A Mid-Season Perspective From A Chicago Sports Fan

As Thanksgiving turns into Black Friday and Christmas is right around the corner, the NFL regular season is nearing completion and the NBA season is settling in nicely. As a Chicago sports fan this year really should no different than usual, with me being disappointed in my teams and all, but for some reason I’m remaining optimistic about the futures of my beloved Bears and Bulls.

Let’s start with the Bears. As we all know, last year’s winning season led by one of the best defenses in the league ended abruptly with Cody Parkey’s infamous double-doink. Even through that heartbreak, there was the promise of a potentially bright future in the Windy City. This season has had its ups and downs, with lots of upset fans ready to move on from former second overall draft pick QB Mitchell Trubisky. I’m not one of those fans. Last season, every Bears fan was praising him as the franchise quarterback Chicago has been waiting for for years. His struggles this season (which really aren’t all that bad) are against one of the most difficult schedules in the league. Some minor changes in this upcoming offseason paired with an easier schedule next year could lead to another playoff run for my Chicago Bears - it’s too soon to blow it all up already.

The Bulls are in a similar position. A disappointing 6-13 opening to the season has led to many fans wanting to completely restart the rebuilding process. I was lucky enough to see this exciting young team play the local Atlanta Hawks thanks to my amazing girlfriend getting tickets for us, and the Bulls’ route of the Hawks made me very optimistic for this young team’s future. The building blocks are there, they just need to be coached and given the experience needed to realize their full potential. There are still bright moments, though, like their recent come-from-behind miracle win against Charlotte or Zach Lavine’s 360 fast break dunks. Too soon to give up on this young team.

Maybe it’s just me maturing and taking sports results less seriously than I used to, but I’m feeling much more optimistic than I should be about the Bears’ and Bulls’ futures. I’m just glad that I get to watch young, entertaining teams with the hope of a bright future for these franchises. Their time will come.

2019-'20 NBA Record Predictions That Will Probably Be Wrong

It seems that the chaos that has been the last few weeks of the NBA off-season is slowly starting to settle down. We now have a pretty good idea as to who will be playing on each team and can now start predicting how new pairings will mesh together as well as whether unchanged teams will be able to return to form come tip-off time in the fall. This post will be predicting and explaining the records of the NBA teams I believe will make the playoffs next season. I’m likely very, very wrong here, but hopefully my reasoning is logical enough to follow. Also, no, I don’t think either my Bulls or Hawks will make it unfortunately. That being said, let's get into it.

Eastern Conference:

1. Milwaukee Bucks (58-24): The young Bucks led the way in the Eastern Conference last season, and having only made minor but effective moves this off-season, I see them leading the pack again in 2019-20. Last season’s league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo recently stated that he thinks he’s only performing at 60% of his potential, which if true, should terrify the league. The Bucks are in good hands with Mike Budenholzer at the helm as head coach, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a finals run by Milwaukee next year.

2. Philadelphia 76ers (56-26): Another case of youth which has trusted the process finds itself in the #2 spot of the Eastern Conference in my projections. The acquisition of Al Horford makes Philly’s front court of he and Joel Embiid one of most fearsome big-men duos in the league. A lack of shooters may give the 76ers some difficulty against certain opponents, especially come playoff time, but not enough to keep them under 50 wins next season.

3. Boston Celtics (52-30): Swapping out Kyrie Irving and putting in Kemba Walker at the point guard position shouldn’t be too much of a hiccup for this young Boston team. Gordon Hayward is increasingly returning to his pre-injury form, and young talent like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown continue to impress. It may take some time for this newly assembled unit to maximize their chemistry together, but I see another good season coming out of Boston next year.

4. Indiana Pacers (50-32): Assuming that Victor Oladipo plays at his usual pre-injury level, I see Indiana as being a tough team next season. There isn’t much to be said here besides the fact that I do not think Indiana will regress next season, but instead improve and show that they’re a team worthy of praise.

5. Brooklyn Nets (46-26): This is why I absolutely hate injuries in the NBA. It will be another year until we see Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant play alongside one another due to KD’s achilles injury which will likely sideline him for the 2019-20 season. I still see Brooklyn being incredibly fun to watch, but nowhere near the top of their conference and likely a first round exit come playoff time. Come back in ‘20-’21.

6. Toronto Raptors (45-27): It isn’t over for Toronto even though Kawhi Leonard is gone. This was a team good enough to make it to and win an NBA Finals against tough competition because of spirit, grit, determination, and heart. Nick Nurse will lead this team back to the playoffs, and I expect another valiant effort from the Canada-representing NBA champs next season.

7. Miami Heat (43-29): Any team who lands Jimmy G. Buckets is likely to benefit, at least on the court, from such an acquisition. I’m excited to see what kind of fight this team has to give next season, and won’t be surprised when the Heat return to the playoffs next season.

8. Orlando Magic (41-31): The Orlando Magic are slowly just surely cementing their spot as the constant 7/8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon will power their way to north of 40 wins, just enough to be eliminated by a far superior team in the first round of the playoffs.

Western Conference:

1. Los Angeles … Clippers (62-20): Not only did the LA Clippers entice two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to join their squad, which would’ve been a feat enough in its own right, but they were also able to pair him with perennial NBA all-star and defensive beast Paul George. The defensive ceiling for this team is sky high with Patrick Beverly, PG, and the Klaw harassing opposing offensive units on every possession. I just don’t see this not working.

2. Denver Nuggets (58-24): This team is so much fun to watch. Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray’s chemistry will continue to develop as Denver makes their way back toward the top of a very stacked Western Conference playoff picture next year.

3. Utah Jazz (55-27): No one should be sleeping on the Utah Jazz, especially after landing underrated all-star Mike Conley this off-season. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Joe Inges continue to prove their worthiness to be considered as one of the top squads in the West, and maybe this is the year that they make another real playoff push.

4. Houston Rockets (54-28): While everyone is excited that Houston acquired Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder, I’m wary of how this pairing will be able to perform on the court. You can read more about that in my post here. Houston, to me, just doesn’t have the play style that it’s going to take to win it all in this new NBA-era. I expect a decent season, but another playoff disappointment resulting in an early departure accompanied by lots of finger-pointing.

5. Los Angeles Lakers (50-32): The Lakers would be much higher in my projected rankings if they hadn’t traded away their entire roster for Anthony Davis. I’m sure LeBron and The Brow will be dominant on most nights, and the Lakers were smart to not acquire a third superstar which would’ve negated any possible depth they’ve added to their roster, but I’m still worried about any possible injuries as The King continues to add mileage. Any team with LeBron James isn’t going to show their teeth during the regular season, anyway, so the 5 seed seems appropriate here.

6. Portland Trailblazers (49-33): It feels like a disservice to put Portland this low on the list. Damian Lillard and company continually show how much spirit and ingenuity they have to knock teams out of the playoffs in the most unforgettable ways possible. Any team that has to go up against Portland come playoff time has their work cut out for them.

7. Golden State Warriors (47-35): I think Golden State Warrior fans are still in denial. The superteam’s run will never be forgotten and the highlights will always be entertaining, but this just isn’t the same team anymore. Kevin Durant is now a Brooklyn Net and Klay Thompson will likely miss a majority of the upcoming season due to injury. D’Angelo Russell will need to acclimate to Golden State’s system, and their depth is nearly non-existent in losing Andre Iguodala and Quinn Cook. The Warriors will almost definitely be a first-round exit next year, but it will be fun to watch Stephen Curry put on a show all season long.

8. San Antonio Spurs (46-36): With Gregg Popovich leading things, it’s almost impossible to count the Spurs out of the playoff hunt. DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge still pair together nicely, and there’s enough depth here to land a playoff spot. Tim Duncan joining SAS as an assistant coach will likely help things as well.

Next season is setting up to be one of the most authentically entertaining in recent memory. A sense of seeming parity makes me excited but also makes these sort of predictions difficult to make, which is why my listings are likely to come back as wholly inaccurate. I hope that the logic behind my projections makes enough sense. I can’t wait for the return of NBA basketball. How do you think things will shake up?

2019 NBA Off-Season - Kevin Durant And Kyrie Irving To Brooklyn Nets Reaction

NBA Basketball’s free agency period began last night at 6PM EST sparking chaos as teams came to agreements with players and contracts were negotiated. That’s right, F5 season is upon us, and as all of the trades and signings continue to be reported by NBA insiders, I will keep refreshing my feeds to keep up with the latest deals. One of the biggest winners so far in this year’s free agency is the Brooklyn Nets. Much to many Knicks, Celtics, and Warriors fans dismay, both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have made verbal commitments to join Brooklyn’s young and impressive team, signing for contracts of 4-year, $164M and 4-year, $141M respectively in early July. Brooklyn also made their free agency splurge even sweeter by getting DeAndre Jordan to commit to a 4-year, $40M deal made possible through KD and Irving taking minor pay cuts. There’s a lot to talk about here.

First are the direct ramifications of the trade. The Brooklyn Nets have agreed to send all-star guard D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors on a 4-year, $117M deal. The Golden State Warriors plan on signing Splash Brother Klay Thompson onto a 5-year, $190M deal, and traded Finals MVP Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies to clear up cap space to do so. The future will be very interesting for the Warriors, and matchups between GSW and Brooklyn will be must-see basketball.

Unfortunately Kevin Durant got hurt, as we all know, in the 2019 Finals and isn’t expected to come back to play by the time the 2019-2020 season rolls around. Hopefully this will give Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan enough time to settle into the New York spotlight, develop chemistry, and figure out how to get wins with their new group of teammates. Once Kevin Durant returns to action a year later, I will be expecting the Brooklyn Nets to be a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, especially if Kawhi Leonard leaves the Toronto Raptors in favor of the Los Angeles Lakers, which is looking more and more likely every hour. I do find it interesting that Kyrie Irving is teaming up to form a super team of his own after defiantly leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to go lead a team of his own only to be humbled by his experience in Boston. Irving is a clutch and extremely talented player, but it seems that he needs good team chemistry to thrive and stay mentally fit to win big games, otherwise seemingly losing passion in the game.

I’m very excited for the coming days of free agency, and this is just one of the many moves that have even happened so far. It’s all getting a little hard to keep straight; Jimmy Butler is a member of the Heat, D. Rose a Piston, JJ Redick a Pelican, Kemba Walker a Celtic, and so on. The 2019-20 season of NBA Basketball will be fascinating for a number of reasons, but until then, I will continue to analyze and react to off-season shockers and Woj Bombs as they happen. Stay tuned.

2019 NBA Finals Game 6 Recap + Series Recap

Well, it actually happened. The Toronto Raptors are our 2019 NBA champions, and it’s beginning to look like the beginning of the end of the Golden State Warrior dynasty. Though the Warriors were as injured as they have been since the beginning of their yearly championship tradition, they fought their hardest and left everything out on the court against an extremely talented and spirited Raptors team who were able to earn their first NBA title. Any of the doubters who said the Kawhi Leonard acquisition last summer was ill-advised and wouldn’t pay off have been silenced. Hopefully there isn’t an asterisk placed next to this championship, because the Raptors completely earned it - fair and square.

It was hard watching Klay Thompson writhing in pain on the floor during the 3rd quarter of what seemed to feel like a winnable Game 6 for Golden State. He had played a fantastic game up until that point. As soon as he fell, I knew that the season was effectively over. Golden State played a very good game up until then, but losing one of the splash brothers along with Kevin Durant being out of the game was simply too much of a mountain to overcome, even for such a talented and explosive Warriors team on their home court. Now 2X Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Fred VanVleet (shoutout 815) proved that they are worthy of winning a championship by playing smart basketball, making difficult shots, and remaining composed and focused as the prize got closer and closer. If Kawhi Leonard stays in Toronto next season, it’s hard not to call them the frontrunner for next year’s championship as of right now before free agency. The Warriors are going to be going through changes and the Western Conference is still taxing on its playoff teams, so it seems like the Raptors may have good odds of returning to the biggest stage next season.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and this year’s NBA Playoffs as a whole besides all of the injuries that occurred. I am extremely happy for the Toronto Raptors for finally getting over the hump and winning their first title, and it will be very exciting to see what kind of moves teams make over the summer which will directly affect next season. I will be covering and analyzing all of those moves on this blog. Hoping that my predictions are slightly more accurate next season, but until then, the grueling wait begins.