The NBA 2k20 ratings dropped today, which was making me think about how I am excited for NBA 2k20 to come. NBA 2k is one of my favorite games to play either on Xbox or Playstation 4. I’m not a huge video game nerd, but when I get some free time I like to enjoy playing NBA 2k or MLB the Show. Normally I will play Fortnite if I was invited in a group party, but I’m not that crazy about Fortnite. Also because I’m not very good at lol. Anyway NBA 2k20 is going to be released on September 6th, 2019, and Anthony Davis is on the cover once again like he was on NBA 2k16, and Dwayne Wade will be on the Legends Edition. The Legends Edition is basically for the crazies that want to spend a bunch of money just to get a lot of VC for their MyPlayer. I think those guys are crazy to do that, but it’s whatever works for them.

I’m hoping that NBA 2k20 turns out to be such a good game, but could it possibly be one of my top five favorite 2k games? I have played NBA 2k all the way back from I would say NBA 2k6 or 2k7, but this is what I would say is my top 5 All-Time NBA 2K video game.

1.NBA 2K11

NBA 2k11 I think was the best video NBA 2k has ever made. I remember when I was 11 years old playing this on the Xbox 360. I use to play NBA Live, and when I heard that they were no longer making NBA Live, I was really bummed because I like playing NBA Live better than NBA 2k. NBA 2k wasn’t very fun for me as it seemed very boring for me, but when I started to play NBA 2k11, things changed very fast. The graphics were so much better than the previous years. The MyPlayer was one of my favorites because you would start out on as an undrafted player and you would have to work your way up in the NBA Combine scrimmages to get drafted at a very high seeding. Then after you get drafted you could play in the NBA Summer League before playing in the NBA. The music for NBA 2k11 was the best and if you played one of the songs on the aux cord in the car, I would definitely remember it from NBA 2k11. NBA 2k11 will always be my favorite NBA 2k games as the game play for it was unforgettable and it always brought back so many memories in middle school.

2. NBA 2K19

This game is second on my top five NBA 2k games, NBA 2K18 was really bad and I remember I just was really anxious for NBA 2k19 to come out because NBA 2k18 was so boring. NBA 2k19 really stepped up their game after a not so great game in NBA 2k18. The graphics were really good in this game, the game play was much better as you couldn’t get such an easy basket, and the new “Neighborhood” made the game very fun for me to compete with other online players. This game has not once made me tired playing it. If I was bored playing the MyLeague, I could play the Neighborhood to play a 3v3 game, or if I got bored of that I could go to the Jordan Rec Center and play a full game playing a 5v5 game. NBA 2k19 has became one of my favorite games and I personally think that this game has made this game one of the most popular video games in the world.

3. NBA 2k14

NBA 2K14 is third on my top 5 All-Time NBA 2k games. When this game came out, it was right around the time when the Xbox One and the Playstation 4 came out. The graphics changed so much from NBA 2k13 to NBA 2k14 I mean just take a look at this.

They made the game so much more realistic, Xbox One and the Playstation 4 really made people want to buy a console and play this game. Because if you bought this game for the Playstation 4 or Xbox One, then you would get the NBA 2k with better graphics. If you got it for the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, you would get the graphics on the left. This game was helping the new consoles so much and really put the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 to the shelves. This game was a really fun game to play and the MyCareer was pretty fun. NBA Live also made a return to the video game world that year, but it wouldn’t really make much noise as NBA 2k continued to be a top game in the world.

4. NBA 2k13

Ok I know the NBA 2k13 graphics were pretty bad compared to the NBA 2K14 graphics, but this was still in my top five favorite NBA 2k games. This game would bring back a lot of memories back in middle school. This was a game I played a lot in the summer online with my friends. This was the first time you could buy VC on the game, I remember you could finally be able to dunk on your defender, and this game was the year when the Celtics were starting to rebuild and I didn’t want to choose the Celtics at all because they weren’t very good 😦 lol. But this game brought back a lot of memories in the summer time as I would sit in black recliner in my room and play this game all day. They also put the 2012 USA’s Men’s National team on this game while also putting in 1992 USA Men’s National team so you could play against each to debate to see who was better.

5. NBA 2K16

NBA 2k16 made the Top 5 cut for my favorite NBA 2k games. This game was a pretty fun game to play, NBA 2k15 wasn’t as great of a game, but this game made this game a little bit better from going down hill at the time. This game decided to bring in some more Classic Teams such as 1999-2000 Toronto Raptors, the 2002-2003 Dallas Mavericks, and the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics. I bet you could possibly guess the team that I used the most in NBA 2k, (Hint: The 2007-2008 Boston Celtics 😉 ). I also liked the MyCareer in NBA 2k as you could go from High School, College, and then the NBA. I wish that I could go to Duke or North Carolina for college, but it only gave me a very few options to choose from. Besides that the game was still pretty cool and you could choose between the three players up above for the cover.

So that is my all time favorite NBA 2k video games. I know that some of you may have different opinion, or might not even care, but I think that these games have been really fun for me and why I think NBA 2k is one of the top video games.

Before I leave I am going to leave you with the Top Ten hIghest overall’s for NBA 2K20 this year.

1. Lebron James-97 overall
2. Kawhi Leonard- 97 overall
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo- 96 overall
4. Kevin Durant- 96 overall
5. James Harden- 96 overall
6. Stephen Curry- 95 overall
7. Anthony Davis- 94 overall
8. Paul George- 93 overall
9. Damien Lillard- 92 overall
10. Joel Embiid- 91 overall

Let me know your thoughts on these guys overalls. Kyrie was actually a 91 overall, but as a Celtic fan, I no longer like to talk about Kyrie considering he did the Celtics dirty and ruined their season, so that’s why I put Embiid’s name instead of Kyrie’s ;). Let me know your thoughts on these 2k ratings.

Celtics news, no news on who will get the 15th roster spot, but I hope it is Tacko Falls or a good decent player. I was disappointed to see the Celtics lose in the first round of the NBA Summer League considering they were going in number one, but at least it wasn’t the real NBA season.

Go Celtics

Did you think that the NBA news would stop!? Well Russell Westbrook is going to Houston to team back up with James Harden in exchange for Chris Paul and 2 first round draft picks including 2 swap picks in 2021 and 2025. Wow…This NBA offseason continues to bring in breaking news every night. I thought that things would die down after this Kawhi Leonard/Paul George thing. But nope Russell Westbrook is back together with James Harden like the old days in Oklahoma City. I’m not sure if this will be the end of the crazy NBA offseason, but we could possibly still be seeing some moves.

We all thought that Russell Westbrook would be sent to Miami as they were reports saying that Westbrook wanted to play there. Rumors also had it during the time that Houston had interest in getting Russell Westbrook, but rumors had was it mostly unlikely as they were needing a third team in this trade and there was enough pieces to give up. Well it turns out they found out a great deal and they ended up having a point guard swap. Now the question “Was this trade worth the risk?”

How this trade affects the Houston Rockets

Making this trade was so risky at so many levels, this trade can be great for the Rockets or this trade could be terrible trade for the Rockets. James Harden and Russell Westbrook have both been teammates before back with the Thunder, so they have the player chemistry together. But as time has gone on, they both like having the ball in their hands, both have won NBA MVP’s, and like to put up big stats. If they are able to want to work together and win an NBA title then this can definitely work. If they still their same mindsets on wanting to have lots of points and stats, then no way on earth this will work. Russell Westbrook and James Harden will need a lot of time to get use to each other, but this team could be something special of everything works. They still have Clint Capella, PJ Tucker, and Eric Gordon which I’m not 100% sure if they will still have any of those guys by the beginning of the season, but if they are they will be a strong team. The Rockets got rid of Chris Paul’s huge contract who was getting old and was not being the same guy like he was in his prime. This is either going to be a success or a big risk.

How this trade affects the Oklahoma City Thunder

Well it is officially an end of an era with Russell Westbrook in OKC. But the Thunder’s rebuild so far is going really good. Since draft night the Thunder have received 8 future first round draft picks. I know people are sad with Paul George and Russell Westbrook being traded away, but you could possibly be talking about the Thunder getting some really good draft picks in the future to help build the team. I am not sure of the Thunder will still make some moves, we could possibly be seeing Steven Adams and other players that could be possibly moved, maybe Chris Paul could possibility want a buyout from the Thunder, we will have to wait and see. As a start of rebuild I say that the Thunder are off to a good start. But it is still going to take some time for Thunder fans to get use to the rebuild.

Who won the trade?

Easily the Houston Rockets, for one they got a better point guard aka former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, two they got rid of Chris Paul’s huge contract, and third if things work out, the Rockets are a top team in the Western Conference. I really think that James Harden and Russell Westbrook will put their stat padding numbers aside and will want to work together to compete for a title. The Thunder did get some good draft picks in this deal and a decent point guard in Chris Paul, but the Rockets got the best player in the deal and that is why they won the trade.

I do feel bad for Chris Paul though, I think the Rockets started all this drama with him because they didn’t want him anymore because he wasn’t putting up the numbers like he use to. I think Chris Paul wanted to stay in Houston, but with knowing his prime is gone, they had to make this move to get the better and younger point guard. This trade kind of reminds me of the Isaiah Thomas and Kyrie Irving trade. When Thomas went down with his hip injury, the Celtics knew he wasn’t going to play the same like he use to, so they traded him away for a prime Kyrie Irving who wanted out of Cleveland. I know that in the long run Kyrie and his time with the Celtics was a lot of drama. But it was a trade that was worth because one there was no way the Celtics would’ve made the Finals with Isaiah Thomas, and two Isaiah Thomas has barely played in the NBA since his hip injury. I loved Isaiah in Boston, but this trade was had to be made to get a better point guard in Kyrie Irving. I will be curious if Chris Paul wants to stay in Oklahoma City or will want to be bought out. It will be something to keep an eye on.

It’s crazy to think that a year ago Paul George re-signed with the Oklahoma City to make a run with Russell Westbrook in the future years, or when Chris Paul announced on Instagram saying he was going to run it back with the Rockets. Now George and Westbrook are gone in OKC, and Chris Paul was sent away after one year after signing his contract.

Just to think Damien Lillard officially ended the Thunder era with this shot.

A lot has changed in one NBA offseason, is there more to come?

Go Celtics!

This year the Home Run Derby in Cleveland was pretty awesome to watch. Records were broken, 312 homers were hit, and very competitive for the players playing for the $1 million dollar prize. At the end it was Mets rookie Pete Alonso that won the 2019 MLB Home Run Derby.

This had to be one of my favorite Home Run Derby’s because the battle between Joc Pederson and Vladimir Guerrero Jr was going back and forth that to go to THREE tie breakers! Vladimir Guerrero Jr came out strong right from the start in the first round having 29 homers and beating Matt Chapman. Guerrero Jr came out once again in the second with 29 homers and made everyone think, “Yeah there is no way Pederson can top 29 homers.” Well……..Joc Pederson ended up tying Guerrero Jr with 29 homers having to go into a tie breaker. They went back and forth as they kept tying each other, but in the third tie breaker Guerrero Jr edged out Pederson to advance to the the Finals. It felt like Guerrero Jr had won the homers derby, but people kept forgetting that it was the second round and Vladimir had one more round left if he wanted to win. All in all that was my favorite highlight in the first bracket and most likely my favorite moment in the whole derby.

In the other bracket, it seemed like people were having their eyes on the Mets rookie Pete Alonso and Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. Alonso face Carlos Santana in the first round, and the fans were booing Alonso because they wanted the hometown favorite Carlos Santana to win. But it was Pete Alonso edged out Santana 14-13 to advance to the second round. You can see from when he hit that last home run that he was fired up and was wanting to win the derby. Ronald Acuna Jr ended the first round by hitting 25 homers to eliminate Josh Bell. Everyone had expected that Acuna Jr would advance to the the finals, but it was Alonso squeaking by Acuna Jr 20-19 to advance to the finals.

As the Finals came up, everyone could definitely see that Guerrero Jr was very fatigued when he was swinging. He used two time outs in the time he was batting and he ended up with getting 22 home runs. And after the first round and the three tiebreaker battle with Pederson, he still put some pretty good numbers. Pete Alonso went up and he finished the job. He was hitting a lot of homers early and there was no way of stopping him when he got going. He hit his 23rd home run of that round and beat Vladimir Guerrero Jr 23-22.

Vladimir was pretty disappointed that he lost, but he should’ve had nothing to hang his head about. He hit 91 homers total that night which is insane, and he made his name a little bit more popular that night. I personally think that Vladimir Guerrero Jr would’ve definitely won the Home Run Derby if he wasn’t so fatigued from the Pederson tiebreaker battle, but I won’t take anything away from Pete Alonso as he fought his way to win the title and got better and better each round. It made it a lot of fun to watch the Home Run Derby this year and I have loved the format is “How many homers you can hit in four minutes.”

I didn’t really watch the All-Star game this year, nor have I watched it the past few years. The American League beat the National League last night 4-3 which means the American League will get home field advantage in the World Series. That is a great sign for Red Sox fans if they can squeak in the playoffs and can somehow miraculously get in the World Series ;). But they got a lot of work to do.

Quick Celtics news, Guerschon Yabusele was waived by the Celtics. I know he was a fan favorite, but Yabusele did absolutely nothing for the Celtics in his time there. I am glad they got rid of him and can add a new guy to the Celtics roster, maybe Tacko Falls??

Go Celtics and Red Sox!

After 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it is looking like Russell Westbrook will be traded before the start of the season. Russell Westbrook is most likely wanting to be traded as the Thunder has traded away Paul George to the Clippers. Russell Westbrook has played with many pieces who have come and gone, guys like James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, Victor Oladipo, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and so many others and they have just not been able to bring a title to Oklahoma City. After losing in the first round the last three years in a row, The Thunder are looking to now part ways with him.

It’s kind of a bummer to see this happen, a guy who loved playing in Oklahoma City and was probably destined to retire as a member of the Thunder. But if you think about it, Westbrook is not really a team player, and it is hard to win a title who is a selfish player, so I don’t blame the Thunder wanting to part ways. I mean look at it, the guy would put up huge stats averaging a triple double, but his team would not get past the first round. He had the teammates to compete for a title when Kevin Durant, guys like Victor Oladipo, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, without a doubt he could’ve had a chance to win the title. But he was a stat padder for his team, and was more concerned about getting a triple double every night than winning an NBA Championship. He won an NBA MVP with the Thunder after Durant left, but he was not able to bring home the title as Kevin Durant brought two title with the Warriors.

So this could mean that either the Thunder could possibly be looking at bringing in a new star instead of Westbrook, or a whole new rebuild. It most likely looks like it is the start of a rebuild. The Thunder were not off to a bad start in the rebuild though, they got Danilo Gallinari, a solid shooter for the team, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a point guard coming off a solid rookie season, and FIVE first round draft picks…..FIVE….that is insane. With Westbrook now on the market, you could look to see the Thunder looking to get a good package deal again, but where are the places you could Russell Westbrook being moved to? I got three teams that could be making a move at Westbrook.

The Miami Heat

Russell Westbrook has mention that he is interested in possibly going to Miami to team up with the Heat’s new acquisition, Jimmy Butler. These guys I could see definitely teaming up as they both have same type of mindsets on the same team. What I mean by that is they care about themselves more than winning an NBA Title, but they would want to play with each other to see how far they could possibly go in the East. If the Thunder make the trade, you could see guys like maybe Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Johnson, and draft picks could be moved in this deal. If this trade were to happen the Heat would have a decent one- two punch, but I don’t see them at all winning a title together. Just one, not enough talent on the team, and two, too selfish of players to play for a title. They would be a much better team than last year though.

Houston Rockets

Can you imagine this? Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Two MVP’s, both on the same team again? That would be a crazy duo to have for a team, and you never know it might be possible for it to happen. The Rockets would probably need a third team to join on this trade, but it might be able to happen. The Rockets would have to give up some key players like Chris Paul, Clint Capella, Eric Gordon, or P.J. Tucker in this deal, but to repair Westbrook or Harden back together again, would be absolutely crazy. I think that they have that chemistry that could blend well together on the court and this could be the guys that would bring Houston an NBA Championship. It might not be able to happen, but you never know. We never expected D’Angelo Russell to go to the Warriors or Kawhi to pick the Clippers over the Lakers. We will have to wait and see!

The Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota could use another star back on their team after losing Jimmy Butler after one season, Russell Westbrook could be that guy. Minnesota made the playoffs for the first since the KG era before they traded away Jimmy Butler, but when he left the Timberwolves were back to a lottery team. They need Russell Westbrook more than anything if they want to be a competitor in the Western Conference again. If they were to do this deal, I would most likely see Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington. Wiggins who has a huge contract and hasn’t been the player that he was expected to be and Covington has the contract to finish off the trade deal. Russell Westbrook and Karl Anthony-Towns could be an ok one-two punch, but they would have some work to to be a tough team.

I am sure that a deal for Russell Westbrook could be happening soon as the Thunder will be looking to continue to rebuild this team, but just to think. If the Thunder didn’t trade away James Harden after the 2012 NBA Finals, or didn’t blow a 3-1 lead in the Conference Finals and lose Kevin Durant could they have won many NBA Titles?

These guys were the future of the franchise, these guys made the NBA Finals so young in their early careers, they were a team that could’ve won many NBA titles. People remember the Warriors as the NBA Dynasty, but I think that this could’ve been the Thunder’s dynasty. These guys would’ve definitely beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals and could’ve been one of the best teams in the NBA I think. But the Thunder traded away James Harden after not agreeing to a contract extension, and the Thunder lost Kevin Durant who signed with the team that beat them in the Western Conference Finals after being up 3-1.

Three NBA MVP’s were all on the same, and now they are most likely all gone by the start of the season.

The Thunder are now left with the question……

“What if?””

By the way I love how the Celtics are playing in the Summer League, Carsen Edwards can ball it up, and The Celtics NEED to get Tacko Falls on the roster, He has some work to do, but the guy is 7’6 and a great rim protector, this guy would be a great pickup for the Celtics!

Go Celtics!

Kawhi Leonard has FINALLY made his decision and it’s the LA CLIPPERS!! Not only Kawhi is going to the Clippers, but PAUL GEORGE IS GOING TO THE CLIPPERS AS WELL IN A TRADE FROM THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER…….HOLY COW!!!

Kawhi Leonard has agreed to a 4 year/$142 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, no one really expected Kawhi to choose the Lakers and the Raptors over the Clippers. Everyone was pretty set forward on him wanting to join the Lakers with Lebron James and Anthony Davis, but he shocks the world by choosing the Los Angeles Clippers. People were so anxious figuring it out on why Kawhi was taking so long, but it all makes sense as he was trying to convince Oklahoma City Thunder’s Forward Paul George to come to the Clippers. Paul George ended up wanting to join in with Kawhi’s plan and requested a trade to the Thunder.

Who would’ve saw this one coming, this was one of the many shocking NBA free agency decisions that has happened this summer. The Clippers are now one of the top contenders in the NBA as they have made a huge splash this summer. D’Angelo Russell being traded to the Warriors was a very shocking trade, but the Clippers responded right back by getting both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

In the Paul George trade the Clippers had to give up a lot by trading away Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first round picks, and a protected first round pick. That is a lot to give up for him, but if you think about it, Paul George is under contract for the next four years, him and Kawhi could be together for the next four years in LA, which could be very scary in the future for NBA Teams.

It’s crazy to think that last year at this time, Paul George announced that he was going to re-sign with the Thunder to compete for an NBA Championship with Russell Westbrook, now that plan is now out of the water for the Thunder. So now that Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are joining the Clippers, what happens to the Thunder, Lakers, and Raptors on this decision?

Where do the Thunder go from here?

Russell Westbrook has played with guys like Serge, Ibaka, Kevin Durant, Victor Oladipo, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and they have come and gone after very short stints. Could we soon see the Thunder moving on from Westbrook? or Could this be a sign of building a new team around Westbrook. I think that this Paul George trade could be a sign of a rebuild for the Thunder, it doesn’t look like Russell Westbrook is going to be able to bring an NBA Championship to the Thunder as no matter who they brought in to help with Westbrook has not had the best success. The Thunder needs to trade Russell Westbrook to a different team, and bring in some new players to start to rebuild for this Thunder team. Ever since losing to the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Western Conference Finals after being up 3-1 and Kevin Durant going to join the Warriors., The Thunder has not made it past the first round. It is time for the Thunder to get rid of Russell Westbrook and bring in some new players to start a rebuild in OKC.

Where do the Lakers go from here?

Well after they were pretty confident to get Kawhi Leonard and waiting to wait his decision, they missed out other potential role players to help bring in their team. Now the Lakers are going to have sign a lot of players to minimum contracts. The Lakers since the Kawhi Leonard signing with the Clippers, has brought in Demarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Quinn Cook, and has re-signed players JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Lakers are going to be signing a lot of players to very low contracts, but they will still be a playoff team next year. People are saying that they are going to be title contenders, but I disagree with that. Two players are not going to win you an NBA Championship, it’s having a deep team to help win the title. I mean look at the Raptors vs the Warriors in the Finals, the Raptors had depth from their starting lineup to their bench. The Warriors when they didn’t have Durant, had no one else to look to for scoring except Curry and Thompson. The Lakers still have a lot of work to do, but they can be a really good team if they bring in some more big pieces.

Where do the Raptors go from here?

Losing your best player in Kawhi Leonard after he brought the first title to Toronto hurts for a franchise. The Raptors will be just ok without him, but will the Raptors be a title contender again? Let’s just say it is going to be a lot more difficult than what it was last year. They will bring back Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam, and Serge Ibaka for their team next year. But I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if a trade happens to bring in a big player. Masai Ujiri is one of the best presidents in basketball, and he will make deals to help bring in a championship team. I mean last year he brought in Marc Gasol and Jeremy Lin at the trade deadline to help contribute to an NBA Championship team. He will have something up his sleeve, but for right now the Raptors are going to be a playoff team and will look to try and be a top team for the NBA Championship.

Woj said that before this Paul George trade, the Thunder offered Paul George and Russell Westbrook to the Raptors, but the Raptors were unwillingly to give up Pascal Siakam. For one thing I think that it is crazy that the Raptors said no to this deal. Because you are getting two really talented All-Stars in Russell Westbrook and Paul George, but looking at it closely the Raptors couldn’t really afford it. The Raptors would’ve had to trade either a big portion of their roster if they also wanted to bring back Kawhi, or make the trade and wouldn’t be able to bring back Kawhi. This would’ve been a no brainer for me, but President Uijiri has other plans for this team.

So without a doubt this trade shakes up the NBA once again. So many new teams are landing star players and it looks like the NBA Championship is very wide open is. I’m not going to lie, the Clippers deals was one of my favorites of this NBA off season. The Clippers weren’t looking like they were going to get anyone, but they ended up getting not one, but TWO stars. It makes it even better knowing that the Lakers lost out on Kawhi Leonard by him going to the other rival team that plays in the same arena. Kawhi apparently wasn’t liking the whole idea of a super team with the Lakers, and it gives me a lot of respect to Kawhi not choosing to team up with Lebron and Anthony Davis. I think it just makes the league a lot more fun to watch now, because now it just won’t be constantly seeing the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

To close this out, think about this Paul George and Kawhi Leonard both wanted to go to LA to play for the Lakers when they wanted out of Indiana and San Antonio. The Lakers decided not to trade for them figuring that the Lakers would get them in free agency. But they both struck out on getting George and Kawhi, and now they are teaming up in LA, but the city rivals the Clippers. That is why I think that they went all in for Anthony Davis to make sure he would definitely be playing for the Lakers before he changes his mind in a year. The Lakers will still be a good team, but I don’t see them as title contenders.

What could’ve been for the Lakers………………

Also, I’m really glad that this deal happened because with Kawhi leaving the Raptors, it makes the Celtics with a chance to compete in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks and Sixers will still be the top teams in the East, but I think that Boston could compete with them.

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are joining the Clippers, The Celtics have a better shot in the East. This season will be fun to watch!

Go Celtics!

Here we are on July 3rd, about to be July 4th and Kawhi Leonard has yet to make a decision on where he will be playing basketball next year and for possibly the years to come. He has really been taking his time, he has been taking so much time that the Knicks cancelled the meeting with him because they were afraid of losing on a chance on other free agents. I mean I like how he is taking his time with the process, but I think he should make a decision soon. Because say he doesn’t make a decision soon, the other teams that lose out on him, don’t get a chance to sign other free agents to their team.

Everyone knows that its down to three teams for Kawhi, those teams are.

The Clippers, The Raptors, and The Lakers.

People are so anxious to know where he is going to go, that people are starting this #KawhiWatch to see if there is any news on him signing with a team. Lots of people have been saying that he is going to the Lakers, I’ve heard rumors that Kawhi out of the picture for the Clippers, I’ve heard that he is definitely re-signing with Toronto, with all these rumors I don’t even know who to believe anymore! So I’m going to break it up as to see what the benefits are if he joined one of the three teams he is deciding between.

What if Kawhi joins the Los Angeles Clippers

Say Kawhi Leonard joins the Clippers, this could really bring up his fame by going to LA and playing for the Clippers. He will be the face of the Clippers franchise like he was in Toronto. Kawhi will be closer to home, he will receive lots of fame, and lots of chances to get lots of endorsements by being in the LA life. I mean just look at Lebron, he basically left Cleveland because 1. He knew the Eastern Conference was getting tougher and wanted to leave before facing fear of defeat and 2. Because there was a lot more opportunities do lots of movies and endorsements in LA. Kawhi can be a big name like Lebron, he goes to the Clippers as Kawhi has won two titles with the Spurs and Raptors. But, if Kawhi chooses the Clippers, the team talent isn’t as talented like he was in Toronto. I don’t think he has the best shot of an NBA Championship if he goes to the Clippers.

What if Kawhi joins the Los Angeles Lakers

Kawhi has a chance of being part of a Big 3 in Lebron James and Anthony Davis. This move can make the Lakers a dangerous team to watch out for, as they arguably have the top 3 of the top 10 best players in the NBA on the same team. The Lakers might have a shot to win the NBA Title, but they are in a very tough Western Conference. Teams like the Warriors, Thunder, Jazz, Trailblazers, Nuggets, are all really strong teams in the West. If you ever wanted to get to the Finals, you would have to go through them to win the title. He might not be one of the faces of the franchise, but he will be possibly be a part of one of the strongest Big 3 that the NBA has ever seen.

What if Kawhi returns to the Toronto Raptors

Kawhi returns back to Toronto like nothing ever happened. The Raptors have everyone else back from last year’s championship roster and they would run it back and be ready to go to repeat the NBA Team. If Kawhi stays in Toronto, he wouldn’t have to worry about the tough Western Conference teams, still be the face of the franchise, and have a good shot to reach the NBA Finals again. The things that would hurt in his decision in going back to Toronto is basically when the future comes, they might not be able to bring that same championship roster back every year due to money and he wouldn’t get the fame like he would in LA.

After all these talks I don’t even know which team Kawhi will be playing for next year. I know I said earlier on a past blog that I predicted him signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, but it is now so hard to tell where he will end up going. I think he wants to possibly go out to LA, but winning that NBA Title with the Raptors makes the decision so much harder.

I think the best option for him for team success is the Toronto Raptors, because I think that would be the place that he could win another title. If he wants to be in the fame, then I think that the Lakers would be the fit as they are one of the most popular franchises and him getting to play with Lebron and Anthony Davis will make his name a little bit more known.

So where do you think Kawhi will play next season? The Clippers? The Lakers? The Raptors? We will have to wait and see what his decision will be very soon.

Also quick Celtics news, I’m a little bit frustrated with the Celtics decision the other day, they decided that they didn’t want Demarcus Cousins on their team, because due to his locker room problems in the past and they just don’t want to risk the chance of it happening again like last year with Kyrie. I think that was a stupid move by the Celtics because Demarcus Cousins is a really good player, instead we are signing back Daniel Theis who couldn’t make a shot at all last year, and this French dude name Vincent Poirer. Hopefully Danny made a decision that he won’t regret in the future.

BUT, The Celtics are saying they are happy with Gordon Hayward’s progress this off season which makes me hopeful that he can return back to that all-star we saw in Utah.

Fingers-crossed

Go Celtics!

Here we are on July 3rd, about to be July 4th and Kawhi Leonard has yet to make a decision on where he will be playing basketball next year and for possibly the years to come. He has really been taking his time, he has been taking so much time that the Knicks cancelled the meeting with him because they were afraid of losing on a chance on other free agents. I mean I like how he is taking his time with the process, but I think he should make a decision soon. Because say he doesn’t make a decision soon, the other teams that lose out on him, don’t get a chance to sign other free agents to their team.

Everyone knows that its down to three teams for Kawhi, those teams are.

The Clippers, The Raptors, and The Lakers.

People are so anxious to know where he is going to go, that people are starting this #KawhiWatch to see if there is any news on him signing with a team. Lots of people have been saying that he is going to the Lakers, I’ve heard rumors that Kawhi out of the picture for the Clippers, I’ve heard that he is definitely re-signing with Toronto, with all these rumors I don’t even know who to believe anymore! So I’m going to break it up as to see what the benefits are if he joined one of the three teams he is deciding between.

What if Kawhi joins the Los Angeles Clippers

Say Kawhi Leonard joins the Clippers, this could really bring up his fame by going to LA and playing for the Clippers. He will be the face of the Clippers franchise like he was in Toronto. Kawhi will be closer to home, he will receive lots of fame, and lots of chances to get lots of endorsements by being in the LA life. I mean just look at Lebron, he basically left Cleveland because 1. He knew the Eastern Conference was getting tougher and wanted to leave before facing fear of defeat and 2. Because there was a lot more opportunities do lots of movies and endorsements in LA. Kawhi can be a big name like Lebron, he goes to the Clippers as Kawhi has won two titles with the Spurs and Raptors. But, if Kawhi chooses the Clippers, the team talent isn’t as talented like he was in Toronto. I don’t think he has the best shot of an NBA Championship if he goes to the Clippers.

What if Kawhi joins the Los Angeles Lakers

Kawhi has a chance of being part of a Big 3 in Lebron James and Anthony Davis. This move can make the Lakers a dangerous team to watch out for, as they arguably have the top 3 of the top 10 best players in the NBA on the same team. The Lakers might have a shot to win the NBA Title, but they are in a very tough Western Conference. Teams like the Warriors, Thunder, Jazz, Trailblazers, Nuggets, are all really strong teams in the West. If you ever wanted to get to the Finals, you would have to go through them to win the title. He might not be one of the faces of the franchise, but he will be possibly be a part of one of the strongest Big 3 that the NBA has ever seen.

What if Kawhi returns to the Toronto Raptors

Kawhi returns back to Toronto like nothing ever happened. The Raptors have everyone else back from last year’s championship roster and they would run it back and be ready to go to repeat the NBA Team. If Kawhi stays in Toronto, he wouldn’t have to worry about the tough Western Conference teams, still be the face of the franchise, and have a good shot to reach the NBA Finals again. The things that would hurt in his decision in going back to Toronto is basically when the future comes, they might not be able to bring that same championship roster back every year due to money and he wouldn’t get the fame like he would in LA.

After all these talks I don’t even know which team Kawhi will be playing for next year. I know I said earlier on a past blog that I predicted him signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, but it is now so hard to tell where he will end up going. I think he wants to possibly go out to LA, but winning that NBA Title with the Raptors makes the decision so much harder.

I think the best option for him for team success is the Toronto Raptors, because I think that would be the place that he could win another title. If he wants to be in the fame, then I think that the Lakers would be the fit as they are one of the most popular franchises and him getting to play with Lebron and Anthony Davis will make his name a little bit more known.

So where do you think Kawhi will play next season? The Clippers? The Lakers? The Raptors? We will have to wait and see what his decision will be very soon.

Also quick Celtics news, I’m a little bit frustrated with the Celtics decision the other day, they decided that they didn’t want Demarcus Cousins on their team, because due to his locker room problems in the past and they just don’t want to risk the chance of it happening again like last year with Kyrie. I think that was a stupid move by the Celtics because Demarcus Cousins is a really good player, instead we are signing back Daniel Theis who couldn’t make a shot at all last year, and this French dude name Vincent Poirer. Hopefully Danny made a decision that he won’t regret in the future.

BUT, The Celtics are saying they are happy with Gordon Hayward’s progress this off season which makes me hopeful that he can return back to that all-star we saw in Utah.

Fingers-crossed

Go Celtics!

Two days have gone by and there has been tons of big names and free agents that have signed with their new teams or re-signing with their current teams. But there is still some free agents out there who yet to be signed by an organization. Some of them are basically taking their time in the free agent process or some of them are just getting no interest from teams at all. These are the top players left on the market in my opinion.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi has been taking his time on this free agency decision which I give him a lot of respect for. He wasn’t like one of those free agents that immediately made a decision when June 30th hit, he has been taking his time and putting in thought where he wants to spend his career. The two time NBA champion was thinking about re-signing with the Raptors, or signing in LA with the Lakers or Clippers. But Reports are saying that the Clippers are out of the picture on getting Kawhi, so the two teams left are the Lakers and Raptors. If he goes back to Toronto, they will be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference again going for the NBA Title. If he heads out to the Lakers, he will join a dominant Big 3 with Lebron James and Anthony Davis. He will most likely make his decision in the next few days.

Demarcus Cousins

He took a lot less money to sign with the Warriors this season, so he could win a ring, but that completely backfired. Demarcus Cousins was injured a good portion of the season, and the Warriors lost in the NBA Finals this season. Rumors say that Demarcus Cousins is getting interest from the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics, but if he were to sign with either of the teams, he would not get the huge contract that he wants, as he has waited a little too long and roster spots are filling up. He averaged 16.3 PPG with the Warriors this past season, and whoever gets him will get a solid center if he stays healthy and can average a lot of points for your team.

Danny Green

Danny Green was big part of the Raptors Championship team this past season, but he could be on his way of Toronto depending on Kawhi’s decision. He is taking his time on his decision and has gotten interest from the Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, and Mavericks. He averaged around 10.3 PPG including shooting 45% from the 3 point arc. Whoever will get him will get an underrated shooter and a guy who can provide a spark either coming off the bench or at your starting shooting guard.

Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo is once again on the free agency market this summer and he still hasn’t been picked up by a team. Rajon Rondo doesn’t play like he use to when he played Boston, but he would be a great player to have your team. He’s strong minded point guard, a great passer, and a good veteran leader to have on your team. I thought he really did well this past season with putting Lonzo Ball under his wing and if he returns to the Lakers or signs with another team, he will be a great point guard to have. He averaged 9.2 PPG and 8 APG last season and has received interest from the Lakers, Suns, and the Nets.

Marcus Morris

Marcus Morris is up for grabs in free agency this off season. Morris played for the Celtics the last two seasons and it is possibly looking like they are going to part ways from each other. Morris averaged 13.9 PPG last season and was a spark for the Celtics when came off the bench or when he started. Whoever gets Marcus Morris will get a very good role player for their team. He has games where he is really off and he has games where he can not miss from the field. He brings that toughness and can provide some good scoring when your team needs it. He has interest in the Rockets, Lakers, Clippers, and the Warriors.

Carmelo Anthony

I know you are thinking that I am crazy, but I think that Carmelo is one of the top free agents out there. Carmelo last played for the Rockets averaging 13.4 PPG, only playing 10 games with the Rockets before being cut by the organization. I don’t really know what happened with him and the organization, but it doesn’t really make sense. Carmelo might’ve not been putting up huge numbers with the Rocket, but he was still putting up numbers for them. People are blaming him the team’s failure with the Thunder and the Rockets, but I disagree with that. One guy is not the reason why a team has failure. People are saying that Carmelo is done, but I think that this guy can still play. Whether it’s for a bad team or a good team, he will provide a few buckets to a team. The only team I have seen shown interest in Carmelo is the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jabari Parker

Jabari Parker last summer was ready to go home after signing a contract with the Chicago Bulls, but things didn’t exactly work out the way he wanted it to, so he ended up being traded to the Washington Wizards. Now Jabari Parker has to go through the free agency process once again. Jabari Parker last year averaged 15 PPG for the Wizards. He is a guy who can shoot the ball very well and a guy who can rebound well. Ever since his ACL tear a few years ago, he isn’t as athletic or quick like he use to be, but he can still put points on the board. The Heat are so far one of the teams interested in Jabari Parker.

Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley has been bounced around from team to team the past few years, but he is hoping that he can find a place to be comfortable with. Bradley is getting older and is slowly starting to not be as athletic and quick like he use to be, but Bradley is still a good player to have. He averaged 16.1 PPG for the struggling Grizzles last year, and whoever will get him, will still get a solid player on their team. He is a great defender and can still knock down a good 15 footer like what he use to do for the Celtics. He has received interest from the Sixers and possible interest returning to the Grizzles.

Willie Cauley-Stein

Willie Cauley-Stein wants out in Sacramento, so he will most likely be on his way to play for someone else this off season. He averaged around 12 PPG and 8 RPG for the Kings last season. He is a great rim protector, a solid rebounder, and a guy who can catch and finish at the rim. I remember him from his days at Kentucky and I think that he can still be that player like he was in college when given the right opportunity. He is still very young and can bring a spark to a team whoever picks him up. I’m not sure if any teams have interest as he just became an unrestricted free agent, but he will be a good pickup for whoever gives him a chance.

Ivica Zubac

Ivica Zubac I thought played really well for the Clippers last season when he was traded there. He is a restricted free agent for the Clippers, say Kawhi somehow ends up signing with the Clippers, the Clippers don’t really have the money to keep Zubac. He averaged 9.4 PPG and 7.7 RPG last season and was a solid player for their playoff team last year. He is a good rebounder, has been able to finish at the rim, and a good rim protector to have on a team.

Those are my top ten free agents that are left on the board for NBA Free Agents. I haven’t really checked any social media because I have been writing this blog, so if someone signs on this list signs with a team, my bad LOL. Not just these guys, but other guys who are still up for grabs for free agency are Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, JaMychal Green, Kelly Oubre, Jeff Green, and many others.

The most important free agent I’m really keeping my eye on is Kawhi Leonard, because if he leaves the Raptors that changes the whole Eastern Conference just like that. I don’t want to see him play for the Lakers, but it wouldn’t be the worse thing as this can open the door for the Celtics ;).

Go Celtics!

Jimmy Butler is now a player for the MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT

^ that was my best impression of the Miami Heat announcer for the home games. I know it was probably a little bit of a cringe when I said that, my bad LOL.

Anyway, Jimmy Butler is on his way to Miami as a part of a four team trade with the Heat, Sixers, Trailblazers, and the Clippers. Butler is sent to Miami to sign a 4 year/$142 million dollar max contract, Heat guard Josh Richardson is sent to Philadelphia, Heat center Hassan Whiteside is sent to Portland, Portland center Meyers Leonard is sent to Miami, and Mo Harkless is sent to the Los Angeles Clippers.

This will be Jimmy Butler’s fourth team he has played for. He played for the Bulls for a little while before being sent to Minnesota. He spent only a year in Minnesota as he demanded to be traded after disagreements with the organizations vision of the future, with his request he was traded to the Sixers to team up with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. After losing in the semifinals, he has decided to leave the Sixers to be the star for the Miami Heat.

Jimmy Butler thinks he has finally found a place where he can call home, let’s just wait and see what happens. Jimmy Butler has been known for wanting things his way and calls out a lot of teammates. He had problems in Chicago and Minnesota, a few problems in Philadelphia, and we will have to see if he will problems in Miami.

I think that was a good pickup for the Heat as they are looking to bring back a playoff contending team. I think that Jimmy Butler will come out of his shell again to put up some big numbers in Miami. In Philadelphia, I didn’t think he wasn’t liking it as much as he thought. I think that when he came he was going to be the star for the Sixers, but he was primarily their third or fourth scoring option behind Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris. There was rumors that he was interested in heading to Houston, but I think that he would prefer wanting to lead his own team like he did Chicago and Minnesota.

The thing is I didn’t understand about this was that, the Heat traded away Hassan Whiteside to the Blazers in this trade. I’m not sure if this move was simply making room for Butler and possible other free agents or was wanting to get rid of him for a long time. If I was Miami, I would’ve at least tried to have Dragic, Butler, and Whiteside all play together for a year. This could’ve been a decent team, if worst comes to worst then you can then make your moves on who to bring for the team to get better, but oh well.

If the Heat want to be a solid team in the Eastern Conference again, they have to bring in more pieces. I mean you have been seeing the Nets, Lakers, and Sixers all bringing in guys to compete for an NBA Championship. If they want to be the team in the East again like they were a few years ago, then you need to bring in some good pieces. I’m talking about trading for a guy like Bradley Beal, John Wall, Gordon Hayward, or others. Maybe they could trade Dragic and see who they could get out of it, if its a player better than him, I would for sure make that trade.

“Jimmy Buckets” is heading to Miami, and there is still some free agents left on the market who the Heat could bring in for their team. Guys like Demarcus Cousins, Kelly Oubre Jr, Marcus Morris, and many more. It will be interesting to see what happens!

Also the Celtics finally got a big man in Enes Kanter for a 2 year/$10 million dollar deal. I think Kanter is a steal, because we got him for a contract that I didn’t think he was worth. He doesn’t play a whole lot of defense, but he can score in the post and rebound very well. His numbers were just as good as Horford’s numbers was in Boston……I’m not saying that he is better than Horford, but we got a guy who almost put about the same amount of numbers as Horford for a whole lot cheaper, LOL.

I’m still a little salty with Horford as you see, but I will still love Horford.

Go Celtics!

After trading away Kristaps Porzingis in the middle of the season, the New York Knicks were looking at a chance for a bright NBA summer. They had a chance to get the #1 pick in Zion Williamson and to have not one, but TWO max contract spots in the offseason. But it was pretty amazing how everything fell a part very fast.

The New York Knicks had a terrible season as they tanked big time to hopefully get the number #1 pick in the NBA Draft. They finished the season with a record 17-65 which was the worst record in the league, but it was all a plan to get Zion Williamson, a crazy standout who had an amazing season at Duke University. There was some hope for the Knicks as they can FINALLY turn this team back around. Going into the NBA Draft Lottery, the Knicks had a three way tie to get the number one pick at 14%. If the Knicks get this number one pick, this could help start something special in New York. But that hope went away after this happened.

The PELICANS got the number one pick in the draft! No one even expected the Pelicans to go that high in the NBA Draft and now they got Zion Williamson to help make the Pelicans stronger. Seeing this pick go to Pelicans fans was probably crushing for New York fans, as the Knicks lost their chance getting Zion Williamson. But the Knicks still came away with the 3rd pick in the draft, so there was still hope for a good summer as they could either get Ja Morant or RJ Barrett.

Fast fowarding to NBA Draft night. The Knicks ended up selecting RJ Barrett, a solid forward out of Duke University.

This wasn’t a bad start to the offseason at all for the Knicks. RJ Barrett is not like a big name like Zion Williamson, but he is a guy who will be a good player for the Knicks and can have a bright future in the NBA. It wasn’t the guy who the Knicks dreamed of getting, but this was a guy that can play basketball and could still convince NBA top free agents to come play in New York.

Going into the off season, the Knicks were ready to bring in a star player to the big city of New York. This was a chance for the Knicks to finally bring some good basketball back to the city of New York. They had dreams of bringing duos like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant, other players like Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Kemba Walker. They felt confident that they could bring in any one of those guys to turn their franchise right around. Dreams like the Boston Celtics had when they brought Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to the summer of 2008.

Right when 6:00 rolls around June 30th, the whole world see this.

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant announce that they are signing with the Brooklyn Nets, The franchise that is about 20 minutes away from New York City. Ouch, the two guys who you had dreams of pairing in New York City decided to go across town to join the Brooklyn Nets. That must’ve hurt a lot to hear for Knicks fans.

There was still hope for the Knicks! You could still have a chance to bring in another guy to New York to help turn this franchise around! But it was just a little too late as many of big star free agents made their decision to join other teams. Guys like Kemba Walker who signed with the Celtics, Klay Thompson re-signing with Golden State, Jimmy Butler leaving Philadelphia for Miami, Tobias Harris re-signing with Sixers. They were all leaving to join other teams.

Well the Knicks can at least bring back their big man they acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis, center DeAndre Jordan. That would be a great start!

Oh…….nevermind.

He’s going across town to join the Nets as well……..

This is a sucker punch to the stomach for the Knick fans.

Now the Knicks have all this cap space that was suppose to be used to bring in some star players in New York, but now the Knicks are spending the money and overpaying role players to come to the Knicks, so they can at least they can have some people on their roster who are some what ok. They signed these players so far.

Julius Randle- 3 year/63 million dollar deal

Bobby Portis- 2 year/$31 million dollar deal

Taj Gibson- 2 year/$20 million dollar deal

Reggie Bullock- 2 year/ $21 million dollar deal

Elfrid Payton- 2 year/ $16 million dollar deal

Wayne Ellington 2 year/ $16 million dollar deal

Recognize any of these players? Probably not.

The Knicks once again are looking like they will not be very good in the next two years. I don’t even know what the Knicks are doing with their franchise, its a mess right now. They basically traded away Carmelo Anthony for guys that aren’t even on the team anymore, they let go off Kristaps Porzingis who has a huge talent and sent him to Dallas for those players up above. The Knicks are holding up the L right now. And do you know what was stupid about the Knicks.

THEY WEREN’T GOING TO OFFER Kevin Durant THE MAX DEAL

Are they crazy to do that? I know they have their worries that he isn’t going to play the same after his achilles injury, but you HAVE to take the risk and offer him that max contract. Its a no brainer! Kevin Durant would’ve attracted free agents to come to New York and turn the franchise around, but instead he is going to be playing for the Brooklyn Nets with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan.

The Knicks are having a terrible off season, there is hope for the Knicks to sign Kawhi Leonard or Demarcus Cousins, but knowing the Knicks it probably won’t happen. Especially if the Knicks are signing these no names to big contracts.

Just think of this New York, Zion Williamson, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant all could’ve been playing for the Knicks this season.

What. Could’ve. Been.

I’m sure Kristaps Porzingis is laughing about this in Dallas as he just signed a huge contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics don’t have to worry about the Knicks at all this year, not like they were something to worry about the past few years……….

Go Celtics!