Tag: CJ McCollum

Posted on in NBA

What Is The Best Destination For Damian Lillard?

By Saransh Sharma, Rohan Krishnan, Pranav Thiriveedhi, Anish Dhondi, & Nikhil Pradeep

Damian Lillard is a superstar who has given everything to the Trail Blazers franchise and the city of Portland. Consistently playing like a top-10 NBA player for the last few seasons, being an incredible scorer, facilitator, and leader for this team, taking this team as far as the Western Conference Finals (2019), Lillard has done everything he possibly could in Portland. But like many superstars who have dedicated years to their franchises, like James Harden and Anthony Davis in recent memory, Lillard and the Blazers seem to fall short every single year. That leads to trade rumors, frustration, and more build-up, and eventually overtake a player, as the reality that their team cannot win a championship given the current state of the NBA, despite their incredible performances and leadership night-in and night-out, becomes a reality. While Damian Lillard denied that he requested a trade, to say he has not considered wanting out of Portland is ridiculous to say. Lillard, in his press conference addressing the trade request rumors, said that while he did not request it, he does not see Portland as a championship team with their current roster and coaching staff. Portland is going into a make-or-break season to get Lillard a championship, and the odds are very slim. This may be the last season for Lillard in Portland unless they win a ring or make serious championship moves, so if that is the case, here are our best-case scenarios and destinations for Lillard:

Saransh’s Best Destination For Dame: New York Knicks

There are only a few teams that have trade packages for Lillard: Philadelphia, Miami, Boston, New York, and maybe Toronto. However, the Knicks would have enough assets and also have the cap space to get a max-level player or multiple young players and role players alongside their core of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Immanuel Quickley. Not to mention the possibility of keeping Derrick Rose around this season via free agency. Lillard not only gets a much better team around him than that in Portland, but he gets to be on a much younger team, be the leader, and also not just be ‘the guy’ on this team, but the true face of the franchise, something the Knicks have not had since their days with Carmelo Anthony. The fountain of youth that Lillard will be surrounded by will give the Knicks enough years for them as a franchise to build themselves into a championship team and prove to Lillard that his time leaving Portland would not go to waste. 

The fit with New York would also satisfy Portland best, giving them a solid player like RJ Barrett, who is very young and has star potential. They also would likely receive Kevin Knox, a former first-round pick for the Knicks who did not fit that team and their philosophy, but getting a fresh start in Portland will do wonders for him. On top of all that, the Knicks have a boatload of draft capital they can trade-off to Portland for Lillard for them to go all-in on contending for a championship, while Portland goes all-in on rebuilding.

Overall, a move to New York guarantees Lillard three things, the first being that he gets to extend his career with a fountain of youth around him, allowing him to play fewer minutes at times during the regular season to stay fresher in the Playoffs and compete for a championship. This move could help him even extend his prime years. Second, he will play in a defense-first system led by Head Coach Tom Thibodeau while still being around a good and balanced offense. Lillard will not need to drop as many 60-point efforts just to see his team lose, as he can rely on other guys, along with himself, to get stops as a unit. Third, he competes for a championship. Portland for years has been behind in the Western Conference, and while they have gotten to the Western Conference Finals in the past, they have never presented a threat to anyone in the West as championship contenders. New York, with an up-and-coming roster, one of the league’s best players in Lillard, and a strong presence already in the Eastern Conference, this team can be right up there with the best of them, year after year.

Rohan’s Best Destination For Dame: Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers can make the most tempting offer thanks to one player: Ben Simmons. Yes, Simmons was lackluster in the 2021 postseason and was the biggest reason for Philadelphia not advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, his trade value is still high around the league as he is an excellent defender and playmaker and only 25 years old. I feel like a package of Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle/Tyrese Maxey, and 1st round picks are more valuable than what any other team can offer. By pairing up Dame with Embiid, the Sixers would be in championship contention for years to come. Damian Lillard is just entering his 4-year contract, and Joel Embiid is locked up for the next 2 years. Lillard has shown he is not afraid to shoot from anywhere and would add a lot of spacing. Also, Dame is a solid playmaker, and working the pick and roll with Embiid would be a scary sight for opposing teams. The Sixers need to keep in mind that their window is now and they have to do whatever it takes to get a superstar like Lillard on the market.

Meanwhile, Portland would be getting an infusion of young talent to stay competitive in the West. Ben Simmons would immediately improve the Blazers’ poor defense, and CJ McCollum can blossom as the 1st option. McCollum has averaged 28.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in 33 games without Damian Lillard in his career. Portland will also be getting Tyrese Maxey or Matisse Thybulle, who both have lots of potential, as Thybulle is one of the best defenders in the league, and Maxey provided a big spark for Philly in these playoffs. 

I would be shocked if Philadelphia is not at the top of Lillard’s list. He would get to play next to MVP runner-up Joel Embiid and automatically compete for a championship. Also, the Sixers have Seth Curry and Tobias Harris, who are both solid supporting options. Damian Lillard would have less pressure on him, and he would make Joel Embiid’s life easier as well, allowing him to play more minutes. With the addition of Dame, Philly would give nightmares to teams around the league and be at the top of the Eastern Conference for at least the next couple of years. 

Pranav’s Best Destination For Dame: Boston Celtics

Over the last few years, Boston has tried many ways to get back to the Finals with a few different point guards to note. A chance with Kyrie Irving for 2 seasons, and then Kemba Walker for the next 2 seasons, yet both failed, and the championship chase is back to square one. But Dame Lillard penciled into the starting lineup with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would provide that much-needed perimeter offense that the Celtics are in dire need of, immediately putting them with Milwaukee and Boston as East favorites.

The only problem is the offer. What would the Celtics hand over to the Trail Blazers to get the generational All-Star? If I was Brad Stevens, I would not want to break up the Tatum-Brown duo that Boston worked so hard to build around. A package of Marcus Smart, Tristian Thompson, Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith, or some combination of young players along with Smart and Thompson, along with first-round picks from 2022, 2024, and 2026 would do the job. A hefty price tag that undoubtedly puts Boston in championship contention. Marcus Smart and Tristan Thompson would be excellent additions defensively to the Trail Blazers, and the infusion of youth would put Portland in a great position to rebuild completely.

Anish’s Best Destination For Dame: Stay in Portland or Trade to New York Knicks

Now as a Portland Trail Blazers fan, the obvious choice would be for me to say that Dame stays with the Blazers. He is a franchise superstar like no other and is still under contract till 2025, meaning that if he traded, the return would be massive. However, the more realistic scenario I see is that CJ McCollum traded this upcoming season for someone who can fill his role not only offensively but defensively too. The Blazers have reportedly declined offers for CJ McCollum because it does not fit their timeline. The Blazers have no use for first-round picks right now if they want to keep Lillard, and their primary goal is to make the team as good as possible for next season. 

Damian Lillard is a humble guy who will speak his mind when he wants to say something rather than the entire world claiming he requested a trade. I will not believe Lillard requests a trade this season unless I hear it directly out of his mouth, but do not get me wrong, the situation in Portland right now is not pretty. The Portland Trail Blazers are the definition of being a mediocre team. They have consistently made the playoffs for the last 8 seasons, but in this time, they were only able to make it to the Western Conference Finals once (2019, swept by Golden State). That Warriors team was stacked, and Portland was not favored to win, but 2019 was the absolute breaking point. This season, Portland had no excuse for losing to a Nuggets team missing its 2nd best player, especially since that Nuggets team got swept by the Suns in the next round. Lillard gave it his all the entire series, even having a 55-point Herculean effort in a Game 5 loss, but his team absolutely sold that game, and Lillard finally decided it was time to challenge the front office and their sense of urgency. I believe he will force the front office this off-season to make a move and make this right, or he requests a trade.

Now, consider a scenario in which the front office does absolutely nothing this offseason like in previous seasons and Lillard requests a trade, only a few teams with enough assets to satisfy Lillard and Portland’s needs. These teams include the Knicks, Celtics, Sixers, Raptors, maybe Miami, and not the Lakers, despite the hype. Lillard on the Knicks seems most beneficial and appealing for him, and basketball fans like myself. This situation would fill all the holes of his past as Portland: a historically horrible defensive team, and being able to play in one of the biggest markets in the world. Now when it comes to what the Blazers get in return, a package revolving around RJ Barrett along with other assets and first-round picks could work out and make this all work. Other teams like the Celtics would not work as they have no good reason to trade Jaylen Brown as he will develop alongside Tatum and there is no reason to tinker that duo. The Sixers are also on the edge because we know Ben Simmons is on the table, but I believe McCollum is more likely to be traded for him. I would not be surprised if Dame gets traded to some team in a smaller market like Toronto or Utah, but in the end, he wants to compete and win a championship, and it is doubtful he cares about where. All I know is there is no chance Lillard forms a crazy superteam, as he has been against the idea his whole career. This would eliminate the already-unrealistic shot of the Lakers trading for him.

The ideal scenario is that the Blazers trade McCollum this offseason for Ben Simmons. Ben Simmons could fill the Draymond Green-type role, being the offense-leading point forward and being the defensive stopper Portland needs. The Blazers will re-sign Powell and run a Lillard, Powell, Covington, Simmons, and Nurkic starting 5 in this scenario. Another scenario I could see is McCollum to the Celtics for Marcus Smart and Robert Williams, which would fill Portland’s holes defensively. All I know is that the Blazers need to make a major trade if they want Lillard to stay, and there is no one besides McCollum with enough trade value.

Nikhil’s Best Destination For Dame: The Philadelphia 76ers

Objectively speaking, the Blazers and the Sixers have exactly what to offer for a perfect trade between the two teams, yet they both seem hesitant to take a risk and improve upon what they already have. From the Trail Blazers point of view, it is clear as day that their team is not going anywhere as far as young talent is concerned and if they want to rebound in the next few years without Damian Lillard, they need to either tank and draft accordingly (ex. Oklahoma City Thunder), or trade Dame for a good stash of young players and picks. An emphasis on defense and playmaking is a must this offseason and the future, and whichever route Portland chooses to go needs to revolve around this central notion. The 76ers on the other hand have an MVP candidate in Joel Embiid, and a rather perfect supporting cast containing the likes of Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Seth Curry, and the most pivotal of all, Ben Simmons. Philadelphia came off a strong but still underwhelming playoff performance this season and is obviously in win-now mode given the prime of Joel Embiid and the lack of a large number of young players. Simmons, as we all know, has been lackluster as of late and simply can not shoot the ball consistently to warrant his All-Star persona. Again, both teams have issues that both teams can solve using the tools each other possesses.

Simmons’ defense and his point-forward playstyle fit Portland beautifully and fix some of the problems this franchise has had for years on end now. Couple him with a few young players that the Sixers have to offer like Matisse Thybulle and Tyrese Maxey (Thybulle being an excellent defender & Maxey being a great scoring guard), this trade could do wonders for Portland. If Portland wants to fully immerse into rebuild mode, they can easily move CJ McCollum to get even more picks/talent and position themselves perfectly for the future. Given the caliber of Damian Lillard, picks can be added or swapped in place of players to sweeten the deal as well, and in my opinion, Philadelphia is willing to do anything to improve their team and offload Ben Simmons.

The Sixers receive quite possibly the best clutch player in our league today in Damian Lillard, and once paired with Joel Embiid, seems to form one of the deadliest duos this league would see today. Once placed into an already free-shooting offense containing Danny Green and Seth Curry, you inadvertently form an offense that rivals, and in my opinion beats that of Brooklyn when healthy. This trade, if successful, immediately propels Philadelphia into championship contention and solves a lot of their offensive production issues.

In many ways, Philadelphia seems like the best trade suitor for Damian Lillard, especially given the unwillingness of Boston to deal Jaylen Brown and Miami to deal anyone on their roster and the comparative lack of assets from New York and any other team in the league. If Dame truly wants out of Portland, Philadelphia looks to be the best possible place to win that elusive ring.

Posted on in NBA

The NBA All-Star Game’s Biggest Flaw

By Saransh Sharma, Nikhil Pradeep, & Anish Dhondi

The NBA All-Star Game has a severe problem currently, but it has nothing to do with the game itself. It instead has to do with the fan & coach-controlled voting for players who get the opportunity to play in the game. Sure, some years snubbed players are understandable due to the stacked conferences and players merely being too hard to choose between, yet the past few years have been the complete opposite, with star players who have outperformed one or multiple selected All-Stars snubbed. The thing that is important to note is that every year, there are multitudes of players that are chosen to be All-Stars. With only 12 spots per conference, the selections are difficult, but some are just dumbfounded nonetheless. Here are our takes on how to improve the All-Star Game voting to have fewer snubs and avoid trolls from dominating the voting (such as Klay Thompson nearly being an All-Star despite playing 0 games):

Saransh’s Solution: Have Current Players Vote & No Conferences

Similar to the ‘NFL Top 100’ voting, the NBA should randomly select NBA players currently playing to compile their All-Star Teams, separated by starters and reserves, as well as by conference. Each player would then select 12 players per conference, and they are limited as to how many players from their team they can select to limit ‘troll voting’ by the players. As we have seen, current players such as LeBron James, CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard, and Luka Doncic all voiced their frustrations with players being snubbed. Devin Booker this season, who is an All-Star replacement for Anthony Davis, falls into this category. Also, even Luka Doncic believed that he should not have been selected as a starter, and Damian Lillard should have been instead. Many of the All-Star caliber players in the NBA have tons of respect for each other and see each other players’ games in ways that fans, and even in some cases, coaches, simply cannot. This goes for one of this season’s biggest All-Star snubs, Trae Young. Many coaches around the league have expressed that they do not believe Trae Young is a point guard or that he has the chance to be an elite NBA player because of his lack of size, his shooting and shot selection, and his defense. That should not matter for an All-Star Game as it is a game of enjoyment, but many coaches do not view it that way.

Another big emphasis that should be taken into account is realizing how much certain players impact their teams. For example, Jimmy Butler missed much of this season with COVID-19, yet when he is playing, the Heat are 14-7 (66.7% win percentage), did not make the All-Star team. DeMar DeRozan, another All-Star snub, is leading an underrated Spurs team in the Western Conference to a 16-12 record (5th in the Western Conference). While I do not believe that players on winning teams specifically should be on the All-Star team or not, fans, coaches, and the media have to realize that these players have huge impacts on their team when it comes to winning and losing games, therefore emphasizing player and team records more into choosing the All-Star rosters.

This goes hand-in-hand with the last change that the NBA needs to make for the All-Star Game, which is to have the league remove conferences for the All-Star Game, therefore getting the 24 best players into the game. This would allow a player like Devin Booker or Trae Young to get in over a player like Nikola Vucevic or Julius Randle, whom while they both had great seasons (24.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, & 41.0% 3PT shooting for Vucevic, having career-high scoring seasons & 3PT-shooting season), he would not be selected over Devin Booker due to the removal of conferences, who is averaging 24.9 PPG on a career-high 49.7% on FGs, and leading the Suns to the 4th seed in the Western Conference (21-11), while Vooch’s Magic are 13th in the Eastern Conference (13-21).

Nikhil’s Solution: Team Central Selection & Subsequent Player-Wide Voting

The NBA’s selection criteria for the All-Star game has been inherently flawed for a while, but in fairness, it has mainly been due to the increasing amounts of player movement within teams. James Harden leaving Houston and teaming up with KD and Kyrie is not something that should be possible in a fair league and tips the balances as far as All-Star voting is concerned. All three are very clearly All-Stars, but this eats up a lot of space for other deserving players to make the rosters. This, combined with clear and rather obvious ‘snubs’ from the rosters and starting spots, such as the case of Damian Lillard and Luka Doncic for the starting guard spot in the Western Conference, makes for a speculative sort of circumstance for voting in general and is usually not representative of what the majority thinks. Thus, a credible, albeit not preferable method of choosing All-Stars could be to preliminarily pick three candidates from each team, and have another subsequent player vote among those selected.

The basic premise of the method is each team selects 3 members of the roster to be selected for All-Star eligibility, and from there a similar player-centralized vote as suggested in Saransh’s solution would be implemented to select the final rosters for each conference. The only downside to this would be the absence of the fan vote but in all honestly, the fan vote has only served to blur the credibility of the entire All-Star voting process, having selected Zaza Pachulia and an injured Klay Thompson as top ten selections in years past. By implementing these such sanctions within the process, it streamlines the eventual outcome and as a result, produces rosters that are seemingly all-inclusive and fair.

Anish’s Solution: Make Fan Vote Worth Less & Remove Conferences

The NBA’s All-Star Game is important to players as it serves as a vital accolade to their careers. That said, the players who truly deserve the spot on the teams must be named All-Stars. In the current day system, fan vote only really has a factor on All-Star starters, and they’re given the 50% for voting while the 25% goes to players and media each. What was flawed this year was between the tiebreaker in the Western Conference between Damian Lillard and Luka Doncic. For many years team success has always been a factor in deciding who’s having a better season and this season Lillard has been winning more with the injured Blazers roster. Now the problem for voting comes where fans voted Luka Doncic (50% of the vote) and Damian Lillard wins in the other 2 categories that add up to the other 50%. The NBA decided to give the tiebreaker to Luka Doncic which tells me the fan vote has too much power. Fans and social media nowadays turns everything into a meme as players like fan-favorite Alex Caruso, or even Klay Thompson, who has not and will not play a game this season due to his ACL injury. Despite that, he proceeds to receive more votes than CJ McCollum, who suffered a foot injury but was averaging 26 PPG prior. 

As much as we want to see fan input, I believe tiebreakers should be through the other 2 categories because if players (who play and know the game) and the media (whose job is to report on the game) think one guy is better than the other, how do they not win that tiebreaker? My other problem is with the conferences there’s a lack of balance all around. Currently looking at the standings in both the West and East you can see the West is much harder. Teams in the West who are barely playoff contention would be Top 5 seed in the East. With a divide shown this strong, the West has better players, but the NBA picks the same number of players from both sides. You can see the unbalance even looking at the All-Star starters as the East has 2 All-Star starters who aren’t even in playoff contention even in the East with Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum (KD replacement). While in the West we see that the Spurs hold a Top 5 seed and somehow don’t have a single All-Star… The NBA needs to do something to counteract this imbalance that has been between the conferences for years to avoid more snubs in the future.

Posted on in NBA

The NBA Returns Part 2: Who Gets the 8-Seeds?

By Saransh Sharma, Nikhil Pradeep and Anish Dhondi

The NBA had just last week announced their full plan for their season’s return with a ‘bubble’ format in Orlando, with just 22 of the 30 teams being invited to come back, and many different rules and regulations to keep players and their families safe and healthy have been put in place, and we detailed our biggest storylines for the remainder of the season. We now jump into Part 2 of ‘The NBA Returns’ series to bring you our predictions for the 8-seed in each conference, and how we think each team will fare in their remaining 8 games of their season. Using NBC Sports’ predictions for who each team will face, here are our predictions for which teams will make the playoffs, and which teams will be sent home quickly from Orlando:

Anish’s Predictions for: Memphis, Portland, New Orleans

Memphis Grizzlies: #8 Seed, Western Conference (32-33)

Projected Opponents: Trail Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, Thunder, Bucks, Pelicans, Pelicans, Celtics

Memphis currently holds the 8th seed and will be fighting to keep their spot in the playoffs. Not many people expected this grizzlies team to perform this well with the departure of Mike Conley. Their roster is young and doesn’t have much playoff experience. Their schedule appears relatively easy in comparison to the other teams fighting for a playoff spot so they should have a good chance in maintaining their position. Led by the athletic duo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. this Grizzlies team can be a force in the future but I don’t believe they have the experience to perform under the pressure of the playoffs and could see them falling down a couple places.

Portland Trail Blazers: #9 Seed, Western Conference (29-37), 2.5GB of Memphis

Projected Opponents: Grizzlies, Rockets, Mavericks, 76ers, Celtics, Nets, Lakers, (Heat or Magic)

As many of the teams benefited from this playoff format, the Blazers were not among them. Their current schedule to have a shot of the playoffs is harder than the schedule they had remaining for the regular season. This means because of the pandemic they’re forced to unnecessarily play harder teams in the fight for a playoff spot. These 8 games are basically like the playoffs if the Blazers want a shot and star Damian Lillard needs to be at the top of his game to lead them to victories. When the team needs him the most, Damian Lillard has been known to be one of the clutchest NBA players in the league, this playoff format with the pressure of make-or-miss for the playoffs puts all eyes on Lillard to carry this team. However, as much as Lillard can go off, he must have the help of his supporting cast and co-star CJ McCollum to provide consistent help. Jusuf Nurkic is also expecting a return after going down last season with a brutal injury. I can see this Blazers team making a push to play into the playoffs even with a tough schedule.

New Orleans Pelicans: #10 Seed, Western Conference (28-36), 3.5GB of Memphis

Projected Opponents: Kings, Jazz, Clippers, Spurs, Grizzlies, Kings, Grizzlies, Magic

The pelicans were a dark horse team that none really expected to perform this well. With the emergence of Ingram’s recent performance, Jrue Holiday’s consistency, and the most popular rookie in years, Zion Williamson, the Pelicans can squeeze their way into a potential spot. When it comes to viewership, Zion is near the top and generates mass amounts of revenue for his popularity. His electrifying play for a rookie is something we haven’t seen in years and hopefully it gives the Pelicans enough momentum. However, I see the Pelicans and the Grizzlies as a toss up for the playoff chances. Both teams lack the experience of the pressured setting because they’re filled with young talent. If these teams had the same record I would give the Pelicans a slight advantage with the leadership of Jrue Holiday and his performance in past playoff appearances, however because they are 3.5 games behind the Grizzlies it may be difficult to secure a chance for the playoffs.

Saransh’s Predictions for: Sacramento, San Antonio, Phoenix

Sacramento Kings: #11 Seed, Western Conference (28-36), 3.5GB of Memphis

Remaining Teams to Play: Pelicans (x2), Nets, Mavericks, Rockets, Magic, Pacers, Spurs

For every team currently not in the playoffs in the Western Conference, so below Memphis, they have a bit of a mountain to climb, with Sacramento being tied in record with New Orleans. Sacramento’s schedule, however, gives them a favorable shot to at least get up to the 9-seed and force a play-in with Memphis, as they do not really play any elite teams aside from Houston. Getting New Orleans twice is key in helping them move up the standings, as winning both is their best way to get a leg-up on them in the standings, and with all the games at neutral sites, anything can happen. 

The ease of opponents, along with the experience of Sacramento, will propel them to the 9-seed and force them into a play-in with Portland, a very even match, although the advantage goes slightly to Portland, due to having Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum’s scoring to aid them, something that will be hard for De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield to match. Getting Jusuf Nurkic back at Center/Power Forward is huge for the Blazers as well, as his lateral quickness and shot-blocking will be used effectively to slow down Marvin Bagley in the pick-and-roll, making this exclusively a backcourt-driven series. As much as I would love to see Sacramento back in the playoffs and into their glory days again, the uphill battle might be too much, as their time will run out in the playoff play-in.

San Antonio Spurs, #12 Seed, Western Conference (27-36), 4GB of Memphis

Remaining Teams to Play: Nuggets, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Jazz (x2), Nuggets, Kings, 76ers

With LaMarcus Aldridge deciding to undergo his right shoulder surgery now and skip Orlando, rather than go play and then opt for surgery, San Antonio’s record (tied) of 22-straight seasons of making the playoffs is now in jeopardy for the first time in this 22-season stretch. It almost seems unreal to think we could see a playoffs without San Antonio for as long as Gregg Popovich is coaching, the same way it was to see LeBron not be in the NBA Finals after 8 consecutive appearances (his injury did hold him back for almost half the season, but the Lakers simply did not have the talent anyways to surround LeBron with). Simply put, San Antonio simply does not have the talent that they would normally have due to injuries, to be able to compete for the 8-seed.

So, for the first time in forever (literally, and also a ‘Frozen’ reference), there actually will be an offseason where San Antonio will have a lottery pick in the NBA Draft (currently projected to have the #11 pick in the draft), and could have a ton of cap space with DeMar Derozan’s impending free agency upcoming, and him not returning, as his massive contract and age would not fit the team’s direction. I think San Antonio will look to go for Saddiq Bey in the draft at Small Forward, therefore solidifying Derrick White and Dejounte Murray as their backcourt of the future. This trip to Orlando is all about finding out who will be in San Antonio for the long-run, and who will be playing elsewhere.

Phoenix Suns, #13 Seed, Western Conference (26-39), 6GB of Memphis

Remaining Teams to Play: Mavericks (x2), Clippers, Pacers, 76ers, Heat, Wizards, Thunder

The team with the longest playoff drought currently is Phoenix, as they have not made the playoffs since their Western Conference Finals appearance in 2010, back when they had Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudamire, Grant Hill and Jason Richardson as the centerpieces of their star-studded squad, but were dethroned by Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum of the Lakers in 6 games. Since then, they constantly end up picking in the lottery, and they have landed stars like Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton, and busts like Dragan Bender and Cameron Johnson. So all in all, Phoenix has just been an outlandish, inconsistent team on paper, but consistent in terms of losing games and missing the playoffs. However, with the acquisitions of Kelly Oubre Jr., Dario Saric, and Ricky Rubio, the team added much needed veteran players to a bizarrely young team. 

Things went very well this season to start, in fact, at one point Phoenix was one of the best teams in the league, but then DeAndre Ayton tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, missed 25 games, and since then have settled for mediocrity, but still currently consistent with the whole ‘miss-the-playoffs’ bill. Either way, this team is now healthy and will be well-rested, and can show their potential. I fully expect this team to play their fast-paced, inside-out, pace and space game on offense, but still have their usual struggles on defense, preventing them from winning games, such as games against teams like OKC, Philly, and Indiana. This team will come close, but teams like Sacramento and Portland will make it tough for Phoenix to climb their way into the playoffs, as record-wise, they were lucky to have an invitation to Orlando. Talent-wise, this team has a great core that with the proper development and scheming from their coaching staff over their trip to Orlando and this up coming offseason, can change Phoenix from a young and hopeful, to a gritty, tough-minded team that no one wants to play in the playoffs.

Nikhil’s Predictions: Orlando, Brooklyn, Washington

Brooklyn Nets, #7 Seed, Eastern Conference:

Remaining Schedule: Clippers (x2), Kings, Wizards, Celtics, Magic (x2), Trail Blazers

The Brooklyn Nets have largely underwhelmed this season, and the mid-season injuries to Kyrie Irving and others clearly have not helped their case of being future contenders in the Eastern Conference. That being said, they have been blessed with a current Eastern Conference which is weak in every aspect of the word, and have found themselves in a fairly beneficial position in 7th place. Even with the injury to their starting point guard, and the controversy he has been stirring in recent weeks in regards to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Nets are adequately equipped to make the playoffs. Mainstays like Deandre Jordan, Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and a very capable supporting cast can easily propel this team forward, and given that their schedule is easier compared to the Wizards’, they have very high chances to make the playoffs. In comparison to Orlando, the teams are very similar in roster depth and star power given that Irving and Durant are both out for the Nets, so expect these two teams to be very similar in record once the ‘regular season’ games are over. I’m predicting the Nets to finish 8th in the conference solely based on Orlando’s comparatively easier schedule. This will end up in an unfavorable draw with the Bucks come playoff time. 

Orlando Magic, #8 Seed, Eastern Conference, 0.5GB of Brooklyn: 

Remaining Schedule: Pacers, Kings, Nets (x2), Pelicans, 76ers, Raptors, Lakers or Trail Blazers (not yet decided)

The Magic have found themselves in nearly an identical situation as the Nets, minus the starpower and controversy. Orlando has over the years become a rather mundane destination for players, and honestly is one of the more forgettable teams in the league. But make no mistake, this team is a viable playoff squad, and outclasses a good amount of teams within the Eastern Conference. Players like Evan Fournier, DJ Augustin, and Jonathan Isaac provide the foundation for a quality squad, and to top it off, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic give the team that firepower to put them over the edge. Again, given their rather easy schedule, compared to the Nets and Wizards, they are a very strong contender to make the playoff picture, and in my opinion, will get the 7th seed over the Nets. The fact of the matter is that Orlando avoids playing stronger teams like Boston and the Clippers, and instead plays the likes of Indiana and New Orleans. Because of this, I believe they will finish in 7th after the regular season games finish, and draw a matchup with either Toronto or Boston, depending on how things shake up.

Washington Wizards, #9 Seed, Eastern Conference, 5.5GB of Orlando:

Remaining Schedule: Celtics (x2), Thunder, 76ers, Nets, Bucks, Suns, Bucks

Let’s be very clear right of the bat, the Wizards need MULTIPLE miracles to make the playoffs. Make no mistake, Bradley Beal and company have a very nice team put together: the likes of Davis Bertans, Rui Hachimura, Troy Brown Jr combining forces causes this team to be very dangerous when slept on. Combine this with the uber-underrated Beal and his offensive ability, and you have a very deadly squad. The issue that has plagued this team for many of the past years however, is their  inability to get stops on the defensive end. Year after year, contest after contest, the Wizards manage to put up points very nicely, but throw away opportunities so often with lackluster focus and inability to make crucial stops. This does not seem likely to change when going into the modified NBA season this year, and given that their schedule is filled with matchups against offensive-minded power teams like Milwaukee and Boston (both of which they play TWICE), the playoffs seem bleak. Expect them to finish 9th outside of the postseason picture, and far enough record wise to wear a 8th and 9th seed with the predicted Brooklyn Nets would not be necessary.

Links you can use to help educate yourself, donate, sign petitions, and much more for Black Lives Matter and Ending Racism and Social Injustice:

https://www.adhoc.fm/post/black-lives-matter-resources-and-funds/

https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

https://www.thezoereport.com/p/10-black-lives-matter-organizations-you-can-donate-money-to-right-now-22948855

https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html