SR – NBA 2020-21 Division Preview: The Southwest

SR – NBA 2020-21 Division Preview: The Southwest

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by | Dec 15, 2020 | Featured, NBA

A new NBA season is upon us, now a full seven days away from next Tuesday’s tip-off. And to commemorate the ringing-in of the new year, we’re doing things a little different than previous years in giving you, the reader, full and extensive team breakdowns. In a succinct manner, we’ll take a look at where each team in each division will fare in the coming 6-8 days leading up to the adjusted NBA season. We’ll let you know what records each team in all six divisions will finish with, their playoff positioning (or lack thereof) as well as what’s to be admired as a strength, or what’s to be monitored as a weakness heading into the 2020-21 campaign.

Today’s division: the Southwest.

Houston is fresh off of a Western Conference Semifinal visit, thanks to the contributions of James Harden and Russell Westbrook’s patented play style titled “small-ball”,  even if it was short-lived. Houston looks drastically different as an organization, currently seeking trade suitors to accompany the needs of disgruntled star James Harden and subsequently shipping Russell Westbrook away to the Washington Wizards.

Their GM and creator of the analytical-favoring small-ball, Daryl Morey let Rockets officials he wanted off the ship and is calling shots in Philly as the head of basketball operations. And in return, received John Wall, a protected second-round pick for next year, and DeMarcus Cousins in free agency. Additionally, a new Head coach was hired in the spring cleaning done by owner Tillman Fertitta, as Stephen Silas came over from his previous assistant coaching gig in Dallas to man the stations in H-Town. This division is very much so in the air, with Dallas as the sportsbook favorites to win the division for the first time since 2011. However, New Orleans, Memphis, and San Antonio will have something to say about that.

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1. Dallas Mavericks (Finished Last Season 43-32, 7th Seed in Western Playoffs)

2020 Offseason Acquisitions:

  • Josh Richardson, SG/SF (trade with Philadelphia)
  • Josh Green, SF (draft)
  • Tyrell Terry, PG (draft)
  • Tyler Bey, PG (draft)
  • James Johnson, SF (free agency)

Key Losses

  • Seth Curry, SG (traded to Philadelphia)
  • Delon Wright SG (traded to Detroit)
  • Justin Jackson, SG (traded to OKC)

Roster and Depth Chart:

  • PG: Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Tyrell Terry, Tyler Bey
  • SG: Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Richardson, Tyrell Terry
  • SF: Josh Richardson, Josh Green, Dorian Finney-Smith, James Johnson 
  • PF: Maxi Kleiber, Dorian Finney-Smith, Kristaps Porzingis
  • C: Kristaps Porzingis, Dwight Powell, Willie Cauley-Stein

Strengths: 

  • Luka Doncic. Pretty self-explanatory. The third-year Slovenian Superstar is on the shortlist of MVP favorites this season, and if last year’s statistical accolades proved anything, it’s only a matter of time until Doncic reels in his first Most Valuable Player award and title as league’s most dynamic player. It’s rather routine to check on Doncic when he gets the start on a regular basis, considering he’s usually on triple-double watch for those marveling at his skill to fill up a stat sheet. His eye-popping numbers of 28.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 8.8 apg from last year should see a rise with new offseason acquisition Josh Richardson taking on a majority of Doncic’s defensive assignments.

 

  • Mavs’ Defense. Good luck trying to score on this team late down the stretch. Today’s modern emphasis of the prototypical two-way player at just about every position has to do with wingspan and lateral quickness, and Dallas made it a priority to have those exact qualities in their offseason dealings, sacrificing outside shooting and some cap space for versatile defenders who are adept at taking on switches up top on the perimeter and down low on the block. Richardson may not sound like the attractive pickup on the defensive end, but he’ll be essential for a team that finished 18th in defensive rating last season (111.2 points allowed per 100 possessions). Keep in mind, Richardson helped engineer the eighth-best defensive scheme in the league last season in his first and only year in Philadelphia.

Weaknesses:

  • Clutch Rating. The Mavericks posted the most efficient offense in league history, but the question remains: Does Dallas improve off rookie mistakes with more experience under their belt and finish off games when they need to be put away? Getting rid of reliable PnR ballhandler and catch-and-shoot rhythm scorer Seth Curry could come at a detriment to a Mavericks team that posed the league’s second-worst offensive rating in the clutch last season (93.9 points scored per 100 possessions) and while his replacement in J-Rich shot the ball at a respectable 36.7 percent from downtown last year, the floor spacing for Doncic and crew to operate in crunch time may shrink. The losses by five points or more always pile up, and their sub-.500 record of 3-4 in OT last year says there is work cut out for a team that needs to emphasize finishing games when they have the opportunity to do so this year.

 

  • Kristaps Porzingis’ Health. Head coach Rick Carlisle exclaimed to reporters that star center and fan-professed “Unicorn” Kristaps Porzingis won’t be setting foot on the hardwood until at least January. And in a shortened season that’s playoffs begin in May, it’ll be challenging to replicate Porzingis’ 20.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 2.0 bpg. with Maxi Kleiber, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Dwight Powell filling in for the 7-foot sharpshooter and adequate rim protector. Though not for an extended period of time, Luka will have to do without his fellow all-star compadre’ that will help him stretch the floor and garner favorable mismatches for the first couple weeks of the season, which could harm Dallas’ chances of winning the division, if not slightly.

Record Prediction: 44-28.

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2. Houston Rockets (Finished Last Season 44-28, 4th in West)

2020 Offseason Acquisitions:

  • John Wall, PG (trade with Washington)
  • Christian Wood, PF (free agency)
  • DeMarcus Cousins, C (free agency)
  • Sterling Brown, SG (free agency)
  • Kenyon Martin Jr. PG (draft)
  • Stephen Silas, HC

Key Losses:

  • Russell Westbrook, PG (trade)
  • Robert Covington, SF/PF (trade)
  • Austin Rivers, PG/SG (free agency)
  • Jeff Green, PF/C (free agency)
  • HC Mike D’Antoni

Roster and Depth Chart

  • PG: John Wall, James Harden, Chris Clemons, Kenyon Martin Jr.
  • SG: James Harden, Ben McLemore, Sterling Brown
  • SF: Eric Gordon, Sterling Brown, Ben McLemore
  • PF: Christian Wood, P.J. Tucker, Kenyon Martin Jr.
  • C: P.J. Tucker, DeMarcus Cousins, Christian Wood

Strengths: 

  • The Wall-Boogie PnR is going to be NUTS. Essentially replacing a former all-star guard with seismic athletic capabilities at the guard spot with another former all-star guard with seismic athletic capabilities at the guard spot works out on a usual occasion, right? Expect that to happen here. After two preseason games, it seems that John Wall’s twitch fibers respond well to the commands of force they’re asked to complete, and his Achilles, whom we as NBA fans were all concerned about since he hadn’t played a minute of NBA basketball in over two years because of its accidental tear, seems to be intact and stable. A small sample size? Yes, but an encouraging one at that. He was routinely blazing past Bulls guards without the frequent need for set picks and finishing with dexterity and confidence as if his injury never happened. DeMarcus Cousins also hadn’t suited up for anyone since he tore his ACL last offseason and he looks as spry as ever. The pick and roll and pick and pop sets Stephen Silas is planning to unleash on the Western Conference is quite dangerous as any duo that comes to mind, if both former All-NBA talents can stay healthy.

 

  • Christian Wood has his own spotlight. Talk about stepping up when your number is called. Wood, a perennial 20-10 all-around stretch big impressed scouts, media experts, and fans across the league as he stepped up to the role of starting center in the wake of Andre Drummond’s departure. It’s apparent he’s going to be Houston’s third-best player behind Wall and Cousins as another screening and rolling/popping/fading/slipping option John Wall or Eric Gordon can play off of, so expect Stephen Silas to create a lot of switches both at the top of the key and under the basket. Think of Wood as a discounted Anthony Davis at the four; a confident handler of the rock who has a low-post game and quick pullup jumper at every level in the halfcourt. In the last 12 games of his season before the league’s COVID-19 suspension, he averaged 22 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on 54 percent shooting from the field and 37.3 percent shooting from three-point range. It’s uncertain just how good he can be, but the ceiling is there for him to reach in a spacious system under Silas, one of the architects who crafted the NBA’s most efficient offense ever in the 2019-20 Mavericks.

Weaknesses:

  • PG depth. Who is the reliable backup at the point guard spot when Wall sits? Rookie Kenyon Martin Jr.? Undrafted tryout-er Jae’Sean Tate? Chris Clemons? David Nwaba? Eric Gordon? Those all don’t sound very appealing. One of the biggest negatives against Houston during their offseason was their failure to get a veteran point guard to run the offense and keep momentum up as the leader of the second unit. Letting Austin Rivers walk is still a headscratcher as well. There are a variety of skilled off-ball scorers that Houston can utilize like Ben McLemore and good role players like Sterling Brown to help move the rock, but no one that stands out as a dangerous sixth man you have to respect that can galvanize the team on both ends of the floor.

 

  • The elephant in the room. Well, I mean…duh. You weren’t not expecting to hear the James Harden fluidity situation in this, were you? The six-time All-Star has expressed with a vehemence that he has no intent or desire to play alongside John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins and fellow teammate P.J. Tucker has aired similar grievances about an organization that’s grown sour internally. He missed the first two days of training camp and posted pictures to social media of various parties he was attending, while the rest of the Rockets were reporting to training camp and fielding questions from the media about the absence of the team’s star player. Harden then reported to practice a few days later on Dec. 8 and is “scheduled” to play on Tuesday’s home preseason game against San Antonio. Mistrust and vested interest on different sides has eroded this franchise, and their star wants out. Where he’ll go is unknown, but what is a known variable is that John Wall and James Harden are unlikely to stay together the full length of the season, no matter how much Stephen Silas wants to play mediator. Not having Harden critically threatens your chances of not just winning the division, but *making it* to the playoffs too.

Record prediction: 41-31.

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3. New Orleans Pelicans (Finished Last Season 30-42, 13th in West)

2020 Offseason Acquisitions: 

  • Steven Adams, C (trade)
  • Eric Bledsoe, PG (trade)
  • George Hill, G (trade)
  • Kira Lewis Jr., PG (draft)
  • Wenyen Gabriel, F (free agency)

Key Losses

  • Jrue Holiday, PG (trade)
  • Derrick Favors, C (free agency)
  • Kenrich Williams, G (trade)
  • E’Twaun Moore, G (free agency)

Roster and Depth Chart:

PG: Lonzo Ball, Kira Lewis Jr., Eric Bledsoe, George Hill
SG: Eric Bledsoe, JJ Redick, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SF: Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, JJ Redick
PF: Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Wenyen Gabriel
C: Steven Adams, Jaxson Hayes, Willy Hernangomez

Strengths: 

  • Zion, Raw, and Uncut. It feels like it’s been forever since we saw Zion Williamson gear up and play a professional basketball game since he and his Pelicans went 2-6 inside the Lake Buena Vista bubble at Disney Springs in Orlando. From taking whoever was guarding him baseline or in the low post, Zion inflicting his grown manchild-like will on unsuspecting and less domineering defenders is always a joy to witness. The offseason was a little bit shorter to the former No. 1 overall pick, but his conditioning program seems to be paying off, per Twitter clips and pictures of the 22-year-old’s vascularity and slimmer figure on display. He’s maturing and taking the workload of an All-NBA staple seriously, as the skillset the Duke product already possesses conjoins with acumen and intelligence of Stan Van Gundy, a familiar face in the NBA coaching carousel who has found another home in the Big Easy and has “prior experience” ascending a big man into superstardom; check the history between him and Dwight Howard in Orlando for reference. The 2020-21 season means that the training wheels will be off, and no minutes restriction for the explosive power forward says it’ll be time to tune in when he takes the court.

 

  • Guards, guards, I do adore. While they couldn’t come to an agreement for Jrue Holiday to stay in NOLA, the first conclusion that can be made when scanning this roster is ‘man they got worse at guard without Jrue Holiday’ and that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’d be a problem if they didn’t get a fraction of what Holiday was worth in return, but looking at the bigger picture, they got what Holiday gave to the Pelicans, but in shards. I’ll make a little more sense of that: you get your stingy, restrictive length on the perimeter still with Lonzo Ball as your starter and Eric Bledsoe in the second unit against opposing guards and scoring from new pickups George Hill and first-rounder Kira Lewis Jr. And in SVG’s small lineups, decision-making will come from the shared minutes between Josh Hart and JJ Redick. That might do the trick in the West, where exceptional guard play is a prerequisite for success.

Weaknesses:

  • No true offseason to calibrate their attack. More of a “woe is me, adapt or get left behind” kind of hurdle to leap over, but it’s an issue nonetheless. Stan Van Gundy coming to New Orleans is a great thing, but it’s hard to get everyone on the same page when you have a little over 60-something days to scramble and get everyone – and everything – in planning to get New Orleans back into the postseason picture for the first time in three years. And not to mention, the Pels are in a clear-as-day rebuild. As the new head coach, where you don’t have strong relationships with your very young personnel as you do with your older-but-still-coachable two-guard JJ Redick in your huddle, the job is going to be on-the-fly as it gets for SVG, who returns to head coaching responsibilities for the first time since 2016.

 

  • BI and Zion: is there enough outside shooting help for the wing scorers? A legitimate concern to have, but ultimately one that will reveal itself in the coming weeks and months of the regular season. While JJ Redick is excluded from the deficiency and, quite frankly a majority of the team since they finished last season with the seventh-best team three-point percentage in the league, trading Jrue Holiday for Eric Bledsoe could do more harm than good. Holiday shot a little over 35 percent as a primary shot creator and took the pressure off both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson for the frontcourt tandem to create on the wings. Bledsoe shot around 34 percent and was dually underwhelming in the bubble, shooting 25 percent from deep. Now add Bledsoe or the streaky shooting of Lonzo Ball to that starting lineup, and that team percentage from last season visibly drops.

 

Record Prediction: 39-33.

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4. Memphis Grizzlies (Finished Last Season 34-39, 9th in West)

2020 Key Acquisitions:

  • Mario Hezonja, SF (trade with Portland)
  • Desmond Bane, SF (draft)
  • Xavier Tillman, PF (draft)
  • Tyus Jones, PG (draft)

Key Losses:

  • N/A

Roster and Depth Chart:

PG: Ja Morant, Tyus Jones, De’Anthony Melton
SG: Dillon Brooks, De’Anthony Melton, Grayson Allen, Desmond Bane
SF: Kyle Anderson, Justise Winslow
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr. Brandon Clarke, Xavier Tillman Sr.
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke

Strengths: 

  • A true big four reminiscent of the Grit N’ Grind days. A proficiently-scoring, defensively-reliable big at the PF position. An explosive aficionado at the point with a true feel for the game. A tough-nosed, gallant leader of men in the center of the locker room. An efficient lockdown defender and consistent scorer off the catch. History is surely repeating itself in Memphis. Much like the Zach Randolph, Mike Conley Sr., and Tony Allen days, things are really starting to shape themselves in the style of old with subtle modern touch-ups. Ja Morant is the franchise cornerpiece and will be receiving All-NBA honors throughout this year and beyond. But when we last left off the Grizzlies’ saga, it didn’t end ideally for ol’ Grizz, as they were seen leaving the NBA bubble hungry for another taste of the postseason atmosphere created by the play-in game they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers.

 

  • Fight and Resolve. The young Grizzlies showed how much they wanted their postseason berth above all, signaled by how hard they fought against Damian Lillard and those Blazers, who were, subsequently, Gentleman’s swept in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Granted, it was a learning experience for Ja (who put on a show while dropping a career-high 35 points) and the crew, but what was solidified in the bubble was something to build their entire organization around. Morant, along with Jaren Jackson Jr. (fresh off meniscus surgery and ready to go), the massively efficient Brandon Clarke, and sixth man DeAnthony Melton are ready to create shockwaves to, again, put the West on notice that these kids are for real.

Weaknesses:

  • Youthful and undermanned. While it’s a positive that Memphis is filled to the brim with potential, future projections rarely, if ever, translate to a bunch of wins early on for a roster filled with rookie and second-year projects. The idea was to keep up the cohesion and development of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and Dillon Brooks rather than to rely on the quick fix of outside talent acquisition to accumulate a couple more wins than what they usually have at year’s end. They re-signed DeAnthony Melton on a four-year, $35 Million deal as he’s a building block for a promising future, and that could be a done deal when the market tells the team to scavenge for a two-way guard. But if we’re talking now, the West is too talented to face off against when you don’t have much other than your big four to compete with.

 

  • Injuries to key pieces. Two key players in forwards Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow won’t be in the Grizzlies’ lineup come tip-off and the coming weeks after, as the two have been nursing ailments that have sidelined them since last season. As mentioned before, Jackson suffered his torn meniscus back on August 8, while Winslow is still recovering from a hip injury suffered back in July during a practice session in the bubble. Head coach Taylor Jenkins will be challenged out of the gate to formulate a gameplan that compensates for Jackson’s absence – and replicating his adeptness at stopping guards off switches, defending the rim, and shooting the three-ball in an abnormal, shortened season is easier said than done.

Record Prediction: 35-37.

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5. San Antonio Spurs (Finished Last Season 32-39, 11th in West)

2020 Offseason Acquisitions:

  • Devin Vassell, G/F (draft)
  • Tre Jones, G (draft)

Key Losses:

  • Bryn Forbes (free agency)

Roster and Depth Chart:

PG: Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Tre Jones
SG: Derrick White, Patty Mills, Keldon Johnson
SF: DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, Devin Vassell
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, Trey Lyles, Rudy Gay, Quinndary Weatherspoon
C: Jakob Poeltl, LaMarcus Aldridge, Drew Eubanks

Strengths:

  • A new play style in San Antonio? When we last left off on the Spurs story, Gregg Popovich and his Spurs were facing imminent failure in qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1997. So, they dabbled in experiment, opting for increased tempo in the offense, early shot-clock operation and a brand of small-ball to fill the void left by the injured Trey Lyles and LaMarcus Aldridge. Seemed like a one time thing, considering how Pop is more often than not the stick-to-what-works kind of coach. But in a surprising turn of events, he stripped SA bare of their typically rigid structure of two bigs and three guards, instead choosing to put on four guards and one prominent big. This resulted in the creation of mismatches aplenty, and now Pop might just have finally opened up to the idea of analytic-favoring small lineups that control the pace of games and put up points on the board.

 

  • More three-point shooting in 2020-21 from their stars. A returning LaMarcus Aldridge only spells good things for the Spurs, who are in dire need of their veteran forward’s help as both a shooter and defender. The former All-Star finished his season with a career-high in made 3PT (61 in 2019-20) and attempts (157) from deep, and you can expect to see that new wrinkle in the Spurs’ offense this upcoming season. That should wear off on the rest of the team, considering the importance of spacing the floor and making driving lanes for DeMar DeRozan and the rest of the guards on the roster.

Weaknesses:

  • A limited flexibility to improve the roster. Largely, this team is just about the same from last year, AKA the roster that became the first team in nearly three decades to miss out on the postseason. San Antonio wasn’t on the lucky end of possessing a bunch of cap space to grab a free agent; save that privilege for future offseasons when they have the opportunity to create a max cap slot. They did the safe thing in taking care of their own free agent by re-signing Drew Eubanks, and bolstered their youth department by selecting 3-and-D prospect Devin Vassell out of Florida State with the 11th pick and floor general Tre Jones out of Duke in the second round. The Spurs generally don’t roll out rookies to start the season, and while they’ll have a chance to crack the rotation, that doesn’t quite spell immediate improvement for a team that was at the bottom of the division last year.

 

  • Just because they want to shoot more, doesn’t mean they can. Additionally, and more significantly due to free agency negotiations that fell through, San Antonio both lost Bryn Forbes, who signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks and Marco Belinelli, who went back to Italy. San Antonio ranked 28th last season in 3-point attempts (28.5) and fourth in accuracy (37.6%), and losing two of their role players specifically used for bettering that statistic in the free market doesn’t heal that wound.

 

  • Age is not on their side. So LMA is back. Cool, but he’s 35. Re-injury is cause for concern as is the uncertainty of his ideal fit in a progressively-transforming offensive system that favors breakneck pace and pushes in transition. Not what the aging Aldridge had in mind when he is to return, since the Texas product is an old-school big man that is either on one spot on the floor or the other as a screener/popper or back-down scorer underneath the basket.

Record Prediction: 30-41.

Photo Cred: OTGBasketball.com/Charles Allen

Dec 15, 2020 No Comments
Houston Rockets Fall To (1-1) Without Harden, Tucker, & Wood In The Preseason

Houston Rockets Fall To (1-1) Without Harden, Tucker, & Wood In The Preseason

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by | Dec 14, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Houston Rockets looked to pick up where they left off against the Chicago Bulls on Friday. In tonight’s game, the Bulls came out a lot more aggressive and were able to defend the 3 pointers a lot better. Houston has been playing in the preseason without James Harden, PJ Tucker, and Christian Wood as they should join the game tomorrow. One player that did show up for the Rockets tonight was John Wall who’s been as explosive as you can be coming off an Achilles injury as he did. Wall was able to get to the rack any time he wanted against the Bulls defense. John Wall still has that explosive first step and he also showed some range with his 3 point shot tonight too. Wall might be coming off a serious foot injury but his court vision wasn’t injured as he found his teammates. People forget when Wall was last in the NBA his name was at the top of the assist leader board every year. Tonight against the Bulls he was able to find DeMarcus Cousins in open space and was able to create opportunities for the Rockets. He finished with 21 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds on the night. John Wall still showed some rust but the minutes he was given made the best of it on both ends of the floor. Even though the Rockets dropped this one both Wall and Cousins showed that with a full complement of minutes this team can be special to watch with the full cast.

 

 

DeMarcus Cousins had a great night as well in the limited minutes he had tonight finishing with 10 points and 6 rebounds. You can see the chemistry between himself and John Wall on full display so far in preseason. One of the bright spots for Cousins has been his 3 points shooting as he’s now 5/8 in two games for 62.5% already. Cousins has adjusted his game towards this Rockets 3 point shooting squad to fit perfectly. When healthy DeMarcus Cousins is one of the best centers in the NBA and he can beat you inside and outside as he will be a great weapon for Stephen Silas to use throughout the season. The Rockets were able to get some help from the bench as well but it wasn’t enough to get the job done tonight. Two of the players that stood out from the bench were Ben Mclemore and David Nwaba who combined for 21 points tonight. Both of them gave the Rockets a huge boost and will be huge to their rotation once Houston gets into the regular season. This Rockets team has a lot of players that can step up on any given night and with the addition of James Harden and the rest of the players they can be scary with the right timing and chemistry to gel together.

 

 

The Bulls were able to show a lot of fight tonight in this game as Zach LaVine came out aggressive like it was game 50 in the season. Tonight LaVine finished with 23 points and was able to get his shot anywhere on the floor. The Rockets has Gordon and Nwaba on LaVine but it didn’t matter as the star was able to carve them up easily. LaVine was able to get dunks and showcased his range in this game as his gameplay helped elevate the Bulls’ play as a whole. Alongside LaVine tonight Coby White made the best of his chances and dropped 20 points to prove that he can be able to go toe to toe with someone like John Wall. It was great to see White hitting some jumpers and talking smack as he was able to showcase his talent tonight. This Bulls team came out firing on all cylinders and was able to really clamp down on the Rockets in the 4th quarter. This Bulls team is young but they will be exciting to watch as they fight for that 6,7,8 spot in the Eastern Conference this season. The Bulls have a bright future with players like White, Williams, and Carter on the roster and will be making some noise. Tonight their length got the best of Houston as they had a lot of second-chance points and were able to finish this two-game series with a split.

 

Dec 14, 2020 No Comments
Top 10 Kicks Worn for 2020 NBA Media Day

Top 10 Kicks Worn for 2020 NBA Media Day

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by | Dec 13, 2020 | Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Boy that offseason went by pretty quick, didn’t it? If you’re feeling that way it’s because it’s true, the 2020 NBA offseason was the shortest in league history. It’s once again time for the season to start, which means the annual tradition of each team having their respective media days. This 2020 edition of media day won’t look the same as years past, with less and less media crew members having access to team arenas and events due to the still-present COVID-19. Finding pictures of athletes’ media day kicks was much harder than last year, but they were out there in some capacity nonetheless.

Plenty of NBA players switched teams this offseason, as well as either signing with a new brand, or dropping the shoe company they were signed with. Jimmy Butler has officially signed with Li-Ning, after months of speculation about which brand he would end up with. Resident under-the-radar NBA sneakerhead, Langston Galloway, has cut his ties with independent brand, Q4 Sports. Galloway will once again be able to rock the immense amount of heat he has back on the court. Newcomer to the NBA, LaMelo Ball, inked a massive deal with PUMA. Russell Westbrook’s new running mate, Bradley Beal, joins him representing His Airness, by signing a deal with Jordan Brand. Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks is in for the long haul at Adidas as it was just announced that Young will have a signature shoe of his own dropping sometime in 2021.

The 2018-19 NBA season saw the resurgence of the Nike Kobe 4 in Protro form. Last season (2019-20) was definitely the year of the Kobe 5 Protro and this coming season seems to be the year of the Kobe 6 Protro as well. Was the Kobe 4, 5, and 6 the best three-year run in a Nike basketball signature series? 2019-20 also saw a bunch of Lebron 7 retros drop, in addition to the new “Media Day” color scheme which was a huge hit in the sneaker community. 2020-21 appears to be the season of the Lebron 8 retros, with a few already having hit stores overseas. What silhouettes are you most looking forward to this 2020-21 NBA season? Scroll below to see the Top 10 Kicks Worn for the 2020 NBA Media Day.

 

 

**Honorable Mention** – The Dime x Reebok Kamikaze 2 Low – Montrezl Harrell

 

           

 

10. Nike Cosmic Unity – Anthony Davis

 

           

 

 

9. Nike Kobe 10 “Grinch” iD – Collin Sexton

 

     

 

 

8. Nike Kobe 7 “BHM” – DeMar DeRozan

 

     

 

 

7. Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Big Stage” (Away) – Ja Morant

 

     

 

 

6. Nike Kobe 6 “Barcelona” – Bol Bol

 

     

 

 

5. KITH x Nike Lebron XV “King’s Cloak” – Malik Beasley

 

           

 

 

4. Nike LeBron VIII “Lakers” – LeBron James

 

           

 

 

3. Jordan X “Steve Wiebe” – John Wall

 

     

 

 

2. OVO x Jordan XVI Sample – Langston Galloway

 

     

 

 

1. UNDFTD x Jordan IV – P.J. Tucker

 

     

 

 

 

Dec 13, 2020 No Comments
Rockets Start Off The Preseason (1-0) With Big Games From Wall, Cousins, & Gordon

Rockets Start Off The Preseason (1-0) With Big Games From Wall, Cousins, & Gordon

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by | Dec 12, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Houston Rockets came into this game against the Chicago Bulls with a lot of unknowns. They came into the game with no James Harden as the team hopes that he joins them next week. Also, Houston was without PJ Tucker and Christain Wood tonight with minor injuries.  One thing that was well known after this game is that Stephen Silas has a great offensive mind and he will use his team’s strengths to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses. The Rockets were limited with their roster tonight in Chicago but made the best of the situation and looked like a team that had played for a year or so already. Silas was able to put on a great coaching display in his first game as the Rockets head coach. Tonight Silas was able to use a lot of pick and pop and was still able to use the same pedigree with the Rockets 3 point shooting. If this Rockets team can stay healthy and with the additions of the players that weren’t there tonight this could be a special year in Houston.

 

 

Tonight was the debut in Houston for John Wall and he looked like the John Wall that we last saw in 2018. The quickness was there and the explosiveness was on full display. John Wall was able to go coast to coast multiple times and was able to get his teammates involved. Wall improved his jumper and was able to get his offense going really early in this contest. The Bulls had no answer for John Wall tonight as he was able to blow by anyone that was guarding him in the open space or on a one on one. Wall finished the game with 13 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds in limited minutes tonight. When Wall is playing like this he’s one of the best guards in the NBA and he showed tonight that he still has it as he played in-game action for the first time in years. John Wall is buying into the Silas way and showed that he can run the show at the highest level.

 

 

It was a special tonight as John Wall was able to play with his college teammates DeMarcus Cousins. Wall & Cousins look like the chemistry on the court never left as Wall would be able to draw the defenders to the paint as Cousins would knock down multiple 3 pointers. DeMarcus Cousins finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds on the night but looked really good and was able to run the floor with the quickness. It was good to see Boogie out there on the floor as he was able to hit the 3 point shot, defend in the paint, rebound, and even took some charges. The Rockets had the mismatches as the Bulls had no answer for Wall or Cousins tonight at all. If the Rockets can stay healthy this season they can be scary as both Wall & Cousins came into this game/season with a chip on their shoulders. Another bright spot for the Rockets was Eric Gordon who looked like he was still shooting in the bubble as he was on fire all night. Gordon was hitting some deep 3 pointers and he was able to get to the rim when he wanted with ease. Tonight Gordon hit a 3 pointer from 40ft deep and it was a known fact he was ready and looked ready for the regular season. The Rockets put up — 3 pointers on the night and they look to keep the same identity as they did with D’Antoni last season. This was a huge step in the right direction for Stephen Silas and the Houston Rockets as they try to get their whole team together on the young season. Tonight showed that this team has the potential to be special if everyone’s willing to buy-in.

 

 

The Chicago Bulls looked really young tonight and this is all new for them with Billy Donovan coming in. Overall the Bulls will need to continue to grow as they have some players that have promise in LaVine, White, and Porter. If the Bulls can defend better on the perimeter and be disciplined in the paint they can make a push for the 8th seed in the East. Coby White & Zach LaVine finished with a combined 27 points and they will be two of the guys that can lead this team all season. The Bulls didn’t have much from the jump on the defensive end especially giving up 24 3 point makes to the Rockets but they will be playing them again next game.

Dec 12, 2020 No Comments
James Harden’s Next Signature Shoe Officially Unveiled

James Harden’s Next Signature Shoe Officially Unveiled

Celebs

by | Dec 10, 2020 | Celebs, Featured, NBA, Sneakers

Slated for a release in early 2021, the three stripes have unveiled the next signature model for the league’s superstar guard James Harden.

The Vol. 5 will be packed with the brand’s latest tech, including a new innovative called futurenatural a seamless one-piece upper together with the athlete’s movement. While the underfoot is cushioned with Boost and Lightstrike for on-court responsiveness. This seems to fit perfectly with the movement of James and his signature step back.

Imagine via Adidas

Futurenatural is a new process for the creation of shoes, and is a perfect technology for Harden Vol. 5 with James’ dynamic style of play and moves on the court being unlike any other player,” said Rashad Williams, Senior Director of Footwear at Adidas Basketball. “James offers feedback from a design and feel standpoint, which is extremely important during our creative process and it ultimately led us to develop the Futurenatural technology to match his game.

Adidas Futurenatural Upper featured on the Vol. 5

Look for Harden to be lacing the Vol. 5’s in this and other colorways for the upcoming NBA season set to kick off Dec. 22nd.

Dec 10, 2020 No Comments
NBA Preseason: Five Storylines To Be On The Lookout For

NBA Preseason: Five Storylines To Be On The Lookout For

Featured

by | Dec 8, 2020 | Featured, NBA

This Friday, the NBA restarts down its long-awaited calendar with the tip-off of the 2020-21 preseason, exactly 11 days before the real thing takes place for the upcoming regular season that’s sure to be different from its predecessors. And of course, just like how any offseason has gone since forever, there are new faces in new places. Trades and free agency shook the league to its core just a few weeks ago and by the looks of it, transactions probably won’t be finished until the opening tip.

From factions being split in groundbreaking trades, discontent players looking elsewhere for new pastures in free agency signings, shocking draft selections, and more, it’s worth the mention that everyone’s favorite teams will look slightly different once Friday comes. These exhibition contests are limited, understandably, due to concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only two to four games will be played and the schedules of each team mentioned in this article will be posted.

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5. Minnesota Timberwolves (Finished Last Season 19-45) – A Blast From The Franchise’s Past Joins Forces With The Organization’s New Cornerpiece

Preseason Schedule

  • vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Saturday, December 12 
  • vs. Memphis Grizzlies – Monday, December 14  
  • vs. Dallas Mavericks – Thursday, December 17

The owners of the first pick in November’s 2020 NBA Draft, Minny selected Guard/Forward Anthony Edwards and will see after their coveted first-round selection that he can mesh well with the main core of newly-acquired guard D’Angelo Russell and top-tier big man Karl Anthony-Towns. Daily reminder that there was not a Summer League, so fans and scouts alike who haven’t gotten the chance to witness the 6-5, 225-lb 19-year old who averaged 19.1 points per game in one year at Georgia will have the opportunity.

Additionally, Ricky Rubio’s return to the Minnesota Timberwolves shouldn’t fly under the radar. After departing in 2017, Rubio emigrated from his starting spot he played in from the start of his career back in 2011, and after spending nearly three years away in other sites like Utah and Phoenix, Rubio was traded back to the Twin Cities’ team as a result of the three-team trade that sent Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns, and Ricky Rubio (as well as the draft rights to Jaden McDaniels from the Thunder) to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Head coach Ryan Saunders and the prolific Spanish playmaker that garnered a massive fan following during his first stint with the T’Wolves have a well-documented relationship with each other, and Saunders’ belief in Rubio’s impact spans far past the stat sheet.

“Ricky does things that don’t always show up in the box score, and he impacts winning in a way where he can help young players grow.”

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4. Charlotte Hornets (Finished Last Season 23-42) – “Ballin” In The Queen City

Preseason Schedule

  • vs. Toronto (Tampa Bay) Raptors – Saturday, December 12
  • vs. Toronto (Tampa Bay) Raptors – Monday, December 14
  • vs. Orlando Magic – Thursday, December 17

These first two years of James Borrego’s tenure as Head coach of the Charlotte Hornets are predicated on fulfilling the growth and projected potential of CHA’s young and inquisitive parts that will someday compete for a playoff spot. The postseason was not quite a realistically attainable goal, but more of a further incentive if the ‘Nets had enough on the table to open some eyes across the league.

While it didn’t really show in the record box, numbers in other prioritized statistical areas told otherwise. Devonte Graham ended his regular season in 2020 shooting over 37 percent from deep, earning himself an invite to the Three-Point Contest at All-Star weekend and multiple Most Improved Player votes. PJ Washington and Miles Bridges made significant strides to improve their games, but in addition to shedding aging and regressing players like Nicolas Batum, the 2020 offseason might be the most impactful adjustment to this roster for this year and beyond.

The third overall selection in 2020 belonged to Michael Jordan’s Hornets, and with it picked point guard LaMelo Ball from Chino Hills, California/Lithuania/Spire Academy/Illawarra, Australia. It’s been a long journey to the pros for Ball, the second of the three Ball brothers (oldest brother LiAngelo just got signed to the Pistons and second-oldest Lonzo still with the Pelicans) who are all now in the NBA. Ball was by far the purest shot-creator in the draft and also, the most equanimous decision-maker with the ball in his hands.

If how LaMelo fared against grown men competing in the Aussie league known as the NBL was any indication of how he’d do in an equally physical league, Hornets fans are in for a treat. Charlotte’s biggest strength is their backcourt play and Ball will be coached and developed to accompany Graham and Malik Monk as he gets his first bearings of NBA action this Saturday.

Alongside him will be the newly-signed Gordon Hayward, the intelligent playmaking wing who signed for four years worth $140M. He is looking to find a second wind for his career after a turbulent three years in Boston.

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3. Washington Wizards (Finished Last Season 25-47) – The Brodie To The Nation’s Capital: Boom Or Bust?

Preseason Schedule:

  • vs. Brooklyn Nets – Sunday, December 13
  • vs. Detroit Pistons – Thursday, December 17
  • vs Detroit Pistons – Saturday, December 19

What a whirlwind of an offseason it’s been for Wizards fans, both in good and bad ways. What seemed to kick off draft and trade season in an unforeseen turn of events: highly-coveted first-rounder Deni Avdija fell to them in the draft at No. 9, and it looked as if the duo of the recovered John Wall and Bradley Beal were to finally reunite in the Nation’s Capital.

And then the eve of Wednesday, December 2, 2020 happened. The prodigal son of Washington, D.C., John Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook, meaning the union between Wall and Beal was broken, and another All-Star was to be added to a young roster choc’ full of potential.

So now, Russell Westbrook is in the third destination of his career and, per his request, will likely be within the same role he was in when he was dominating and winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2017. Moreover, it’s the established chemistry between he and his Head coach, Scotty Brooks, whom he started his NBA career with before Billy Donavan took over coaching responsibilities in Oklahoma City in 2016.

But even with the numbers Russ has put up in his career, it’s purely a TBD over who won this trade considering that his offensive productivity has taken a severe dip in the past two seasons. It could very well be a mechanics and confidence fix, and if so, Russ’ return to MVP form only says good things for a team growing in depth. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be odd seeing Westbrook not only wearing a Wizards jersey, but reverting back to wearing No. 4, his old Olympia High School number.

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2. Brooklyn Nets (Finished Last Season 35-37) – How Will KD and Kyrie Look In Their Return?

Preseason Schedule

  • vs. Washington Wizards – Sunday, December 13
  • vs. Boston Celtics – Friday, December 18

As if there was any different reason that you’d honestly be watching the Brooklyn Nets in the preseason, the obvious being stated is that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both returning to the hardwood since thier injuries, and are looking to make BK Town’s team the entire state of New York can get behind, since the Knicks are a ways away from contending.

We’ve yet to see what post-Achilles tear KD really looks like in game speed besides some short Twitter clips of getting runs in gyms with trainers and fellow NBA collegues, but from word of mouth of coaches and fellow trainers, “he’s back”. Seeing Durant come back healthy, even at 80%, is still frightening to guard, considering that KD has never been known to utilize that untethered athleticism and rely on just pure basketball skill.

As for Irving, who returns from a handful of ailments ranging from shoulder impingements to knee issues, his role and responsibilities in Brooklyn’s offense is going to be something worth making a note of remembering to tune in to. New Head coach Steve Nash has shared with the team the general consensus of there not being a true point guard (at least that’s how Irving explained it) so in terms of how the guards in Nash’s system operate, fans will get a sneak peak into how Brooklyn’s revamped backcourt and frontcourt will mesh within Nash’s offense.

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1. Houston Rockets (Finished Last Season 44-28) – Will The Off-Court Drama’s Noise Drown Out The Progressive Strides Of A Contender?

Preseason Schedule

  • vs. Chicago Bulls – Friday, December 11
  • vs. Chicago Bulls – Sunday, December 13
  • vs. San Antonio Spurs – Tuesday, December 15
  • vs. San Antonio Spurs – Thursday, December 17

This is not the ideal position Stephen Silas wanted his Rockets to be in.

The first-time Head coach and son to the legendary Paul Silas, consider these “occurrences” his initiation to the theatrics and dramatics that come with the job, to put it euphemistically.

The Harden drama has been nothing but nauseating to fathom if you are a Rockets fan, and just as toxic and demoralizing to the organization if you are behind the scenes of this mess. It’s unnecessary to commentate on a play-by-play basis what’s transpired between Harden and Tiliman Fertitta, the Rockets’ owner (Twitter seems to be pretty good at doing that) but to put it succinctly – James Harden has behaved in such an insubordinate, conducive and unprofessional manner just to imply that he wants out of Houston, preferably before the season begins.

So what does that mean for a Rockets team that, barring their little “small ball” experiment, would’ve been favored to reach the conference finals and possibly play for a championship when both recently departed Russell Westbrook and Harden were referred to as the highest-scoring backcourt in the game?

Either one of two things, exactly:

A. New trade acquisition Christian Wood fits into Silas’s system like a puzzle piece John Wall balls out in Westbrook’s place and other notable FA signing DeMarcus Cousins (who rejoins Wall for the first time since their days as Kentucky Wildcats) regains the monomer of top-3 unstoppable big man in the league, thus convincing Harden to wise up a little and realize what’s homemade is much better than what’s out there.

B. Harden can’t even stand the thought of staying in the city of Houston for another second, bails on the team and demands a trade before December 22’s opener against Oklahoma City while Wall looks as if he’s lost a step (or two) and Boogie Cousins remains a non-starter while Wood scarcely puts up respectable numbers but numbers not good enough to keep Houston competitive, prompting a clean house and top-down rebuild.

So what’s the scoop on turning on the television to witness the 2020-21 Houston Rockets? It’s not a question of who will be on the floor to start the preseason for Houston – it’s a matter of who won’t be.

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Other honorable mentions include…

  • The Boston Celtics, who will be without Kemba Walker for the start of the season and will have to rely on one of the best stretch wing duos in the league in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (and Jeff Teague as their starting guard) to operate the offense.

 

  • The Golden State Warriors, a team that’s severely maligned by the injury to Klay Thompson and is searching through their options to find his viable replacement for the near future. Additionally, the NBA debut of James Wiseman (now postponed due to both he and Draymond Green recently catching the Coronavirus) should be a sight to see.

 

  • The Los Angeles Clippers, who enter year two with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, will have their plays called by former Cavaliers Head coach Tyronn Lue with new signees Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum getting introductory minutes in their new home stadium.

 

  • The Tampa Bay (not Toronto) Raptors, not playing in front of 19,000 people inside ScotiaBank Arena, or in the country of Canada at all for an entire season due to the team not being allowed back into the country until the pandemic ends.

 

  • The Phoenix Suns, now with Chris Paul controlling the floor and sharing it with suparstar two-guard Devin Booker.

 

  • The Milwaukee Bucks, now in the final year of the Persuade-Giannis-to-stay-in-Milwaukee challenge, did a decent job of surrounding the Greek Freak with talent in swapping Eric Bledsoe with New Orleans for former All-Star Jrue Holiday. We’ll see how he adjusts to a new spaceous system ran by Mike Budenholzer.

 

  • The Atlanta Hawks, now complete with a reliable backup/mentor to Trae Young in Rajon Rondo as well as budding offensive dynamo Bodgdan Bogdanovic.

 

  • The Portland Trail Blazers, who stocked up on the defensive end by signing Robert Covington as a star 3-and-D guy opposing defenders don’t want to leave open.

 

  • The Denver Nuggets, who A.) had arguably the best time of anyone on draft night picking up RJ Hampton, B.) Picked up Buddy Hield during the opening of the trade market to bolster an already dangerous lineup that upset the #2 seed Clippers in last year’s playoffs and C.) Look to build off last year’s success on their way to a franchise-first NBA championship.

 

  • And the Los Angeles Lakers, the defending champions who got even better in the offseason by signing sixth man of the year Montrezl Harrell, 6MOTY runner-up Dennis Schroder, and locked down both L.A. staples (pun intended) LeBron James and Anthony Davis to lucrative extensions that go past 2023-25.

 

As training camp officially starts with the regular season right around the corner, the anticipation for basketball back on home floors with some – not a lot, clearly – fans in the stands and some normalcy back on television screens across the globe couldn’t come sooner.

Photo Cred: ClutchPoints – David Bernal

Dec 8, 2020 No Comments