2026 World Cup (Round of 16)

Canada - Morocco

Canada so far has tied Bosnia, destroyed Qatar, lost to Switzerland and beat South Africa; Morocco has tied Brazil, beat Scotland, Haiti and Netherlands.  Canada is a so-so squad--which is better than they've ever been! So far they've had two uninspiring W's, an uninspiring draw and a deflating L. Morocco, on the other hand, stared down the Netherlands, went toe-to-toe with Brazil and breezed through the teams they should've beaten. Canada is another team that Morocco should beat. I got Morocco. 

Paraguay - France

Paraguay got whipped by USA, beat Turkey, tied Australia and survived Germany; France destroyed Senegal, Iraq, Norway and Sweden. Paraguay bounced back well from an opening shellacking by the host country and everyone is duly impressed that they survived a knockout stage match up with mighty Germany (who hasn't looked mighty for a while now). But France is dusting people off without much effort and frankly hasn't come close to playing their best soccer yet. Paraguay beating France would be a much bigger upset then beating Germany (*) and I just don't think they have it in them. I got France. 

Brazil - Norway

Brazil tied Morocco, breezed through Scotland and Haiti and bested Japan; Norway destroyed Iraq, beat Senegal, got pummeled by France, then beat Ivory Coast. Norway is led by Erling Haaland, a young scorer in his prime, that has been finishing like a champ at this tourney. I thought Senegal and Ivory Coast were pretty good teams and I value Norway's wins in both, and as for stumbling to France, well, sometimes you get so used to fearing someone that you just roll over. Does Norway fear Brazil? They shouldn't. Brazil has had a rather easy run so far and I think Norway can sting them. We'll see but I think this one goes to over time and if it goes to PKs, anything can happen. I'll take Norway.

Mexico - England

Mexico has beat South Africa, South Korea, Czechia and Ecuador; England beat Croatia, tied Ghana, then beat Panama and Congo. Mexico's offense is really good right now, they are all on the same page and they are gonna be a tough out. As for England, I dunno, man, outside of Harry Kane (the man), I haven't been overwhelmed by the English so far. They're supposed to be a top tier squad but outside of Kane, I haven't felt that at all. Mexico is the home country and they are hot as a urinary infection right now. I'm going Mexico.

Portugal - Spain

Portugal tied Congo, blistered Uzbekistan, had a scoreless draw with Colombia, and snuck by Croatia (probably should've gone to PKs, which is a coin flip); Spain opened with a scoreless draw with Cape Verde (everyone's 2nd favorite team at the 2026 World Cup!), pummeled Saudi Arabia, beat Uruguay and easily handled Austria in the knockout. Every Cup features a team that was really good last time around that returns intact and shows the fact that they're too old now...Portugal is this year's version of that. Yeah, they're okay, they've got veteran savvy and Ronaldo is still a great (eh, pretty good) player. But I just don't have any faith in this squad at all. Spain has a lot of nice young talent that hasn't really done anything yet. That said, I still think Spain is the much better, deeper squad. Gotta go with Spain. 

USA - Belgium

USA thrashed Paraguay, easily handled Australia, had a tricky time with Turkey (half fun/half frustrating match), but pretty easily handled Bosnia and Herzegovina in the knockout; Belgium tied with the surprisingly frisky Egypt, tied with the unsurprisingly not frisky Iran, laid a smackdown on New Zealand, then got astoundingly lucky against Senegal (a fluky late goal, then a questionable (**) penalty in OT). Remember how I just said that Portugal was the past-their-prime squad? Its also Belgium. This team never reached its full potential and I think the "full" potential is actually already out of reach. Can they beat the upstart Americans? Yeah, they've got veteran moxy, but this is the best American team of all time (***) and they're the host country. In short: I ain't afraid of no fuckin' Belgium! USA, USA, USA!

Argentina - Egypt

Argentina stomped Algeria, easily handled Austria and Jordan, then hung on for dear life against Cape Verde (everyone's 2nd favorite team!) in a classic; Egypt tied Belgium, thrashed New Zealand, tied Iran and got past Australia on PKs. Egypt is a serviceable batch of professionals with a bit of scoring potential up front but nothing really scary otherwise; in short, a run to the Sweet 16 in a nice tourney for them, from here it would require an all time upset. Can they do it? Well, Messi has been amazing (tied for the Golden Boot with Mbappe right now), but to be honest, I have not been overwhelmed by the rest of the squad. Messi is a weird player in that he adds so little on defense and yet is still putting points on the board, you have to defer to him even if he's being a drag (or maybe the other way around: this whole team is a drag and Messi is the lipstick on this pig). And that's where we are: this ought to be an easy Argentina victory, right? A walkover? And yet, I think Egypt can totally hang, would not be shocked if they scored early and took this to the wire. But at the end of the day, Argentina has guaranteed firepower, gotta go with Messi to figure it out. I got Argentina.

Switzerland - Colombia

Switzerland opened with a draw of Qatar, laid the smackdown on Bosnia and Herzegovina, outlasted Canada, then breezed past Algeria in the knockout; Colombia beat Uzbekistan, Congo, had a scoreless draw with Portugal, then sneaked past Ghana in the knockout. Tough one. On the hand, Switzerland has some nice confident wins while Colombia looks shakier; and yet I think I'm more impressed with Colombia's opponents rather than Switzerland's. Switzerland seems younger and more athletic, but Colombia has wily veterans. My gut feeling is Colombia but I'm not sure why I think that. So, I dunno, I'm going with Colombia. 

I've already made deeper predictions, but I'll wait til the next round to update them here. (Spoiler alert: I like Mexico a lot, we'll see if I still do in the next post)

(*) Not only did Paraguay beat Germany, they actually let Germany back into the game and then beat them again. That was pretty cold blooded.  

(**) Yeah I said it. Look, the soccer world is still relatively new to video replay, as an American (that has long detested replay across virtually all sports) I've watched it for a while now and I'm telling ya: video is not same all-knowing perfection device. Okay, here's a homemade analysis video (that I don't really much agree with):

Neither player possesses the ball, why do we automatically favor the offensive player over the defensive player? The video suggests that Belgium was nearest the ball, that Senegal kicked his foot, but what if Senegal is actually there first and Belgium is stepping on his foot? We're reflexively blaming the defender when he has just as much right to reach for the ball as the attacker. Why isn't the defender allowed to reach for possession just like the attacker? Their feet both meet at the same time in the same place, why should we favor either player? I would've called it even and let it play. (And perhaps that's why I'm a blogger instead of a guy with a real life)

(***) Best American team of all time? Oh yeah! Quite easily! Even if Pulisic isn't playing, this is still the best team USA has ever fielded by a long shot. The 2006 team was special but not as good as this squad. 

2026 NBA Final

Knicks over Spurs in 5

Been a while but just wanted to remind myself how f'n amazing Jalen Brunson was all through the playoffs this season. OG Anunoby, too, was letter perfect, did everything asked of him and made the tip in basket in Game Four that will cement his legend status in Manhattan for the rest of his days. Karl-Anthony Towns was really great in the first two games, then reverted back to dipshit Towns for the rest of the series but was still good enough/not damaging enough to make a worthy contribution. Mikael Bridges and Josh Hart were both up and down throughout the playoffs but were great teammates and made the plays needed of them. Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson were useful off the bench (Deuce McBride, not so much) and both (have already gotten) new contracts for next year.

As for the Spurs, I thought Coach Mitch Johnson did not have a good series, PG De'Aaron Fox struggled through injuries and just never found his game, 6th Man of the Year Keldon Johnson did not much in the series either, Julian Champagnie was up and down, thought he was better throughout the Western run but spotty at best in the Final. Wembenyama was good but not quite spectacular, Stephon Castle was pretty great except for his bouts of foul trouble, Dylan Harper shined out (though I think the perception that he was ready to take over the team was greatly exaggerated!), Devin Vassell was good but wasn't able to stop Brunson.

Basically all 5 games were the same: the Spurs would jump out to an early lead, Knicks would get it close by halftime; Spurs would jump back early in the 3rd and then the Knicks would dominate the 4th quarter. Only in Game Three (what Knicks fans will simply remember as "The Trump Game") were the Spurs able to score enough in the 4th to hold off the late Knicks charge. In the other four games, they weren't and Brunson owned them.

Where do they go from here? The Spurs are fine, they don't need to change anything. Another year of maturation (*) and a rematch with OKC are what they need to do next year. Everyone wants to trade Fox, and while that contract is daunting (and will have to be traded eventually), I think Fox is still in his prime and had a high ankle sprain in the playoffs, I think he's fine and can lead them deep into the playoffs again. Keldon Johnson was disappointing in the Finals but he's kinda perfect for this team, so I don't see a better replacement out there. This team is fine, no bold moves are necessary.

The Knicks had a uniquely soft run through the playoffs.  I'm not saying they suck, I'm not saying they didn't deserve their championship--I'm just saying they got to run through the Sixers and the Cavs instead of grinding through the Celtics and Pistons. I think they would've beaten the Celtics and the Pistons but they would've had to work a lot harder. Making it to the Final in complete health is the main reason they won, I would say, and it's almost unimaginable that that could happen again next year. Will the Knicks repeat in the East? Not impossible, they are a hell of a squad, they will surely be in the mix, but I doubt it because the run, the health, they had this year was just too perfect to recreate. 

But one last capper on the season: Jalen Brunson is the mother'f'n man and don't forget it.

(*) All year long the Spurs kept Wemby on a minutes limit and, well, they made the Finals. Personally, I'd keep his minutes low for another year, ramping up his minutes starting in March. Why not? No need to burn him out. The challenge in the west is the Thunder and staying healthy and....not much else. The plan worked better than expected this year, I'd give it another year before really throwing Wemby into the deep end.

2026 French Open

Chwalinska 3/2 - 6/6 (8) Andreeva 

Chwalinska was the talk of the tourney, a qualifier who managed to fustigate everyone she played all the way to the Final. Her gimmick is that she's really good at taking the speed out of the ball, controlling the pace to give herself the best opportunities to find winners. But I had a feeling this strategy wasn't gonna work against Andreeva (indeed, this is one of most predictable matches I've seen in ages). Why? Because well....(to say this about a boy is pure compliment, but about a girl, it feels kinda icky, but)...Andreeva's young and dumb. She didn't realize she was supposed to be hypnotized by Chwalinska's magic, so she just pummeled her instead. Along the way everyone was treating Chwalinksa like a puzzle to be solved, but I figured Andreeva was only going to see her as a less talented competitor (which she is) and would steamroll over her (which she pretty much did). It did take Andreeva a coupla games early on to get the feel of the match but once she found her legs, it was over, Chwalinska had no answer for Andreeva's control and power.

Worth mentioning: (1) Sabalenka is still the best...until she flames out. Here she flamed out in the quarters to (25) Shnaider, who is a nice player, but there's no reason that she should bagel Sabalenka in the 3rd set, except that Sabalenka bageled herself. Shnaider then went on to get hypnotized by Chwalinska in the semis. (*) Would Sabalenka have beaten Chwalinska and then Andreeva? Well, as long as she didn't flame out, I think she would have. Point being: only Sabalenka can beat Sabalenka right now (she dispatched (16) Osaka in the 4th round without much effort), so she's gotta be the fave for Wimbledon. But I was impressed with Andreeva and I think she went up a level, so I'll be keeping an eye on her. 

(10) Cobolli 1/6/4/7/1 - 6/4/6/6/6 (2) Zverev

I thought Cobolli and Zverev were the two best players throughout the tourney, thought Zverev was the only one that could beat Cobolli after watching Cobolli destroy the American (18) Tien, who just couldn't do anything against him. To be fair, it did feel like Cobolli was playing the best tennis of his life, but he looked quite comfortable on the red clay and even got a freebie in the semis when Arnaldi retired without firing a shot. The story of the tourney besides the finalists was the wrist injury that forced Alcaraz to withdraw before the tourney began and the early upsets that knocked out (1) Sinner and (3) Djokovic, who must've thought they'd be seeing each other after Alcaraz disappeared, but neither of them made it too far.

As for the Final itself, Cobolli started slow, then recovered nicely in the 2nd set. I thought Cobolli would take the 3rd, too, but Zverev got the break and made it stick. Cobolli was up a break through most of the 4th set, but couldn't hold it, then went down early in the tiebreak, but rallied and finished it out (after a heartbreaking whiff on Set Point #1). Felt like Cobolli was on a roll, but not so much. He failed to ride the momentum and Zverev finished off the 5th set rather easily. Cobolli made a game of it and had a hell of a tourney, but Zverev's length and power were too much to overcome and it led to his first Grand Slam. Good run for Cobolli, great win for Zverev. (**)

(*) In the quarters, Chwalinska beat (22) Kalinskaya and I swear you could see the wheels turning in Kalinskaya's head: you could tell she was saying to herself 'I'm better than this chick, why can't I beat her!' Shnaider, too, in the semis was a ball of frustration. Chwalinska's mesmerism was on point but I think it was uniquely suited to Roland Garros, I don't see her being a factor in Wimbledon or the US.  

(**) I believe Alcaraz has already withdrawn from Wimbledon, too, so Zverev might be coming in as the popular favorite. Curious to see if Cobolli can keep it going on grass.  Keep an eye on (26) Mensik, who lost to Zverev in the semis, and (28) Fonseca, who looks ready to make a leap. And will Sinner, Shelton and Djokovic be ready after bowing out early in Roland Garros?

2025-26 NBA Finals (after 1 game)

Knicks 105-95 Spurs

Just wanted to record my wild overaction to this result: the Knicks can sweep! (*) Everything that just happened in Game One can happen again and again and again.

I thought the key for the Spurs was Fox, but now I think it's Castle. If Bridges, Hart and Anunoby lock down Castle then that puts too much on Fox, Harper and Vassell to keep up with. If I were the Knicks, I'd let Wemby do whatever he wants--he can't carry the team. The Knicks supporting cast is better and they've been on a roll for a while now. The Spurs don't match up well with the Knicks (as opposed to the Thunder, with whom the Spurs match up well), the Knicks have hungry veterans to smother the Spurs' youth. Towns can score on Wemby and the Spurs have nothing to stop or counter Brunson's magic. I thought it would be a competitive series but after one game, I no longer think that. 

Am I being crazy? We'll see after Game Two tonight.

(*) If the Knicks finish on a 15 game winning streak, with a playoff record of 16-2 (two fluky buzzer beater losses), then the Knick-heads would be right: that'd be one of the great squads of the 21st century!

2025-26 NBA Finals

East

Knicks over Cavs in 4

Game One saw the Cavs pretty well stomp their way through NY for 3.5 quarters and then....well, they just stopped. The Cavs had a 22 point lead with 7 minutes to go and then Donovan Mitchell disappeared and their offense became a nightmare of James Harden dribbling dribbling dribbling and then taking a bad shot, while everyone watching kept wondering why Coach Atkinson never called a time out. Jalen Brunson woke up, went off and frankly the Cavs were lucky to tie it up and take it to OT--where they continued to suck. 

That was it for the Cavs. The next three games weren't even worth playing, the Knicks picked back up the heater they went on against the Hawks and Sixers and just smooshed the Cavs. Knicks fans are ecstatic, Cavs fans are still hitting the Pepto.

Where do the Cavs go? Well, considering that James Harden is the one they're probably most stuck with even though he's the one they ought to be finding a new home for, there's probably not much for the Cavs to do. The one that will get dumped is Jarrett Allen but he's the least expensive of their core and against the Pistons I thought he finally found his niche next to Evan Mobley. Bbut he's the one I most expect to see in a new uni next season. I dunno, man, I don't see the Cavs being better next year, whereas the Pacers and Hawks should be much better, the Heat seem primed for a big move, the Hornet are finally moving in the right direction and the Wizards shouldn't suck, so there's some urgency for the Cavs to at least maintain what they've got. Feels like this version of the Cavs peaked this year. 

West

Spurs over Thunder in 7

Game One was a classic, Game Seven was a classic, the other five games were just kinda watchable. Its easy to say the Spurs have arrived, but considering the Thunder were largely without Jalen Williams and Ajah Mitchell and that Chet Holmgren played as bad as he's probably ever played in his life, the Thunder were still in Game Seven with a coupla minutes to go. The Thunder were actually pretty bad and still could've won, so I don't think this rivalry is done--indeed, I'd be kinda shocked if anyone other than the Spurs and Thunder made the Conference Finals in the next 3 years.

Meanwhile, the Spurs perfectly rounded into shape: Fox was finally really good, Dillon Harper was excellent, Stephon Castle was pretty fuckin' great, Devin Vassell did a little bit of everything, Wemby was Wemby--and they still needed a (now) legendary chase down block by Luke Kornet to preserve the W. (*) 

This series was much closer than it looked. If I was OKC, I'd sign Cason Wallace, let go of Lu Dort, see if I could package their two 1st rounders to move up in the draft, think long and hard about bringing back Hartenstein, and roll the dice with Tomas Sorber and Nikola Topic in the rotation next year. Again, the Thunder were as bad as they've been in a while in this series and they still had their chance to win it. This Thunder run is far from over and I don't think desperate measures are necessary just yet. 

Finals

Knicks @ Spurs

This Spurs run has been about them figuring out their opponents: the Blazers stole a game from them, then the Spurs shut them down; the Wolves had moments against Wemby but once the Spurs got their number, it was over; the Thunder were pesky but the Spurs won the two classic games and outside of a strange letdown in Game Three, were generally the better team. I still say this is De'Aaron Fox's team and when he's right, that is peak Spurs. They're good around him, they're good without him, but he keeps them focused and moving forward, Fox is the key to this team. 

Wemby is Wemby. He's still young and he hasn't really yet built up to this level of play, but he's really good right now and a virtually impossible match up for every team in the league. Castle is turning into a star, so is Harper. Vassell and Bryant are solid contributors and Kornet and Harrison Barnes are still valuable to this young team. 

The Knicks were a nice--not great--team all season long. Then after going down 2-1 to the Hawks in the 1st round, the switch got flipped and they have pummeled everyone and everything ever since. One can point out that they didn't have to play the Celtics or Pistons in their run through the East, but if the Knicks were playing like this, I can confidently say they would've pummeled the Pistons and the Celtics. The Celtics were begging to lose and the Pistons were just too one-dimensional, neither of them would've given the Knicks much of a game, I'd say. 

Yes, the Spurs have faced superior competition than the Knicks have so far, but that doesn't matter now. Furthermore, the Blazers--even at their best--weren't as good as the Spurs this year; the Wolves were forced to give big minutes to Mike Conley after Donte Divincenzo got hurt and the Thunder were without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, which severely limited their offense. The Spurs' opponents had their flaws, too, so the path to the Final is not that meaningful to me this year. 

The Spurs didn't play anyone as offensively dynamic as the Knicks, nor anyone with the swagger (whether deserved or not) of the Knicks. The Knicks are playing better than the Thunder right now and the Spurs didn't exactly run the Thunder out of the gym. 

I still say the Knicks are at their best when Towns is the offensive focus, but there's no way that'll work for 7 games. But I think they can get 2 Towns games and 2 Brunson games and win it all. Anunoby has been great all post-season, Mikal Bridges took a while to get going but he was great against the Cavs, Josh Hart isn't gonna quit and he is guaranteed to make a handful of big plays in this series and if they can get anything out of Landry Shamet, they could run up the score if the Spurs give a listless performance. The Knicks will really need Mitchell Robinsn, for at least 4-5 games, if they get that, the Knicks will be the better team.

Wemby is great but at this point he is still additive, not a cornerstone. Castle and Harper, too, are additive, I don't see either of them taking over games at this level. Fox has to outplay Towns and/or Brunson for 4 games and while that is possible, it is a tough ask. 

I think the Knicks are ready for this, while the Spurs are on house money. I got the Knicks in 6.

(*) Oh, and Carter Bryant looks like another badass in waiting. 

2025-26 Champions League Semifinals, Final

1st Leg

Paris-St Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich

Man, I thought Bayern's two games against Real Madrid in the qaurters were the two best matches I'd see this year--nope! This opening leg leapfrogged both of those games. Back and forth action, both teams were capable of scoring or taking over at a moment's notice. I thought PSG was the best team in the whole tourney and I had Bayern 3rd behind Real Madrid (whom they beat), this is your championship right here. Do not miss the 2nd Leg! 

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal

Tight, both teams were competent but rarely felt like either team was ever gonna break through on the other. Two penalty kicks were all they could muster. Two evenly matched teams, neither as good as the two squads on the other side of the bracket, but both capable of giving those squads a serious sludge match. Just as good as PSG-Bayern but in the opposite direction. Good stuff.  

2nd Leg

Bayern Munich 1-1 (agg 5-6) Paris-St Germain

PSG found the net almost instantly in this game and on the one hand, man, a two goal lead felt insurmountable; on the other other hand, I immediately thought "this isn't the only goal we're gonna get in this game!" While the game had some furious offense, it wasn't until extra time that Bayern finally scored. I was a little surprised that these offenses that have just blasting people for weeks on end couldn't get more scoring going, but it was a competitive, entertaining back and forth game. (One note: I thought the ref did not have good game, took him a while to really establish control of the match and that alone may have thrown off Bayern's attack)

Arsenal 1-0 (2-1) Atletico Madrid

Another tight one, Arsenal found a sliver of space right before halftime and that was all it took. I thought Atletico was the better team but they just couldn't break through, just couldn't find the goal. Arsenal is a good team that stays within its team defense and makes the most of its counter-attacks. Nothing flashy, they just dug in and got it done against a solid squad. 

Final Prediction

Arsenal has slogged their way to the final without a high powered offense or even a noteworthy defense; they play as a single unit and when they keep themselves in check, they're just a mighty tough out. They don't seem like the kind of squad you typically see in the Champions League final, they're a workmanlike side that moves in lockstep and plays opportunistic offense, rather than riding some hot shot up front. I don't want to diss them, they're a hell of a squad, but I don't feel the star power of this side, just their team concept. Is that enough to slow PSG?

PSG goes and goes and goes and that alone outscores most everyone they play. They don't have Neymar or Messi or Mbappe any more, but they still feel loaded with stars and above average role players. They recover well and counter attack like the Showtime Lakers, they are not intimidated and I expect them to control the match from beginning to end. But that doesn't mean they'll score or that they'll escape Arsenal's opportunism.

I think this goes to OT. PSG is too furious to give Arsenal many chances, but Arsenal can bunker with the best of them and I don't think either team will get much done against the other. An extra 30 minutes should probably favor PSG, but I think it goes to PK's--and that's a coin flip. Can't wait! 

Final

Arsenal 1-1 Paris-St. Germain (PSG wins on PKs)

Arsenal scored an early goal and that felt like the best possible way to start the game: it would force PSG to ramp up the offense right away. But PSG struggled in the 1st half, Arsenal's tight D made it tough to get much going beyond midfield. PSG opened up a bit after halftime but a PK (the right call) was all they could muster. That said, I thought the 2nd half was exciting stuff, both teams had chances but both played even better defense. I predicted OT and PKs and I was right. Just kept waiting for PSG to find a way through the Arsenal backline but after 120 mins, it just didn't happen. 

I used to hate PKs but I've come to enjoy them, good tension and this one was no exception. Arsenal acquitted themselves admirably all the way through the tourney this year and they had their chance.  Hail PSG, back to back champs! 

2025-26 NBA Playoffs (after two rounds)

East

Cavs over Pistons in 7

This felt like a classic home team wins every game series and for the first 4 games, that's how it played. Then the Cavs stole Game Five in Detroit: Pistons were up 9 with 3 minutes to go, the game felt well in hand to me, but then the Pistons just straight ran out of gas and could not score again to save their lives. The Cavs took it to OT and dominated the extra period. But the Pistons came back strong in Cleveland, while the Cavs floundered badly and it went back to Detroit for Game Seven. Right away, the Cavs got buckets, Donovan Mitchell was getting assists finding Evan Mobley and Jarret Allen, the Pistons couldn't get their shooting going and it was all over. The Pistons vaunted D absolutely cratered as their lack of offense turned into confident possessions for the Cavs. 

The Pistons were a one-note team all year long but at the end of the season they kept getting W's without Cade and that impressed me, I thought the supporting cast could go up a level once Cade got back. In their best moments against the Magic and the Cavs, that kinda happened; but in their worser moments, it did not. Jalen Duren had a frighteningly bad (considering it is a contract year for him) run against Wendell Carter and Evan Mobley, Tobias Harris had to work too hard to find his scoring (when he did find it), Ausar Thompson's complete lack of offense becomes glaring in the post-season, Duncan Robinson had a nice run but missed a coupla games, Isiah Stewart and Paul Reid had some nice moments but didn't really sustain, Kevin Huerter was hurt and Daniss Jenkins is nice--the only guy that showed up for Game Seven!--but wasn't much of a difference maker. The rotation behind Cade is just so-so, which really makes you appreciate how damn good Cade was this year. The season was a pleasant surprise but, man, this summer is not looking good for them. They have a lot of questions, we'll see if they come up with some answers. 

Knicks over Sixers in 4

The Knicks got hot against the Hawks and kept it going. I didn't watch much of this series, because it was over so quick. The Knicks are on a seven game winning streak, playing their best ball of the season. 

The Sixers overachieved against the Celtics (who underachieved) only to receive a vicious reminder that they were not one of the best 8 teams in the NBA this year. Tyrese Maxey is stretching into a great team leader, VJ Edgecombe would've won Rookie of the Year in most seasons and Paul George really found something after his suspension late in the season. I've never been a Joel Embiid fan (and I'm still not), but he must still be considered part of their core because the Sixers are on the hook for another $180m to him so clearly he's not going anywhere. Adem Bona is a workable rotation guy. They got important minutes out of Kelly Oubre, Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond this year, are any of those guys coming back and, if not, how do they get replaced? Where do they go from here? They've got Maxey and Edgecombe and the #22 pick...and...well....they've still got their 1st rounder for 2027, so I'm guessing they're on their way to a rebuild (I believe they call it a "Process" in Philly).  Could they swap Paul George for Jimmy Butler to get off big money without picking up any stray W's? They've already fired GM Darryl Morey, just the beginning of a clumsy summer ahead for the Sixers.

West

Thunder over Lakers in 4

Yawn! Another quick shredding for the Thunder that I barely paid attention to. 

The Lakers were without Luka Doncic for the entire series and as Austin Reaves was returning from an injury, his performance was up and down. Lebron is still a great player but he was all alone out there, squeezing what he could out of Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard and a mildly rejuvenated Marcus Smart (he was pretty good actually, but just not enough to make a difference). They didn't have enough to even come close to hanging with the Thunder. With Luka, maybe they would've scratched a game or two out of them, but I doubt even that would've made much difference. Next year, all they have right now is Luka, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht with player options on Ayton (maybe), Smart (probably not) and Reaves, who they need to re-sign (or sign and trade) and the #25 pick . Will they bring back Lebron (doesn't seem like it) or Kennard (I doubt it) or Hachimura (I have no idea). Do people want to play with Luka? Do they want the bright lights of the Lakers? 

Spurs over Wolves in 6

News flash: Wemby is awesome and Dillon Harper is ready to be a major player. Weird series in that all the games were blow outs, as well matched as these two seemed to be, there were no interesting 4th quarters in the whole series. The three headed monster of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Harper ran roughshod over the undermanned Wolves. When the Wolves were able to find their shooting touch, they won, but they just didn't do that often enough. They had a lot of length to throw at Wemby but without the requisite scoring, it didn't matter. Julius Randle was set up to be the difference maker and in the first game, he was exactly that; then....he never did that again and whatever advantage the Wolves had evaporated. Also, Rudy Gobert was not good in this series, I wouldn't say he got dominated by Wemby, he just wasn't good. And there was just too much Mike Conley, who had to play expanded minutes because of the loss of Donte DiVincenzo. The Spurs are ahead of schedule and not afraid of the OKC Thunder.

Can the Wolves run it back? Are we ready to say that Gobert is not the Wemby Kryptonite the Wolves need and therefore needs to be traded? Not sure. Is Joan Beringer ready to be the new Gobert and/or the new Wemby Kryptonite? Not sure. Is Naz Reid overrated or underrated? Not sure. (*) Ayo Dosunmu was a revelation against the Nuggets but was mostly invisible against the Spurs 3-guard attack; Bones Hyland, too, emerged against the Nuggets and then submerged against the Spurs; so do they bring those guys back or let them walk? Not sure. Terrence Shannon had moments in this playoff run, is he ready to be a regular contributor in that offense? Not sure. Julius Randle had good moments and bad moments--which he's done his entire career--do they move on from him or hope that he bounces back? Not sure. This team has Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels and....a whole lot of "not sure". I'd say Shannon and Beringer are definitely gonna be a big part of next year's lineup and I would certainly keep Reid, but Gobert and Randle will probably be available and I'm not sure how eager they are to keep Dosunmu, Hyland or Conley. For a team that made back-to-back Western Finals and had moments of looking competitive with the Spurs, the Wolves might be a totally different team next year.

Predictions

Cavs - Knicks

The Cavs have been an unpredictable disappointment guided by Donovan Mitchell (finally reaching the pinnacle of his career right now), James Harden (overrated in his prime and now past his prime) and Even Mobley (projected to be the next super stud who is actually just a nice, overpaid play). When these three bring their best, the Cavs can run up the score, move the ball and play enough defense to hold a lead. But when they don't, it just looks awful and frustrating. Their wins against the Raptors and the Pistons were enlivening, but the losses were dispiriting. To be fair, those are two of the better defenses in the league--both much better than the Knicks--and the Cavs managed to find a way. 

The Knicks are playing their best ball of the season right now but, to be fair, those wins came against the overachieving Hawks and the lucky-to-be-here Sixers, not as impressive as the Cavs opponents. OG Anunoby has been a monster, Karl-Anthony Towns is attacking and avoiding the dumb mistakes that have plagued him his whole career, Josh Hart is running around like a mad man and Jalen Brunson has done just enough, mostly able to keep his powder dry. If the Knicks keep this going, they can roll right over the Cavs, who would fall to pieces under such an onslaught. But if the Knicks falter, have a bad shooting, or run into foul trouble, this series could sideways with a quickness. Indeed, the Knicks could be riding for a major fall--and Knicks fans know it better than anyone. 

The Knicks are the better team but are quite capable of blowing it. The Cavs have the necessary pieces but have yet to really properly deploy those pieces. I'm gonna go off the board: I think the key matchup is Jarret Allen v Mikal Bridges. When the Knicks are rolling, Bridges is the big beneficiary, but when he disappears (which was a lot against the Hawks), the Knicks don't get those extra productivity bumps; the Cavs have never found the right balance for Mobley and Allen, but against the Pistons, it felt to me like their roles emerged. If they overpower Mitchell, it'll require Towns and/or Hart to change up the way they play. It is a seemingly small thing, but if Allen can keep up his play at both ends, that makes everything so much easier for Mobley, which in turn makes everything harder for the Knicks defense. The Knicks think they can outscore the Cavs, but Allen could be the key to upsetting that equilibrium.

Also, unlike the Cavs-Pistons series where I thought the home team had the advantage, I think the opposite in this series. The Knicks can dominate in Cleveland while I think the Cavs could silence the NYC crowd. I'm going reverse home court advantage: I like the Cavs in 6.

Spurs - Thunder

Gonna be awesome. Can't wait. I haven't watched much Thunder (because neither the Suns nor the Lakers put up much to watch) this post-season and really only glimpses here and there of the Spurs (the Blazers were harmless fun but the Wolves games were all too one-sided to be watchable). I think the Thunder are the best roster in the NBA and really only the Spurs can hang with them. What's gonna happen? No idea. I will make this prediction: the Spurs wins will all be close, but the Thunder's wins might becomes blowouts. I'll take Thunder in 7 (solely because I want to see this match up the maximum number of times). 

(*) To me the answer is Naz Reid is underrated, but I've yet to meet anyone that agrees with me--which only proves me right! (Right?)