Skip to main content

What AD means for the NBA

Image
By
Admittedly, I have been following professional sports less and less in the past few years, ever since I quit playing fantasy football in 2015. I barely watched the 2019 NBA finals, despite the devastating injuries to future hall-of-famers Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson and the potential of Jeremy Lin becoming the first Asian-American to win an NBA championship (which he later accomplished, playing a whopping 1 minute in the final series). Still, I could not help but jump on the bandwagon and discuss my thoughts on the recent blockbuster trade of New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, which I argue is the biggest sports trade in recent memory, immediately transforming a Lakers team who fell shy of the playoffs this year to championship favorites for the 2019-2020 season, but also provides much needed depth and future consistency for the Pelicans, who are looking to build a dynasty around Zion Williamson, the most hyped NBA prospect in recent memory.

Image result for anthony davis lakers
Source: ESPN.com
The Brow has only made the playoffs twice in his 7-year career (one of which he was out the whole year with a knee and shoulder injury) but has averaged an astounding 30.5 points and 12.7 total rebounds through 3 playoff series. Meanwhile, the King comes off of the first season in 8 years without reaching the NBA finals, a state I don't think he will plan on staying in for long. With a waning Chris Paul (Rockets), beat up Warriors, and Kawhi's increased odds of staying in Toronto after such a successful season, potentially leaving Clippers in the dust, I believe the Lakers trio of James, Davis, Kuzma, and the potential addition of Kemba/Kyrie at PG and Trevor Ariza at SG can go head to head with any starting five in the league. Depth may be a potential issue, however.

This may well be one of the most exciting NBA seasons to watch. Despite my lack of analytical research, here are my picks for the eight teams in the NBA next season most likely to win the NBA finals - due to the high volatility of the sports world, I'm sure will outshine some expert's picks:

1. Lakers (Alright, I'm jumping on the bandwagon, I really respect LeBron and AD as players and human beings and want them to do well)
2. 76ers (They will be back next year firing with vengeance, and have one of the best lineups in the league)
3. Bucks (Giannis. Enough said. Also their bench really impressed me this season, and are the best team in the league without a legitimate 3-point threat)
4. Thunder (Obviously I'm biased towards my favorite team here, but if Westbrook doesn't figure out how to win in the playoffs this season, he never will. PG has also gone through hard knocks)
5. Rockets (Harden is Harden, but I believe the Rockets' best shots at the finals are behind them)
6. Raptors (I just don't see the North pulling through again after a historic season, but I do expect them to make it far-ish in the playoffs)
7. Clippers (They were the shock of the season, and if they can get Kawhi... watch out)
8. Warriors (Curry + Green + Boogie are still major talent)

You heard it here first.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The First Post

By
I still remember the first time I read a blog.  Towards the end of freshman year in high school the college admissions bug had really bit me and I would obsessively read  MIT Blogs  every day. I was always excited to hear about the amazing experiences these amazing people across the country were having. Eventually I discovered a man on YouTube that would go on to waste way too many hours of my life. Every single day I would watch  Casey Neistat 's vlog and get to see a glimpse of his awesome life.  Today I've decided to take a step in the right direction and create my own blog alongside my good friend Owen. I'm hoping to use this blog as a platform to discuss ideas I've been formulating, commit to the goals I should've years ago, jot down notes I think are important, and most importantly, leave behind a piece of myself on the internet.  Most of my content will fall under a couple of categories: School - an all-encompassing part of life Economics/Bus
3 comments
Read more

Jack of All Trades or Master of One?

By
What does it mean to be the best at something? Einstein. Mozart. Jordan. Aristotle. These are often the most recognized names in their respective field of work, looked up to by millions every day.  But out of the billions of people who have ever lived in this world, how many of us can reasonably expect to live up to their status and ability? Short answer: the vast majority can't, and won't ever. But that doesn't stop us from aspiring to be the best at whatever we pursue, including me. Why do some people appear more successful than others? A short formula for our ability to do something is as follows (note that this may not be comprehensive, or entirely accurate, but is meant for simplicity's sake): Ability = Talent x Efficient Work where "Efficient Work" can be further broken down into time spent x quality of work . Making lots of different mistakes and reflecting on them counts as quality work. Gazing at your phone every 5 minutes while practicin
1 comment
Read more

Reflections on my First Semester Sophomore Year at UC Berkeley

By
I now realize Freshman year was not my first semesters of college; my Sophomore year was. These past 6 months changed me more than any other time period in my life. It's when I truly became independent, took a workload past my comfort zone, and embraced all that I've failed and succeeded at in UC Berkeley.  Work and Internships:   In Freshman year, I took for granted how difficult and competitive it was to find a summer internship, and as a result, I did not land any offers and settled for taking summer classes instead. However, my summer at Berkeley set me up for the fall semester better than I could have ever imagined, bringing in plenty of new friends, opportunities, and experiences in my life (which will be visited in much more detail later). For example, I won the "Outstanding Academic Intern Award" in Summer 2019, which led to being hired as a course staff tutor during the fall. As a result, I am closer to my goal of becoming a TA someday and was much mo
1 comment
Read more