2018-19 NBA Bric-a-brac (Week 17)

Waivings
Mitch Creek (Nets), Shelvin Mack (Hawks), Zach Randolph (Mavs), Wade Baldwin (Pacers), Nik Stauskus (Pacers), Michael Beasley (Clippers), Henry Ellenson (Pistons), Alex Abrines (Thunder), John Jenkins (Wizards), Jeremy Lin (Hawks)
Kinda thought the Nets were high on Creek; wouldn't be surprised if he turns up on their Summer League team.
From the roster moves they made, I kinda thought the Hawks were going to keep Mack but I guess not.
Thought the Mavs might hold on to Zeebo for the end of the year. I reckon that's the last we'll see of him in this league. Dude had some really good years, especially with the grit-and-grind Grizzlies, he and Gasol were a fierce tandem for a while. Probably not a Hall of Famer but a really good player for a long time.
Baldwin is probably done in the NBA, I liked his chances coming out of NCAA, especially with the guard-poor Grizzlies but he just never caught on, I guess. He's still young enough to be back for Summer League but hard to imagine him on a roster next season.
Stauskus is one of those guys that's pretty effective in int'l play but never could carve out a space for himself in the league (a la JJ Reddick). He was drafted too high, boosted his paycheck but also warped the expectations. I can see him hanging around another year or two, he's not quite done.
Beasley just seems like a Detroit Piston, right? He can still be a useful vet for a team ready to make a late season push (but not a team that already has its ducks in a row).
Ellenson was a good looking prospect in his Team USA days but never made the leap to bigtime basketball. Now he's just another reminder of how awful Stan Van Gundy was at the draft.
I dunno what's up with Abrines, that was a weird story. He disappeared from the team for some kind of 'personal issue' that eventually led both sides to agree that waiving was the best option. Abrines is a nice 2nd string combo guard, definitely good enough to be in the league but not a big star by any measure, don't know if we'll learn what happened here, wouldn't be surprised to see him back next year or to see him return to Europe. Don't know.
I remember Jenkins at Vandy, nice player, don't remember him at all as a pro, no idea if he'll be back.
Lin is still a really good 2nd string PG and can be really helpful to  good team (like, say, the Raptors).


Signings (for rest of the year)
Wayne Ellington (Pistons), Salah Mejri (Mavs), Wesley Matthews (Pacers), Nik Stauskus (Cavs), Enes Kanter (Blazers), Jeremy Lin (Raptors),
Yup, that's what the Pistons have needed all along: Wayne Ellington. Go ahead and pencil them into the playoffs, boys!
Mejri was waived and then immediately brought back--which I didn't think was legal. I'd be surprised to see him back next year, this summer will likely bring a major housecleaning in Dallas.
Matthews was having a nice year, he can give the Pacers some good perimeter defense. Don't forget: even without Oladipo, the Pacers are going to the playoffs, so they need to be ready for the long haul even if their chances of success have been massively curtailed. Matthews got run out of Dallas for roster manipulations, not because he's washed up, he's a good fit the Pacers.
The Cavs needed to get younger, cheaper and less burdened for the future and a 3 month rental of Stauskus (in place of the long-term money they were giving Kyle Korver) does all of that. The roster is so thin I expect Stauskus to play and if he's good, might even get a 1-year offer this summer.
Kanter should give the Blazers what they've been missing since Ed Davis bolted last summer: good around the basket, good offense to go with the attacking guards, good rebounder off the bench, etc. Personally, I still like Kanter in the right situation and this one seems pretty good.
The Raptors are built on their superior 2nd string and adding Lin is a great move for them (especially after losing Wright and Miles), I think he can play with or without Van Vleet.


Signings (multi-year deals)
Chris Boucher (Raptors), Malcolm Miller (Raptors), Edmund Sumner (Pacers), Bruno Caboclo (Grizzlies)
These moves are likely roster manipulations, though Caboclo looks to get serious minutes for the thin-rostered Grizzlies.


Signings (10 Day Contracts)
Corey Brewer (Kings), Isaiah Canaan (Wolves), John Jenkins (Knicks)
Brewer had moments with the Sixers, thought they'd keep him but they made moves to shore up the bench instead (Ennis, Scott, Boban, etc), leaving no room for him. I reckon he'll play some with the Kings, wouldn't be surprised to see them sign him for the rest of the season.
Canaan and Jenkins are reliable human beings that can fill out a roster, show up to practice, pack bags for road trips and collect paychecks--hey, the NBA needs a coupla dozen of those guys on call at all times. I doubt there's much playing time for either of them.

Claimed off waivers
Shelvin Mack (Hornets)
Haven't seen any word that the Hornets have signed Mack but they do control his rights for now.


Injuries
Fred Van Vleet (Raptors)
Van Vleet looks to be out for 3-4 weeks with a thumb injury. Looks like Jeremy Lin will be picking up those minutes.

Isiah Thomas (Nuggets)
Made his season debut the other day. Will his return be a boon or an albatross for the Nuggets rotation? The answer to that will tell you how far the Nuggets get in the post-season (and how ugly it looks when they finally bow out). The Nuggets already have a deep rotation of wing-scorers and playmakers, if Thomas is getting more than 10 minutes a game it'll be because he's his old unstoppable self.

2018-19 Super Bowl

Pats 13-3 Rams

This will be remembered as the Super Bowl where nothing happened. The Pats moved the ball reasonably well but outside of their single late TD drive, they always managed to sputter. The Rams, on the other hand, never got any offense going at all. Brady and Goff's stats were eeirly similar considering that Brady kinda moved the ball whereas Goff went 3-and-out on virtually every drive. Belichik and Brady win another one, the torch has yet to be passed.

The fact that people were bored by spectacular defense calls attention to a weird anomaly of seeing football on TV: in football watching the ball means you miss the entire defense, you literally only get half the game. In basketball and hockey, you can generally see all the players at any given moment; in baseball and soccer, there's pretty much nothing to see away from the ball. But in football there's a lot of action the TV audience never gets to see. Really all you ever get to see is the QB, another factor in the QB being the most famous, highest paid player on each team. Yeah, this game was so unmemorable that pointless observations like this were more interesting to me that revisiting the game itself. I admire good defense, but football without offense gives the viewer a lot of time to kill.

The Pats are in that year-to-year mode and looking over that AFC East, unless there's big leaps forward by Josh Allen (I suppose it's possible) or Sam Darnold (doubt it, NYJ are born to suck), I gotta give the Pats at least one more year in the playoffs with a good shot at a bye in the first round. As for the Rams, there's more competition in the NFC and still a decent chance that Jimmy G and the Niners make a push and the Seahawks are still hanging around; Goff looked shaky in the last two games and Sean McVey is not quite right to put the other coaches out to pasture, but I like the Rams to be a factor in the post-season next year.

*sigh* I miss football.

2018-19 NBA Trade Deadline (Teams)

Raptors
(In) Marc Gasol
(Out) CJ Miles, Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, Greg Monroe, Malachi Richardson, 2021 2nd rd pick, 2024 2nd rd pick, the rights to Emir Preldzic
I dunno, man, does this really make them better? Yes, one great player is generally an upgrade on 3-4 rotation guys but the Raptors are kinda based on their superior 2nd string and at this point in the season it'll take a while to re-mold the 1st string to where they want to be, so when does this new look start to produce dividends? Hopefully by round one of the playoffs, I guess. I like Gasol and he does give them more dynamism down low than the underappreciated Valanciunas but I don't see these moves as necessary: it doesn't make re-signing Kawhi any easier this summer, unless Gasol opts out, so this new look is guaranteed not to last. They'll still need to add to the roster, too, so are they looking at, say, Markieff Morris?

Celtics
(Out) Jabari Bird
They stayed notably silent during the deadline. But moving on from Bird (whom they probably should've moved on from months ago), does give them room for a buy-out signing. So are they into Enes Kanter (good around the rim to go with their attacking guards)? Or Markieff Morris (is reuniting the twins a good thing or a disaster waiting to happen?)? Or Wesley Matthews (a little defensive toughness on the wing)? I dunno, but they've still got at least one more move to make.

Sixers
(In) Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, Jonathon Simmons, James Ennis, Thunder 2019 1st rd pick, 2019 2nd rd pick, 2022 2nd rd pick
(Out) Markelle Fultz, Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Corey Brewer, Sixers 2020 1st rd pick (Top 14 protected), Heat 2021 1st rd pick, 2021 2nd rd pick (Rockets get 2021 2nd rd pick swap), Pistons 2022 2nd rd pick, Pistons 2023 2nd rd pick
Okay, this is the culmination of the process. Since they were shamed into firing Sam Hinkie, the Sixers have dealt away pretty much every bauble and bead that he amassed for them. And now, for better or worse, they have their team going forward: Simmons, Embiid, Butler, and Tobias Harris. Is that gonna work? Well, I guess we've got the rest of this season to find out. But for now they also have Mike Scott (feisty), James Ennis (good defender), Jonathon Simmons (could be really great off the bench) and Boban (always a crowd favorite) to thicken that bench. Still not sure this puts them ahead of the Raptors or Celtics but sure gives them a lot of bodies to throw at Giannis, right? This is a weird collection of talent, should be fun to watch for the rest of the season. (Still good enough next year? I'm dubious: the talent was already there last year and didn't win, this just looks like a really expensive train wreck to me; still don't think they're better than the Celtics going forward)

Nets
(In) 2021 2nd rd pick
They waived Greg Monroe, but why? They got something better on the roster? I guess it doesn't matter, just feels like they could've gotten minutes out of him.

Knicks
(In) DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr. Mavs 2021 1st rd pick (top 10 protected), Mavs 2023 1st rd pick (top 10 protected)
(Out) Kristaps Porzingis, Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, Courtney Lee, Enes Kanter
This was all a prelude to July 1, 2019. If they end up with Durant, Kyrie and Zion, this will look brilliant. If not....oh well, they're the Knicks so it kinda doesn't matter.

Bucks
(In) Nikola Mirotic
(Out) Thon Maker
They moved on from an interesting project to a guy that can actually get buckets from the wing. Definitely helps them now. Not a huge upgrade but the Bucks are a more complete team without enduring much drama. Definitely one of the winner of this year's deadline.

Pacers
(In) Wade Baldwin, Nik Stauskus, 2021 2nd rd pick (*)
(Out) Ike Anigbogu, cash
They ended up with the much-coveted Baldwin and Stauskus, we'll see if that upgrades their bench. They're definitely not a contender without Oladipo, but they should still make the post-season, still a sizable lead on the Hornets/Heat/Pistons, so these moves are meant to keep the squad afloat without interrupting the off-season (when they're gonna have a shocking amount of money to spend) and, man, doesn't Tobias Harris seem like the perfect fit for them?

Pistons
(In) Thon Maker, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, 2021 2nd rd pick
(Out) Stanley Johnson, Reggie Bullock, 2019 2nd rd pick, two 2020 2nd rd picks, 2021 2d rd pick
Oy! These moves don't make them better now or later. Maker and Sy are two still interesting youngsters and that's better than the two vets they let go, but not necessarily worth giving up a boatload of 2nd rd picks. Gotta look busy, I guess.

Bulls
(In) Otto Porter, Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot
(Out) Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis, 2023 2nd rd pick, 2020 2nd rd pick
They saw enough of Parker to know he wasn't the guy and, though I'm not a huge fan of Porter, he is an upgrade on Portis and worth building around, I suppose. Still time to see if Luwawu can be something in this league (never got a chance in Philly or OKC, but he should play in Chicago). I dunno, this is some deckchair shuffling right here: is the Porter-LaVine-Markkenen line scaring anyone in the East?

Cavs
(In) Marquesse Chriss, Brandon Knight, 2019 1st rd pick, 2022 2nd rd pick, 2021 2nd rd pick, 2023 2nd rd pick

(Out) Rodney Hood, Alec Burks, Kobi Simmons, 2021 2nd rd pick

Yeah, not sure I see the upside of these moves. They bring in a pile of draft picks (fool's gold if you don't know how to value them) for more salary. I don't see how this helps them now or going forward. Knight could give them minutes and Chriss is still young enough to look at but they don't help the Cavs next year. (And any trade deadline that goes by without getting rid of JR Smith is a thumbs down for the Cavs)

Hornets
(None)
They were in on the Marc Gasol talk but none of it came to pass. Oh well, it'll be another year or two of salary cap hell before they can make any worthwhile moves. (Strange that Michael Jordan would overpay so many mediocre players, I figured he'd be a skinflint kinda GM, an 'ain't nobody worth that kinda money' kinda GM, instead he's flinging cash at a roster that isn't even guaranteed a playoff spot in the East)

Heat
(In) Ryan Anderson
(Out) Wayne Ellington, Tyler Johnson
This hardly solves Miami's problems. Not at all, in fact. Another year or two of overpriced mediocrity there.

Magic
(In) Markelle Fultz
(Out) Jonathon Simmons, 2019 1st rd pick, 2019 2nd rd pick
If Fultz finds his game, this will be more than worth it. Fultz still has a chance to be a difference-maker in the NBA, which is more than can be said for Simmons or that 2019 pick, so it's worth taking a flyer. If it doesn't work out, oh well, it's Orlando, it don't matter.

Wizards
(In) Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis, Wesley Johnson, 2023 2nd rd pick
(Out) Markieff Morris, Otto Porter, 2023 2nd rd pick,
Well they moved off Porter's money, next year they'll be able to stretch Mahinmi, cut Parker and then...oh wait, they'll still be brutally expensive and have no one on the roster (how can you be too expensive and have an empty cupboard?!?!). I dunno, man, I'm not seeing how this move really upgrades anything for the Wizards, at least Porter and Markieff could play.

Hawks
(In) Shelvin Mack
(Out) Tyler Dorsey, 2nd rd pick (top 55 protected)
Hawks bring back a reliable 2nd string PG and move on from a youngster who seem to decline in every stat after his rookie year. Minimal move but doesn't look like a bad one if they weren't feeling good about Dorsey's chances to develop. (Did they waive Mack?) I like what the Hawks got going, I would suggest laying low this summer (how about taking a run at Jonas Jerebko?), bringing in two more 1st rounders, then aiming for summer 2020 to make splashy move in free agency.

Nuggets
(none)
They got a good squad and they know it, no need to upset the locker room with needless drama. Wise move for a solid young team.

Thunder
(In) 2nd rd pick (top 55 protected)
(Out) Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot
Moved on from TLC to clear up a roster spot for...they interested in bringing Kanter back? Surely they're not interested in bringing Melo back!

Blazers
(In) Rodney Hood, Skal Labissiere
(Out) Wade Baldwin, Nik Stauskus, Caleb Swanigan, 2021 2nd rd pick, 2023 2nd rd pick
Hood gives them a little pep off the bench, more so than Baldwin (they don't really need another ball handler anyway) or Stauskus (the poor man's JJ Reddick that never even became that good). In NCAA I really liked Swanigan's smarts (but not that non-athlete body), while I found Skal's game to be quite a bit less than advertised (#1 prospect out of high school??!? #1? No way, man, he struggled to get 10MPG at Kentucky, not worthy of a 1st round pick), he can run the floor and give you some minute each night. None of these moves are big winners for the Blazers but I guess they provide a little bit more depth.

Jazz
(none)
I'm sure they've got their eye on the waiver wire: Markieff Morris? Can they use Marcin Gortat?

Wolves
(none)
Hmmm, they've had enough drama this year, I reckon. Just mellow this season on down, get it back together in the summer.

Warriors
(none)
Moves made: zero. Moves needed: zero.

Clippers
(In) Wilson Chandler, Landry Shamet, JaMychel Green, Garrett Temple, Micheal Beasley, Ivica Zubac, Sixers 2020 1st rd pick (Top 14 protected), Heat 2021 1st rd pick (unprotected!!!), Pistons 2022 2nd rd pick, Pistons 2023 2nd rd pick
(Out) Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, Avery Bradley, Marcin Gortat, Milos Teodosic,
Dang, for all the talk about the new-look Sixers, it is the Clippers that most drastically remade their roster. To get two 1st rd picks (the 2021 Heat unprotected pick is arguably the most important piece of this entire deadline), two 2nd rd picks, Landry Shamet and Zubac (I'd keep him) to swap out a ton of dead money is really really really good stuff for the Clippers--way better than what the Knicks accomplished and they didn't have to give up Kristap Porzingis! I think the Clippers had the best trade deadline of anybody: doesn't make them better this year but gives them a lot of room to maneuver in the summer (and next summer!). A+!

Kings
(In) Harrison Barnes, Caleb Swanigan
(Out) Justin Jackson, Zach Randolph, Skal Labissiere, Ben McLemore
I like Barnes, I think he can be a nice addition for the Kings. And Swanigan makes them a little smarter, too. I kinda like these moves together: an active vet and a smart young bench guy to replace an aging vet and some young pieces that weren't gonna pan out. Subtle moves but good ones for the Kings.

Lakers
(In) Reggie Bullock, Mike Muscala,
(Out) Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Michael Beasley, Ivica Zubac, 2021 2nd rd pick
All that talk about Anthony Davis....and they ended up with nothing at the deadline. I like Bullock as much as the next guy but I'm not convinced he was wildly better than Mykhailiuk, why not just go for youthful exuberance instead of a mediocre vet (Lebron is just gonna grind down whoever is there anyway). And what was the upside of Muscala instead of just holding onto Zubac? Yeah, he's a raw but I kinda like Zubac (more than Muscala anyway). And if they needed to dump Beasley, why not just waive him? The Lakers are stupid rich and just keep thinking they'll buy their way out of problems instead of just learning how to do it right. Not a fan of any of these moves--their attempts to hijack the Pelicans were laughable and rude and killed their chances to make worthwhile moves at the deadline. Ha!

Suns
(In) Tyler Johnson
(Out) Ryan Anderson
One overexpensive baller for another. Not even sure that Johnson is a better fit than Anderson anyway. I don't get it.

Rockets
(In) Iman Shumpert, Sixers 2021 2nd rd pick (Rockets get 2021 2nd rd pick swap)
(Out) James Ennis, Marquesse Chriss, Brandon Knight, 2019 1st rd pick, 2020 2nd rd pick
Am I looking at this right? What did the Rockets get? They basically swapped Ennis for Shumpert (not a terrible move but not a clearly good one either) and dumped salary and picks. I guess its okay since they don't care about the draft but this doesn't do much for me.

Spurs
(none)
Any interest in Teodosic or Anigbogu or Brewer or Monroe? Didn't really need to make moves, they are what they are, they just need health and a little depth. (What is they nabbed Melo? Either a sneaky brilliant move or it would end up giving Popovic a stroke)

Mavs
(In) Kristaps Prozingis, Tim Hardaway Jr, Trey Burke, Courtney Lee, Zach Randolph, Justin Jackson
(Out) Harrison Barnes, Dennis Smith Jr, Wesley Matthews, DeAndre Jordan, Salah Mehri, 2021 1st rd pick, 2023 1st rd pick
Doesn't help them now but great move for next year. (I'd play Justin Jackson as much as possible down the stretch, see if he's worth keeping)

Pelicans
(In) Stanley Johnson, Jason Smith, 2019 2nd rd pick, two 2020 2nd rd picks, 2021 2d rd pick
(Out) Nikola Mirotic, Wesley Johnson
(Why did they cut Markieff Morris? Do they have something better there that I don't see?) I dunno, a pile of 2nd rd picks for Mirotic? Feels like they could've done better. The Pelicans are all about Anthony Davis, so these moves don't matter but still, could've done better.

Grizzlies
(In) CJ Miles, Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, Avery Bradley, Tyler Dorsey, 2024 2nd rd pick
(Out) Marc Gasol, JaMychel Green, Garrett Temple, Shelvin Mack
This summer they stretch that horrendous Chandler Parsons contract, cast off Bradley and Valanciunas and I guess they're back in business with Conley and Jaren Jackson and a top 10 pick. Ehhh, that's the dream anyway. They didn't really get much younger in any of these deals, did they? Only slightly less expensive (but then it costs them they're favorite son and all that 'loyalty' that everyone seems to admire), I don't feel like these were the home run moves the Grizzlies needed.


(*) Check out Marty Leeunen's career stats, they're fascinating.

2018-19 NBA Trade Deadline (Transactions)

Trades
Bulls get Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot, cash; Thunder get Bulls 2020 2nd rd pick (Top 55 protected)

Blazers get Rodney Hood; Cavs get Wade Baldwin, Nik Stauskus, 2021 2nd rd pick, 2023 2nd rd pick

Bulls get Otto Porter; Wizards get Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis, 2023 2nd rd pick (Top 36 protected)

Suns get Wayne Ellington, Tyler Johnson, cash; Heat get Ryan Anderson

Sixers get Malachi Richardson, the rights to Emir Preldzic, 2022 2nd rd pick; Raptors get cash

Lakers get Reggie Bullock; Pistons get Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, 2021 2nd rd pick

Sixers get Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott; Clippers get Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet, Sixers 2020 1st rd pick (Top 14 protected), Heat 2021 1st rd pick (unprotected!!!), Pistons 2022 2nd rd pick, Pistons 2023 2nd rd pick

Kings get Harrison Barnes; Mavs get Justin Jackson, Zach Randolph

Wizards get Wesley Johnson; Pelicans get Markieff Morris, 2023 2nd rd pick, cash

Grizzlies get Avery Bradly; Clippers get JaMychel Green, Garrett Temple

Clippers get Micheal Beasley, Ivica Zubac; Lakers get Mike Muscala

Magic get Markelle Fultz; Sixers get Jonathon Simmons, Thunder 2019 1st rd pick, 2019 2nd rd pick

Nets get Greg Monroe, 2021 2nd rd pick; Raptors get cash

Raptors get Marc Gasol; Grizzles get CJ Miles, Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, 2024 2nd rd pick

Kings get Caleb Swanigan; Blazers get Skal Labissiere

Sixers get James Ennis; Rockets get 2021 2nd rd pick (Rockets get 2021 2nd rd pick swap)

Hawks get Shelvin Mack; Grizzlies get Tyler Dorsey

Hawks get Jabari Bird; Celtics get 2nd rd pick (Top 55 protected)

Rockets get Iman Shumpert, Wade Baldwin, Nik Stauskus, 2021 2nd rd pick; Cavs get Marquesse Chriss, Brandon Knight, 2019 1st rd pick, 2022 2nd rd pick; Kings get Alec Burks, 2020 2nd rd pick

Pelicans get Stanley Johnson, Jason Smith, 2019 2nd rd pick, two 2020 2nd rd picks, 2021 2d rd pick; Pistons get Thon Maker; Bucks get Nikola Mirotic

Pacers get Wade Baldwin, Nik Stauskus, Marrty Leunen, 2021 2nd rd pick; Rockets get cash


Waivings
Carmelo Anthony (Bulls), Corey Brewer (Sixers), Kobi Simmons (Cavs), Omri Casspi (Grizzlies), Daniel Hamilton (Hawks), Markieff Morris (Pelicans), Ike Anigbogu (Pacers), Malachi Richardson (Sixers), Ben McLemore (Kings), Wayne Ellington (Suns), Wesley Matthews (Knicks), Greg Monroe (Nets), Milos Teodosic (Clippers), Marcin Gortat (Clippers), Enes Kanter (Knicks), Salah Mejri (Mavs), Jabari Bird (Hawks)

2018-19 Super Bowl

NFC Conference Championship
Rams 26-23 (OT) Saints
Yes, this game will be remembered for the missed pass interference call near the Saints goal line around the 2 minute mark. But there were two other missed interference calls that people seem less pissed about: Saints on 3rd down early in the 4th quarter got jobbed on a missed call and the interception in OT was also interference (Brees got hit but the ball wasn't touched and no ref suggested that it was), which one was the worst? That said, the Saints also struggled to get FG's on their first two drives when they should've done better and with 5 minutes or so to go in the game they started inside their 50-yard line and went backwards instead of finishing off the game. So its not like the Saints offense machine was in perfect working order on this day. And I would submit that the Rams didn't have their best day either, so for the Saints to let this one get away from them is truly their own fault (though the refs will be the ones remembered). The Saints will still be good next year but considering their playoff performances of the last two years (and the fact that the Falcons and Panthers should be due for bounce-back seasons next year), its hard to imagine they come out of the NFC any time soon.


AFC Conference Championship
Pats 37-31 (OT) Chiefs
Weird game. The Chiefs did nothing--absolutely nothing!--in the 1st half and still should've won the game. Pats played a flawless opening half (minus an improbable Brady interception in the end zone, but even that was still a brilliant time-killing drive), and still had to scramble to stay in the game late. And even with the Chiefs' offensive dominance in the 2nd half, I still thought they left points on the table: dude, run Kelce one way, Hill the other, throw wherever the safety doesn't go--they could've done that all day. Passing to the RB's out of the backfield was another option they didn't figure out til too late. The Pats played well, not a surprise, but Brady threw two interceptions (a third was negated on an amazingly bone-headed defensive penalty) and the Pats D was seriously back-pedaling all through the 2nd half. But they won the toss in OT, never let Mahomes touch the ball and that was all it took. The Chiefs let this one get away from them, but they'll be back next year.


Super Bowl
Pats (-2.5) @ Rams (o/u 56.5)
This is as hard to figure as any game I've seen in a while. It feels like both teams have improbably overachieved to get to this point. The Pats are here every year, sure, but that doesn't mean the trophy automatically belongs to them; the Rams are here because they have solid talent all over the field but not much depth or ability to mix/match game plans. If the Rams play their best game, I think they'll win; but if they don't, I don't see how they recover and they could get ground up quickly. This game will be all about the lines: if the Pats O-line dominates, then the Pats will control the ball and run the clock; if the Rams O-line dominates, they'll pile on points and control the momentum. I feel like the Pats play better fast but here they'll need to play slow; the Rams play better when the offense is wide open but Belichik won't let them have everything.

The Pats are most susceptible to a strong pass rush and I'm betting the Rams D-line has success in slowing down the run and getting to Brady. As long as the Rams don't turn the ball over, I think they'll score consistently and keep the Pats off the ball. One quick prediction: the Pats are notorious for starting slow in Super Bowls but I bet they take the opening kick and start with a TD drive. But the Rams probably need to get punched in the face to get going, so even though I like the Pats to start fast, I think that ultimately works in the Rams' favor. I don't think the Rams will make the mistakes that the Falcons and Seahawks made, I think the Rams will be able to gain the lead and hold it.

I've been pretty awful picking games this post-season but I gotta take someone to win, so I'll take the Rams 30-24 (Rams and the under).

2018-19 NBA Bric-a-brac (Week 15)

Trades
Bulls gets Carmelo Anthony, the rights to Jon Diebler, cash; Rockets gets the rights to Tadija Dragicevic
Bulls waived Melo immediately, this was just a chance to get him back out to the free agent market  for...whoever might actually want him (can you see him on the Nets? Maybe the Clippers?). The teams wisely threw in some draft rights guys just to make it look like an actual trade happened and the Bulls got well paid to make Melo disappear from the memories of Rockets fans. (Haven't been able to confirm reports that heartbroken youths throughout Houston are burning their Jon Diebler jerseys)


Mavs get Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr, Courtney Lee, Trey Burke; Knicks get Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, DeAndre Jordan, two Mavs 1st rd picks (likely 2020, top 10 protected 2023)
Hmmmm.....okay. The Knicks dumped two of their three largest contracts and a PG that was never gonna hang to clear cap space for the summer and all it cost them was their best player, an intriguing youngster who could still become the best player in the game. They get a coupla vets that will be gone soon without any hope of contributing, a coupla vague 1st round picks (no reason to think those picks will be particularly good--especially considering how remarkably bad the Knicks have been at drafting over the years) and an intriguing young headcase that never fit in Dallas.  Okay, so what do they have going forward? After they clear house they'll have a top 5 pick, a shit ton of money to spend and a batch of intriguing young talents (Dennis Smith, Kevin Knox, Alonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, Damyean Dotson, (their largest contract next year is currently Lance Thomas which is not guaranteed and I can see them trading Frank Nkilitina any day now (how about to the Hornets straight up for Frank Kaminsky?))). I can see them bringing back Noah Vonleh and Emmanual Mudiay (though not if they're expecting big raises) and maybe DeAndre Jordan (if he's up for a big ol' pay cut), to go with Durant and Kyrie (I mean....right?). Sure, that's a playoff team in the East but are they really better than the Celtics, Sixers, Raptors or Bucks? Ehhh, maybe, but these New York teams don't care about getting good, they only care about box office and TV ratings, which is driven by stars--even mediocre stars that don't contribute to a winning environment--more than a youth movement. Is this a good deal for the Knicks? Well...yeah, I'd say it is. The bottom line is the franchise is still in excellent shape even if the team on the court isn't actually any good....so why bother to be good when you're mostly rewarded for being controversial? (My dad's example: Ben Affleck can meticulously put together a masterpiece film that grosses $105m or he can toss off a dumb piece of shit in 1/10 of the time and effort that makes $104m at the box office. When quality doesn't make a difference to the audience, why should it matter to the producer?)

As for the Mavs, well this kinda tanks them for this year but sets them up well going forward. Their 1st rd pick this year is already promised to Atlanta, so this felt like a good chance for them to charge hard for the playoffs, go ahead and get the youngsters some post-season experience and get back in the habit of winning; they were probably planning on a deadline deal that would strengthen the roster for this year but when a deal for the future came along, they had to go for it (though wouldn't it be cool to see Dirk getting one last crack at the #1 Warriors as the #8 seed?). This deal doesn't make them wildly worse right away but it makes them different enough that I don't anticipate they'll make a playoff run (though if KP can play, I'd go ahead and play him--he's a Mav now, play him). So let's look ahead: feels like we've finally hit the end of the line for Dirk, Barea, Devin Harris, and Mejri, I don't see any reason to bring back Trey Burke and I can see them keeping Finney-Smith and Kleber at the bottom of the roster but not for big raises; they'll have to re-sign Porzingis but he's not in crazy-money territory til his next contract (they're getting him at just the right time). They'll have money in the summer, so who do they add in the summer? I don't see them being in on Klay Thompson (though he'd be a great fit), the buzz is that they'll be going after Nikola Vucevic (good call) and if I were them I'd take a run at Julius Randle (player option with the Pelicans) and see if they can get a deal with Ricky Rubio, after that they'd do well to round out the second string with guys like Jeremy Lin, Patrick Patterson, and/or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The squad is built around the Luke/Zingis combo now, packing defensive minded rebounders for Coach Carlisle to mold. It'll take a while and they're missing their next two 1st rd picks, but they'll wheel and deal and once they get the winning back, they'll be attractive to free agents. 

Weird to say but I think I like this deal for both teams. Granted, it could go badly sideways for the Knicks but that's always true for them so it's an interesting gamble (also worth noting that Porzingis is whispered to be kind of an annoying dick in real life and seemingly injury-prone so it's not exactly money in the bank that he's a hall of famer). The Mavs have made a bold move and it's a good one.


Waivings
Cam Payne (Cavs), Quincy Acy (Suns), Stephan Hicks (Pacers)
Are the Pacers clearing space to take a run at someone?


Signings
Rockets sign Kenneth Faried (1yr/$?)
Dang, he's been great! Why wasn't he doing this for the Nets? Seems like they really could've used a rebound sucker-upper down low that can block shots and finish on the break.

Knicks sign Kadeem Allen (1yr/$?)
Had to fill the roster after that 4-for-3 trade. The upside: he'll get an NBA paycheck and some playing time for a very thin squad; downside: the Knicks aren't looking to win so if he's actually any good, he might get benched!


10-Day Contracts
Gary Payton Jr (Wizards), Bruno Caboclo (Grizzlies), Corey Brewer (Sixers), Mitch Creek (Nets), Kobi Simmons (Cavs), Emmanuel Terry (Suns), Isaiah Canaan (Wolves)
Still waiting for Brewer to make an impact with the Sixers but I reckon he will eventually (wonder why he's still on 10-days? Seems like they'd just up him for the rest of the season, right?).


Retirings
Pero Antic announced his retirement
I was ready to write something snarky, researched him to refresh my memory and--wait, oh shit, I loved that guy! Played with those really good Hawks teams a few years back, big sweaty European guy ran the floor better than you'd think, used to chuck 3's, kinda Nurkic-like but with more skill on the ball. Yeah, I remember that guy, I totally dug his game, wish he'd had more of an NBA career (seems like he should've been with either the Spurs or Jazz the last few years). This is why you do your research, kids, I was all ready to bag on a dude totally worthy of a toast (unlike, say, Jon Diebler, who I threw under the bus without hesitation).


Fined
Anthony Davis (Pelicans) $50k
Why? What did he do other than announce that he wouldn't be signing his extension next summer? Jimmy Butler actively, openly sabotaged the Wolves and sat out for weeks but gets no fine and the Knicks make a trade obviously (tamperingly obvious) meant to signal an aggressive push toward this summer's big free agents (ahem, Kyrie and Durant) but Davis simply does the polite thing of announcing his intentions ahead of time and he gets tagged? Makes no sense.

An odd observation on the Davis trade situation: The Pelicans will obviously be fielding trade offers but until they're ready to make a move, I think they just should play Davis like normal. They absolutely should NOT trade him until the end of the season and shouldn't necessarily trade him this summer. They still have another year to get the best deal and until then, they should treat Davis as they always have. (But wouldn't they risk him getting injured?) Yeah....so? (Duh, that would lower his trade value!) Oh really? Teams are not gonna want Anthony Davis any more if he gets hurt? I don't think an injury would make any difference at all to his overall value. (What if he gets a career-ending injury?) Well, that's what the Pelicans have lived with since the moment they drafted Davis, it isn't a function of trade demands.

Something everyone seems to be forgetting: the Pelicans don't want to trade Davis. If they play him and that lowers his value, then that max deal from the Pelicans looks even better, doesn't it? The Pelicans would be foolish to not gauge his trade value but they're not likely to find any package out there that would be better than Davis by himself (at max money), so they should just keep playing him like normal. Weird to say but if a calamity befalls Anthony Davis, that probably works for the Pelicans rather than against them. 

2018-18 Pointless NBA Trade (Obligatory Anthony Davis Edition)

First off: the Pelicans should not trade Anthony Davis before the deadline, they would be better served by waiting til the summer when the draft order is known and the full range of possible teams/packages are on the table (the Celtics, for example, possibly the Raptors and Blazers, too). That said, only a handful of teams are really capable of being a part of the Anthony Davis sweepstakes anyway (and those squads that would think of taking a flyer on him now and flipping Davis in the summer are few and far between and probably not worth considering). But if the Pelicans are going to trade him now, I would suggest forcing Solomon Hill (the Pelicans' worst contract) to the 'winner' and then they should go ahead and move Holiday and Mirotic (the Pelicans' 1st and 3rd largest contracts), as well. Go ahead and remake the whole team from top to bottom because if you're gonna lose Davis, then you may as well clean house and get rid of everyone (with the exception of Julius Randle, still very cheap for his production (*)).

So with all that in mind, here's two trades:

Nuggets get Anthony Davis, Solomon Hill; Pelicans get Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray, Micheal Porter

and

Clippers get Jrue Holiday, Nikola Mirotic; Pelicans get Danilo Gallinari, Avery Bradley, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Worth noting that the Nuggets have a built in home court advantage (altitude) that should suit Davis's desire to play for a winner, a good coach (Malone) who has a knack for mixing and matching lineups, a legit super fucking badass (Jokic) to pair up with and a decent collection of weird talent, even after the trade. The Nuggets would lose their main playmaker in Murray, but they'd still have Harris, Barton and Craig for wing-scoring. They would surely immediately stretch Hill, saving them a few bucks to find a PG in the off-season (Eric Bledsoe would be more Murray-like but Ricky Rubio's passing would fit nicely with that crew). They'd also be giving up Paul Millsap (who they would likely cut in the off-season anyway) and Michael Porter (still could turn out to be the steal of the 2018 draft). The team could still have the same problems he had in New Orleans, but putting AD and Jokic together is tantalizing--though the Nuggets would really only have about 3 months to make it work, that 2020 trade deadline would be looming from day one.

The Clippers would get a vet PG to build around and an expiring wing scorer to replace Gallinari. They would give up Avery Bradley and their hot young PG (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)--is that a direction they want to go in? They'd be paying a lot more for an aging PG, but in the summer they'd have a ton of money to lure in vets to go with him (Kawhi?) and/or money to re-up Tobias Harris (and maybe Mirotic). The Clippers would get older but not significantly more expensive and would still leave them pretty limber for making moves in the off-season.

Notice in these deals I left out draft picks, which is presumably what the Pelicans are gonna want for Davis but by adding Gilgeous-Alexander, Murray and Porter they'd be getting 1st rounders with plenty of upside and since the Nuggets 2019 pick is already spoken for, I'd suggest they're better than the picks they'd be getting back anyway. The Pelicans would have one more year of Gallinari (an effective Mirotic-like wing scorer) and Bradley (solid defender, if suspect offensive talent) and a team option on Paul Millsap (at $30m, I would expect them to let him go). One kooky quirk in these deals: the Pelicans would end up with the three youngest players and the three oldest players, so some youth to root for and some vets to hold the post-Davis architecture together.

Look, the Pelicans are so built around Anthony Davis that nothing will look as good next year. When they move him (and they're gonna, sooner or later), they may as well remodel the whole house. Again, I'd keep Julius Randle (player option for next year, I'd ask him nicely to stick around) which would give them a lineup of PG Gilgeous-Alexander, SG Murray, SF Randle, PF Gallinari, C Okafor with Payton, Clark, Frazier, Moore, Miller, Porter, and Diallo off the bench. Granted, that team is young, they would struggle for a year or two, but a year of tanking is all part of the process (trust it, it works!). Speaking of: why not bring in Sam Hinkie to lead to the rebuild? Dell Demps should've been run out years ago, letting him trade Davis and Holiday on his way out is like letting the SP take credit for an intentional walk before calling to the bullpen. And since Coach Gentry likely wouldn't want to hang around either, I'd suggest going for either Jeff Hornacek or Fred Hoiberg to guide the new look Pels.

Yeah, weird. This absolutely won't happen because small market owners are terrified of teardowns like this. But losing Anthony Davis is going to be so terrifying that they may as well tear off all the band-aids at once. Let it bleed, New Orleans. Find your young core, build through the draft, love the basketball and trust the process.


(*) I'd keep Jahlil Okafor, too. He's very cheap and with crazy changes afoot, this is probably his last best chance to come alive. At his price point and with the low post-AD expectations, may as well give him one last chance to wow.