatum- Duke: Very advanced isolation scorer and showed major improvements. But seems to not love to pass the ball. Blueprint of Melo/Demar Derozen. Has to improve three point shot. Deadly midrange with a tend to take over games (Virginia). Improved as a rebounder throughout the year. Ready to step in and play 25 min a night.
5. Lonzo Ball- UCLA:Unbelievable passer. Makes everyone around him better and can make jump shots. High Basketball IQ. Love his defensive awareness for steals and blocks; Always finds himself around the ball, just a very smart player. Funky shooting motion, lack of scoring ability, and defensive upside limit him in some ways in terms of his potential. As for his dad, I know he causes distractions off the field but that should not be a reason to lesson Ball as a prospect, as he is a very good to great player.
6.  Malik Monk- Kentucky: Most dominant scorer in college basketball. Very Streaky, but when he is on he doesn’t miss. Has clutch gene, and is an athletic freak. Height for the position and shot selection are two major question marks.
7. Zach Collins- Gonzaga: Huge upside for Collins. Has good touch around the basket, can knock down jumpshots, can protect the rim, and is tough. Just needs to be more consistent and stay out of foul trouble.
8. Frank Ntilikina- Strasbourg: Raw but huge potential. Quick feet, elite length, looks like the makeup of an elite perimeter defender. Has playmaking skills and an improving jumpshot. With elite size for the position, Ntilikina has the potential to be a star.
9. Jonathan Isaac- Florida State: Has the upside to be the best player in this draft. 7 foot with a long wingspan with skills like a guard. Can shoot, handle the ball, and make plays for others, while being an athletic freak. And his calling hard is defense, being able to guard multiple positions and block shots/steal the ball. But he hasn’t put it all together yet and has disappeared to often in games to put him higher then this.
10. Dennis Smith- NC State: Athletic freak who has great handle and is very strong for the position. Physically has flashes of Russell Westbrook. But he is careless with the ball, is inconsistent with his play, and tends to not look to pass for periods of the game.

11-20 tomorrow

Well, we all saw this one coming. The playoffs have been horrible, but it doesn’t matter anymore because if we get a great series, it will all be worth it. These teams are great, dominating the rest of the NBA, but the storylines are also very intriguing.

 

The first thing that comes to mind is Lebron. While he doesn’t need too, if he ever wants to catch “the ghost in Chicago”, he needs to add more trophies to that collection that currently sits at three. Adding another ring would built to that ongoing legacy. But most, if not all of the pressure, is on the warriors, especially those two stars. “the warriors blew a 3-1 lead” has been written, talked, and mocked for a year. This is their chance to get revenge. But also, questions about Steph Curry and Kevin Durant and their legacies will be in discussion. Will Steph Curry bounce back after struggling in last years finals? Can he shake the “He can’t play defense” label. Can he be clutch? But the spotlight will be on Kevin Durant. He made a huge risk by joining a team that had won 73 wins and was a kyrie shot from being world champs. If they don’t win, questions would raise if he made them worse and he left a championship contender to form a super team. If they lose, just IMAGINE the backlash that he will feel. The storylines are endless.

As for the series, lets breakdown position by position matchups.

Kyrie Irivng vs Steph Curry: This is really close. Kyrie is a master with the ball and can score with ease at every level of the court. He is also the best finisher in the NBA. But I have to give it to Steph. Dribbling, Shooting, Finishing, Basketball IQ, court vision he has it all. Plus his value to the Warriors takes a backseat to no one outside of Lebron.

VERDICT: Steph Curry

JR Smith vs Klay Thompson: JR Smith has the ability to get as hot from Three (and as cold) as anyone in the NBA but so does Klay. He is a special shooter who has been struggling lately. But it doesn’t matter, Klay Definitely has the edge.

VERDICT: Klay Thompson

Lebron James vs Kevin Durant: Lebron is the best player on the planet. Durant is amazing and is a special talent, but Lebron is the Best.

VERDICT: Lebron James

Draymond Green vs Kevin Love: Kevin Love has been playing very well lately and is still a very good player. But this is clearly Draymond. He does everything for them and he is their leader. He does the dirty work on offense and is their anchor on defense.

VERDICT: Draymond Green

Tristan Thompson vs Zaza Pachulia: Thompson is clearly superior offensive rebounder, athlete, and finisher so he gets the advantage.

VERDICT: Tristan Thompson

 
OVERALL PREDICTION: When I think about this series, I see two great teams. It is really hard to pick against the Warriors. They have so many weapons, have 2 MVP’s and 3 great scorers and also have a DPOY in Draymond. They also have a deep bench including former finals MVP Andre Iguodola. With all that said I’m done picking against Lebron James, because if you do it never ends well.

VERDICT: Cavaliers defeat Warriors 4-3