SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns #3: Los Angeles Lakers

SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns #3: Los Angeles Lakers

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by | Jul 28, 2020 | Featured, NBA

As we get closer to the NBA Restart, we’ve reached the Top 3 on our NBA Bubble Breakdowns, with the 1st seed of the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers haven’t had much Playoff appearances since 2013. The team is now in a prime position to be making the first run in 7 years, and have lots of potential to make a deep run in the Playoffs.

Only one player on the Lakers roster, Guard Avery Bradley, has opted out of the NBA Bubble to be with his family. Bradley also vocalized himself alongside Nets Guard Kyrie Irving expressing their concern that the NBA Restart overshadowing the Black Lives Matter movement. Although Bradley’s veteran defensive savvy will be missed by the Lakers, they also signed NBA Free Agents in Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith, who will be returning to the floor after having not been apart of a roster since last season. Also starting PG for the Lakers Rajon Rondo will be out 6-8 weeks due to an injury to his thumb during the return process to the Restart.

Although the Lakers are currently seeded #1, which puts them in a premier position to make one of the deepest runs that they have had since their first round exit in 2013. Once again I must admit, being a lifelong Lakers fan, I have my hopes and biases towards the team. But I also must say that the Lakers can’t let up and take their foot off the gas at any point throughout the Playoffs.

Lakers’ Season In-Review (49-14, 1st in West)

Whether you’re a fan of the Lakers or not, it is hard to deny the sheer amount of excitement and electricity that they play with when they step out onto the floor. Having been referred to as Showtime Lakers 2.0, they’ve easily become the powerhouse that we all knew them once to be in the late 90’s early 2000’s. In comparison to the Lakers of last year, it’s quite clear that this year’s Lakers has a much stronger amount of depth of the bench. The Lakers have surrounded LeBron and AD with a multitude of veteran players, like Dwight Howard, Javale McGee, and Danny Green, to younger up and coming names like Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, and Quinn Cook. The only issue with this team is ensuring that these role players can play at high levels consistently. The team is currently ranked 5th in Offensive Rating and 3rd in Defensive Rating, ultimately showing the amount of talent that they have amongst their players. The Lakers bench, specifically, prior to the hiatus was contributing 34% to their scoring, and knowing that with such a percentage they withhold a 49-14 record, they are on a good pace going into the Playoffs if they are able to maintain such contributions. On the defensive end, the Lakers are more times than not averaging more blocks and steals per game than their opponents with 6.8bpg and 8.6spg. With such effectiveness on the defensive end is what truly unlocks the Lakers and allows them to play the brand of basketball that both we as fans and they as players have come to expect of themselves.

Looking into the Bubble:

The Lakers have quite the challenging schedule, having to face-off against the Clippers on opening night of the NBA Restart then followed by the 2nd seeded Raptors and many other Playoff contending teams like the Jazz, Thunder, and Rockets. There are many storylines that are associated with the Lakers this time around, and with that it’ll be an interesting journey to watch for the Lakers, as they come in with a team structure that wants to play big, in a league that has been dominated by small ball for many years now. Additionally to that, if LeBron is able to come out of the Restart as an NBA Champion, he’ll be apart of the short list of players to have one 3 NBA Titles with 3 different teams, which is perfectly contrasted to Clippers F Kawhi Leonard, someone who shares a similar story. We come closer and closer to seeing things come to fruition for the Lakers, come July 30th.

Jul 28, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #4 Toronto Raptors

SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #4 Toronto Raptors

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by | Jul 26, 2020 | Featured, NBA

As we get closer and closer to the NBA Restart, we move on to #4, the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors. Being the reigning NBA Champions, it only seemed fitting to have the Raptors in our Top 5. The many headlines regarding the Raptors at the beginning of the season claimed them to be a mid-tier team with the loss of Kawhi Leonard, but the team has been able to blow all expectations out of the water by currently withholding the 2nd seed in their conference. The Raptors were very much considered to be an underdog team despite having notable names such as Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, and Marc Gasol. These players all provided a huge contribution in their successes this season, and hope to carry that same momentum into the NBA Restart.

Despite having had the choice, the Raptors’ players had chosen not to opt-out of the NBA Restart, having their fully entire roster in Orlando at this time. They’ve been participating in the scrimmages up to this point and seem to be gaining their footing back after many months without basketball. Although this may be true, navigating through the NBA Playoffs as we know is an entirely different beast than the regular season, a beast that admittedly the Raptors have struggled with in years past prior to Kawhi’s arrival to the 6ix. Of course we can’t solely base these claims on history, for the team had developed a new go-to option in former Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam. As seen below we can see that Siakam has been making strides in his young career, jumping up in his averages from year to year. With this, if Siakam is able to perform at the level he’s been playing at, alongside other up and coming names like Fred VanVleet, the Raptors stand a better chance than some may give them credit.

Honestly, I personally would like to see the Raptors make a solid run in the Playoffs again this season. I do wonder, as I’m sure many fans leaguewide are as well, if the improvements that the Raptors made this season be enough to fill the shoes of Kawhi Leonard? In contrast however, this team has the experience and the know how in order to win an NBA Finals, Kawhi or no Kawhi, which may have been just enough to prepare them for whats to come very soon.

Raptors’ Season In Review: (46-18, 2nd in East)

There is and there isn’t much to be said regarding the Toronto Raptors during the regular season. In the most simplest of terms, as previously stated, they’ve managed to meet and surpass any and all expectations set upon them at the beginning of this season. A team that was expected to be towards the middle of the seeding in the Eastern Conference has earned their spot as the 2nd in the East only behind Milwaukee. The players on this team were willing and able to accept the challenge to fill the void of their loss during the off-season last year, but their ultimate test truly begins come Playoff time.

Like most teams towards the top of the seeding, the 8 games ahead have no real impact on them other than fighting for positioning. Their schedule however is not an easy one by any stretch of the imagination, having to face the current best in the West in the Lakers, and many of the potential future opponents in the Eastern Conference match-ups such as the Heat, Magic, Celtics, Bucks and 76ers. Come July 31st begins a second title run for the defending NBA Champions, the Toronto Raptors.

Jul 26, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #5 Boston Celtics

SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #5 Boston Celtics

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by | Jul 25, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Coming in at #5 we have the third seed in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics. Despite having a young, up and coming roster, the Celtics have managed to gain much traction throughout years past and have set their eyes upon competing for the NBA title. With notable names throughout the league within the roster such as Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Jaylen Brown, to name a few, the talent and early Playoff experience that these individuals have give them a slight edge over the greenness that other teams may have. The Celtics have been fairly lucky in regards to their encounters, or lack thereof, with the Corona Virus going into the Bubble, noting that players like Marcus Smart has fully recovered from having tested positive early into the indefinite suspension of the season.

Such luck can be taken even further for the Celtics knowing that their entire roster has chosen to not opt out of the NBA Bubble, wanting to participate on the journey towards the Playoffs and potentially the NBA Finals. Many of the concerns league wide regarding the Celtics was their “lack of depth off the bench”. Although this is true within the stat line as show above, it is also shown that despite such claims, the Celtics bench find themselves amongst the middle of the pack at 13th in the league averages, below teams such as the Clippers, Lakers, and Nets to name a few, that specifically have certain players come off the bench to maintain offensive pressure while their starters sit out. The Celtics scheme is to typically have some of their starters meshed in with the bench, never really having all five starters out of the game at one particular time. This leaves most of the scoring load on the starters and having the bench come in and contribute when their number is called.

I personally believe that the 3rd seed Celtics have what it takes to at least make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, if not the NBA Finals. The Celtics are one of the few teams in their Conference to make little change in their roster last season, and having post-season experience amongst players can go a long way. The biggest concern for this team is whether or not they can remain healthy throughout their Playoff run. In years past it was fairly seldom to have all their starters on the floor, with one guy always out with some form of injury, whether it was day-to-day or out for weeks to months. However, if the Celtic core in Tatum, Brown, Smart, Hayward, and Walker all be healthy and stay healthy throughout this NBA Restart, it goes without question that they’ll be a team to be on the lookout for.

Celtics’ Season in Review (43-21, 3rd in East)

Looking into a deeper scope at the Celtics, they were having a solid season going in to the New Year, having 21 out of the 33 games dating back to January 3rd. It had seemed that Jayson Tatum was getting into a groove around this time especially, averaging 29.9ppg post All-Star Break. If Tatum is able to continue that momentum from so long ago, the defenses that remain in the Bubble will have some issues to deal with come July 31st. Speaking of defense, the Celtics are a highly ranked team on that end of the floor, ranking 4th in defensive rating. It surely helps to have players like Daniel Theis protecting the paint and Marcus Smart, a player the Glove, Gary Payton, himself has given praise towards, being an absolute disruptor as well. Another thing about the Celtics that might not be seen by some is the sheer size that the Celtics have, and no I’m not quite referring to 7’6 Tacko Fall at this time. Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum are all within the same height from 6’6-6’8, which allows them to guard multiple positions 1-4 and sometimes 1-5. Having such long, agile defenders can easily make things tough for opposing offenses, specifically when in the passing lanes as well as contesting shots. This truly goes to show how good of an overall team the Celtics can be.

 

At this particular point in time for the Celtics, the 8 games prior to the NBA Playoffs has no real impact on them whatsoever other than Playoff positioning. It will however be an interesting measure of competition, having to play against the current 1st, 2nd, and 4th seeds in the East in the Bucks, Raptors, and Heat within the first 5 games of the schedule. With only 6 days left before the NBA Restart, we’ll have to see how the Celtics fare in their first game against Giannis and the Bucks on July 31st.

Jul 25, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #6 Houston Rockets

SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #6 Houston Rockets

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by | Jul 24, 2020 | NBA

At #6 on our SneakerReporter Bubble Breakdown is the #6 seed in the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have had quite the handful of Playoff runs in years past as they hope to perhaps get even deeper into the Playoffs again this year coming into the Restart. Perennial All-Star and starting Point Guard for the Rockets Russell Westbrook had tested positive for the Corona Virus right before the team was set to leave for Orlando, delaying the process of his return to the floor. Westbrook has since then been cleared and currently resides with the rest of the team in Orlando, participating in practices and scrimmages and is on schedule to be playing with them going into the Restart.

With only one player on the Rockets roster opting out of the NBA Bubble being Rockets SG/SF Thabo Sefolosha due to the overall concern of the Corona Virus, the Rockets still have the depth to be able to compete at a high level. Taking Sefolosha’s place is Veteran Forward Luc Mbah a Moute, a solid replacement to Sefolosha’s defensive prowess. Prior to the NBA hiatus, the Rockets decided to optimize their roster to play solely small ball, and were constantly receiving heavy backlash for their play when they lost. The Rockets’ situation is an interesting one, for if they show out during the NBA restart, other organizations may look at the Houston Rockets and may consider following their footsteps removing the traditional big men from their respective teams. Despite the hype that may be surrounding this team, the question bares if other players that aren’t your two of the Superstar backcourt of Westbrook and Harden will step up and be able to contribute to the team on a consistent basis.

Despite having a decent seeding in the Western Conference, I personally think that the Rockets are quite a dark horse in this Playoff race. Admittedly, I have my biases towards having solid big men on teams which leaves me as I’m sure as it leaves many of us skeptical about how the Rockets will fare against other teams with big name PFs and Cs such as Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis. Having said that however, I also believe that if anyone is going to prove the skeptics wrong, it’s Russell Westbrook. We all know Westbrook to be the type of player to do pretty much anything to win with his “Why Not?” mentality, and having the epitome of an offensive threat in James Harden at his side, as well as the many other options that this team has to score, I’m not fully willing to say that this team can’t get far.

Rockets’ Season In Review (40-24, 6th in West)

As discussed earlier, the Rockets made the call to gear the team towards small ball, allowing Russell Westbrook to be able to play his Mid-Range Slashing game he plays so well when he has the ball in his hands. This also allows many catch and shoot opportunities for players like Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers, and Robert Covington. We’ve yet to discuss the Beard himself however, James Harden. This is because, unless something were to go terribly wrong, basketball fans know James Harden is going to score, without question. This ultimately had them at 2nd for Offensive Rating, 10th in FT%, and 23rd for 3-PT%, mostly due to the fact that the Rockets lead the league in 3-PT attempts with an average of 44.2 a game.

The Rockets have become the newest face of Dan Patrick’s famous quote saying, “live by the three or die by the three”. Prior to the hiatus, the team was 2nd in the league for % of points scored from 3-pointers all the while being dead last for % of points from 2-pointers. Granted a solid amount of points the Rockets score are also from the Fastbreak averaging 14.7pts and from having 17.3% of their points from the free throw line.

Looking Into the Bubble:

The team is going to need to be working much harder going into the Restart without no real go-to rebounder. They’ll definitively be relying on shutting down opposing guards and using their pace-and-space offensive scheme to disrupt opposing defenses. Looking ahead, the Rockets have quite the schedule ahead of them going into the restart, facing names like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and LeBron James in just their first four games. Although at this point the Rockets are merely fighting for Playoff positioning over the course of the restart, it’ll be no easy feat for Westbrook, Harden, and co. The ultimate question is how far can the Rockets take off heading into the NBA Playoffs?

Jul 24, 2020 No Comments
LeBron James Wears And Nike Debut The Nike LeBron 18

LeBron James Wears And Nike Debut The Nike LeBron 18

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by | Jul 24, 2020 | NBA, Sneakers

LeBron James teased a quick look at his latest signature shoe, the LEBRON 18, during Lakers practice earlier today. While no official announcements about the shoe, a source confirms that it is indeed the next model in James’ signature line.

Finding LeBron in a specific time and place in his career, the shoe’s design is effectively split down the middle from forefoot to heel. According to Jason Petrie, LEBRON footwear designer the shoe’s cushioning distinction is both technical and symbolic.

LeBron James Debuts the Nike LeBron 18 During Practice – USA News Hub

“At this point, LeBron has spent half his life with Nike,” says Petrie. “We wanted to make him a shoe that played with this idea of two halves. How could we keep improvising on the Max Air value that LeBron loves, but use the forefoot half to sharpen the low-to-the-ground, micro-shifts that LeBron needs to cut and transition down the floor? We’ve gotten near-surgically detailed on these features so that the sum of the shoe’s parts come together for LeBron, and for every kind of player.”

LeBron James Debuts the Nike LeBron 18 During Practice – USA News Hub

LeBron didn’t debut his new signature shoe in the Lakers’ first scrimmage of the NBA restart like many suspected but he did lace up a minty green colorway for the trip to the gym. Ahead of tip-off against the Mavericks.

This public outing gave us our best look at the model since it was first spotted on James’ feet during practice yesterday and officially previewed by Nike earlier today. Check out below:

Nike LeBron 18 Release Date September 2020 | Sole Collector

Nike LeBron 18 Release Date September 2020 | Sole Collector

 

Jul 24, 2020 No Comments
SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #7 Denver Nuggets

SR – NBA Bubble Breakdowns: #7 Denver Nuggets

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by | Jul 23, 2020 | Featured, NBA

Coming in at #7 on our Sneakerreporter Bubble Breakdown is the 3rd seed in the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets. For a team that has had so much success this year, it is odd how little hype the steam is getting heading into the Orlando re-start…or is it? For much of the NBA’s hiatus, the Nuggets roster has been in question heading into the return to action. The Nuggets All-Star forward was among the many players that tested positive for the Carona Virus Antibodies. Jokic underwent all of the correct procedures to rejoin his team in Orlando such as self-questioning on multiple occasions and eventually testing Negative for the COVID -19 Virus before entering the Bubble. Jokic is with the team and has been participating in practices and scrimmages up to this point so it would make sense to assume he will be in the starting lineup when play resumes in less than a week.

The real question with this team’s roster heading into the bubble surprisingly wasn’t the news about Jokic but surprisingly there were 3 others that didn’t make the trip when the team was supposed to arrive in Orlando. Gary Harris, Torrey Craig, and Michael Porter Jr. all did not make the trip down with the Nuggets to Florida. The Nuggets have not yet specified what led to the decisions of these players to sit out. Hopefully, for the Nuggets as the regular season games resume they can get at least Gary Harris and Torrey Craig back in action. If not they will be losing two staples to their team identity both offensively and defensively. Without these guys, the team will begin relying heavily on P.J. Dozier. Dozier signed during the transaction window and has been involved with the team extensively in-and-out of the G-League. They will also look to rookie phenom Bol Bol who was supposed to be out this whole year but with this break is now eligible to join the Orlando roster for the Nuggets. As exciting as it must be for the Nuggets to have Bol Bol in their lineup the worry with this current roster suggests that they are not going to be the same team. If this team seemed to be the same squad with the same mindset they have had this season they would have a lot more hype around them but with a depleted roster and accelerated schedule it’s hard to believe this team will get back to the prime form.

 

 

The only chance I see from the Nuggets is if some of the key guys that they have active on this roster step up in a big way. Nikola Jokic has been one of the most consistent player in the NBA this season averaging a killer 22 points 10 rebounds and 7 assists. His play has never been in question for this Nuggets team heading into the re start even after contracting the virus. The players on this team who I think have the most pressure heading into the restart will be Jamal Murray. Murray has had quite the regualr season this year himself averaging 20 points 5 assists and 4 rebounds per game but is really going to have to increase his numbers if he hopes to help this team win a playoff series. The 5 year 170 million dollar man, is going to have to prove his worth for the Nuggets in these playoffs. He’ll have to be capable of averaging big scoring numbers in the first round of the playoff if this team is going to progress.

 

 

 

Denver’s Season In Review (43-22, 3rd in West)

For much of this year, Denver has prided themself on being one of the deepest and more athletic teams in the league. This was a great transition basketball team able to put pressure on the rim with the rim running ability of Jokic to occupy the basket, strong three-point shooters to fill the wings and dynamic ball handlers to attack the basket. While they will still be able to attack in this way it is doubtful they will be able to do it as efficiently as before. The Nuggets ranked just ninth in Offensive Rating on the season, and though they progressed in the right direction for most of the season, the team dropped down to 13th in Offensive Rating post-All-Star break.  The Nuggets ranked 15th in 3-point percentage this year which was pretty average for a roster with so many capable good shooters. They also ranked 14th in free throw percentages which are an area they will need to improve if they dont want to be one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the playoffs.

 

via @NBABlackburn

Denver has scored a lot this year in transition and in spot-up situations because of Jokic’s playmaking ability from all levels. He can pass out of the post, create really dribble handoff mismatches, and find guys from his favorite spots in the mid-post. Head Coach Mike Malones offensive has tremendous movement and deception when Jokic has the ball that makes them hard to guard. For the Nuggets to maintain this same level of efficiency or improve they will have to find players who can help by scoring in the ways that they have alredy establiushed make them effective.

 

 

Looking into the Bubble:

The Nuggets won’t just be looking to star Jamal Murry to help carry the load for this team come playoffs but also to key guys like Jeremi Grant, Mason Plumlee, Troy Daniels, Paul Milsap, and Noah Vonleh to name a few. The Frontcourt will have to step up big time especially defensively if they hope to compete with the likes of Anthony Davis or Montrez Harrell at the top of the conference. The Nuggets also have the 3rd most difficult schedule heading into Orlando so they will need some real defensive firepower if they plan to at least hold on to the 3 seed in the west as the Jazz are only 2 games behind them.

 

 

The Nuggets are going to have a very tough task in Orlando only playing against two teams that might now make the playoffs. While the Nuggets do have the talent and the ability to make a playoff run its hard to find proof that they will execute with the way their roster looks right now. They simply are just not proven yet and i worry about them in this controlled setting in Orlando. They have competed well against the top of the west this year and I expect them to remain competitive but until one player or a few players can emerge as it factor for this team it’s likely they may have a simmilar playoff result as last year.

 

 

Jul 23, 2020 No Comments