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?

Why, As A Fan, I'm Excited For The Chicago Bears' Future

Growing up a fan of Chicago sports teams has taught me the valuable life lesson of never letting your hopes get too high. This was all but completely validated when the Bears lost Super Bowl XLI to Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts in 2007 and 8-year-old me was heartbroken. Even after last season’s nightmarish ending to an otherwise very successful year and a difficult schedule in the upcoming season, I’m optimistic for the Chicago Bears’ chances moving forward. Here’s why.

The first factor that leads me to find confidence in my navy and orange toting team is the lack of competition in their NFC North division. The Minnesota Vikings may give the Bears a run for their money in taking clinching a spot in the playoffs by winning the division, but a rebuilding Green Bay and a struggling Detroit almost guarantee 3-4 wins for Chicago next season. I’m hoping that another impressive defensive showing from Chicago is enough to propel them to the 11-12 wins likely needed to win their division.

Another factor that has me excited for next season is a healthy and maturing offense. Although they ranked #21 overall offensively last season, QB Mitchell Trubisky has had a long off-season to improve and make adjustments to his game. What I consider a stacked backfield and skilled receiver core should make Trubisky’s job relatively easy despite the challenging opponents Chicago will face next season.

The final and main factor that has me excited for the Chicago Bears’ next season and future in general is an absolute powerhouse defensive unit. Headed by Pro Bowler Khalil Mack, the Bears defensive unit may not be able to again rank #1 overall defensively, but they should still be a force to reckoned with for opposing offenses. I expect a high amount of forced turnovers and low points allowed again for Chicago. It isn’t Bears football without some high quality defense, right?

While there may be a regression from last year’s promising season, and there are still factors to consider such as a lack of a competent kicker and a difficult upcoming schedule, I’m going against my learned apprehension as a Chicago sports fan and am choosing to be optimistic and excited for the future of the Chicago Bears. Hopefully my dreams aren’t double-doinked into oblivion all over again.

Best Foot Forward: A Sneaker Series (Part 4)

I’m happy to be back with another part to my Best Foot Forward series which highlights selections from my sneaker and footwear collection. The four pairs on display this week are all very different from one another, and some are very unique or unlike anything else in my collection. I’ve been looking forward to continuing this series since posting part 3, so let’s get right into it.

Pair 1 (Upper Left): Common Projects Achilles Low in Blush

The minimal silhouette and excellent Italian leather used by Common Projects on their famed Achilles Low has made this pair one of the most popular essential luxury sneakers of the past few years. This colorway, specifically, adds a pop of distinct color and flare to my wardrobe that can be paired with any outfit nicely during any of the four seasons. The blush pink is soft and nearly pastel, but also loud and attention-grabbing when paired with the right fit. I’m happy to finally have the confidence to consistently wear pink shoes without thinking twice about it, and lucky enough to be living in a place (Atlanta, GA) which is full of individuals who appreciate eccentricity and self-expression.

Pair 2 (Upper Right): Adidas Ultra Boost 1.0 Retro in Cream

When the sneaker blogs that I follow first announced that Adidas was going to be re-releasing the coveted cream colorway of their popular Ultra Boost model in it’s original “1.0” build, I knew I had to pick up a pair. I was lucky enough to have purchased the all white colorway for their retail price when they first released, but unfortunately couldn’t get my hands on the cream colorway and didn’t want to justify paying the hefty resell price. Now that I have these in my collection, I’m eternally grateful that Adidas decided to rerelease this iteration of the Ultra Boost. Not only are they extremely comfortable, but the unique cream color goes very well with my wardrobe year-round. These may be one of my favorite Adidas Ultra Boosts of all time.

Pair 3 (Lower Left): Rick Owens DRKSHDW Ramones in Black

These are something else. Dubbed by some as “super converse”, and “clown shoes” by others, this pair is one of the most unique in my collection. The exaggeratedly large toe box, full-length side zipper, and general bulkiness of the Ramones are attributes inconsistent the rest of the sneakers in my collection. Pairing these with an all black outfit, especially with a bomber jacket and hoodie on a cold winter day, just makes taking to the city streets feel so satisfying. I’d describe these as one of the most badass pairs in my collection when rocked with confidence, similar in attitude to my Saint Laurent Paris Wyatt boots.

Pair 4 (Lower Right): Converse X Comme Des Comme Des Garçons PLAY

Japanese fashion house Comme Des Garçons is known for their highly unique and experimental runway looks. Their streetwear line, PLAY, is generally more traditional and made easily recognizable by the bright red heart logo. CDG’s collaboration with Converse has very quickly become one of the most essential pairs of sneakers for those living in urban areas. There are multiple styles to choose from in their collaboration, but the high-top beige Chuck 70 with the “hidden heart” pictured here is my favorite of the bunch. A pop of color from the heart logo adds to any outfit, and these are certainly conversation starters as well.

I hope that these posts are insightful and informative as well as entertaining for you! Part 5 will be coming soon - I’m already looking forward to it.

2019 NBA Off-Season - Russell Westbrook To Houston Rockets Reaction

On July 11th, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted another off-season move that had fans and analysts completely shook. That’s right - the Houston Rockets have traded for former NBA MVP and perennial All-Star Russell Westbrook, giving up current point guard Chris Paul and two future 1st-round draft picks. This move came as somewhat of a surprise for me, but it wasn’t completely unexpected after Paul George’s recent move to leave Oklahoma City to join Kawhi Leonard as a Los Angeles Clipper. While many think that the reuniting and pairing of James Harden and Russell Westbrook will be explosive enough to push Houston over the hump, I’m remaining somewhat skeptical before I see how an evolved Harden and Westbrook play off of each other in Houston’s Toyota Center.

These two MVPs once nearly made it to the promised land only to have their championship dreams squashed by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. The two (and Kevin Durant, eventually) went separate ways and have been unable to find enough success to get back to the NBA Finals since. Only Kevin Durant who went to Golden State was able to get himself back to, and eventual win, multiple NBA titles. The trio of Harden, Westbrook, and Durant likely wouldn’t have been able to make it past their Western Conference competition had one of them been absent, but having shared championship experience and MVP quality play over the past years bodes well for both Harden and Westbrook’s recent reuniting. The problems I see for Houston moving forward are the adaptations that Harden and Westbrook have made during their time apart and how well their offensive styles will mesh on the court.

Russell Westbrook, to me, is a more of a shoot-first player than Chris Paul is. We all know he’s enough of a facilitator to average and break triple-double records, but that also comes from putting up many low-percentage shots and at times playing too aggressively. James Harden has also developed into a strong ISO player who thrives in man coverage situations. Unless the NBA establishes a new rule that introduces a second basketball into play, the Rockets may have trouble keeping all of their role players and stars engaged and involved offensively. A Westbrook-Harden-Gordon-Tucker-Capela lineup (with the possible substitution of Tucker for Andre Iguodala) is an impressive one, but one that I could see having occasional cold games which could keep them from thriving in the playoffs against other deep Western Conference teams.

This new NBA era of strong player duos will be an interesting one. I think that the best teams will be those that play less positionless basketball with more defensive focus and have the best depth instead of the most superstars and all-stars. While the Rockets will still likely be one of the top-seeded Western Conference teams, I don’t know if they have what it takes yet to win it all quite yet. I’m sure that there will be plenty more to analyze and predict as this wild NBA off-season continues.

Movie Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man: Far From Home is the first film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Far From Home is an inherently important movie because it establishes which direction the MCU will take after losing two of its main heroes and finally defeating Thanos in its most recent film. As a lifelong fan of Marvel comics, characters, and films, I couldn’t be more satisfied in what Spider-Man: Far From Home turned out to be. I grew up watching and have a lot of nostalgia for Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire, but Tom Holland is quickly becoming my favorite of the recent friendly neighborhood castings.

This iteration of Spider-Man is in such a sweet spot for me. MJ is around as a love interest, Uncle Ben is gone but living on through Peter, Aunt May is a strong presence in Parker’s life, and yet us fans weren’t put through another origin story for Holland’s take on the character. Marvel has a respect for its fans’ intelligence that shines through its films and is likely what makes them so popular and highly-profitable. The balance between keeping Peter as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and following in the footsteps of the late Tony Stark is struck perfectly in this movie as Peter is still a high-school student, but who is also discovering the technologies that Stark was so infatuated with for his entire life. At its root, this is still a coming-of-age story about a teen facing stress in finding himself and his place in the world, which is likely why I enjoy these movies and this character as much as I do.

Seeing one of my favorite childhood villains on the big screen in Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio is best described as “Spider-tingle” inducing. The modern take on illusions and misinformation provided by Mysterio was executed incredibly well, and the illusion sequences throughout the movie, specifically one toward the middle of the film, were breathtaking. Gyllenhaal’s chemistry with Holland was very convincing, and the expected twist early in the movie was also done well. Marvel continues to improve the CGI and special effects in these movies, making them more and more immersive. This movie followed Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, which was one of my favorite movies last year, very well, not letting me down after the incredible graphics in last year’s animated film.

Pacing issues toward the beginning of the movie and a slightly underdeveloped “villain” presence in the Elementals (which still looked great) knock this film down a notch for me, but Mysterio and Spider-Man made my viewing experience incredibly enjoyable. The recent inclusion of so much humor in Marvel’s films continued here, too, as this movie was very funny at times but serious when it needed to be. All of the performances from top-billing down to supporting cast like Zendaya and Jon Favreau were excellent. The film’s post-credits scene sets things up for another sequel which I will definitely have marked on my calendar. Also, J.K. Simmons reprising his role as J. Jonah Jameson from The Daily Bugle just put it over the top for me. Even though I may be biased as Spider-Man is my favorite superhero (which was solidified by this movie), this one was a home-run in my book.

SCORE: 8/10