On first blush Jaren Jackson will remind you of Serge Ibaka. At his worst he’s a shot-blocking stretch-big, at his best he can be much more.
Marvin Bagley is a freak athlete who pops off the screen when you watch him. He’s incredibly raw but still averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game at Duke, when he should have still been in high school.
Luka Doncic is a polarizing prospect. His production in Europe has some saying he should be the #1 pick. While others fear he’s not athletic enough to be an elite NBA player.
If Deandre Ayton was a finished product he’d be a good NBA player. A player with his frame, motor, and shooting touch is a generational talent that can change a franchise.
While I had heard Cleveland’s name before I have to admit I hadn’t paid him much mind. Most people seem to be impressed by his athleticism and a highlight package search does bring up a lot of lob catches but that’s not the only aspect of his game that is impressive. I also noticed that he likes to shoot off the dribble and does most of his damage in the mid-range. Currently, only Harrison Barnes really does much work in the mid-range for the Mavs so this would be welcomed on our offense. I also noticed that he has good timing on defense and uses his length and athleticism to get blocks both on and off the ball. Let’s dig deeper.
Elevator Review
Tragedy Girls is a Horror Comedy crossed with a high school drama. The chemistry between the two main characters was amazing and worth the price of admission on it’s own, but the way the horror and comedy are woven together are what truly make this movie great. It is gory, and typically I don’t like gore, but the director did an amazing job of making me not feel it’s impact. This is a must see for anyone not immediately put off by gore.
Another NBA Season is upon us so Josh and I sat down after all of the work of the previous week to make some predictions on how this season will play out. Who wins MVP? Who is Most Improved? and of course, who hoists the Larry O’Brien when it’s all said and done.
Otto Porter Deal – The Wizards always said they were going to keep Otto Porter no matter what and they followed through on that promise. The Nets offered him a max deal with all kinds of unappealing clauses (trade kicker, player option, etc.) but the Wizards still matched it. The goal was always to keep their blossoming 3 together and basically wait for other teams (The Cavs and Raptors) to age out ahead of them. Porter will need to increase his production to earn the money he’s going to be getting and there’s reason to believe he will do so.
Gordon Hayward Leaves – The biggest story of the offseason was definitely the departure of the team’s leading scorer Gordon Hayward. Fans and the players (most vocally Rudy Gobert) alike were obviously disappointed by the move and the team will now look to the supporting cast to step up. Gobert has been a beast in the preseason as he looks to take on more of a role as a scorer this season as the face of the team. The question will be if Ingles and Hood can make up for Godon Hayward’s 22 missed points.
The Culture Reset – After being swept by the Cavs in the playoffs last year Masai Ujiri said that the Raptors needed a “Culture reset.” That clearly didn’t mean a roster reset as the Raptors only removed role players from their 2016-2017 team. What they have changed is the way they play. During the preseason they have done more to get Jonas Valanciunas involved (Thank God, I’ve always felt he was underutilized) and they are shooting more 3’s. These changes could be huge for them as they try to hold onto their place in the East if not build upon it.
Bib's Corner 