2022-23 NCAA Football (Week 6)

Games I saw (some of):

(11) Utah 32-42 (18) UCLA

Fun game! Two fairly evenly matched teams going back and forth on each other. My gut is that Utah is probably the better team but with 2 losses now, they're no longer in any kind of discussion, while the Bruins are still undefeated and sneaking into the top ten. 

Top 25

Handled their business

(2) Georgia, (3) Ohio State, (4) Michigan, (5) Clemson, (6) Southern Cal, (7) Oklahoma State, (8) Tennessee, (9) Mississippi, (12) Oregon, (15) Wake Forest, (17) Texas Christian, (18) UCLA, (23) Mississippi State

Won but did not impress

(1) Alabama. What is their problem with A&M? The Aggies have done nothing but disappoint week after week this season and yet there they were at the doorstep on the final play of the game with a chance to steal a W in Tuscaloosa. How does that happen? I'm not as into this Alabama side as in previous years (the WR dominance seems to have finally passed, dumb mistakes on defense, I'm not as in on the QB play as everyone else, etc), I just don't think they have the offensive dominance we've come to expect from them--but they still should've handled this rather pedestrian A&M side. What gives, man?

(14) North Carolina State. Am I supposed to be impressed that they scrambled late to beat Florida State? Yes, conference games are always a toss up but if the Wolfpack are worthy of being ranked in the top 12-ish zone, then they should handle the Seminoles with more confidence.

(20) Kansas State. Iowa State is always a tough place to win but this kind of slog against a weaker conference opponent is not striking fear into any hearts out there. 

(24) Cincinnati. Seriously? South Florida has not been very good this year either at home or on the road, so there's no reason why Cincy should have struggled so mightily--if in fact the Bearcats are a top 20-ish team.

Bad beat 

(11) Utah. UCLA and Utah strike me as pretty evenly matched, they are familiar conference opponents and the Utes were on the road--and it was a pretty fun game. I got no complaints on Utah here, this was a good W for UCLA. 

(19) Kansas. Kansas was probably ranked too high just for novelty's sake and they put up a pretty good fight against a TCU side that can score some points. Kansas is still in the midst of the best season they've had in eons.

(25) Louisiana State. LSU probably shouldn't be ranked this season at all anyway, so they came in a little overhyped. But the Vols are good and this was just another Saturday in the SEC. LSU will be back next year I'm guessing, but not right now. 

Not so good

(13) Kentucky. Yeah, without Will Levis, they had no chance to move the ball with a redshirt freshman making his debut even against a hapless side like South Carolina. My gut is that this will be the data point people use to suggest that Levis should be the #1 pick (Random radio idiot: 'With Levis the Cats were a top 10 team but without him, they're not very good at all! He was elevating them by his presence!'), but I say hogwash to all that. I'll go ahead and say it: there is no way--NO WAY--Will Levis at the next level will be any better than Mitch Trubisky. I get it: he's had nice moments and apparently in person he's got the wow factor that snows NFL GMs (yeah, so did EJ Manuel). But if you think he's the next savior for the Steelers or the Panthers or whoever, you are mistaken and you'd be better off trading that #1 pick. (Hey, man, not trying to hate just being honest) Oh, as for Kentucky, yeah, their season is done. With a brand new frosh under center, there's no way they beat Tennessee or even Louisville (do I have to even mention Georgia?) and, hell, even Vandy's got a shot. I'd be surprised if we see Kentucky in the top 25 again this year. 

(16) Brigham Young. Notre Dame on a neutral field isn't exactly a cake walk but if BYU was capable of bringing it, then they would've brought it this weekend and they didn't.

(21) Washington. Conference road games are never easy for anyone but if the Huskies were top 20-ish, they should've handled their business against a weak Arizona State side and they did not. 

Next week's intriguing matches:

(10) Penn State @ (5) Michigan (game o' the week, must win games are good games this time of year)

(8) Oklahoma State @ (13) TCU (another good conference match, must win game, I suspect OSU is better but we'll see)

(3) Alabama @ (6) Tennessee (barn burner, we all know the Tide if the better team but they're not unbeatable and the Vols are legit good this year)

(7) Southern Cal @ (20) Utah (seems like this one could be a laugher, but don't be shocked if Utah bounces back from last week's loss to UCLA and stings the Trojans)

And then there's....Really? Am I supposed to get up for (15) NC State @ (22) Syracuse or (16) Mississippi State @ (22) Kentucky?

2021-22 NBA Finals (Games Five & Six)

Celtics 94-104

Weird game. The Warriors were abysmal from 3-point and yet still won rather comfortably. The roles were reversed as Golden State was up at halftime, the Celtics went on a 3rd quarter run, but couldn't sustain it and the Warriors salted it away in the 4th quarter. Wiggins was magnificent, Draymond was good, Klay was solid, Steph wasn't sharp but still controlled the game and the bench did what they needed to do. The Celtics got nothing from their bench.

Warriors 103-90

Celtics got off to a hot start but by the end of the 1st quarter the Warriors had seized the momentum. From here, the Celtics just couldn't get out of their own way and again, a 3rd quarter surge came up short. Honestly by halftime this game was over, the Celtics were just beat. Warriors are your champs (again) and the Curry was the MVP.

I said Warriors in 5. As far as I'm concerned I was right all the way: if you take out the crazy run the Celtics went on in the 4th quarter of Game One, then the next five games were precisely as I predicted. The Celtics didn't have the depth and the Warriors got better as the series went on. 

The Celtics are good and next season they will hit the ground running and should be a top-3 regular season team in the East. But, as we have seen, they'll need to make a deadline trade to take them deeper in the playoffs. Jaysun Tatum is good but not ready to dominate (and can be neutralized if he isn't shooting effectively early). Jaylen Brown was good throughout this series but isn't enough of a filler-upper to carry a championship team. Marcus Smart played well, didn't hit his peak but avoided his depths, which is an amazing sign of maturation and reliability from a guy who has always been a little wild. I think Al Horford might've retired if the Celtics had won, but he's got one year left on his deal, I think he comes back and plays (and probably, sadly, becomes the trade chip the Celtics need to make an upgrade). Robert Williams was great despite being limited by injuries, but he's strictly a rim protector. Derrick White wasn't particularly good in this series but I think he's still the right guy for this team and starting fresh next season will make for a strong 6-man rotation (*). The bench (Peyton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, Grant Williams) should be fine through the regular season but will need to be upgraded (and I'm not anticipating that the #53 pick makes the difference for them). But I really do think that a full season of White in the rotation and a full season of Robert and Grant Williams truly understanding their roles can make a huge difference for this team. And I think the Celtics will be a top quality regular season squad. 

The Celtics were overmatched in this series, they were too reliant on their starting five to win a championship and, let's be honest: the Bucks with Khris Middleton were surely a better team and the Heat with one more Jimmy Butler 3-ball probably goes down to the Warriors in 5. The Warriors are just better--we're gonna look back and be amazed the Warriors got nothing from James Wiseman, Jonathon Kuminga and Moses Moody (and only occasional contributions from Jordan Poole), so the idea that the Celtics even had a chance was pretty daffy.

The Warriors have a tough decision to make and I'm going to go ahead and offer my obviously bad opinion: they should invite Wiggins in, shower him with praise and then as sweetly as possible tell him that there are other teams in the league that will pay more for his services. The Warriors can either have Wiggins or they can stay committed to the homegrown thing--they can't do both (unless they're willing to go into serious debt, which perhaps they are). 

I would strongly implore the Warriors to re-sign Kevon Looney, extend Jordan Poole and do what it takes to bring back Gary Payton II....meaning there's no room for Wiggins. To Wiggins, I would offer to trade him this summer if he wants or play out the final year and then walk (although, the Warriors would likely not be interested in a sign-and-trade because that money will already have been spent, meaning Wiggins should seek a trade now to maximize his next contract).

I know, I know: 'but Wiggins was great in the Finals! And he's kinda perfect as the 4th option on this squad! They'd be crazy to let him go! Looney is imminently replaceable, Payton wasn't that big of a deal and they can still lowball Poole for another year! They should re-up Wiggins now, no matter what it costs!' Yeah, I certainly get that argument. Hell, I've been saying for years that Wiggins is perfect for this team and trading him would be a mistake. But what I'm saying now is that what has brought the Warriors to this next level of greatness is how well they've drafted and building their own dynasty from within--and that's not Wiggins. This summer is about Looney, Poole and Payton; next summer will be about Draymond and Wiseman; the next summer will be about Kuminga and Moody. If they choose Wiggins, they basically give up on all that. And as great as Wiggins was in the Finals, he stands in the way of so much more depth behind door #2.

What do the Warriors do? Trade Wiggins to Sacramento for Harrison Barnes and the #4 pick (I'd recommend taking Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky), giving a future 6-man rotation of Poole, Sharpe, and Moody with Kuminga, Looney and Wiseman...that don't sound bad). One last year of re-connecting the origin of the "dynasty" to the further future and they'd have a healthy trade exception for one last ringchaser (hmmm....don't be shocked if its Al Horford). Sacramento has one year to convince Wiggins (along with his old Warriors coach Mike Brown) to make it work between De'Aron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Could be a waste of time but what has Sacramento ever done that wasn't?

Or...they re-sign Wiggins, let Looney and Payton go, maybe try to extend Poole and overpay going into next summer, when it'll be time to overpay Draymond for 3 more years. Obviously going into next year, they are committed to Wiseman, so perhaps letting Looney go is inevitable either way, but, man, I'm telling ya: without Looney this team gets no rebounds (my way of saying I think Looney is way more important than you realize). If Wiseman blows up, then moving on from Looney will seem like a no-brainer, except that I think Looney and Wiseman can play together and you could've had both. No matter what they do this summer, Wiseman needs to be the focus next season. They will either sink or swim with Wiseman. 

As for the NBA in general: I'll go Bucks over Warriors as my early early early prediction for next year. I got a feeling that watching Jaysun Tatum play an extra month of basketball at his expense will make Giannis feel like he let one slip away. Celtics fans are acting like they had a chance, they did not--but the Bucks did and the real reclamation project will be coming out of Milwaukee, not Boston. 

(*) White was in the "Tiago Splitter role" for this team: his job was to be the low man on the totem pole. When Tatum misses ten shots in a row, the fans aren't going to complain about his poor performance; but if White misses two in a row, the fans will wonder why White is allowed to continue breathing. Hey, man, for some guys their role is to take all the blame whether they deserve it or not simply because the fans have to let off some steam. And that can be an important role--you ever watch the Mavs and wonder why Davis Bertans plays so much? It's because a short-handed team needs a scapegoat. But starting fresh next year, White will be a part of the team on opening night and won't be forced into the goat (the bad goat) role and I think we'll see just how perfect he is for this team. (.....Or he may get traded this summer, we'll see!)

2021-22 NBA FInals (Games Three & Four)

Warriors 100-116 Celtics

Jaysun Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford were all solid throughout and the refs veered back from the highly pro-Warrior calls of the previous game. The Warriors went on one of their patented 3rd quarter runs and even snatched the lead for a moment (up 83-82), but they couldn't sustain, the Celtics maintained their game plan and the Warriors just sorta melted away in the 4th quarter. 

The rest of the Celtics were nothing special (Derrick White was actually kinda bad) but the Warrior 2nd string didn't make a dent, so all good for the home squad in this one. Again, none of the Celtic starters were especially brilliant but they were all good for four straight quarters, didn't have any dangerous low points and comfortably carried themselves to the win. Grant Williams was productive off the bench, but didn't really stand out and I'm not yet convinced he could be the stand-in if Robert Williams (clearly nursing an injury) is sidelined.  

The troubling aspect for Warriors fans by this point is that Draymond looks washed, dude. In their heyday Draymond was the....hmmm "eye of the storm" is the wrong analogy...he was the chaos at the center that allowed the perimeter to dominate. Draymond scores less than he used to, but that's not a big deal. It's that he doesn't control the game the way he used to. But now Kevon Looney is far more crucial for their success than Draymond...yeah, I said it, totally stand by it. Until the Warriors come to grips with that kick-in-the-crotch realization, they're going to struggle to tread water. Klay Thompson has been okay in this series but I still see one game where he seriously gets off (he might only do that once this entire season, but if he gets one now, it'll be the right time).

Good, methodical W for the Celtics; disappointing, herky-jerky L for the Warriors. 

Warriors 107-97 Celtics

The Warriors just wanted it more, Tatum wasn't in lights-out shooting mode, and the Celtics just couldn't hang down the stretch (Warriors outscored them 15-3 to close the game). 

Steph was brilliant, Poole gave good scoring off the bench, Klay and Wiggins were both nice contributors. I feel like the Celtics were just off their game tonight, that is, I don't feel like the Warriors performance should've finished in such a decisive win. I worried that the Celtics would wear down and I think that could be what we're seeing. 

The Warriors got good defensive minutes out Nemanja Bjelica and this perhaps shows that a platoon of Looney, Bjelica and Gary Payton might be the way to ease back the Draymond playing time without sacrificing scoring or playmaking. I always liked Bjelica and he's playing hungry, baby (I like it and I'd get him more minutes). Payton is like a kid in a candy store and giving good defense for the Warriors. And without Looney, Golden State does not get rebounds. Steph is moving the ball, Wiggins and Klay and Poole keep the scoring going, so replacing Draymond's defensive minutes is the challenge (I still think there's room for Kuminga, I know he's raw but he's athletic and he gives you a little bit of everything, I think he's got a role still in this series).

The Celtics, on the other hand, are built entirely around their starting five. If they lose Robert Williams, if Tatum's nagging shoulder injury flares up, if Horford wears out or if Smart just becomes worst-case-scenario Smart, then the Celtics are in serious trouble because there's no replacement for any of those guys over on the bench. There are no adjustments to make, just stay healthy and bust ass for three more games. 

This series is still air tight. 

Crazy hot take for Game Five: I say this series doesn't go 7 games, I think tonight's winner wraps it up in Game Six. The Celtics need to ball out for two more games because I don't think they've got a third game in them. The Warriors need to de-Draymond-ize their squad and if they don't, they will collapse (but if they do, they should be superior to the Celtics). The Warriors are in flux which will either win or lose this series for them; the Celtics just need to get to the finish line. (Pssst....I'm going Warriors in Five and Six)

2021-22 NBA Finals (Game One)

Celtics 120-108 Warriors

Great win for the Celtics! The Warriors were up 87-72 with 1:30 left in the 3rd quarter; from that point on the Celtics outscored the Warriors 48-21 on a combination of wasted possessions by the Warriors and some blistering 3-point shooting by the Celtics (especially Al Horford, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown). This highlights the one serious flaw the Warriors have long possessed: they don't have a killer instinct. When the Warriors are rolling, they casually outscore everyone they play and don't really have to dig deeper for emotional pleading. But when it gets turned back on them, they flail badly. In this case, I'd point the finger first and foremost at Coach Kerr--hey, man, how about a timeout? The ABC broadcast showed the Warriors huddle when they were down 106-103 and Kerr says, 'we're doing great!' Dude...no you're not! You were up by 15, like, twelve seconds ago and you just got an avalanche dumped on your face! Why didn't Kerr slow down the momentum a little sooner? (The answer, I presume, is that the Warriors just assumed that they'd get hot and take the game back....but they never did)

Another troubling takeaway for the Warriors is that Jordan Poole does not look ready for this. That's a problem because they are going to need him to emerge as a reliable scorer if they plan on outrunning the Celtics. Another problem, is that, outside of Poole, everyone played pretty well and they still got rolled in their own building. Curry was good early on, Porter gave good minutes off the bench and even Iguodala hit some big shots. Draymond's stat line (2-12 from the field) is misleading in the sense that most all of his shots were bailouts at the end of the shot clock, but he needs to be dangerous there if he's going to make a worthwhile contribution.

Also, troubling for the Warriors is that Jaysun Tatum mostly sucked. Celtics fas can talk themselves into the notion that he was still contributing, but his role is to get buckets, not simply 'contribute', so the fact that the Warriors played him out of the game and still lost is not a good sign. Indeed, I'd say only Horford was consistently good for 4 quarters, this should've been a walkover for the Warriors and it went quite horribly wrong in the other direction. 

Is this the end of the road for the Warriors? Well you may recall that in the 2019 playoffs, the Celtics swiped a W in Game One against the Bucks (led by a dominant Al Horford performance, as I recall) but then lost the next four games. We can also look back to the Sixers taking Game One of the 2001 finals before dropping four straight, so the Warriors can still dominate this series.

Can the Celtics do this again? Well, again, considering they didn't get much from Tatum or Grant Williams (not sure he's a fit for this series), floundered badly coming out of halftime and still got a big win, the Celtics are already living on house money for now. Once Tatum gets going (oh, he will), the Celtics should be pretty confident in their scoring. Also, I thought Payton Pritchard had a good game and seems like he's gonna get minutes in this series. (That said, over the course of 7 games, feels like the Celtics aren't as deep and their rotation could get chewed up over the long haul) 

What do the Warriors need to do? They've got to get turnovers from Smart and Brown, they need Jordan Poole to step up and be dominant off the bench and Coach Kerr needs to keep a better eye on the flow of the game. Also, I suspect the refs will make a difference, which would likely favor the Warriors, so knocking down their FT's (something Curry has been strangely shaky on this post-season) is a must. We'll see what Gary Payton II has to offer, too, if he can disrupt the Celtics offense, the scoring onslaught could return to the Warriors side. 

Curious to see where this series goes. If the Celtics can score another shocker tonight, then they can start planning the parade. But the Warriors aren't done, they can play better on both ends--and, again, the refs can be serious game-changers. This series isn't over. All right, I'm ready for ball night!

2021-22 NBA Playoffs (2nd round)

East

Heat over Sixers in 6

Oh, man, the Sixers just suck. Joel Embiid coming in with a (sprained?) thumb ligament and broken orbital bone was a shell of himself, though he still acquitted himself well. James Harden had a coupla good games but more than anything just looked old (and fat) and left Sixer fans petrified that a $150 million-ish deal with him is probably a foregone conclusion (Process RIP). Tyrese Maxey balled out which at least gives the fans something hope for and Tobias Harris did his best but Danny Green tore his ACL in Game Six and is likely out for next season. Frankly the fact that they won two games is kind of amazing in retrospect. They have already announced that Coach Rivers will be back next season (good news or bad?) but figuring out what to do with Harden is going to vex this team for the rest of the summer (and likely beyond) and I just don't see how this squad comes back better next year. 

Celtics over Bucks in 7

This was a weird series, man.  Bucks won Game One in Boston, stealing home court away from the Celics. But the Celtics won Game Four in Milwaukee, stealing home court back. But then the Bucks won Game Five in Boston, then gave away Game Six in Milwaukee. In Game Seven, the Bucks came out strong in the 1st quarter but then just never got that aggressiveness back and this game slowly became a rout by the end with the 4th quarter never getting competitive in the least. The Celtics kinda sucked in 1 and 5, the Bucks kinda sucked in 6 and 7. I still think with Khris Middleton, the Bucks would've won (probably in 6) and they actually did pretty well to get to Game Seven. But considering that they had two shots to finish the series and gacked them both is troubling. I like Jrue Holiday's defense but offensively he has this weird knack of getting to the rim and then just not finishing (it's like he's money 90% of the play but then never delivers that last 10%). Giannis was mostly great but didn't get it done in the last two games and I don't really understand why; the Celtics couldn't really stop him but he let up on the attack too often. I was more impressed with Wesley Matthews on D than I had expected to be (damn, I thought that dude was washed a while ago). But Grayson Allen and George Hill were non-factors and Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton had moments but also kinda disappeared in the big moments. I still feel like with Middleton the Bucks would be good enough to get out of the East, so while this disappointing, it isn't catastrophic. 

West

Mavs over Suns in 7

The series was almost perfectly as I predicted for six games: the home team won each game and the Mavs in particular looked kinda dominant in their wins. But I thought Game Seven would be tight and the home team Suns would pull it out but...uh....nope...they did not. In fact, they played easily their worst game of the year--worst game in many years for most of these guys!--and Game Seven was long over by halftime (which is basically the way the Mavs had to win, right?). Oh, dude....Chis Paul was terrible, Devin Booker was terrible, Deandre Ayton was terrible, Mikal Brides was terrible, and Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, Landry Shamet and Cam Payne contributed not very much. The Suns couldn't buy a basket, couldn't get a stop and early in the 2nd quarter when they desperately needed a run, they had nothing. Wow, a devastating blowout for the Suns. (Okay, I'll be that guy) I never believed in Chris Paul as a playoff performer and this shows exactly why: in series after series against better and better opponents, Paul can be minimized and pushed aside. Last year's trip to the Finals was waaaaaaay further than I ever thought he could go and at no point this year did I think the Suns would be repeating out of the West (though they obviously had a great regular season). Didn't think it would go down like this, but it was gonna go down some time. There's already rumbling that Ayton is not coming back and I don't see how that makes this team better. They'll still have a solid core (and will return Dario Saric) but I don't see them being better next year, so the Suns have probably already set. 

Warriors over Grizzlies in 6

This, too, went the way I thought it would. The Grizzlies are fun to watch, up and coming, a good collection of talent, all that and all that, but they're young, man, and green squads never go deep in the NBA. The fact they've now had a legit playoff run (even scored themselves a 39-point thrashing of the vaunted Warriors) puts them in the top tier in the West (especially considering that the Suns and the Jazz don't seem likely to be better next year). The Grizzlies also have a weird secret weapon: somehow they're better without Ja Morant (don't ask me, man, I don't get it either). They're probably gonna lose Tyus Jones to free agency but they have two 1st round picks (possibly three, if the Lakers/Pelican pick ping pongs their way) and they have drafted well over the years, so I would expect them to fill out their bench on the cheap (does this mean RFA Jarret Culver moves on, too?). The Grizzlies were a legit #2 in the West and I expect them to be back in the top 4 next season, too. 

Semifinals

(1) Heat - (2) Celtics

Yeah, I listen to the Celtics guys, too, and I understand their enthusiasm; but I can't help but point out how dismissive they've been of the Heat. The Heat's problem is their spotty offense: when they knock down shots, they win games and when they don't knock down shots, they lose. Since they have the home court advantage, I'm going with the Heat to find their offensive mojo enough to win this series. I'm not that worried about Kyle Lowry potentially being unavailable because, well, honestly I hadn't noticed Lowry being there all year long anyway; so anything they get from Lowry is a bonus and not having him is not really a minus. The Celtics, on the other hand, will likely be without Robert Williams and while in the grand scheme of things Lowry is a Hall of Famer and Williams is the guy who fell asleep on draft night, the Celtics will miss Williams more than the Heat will miss Lowry: the mid-season resurrection of the Celtics is because they finally figured out how to use Williams as that holy grail rim protector which gave DPOY (*) Marcus Smart the room to roam and that's the real secret to the Celtic success this year. Without him, the Celtics are gonna be hard pressed to keep Bam Adebayo from getting to the rim and there you have it, I think the Heat outscore the Celtics in four of the next seven games (1,2,5,7 to be precise). I got the Heat in 7.

(3) Warriors - (4) Mavs

So are the Mavs a fluke or are they really supposed to be here? Are the Warriors really good enough to win it all again or has this season been a mirage? I have no idea about either of those questions and that's why this series is so fun! I thought the Warriors would have a bounce back year, so I'm not shocked that they're here; but, in the last two months or so they haven't really found themselves yet. Draymond Green just does not shoot the ball at all any more, Klay Thompson has good games and terrible games, Andrew Wiggins made the All-Star team but hasn't been a consistent contributor for a while now and Steph Curry has been good but not great. This team is kinda carried for the most part by Jordan Poole (and their best defender was Gary Payton II, who is out with a broken elbow). And their playoff draw so far has been the tough but outmanned Nuggets and the tough but youthful Grizzlies, so it doesn't feel like they've worked as hard to get to this point as the Mavs. The Mavs are a one-man team but when Luka Doncic is on, he's as good as anyone on planet Earth at the game of basketball and the Warriors have no one to guard him. Honestly, I'd ignore Luka, let him get him 50 every night and worry about shutting down everyone else. The Warriors best bet is to rely on their scoring, a mercurial way to live, but since they can't stop Luka anyway, they need to make sure they outscore the rest of the Mavs roster, which--at their best--the Warriors should be able to do with ease. Long story short: the best version of the Warriors is better than the Mavs but the average Mavs are better than the average Warriors, so the Warriors need to be their best to win this series and I think they'll get close enough to get it done. Warriors in 7. 

(*) I did not vote for Marcus Smart. Good perimeter defender, tough guy, good to have on your team but not in my top five for DPOY this season. Yes, I suck at evaluating defense, but since I'm not convinced that anyone is good at evaluating defense (outside of David Thorpe and perhaps a handful of coaches no one has ever heard of), I'll stand by my judgement. Oh, I did have Robert Williams in my top five....but not Marcus Smart.

2021-22 NBA Playoffs (1st round)

East

Heat over Hawks in 5

I bought the Hawks playoff run last year, you know? I finally saw the possibilities of Trae Young and I thought that roster was perfectly constructed for them to rattle off regular season W's without much effort and finish top 4 in the East. Nope. Not at any point in the year were the Hawks particularly impressive. They picked it up in March, felt like they were playing their best ball going into the post-season. But, meh, none of that. The Hawks struggled in all five games, got lucky as hell in the one W they stole. They were outmatched in every way (though Deandre Hunter definitely had a bust out playoff) and the Gentleman's Sweep is frankly better than they deserved. Where do they go from here? I have no idea. Last year I overrated them, next season is the return to underrated, I presume. 

Celtics over Nets in 4

The Nets were the Vegas favorite to represent the East in the Finals this year, as of October 2021. Dang, didn't even get a single playoff win! All the wheeling and dealing, all the gathering of star power, in the end it was pretty much just Kevin Durant with a supporting cast worse than the one he bought into 3 years ago. How weird, man. Kyrie has done nothing since leaving Cleveland and while he clearly still has great offensive capabilities, he don't seem like the money he used to seem like. And he can't carry a team by himself anymore--can't even co-carry one with KD! This team is a mess and in a really bad way and I feel bad for Durant, he's still kinda awesome but he has surrounded himself with idiots (and pour one out for Coach Nash: clearly dedicated to KD but all the rest of the nonsense he's had to put up with is the worst kind of nightmare). Will they be back next year? I don't think so. They are bloated and top heavy and could sink all the way to the better bottom of the East River (to say nothing of the conference). They will re-sign Kyrie and that contract will own this team for the foreseeable future. They can move on Ben Simmons, but does anyone want him any more? And if he wins his case against the Sixers, isn't that just paying him to not play? Who wants this guy? And does Simmons even want to play basketball? This is what Durant and Nash are tethered to from now on. That's gruesome.

Bucks over Bulls in 5

If I told you the Bucks would win in Five, you'd be like, 'yeah probably'. But the Gentleman's Sweep kinda entails the losing team winning either Game Three or Game Four at home. In this case the Bulls won Game Two in Milwaukee--and looked kinda cool doing it!--and for a second, everybody panicked. And then when Khris Middleton got hurt, everybody really panicked....for a second. Then Giannis dusted off the Bulls three straight, just like we knew would happen, and we on to the next round. The Bulls are one of those half-assed dangerous teams, they're a hand grenade with a broken pin: probably useless but could maybe make one really big boom. This team is crafty and savvy, at their best a really fun offense to watch, but they're strictly a regular season juggernaut that will cave to superior teams in series play. They'd be better with a healthy Lonzo Ball and whether they bring back Zach LaVine or replace him, they'll probably just be treading the same water as this season. They have the depth and talent to be pretty good but I don't see them getting any better than that. 

Sixers over Raptors in 6

Sixers went up 3-0, then dropped two games and the fear was palpable. But Embiid was his brilliant self in Game Six and the Raptors just couldn't get their offense right and got rolled. The Raptors are gonna be the same fun, pretty good but probably unreliable squad. They could make changes but my guess is they pretty much are what they are and it'll depend on how much development Paskal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes have in them (which should last them a few years at least). Their average is better than most teams' average, so one must outplay them every time. That's who the Raptors are and that's who they'll be next year, too. More wins....fewer wins...I dunno. 

West 

Suns over Pelicans in 6

The Pelicans played hard, really made the Suns work and looked pretty damn good in their two wins. Now you see what a good team they could be if they just get Zion back to playing shape. They've got a top 10 pick, I think they're pretty will situated to add some good cheap talent and re-insert their star into this hard working crew and they'll be challenging for top 6 in the West next year. 

Grizzlies over Wolves in 6

The Grizzlies were generally the better team but the Wolves built a lot of leads they couldn't hold, suggesting that the gap between the two teams is close (and that Wolves just kinda suck at "winning"). The Wolves probably don't have a lot of moves to make (does Ben Simmons make them better or worse?), they just need to mature and get better from within. Will that happen? I dunno, but the sooner it happens, the better (Pelicans are coming! And the Grizzlies are already past you!). 

Warriors over Nuggets in 6

The Warriors were the better team from start to finish but the Nuggets (re: Nikola Jokic) played with a lot of toughness, a lot of creativity and they made the Warriors work for it every night (probably exactly what the Warriors needed to get themselves going). The Nuggets just need to get healthy. Its not hard to see how much much much better this squad is when Jamal Murray and Michael Porter are healthy. Are there upgrades to make? Maybe, but just getting what they got together would return them to the a top 6 in the West. 

Mavs over Jazz in 6

Man, the Jazz kinda sucked in this series; not as bad as the Knicks sucked last year, but I'd put them up for the sucked-est performance in this year's post-season (yeah, worse than the Hawks and Nets). Luka Doncic was out for the first three games and Utah only managed 1 win...I mean...how do you expect to win if you're gonna get outplayed by the non-Luka version of the Mavs? The Jazz have descended deep into blow-it-up mode, I expect the Jazz to be wildly different next season (I think I still expect Donovan Mitchell but not necessarily). This tepid performance just shows that this team has run its course. 

Quarterfinals

(1) Heat - (4) Sixers

With Embiid the Sixers can hang, maybe even steal a Game Seven in Miami; without Embiid the Heat are vastly better than the Sixers and should win in 7 (maybe 6). Embiid suffered a fractured orbital bone--which strikes me as very big deal, you gotta figure he's out at least two games (and you should probably expect one totally shit game when he comes back). I don't see how the Sixers overcome that. If James Harden becomes old timey Harden, I think that's good for 2-3 wins, but I don't think that alone wins the series for the Sixers. I think Tobias Harris is criminally underappreciated (*) and Tyrese Maxey is in full blossom right now, but Harden would have to be full-on badass Harden again--I think he still has that in him but not right now, not in this playoff, not against this Heat team. Even still, I don't think that wins. I think the Heat are the better team, the deeper team, the more reliable team on offense and defense, the better coach, the better "culture", and they have home court. The Heat are the better team with or without Embiid or Harden. Just too many "ifs" with this Sixer team, whereas the Heat are kinda rolling. I think the Heat are up 3-2 after Game Five, I think Game Six is tossup, I think the Heat crush in Game Seven. Heat in 7 (maybe 6). 

(2) Celtics - (3) Bucks

The Bucks have been my pick to come out of the East pretty much all year long. But going into Boston without Khris Middleton could be too much to overcome. Giannis is absolutely at bestest, peakest Giannis yet and he's gonna be tough to beat, but I think the Celtics as a team are better than the Bucks (without Middleton). If/when Middleton comes back, I think the Celtics advantage diminishes but probably still holds. I think Jaysun Tatum is ready to blow up, the rest of the Celtics are a well-oiled machine, the Celtics are gonna be tough to beat, too. I got Celtics in 7.  

(1) Suns - (4) Mavs

The Suns have mowed people all year long but looked as weak as they have in a while against the Pelicans in the 1st round (**) and Devin Booker is nursing a hammy. The Mavs are a weird team but I kinda like them and they go as Luka goes. You'd think the Suns could bowl over a one-man band but in the playoffs sometimes putting all the power in one guy works beautifully. The Suns are better but hot Luka on the right night is tough to stop. So I'm going full neutral: home team wins every game, Mavs look crazy dominant in their W's, while the Suns just look kinda okay in their wins. But in Game Seven with 2 minutes to go, who ya got: Chris Paul or Luka Doncic? I'll take CP and the Suns crew at home. Suns in 7.

(2) Grizzlies - (3) Warriors

Yeah, the Grizzlies are a fun team, great story, but they're green, baby. The Warriors are just better and when they get their offense cranked up, the Grizzlies won't be able to hang. No way the Grizzlies win four of the next seven games (inconceivable!). Taking two off the Warriors will be impressive enough. Quick prediction: I think we see a lot of Jonathon Kuminga in this series (as opposed to the Denver series, where he was never gonna get even mop up minutes). I'll say Warriors up 3-1 returning to Memphis for Game Five (Grizzlies W). Warriors in 6. 

(*) Why do we rag so hard on Tobias Harris? He's the only one that actually shows up and plays games any more! Maybe his overall effect on the court would be improved if he didn't spend his entire career surrounded by jughead divas!

(**) Or perhaps it's the opposite: perhaps the Pelicans are really much better than we thought they were and it took superior Suns effort to brush them aside so casually.

2021-22 NBA Playoffs (after 4 games)

East

Heat up 3-1 on Hawks

Thought the Hawks might shine out and make this a series but outside of their late comeback in Game Three, the Hawks have been rather lackluster. The Heat are still just warming up but Jimmy Butler looks to be locked in. This series is over and actually should have been over in 4. The Heat have effectively bottled up Trae Young and the Hawks attack just isn't scary right now. 

Celtics up 3-0 on Nets

Man, Durant looks old, Kyrie has been fustigated by this Celtics defense and pour one out for Coach Nash (hardest easy money in the history of the western world). The Nets should've won Game One, but Tatum stole it late and the air went out of the Nets' sails after that. Game Two turned into a Celtics' rout and in Game Three the Nets offense just couldn't get going. They don't make the proper use of Seth Curry (he's in the Tiago Splitter role of being the bail out guy, so he gets a pass at his knees with 2 seconds on the shot clock and the goose egg on his stat line) and why haven't they been able to find any kind of role for Blake Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge? The Celtics D is legit, it is shutting down the vaunted Nets attack and it is making easy buckets at the other end (that the lackluster Nets D is powerless to stop). Once you remove all the hot air, the Brooklyn Nets kinda have nothing going for them. This series is over (though I wouldn't be shocked if the Nets won tonight).

Bucks up 3-1 on Bulls

Bulls had one nice game (an eye-opening W in Milwaukee in Game Two) but seems like that's all they had in them. Even in Game Three when the Bucks were without Khris Middleton, the Bulls just floundered on offense and put up no challenge at all to the Bucks, even though they had just beat them in Game Two. It looked for a moment like the Bucks might get challenged in this series and without Middleton, that offense seemed likely to take a hit, and yet the Bulls reverted back to the team that couldn't be playoff squads all season long. This series is over.

Sixers up 3-1 on Raptors

Embiid has been pretty great, Maxey is blowing up and Harden hasn't been dead weight. Throw in that the Raptors just haven't found their offense (Fred Van Vleet is just not in the zone right now) and this series should probably already be over when it promised to be the most competitive series. Are the Sixers capable of acking up four straight? Oh, absolutely! But the Raptors haven't shown enough offense (Van Vleet out for Game Five makes for an interesting dynamic) to strike any fear in Philly hearts. This series is over. 

West

Suns 2-2 Pelicans

Well well well....what do we have here? It isn't that the Suns have already lost 2 games (to the #9 seed), it's that in their two W's, the Pelicans have looked pretty damn good! Can they win two more? Probably not, but the Suns have lost Devin Booker for the rest of the series and that is not an easy thing to overcome. Chris Paul will get this back on track in Game Five and I wouln't be surprised to see the Suns winding this up in 6 back in New Orleans. But...there is some creeping doubt as this Pelicans team is clearly playing their best basketball of the year. Bradom Ingram is a legit scorer, Jonas Valenciunas presents problems down low and CJ McCollum suddenly looks like the best move of the trade deadline. (Dang, if there best player would maybe think about playing some basketball, then this Pelicans team could actually be kinda dangerous, right?) The series isn't over but it's still hard to imagine the Pelicans winning two of the next three games. 

Grizzlies 2-2 Wolves

Not a surprise that they're tied after 4 games but I am surprised by how brutally awful the Wolves were in their two L's. Both of them were bad bad bad losses and the Grizzlies probably should've snatched Game Four, as well. The Wolves are pretty good when it all comes together but D'Angelo Russell disappears from time to time, Anthony Edwards is not yet ready to take the next step and Karl-Anthony Towns just makes so many dumb mistakes, that I just can't see the Wolves beating anyone--even a green, untested squad like the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have all that they need, they just need to put it all together (and they could still murder-ize the Wolves). The series is tight but I'm sticking with the Grizzlies to pull it out. 

Warriors 3-1 Nuggets

Kudos to the Nuggets for keeping the series alive, but the Warriors are by far the better team. Not even close. The Nuggets had to move heaven and earth and make big plays down the stretch to even have a prayer of pulling out Game Four, its just hard to imagine they can do that three more times. Especially considering that the Warriors are looking good but not great, they've still got a lot of room to get better. This one is over. 

Mavs 2-2 Jazz

The Jazz blew their chance to dominate this series when they failed to win in Game Two (the second straight game without Luka Doncic). The Mavs blew their chance to dominate this series when they failed to finish Game Four, though they had their chance to get up a game winner (and just never could get a good look). The Jazz seem ready to get blown up this summer and the Mavs don't quite know who they are when Luka's not in there. This series is still totally up in the air. I still got the Mavs--but I'm not putting money on 'em!

2021-22 NBA Playoffs (Predictions)

Play-in games

(East) I'll take Nets over Cavs; Hawks over Hornets; Hawks over Cavs

(West) I'll take Wolves over Clippers; Spurs over Pelicans; Clippers over Spurs

1st Round

(East) I'll take Heat over Hawks in 7; Celtics over Nets in 7; Bucks over Bulls in 5; Raptors over Sixers in 7

(West) I'll take Suns over Clippers in 6; Grizzlies over Wolves in 7; Warriors over Nuggets in 7; Mavs over Jazz in 6

2nd Round

(East) I'll take Heat over Raptors in 7; Bucks over Celtics in 7

(West) Suns over Mavs in 6; Warriors over Grizzlies in 6

Conference Championship

(East) Bucks over Heat in 6; Warriors over Suns in 6

NBA Finals

Bucks over Warriors in 7

2022 Champions League (Round of 16, 2nd leg)

Bayern Munich 7-1 (agg 8-2) Salzburg

Obviously, Bayern is the better team but Salzburg played so well in the 1st leg that it made the return match interesting...but that didn't last long. That first PK was a legit call and the match was probably over 10 minutes in. But that second PK was a lame call--and not clearly a penalty anyway--and to fall behind by two goals so quickly was the backbreaker. This was followed by one of the weirdest goals I've ever seen and it was was clear that Salzburg was in for a flogging. When Bayern added another goal before halftime, well, the second half was hardly worth watching. Bayern added another goal early in the 2nd. After that there was a long stretch where Salzburg played well and looked good on the attack (though the ref did them no favors) and poked in a goal, but, come on, man, Bayern was barely paying attention and when they did wake up, they knocked in a coupla more goals on the way out. A laugher early and pretty much all the way through. No one is shocked that Bayern is moving on. 

Liverpool 0-1 (agg 2-1) Inter Milan

I expected Milan to bring it and while they were better than the 1st leg, I thought Liverpool played better, too.  Liverpool hit the post a few times and were just generally more dangerous around the goal. Back and forth action but only the one goal (outta nowhere, too, a lovely rip that knuckled away from the keeper) and though Liverpool wasn't able to find the goal this time, that 1st leg was enough to get it done. 

Real Madrid 3-1 (agg 3-2) Paris St. Germain

Wow...fucking wow. Just when this match felt like it was wrapped up, Karim Benzema (for my money the only guy besides Modric that did anything for Real all day) scores a 15-minute hat trick and Real is moving on and PSG is fighting amongst themselves. Weird game. PSG dominated the 1st half and then clearly felt asleep in the 2nd half when Benzema started wrecking shop. Real is loaded with stars and they got the hat trick they needed, but PSG was the better team for 85% of this match up, so feels like we got robbed even though it seems like the better team won.

Manchester City 0-0 (agg 5-0) Sporting CP

(Didn't watch, seems like I didn't miss much)

Manchester United 0-1 (agg 1-2) Atletico Madrid

I always forget how much talent Man U has and early on in this match they casually dominated possession and really looked good on the attack. But, they never got any better than just looking good. And when Atletico found the goal right before halftime, it kinda felt like the game was over (...and it kinda was). Atletico is good and Man U is still just so disappointing. 

Ajax 0-1 (agg 2-3) Benfica

Fun game. Man, Ajax played hard all the way through, very aggressive on-ball defense, flying all over the place, desperate to score but they just never found the right opportunity. Benfica broke through on a corner and that was all it took. A little surprised Ajax couldn't find the goal--they played so hard!--but both teams were pretty even throughout both legs, so this is a reasonable result. 

Juventus 0-3 (agg 1-4) Villareal

Close game until it all kinda fell apart for Juve. Villareal got a PK (50/50 call, ref let it go live but I wasn't surprised when he called it on the replay). Juve's best bet seemed to be to get their own PK but the call just never came (yeah, Juve was quick to flop in the box, probably wore out their chances to actually get a call). Then Villareal scored on a corner and then another PK and it looked like a rout when really it was just a burst of awesome in an otherwise pretty even game. Villareal was the better team all in all, they felt more dangerous around the goal and just a more consistent attack. 

Lille 1-2 (agg 1-4) Chelsea

(Didn't watch, caught the highlights, looked like Chelsea was the better team as in the 1st leg)

2021-22 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Week 18)

Front Office Moves

Cavs revamped front office: Mike Gansey (GM), Brandon Weems (asst GM), Jason Hillman (VP of basketball operations), Jon Nichols (VP of basketball strategy)

Well, the Cavs are having an unexpectedly great season, might as well unveil raises and promotions for everyone while the fans are in a good mood. Is this good for the Cavs? I have no idea, but all of last summer's moves worked--and that's with season-ending injuries to Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton. It feels like the Cavs have overachieved and it is probably time for them to come back to earth--which, again, makes now the perfect time for raises and promotions! Hard to imagine that any of these guys are the end of the franchise or lead the great resurrection, but we'll see. 

Rest of season contracts

Tristan Thompson (Bulls) 

This move came with such weird energy, like everyone saw this coming. Really? Oh sure....yeah, this is what the Bulls needed to put the over the top...oh yeah. Oh well, in his prime Thompson was a really great rebounder, which has become an underappreciated skill in today's game, so even if TT was what the Bulls really needed, no one would ever actually notice. Weird move.

Goran Dragic (Nets)

(Why didn't he just play for the Raptors?) Does Goran have anything to give the Nets? Well, if he's used correctly, I still think Dragic can really change the tempo of a game in a hurry--which could really come in handy in the post-season. But as for dominating anything, I think those days are behind Dragic.

Jevon Carter (Bucks)

Moved off the Nets to make room for Dragic...? I'd rather be with the Bucks right now anyway, interesting to see if Carter can give them any kind of lift.

DeMarcus Cousins (Nuggets)

On/off again with the Nuggets all season, the two have decided to make the marriage formal (albeit temporary). Cousins is in, what I call the 'Night Passage' portion of his career: suffice to say, he's still smart and big, he's still valuable even if he's far from his peak. If the Nuggets can get meaningful minutes from Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, then suddenly Cousins wrecking shop for 10-15 mins becomes a real problem for the other team. Make no mistake, Cousins is the icing, not the cake; but if the cake rises like it can, then the icing might still be a difference-maker. 

Tomas Satoransky (Wizards) 

Satoransky has been around the world like my girl, Lisa Stansfield, this season and now he's back with the Wizards. Well, they could use another savvy veteran ballhandler just like everyone else. 

DJ Augustine (Lakers) 

When the Bucks signed Augustine last year I thought it was a good move....but not so much. He was so useless to them that he was bartered away for pennies on the dollar (and no one thought twice about it). What's he gonna do for the Lakers? Soak up some blame, I reckon, not much else to do there.

Trendon Watford (Blazers) signed 4-year/end of season deal

So...4-year deal or end of the season deal...'cause those are two different things. Looks like a seasonal deal for now and a mild 3-year deal after that. I don't know Watford (though he is getting minutes now), but the deal going forward is so cheap (never gets above $2m/year) that this is just one of those deals that teams dream of: long term and cheap, the assumption being that Watford is a pro but not an important pro. Okay. I assume this is a good deal.

2-way Contracts

Olivier Sarr (Thunder), Brandon Williams (Blazers), Moses Wright (Mavs), Matt Ryan (Celtics), Wenyen Gabriel (Lakers)

Matty 'Ice' back in Boston?

10-day Contracts

Drew Eubanks (Blazers), Kelan Martin (Celtics), Malik Fitts (Celtics), Willie-Cauley-Stein (Sixers), Tim Frazier (Cavs), Haywood Highsmith (Heat), Alize Johnson (Pelicans), DJ Wilson (Raptors), Isaiah Thomas (Hornets)

Eubanks can give good rotation minutes to a team not looking to win games. I don't know Martin or Fitts. WCS (if he's playing...?) gives the Sixers some defense. Frazier is a nice ball handling vet for the Cavs. Highsmith has been a fun addition to the Heat (who seems to be getting good minutes out of any/everyone this season). Johnson is a solid vet for the Pelicans. Wilson should slip right into the deep (though not as deep as usual) Raptors rotation. Isaiah as the Ish replacement?

Notable Injuries (Out indefinitely)

Chris Paul (Suns) fractured right thumb

Well, better not than the playoffs. Could be just the time off he needs to get him going in the post-season. Obviously this injury could be a disaster but the timing suggest that it could be a real pick-me-up to close the season. The Suns have been blessed this year, so this looks like more of the same.

Jusuf Nurkic (Blazers) left foot plantar fasciitis 

I suppose the move is to go ahead and shut him down for the season, the Blazers have no need of W's at this point. The question is: are they going to re-sign him this summer (I'd say 50/50)?

OG Anunoby (Raptors) fracture right finger

The Raptors are gonna need all three of their tough young forwards in the post-season but they are comfortably situated in the playoff mix that shouldn't be too bad for their rotation (for now). 

Quentin Grimes (Knicks) right knee injury

Having a nice rookie year, hope he gets back to it.

Waivings

Kevin Pangos (Cavs), Alfonzo McKinnie (Bulls), Dennis Smith Jr (Blazers), Jevon Carter (Nets)

Don't know Pangos. Always liked McKinnie, but when you've got a chance to sign Tristan Thompson, well, brother, you make the necessary moves! Smith has been hurt all year (right?), seems like he just wasn't destined to be a Blazer; I think he'll end up somewhere this summer, not sure where. Carter already has a better job (so screw you, Nets!). 

2022 Champions League (Round of 16, 1st Leg)

Paris St. Germaine 1-0 Real Madrid

Thought PSG more or less dominated the 1st half but never did score. Real's defense was able to effectively swoosh PSG away but never seemed particularly dangerous on the counter. PSG is the better team but they probably feel like they should've scored by the half. Messi missed a PK (nice save!), really hurts if they don't find the goal by the conclusion. PSG is still more likely to score but they have yet to solve Real's defense. Marcelo ha a nice night, though Vini, Kruse and Modric never did get anything going. PSG still dominated possession in the 2nd half and even after bringing in Neymar in the 70th minute, they never got terribly frisky around the goal. 

Then  minutes into Extra Time, Mbappe splits two defenders on the wing and gets a quick rip before the next defender can recover and goes five-hole on the Keeper. Such a thing of beauty and the perfect finish to what was a mostly frustrating match. 

Messi is still money on the ball, Neymar can always get loose, but Mbappe never really got his due in this game til the final moments. Worked out but I can help wonder if Messi and Neymar steal too much focus from the real star of this squad (and is that a good or bad thing?). Obviously it's early, but PSG is definitely one to watch. 

Sporting Lisbon 0-5 Manchester City

Man City attacked better than Sporting.  Early on, got a wide open shot on some crazy action in front of the goal; initially waived off for off-sides, overturned on replay (the correct call).  Followed that soon after with a nasty rip off of an errant corner kick (dang, what a shot!). (Doh! Turned my head and missed the third goal!) The fourth goal just before the half saw the Sporting defense get out of shape deep in the box, got beat by a forward sneaking into open space (think of a TE finding the hole in the cover-2 zone). By halftime it was pretty obvious that Sporting just does not have the offense to keep up. Man City's goals...I don't want to call them lucky, but they were pretty unique finishes--but, hey, that's why you sign the best talent. 

Man City puts it in the net again early in the 2nd: a header off a cross to the far post sneaks past the Keeper, though it looked like there was no room (Keeper is ready for this game to be over); goal is waived off for off-side (the right call; Keeper still feels like shit, though). About ten mins later, though, Raheem Sterling gets free for a second about 25 yards out, curls one around two defenders right into the fat part of the far post where the Keeper can't reach (holy balls, a thing o' beauty). Not a good night for Sporting, seems inconceivable they're gonna do anything in the 2nd leg. This one is officially over. 

Salzburg 1-1 Bayern Munich

I was rooting for Salzburg and I gotta say they came real close to a full 90 minutes of outplaying Bayern and that was as good as any performance of the first legs. Alas, the W eluded them when Coman snuck the weakside rebound in extra time to steal the draw. Oh man, heartbreaking game for Salzberg. After a few years of semi-regular Bundesliga viewing, Bayern is a bit like Golden State, Alabama and the Patriots all rolled into one: pure dominance but all the good/bad traits are removed so they seem like Terminator robots more than a football squad. They're not very aggressive, either, they are a classic 'take what the defense gives you' kinda offense. But they are opportunistic and they live to punish mistakes. And, man, Salzburg was like 100 seconds away from a perfect game (this is like losing a no-hitter with two outs in the 9th).

So is Salzberg they heartened by the near dominance of the great Bayern or are they devastated that all they got was a draw (which they happily would've taken if offered before kick off)? Will this inspire them or have they peaked? I'm curious to find out. 

Inter Milan 0-2 Liverpool

I thought Inter was generally the better team, though it was good back and forth action...until the 70th minute when Liverpool connected on a nifty header on a corner kick. Inter had been attacking well but the wind went out of them after that and when Liverpool was able to tack on a second goal (confusion in front of the goal, a soft shot took the right bounce and found an empty net) just a few minutes later, the show was over. 

Both teams attacked well, both teams parried the attacks away well. Header off a corner and slow roller that catches the keeper leaning the wrong way aren't exactly shock and awe. I wouldn't be too surprised to see Inter win 2-0 back in Liverpool and we see some PK's. Liverpool got a great W on the road but Inter was the better squad, so I don't think this one's over. 

Villareal 1-1 Juventus

What an opening! Less than a minute in, Villareal loses possession just across midfield (on a nifty dummy, that no one else was paying attention to), Juve defender boots the ball long, finding Vlahovic, who chest traps the ball between two defenders, then spins and rips it toward the far post. Holy balls, that came outta nowhere! Felt like for a while after that, Juve fell into the trap of just bombing the ball long looking for Vlahovic, but in the 2nd half I thought Juve's offense controlled the ball nicely. 

But that was the problem for both teams: better possession did not lead to better shots. I thought Villareal attacked more convincingly than Juve in the 1st half, but Juve's counter was effective and more dangerous. That flipped in the 2nd half, when Juve held more confident possession but Villareal was the one who found the net (amazingly wide open right in front of the ball--probably the only real mistake Juve made all day). Lesson here: the counter scores the goal, the offense just kicks the ball around. Pretty even match, look forward to the return. 

Chelsea 2-0 Lille

Chelsea was just better from beginning to end. Lille had no attack and little to make me think the 2nd leg is going to produce much of a game. 

Benfica 2-2 Ajax

Fun game! Lots of back and forth action, both teams had moments of dominance and weakness, the momentum was constantly shifting, lots of action in front of the goals, good stuff. Ajax scored early, then gave it back on an own-goal (a hockey goal: when in doubt, just fling it at the net, see if something happens), then the dude that gave up the own goal re-took the lead (keeper made a good save, forward was able to react just right to finish it), then Benfica went back on the offensive in the last 20 minutes and were able to score the equalizer late (another nice save, quick thinking rebound). The 2nd leg of this should be pretty great because these teams seem built to probe each other's weaknesses.

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Manchester United

Man, Atletico more or less dominated the entire match but right when it seemed like Man U was never gonna score, they found the net and stole back the draw. Atletico scored right away (good cross but the striker really had to stretch to get the finish) and firmly controlled the 1st half and really most of the 2nd half. Not sure how they managed to not score another goal, they so completely dominated that they forgot to pile on the insurance goal. It burned them: sneaky good pass after a turnover at midfield, then a lucky pass (as the last defender stabbed and missed), and a really nifty touch to put the ball behind the keeper, and we got a draw instead of an easy Atletico W. 

Atletico will come out hard in the 2nd leg, should be a good one.  

2021-22 NBA Mid-season (-ish)

The East breaks into four clear post-season tiers:

(2) Bulls, (1) Heat

Both teams are balling and seemed poised to keep balling into the post-season, where both are gonna be tough outs. The Bulls aren't as deep, but if they stay healthy, I can see them finishing 1st.

I think the Heat keep up the pace but their rotation still has some tinker time in it, so I can see them falling behind the Bulls (but hold off everyone else) to finish 2nd.

(3) Sixers, (4) Cavs, (5) Bucks

I like the Bucks to ramp up over the next six weeks. They've been strangely "okay" this year, but they're seasoned vets now and they experienced their best success when coming from behind, but now is the time to crank up the intensity. I think they'll get to 3rd.

The Sixers might be dangerous in the playoffs--and I can see them having a brutal hot streak before then, too--but I also think it'll take them a while to figure out how the Harden-Embiid tandem works, so I think they get passed by the Bucks, settle into 4th.

Feels like the Cavs are most likely to fade down the stretch (or be a soft puncher in the playoffs), but they've already overachieved, why can't they continue overachieving? I'll take the Cavs to finish 5th.

(6) Celtics, (7) Raptors, (8) Nets

The Nets have the most talent, now is the time for them to figure out how it all works and I think they will. I think Simmons is a good fit btw Kyrie and KD and come April they could be a juggernaut.

I like the Raptors. Don't love them, but they know who they are and they play well together. This is a good team and though I don't see them getting into the top 6, I wouldn't be shocked. I got them 7th.

The Celtics have been good lately. Too good. I don't buy it. I think they're a nice team, I like adding White, they're gonna be thorny in the playoffs, but I think they're 8th.

(9) Hornets, (10) Hawks

I dunno. The Hornets have the most interesting roster they've probably ever had--definitely a fun watch and I look forward to see them in the playoffs--but they're not very good right now. I'm only assuming they'll be better than the Hawks.

I dunno. I was all in on the Hawks this season, I gulped deep from last year's kool-aid and, outside of their drastic drop in defense, I don't really understand why they haven't racked up more W's, so I dunno. 

(11) Wizards, (12) Knicks, (13) Pacers, (14) Pistons, (15) Magic

Yeah, these teams all suck and have no reason to win anyway. Pistons and Magic should dual for the #1 pick. I guess I'd say the Pacers and Wizards have the best chance to win games for no particular reason, but I don't see either of them getting into the play-in games. The Knicks are a broken team, I just can't see them being successful for the rest of the season (but still not bad enough for a top 3 pick!).

Playoffs projections for now:

I'll take Hornets over Hawks; Raptors over Celtics; Celtics over Hornets

I'll take: Bulls over Celtics (7), Heat over Raptors (6), Bucks over Nets (7), Sixers over Cavs (5)

Bucks-Nets in the 1st round! Sixers over Bulls, Bucks over Heat. Bucks over Sixers.

The West is all in the table (almost):

(1) Suns

Yeah, killin' it. I think they'll still be pretty good without Chris Paul (perhaps its best to get his annual injury out of the way before the playoffs...?). I like them to hold off the Warriors.

(2) Warriors

Yeah, haven't even really gotten going yet. They're still experimenting but I think they'll finish snugly behind the Suns.

(3) Grizzlies

Dude, these guys are good. They are nasty on defense, pretty good on offense and play with reckless abandon. I don't think they catch up with the Suns or Warriors, but hold off everyone else.

(4) Jazz, (5) Mavs, (6) Nuggets

I think the Nuggets are led by the most indestructible monster in the game, so even if nothing happens, I still like the Nuggets to leapfrog the Mavs into 4th (and they might have good things happening, in which case I think they fly into 4th).

The Mavs don't feel like they're getting better, but they're in a pretty good groove right now that I think holds them in 5th.

I'm not as into the Jazz as I have been in years past. Without Ingles (or a reasonable upgrade), they're too reliant on Jordan Clarkson for big numbers and Donovan Mitchell playing hero ball, which I don't think is a good idea.

(7) Wolves, (8) Clippers

I don't really understand how the Clippers work, but I like them to close strong and steal the play-in game home court. 

I like the Wolves but really I don't like anyone else in the West to challenge (except for the Clippers). I see them finishing 8th.

(9) Lakers

They're heading into the toughest part of their schedule, which means their easy W's are pretty much all gone. Lebron will really have to strain just to keep them afloat. But everyone behind them is pretty bad, so I like the Lakers to hold on to 9th.

(10) Blazers, (11) Spurs, (12) Pelicans, (13 Kings, (14) Thunder, (15) Rockets

I'll take the Spurs to come out of this pile...to lose to the Lakers in the play-in. Well, actually still a pretty good season for the Spurs. 

The Pelicans are playing pretty good right now, doesn't seem like enough to lure Zion out of early retirement, but should kill their chances at a good draft pick, so...yeah...the most awful place to be in the NBA. Congrats!

The Kings have nothing better to do than play ball and I wouldn't be shocked to see them win a bunch of games and even feel like a team on the rise going into the summer (don't be fooled: that feeling will be long gone by Xmas). But that still pretty much only gets them 12th in the West.

The Blazers have been getting sneaky W's lately (I think the Kings might start stealing some of those), but they're in a such a rebuild that as soon as the dust settles, we'll be reminded that they're not very good.

The Thunder are built for draft picks. A top-5 pick is all they have in mind (do they trade SGA in the summer? Don't be shocked).

The Rockets are basically all rookies, they couldn't win even if they wanted to (and they don't want to). 

Playoff projections for now:

I'll take the Clippers over the Wolves; Lakers over the Spurs; Wolves over the Lakers

I'll take Suns over Wolves (6), Warriors over Clippers (5), Grizzlies over Jazz (7), Nuggets over Mavs (7)

Nuggets over Suns (6), Warriors over Grizzlies (5) Warriors over Nuggets (7)

Warriors over Bucks (7)....okay, we'll see.

2021-22 NBA Bric-a-Brac (Weeks 14-17 w/Trade Deadline) (*)

Notable injuries

Alex Caruso (Bulls) out indefinitely (fracture right wrist) 

Cheap shot from Grayson Allen (Bucks) looks likely to cut short a fine season from Caruso. Yeah, if I was Caruso, I'd be hating Allen for the rest of my days--and they play in the same division! Feels like some old Norris division kinda shit might be going on btw Chi-town and Milwaukee for the next few years, goon on goon action might get outta control. 

Didi Louzada (Pelicans/Blazers) out indefinitely (torn meniscus in left knee)

Traded while injured? I thought that wasn't allowed by the league nor prudent practice by any team. This really just highlights how badly the Blazers are eager to tank.

Cam Payne (Suns) out indefinitely (sprained right wrist)

The Suns are masterfully working time off for their rotation guys. They've studied the Popovic method for using rest to go deeper into the post-season. This may well net the Suns an extra W in the playoffs. 

Cody Zeller (Blazers/free agent) out indefinitely (right knee surgery)

Zeller probably won't be back this season. If his price tag is low, he'll have plenty of offers, he's still big and reasonably skilled.

Terence Davis (Kings) out indefinitely (right wrist)

Haven't really seen much of Davis this year.

Tim Hardaway Jr (Mavs) out indefinitely (fractured left foot)

That contract is overpriced but not wildly so; at its longest right now, but declining so not an onerous deal. He meshes pretty well with Luka but he's probably movable. The Mavs are kinda always in flux around Luka, not sure how much longer Hardaway is in the mix. 

Usman Garuba (Rockets) out indefinitely (surgery on left wrist)

Nice young rookie. Kinda like what (little) I've seen of him.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) out indefinitely (sprained right ankle)

Well, the Thunder aren't interested in W's right now anyway, just as well to let Shai get some rest. 

Joe Ingles (Jazz/Blazers) out for season (torn ACL in left knee)

Damn. Feels like the next time we see Ingles, it'll be signing a 1-day contract so he can retire with the Jazz. At 34, a year long knee injury is gonna be tough to come back from. As a free agent cut loose (presumably) by the Blazers, he'll be free to move right back into the Jazz system, right? Maybe there's a chance he comes back, but I suspect he'd be better as a coach or a player personnel kinda guy than as a 3-and-D guy. (Also I felt like they could've traded him to Atlanta for Gallinari, would've been a better fit) They brought in Ingles back in the day to be the Dante Exum whisperer, then he turned out to have much longer and more productive career than Exum ever did. Ingles must be a fan favorite and how many guys nowadays actually wanna live in SLC? (Pretty much just Joe Ingles) I fully expect Jingles to be part of the Utah front office or at least a regular part of Jazz lore for at least the next decade. Guys like Joe Ingles are rare and I'm glad I got to see him. Always liked that guy, good shooter, good defender, fun player to watch, unique style. I'm rooting for him but it's hard to imagine he'll be back.  

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Thunder) out indefinitely (fractured right foot)

Rookie who has had some decently promising moments this season. I hope he gets back for summer league.

Bradley Beal (Wizards) out for the season (left wrist surgery)

The Wizards spent so many seasons just sucking, then got really weird this season, seemed like they might be buyers at the deadline or like they might completely up-end the franchise, instead they kinda whimpered away some dudes and outta nowhere ended up with Porzingis....I have absolutely no idea what this team is now. I'm not sure if they suck, never know, man: KP and Beal might be money together and getting 'Trez and Dinwddie out might make all the difference...or maybe not....maybe not even close...who knows? As for Beal, I'm sure he's fine. Gets to go to Cancun a little earlier than usual this summer but I reckon he'll be ready to ball in the Fall. 

Jay Scrubb (Clippers) out for the season (right foot surgery)

I don't know who that is. 

Larry Nance (Pelicans) out indefinitely (right knee surgery)

They just got Nance. Is the plan to bring him back this year to play with Zion? Or are we waiting til next season for both of them?

Chris Silva (Heat) placed on ineligible IL

Silva was waived, re-signed and placed on IL in a matter of hours. This smells like roster/cap manipulation more than a meaningful basketball move.

Front office moves

James Jones (Suns) given contract extension as GM

A trip to the Finals in his first year...what took so long on the extension?

Sashi Brown (Wizards) resigns as President

Hmmmm....no idea what's going on here. So he had nothing to do with this year's trade deadline moves?

Trades

Nuggets get Bryn Forbes; Spurs get Juancho Hernangomez, 2028 Nuggets 2nd rd pick, cash; Celtics get Bol Bol, PJ Dozier

Nuggets get a reliable energetic perimeter vet off the bench and give up two dudes that weren't playing anyway. Celtics ended up moving Bol and Dozier (and a 2nd rd pick) for a 2nd rd pick (one of those moves that seems utterly meaningless on paper but probably saves the state of Massachusetts a billion dollars or something, its some weird sacrifice to ancient gods or something), so they move on from Hernangomez (who also got moved by the Spurs). So...basically the Nuggets got Bryn Forbes for...a series of magic tricks and a 2nd rd pick.

Blazers get Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, Keon Johnson, 2025 Clippers 2nd rd pick; Clippers get Norman Powell, Robert Covington

From the Blazers' perspective this was just a salary dump, so getting a nice young prospect (Johnson), a veteran that will give you minutes (Winslow) and an expiring contract (Bledsoe), and a 2nd rounder is a nice haul. I think Johnson becomes a focus for them this summer, I think Winslow is now ready to settle into the wiley veteran mode (might take a while but I still haven't given up on him), I think he's got good years in him and hell even Bledsoe will score some points, so while he's not a long term fixture he's not detrimental to the team. 

As for the Clippers, picking up Powell is actually a clever move: I think he's a good fit with PG and Kawhi and there's still room for Morris and/Kenard and/or Reggie Jax and maybe even Covington (a free agent this summer, I could see the Clippers trying to keep him). This was a build for next year (when Kawhi and PG come back healthy) move and I like it, one of those deals that works for both teams (Blazers get more diverse and flexible, Clippers get more usable talent ready to play now (er, well, next year)).  

Cavs get Caris LeVert, 2022 Pacers 2nd rd pick; Pacers get Ricky Rubio, 2022 Cavs 1st rd pick, 2022 2nd rd pick, 2027 2nd rd pick

Rubio is out for the year (and, am I wrong: he's retiring this year, right?), so he's just a contract in this deal (which is too bad because I always dug Rubio and he was ballin' out this year). So for the Pacers this all about the draft picks. They get Cavs 1st rd pick (btw 20-24, I'd guess) this year and the Cavs 2nd rd pick (around 50 or so) and a 2027 2nd rd pick (a 2nd rd pick 5 years from now is literally the smallest possible object of value in the NBA, less like a penny and more like a stamp). And they also sent out their own 2nd rd pick (which should be around #35, which is a pretty good pick). So the Pacers traded LaVert and the #35 pick to move up a little bit in the draft and get back a coupla meaningless 2nd rounders. Meh. I guess that's okay, feels like they could've done better for LaVert but this is weird year and grabbing anything you can is not a bad way to go, I reckon. 

For the Cavs, it strengthens their bench heading into the post-season and with the roster they have, I'd rather have the #34 pick than #20 and I couldn't care less about #50, so nothing but ups for the Cavs. Not merely free improvement, it was really convenient free improvement. So yeah, clear W for the Cavs. 

Kings get Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, 2023 2nd rd pick; Pacers get Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Tristan Thompson

I like Sabonis as much as the next guy, but what does he do for Sacramento? How does he make them better? And how is playing with Richaun Holmes gonna be any different than playing with Myles Turner? How does this move solve any of Sabonis's problems or the Kings' problems? And why did the Kings trade away Halliburton for any reason? (*sigh*) You know, I always keep trying to like the Kings but it's like they are specifically designed to do the wrong thing every time. I like Sabonis and they'll actually play Holiday and Lamb but getting them for Halliburton (the best player in the deal) and Hield and Thompson is not really an upgrade, just a re-arrangement. No matter what the Kings do, they'll always be the Kings.

I love the move for the Pacers. Halliburton is the best player and though I like Sabonis a lot, he wasn't a great fit with what the Pacers do, so they definitely got the better player on a better contract at a better position at a better place in his career. Good move for the Pacers. Getting Hield gives them perimeter scoring that is an upgrade on Lamb (and they have already waived Thompson). The Pacers got a lot younger at the deadline and they'll probably look to trade at least one of the vets (Hield and/or Brogdon) and add two 1st rounders next year.

Blazers get Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky, Didi Louzada Silva, 2022 Pelicans 1st rd pick, 2026 2nd rd pick, 2027 2nd rd pick; Pelicans get CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Tony Snell

The Blazers are emptying their payroll (though I have yet to see any kind of "plan" at work), and getting back a good Pelicans draft pick, Hart and Louzada (NAW and Satoransky have already been moved again), gives them a little something. The pick is nice and Hart is a reliable guy (does he fit with Anfrenee Simons? Probably) but trading away McCollum is a big ol' white flag on the future.

The Pelicans got a good veteran to go with Zion and Ingram and that makes them, well, more fun to watch, not sure it puts them into the post-season, though. They'll need Zion for that and I don't see him coming back any time soon. So....not sure what this trade actually does for them. 

Blazers get Joe Ingles, Elijah Hughes, 2022 Jazz 2nd rd pick; Jazz get Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Juancho Hernangomez; Spurs get Tomas Satoransky, 2022 Jazz 2nd rd pick

Blazers end up with Elijah Hughes, a nice role player (do they actually want him?). 

Jazz end up with Alexander-Walker and a Hernangomez (the much maligned one, I think) to go in their rotation, which is not as good as Ingles, but he was no longer going to help them, so I guess this is sort of an upgrade. 

Spurs get Satoransky, who seems like the perfect Spur....ten years ago. I like Satorasnky as much as the next guy but I doubt he'll be in the NBA next season. So this was all a deckchair-shuffling exercise, with some 2nd round picks thrown in, right?

Celtics get a 2023 Magic 2nd rd pick; Magic get Bol Bol, PJ Dozier, undisclosed 2nd rd pick

The Celtics had to add a 2nd rd pick just to get a 2nd rd pick back? What kinda paperwork nightmare is this? Do the Magic actually want Bol (promising but injury prone) or Dozier (playable vet but so-so at best)? The only significance of this deal is if Bol turns into something--which he might! We'll see but I suspect history will little note nor long remember that this deal ever happened.

Raptors get Thad Young, Drew Eubanks, 2022 Spurs 2nd rd pick; Spurs get Goran Dragic, 2022 Raptors 1st rd pick

Goran Dragic is the perfect Spur....ten years ago. And they've already released him, so for Thad Young and a 2nd rd pick (something in the low 30's, I'd say), they got a 1st rd pick (something in the low 20's, I'd say). Was the move up in the draft worth it? Hmmmm.....I doubt it. I'd rather have the early 2nd rounder than the late 1st rounder this far out from draft day. 

Raptors gave up their 1st rounder and their Dragic-in-the-hole for a Thad Young rental....meh. They should've just worked harder at convincing Dragic to play out his deal in Toronto. 

Suns get Aaron Holiday; Wizards get cash

(So does this mean the Suns don't want Goran Dragic?) is what I wrote before Dragic signed with the Nets. I'm just sayin'....if CP is gonna be out for a while, why not give Dragic a spin off the bench? 

Pacers get Jalen Smith, 2022 Suns 2n rd pick; Suns get Torrey Craig, cash

Pacers get to kick the tires on the #10 pick in last year's draft simply because the Suns have a payroll logjam and can't afford to pay their next guy; so, the Pacers move on from an 1-dimensional vet for an extra lottery ticket (that already looks at least okay). Free money for the Pacers (and nifty accounting work for the Suns).

Hornets get Montrezl Harrell; Wizards get Vernon Carey Jr, Ish Smith, 2023 2nd rd pick

I like Montrezl and I think he's kinda perfect for this Hornets squad. Does he push them deep into the playoffs? Well, we'll have to see about that. The Hornets are (for the first time in ages) a downright interesting team and if they can gel over the next six weeks, then they can be a sneaky pain in the ass team come playoff time. 

The Wizards were just looking to move on from a player they're not bringing back next year, so getting a flyer on a nice young big man is a fine return, I suppose. (I would think there might be teams out there that would rather have Ish Smith than the Wizards, will he be getting released soon?)

Bucks get Serge Ibaka, two undisclosed 2nd rd picks, cash; Clippers get Rodney Hood, Semi Ojeleye, rights to Vanja Markovic; Kings gets Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Jackson, Trey Lyles, rights to David Michineau, 2nd rd pick; Pistons get Marvin Bagley

Not exactly sure why the Bucks were so gung-ho on getting rid of DiVincenzo (I understand perfectly wanting to get rid of Hood and Ojeleye). But Ibaka is a sensible vet than can do a lot, so its nice to have him around, I suppose.

Not exactly sure why the Clippers were so gung-ho on getting rid of Ibaka--and I have no idea why taking back Hood and Ojeleye is thought of as a plus for them. Clippers are buying and selling at the same time, which suggests they're setting up for next season, not this one. (Maybe Vanja Markovic is the secret sauce of this deal....)

Not exactly sure why the Kings were so gung-ho to get rid of Marvin Bagley. I understand that he had not been their ideal, but did they ever really try to make it work? Frankly, Bagley is exactly what they need right now and rather than giving him away, I still don't understand why they didn't just play him and make it work. Josh Jackson is not helping anyone and Trey Lyles was better off in Detroit. I like DiVincenzo and if you're not gonna work with Bagley, then I guess trading for DiVincenzo is better but....really?

Not exactly sure what the Pistons are gonna do with Bagley, but they've got a youth movement going and perhaps he just needed a change of scenery. We'll see. 

Celtics get Daniel Theis; Rockets get Dennis Schroder, Enes Kanter Freedom, Bruno Fernando

The Celtics are in addition-by-subtraction mode and getting back Theis (for more money than the Celtics originally wanted to pay him--funny world we live in! Hey, Avery Bradley is probably available, too! Why not get the whole band back together?), is just a mild little bonus for getting rid of Shroder (more trouble than he was worth) and Kanter (contributing more to the social media page than to the court).

The Rockets have already waived Kanter--not sure why they haven't yet waived Shroder--and pick up Fernando, still young enough to be promising, to throw into their rotation (that Theis had already played himself out of). Yeah, good move for the Rockets, they turned not much into a little bit. 

Celtics get Derrick White; Spurs get Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, 2022 Celtics 1st rd pick, 2028 1st rd pick swap (Celtics)

Great deal for the Celtics! I think White is a great fit with Tatum and Brown and makes for a nice platoon with Marcus Smart, meaning the real Celtic core wasn't touched and, indeed, was added to. Richardson was expendable, Langford now gets a second chance in a new town and that 1st rd pick was not getting anyone excited, this was a good deal. 

The Spurs unclutter their back court (this is Dejounte Murray's team), get back some scoring (right? Langford is gonna score, right?), give Richardson a defensive showcase for his next contract, a 1st rd pick and a far off pick swap (that might come in handy). White was a reliable part of their rotation but he wasn't the future of the Spurs, so this is the right move for them.

Mavs get Spencer Dinwiddie, Davis Bertans; Wizards get Kristaps Porzingis, 2022 Mavs 2nd rd pick

Okay. I get moving on from Porzingis, having a nice year but wildly overpriced, much too injury-prone and not exactly pals with Luka, but Dinwiddie doesn't seem like the right fit for Luka, either, and Bertans has been a bit of a bust (though I think he'll fit better with Luka than he did with the Wizards). I think these are two different deals and I think the Mavs would've been better served by holding on to KP. 

The Wizards get a "star" (well, he's paid like one) to go with Beal, which now clearly forms their nucleus for the foreseeable future. Moving on from Bertans is a godsend and Dinwiddie was never the guy in DC, so basically they're getting Porzingis for free. Good deal. 

Sixers get James Harden, Paul Millsap; Nets get Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, 2022 Sixers 1st rd pick, another 1st rd pick

I think this trade works for both teams. The Sixers get a for-real scorer to pair with Embiid and the Nets get younger, cheaper and more hungry. 

I think Harden is still the most boring big star I've ever seen and I've been telling ya since day one that Ben Simmons's inability to make FT's is a SERIOUS PROBLEM. But I really do think Harden is a better fit than Simmons in Philly and that Simmons and Curry are going to do more for the Nets rotation than Harden was going to. Thumbs up for both teams--now, let's see 'em match up in the playoffs!

Extensions/Signings

Patrick Beverley (Wolves) signed a 1-year/$13m extension

Okay. Nice trade chip if the Wolves wanna pull off some big deal this summer or need to sell at next year's deadline. And if the Wolves are good (50/50, I'd say, should be on the upswing next season), then he fits their rotation at a reasonable price. Good signing, I'm into this. 

Daishen Nix (Rockets) signed a 4-year extension

Nix is a 2nd rd pick, so signing him long term at the first hint of promise is the way to go. 

Aaron Wiggins (Thunder) signed a 4-year/$6.4m extension

Wiggins has played 34 games in his rookie season. His raw numbers are not particularly impressive but they're fine for his age. A contract like this is about guaranteeing a bit of money for the player while maximizing the years of control for the team (like a baseball deal). My guess is teams offer contracts like this all the time and most guys think they can do better (whether they can or not).  

Caleb Martin (Heat), Ryan Arcidiacano (Knicks), Deandre Bembry (Bucks), Danuel House (Jazz), Luke Kornet (Celtics), Sam Hauser (Celtics) sign for the rest of the season

I kinda love both of the Martin twins, those dudes ball out, perfect for Heat Culture (I expect they'll give him more money, more years this summer). Arcidiacano will get minutes (especially if they're without Rose for long). Bembry will likely play til April then I wouldn't expect him to get playoff minutes. The Jazz go deep rotation from time to time, I can see House getting some fringe minutes. I don't see either of the Celtics dudes getting much time (short of major injury). 

Xavier Sneed (Jazz), JaVonte Smart (Heat) signed to 2-way contracts

Don't know Sneed or Smart, could be a roster move or maybe they love him, no idea.

Haywood Highsmith (Heat) signed to a 10-day contract

Highsmith is a kina fun watch, big crazy big guy. 2-way contract is a great place to stash a weird young prospect. 

Waived/Relinquished

Olivier Sarr (Thunder), Solomon Hill (Knicks), Denzel Valentine (Jazz), James Ennis (Nuggets), Wenyen Gabriel (Clippers), Zylan Cheatham (Jazz), Paris Bass (Suns), Xavier Moon (Clippers), Dakota Mathias (Grizzlies), Cassius Stanley (Pistons), Cody Zeller (Blazers), Mamade Diakite (Thunder), Chris Silva (Heat), E'Twaun Moore (Magic), Michael Carter-Williams (Magic), PJ Dozier (Magic), DeAndre Bembry (Nets), Drew Eubanks (Raptors), Armoni Brooks (Rockets), Enes Kanter Freedom (Rockets), Justin Jackson (Suns), Paul Watson (Thunder), DJ Augustine (Rockets), KZ Okpala (Thunder), Jahmi'us Ramsey (Kings), Robert Woodard (Kings), Moses Brown (Mavs), Abdel Nader (Suns), Reggie Perry (Pacers), Tristan Thompson (Pacers), Louis King (Kings), Greg Monroe (Bucks), Goran Dragic (Spurs), 

Tristan Thompson is rumored to be signing with the Bulls any day now. (And hasn't he already announced that he's retiring this year?)

Dragic is (right?) headed to the Nets. Man, why didn't he just play for the Raptors? He'd be fine in their system and they're exactly the kinda edge playoff team that just needs a boost from a crafty veteran--he was a perfect fit! Anyway, I would've thought Denver, Dallas and Phoenix would've been in the mix (is he eligible to return to Miami?). 

The rest are mostly just roster/cap casualties, has virtually nothing to do with their play on the court. These are the deadline orphans, a handful will find their way back to rosters. 

Health & Safety Protocols

Daniel Gafford (Wizards) as of February 6 seems destined to be the answer to the trivia question "Who was the last NBA player to miss games because of Covid?" (well, unless you count Kyrie Irving being stuck in a city that still fetishizes civic power trips and phony "health" measures over common sense). 

I'm done with this segment because the world is finally done with Covid-19 (hey, planet Earth: take a tip from the NBA and move on with your lives!). I'll bring it back if need be but in the age of Omicron, why would it need to be? Remember: it was SXSW, the NCAA and the NBA that ushered in the lockdown--not the gov't--so when these organizations (like Coachella) announce they're done with Covid, then it is now time for the gov't to follow suit.

(*) Fell off of this blog for a while because of a sick cat. I love this cat and I really thought he was going to die. But I'm pleased to report he's starting to get annoying again! 'Yo, dude, laying in bed all day while I bring you food is not a long term plan!' He still has some muscle atrophy in his haunches, but he's mostly back to full health. Good to have him back (though, to be honest, if not for the injury, he might've been moved at the trade deadline).  

2021-22 NFL Season

Bengals 20-23 Rams

The score was close, both teams struggled against good defensive line play (especially in the 2nd half) and neither offense took control. But the Rams were the better team in the 1st half and outside of the Bengal TD on the first play of the 2nd half (on another dirty play the refs conveniently missed (*)), followed quickly by a fluke interception that led to another FG, the Rams pretty thoroughly dominated the 2nd half. Not the most exciting game, but a close hard fought contest, this was more of a defensive contest than what I had expected. 

The MVP went to Cooper Kupp, who came alive on the Rams' final drive when they took the lead, and that's fine but it was Matthew Stafford that got him the ball and it was Aaron Donald that took over the game from the interior of the defensive line that kept the Bengals from moving forward, so personally I had Kupp third on my MVP short list. Some downplay the game but it was compelling entertainment throughout and made for an interesting close to the season.  

All in all, the Chiefs and the Packers (my pre-season picks) were arguably the two best teams from beginning to end. But the Packers forgot about special teams and the Chiefs just suddenly forgot how to play in the 2nd half of the semifinal. The Rams had the most talent but probably needed some luck (like not having to go to Lambeau Field in January) and the Bills were the second best team in the AFC, but did not get their lucky break (that instead went to the Bengals). Joe Burrow is firmly among the best QB's in the league right now and Stafford is now a consensus Hall of Famer (I concur: he already had a career's worth of stats, just needed a SB win to put him in). 

All right....already looking forward to next year (when my Bills should take that next step). 

(*) Wait...isn't every scoring play automatically reviewed? Live it looked like it could've just been incidental contact (the WR slowed down a bit and the CB bumped into him) but on the replay, it is plainly obvious that the WR yanked the CB's facemask and threw him to the ground--how do you review it and not notice that? And why weren't the Rams able to throw their own review flag? Frankly that was the Bengals' finest offensive moment and it was clearly a foul that should've nullified the score.

2021-22 NFL Superbowl

AFC: Bengals 30-27 (OT) Chiefs

Well, the Chiefs were dominating this match until they just stopped playing. They rather easily scored TD's on their first three drives while holding the Bengals to a single hard fought FG. Then came the Perrine play (swing pass to the RB, he breaks one tackle, gets a nice block down field and goes 41 yards for the TD), and the Chiefs bumbled the rest of the game away. Right before the Half, the Chiefs got the ball to the 1-yard line--3 feet from a death blow!--and rather than taking the FG, they try a swing pass to Tyreke that goes nowhere, clock runs out. (WTF was that?) No worries, though, the Chiefs get the ball to start the 2nd half...but they go nowhere. And rather than getting back to their 1st half mastery--all they had to do was keep running the ball!--they floundered throughout and I've never seen Mahomes flail so badly. The Bengals, on the other hand, kept their game plan in order and even stole the lead before the Chiefs finally put together a good drive (though Mahomes inexplicably tried to fumble it away) to send the game to OT. Well, in perfect Chiefs fashion, they won the coin toss and then....went nowhere all over again. Bengals win. Weird, man. The Bengals made the necessary adjustments at halftime to fustigate Mahomes but the solution to the problem was to hand off to McKinnon and run up the middle for 4-5 yards every time, eat up the clock and pile up FG's. Yeah...the Chiefs did none of that. The Bengals are good and they did what they needed to do to win but the Chiefs were the better team when they felt like it. I have no idea why the Chiefs chose not to win this game but that's how it worked out.  

NFC: Niners 17-20 Rams 

Back and forth game, neither team took command, though the Niners finally gave it away with a late interception. Both teams had a few good drives but I'd say the Rams were the better offense, with a missed FG, an interception in the end zone and an ill-advised 4th down attempt mixed in with their punts. The Niners had the lead for most of the game but I never felt they were in control, nor that they would win. The Rams tend to start well and then wane late in the game, but here they played a complete game and were generally the better team. 

(Did anyone notice all the late hits, helmet-to-helmet, out of bounds hits, illegal shots after turnovers, etc., in both games? Dude, they even threw a flag on the Niners defense and then just picked it up--wtf? Weird, man, both games featured a number of what looked like illegal hits to me that did not get called, seems like the NFL is going full Rollerball to close out this season)

Super Bowl: Rams (-4) @ Bengals (o/u 48.5)

I've been watching the Bengals all season and though I think the Chiefs were better (oh, and I still believe Buffalo would've beaten the Bengals, too), the Bengals are not a fluke, they are legit good, that offense is really good and the defense has been getting better over the last 4-6 weeks or so; and if you haven't watched much Joe Burrow so far, I assure you that dude is fuckin' good (*). The Rams at their best are probably the best team in the league but they don't seem capable of 4 straight quarters of excellence, meaning the Bengals will have a shot at stealing the W. My basic take on these teams is that the Rams start well and finish poorly and that the Bengals start slow but get rolling by the end. Based on that I expect the Rams to be up at halftime and probably starting the 4th quarter, but that the Bengals will be in contention and could well steal this game late. In other words: the final 2 minutes or so should be good stuff. While I wouldn't be surprised to see Joe Burrow lead a comeback, I think the Rams will make the necessary defensive stand and seal the victory. (I like either Aaron Donald or Von Miller to win MVP) I'll go with the Rams 27-24 (Bengals and the over).  

(*) My favorite Joe Burrow quality: whatever happened five minutes ago don't matter, that guy thinks only of the next play. You can tell, too, that his teammates kinda worship him--a necessary condition, I would suggest, in a truly successful QB.