First Take (2019‒2020)

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, it's that time of the year again. We're already 3 sims deep and already we have a franchise willing to sell the farm in exchange for the game's most beloved and most elusive prize, the PBSL Finals trophy. And let me tell you Stephen A, my eyes LIT UP like the Titanic in the middle of the Atlantic on the cold evening of April 14, 1912...

phpBB [video]

Stephen A, I couldn't believe my eyes. Were they deceiving me or did the Washington Wizards just trade away the heart and soul of their team for D'Angelo Russell and Damian Lillard? If you ask me, this doesn't make any sense for a number of reasons... First and foremost, this trade doesn't make any sense because Julio De La Rosa is one of the best up-and-coming players this league has ever seen. You simply cannot put a price tag on this guy's potential! Secondly, this trade doesn't make any sense because Deron Williams is long past his prime and is practically waiting to die any second now. He's already 35, you might as well bury him six feet beneath the earth at this point. If you ask me, the Wizards made a grave mistake and this is going to come back to haunt them for seasons to come, mark my words.

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, it's that time of the year again. We're already 3 sims deep and already we have a franchise willing to sell the farm in exchange for the game's most beloved and most elusive prize, the PBSL Finals trophy. And let me tell you Stephen A, my eyes LIT UP like the Titanic in the middle of the Atlantic on the cold evening of April 14, 1912...

phpBB [video]

Stephen A, I couldn't believe my eyes. Were they deceiving me or did the Washington Wizards just trade away the heart and soul of their team for D'Angelo Russell and Damian Lillard? If you ask me, this doesn't make any sense for a number of reasons... First and foremost, this trade doesn't make any sense because Julio De La Rosa is one of the best up-and-coming players this league has ever seen. You simply cannot put a price tag on this guy's potential! Secondly, this trade doesn't make any sense because Deron Williams is long past his prime and is practically waiting to die any second now. He's already 35, you might as well bury him six feet beneath the earth at this point. If you ask me, the Wizards made a grave mistake and this is going to come back to haunt them for seasons to come, mark my words.

Skip. I am flabbergasted. I am perplexed. I am confounded. I don't understand why the Wizards would do this. I just don't. And I think that the GM should be held accountable to the good people of our nation's capital. THEY DESERVE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY. Now I am also terrified. I am also PETRIFIED. I am also disgraced. WHY? Because my Knicks are dead in the water! THEY'RE DEAD. Take a look at the Sixers. Take a look at the Celtics. The Knicks are going to be buried so deep in the Atlantic conference, they're going to long for the days of SnugLife! Shout out to my man, Snuggy. The city has done you wrong.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, it's been a few days since we last aired our program, and since then a lot has happened in the world of basketball that I'd like to touch up on for a brief few moments. As you well know, the Orlando Magic have always been one of my favorite teams, and last season they reached the summit by conquering the Timberwolves in the finals. Unfortunately, this is where their "Cinderella story" comes to an end. So far, the Magic have looked like a shell of their former selves, and this greatly concerns me. I know that we haven't reached the mid-point of the season just yet, but they're sitting at 23‒24, whilst other teams, such as the UTAH JAZZ, have better records at 24‒19. I fear that their GM, false9 otherwise known as Andy, may have slipped into a classic case of alcoholism after celebrating too much after the finals, because he completely dropped the ball during the off-season, letting DeAndre Jordan and Paul George go for practically nothing in return. Can Dario Saric and Marcus Smart lead this team back to the promise land? I fear not. I fear that this magic show has, ultimately, come to an end. The only question is: Who will capitalize the most on their mistakes? Even the Wizards have a better chance of winning the finals!

Also, what's the deal with these team names: Magic? Wizards? What is this, Harry Potter?

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, it's been a few days since we last aired our program, and since then a lot has happened in the world of basketball that I'd like to touch up on for a brief few moments. As you well know, the Orlando Magic have always been one of my favorite teams, and last season they reached the summit by conquering the Timberwolves in the finals. Unfortunately, this is where their "Cinderella story" comes to an end. So far, the Magic have looked like a shell of their former selves, and this greatly concerns me. I know that we haven't reached the mid-point of the season just yet, but they're sitting at 23‒24, whilst other teams, such as the UTAH JAZZ, have better records at 24‒19. I fear that their GM, false9 otherwise known as Andy, may have slipped into a classic case of alcoholism after celebrating too much after the finals, because he completely dropped the ball during the off-season, letting DeAndre Jordan and Paul George go for practically nothing in return. Can Dario Saric and Marcus Smart lead this team back to the promise land? I fear not. I fear that this magic show has, ultimately, come to an end. The only question is: Who will capitalize the most on their mistakes? Even the Wizards have a better chance of winning the finals!

Also, what's the deal with these team names: Magic? Wizards? What is this, Harry Potter?

Look, I'm all for the occasional magic trick. A little hocus pocus if you will. But all this Harry Potter, J.K. Simmons and the giblet of fire, quick ditch voodoo broom basketball. I don't want none of that in the PBSL. The PBSL always has been and always will be about one thing. Simulated basketball. I actually don't have a problem with what the Magic have done. They brought home the championship. Something half the GMs in this league haven't done. Then their payroll was a problem, so instead of being cast into an eternally fiery pit of tax hell they sold off their pieces and still managed to keep a couple of promising young guns. Do I think they'd be better off selling those guys off too and revving up the tank? Absolutely, but they haven't received the deal they're looking for. They're going to be patient and get what they want for those guys or keep them and build around them in the future. I think false has done a tremendous job.

[kucoach7]

Well, Skip, the All-Star game has come and gone and, as usual, it was a SNOOZER. I didn't even bother to watch it this year and let me tell you why. The back up center for the Western Conference was JAY. ADKINS. JAY. ADKINS. I know Jay Adkins is a great inside scorer. I know he is representing the Warriors, a team with a prolific history, terrific fans, and that is struggling right now. I get that we want to make sure that the Dubs are represented. I GET IT. But let's be clear about one thing. Jay Adkins has no business being on an All-Star team. HE PLAYED 23 MINUTES IN THE ALL-STAR GAME! THE GUY CAN'T REBOUND. HE JUST CAN'T! He is a CENTER with a 9.9 rebounding rate. And this guy is an All-Star? Are you serious? You got guys like Spencer Hawes, Marc Gasol, Alton Towers sitting at home, watching this fool log 20 plus minutes in the All-Star game. That's just wrong. The All-Star game is a joke.

[kucoach7]

I want to take a minute to recognize the heroic effort of Al Horford this year. The man is carrying the Rockets, the city of Houston on his back. I know Boris Hailey has been great. I know Ty Lawson has done his part but Al Horford has been HEROIC. HE HAS BEEN POSITIVELY SUPER HUMAN. This dude is 33 years old and arguably having the greatest season of his career. Unbelievable. The Rockets are leading their division because of one man, Al. Horford.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, I apologize for my absence, for I was "out of commission" for a few days and unable to be on the interwebs. Nevertheless, I'll have you know that ever since the last 2 sims, I've had my finger on the pulse of this fine league, and I know exactly what's going on. The All-Star game was nothing short of a blast out the ass; we got to see two teams of the best athletes perform on the internet's grandest stage, and you what to know something Stephen A? They didn't disappoint. Anthony Davis was nothing short of remarkable, as was Bradley Beal, who I felt was sort of "overlooked" entering this whole charade. I had such a great time watching this game from the cozy confines of the local bar where I chainsmoked cigarettes and drank a surplus of beer. What an evening!

Now, continuing, I want to take a moment to discuss how this league has continued to evolve this season, mostly with the emergence of future power-house teams such as the Utah Jazz, who are one of my favorites heading into the playoffs — if they can continue to maintain this level of raw intensity. Jazz GM Digiskunk finally rose from the grave and made a bunch of startling moves this past off-season, and heading into the trade deadline he was able to acquire Iman Shumpert, who has always been one of my favorite defensive studs. As you very well know Stephen A Smith, defense is the name of the game in this league, and the Jazz are beginning to bring it all together. Wherever they lack defensively, they more than make up for in offense, and that sort of depth isn't something that should be messed with, Stephen A. Read my lips: The Jazz will make the playoffs this season, AND advance!

[kucoach7]

Don't even get me started on the Utah Jazz. The Jazz are locked in to two things. NUMBER ONE. They are locked in to being the 8 seed. NUMBER 2! They are locked in to losing the first round. Do I think they will be great EVENTUALLY!?!? Yes, I do. But right NOW? RIGHT NOW, they're not. I actually want to talk about a team heading in the opposite direction, a team that is currently locked out of the playoffs and that used to be great, the New Brooksy Nets. WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE GUYS?!?!?!?!? They were supposed to be great! BUDDY PEDRAZA is GREAT. F "I don't have a full first name" Cole Medina could still be great! But Russ is gone. GM RPF couldn't get a single returned RFP on Tyreke Evans. TJ Warren and Victor Oladipo didn't help, although I must say I think that was a pretty good trade for them. At the end of the day, I hope they bounce back and I hope to see them back in the playoffs next year.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, when I look over the Brooklyn Nets' roster, I see a team that's depleted beyond reason. Why they have fewer than 10 players on this roster is beyond me. Sure, they have some quality players in TJ Warren, Tyreke Evans, Victor Oladipo — but even with these guys supporting Buddy Pedraza, there's no way that they're going to compete in this league. These players are exhausted! Their legs are tired, their arms are tired, they're up all night because they're haunted by the dreams of yesteryear — you know exactly what I'm smoking Stephen A, and let's face it, you want a hit ... If this team wishes to compete in the near future they better be prepared to unload Buddy Pedraza for a surplus of prospects and picks, because right now they're $18,737,903 over the cap limit and they can't afford to keep this going for much longer. They aren't the Detroit Pistons, and Buddy Pedraza can't carry this team on his back — which is getting mightily tired, might I add. If the Nets don't do something drastic this offseason they're going to wind up just like your boys in New York, panhandling for draft picks and yellow/green players. And let's face it, nobody wants to see that. Except maybe the Sixers. They would very much like to see that, because the Nets represent a THREAT to the 76ers — yes, that's right, a THREAT. If the Nets can't win this season, they're going to try their hardest to spoil the Sixers' fun heading into the offseason. And you know what? They're capable of doing it because they have nothing else to lose except for their pride. So the Sixers better keep an eye on them.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, now that the 2019‒2020 regular season has come and gone, I had one of our interns come up with this chart outlining all of the things that we were both wrong about this season. As you can see, I lead the pack in regard to accuracy, class, style, and authenticity. Once again, I have single-handedly proven why our program is the best in the biz. But of course, I couldn't have done any of this if it weren't for you, my ever-so-humble partner. So thank you Stephen A on joining me for yet another wild ride this season — I hope next season can be nearly as spellbinding.

Now, continuing. The playoffs are about to begin, and I fear that your boys in Atlanta are in for a world of hurt. As everybody already knows, the Indiana Pacers have been slowly on the rise the past few seasons, and I think they're about ready to pounce and feast upon the Atlanta Hawks like nobody has ever seen before. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Skip, you're crazy", "Skip, get a grip on reality", "Skip you're a Loony Toon", "Skip you've been drinking again haven't you".. BUT! I feel that there's a few things that are being overlooked. For starters, the Hawks and Pacers met 5x during the regular season — and although the Hawks won every single time, the Pacers spent that time STUDYING the Hawks. Yes, that's right, I believe that the PACERS have been very METHODICAL in how they've approached teams, and they just so happened to have let a few victories slip by them. Come Game 1, you're going to see my body LEBRON JAMES rise to the occasion and lead his Pacers to victory. Because that's what proven superstars do, Stephen A, they put their team on their back and carry them to victory. Just you wait and see!

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, now that the 2019‒2020 regular season has come and gone, I had one of our interns come up with this chart outlining all of the things that we were both wrong about this season. As you can see, I lead the pack in regard to accuracy, class, style, and authenticity. Once again, I have single-handedly proven why our program is the best in the biz. But of course, I couldn't have done any of this if it weren't for you, my ever-so-humble partner. So thank you Stephen A on joining me for yet another wild ride this season — I hope next season can be nearly as spellbinding.

Now, continuing. The playoffs are about to begin, and I fear that your boys in Atlanta are in for a world of hurt. As everybody already knows, the Indiana Pacers have been slowly on the rise the past few seasons, and I think they're about ready to pounce and feast upon the Atlanta Hawks like nobody has ever seen before. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Skip, you're crazy", "Skip, get a grip on reality", "Skip you're a Loony Toon", "Skip you've been drinking again haven't you".. BUT! I feel that there's a few things that are being overlooked. For starters, the Hawks and Pacers met 5x during the regular season — and although the Hawks won every single time, the Pacers spent that time STUDYING the Hawks. Yes, that's right, I believe that the PACERS have been very METHODICAL in how they've approached teams, and they just so happened to have let a few victories slip by them. Come Game 1, you're going to see my body LEBRON JAMES rise to the occasion and lead his Pacers to victory. Because that's what proven superstars do, Stephen A, they put their team on their back and carry them to victory. Just you wait and see!

You know, Skip. I'll admit when I'm wrong so I'll admit the Knicks outperformed my expectations but I think that is the only point I'm willing to concede. The All-star game was HIDEOUS. BORIS HAILEY averaged a DOUBLE-DOUBLE. The Utah Jazz went 40 and FORTY-TWO! You know what else, SKIP, we should rename this show HOT Take because you love throwing out hot takes like the the Pacers are going to beat the Hawks. I will not even grace that PREPOSTEROUS opinion with an INTELLIGENT response. Instead, I'll give your a HOT TAKE OF MY OWN. The DENVER NUGGETS are in a WORLD of trouble. With Blake Griffin out with a broken foot, they are going to have a hard time scoring against OTTO PORTER and ANDREW WIGGINS and don't forget Christopher Bosh. DON'T YOU DARE. DON'T YOU DARE SLEEP on CHRIS BOSH. Because that dude has been making fools pay for years and he still has enough left in the tank to do it again this year. So Denver, you've been put on notice.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, now that the 2019‒2020 regular season has come and gone, I had one of our interns come up with this chart outlining all of the things that we were both wrong about this season. As you can see, I lead the pack in regard to accuracy, class, style, and authenticity. Once again, I have single-handedly proven why our program is the best in the biz. But of course, I couldn't have done any of this if it weren't for you, my ever-so-humble partner. So thank you Stephen A on joining me for yet another wild ride this season — I hope next season can be nearly as spellbinding.

Now, continuing. The playoffs are about to begin, and I fear that your boys in Atlanta are in for a world of hurt. As everybody already knows, the Indiana Pacers have been slowly on the rise the past few seasons, and I think they're about ready to pounce and feast upon the Atlanta Hawks like nobody has ever seen before. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Skip, you're crazy", "Skip, get a grip on reality", "Skip you're a Loony Toon", "Skip you've been drinking again haven't you".. BUT! I feel that there's a few things that are being overlooked. For starters, the Hawks and Pacers met 5x during the regular season — and although the Hawks won every single time, the Pacers spent that time STUDYING the Hawks. Yes, that's right, I believe that the PACERS have been very METHODICAL in how they've approached teams, and they just so happened to have let a few victories slip by them. Come Game 1, you're going to see my body LEBRON JAMES rise to the occasion and lead his Pacers to victory. Because that's what proven superstars do, Stephen A, they put their team on their back and carry them to victory. Just you wait and see!

You know, Skip. I'll admit when I'm wrong so I'll admit the Knicks outperformed my expectations but I think that is the only point I'm willing to concede. The All-star game was HIDEOUS. BORIS HAILEY averaged a DOUBLE-DOUBLE. The Utah Jazz went 40 and FORTY-TWO! You know what else, SKIP, we should rename this show HOT Take because you love throwing out hot takes like the the Pacers are going to beat the Hawks. I will not even grace that PREPOSTEROUS opinion with an INTELLIGENT response. Instead, I'll give your a HOT TAKE OF MY OWN. The DENVER NUGGETS are in a WORLD of trouble. With Blake Griffin out with a broken foot, they are going to have a hard time scoring against OTTO PORTER and ANDREW WIGGINS and don't forget Christopher Bosh. DON'T YOU DARE. DON'T YOU DARE SLEEP on CHRIS BOSH. Because that dude has been making fools pay for years and he still has enough left in the tank to do it again this year. So Denver, you've been put on notice.

Stephen A, don't be ridiculous. Even WITH Blake Griffin out, the Nuggets are still going to cruise to victory. Expect Timofey Mozgov to provide some big time minutes at the center position with Greg Oden sliding in at the 4, or perhaps expect one of my personal favorites — JOSE JUMPER — to fill in some crucial time at the power forward position because you know what, it's the playoffs Stephen A Smith, and this is when big players are expected to step it up and that's exactly what Timofey Mozgov and Jose Jumper are, they're bonafide athletes and they don't back down to anyone. Expect the likes of Mozgov and Jumper to be giving your boys Otto Porter Jr and Christopher Wesson Bosh the BUSINESS all game long, starting at tip-off and ending at the final buzzer. Sure, the Timberwolves may win the battle of the front court, sure, I'll give them that. But while those big men battle it out down under, Chet Dooley is going to be dropping dimes and hitting jays all night long. He'll be running all around that court, crossing bitches up and sliding into DMs afterward. There won't be any stopping him! Because that's simply what Chet Dooley does, Stephen A. He Dooes the little things that lead his team to victory. That's why they're in this situation to begin with! If Game 1 doesn't end with him being the PLAYER OF THE GAME, I will be utmost surprised, if not disappointed.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, last week on this program you said, and I quote, "The DENVER NUGGETS are in a WORLD of trouble. With Blake Griffin out with a broken foot, they are going to have a hard time scoring against OTTO PORTER and ANDREW WIGGINS and don't forget Christopher Bosh ... So Denver, you've been put on notice." Six games later, this series is locked at 7 games a piece and you couldn't have been any more wrong (big surprise there huh). I tried telling you, Stephen A! I tried to warn you! But rather than saying it outright, let me just revisit this tweet from earlier this week:



When the Nuggets/Timberwolves series initially kicked off, I knew that we had a diamond in the rough in Jose Jumper. I knew that HE would be the key to the Nuggets' success. And boy was I right! Just last night, he scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench. And in game 5, he scored 17 points and grabbed 3 rebounds while notching 3 assists. What can I say, Stephen A, I know talent when I see it. Jose Jumper is quickly becoming a big deal in the city of Denver and I want you to acknowledge that fact. I know it, HE knows it, the ENTIRE CITY of DENVER knows it, EVERYBODY seemingly knows it but YOU, who's still living in this wild PIPE DREAM where Chris Wesson Bosh is still going to dominate a game. If the Nuggets were smart, they would start Jose Jumper in game 7 instead of playing him off the bench. He's deserved that honor. If they give him the start, you can damn near guarantee that the Nuggets will be marching to victory.

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, last week on this program you said, and I quote, "The DENVER NUGGETS are in a WORLD of trouble. With Blake Griffin out with a broken foot, they are going to have a hard time scoring against OTTO PORTER and ANDREW WIGGINS and don't forget Christopher Bosh ... So Denver, you've been put on notice." Six games later, this series is locked at 7 games a piece and you couldn't have been any more wrong (big surprise there huh). I tried telling you, Stephen A! I tried to warn you! But rather than saying it outright, let me just revisit this tweet from earlier this week:



When the Nuggets/Timberwolves series initially kicked off, I knew that we had a diamond in the rough in Jose Jumper. I knew that HE would be the key to the Nuggets' success. And boy was I right! Just last night, he scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench. And in game 5, he scored 17 points and grabbed 3 rebounds while notching 3 assists. What can I say, Stephen A, I know talent when I see it. Jose Jumper is quickly becoming a big deal in the city of Denver and I want you to acknowledge that fact. I know it, HE knows it, the ENTIRE CITY of DENVER knows it, EVERYBODY seemingly knows it but YOU, who's still living in this wild PIPE DREAM where Chris Wesson Bosh is still going to dominate a game. If the Nuggets were smart, they would start Jose Jumper in game 7 instead of playing him off the bench. He's deserved that honor. If they give him the start, you can **** near guarantee that the Nuggets will be marching to victory.

You know what, Skip? You're right! As much as it pains me to say it. YOU ARE RIGHT! Jose San Miguel de la Cruz Jumper is a prolific scorer. Has been since day one in the league. And you know what else? The dude is starting to play a little defense and grab some boards. He's strong. He can obviously jump. But I got news for you, SKIP. Chris Bosh has been nothing short of fantastic this series. In a series where four games have been decided by fewer than 10 points, Bosh has had a positive plus/minus in every single game for a total of positive 22. He's averaging over 11 points and 6 rebounds a game in fewer than 25 minutes a game. 1.35 points per shot. Hung 20 points in 25 minutes in a game 3 win. This dude is 36 years of age. People have always said Chris looks like a dinosaur but now this guy is a dinosaur and he's still getting the job done.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, I'd like to switch gears for a moment to discuss a team who I personally feel have gone under the radar this year, and that team is the Philadelphia 76ers, who just edged out a victory against the Knicks to advance to play the Washington Wizards. When I look at the 76ers, I see a team built on three things: blood, sweat, and tears. The 76ers have seen it all these past few years; the only thing they haven't seen, however, is a Finals appearance, and I feel that their time is due and we're all about to see the reasons why. The Sixers are a well-oiled machine and the only thing that can stop them is Andre Drummond, but not even he will be able to overcome the brute force of dynamite athletes such as Van Grimaldi and Gordon Hayward, who will be exploiting all the glaring holes in the Wizards defense at both the shooting guard and small forward positions. Players like Bonifaz Wenninger are going to be shamed and humiliated by the Sixers forwards, just you watch. This series is going to be such a slaughter, I'm somewhat surprised they're going to air it on television.

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, I'd like to switch gears for a moment to discuss a team who I personally feel have gone under the radar this year, and that team is the Philadelphia 76ers, who just edged out a victory against the Knicks to advance to play the Washington Wizards. When I look at the 76ers, I see a team built on three things: blood, sweat, and tears. The 76ers have seen it all these past few years; the only thing they haven't seen, however, is a Finals appearance, and I feel that their time is due and we're all about to see the reasons why. The Sixers are a well-oiled machine and the only thing that can stop them is Andre Drummond, but not even he will be able to overcome the brute force of dynamite athletes such as Van Grimaldi and Gordon Hayward, who will be exploiting all the glaring holes in the Wizards defense at both the shooting guard and small forward positions. Players like Bonifaz Wenninger are going to be shamed and humiliated by the Sixers forwards, just you watch. This series is going to be such a slaughter, I'm somewhat surprised they're going to air it on television.

Thank you for foregoing another round of Jumper v. Bosh. Jose was great in game seven, by the way. So was Bosh. The Nuggets won though, so that's what matters. I agree that the Sixers should win this series. I am reluctant to predict a blood bath though and let me tell you why. Isaiah Thomas and Damian Lillard are a pesky pair. These guys can flat out score. On their own, those two can a get a team a couple of wins in a series. These are two of the best scoring guards in the league. They combined to average 48.6 points a game in the regular season. The only tandems better than that are Rose-McCollum, Love-Harden, and Duren-Irving. That's elite company. So, yeah, I think the Sixers take this series but I think that IT3(2) and Dame Lillard earn a couple wins for the Wiz.

[ballsohard]

5 Points to Todd and Gary!

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, when I laid down in bed with my wife last night, I couldn't help but think of this upcoming Bulls/Hawks matchup. I couldn't get a wink of sleep all night long as images of Russell Westbrook slamming dunks on Harland Ellinger ran through my head. Am I wrong for believing that the underdog Bulls have a legitimate chance to win this series? We're talking about a team that couldn't win a game for the life of them last season, and now they're living a Philadelphia Eagles-styled fantasy where once-overlooked players such as Dennis Smith Jr, Bismack Biyombo, Vernon Desantis, and Danilo Gallinari are rising to the occasion. Maybe I'm just "drinking the koolaid" but I sincerely believe that these Bulls have a legitimate chance of upsetting the Hawks, who are the easy favorites heading into this match-up. Now I know the Bulls couldn't win against the Hawks during the regular season, but we're talking about a much different teaming heading into the playoffs. If the Bulls can win the backcourt match-up and silence Daniel Randle, I think they may have a shot of winning this series. It may take a little bit of luck, and perhaps the grace of GOD, but I have FAITH in this team, Stephen A.

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, when I laid down in bed with my wife last night, I couldn't help but think of this upcoming Bulls/Hawks matchup. I couldn't get a wink of sleep all night long as images of Russell Westbrook slamming dunks on Harland Ellinger ran through my head. Am I wrong for believing that the underdog Bulls have a legitimate chance to win this series? We're talking about a team that couldn't win a game for the life of them last season, and now they're living a Philadelphia Eagles-styled fantasy where once-overlooked players such as Dennis Smith Jr, Bismack Biyombo, Vernon Desantis, and Danilo Gallinari are rising to the occasion. Maybe I'm just "drinking the koolaid" but I sincerely believe that these Bulls have a legitimate chance of upsetting the Hawks, who are the easy favorites heading into this match-up. Now I know the Bulls couldn't win against the Hawks during the regular season, but we're talking about a much different teaming heading into the playoffs. If the Bulls can win the backcourt match-up and silence Daniel Randle, I think they may have a shot of winning this series. It may take a little bit of luck, and perhaps the grace of GOD, but I have FAITH in this team, Stephen A.

So far so good for your prediction, Skip. The Bulls are going blow for blow with the Hawks, including a 39 point trouncing of the Hawks in game 4 in Chicago. Let's talk about the upcoming pivotal game 5 in Atlanta. Can the CHICAGO BULLS PULL OFF THE UPSET IN GAME 5? TO ME, that is what will decide the series. The Bulls lost game 1 by a mere 4 points and were able to win game 2 by four points. They stumbled to an 8 point loss in game three but obviously recovered well in game 4. Did the Bulls figure something out in game 4? Can they carry that over to playing ON THE ROAD? I think they can. Look, the Hawks are fouling at an unbelievable rate this series. Unbelievable. Thomas Robinson, ALL-WORLD Defender, played 13 minutes in game 4. 13 MINUTES! Bismack Biyombo scored 23 points. If you're giving up 23 POINTS TO BISMACK BIYOMBO you're not going to win. Plain and simple. You're going home. The back up power forward is Aaron Donald, who couldn't stop my grandma from scoring. Although that may not be fair because my grandma can BALL. Thomas Robinson is averaging 5 fouls a game. He's fouled out twice. Unless the Hawks can find a way to keep Thomas Robinson on the court, they're going home. If the Bulls shift Galinari, a guy that can jump and has better inside skill than Bismack, to power forward and give him the ball, the Bulls win in 6 and probably gets ugly.

[digiskunk]

What can I say, Stephen A? As everybody expected, we were both right about the Bulls. They came, they saw, and we single-handedly willed them to victory. If it wasn't for guys like us to inspire these kids, where would this league be? We clearly knew something that Atlanta didn't. Maybe we should be running the Hawks instead of Wigs? I kid, I kid. But we'll talk about them again after games 1 and 2 of the 76ers/Hawks series.

Now I'd like to switch gears for a second to discuss the other series that's about to kick off, the Nuggets and Suns. This series is particularly intriguing to me because we have two of the best big men in the game facing off in Blake Griffin and Kevin Love. Blake Griffin has been nothing short of spectacular since his return, and Kevin Love, as he's always been, has been completely dominant. Unfortunately, the Nuggets are going to have to find a way to contain Kevin Love without Greg Oden, who broke his finger in the previous season. I suspect that the Suns will take this opportunity to exploit that glaring hole in the Nuggets' defense, but that's when the Nuggets' secret weapon comes in to play: Jose. Jumper. If the Nuggets want to win, it's VITAL that they start him at center and give him at least 35 minutes to work with. He's stepped it up throughout the playoffs and the Nuggets would be absolutely FOOLISH not to give him this opportunity. Once you take Kevin Love out of the equation, this series is over, no question about it.

[digiskunk]

Stephen A, I was in the tunnel right before game 1 tipped off in Phoenix. I saw Sixers GM ballsohard giving his players some last-minute instructions. I pulled him aside and told him, "listen, if you want to win this series, there's one thing you're going to have to do: give Kevin Love the business." And that's exactly what they did, Stephen A. In games 1 and 2, we saw the 76ers give Kevin Love the good ol' fashioned business like nobody has before. Those guys were running around, they were contesting his shots and playing him hard in the post, they were doing every little thing necessary to make the game that much more frustrating for him and in the end it paid off big time. I know the series is tied 1‒1 so far, but we haven't seen a team give the Suns this much trouble since, well, the last series. But the one thing that's different is that, unlike the Nuggets, the 76ers have a surplus of weapons. They can wheel and deal in the paint with Enes Kanter and Ben Simmons, they can attack the basket with Van Grimaldi and Harrison Barnes, or they can kick it out to the perimeter to Gordon Hayward and/or Brandon Jennings. They simply have too many options!

When you have that many options, Stephen A, it's hard to stop you. And I fear that Phoenix won't be able to do so — not with the likes of Patrick Riordan, Danny Green, and James Harden — nope, ain't gonna happen. Not in this lifetime, not in the next, neither. All the Suns can do at this point is hope that Kevin Love can erupt for 30+ points and carry the team on his back with Harden supporting him. If the Sixers continue to play a high-paced offense, they'll be racing for the finish line soon enough. It's only a matter of time, Stephen A. We both know dis.

[kucoach7]

Stephen A, I was in the tunnel right before game 1 tipped off in Phoenix. I saw Sixers GM ballsohard giving his players some last-minute instructions. I pulled him aside and told him, "listen, if you want to win this series, there's one thing you're going to have to do: give Kevin Love the business." And that's exactly what they did, Stephen A. In games 1 and 2, we saw the 76ers give Kevin Love the good ol' fashioned business like nobody has before. Those guys were running around, they were contesting his shots and playing him hard in the post, they were doing every little thing necessary to make the game that much more frustrating for him and in the end it paid off big time. I know the series is tied 1‒1 so far, but we haven't seen a team give the Suns this much trouble since, well, the last series. But the one thing that's different is that, unlike the Nuggets, the 76ers have a surplus of weapons. They can wheel and deal in the paint with Enes Kanter and Ben Simmons, they can attack the basket with Van Grimaldi and Harrison Barnes, or they can kick it out to the perimeter to Gordon Hayward and/or Brandon Jennings. They simply have too many options!

When you have that many options, Stephen A, it's hard to stop you. And I fear that Phoenix won't be able to do so — not with the likes of Patrick Riordan, Danny Green, and James Harden — nope, ain't gonna happen. Not in this lifetime, not in the next, neither. All the Suns can do at this point is hope that Kevin Love can erupt for 30+ points and carry the team on his back with Harden supporting him. If the Sixers continue to play a high-paced offense, they'll be racing for the finish line soon enough. It's only a matter of time, Stephen A. We both know dis.

It has come down to game seven. It has been a back and forth series thus far. Two teams trading punches. It has been really fun. I'm not going to lie. Game 6 was an absolute blowout. Kevin Love WAFFLE STOMPED the Sixers in Phoenix. Can he do that again? If he is still matched up against Ben Simmons, you bet he can. Will he be matched up against Ben Simmons? I don't know. The Suns don't know. The Sixers don't know. That is what really intrigues me about game 7. Kevin Love can be slotted at the 3, 4, or 5 spot. Balls may flip back Kanter and Simmons. It isn't so much a chess match as game of chicken. My guess is he plays power forward. He didn't DOMINATE at the 3 against Harrison Barnes, who can defend him inside and out as well as anybody can, which I MIGHT ADD, IS NOT WELL. I expect Balls WILL switch KANTER back to center, Love has another big game, and Phoenix wins their second championship in the Kevin Love era.

[kucoach7]

All I gotta say is that I 100% called game 7. That's all. 100 PERCENT.