Lebron James – Sports Chatter with MJD

An NBA Season Unlike Any Other

The NBA season finally ended last night, October 11^th. For some perspective on how crazy that is, I wrote an NBA season preview blog last October 16^th, 2019. I had to go back and look at some of my predictions. Like anyone I had some good takes… and horrible ones. I had the Lakers winning it all, but beating the 76ers (Yikes).

But this isn’t a post analyzing play on the court this past season or what each team has to do to improve this off-season. Instead, I wanted to reflect on the absolute roller coaster of emotions this season gave us. I highly doubt we’ll ever see a season like we just did.

Leading up to January, it was what we all expected. Incredible basketball out of legends like LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard. Rising stars somehow getting even better in Giannis and Luka Doncic. It was the great game we all love watching year in and year out.

That all changed back on January 26^th. Like most of us, I don’t think I’ll ever forget where I was when I found out Kobe Bryant had died in a helicopter crash. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a death hit the sports world as hard as Kobe’s did. It was amazing to see how many people’s lives he touched. Teams honoring Kobe by taking 24 second violations and 8 second violations in games that followed the next few nights was such an awesome tribute to witness. People were even doing this in NBA 2k… a video game!

Kobe’s death had already made this past season one we’d never be able to forget.

I remember thinking back to myself on a night in early March “I don’t know what the hell I would do without sports in my life.” I was flipping back and forth between a golf tournament, Michigan St. vs. Ohio St college basketball game and a Lakers vs. Clippers game that day. Never in my wildest dreams could I had imagined I would have to learn how to cope without sports starting just a few days later.

Rudy Gobert became the first player in the NBA to test positive for COVID. He became the poster boy for not only the NBA, but the entire sports world when it came to COVID. It all went back to him mocking the virus just a few days before he tested positive and everything went off the rails…

The season was suspended indefinitely on Wednesday March 11^th for at least 30 days. 30 days then turned into 2 months, 2 months turned into almost 3 months and as fans we were left sitting there asking ourselves, “are we going to be able to crown an NBA Champion this year?” I remember being a little frustrated thinking golf is back, NASCAR is back, UFC is back, NHL is talking about plans of a bubble… what the hell is holding up the NBA? Finally, in early June the NBA announced they’d be going to Disney in Orlando to finish the season.

I was very excited at the idea of the league coming up with a plan to get the season restarted and crown an eventual champion. I won’t lie though, I had my doubts. Is this really going to ensure nobody catches the virus? Does a “bubble” really work? Are guys going to test positive and then they’re going to have to cancel the bubble?

Well I was DEAD wrong for having these doubts. The bubble was a major success. Not a single positive test for any player, coach, staff member, etc while in Orlando. As basketball fans, we got to sit back on our couches and for a couple hours a day, forget (or at least try to forget) the deadly virus that’s impacting the entire world. Seeing some of the issues that the MLB went through and the NFL is now facing, really helps put this all in perspective. We didn’t have to worry about “what if LeBron gets COVID in the playoffs… What if Damian Lillard gets it while he’s trying to lead the Blazers into the last playoff spot.” Everyone was on a level playing field… something I’m not sure we can say about the MLB and definitely not the NFL right now. A major THANK YOU is owed to the people in Orlando who helped make the bubble possible.

While we were able to somewhat forget what was going on in terms of the virus while watching the NBA Bubble, the same could not be said for the social injustice black men and women continue to face everyday. There was doubt the re-start would even happen after the police killing of George Floyd. Players were debating not coming to Orlando, to instead continue to fight racial injustice. I sit here writing this as a privileged white male, but I hope LeBron, Jaylen Brown, George Hill, and all the players helped make people proud about the Black Lives Matter movement. To me, it’s evident how much these players want to use their platform to try and draw more attention to this very important issue surrounding our country. #BlackLivesMatter!!!

An NBA legend died in a tragic accident. A deadly virus interrupted the season for over 4 months. Social injustice had a huge impact on the season prior to the re-start and throughout the bubble. If even one of these things had impacted the past season, I think we’d be sitting here today thinking, “that was one of the craziest seasons emotionally in a long time.” This past season had all three. While I couldn’t be more proud to be the die-hard NBA fan I am after all the ups-and-downs this year, here’s to hoping we never have to go through a season like this again

With Lakers title, LeBron James knows always something to prove

Photo Credit: USA Today

2019-2020 NBA Preview

It feels like it was just yesterday that I wrote my 2018-2019 NBA Season Preview. So much has changed since last year. Let’s rewind through some of the biggest story-lines over the last several months…

Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers to team up with LeBron
Kawhi Leonard won a title for the Raptors, then bolted for the Clippers in free agency
Paul George was shockingly traded to the Clippers to play Robin to Kawhi’s Batman in Hollywood
Kevin Durant tore his Achilles tendon and will miss most, if not all, of the 2019-2020 season… oh and he and Kyrie Irving are teaming up in Brooklyn
The Celtics lost Kyrie and Al Horford in free agency, but added All-Star Kemba Walker
The Rockets decided the James Harden and Chris Paul duo wasn’t working so they traded Paul in exchange for Russell Westbrook

As usual, the story-lines are endless after an incredible off-season. I think most people would agree that this is the most wide-open the league has been, going into a new season, for a long-time. For the last several years, the Heat and Warriors have been heavy favorites to win it all going back to LeBron’s first year in Miami. Let’s get into some predictions…

MVP – Steph Curry

Photo Credit: SB Nation

It’s easy to forget that it was only a few years ago Steph Curry was coming off back to back MVPs. With the addition of Kevin Durant, after Curry won his second MVP, people seemed to forget how dominant and amazing Curry truly was. It’s for good reason, Kevin Durant has arguably been the best player in the NBA the last few years. Steph began to slowly remind people of his MVP days in the NBA Finals back in June against the Raptors. Although Toronto would go on to beat an undermanned Warriors team in 6 games, Curry balled out in the series averaging over 30 points a game and consistently hitting big shots.

Fast forward to the 2019-2020 season and Curry could be in line for his biggest year yet. Kevin Durant’s now in Brooklyn. Klay Thompson will be out until at least the mid-season with a torn ACL. The West is as deep as it’s ever been. This means the “load management” days, that deeper/more talented teams like the Lakers and Clippers can afford to their superstars, may not be the case for the Warriors. They’ll have to fight harder to make the playoffs.

Despite losing KD permanently and Klay for much of the upcoming season, there is some good news for Steph as they signed All-Star D’Angelo Russell. Russell tends to play a lot of isolation ball, but he will make Steph’s life easier as defenses won’t be able to focus strictly on him.

We all know Curry is probably the greatest shooter who has ever lived. He’s drastically improved his finishing ability around the rim the last several years and is still one of the best ball-handlers in the league. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for Curry to improve on his career best 30.1 PPG in 2015-2016, while almost single handily carrying the Warriors offensively to somewhere in the top 5 in the Western Conference until Klay returns. If this is the case and the Warriors finish around the top 4 or 5 in the standings at season’s end, I expect Curry to win the League MVP. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen Steph fully unleashed with no KD, so appreciate the greatness you’ll see this upcoming season!

Rookie of the Year – Zion Williamson

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

Do I really have to elaborate much on this one? As much as I’d love to go out on a limb and say someone like RJ Barrett or Ja Morant wins, it’s just not logical. Zion has looked amazing in preseason. He’s averaging 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 71% from the field… 71 FREAKING PERCENT! While those numbers may regress a little once the regular season starts, there’s no doubt that Zion’s freakish build and athleticism are going to translate well into the upcoming season. When you couple all this with the fact the Pelicans should have a chance to compete for a 7^th or 8^th seed this year, Zion coming in as a heavy favorite to win ROY at -130 (Per Bovada) makes perfect sense.

Most Improved Player – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Photo Credit: CBS Sports

Shai was the prized player the Thunder received from the Clippers in the Paul George trade back in July. SGA just turned 21 in July and is only going into his second season in the league. Some people may argue that I’m a year early on this prediction. He also may be playing off the ball, with Chris Paul running the point for the Thunder this year, therefore taking away some usage/opportunities from him.

There is a lot to love about SGA and his situation this year though. He’s a very well-rounded player who can distribute, shoot the rock, is slippery in getting to the rim, and has a chance to be a stud defensively with his 6’11 wingspan. He’s come out of the gates hot this pre-season averaging 21 ppg., shooting 52% from the field, and 92% from the line.

A lot of people argue that the Thunder’s acquisition of Chris Paul could be bad for Shai and potentially stunt his growth. I’ll play “devil’s advocate” on this. First, I’d say there’s a 50/50 chance Chris Paul finishes the season with the Thunder. If they come out struggling in the beginning of the season, there will be more incentive for the team to trade him. For the time being, he’s going to start the season on the roster and this could be great for SGA.

Say what you want about Paul, but he’s always been one of the best defensive guards in the league. He’s a great floor general and has really improved his jumper from earlier in his career. These are traits that SGA wants to eventually master. Having Paul around to mentor him could help SGA’s game continue to grow even more dramatically this year. I also believe that Billy Donovan will do his best to stagger some of the minutes between SGA and CP3, so that SGA will have the opportunity to have the ball in his hands more often. While in the long run CP3 getting shipped out of OKC may improve SGA’s chances to win Most Improved Player, CP3’s presence (at least in the beginning of the year) will pay dividends toward the development of SGA.

NBA Finals – Lakers defeat the Sixers in 6 games

Photo Credit: CBS Sports

If you had asked me my prediction 2 months ago, I would have said the Clippers beat the 76ers in the NBA Finals. I cannot stress how much I love the team the Clippers have built around Kawhi and Paul George. They have the perfect blend of scoring, defense, and role players. I expect guys like Lou Williams, Pat Beverly, Montrezl Harrell, JaMychal Green, etc. to fill their roles flawlessly for this team.

On the flip side, there’s part of me that has this eerie feeling that Paul George or Kawhi won’t be fully healthy in a Western Conference Finals match-up against the Lakers. I could also see Paul George’s absence in the first month or so of the season, coupled with some “load management” days, costing the Clippers in the standings and then losing in the second round of the playoffs because they don’t have homecourt advantage.

So, I think the 1-2 combo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James will carry the Lakers to their first title since the Kobe and Pau Gasol days. The Lakers made a very smart move this off-season after acquiring Anthony Davis. Instead of using the rest of their cap space to try and bring in a 3^rd star like Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler, they spread their money out to fill their needs for the rest of the roster. They were able to re-sign solid role players like Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell Pope, and Javale McGee, while adding Avery Bradley, Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Jared Dudley, and Quinn Cook in free agency. Many of the aforementioned players are at points of their career where winning a ring is more important than getting their numbers. They’ll be able to play small or big, depending on what other teams throw at them.

Now let’s get to the 76ers. Boy it pains me so much to say this as a Celtics fan and a big hater of the 76ers… but I really think they’re getting to the finals this year (as I always say I’m nothing but fair… don’t call me biased). I believe the additions of Josh Richardson and Al Horford will make them the best defensive team in the NBA. I think that when we look back at the end of the season, one of the best signings in free agency will be Al Horford. His ability to stretch the floor as a big man who can shoot, his defensive smarts, and his leadership will go a long way for this team. He’ll also be able to take some of the weight off Joel Embiid’s back defensively, potentially keeping Embiid fresher at the end of games… and the end of the season. When I envision a potential Eastern Conference Finals of the 6ers and Bucks, I believe the 6ers ability to throw different looks at Giannis, whether it be Ben Simmons, Horford, or even Embiid, is going to be the difference. Giannis is next to unstoppable, but I think the 6ers will be his most difficult match-up in the league.

Should the Lakers and 76ers meet in the finals, I think the pure talent and best 1-2 combo in the NBA in LeBron and Anthony Davis will be too much for Philly. I believe the Lakers have the right blend of talent and experience in guys like LeBron, Rondo, and Danny Green (hell, throw Dwight Howard in there if you want) to be the difference in the series. It feels like this might be LeBron’s best chance at a title for the rest of his career. Between a wide-open league, coming into a season as fresh as he ever has, and getting a top 5 player in the league added to his team, there’s no excuse for him if they don’t compete strongly for a title. The one x-factor in this series could be if Ben Simmons has developed a jump shot. If he can at least keep defenses honest this year, it could change how I feel about this potential series. Until I consistently see it, I’m going to expect that Simmons still can’t shoot and it’ll end up coming back to haunt the 6ers if these two teams meet in the finals.

I hope everyone has their NBA league passes ordered and is ready for an amazing season. Also don’t forget if you don’t want to buy the full league pass package, you can purchase the 4^th quarter of NBA games through league pass.

LeBron James to the Celtics? Could it happen? Do Celtics fans want The King?

I’ve said it before in past blogs and I constantly talk about it among my peers, LeBron James is the most tantalizing athlete of my generation. People either love him or hate him. People criticize him for how he wins, how he loses, biting his finger nails, and at every available opportunity.

As we closed the books on the NBA Season last Friday, with the Warriors sweep of the LeBron Cav… I mean Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA/Sports world immediately began to speculate where LeBron will land this coming off-season. He will most likely head into free agency pending a $35 million player-opt out. Players on Twitter like Dejounte Murray of the Spurs and Enes Kanter of the New York Knicks have already began to make their push for LeBron to sign with their teams…

After all, who can blame these guys, who wouldn’t want LBJ? He’s still the best player in the world, best player of our generation, and better than Michael Jordan in some people’s opinions.

Boston sports media began buzzing last Wednesday when Stephen A. Smith of ESPN and a highly plugged in NBA personality, went on air and said LeBron will talk with the Boston Celtics this off-season regarding his free agency.

Now let’s set the record straight, the odds of LeBron coming to Boston right now are not very likely. Most sports books have the Celtics anywhere from 10-1 to 20-1. The Lakers are the favorite at this point to sign The King. The Celtics would have to jump through many hoops (no pun intended) to be able to sign him. First and most importantly is the relationship Bron’ and Kyrie Irving have.

Many people think Kyrie requested a trade out of Cleveland to get out of LeBron’s shadow. People believed that their marriage had taken a toll on each other. Other people, close to the situation, have said their relationship was not as bad as people think, and that Kyrie instead was sick of the Cavs organization.

For arguments sake, lets assume that Kyrie wanted out of Cleveland because he was sick of playing with LBJ. You’d have to believe that if LeBron came to Boston, that Kyrie would have to go… and at the very least Gordon Hayward and others, like Marcus Morris, would have to go in order to make the salary cap work.

Would sacrificing the 25 year old Kyrie Irving via trade for a 33 year old LeBron James be worth it? For me, it comes down to what a Kyrie trade could net you. If Kyrie could land you a guy like a Karl-Anthony Towns (22 years old), Damian Lillard (27 years old) or Kawhi Leonard (26 years old) then as much as it pains me to say it, I would give up Kyrie and bring LeBron on board. But if you have to give up Hayward to the Cavs in a sign and trade for LeBron (to make the salaries work for the Celtics), and then trade Kyrie because he doesn’t want to play with LeBron again and only get a kings ransom of draft picks, then as much as I love LeBron, I would have to be out on trying to sign him.

Now, putting all the salary cap and player relationships aside, the other simple question is, do Celtics fans even want LeBron to come play in Boston? Numerous shirts have been made in Boston over the years like … “LeBron’s a douche,” and “LeBron’s a bitch.”

I have plenty of friends who dislike LeBron and are always eager to chirp me when he has a bad game or loses in the NBA Finals. I love when they come at me saying “Michael Jordan would never get swept in the NBA Finals!” Some of them are already on record saying they wouldn’t want the Celtics to sign him because they don’t want to root for him. I even put a poll up on Instagram today asking if Celtics fans would want him. Out of 70 votes, 69% of voters said they wouldn’t want him, while 31% said they would be in favor of LeBron coming to the Celts.

For me if all things were equal… of course I would want the privilege of being able to consistently watch one of the best NBA Players we’ve ever seen night in and night out. The idea of being able to go watch him play in person at the TD Garden, a handful of times throughout the year, is very exciting.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed the achievements and greatness LeBron has provided over the last 15 years. I always tell my friends and the haters, “respect the greatness… because you may never get to see something like it again in our lifetime.”

As much as I want him to sign with the Celtics because of how great I think he is and how amazing I think the buzz around Boston would be with him coming here, I also just want him here to laugh in my friends and Celtics fans faces come next spring, when he would lead us to a guaranteed NBA Finals appearance and possible championship over the Warriors. I am sure that at that point all the “haters” would be bowing down to LeBron talking about how great he is and pulling a 180 saying how smart Danny Ainge was to get him here.

The last point I want to touch on is why it makes sense for LeBron to want to play for Boston. If he’s still concerned with winning championships, improving his legacy, and taking down the Warriors, who have beat him in 3 of the last 4 NBA Finals, then for pure basketball reasons Boston makes the most sense for him to win.

Jalen Rose of ESPN and former NBA Player went on record Monday morning saying “LeBron can only win a title with the Celtics or Warriors next year.” I’m not going to even consider the second half of his statement in regards to the Warriors… but coming to the Celtics makes all the sense in the world. He gets to play with 2 young guns that took the NBA by storm in the postseason, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Both have young fresh legs and can help take the burden off him defensively and offensively during the regular season. He also gets to play with some kind of mix of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, or Kawhi Leonard/Karl-Anthony Towns. All of the aforementioned guys have proven their worth in the league as a mix of All-Stars, All NBA Players, and All NBA Defensive players.

If LeBron is more concerned with starting to settle down in his career and play in nice weather while continuing to grow his brand, then somewhere like LA or Miami may make more sense, but he won’t be winning any rings there compared to the chances he would have with Boston over the next few seasons.

Buckle up Celtics fans and NBA fans because the next month or so in the NBA is going to be wild as the draft and #WhereWillLeBronGo story-lines begin to unfold.

What if I told you I had 5 Future 30 for 30 ideas?

Everyone loves a good 30 for 30. For those of you who don’t know, ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 is a series that is meant to tell an intimate, compelling story that stands on its own and brings to life the filmmaker’s vision in the sports world.

A few of my favorites over the years, for those who want some recommendations…

The U- documented the Miami Hurricanes Football team in the 1980’s
Four Days in October – the Red Sox historic comeback against the Yankees in 2004
The Fab 5 – The story of the 1991 Michigan Men’s basketball recruiting class which changed college basketball
You Don’t Know Bo – The phenomenon that was Bo Jackson, arguably the most gifted multi-sport athlete our country has ever seen
This was the XFL – The rise and fall of the XFL led by Vince McMahon

I always love bringing up a little debate with my buddies on future 30 for 30 ideas. I’ve put together a list of 5 ideas that I believe we’ll see (or should see) down the road.

1. Not 1, but only 2 – The story of LeBron James and the Big 3 in South Beach.

Back in the summer of 2010, LeBron James hit free agency for the first time in his career. The million dollar question was, “Will he resign with the Cavs?”. As we know now, he spurned the Cavs and changed the NBA Landscape forever by teaming up with 2 of his best friends, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, via free agency. The group would form “The Big 3.” LeBron made it “normal and acceptable” to team up and form a super team during free agency. Once LeBron’s career finally ends, it’ll be strongly debated whether his 4 years in Miami were a success or failure. He would go on to win 2 titles in 4 years. That total was nowhere near the 6 or 7 he was talking about in his introductory hype night shown in the above YouTube video.

2. JFF… Johnny Frickin Football – The rise and fall of the most entertaining yet controversial College Football player in years.

In the last several years, the only other college football player in the same media attention stratosphere as Johnny Manziel was Tim Tebow. Johnny was much more controversial than Tebow. On the field, Manziel was a generational talent in college. He became the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy. Anytime he was on TV, it was ”must view” television. Off the field, Manziel was often in the spotlight as well, but for the wrong reasons. He found himself in numerous controversies while at Texas A&M. He was allegedly accepting payments for autographs, presenting a fake ID to cops as a 19 year old, and oversleeping at Peyton Manning’s football camp. JFF was drafted in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. His career was a major failure. This was in large part due to growing off field issues. Manziel’s off field issues became so bad that super agent Drew Rosenhaus terminated Johnny as a client. This was the first time Rosenhaus had ever terminated a client in his 27 years as an NFL agent. Out of the limelight the last few years, Manziel is now on record saying that he’s got his life back together and wants to make a comeback. Maybe there will be more to add to this 30 for 30…

3. An era of phonies – The MLB steroid era.

Photo credit: Chicago Tribune.

2018 marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most memorable baseball seasons in MLB history. In 1998, Major League Baseball was at the height of popularity. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were in the midst of chasing the single season home run record of 61, held by Roger Maris. The entire nation was buzzing about the race between Sosa and McGwire. McGwire would finish with 70 HR’s, Sosa with 66. Barry Bonds would go on to break the record again in 2001 by smashing an astonishing 73 dingers. Fast forward several years later and it turns out the era was led by a group of phonies who all took performance enhancing drugs. If you looked at the following list 15 to 20 years ago, there would have been no doubt these guys were Hall of Famers… Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Manny Ramirez and Rafael Palmeiro. All of these players were perennial All Stars back in the day. Now they lead the list of players whose statistics were inflated by performance enhancing drugs and may never make a trip to Cooperstown.

4. The fix is in – The story of an NBA Referee who used his job to fix games he would ref.

Photo credit: NY Daily News

Tim Donaghy was an NBA referee from 1994-2007. He was involved in one of the most controversial scandals the NBA has ever seen. It seems that most people have forgotten the seriousness of this scandal. In the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 season, it was revealed that Donaghy was betting on games that he officiated during those seasons. It was also discovered that he made calls on the court to affect point spreads and was giving bookies insider information about injuries and player/referee relations. In passing this inside information to bookies, he made $30,000. Donaghy spent 11 months in prison. I cannot recall the last time this black eye for the NBA was discussed, nor do I remember any type of documentary on the scandal.

5. Not so Happy Valley – Joe Paterno’s role in the Jerry Sandusky Scandal.

The most shocking ending to any professional or college sports coaching career was Joe Paterno and his final days at Penn State. Paterno holds the record for most wins in NCAA FBS History. For years he was the most beloved coach in College Football. All of this changed in 2011, when the child sex abuse scandal came out involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky was charged on 45 counts of sexual abuse of young boys from 1994-2009. When the allegations began, everyone asked, “What did Joe Pa know?” We now know that one of his assistants witnessed Sandusky’s despicable actions back in 2001 and confronted Joe Pa, along with University officials. Evidence pointed to Joe Pa and his assistants knowing about Sandusky’s abuse. Many of the details are still murky and being pieced together to this day. HBO is releasing a movie called “Paterno” which will focus on Joe Paterno and the subsequent outcry, after the allegations against Sandusky became public. You can see the preview in the above YouTube link.

A few other future ideas:

Employing a Murderer – The story of Aaron Hernandez and how his life spiraled out of control
The Worst Thanksgiving Ever – The night Tiger Woods’ life changed forever and how his career was impacted
The Big 3 that never was in RIP City – Injuries derailed the careers of Greg Oden and Brandon Roy. What could have been if these 2 players and Lamarcus Aldridge had stayed healthy and together?
Alexander the Great? – Diving into Alexander Ovechkin’s accomplished, yet puzzling career, which has never seen him reach the Conference Finals (to date)
Half Diva, Half Amazing – A deeper look into the legendary diva Wide Receivers over the years including T.O., Keyshawn Johnson, Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco, and Plaxico Burress

I can go on and on with more ideas… I’d love to hear from my readers about others I may have missed!

5 Predictions for the Second Half of the NBA Season

The trade deadline and NBA All Star Game have both passed which means the NBA Playoffs are less than 2 months away. The second half starts back up tomorrow. Here are 5 bold predictions I have for the second half…

1.The Oklahoma City Thunder rip off a win streak of 10+ games and finish with the 3rd seed in the Western Conference.

Photo Credit: Opencourt Basketball

The Thunder have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the NBA this year. They’re a combined 4-1 against the Rockets, Warriors, and Spurs, the top 3 teams in the West. Yet they’re a combined 4-7 against the Mavs, Magic, Nets, and Lakers… some of the worst teams in the league. They’ve clearly shown they play up to their level of competition. Now it’s time to show they no longer will play down to their competition. I’m confident that reigning MVP Russell Westbrook will demand that his teammates bring their full focus every night in the second half of the season. Although they’ve slipped a little in the last month or so, they’ve been one of the best defensive teams in the league and have lost many close games. These types of things usually find a way to balance out and I believe this will happen for OKC, as they end up ripping off a big win streak and finishing 3rd in the West. It won’t be easy though, as they will play the Rockets, Warriors and Spurs two times each.

2. The race for the #1 seed in the East comes down to the final week of the season… and the Cavs who currently sit 6.5 games behind the Raptors for the 1st seed, make a serious run at it.

Photo Credit: USA Today

Right now the Raptors sit first in the East with a 2 game lead over the Celtics, followed by LeBron and the Cavs who are 6.5 games out of first. I believe this race is a long way from over and before it’s all said and done, the Cavs could still steal the first seed. I am buying into LeBron’s new supporting cast and believe that the Cavs are a real threat to represent the East in the NBA Finals again. I think the All-Star break has come at a great time for the Celtics, as it appears 2nd year Guard Jaylen Brown and Rookie Forward Jayson Tatum have hit a bit of a wall recently. The time off should do them well and help the Celts gear up for a second half run to the #1 seed. Finally, the Raptors are in the midst of their best season in the franchise’s existence and have been arguably the most consistent team in the conference. The Celts and Raptors play twice between March 31st and the end of the regular season (April 18^th). The Raptors and Cavs also square off once in April. I have a feeling these specific match-ups will decide who takes the #1 seed in the East. Don’t underestimate the importance of the #1 seed this year. Two of these teams will have to battle in the 2nd round of the playoffs, while the #1 seed will most likely have a much easier match-up, most likely against the Bucks, Wizards, or Pacers.

3. Isaiah Thomas shines with the Lakers and helps to salvage some of his value as he prepares to hit free agency this summer… but not before Lavar Ball tries to throw IT under the bus for bad shot selection or missing a game winning shot.

Photo Credit: Slam Magazine

It’s no secret that this has been the “season from hell” for Isaiah Thomas. First, he gets traded from the city and team he loved, the Boston Celtics. Then he misses the first 3 months of the season due to his groin injury. Finally, he gets traded again and as nothing more than a throw-in to a team who won’t be making the playoffs this year. It’s not all negative for IT in his new situation with the Lakers. First, his dad grew up a huge fan of the team and Isaiah actually wanted to sign with the Lakers a few years back. Second, the situation isn’t that unlike the time he was traded from the Suns to the Celtics. The Lakers are a young team with a lot of up and coming talent to support him, combined with low overall expectations. Although, it’s not an entire roster of scrubs. Finally, the team is going to lean on him to score a lot, similar to the Celtics and not what LeBron needed in Cleveland. I think IT will be rejuvenated and shine with the Lakers. It’s a much better situation than people probably realize. It won’t come without some controversy though. Is there any doubt that Lavar Ball doesn’t come out after a game and rip IT? The dialogue will go something like this “Some players on the team are shooting the ball too much man! They’re worried about getting paid in the offseason! Not my boy, he just wants to win and make the team better. He needs to have the ball in his hands at the end of the game.”

4. Ben Simmons runs away with Rookie of the Year.

Photo Credit: FanRag Sports

If I made this prediction back in November, everyone would have said, “wow way to really go out on a limb MJ.” Fast forward a few months and everyone is all aboard the Donovan Mitchell train for Rookie of the Year. While Mitchell has been absolutely phenomenal, the Sixers have a better record than the Jazz and sit inside the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Meanwhile the Jazz, led by Mitchell have been on fire, winning 11 games in a row. They still sit outside the playoff picture and I believe this will remain the case at the end of the season. Meanwhile, I think Simmons will come out extremely motivated in the second half, to prove the “haters” wrong in not voting him into the All Star Game. He hit a bit of a rookie slump in January. Some people said, “The league was starting to figure him out.” He seems to be breaking past it in February, as illustrated by his triple-double in the final game before the All-Star Break. He’s also had a few double-doubles and another near triple-double in February.

5. The Sacramento Kings easily coast to the worst record in the league, giving them the best chance at landing the #1 pick in the June Draft.

Photo Credit: LA Times

I’m going to try and keep this short since no one cares about the Sacramento Kings. I have to sadly admit I’ve actually watched the Kings play twice this year. It’s honestly a miracle that they only have the 5th worst record in the league. They’ve somehow won 18 games. Outside of maybe Zach Randolph and Vince Carter, I’m not sure a casual NBA fan could name one player on the Kings… and unfortunately it’s not 2007 so Vince Carter and Zach Randolph headlining your team isn’t a good thing. They just traded their former starting Point Guard George Hill to Cleveland. They’ve already started resting veterans like Zach Randolph in the second half of back-to-back games, illustrating that they’re fully embracing tanking and going after the worst record in the league. I don’t think the Kings win more than 5 games for the rest of the season, easily giving them the worst record in the league.

The race to the end of the season should be interesting. There are still a lot of unanswered questions this season. Will the Rockets find a way to take the 1st seed in the West? Can LeBron and the Cavs maintain their hot streak and steal the 1st seed in the East? Will the 76ers finally make the playoffs? Will Lonzo Ball comeback soon and have a big 2nd half of his rookie year? Is the MVP award James Harden’s to lose? We’ll have all these answers in the next few months. Be sure to keep your eyes open for my NBA Playoff Preview come April!

Quit your hating on LeBron James

LeBron James has been arguably the most scrutinized, hyped, and tantalizing athlete of my generation. At this point, unless you’re totally naive, you’ve come to respect his greatness on the basketball court. He is hands down one of the best basketball players to ever take the hardwood. His achievements speak for themselves. If you for some reason – you think he’s overrated or sucks then there’s no argument that I or anyone can ever make to convince you of his greatness.

LeBron James the person, on the other hand, still has a lot of haters and naysayers. The people who continue to dislike him, as a person have many terms to describe him; tool, loser, cocky, fake, big-ego, etc.

There are “many” reasons LBJ the person has elicited many haters over the years. These people will start their argument with how he handled “The Decision.” This was when LeBron televised his choice to spurn the city of Cleveland and join the Miami Heat live on ESPN back in July of 2010. I was also throwing a lot of shade at LBJ for the way he handled this situation.

LeBron has been the first one to regret how he handled “the decision.” He’s been quoted saying “If I had to go back on it, I probably would do it a little bit different.” He’s also said, “If the shoe was on the other foot and I was a fan, and I was very passionate about one player, and he decided to leave, I would be upset too about the way he handled it.”

Personally I gave up my hate over LeBron’s handling of that situation a long time ago. He made a mistake, lived up to it, and moved on. It would be silly to hold it against him for the rest of his career. After all it’s not like he cheated on his wife (Tiger), was caught in the hairs of a murder (Ray Lewis), or gambling at casinos the night before a game (Michael Jordan). Lets also not forget that he returned to the Cleveland Cavilers a few years later and helped lead the city to its first championship in any sport for the first time in 52 years!

Other people will argue that LeBron is just “so cocky” based on his tweets or Instagrams. The latest Instagram that sparked controversy was one from last Tuesday per below…

All the LeBron haters are coming out after him on this one.

“Oh wow he’s so “humble”… congratulating himself for an achievement he hasn’t even accomplished yet.”

For those of you out there who want to continue to critique him for every single thing he says, tweets, instagrams, and does on or off the basketball court, here’s some advice.. get over it and put yourself in LeBron’s shoes for a second.

Imagine the following scenarios: growing up with no father at any point in your life, moving a dozen times and living on couches with your troubled mother between the ages of 5-8, being told as a junior in high school and up until today that you’re going to be the best ever at your profession and that you are the “second coming.” There hasn’t been a single athlete that ever has had to deal with as much hype and expectations as LeBron James.

Now picture this when it comes to LeBron… he’s lived up to all the pressure and more, not only on the basketball court, but off it as well. He’s never even sniffed trouble with the law off the court, and he was named one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in the world. He has started his own philanthropy work to essentially rebuild the Akron, Ohio school community.

As a leader of his team, his teammates will vouch that he is one of the hardest-workers they’ve ever seen. He’s never taken his incredible athletic genes for granted. Take for example this quote by teammate Kyle Korver.

“Behind the scenes, just how hard he works. He’s a machine. You don’t see guys this late in their careers, guys who’ve had this much success, be the first guy in the gym. He’s still there. I was blown away.”

If you want to argue that LeBron has a lot confidence and once in awhile has a big-head… I won’t argue with you. But don’t take for granted everything he’s achieved in his career, on and off the basketball court. Don’t take for granted that he’s been told for almost 20 years just how good he was going to be/is… and has lived up to all expectations. I would wager that if the roles were reversed and you were in his shoes, you’d probably have just as “big a head” as LeBron… if not much bigger. I know I would…

LeBron on the cover of SI as a Junior in High School

If LeBron wants to take time to gloss over one personal milestone, that means a lot to him, then let the man be! He’s overcome a lot over the years and could never have never imagined in his wildest dreams, that he would be where he is today in his career/life.

The only athlete in my generation that I think has had as much sustained success as LeBron is none other than our own hero Tom Brady. As a Tom Brady fan, it irritates me when haters call Tom a “cheater” for deflategate, a “baby” for always complaining to the refs, or a “pretty boy loser” for putting his name to the Uggs. These irrational reasons for shooting hate towards Tom Brady are frustrating and dumb… and not much different than the irrational hate people aim towards LeBron.

So if you are someone who is constantly hating on LeBron James, hopefully this article has opened a new light for you on why it’s time to push that hatred to the side. Sit back and start embracing the once in a lifetime NBA Player, and the man he is. Respect the greatness y’all!