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“NBA Reports Card-Free Agency”

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A wild week in the NBA.  When they were done with the first week of free-agency, some 72-players changed teams and there were 9-trades involving any combo of players and draft picks.

Courtesy of SI.com, a look at each team in the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks: A-
The Hawks are all-in on the chase for a 2021 playoff spot, and their roster projects to be a potential No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the East. Atlanta has added two impressive rim protectors dating back to last February, and free agency provided the chance to add playmaking around Trae Young. Bogdan Bogdanovic should fit right in as a starting two guard (if the Kings do not match). Rajon Rondo should add stability as he mentors Young. Perhaps you can quibble with a three-year deal for Danilo Gallinari as he enters his age-32 season. But this is a team now ready to chase a playoff berth with Young leading the way.

Boston Celtics: C-
Danny Ainge has now lost Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward for nothing in back-to-back offseasons, a bitter pill for Boston to swallow as it looks to keep up in the East. But in terms of the 2021 roster, losing Hayward isn’t a tragic blow. The Celtics have plenty of wings and playmakers. They lack frontcourt size. Adding Tristan Thompson should help to a degree, and while he isn’t a player of Hayward’s caliber, perhaps he’s a better fit. Boston’s title hopes took a hit with the loss of Hayward. But the Celtics remain a legitimate threat to win the Eastern Conference.

Brooklyn Nets: B-
Brooklyn’s offseason could certainly take a dramatic turn in the coming weeks, but for now, it’s been relatively quiet for the Nets as they prepare for Kevin Durant’s return. Sean Marks and Co. made a sensible decision bringing back Joe Harris despite a hefty contract, keeping a premium spacer on the roster. Jeff Green should also bring some value as a small-ball five. The Nets’ roster isn’t perfect, but there’s plenty of talent on hand for Durant and Irving to make a run at the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Charlotte Hornets: C
It’s easy to disparage the Hornets for their decision to pay Hayward. The Butler product isn’t a premier scorer by any margin, and Charlotte has spent much of the last half decade hamstrung by serious overpays. There’s a good chance the Hornets regret Hayward’s contract in the final year of his deal, and the peak of this team with Hayward is questionable. But it’s worth considering the conditions surrounding Hayward’s deal. Charlotte will never be a destination for top-end talent, and there’s legitimate incentive for this team to become respectable sooner than later with LaMelo Ball. Small markets often have to pay up to bring their team into the playoff conversation. With the addition of Hayward, Charlotte has a plausible path to the No. 8 seed.

Chicago Bulls: C-
We won’t spill too much ink on one of free agency’s least active teams. Garrett Temple is a nice player, but the Bulls will miss Kris Dunn’s defensive prowess, and they could also use another point guard. It remains unlikely we see Chicago in the 2021 playoffs.

Cleveland Cavaliers: C
It was likely a sensible move for the Cavaliers to let Tristan Thompason walk, and Damyean Dotson should add some solid shooting on the wing. This is similar to Chicago, where a lottery team didn’t boost their postseason chances by any considerable margin.

Dallas Mavericks: C+
Dallas missed out on a number of center options, settling instead for Willie Cauley-Stein on a two-year deal. It seems as though the Mavericks are putting their chips into the 2021 free-agent market, which is likely a prudent move given the potential prize at play. But in terms of competing for the 2021 title, Dallas has yet to make up any ground on the Western Conference.

Denver Nuggets: B-
The Nuggets lost a valuable player in Jerami Grant, but they should be able to match much of his value with their offseason additions. JaMychal Green is an underrated asset at the four, and Paul Millsap still provides quality minutes on a one-year deal. Denver still feels a piece away from truly contending for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. But losing Grant doesn’t necessarily knock this team from the top half of the West playoff picture.

Detroit Pistons: D+
It makes sense for Atlanta to splurge in the offseason given its roster construction. Detroit’s spending spree doesn’t follow the same logic. The Pistons shelled out over $25 million per year for Grant and Mason Plumlee, and they let Christian Wood walk in the process. Perhaps both additions will have a nice year, but punting on a player with Woods’s upside is certainly a questionable decision. The Pistons remain outside the top eight in the East despite their best efforts. Prolonging a true rebuild is an increasingly questionable decision.

Golden State Warriors: B
Acquiring Kelly Oubre will help mitigate the loss of Klay Thompson to a degree, and signing Kent Bazemore adds another quality body on the wing. The Warriors have faced an avalanche of bad luck in recent years, though they’ve managed their misfortune well from a roster construction standpoint. There’s little telling where this team will land in the West, but Golden State helped its postseason chances with its offseason moves.

Houston Rockets: B+
The future of this franchise remains in serious flux, though the tweaks made to the current roster should help matters in 2020-21. Wood will likely thrive as a roll-man and pick-and-pop threat alongside James Harden, while young wing Sterling Brown and international import Jae’Sean Tate can add secondary playmaking. Parsing Harden’s future is a difficult task. But the former MVP does have quality pieces around him entering 2020-21.

Indiana Pacers: C
Losing out on Hayward is a difficult pill to swallow for Indiana as it seeks relevance in the hunt for the East crown, and it remains surprising that the Pacers couldn’t execute a sign-and-trade with Boston. Indiana was able to salvage its offseason by re-signing Justin Holliday, but this remains a franchise stuck in the middle of the Eastern Conference

Los Angeles Clippers: B
Losing Montrezl Harrell was a bit of a surprise, but Serge Ibaka could ultimately be a better fit alongside Kawhi Leonard and Co. in 2020-21. The former Raptors big man provides considerable stretch on the perimeter, and while he’s not the leaper he once was, Ibaka remains a quality rim protector. Los Angeles now has plenty of versatility on its front line with Ibaka, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac. The Clippers haven’t made a big splash since their bubble collapse, but a couple tweaks may have put them in better position to win the 2021 championship.

Ashley Landis/USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers: A-
Los Angeles has seen plenty of departures from last year’s roster, but the continued re-tooling around LeBron James should pay dividends next spring and summer. Harrell and Marc Gasol will both be valuable frontcourt pieces, and it’s easy to see the Spanish center thriving as a pick-and-pop option alongside James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers could still stand to add another point guard in place of Rondo, but that’s a minor concern at the moment. LeBron and Co. remain the 2020-21 title favorite after a quality offseason.

Memphis Grizzlies: C+
Memphis didn’t make any major additions in free agency, but signing De’Anthony Melton to a long-term deal should add some stability to the backcourt behind Ja Morant. Even as the Grizzlies face an uphill climb in the Western Conference, the franchise continues to head in the right direction with a budding star at point guard.

Miami Heat: B+
Losing Jae Crowder will hurt to a degree, but the Heat remain serious Finals contenders after retaining Goran Dragic and adding Avery Bradley and Maurice Harkless. Miami was able to have the best of both worlds as it kept Dragic without eating into its 2021 cap space. We’ll see if Pat Riley’s prudence pays off in a major way next summer.

Milwaukee Bucks: B
Losing out on Bogdan Bogdanovic is a difficult blow for Milwaukee, but this is still a likely better roster in the aggregate than what the Bucks trotted out in 2019-20. Torrey Craig could be featured in Milwaukee’s closing five, and Jrue Holiday is a marked upgrade over Eric Bledsoe despite the exorbitant trade price. It remains in question whether the moves will be enough to get a long-term commitment from Giannis. Yet considering the stakes, it’s sensible for Milwaukee to sacrifice draft capital as it looks to improve the 2020-21 roster.

Minnesota Timberwolves: C+
Malik Beasley should be a valuable asset for Minnesota in the coming years, and his stretch from beyond the arc should prove helpful on the wing as Anthony Edwards adjusts to the professional game. Ed Davis and Juancho Hernangomez are additionally capable bodies in the frontcourt, making 2020 a muted, yet effective offseason in the Twin Cities.

New Orleans Pelicans: C
It’s hard to determine whether the Pelicans can take a step forward in the West in 2020-21, even if Zion Williamson can log a healthy season. Both Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors provided positive value at their respective positions, and we’ll see if Steven Adams or Eric Bledsoe are long-term fits. There was no shortage of movement from New Orleans this offseason, though it remains to be seen whether any addition will have a marked impact in 2020-21.

New York Knicks: C+
The Knicks continue to be patient in their quest for a rebuild, and they deserve credit for holding their fire despite considerable cap space in free agency. The additions of Nerlens Noel and Elfrid Payton won’t make a big impact on the 2020-21 Knicks, but perhaps they’ll be flipped for draft capital at the trade deadline. Adding Austin Rivers should also help stabilize the point guard position as New York looks for growth from R.J. Barrett and Obi Toppin.

Oklahoma City Thunder: C
It was an uneventful free agency period for Oklahoma City as the Thunder continued to build an astounding amount of draft capital. Let’s check back in next year as Sam Presti and Co. likely look to accelerate the rebuild at hand.

Orlando Magic: C
Keeping Michael Carter-Williams likely offsets the loss of D.J. Augustin, and forward Gary Clark is a worthwhile developmental project on a cheap contract. We’ve yet to see Orlando make a marquee move, even with a considerable log-jam in the frontcourt. Perhaps the Magic will swap a forward for a playmaking guard before opening night.

Philadelphia 76ers: B+
Adding Dwight Howard and Tony Bradley will provide a pair of quality bodies behind Joel Embiid, and Daryl Morey added a flurry of perimeter pieces via the trade market. Philadelphia now has the appropriate pieces around its dynamic duo, a far cry from last year’s misshapen roster. Perhaps the flood moves from Morey will pay a major dividend in 2020-21.

David E. Klutho/Sports Illustrated
Phoenix Suns: B+
The Suns should be able to withstand the loss of Aron Baynes as Deandre Ayton continues his development, and Phoenix’s other additions should help push this team toward a playoff berth in 2020-21. Crowder will provide stretch and defensive versatility on the wing. Dario Saric should thrive as a backup center behind Ayton. The Chris Paul trade will define Phoenix’s season, though we shouldn’t overlook the moves on the free-agent market.

Portland Trail Blazers: A
The Blazers continue to build splendidly around their dynamic backcourt, and the 2020 offseason has been defined by Portland’s maneuvers in the frontcourt. Robert Covington brings impressive defensive versatility–as does Derrick Jones Jr.–and Enes Kanter adds a legitimate center alongside Jusuf Nurkic. This Portland roster is deep and malleable, able to upsize and downsize seamlessly depending on the opponent. Neil Olshey may have built the third-best team in the West as we approach 2020-21.

Sacramento Kings: D+
Sacramento has seen a flurry of departures from its 2019-20 squad, the most notable being Bogdanovic if the Kings don’t match his offer sheet from Atlanta. Perhaps it’s wise not to overpay for middling veterans, but it’s hard to see Sacramento making any legitimate progress in 2020-21 given the roster at hand. A 14-year playoff drought is unlikely to be broken next season.

San Antonio Spurs: C
San Antonio had one of the NBA’s quietest offseasons, with the departure of Bryn Forbes marking the most notable move. We’ll see if the Spurs ship one of their marquee veterans in the coming months as Gregg Popovich and Co. transition into a new era.

Toronto Raptors: C-
The Raptors accomplished their main objective as they retained Fred VanVleet, but Toronto is likely to take a step back in 2020-21 considering their free-agent losses. Nick Nurse will have to manage the losses of both Ibaka and Gasol, though the addition of Baynes should mitigate the pain to a degree. Toronto is smart to keep their cap space open ahead of next year’s free agency, even if its 2021 Finals chances took a step back this offseason.

Utah Jazz: A-
Utah remains a fringe Finals contender considering its deep roster, and signing Derrick Favors will do wonders for Quin Snyder’s frontcourt rotation. Bringing back Jordan Clarkson should help add scoring punch, and securing Donovan Mitchell long-term likely provides a sigh of relief. The Jazz still sit outside the very top of the West, though this should remain a competitive playoff team for much of the next decade.

Washington Wizards: B
Perhaps $80 million is a bit of a premium price for Davis Bertans, but the sharpshooting forward has emerged as a critical piece of Washington’s attack. Let’s hope a healthy John Wall can make the Bertans signing worthwhile as the Wizards eye a return to the playoffs in 2021.

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“Aztecs Basketball–Will Be Different”

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3-point shots in the middle of a pandemic.
Practice time…Covid tests….waiting to hear…hoping for the best.
Empty seats…but lots of followers.

What a strange season ahead of us.

San Diego State opens its delayed college basketball season on Wednesday night, with nationally ranked UCLA in town.

Things you never thought you’d see at Viejas Arena…a national power like UCLA agreeing to play in San Diego.  No fans in the stands, no “Show” of support.  Cardboard Cutouts of fans courtside.  Piped in crowd noise.

And the great unknown, how long can the Aztecs play games with the pandemic crisis blasting into the lane like a guard penetrating on a charging foul.

Not only won’t there be fans in the stands, there won’t be Malachi Flynn, Yonni Wetzel and KJ Feagin on the floor either.  Flynn, gone to the NBA Toronto Raptors…Wetzel back in New Zealand…Feagin having graduated.

Coach Brian Dutcher will roll out a veteran group of bigs against UCLA..but a very new backcourt, where JUCO transfer Trey Pulliam will be asked to carry the workload.

The best news is that power center Nathan Mensah is back in the paint after missing last year with a blood clot issue.  A third year player, he looks powerful, explosive and healthy.

Matt Mitchell, becoming a tough power forward, is back for his fourth year.
And gritty veterans Jordan Schakel and AG Arop and Adam Seiko return to play the roles they excelled at a year ago.

There are four freshmen on board, but if they play, it means the Aztecs have issues on the floor.

The newcomers include small college three point shooter Terrell Gomez, who averaged 19-per game each of the last two years at CSUN in the Big Sky Conference.

Who knows what they get out of Maryland transfer Josh Tomiac, who played off the bench in the ACC.

But in UCLA, they face a talent loaded team.  Mick Cronin’s group went (19-11) last year and returns 5-starters, a transfer from Kentucky, and 8-of their top 10-players from last winter.

You will know about Chris Smith, Jalen Hill, Cody Riley and John Juzang.  That’s a truck load of talent that will pull into the Viejas Arena parking lot for this game.  Smith and Hill opted out of the NBA draft to return to Pauley Pavilion.  Jurzang transferred in from John Calipuri’s program at UK.

So hard for SDSU not have the 12,000 plus raging lunatics in the stands for this game.  They would have made a difference, made it tougher on UCLA.

SDSU is (157-21) at Viejas since 2010 at home.  State has played Arizona, Arizona State and Washington in the building, but this is the best PAC-12 team they have faced here.

The Atecs, they come off the NCAA-season where they went (30-2) but could not finish the season with the cancellation of March Madness.

Somebody at San Diego State should be angry this team was not even preseason ranked by the AP-Coaches poll.  What a disservice.

Coaches love to say, ‘I want to find out about my team’ early.  ‘Need to know how they handle adversity’.  Well they will tonight.

Maybe the UCLA game is the toughest they have faced in decades to open the season, aside from the Midway Game years ago against the Syracuse Orangemen.

Game time..it will be strange.  Who they play.  Who won’t be on the floor. Who won’t be in the building.

Coach Brian Dutcher, who fears no-one on the court, says this is the toughest schedule the Aztecs have played in the 20-years he has been on the Hill.  UCLA-the Pac 12 favorite; UCI-the Big West favorite; BYU-a WAC powerhouse; Arizona State and St-Mary’s upper echelon in their league, plus the grind of what the MWC could be.

Strange season ahead of us in a very strange 2020-year.

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“Lakers Win Again—Off Season”

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A championship basketball season is about to be superseded by what just happened in the last 72-hours.

The Lakers won the NBA playoffs, and now they have won the off season.

The LeBron James-Anthony Davis tandem sledgehammered their way thru the Pandemic and then the Orlando bubble to earn their ring.

And now next season looks even brighter than the just completed ‘Win-the-Ring’ campaign because of GM-Rob Pelinka.

Seldom do you see a championship team remove as many people as the Lakers have from the playoff roster.

They subtracted C-JaVale McGee, traded off  to Cleveland to clear cap space.

They let oft-injured C-DeMarcus Cousins go to Houston as a free agent.

Starting G-Danny Green was traded to Oklahoma City and then moved onto the 76ers.

The drama that always seemed to surround C-Dwight Howard is over, he too has gone to the 76ers.

Guard Rajon Rondo has exited, getting a better pay day by going to Atlanta.

Veteran G-Avery Bradley, a strong contributor, is on his way to the Miami Heat.

And young G-Quinn Cook was let go in a cap move

Seven  players removed from a championship roster.

Look at the haul coming in to replace them.

Point G-Dennis Shroeder came from Oklahoma City after averaging (18P) and bringing a nasty streak of defense with him.

Veteran C-Marc Gasol, big smart, still productive, comes in with a strong veteran resume (8P-6R) and bigger leadership skills, as shown in Toronto and Memphis in a long quality career..

The steal of the weekend is the signing of the NBA’s top 6th man award winner, C-Montrzl Harrell, who strung together impressive years as a self-made man with the LA Clippers.  That’s (18P-7R) per night from him off the bench and the knowledge you added something really good, and subtracted something really good from the other team.

Milwaukee’s feisty defensive wing F-Wes Matthews brings attitude, grit, and an (8P) average.

The Lakers also convinced off-the-bench power F-Markieff Morris to stay with them, on a short-term extension after his (9P-4R) season coming off the bench.

They also added young F-Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie to compete for end of the roster slots on a very good team.

What Pelinka added was firepower, youth, and the intangible things like basketball intelligence and leadership skills.

Last season was good.  Next season could be spectacular.

Weeks after they won the NBA ring, the last 72-hours made the champions even better, something the crosstown Clippers , those in the Pacific Division, and the rest of the NBA will find hard to believe..

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“Aztecs Football–Not What It Was”

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It was disappointing, though I knew if would be a tough game at Nevada.

It turned out to be a bad loss..damaging SDSU’s possible bowl hopes, and definitely ending its hopes to be in the Mountain West championship game.

The record stands at (3-2) and there seem to be problems, lots of places, on the SDSU football roster.

The two losses, to San Jose State and then to Nevada show glaring deficiencies, both on players and coaches on Montezuma Mesa.

On Saturday the Wolfpack’s coach Jay Norvell, outcoached Brady Hoke and the Nevada defense took away alot of things from the play-calls made by SDSUs’ Jeff Hecklinski.

And the overall player production has been staggering in the two losses this season.

The Aztecs stayed in there and slugged with Nevada in a back and forth first half.  SDSU kept QB-Carson Strong out of the end zone, forcing UNR to settle for field goals.

Tariq Thompson and Kaden McDonald may have had the finest games of their careers.

SDSU hit a couple of big plays to Jesse Matthews, but the non-use of the tight ends and the other WRs is on the coaching staff.

Granted they gave up 50-and-59 yard completions for Wolfpack’s star receiver Romeo Doubs, but State forced UNR into alot of 3rd down situations and negated home run plays.  The Pack had 1-TD on 5-trips into the red zone.  But the 3-point field goals add up when the other guy stops scoring.

On offense,Georgia Tech transfer Lucas Johnson came out throwing, moving the ball and keeping SDSU in the game, but injuries took away the power of RB-Greg Bell, and a hamstring cramp impacted Johnson in the second half.

But Norvell made adjustments and Hoke suffered in the second half.

To get the blitz pressure off his QB, Nevada kept a running back Toa Tuala in to pass block, negating the blitz and allowing Strong to hit passes for big yardage gains in the 2nd half.

And Nevada started blitzing the running lanes in the 2nd half, taking away  the ability of SDSU to do what it does best, play power ball.

And much like the bad loss to San Jose State, an Aztecs offensive line fell apart in the second half. They did not handle the pass rush, they never got the gap rush blocked, never got to the second level to spring running backs, and could not protect Johnson and then Carson Baker in the second half.

And who could have thought San Diego State would go 5-straight 3-and-out series in the second half on offense, and would finish the half with 32-snaps for a net of 42-yards.

At one point the Wolfpack had a (41-28) snap advantage, playing at altitude.  It foretold problems ahead.

The punt return issues continued, twice failing to field punts that bounced by Matthews and put SDSU is horrid field position in the 2nd half.  Starting inside your own 10 with struggling quarterbacks is not a formula to win games.

Compounding it all were penalties, a bunch of them..a roughing the QB on 3rd down…a bad facemask flag and a costly pass interference, all on the same TD drive by UNR.

There’s alot of work to be done.  Johnson’s ability to throw consistently is an issue.  The regression of Baker, unable to cope with pocket pressure, is stunning.  The mystery of what’s happened to the offensive line needs to be addressed.

And all this with the schedule showing 3-road games in the final 4-weeks of the season…knowing full-well unbeaten BYU is out there to be played the final week of the season.

Losing badly to San Jose State a couple of weeks ago, a Spartans team that had 1-winning season in 13-years, was stunning.  Losing to Nevda, which is still unbeaten, isn’t all that upsetting, but what is happening within the program, with players and units going in the wrong direction, has to be recognized.

I thought the Aztecs would go (7-0) in the conference leading into the BYU finale.  This team might not even finish with a .500 mark unless Hoke and his staff stop the breakdowns.

SDSU is the only team in town.  They want to be viwed as a replacement for the NFL team that left town.  That being the case, they will be evaluated, complimented and critiqued, eventhough these are college kids, the NFL paid pros.

Aztecs football, not what it used to be, not what we have come to expect.

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Kevin Love, former UCLA basketball star, a very high number 1-draft pick, and a very well paid NBA star, considered ending it all.

Career-Life-Friendships.

His life was off track because of increasing chronic depression.  He could no longer cope with expectations and pressure.

He contemplated suicide.

A phone call changed his life.

He is still an NBA star, still well paid, but his life is more than just basketball.  He is an advocate for ‘mental health’.

An interesting read:

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Cavaliers forward Kevin Love explained his depression while with the Timberwolves in 2012:

The future started to feel meaningless. And when it gets to the point where you lose hope, that’s when the only thing you can think about is, “How can I make this pain go away?”

I don’t think I have to say much more than that.
But Love did find more to say about that.

Love on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger”:

When you get to that point and it’s day after day being the same, you come to a point where the darkest moments come into play and suicidal thoughts come into play. And you start planning it out and what would be the route you would take. And those are really scary moments in my life.
I had a number of ways. The good thing that happens is when you do search that, it comes up with the national-suicide-prevention line. There was a couple ways that I toyed with, but it was just scary to get down that route and think about the idea of taking my own life. But it was something that crossed my mind pretty often, especially when you’re in a moment like that.
Did he ever attempt suicide? Love:

No. Thankfully.
Does he still have suicidal thoughts? Love:

If you’ve been down that road – and I don’t know if whoever’s gonna watch this has had those thoughts before – I think it does cross your mind. And I’ve just learned to speak my truth, honestly. I’ve learned that nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say. So, me keeping that in is actually more harmful. So, I think that’s been the biggest and most helpful thing for me is exposing it, understanding that it is going to make me vulnerable and maybe put me in a spot where for most people it could be tough. But I know that there’s a whole group and strength in numbers out there of people that are dealing with it. And if we have more people that pay it forward – like we’ve seen across a number of sports, a number of walks of life – that’s going to be better.
It is good Love is sharing his experiences if for no other reason than he finds it therapeutic.

But he is helping far more than himself.

By revealing these details, Love is reducing the stigma around mental-health issues. He’s showing anyone with similar thoughts that it can get better. He’s normalizing that depression is an ongoing battle, not something cured and forgotten.

In this interview and beyond, Love is amplifying the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (phone number: 1-800-273-8255), correcting antiquated thinking and working to expand resources.

Love is a great basketball player. This is his most important mission.