Written By: Elliot Allen

The NBA playoffs are here and the are some truly intriguing matchups to start us off in the first round.  The play-in matchups have set the tone for some exciting basketball to come over the next 2 months! One of those interesting matchups will be the New York Knicks vs the Detroit Pistons! This is one of those really contrasting matchups that could prove to be one of the best opening round series. Both teams had a successful season, but the stakes are very different for the two teams.
The New York Knicks always have very high expectations from the faithful New York fans. While this was a season of adjustments for the Knicks in which they added a major piece in Karl Anthony Towns. They lost Julius Randle who was a critical part of the success of the team.  The transition was successful with Towns having a very good season along with Jalen Brunson continuing to really flourish as top player in the league and cementing his status of being THE Knick of this era. The Knicks finished the season with a 51-31 record. Brunson sustained a severe ankle sprain near season’s end which caused some uncertainty to end the season and a loss of rhythm. The flip side is the Knicks seen increased scoring in Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby during the absence of Brunson. The question is - can they gel the emergence of the two forwards with Brunson’s clutch shooting and offensive prowess. There is pressure for the organization to win a title or at very least have a meaning playoff run. A loss in the first round can mean wholesale changes starting with Coach Tom Thibodeau and trickling down to a major move in the player roster. The Knicks do appear to have enough to make a serious playoff run but execution is essential to the future of the team and its organization.
The Detroit Pistons are in a different position for what this playoff series means to them. They are coming off a horrific season. Last year they won a franchise low of 14 games in the season. The season has produced a phenomenal turn around with them boasting an impressive record of 44-38! A very young team that has gelled together behind the leadership of its young star Cade Cunningham. They have looked poised throughout the season coming up with some big wins. The Pistons will prove to be a very dangerous team due to their talent and being in a situation of playing with house money. Although they are an inexperienced team they can play loose with no real expectations. Their star, Cunnigham, does have a poise about his game that seems beyond his actual experience.  The more confidence they gain whether they win the series or not will be a huge booster for the Pistons going into next season.
The season series went to the Pistons 3-1. The last time they met was in the last week of the season and the Knicks had several key players out with injury.  An achilles heel for the Knicks all season has been their inability to beat teams with winning records. It is concerning because teams are who they are so Knicks will have the difficult task of proving that wrong in this case. I look for the experience of the Knicks to prevail. However, if the Pistons get a win in the series early it could prove to the match to ignite themselves to a sizzling series win. This could be the best series in the Eastern Conference first round.

Written By: Aaron Allen

The regular season is now over and everybody is of course talking about who's going to win their series, or who’s going to win the chip this year. However, this year is much different, as regular season awards are being announced and handed out, there is one award that is still highly thought of by the fans regarding who will win the most prestigious award there is to earn in the regular season, and that is the MVP award. Most would say the MVP race has never been this close in history with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander putting up great stats all across the board and even being the league's leading scorer this season. He also led his team to the best record in the NBA. Most of the time even in a close race, the one with the better record would be the one to come out on top, but that is not the case this season. Nikola Jokić had nothing short of a historical season being one of only 3 players to average a triple double throughout the season. So the question still reigns, who was the Most Valuable Player this season? 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been dominating the league for the past 2 years and unfortunately came up short of the MVP last year and it went to Nikola Jokić. This year Shai has played even better than his debatable MVP season last year making it hard to even question who is at the top of the MVP race. Shai averaged a total of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, along with these exceptional numbers he had on the season, he as well led his team to the best record in the NBA as mentioned. Most years, this would be an undeniable unanimous MVP but Nikola Jokić is having just a good of a season if not better in some peoples eyes. Jokić has been on a tear throughout the league earning the MVP award 3 times out of 4 seasons. This season he showed no signs of stopping and had a great, even considered historical, season averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists. With these numbers this puts Jokić in a very small elite category of players who have averaged a triple double throughout the season. These stats are hard to look at and not be awarded with the MVP trophy. 

Although looking at the records, Shai and the Oklahoma City Thunder have not just the best record in their conference, but throughout the entirety of the league, it is also important to look at where the Denver Nuggets are, and consider where they would be without the help of Jokić. He is undoubtedly a major part of the Denver Nuggets being the leading scorer, and the one who really facilitates the ball throughout the games making these big time plays and beautiful passes for an easy bucket. Both had an amazing season that honestly both deserve the MVP award, but at the end of the day there is only 1 player that can come home with that trophy. So is it Shai, or is it Jokić?

Written By: Aaron Allen

Last night the Timberwolves went up against the Lakers in Game 1, and what may seem like a shock to some, the Timberwolves came out with the win, fairly easily blowing the Lakers out 117-95. Most predicted that the Lakers were going to win this series easily but being blown out in Game 1 is not a good way to start your Playoff experience, so what really went wrong with the Lakers in this game? 

The Lakers roster, last night, did not look sharp and it was not the best basketball we’ve seen them play like in the regular season. Luka Doncic played well with 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist. Along with him comes LeBron James with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists which is a decent game for  LeBron. He can and will do better as we progress through the series.  Austin Reaves had 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, and we know that Reaves is more than capable of doing much better and shooting the ball better than he did this game. The next leading scorer for the Lakers was Rui Hachimura with 9 points, so clearly scoring was a major issue for the Lakers, also the difference in fast break points being that they had 6 to Minnesota’s 25 with LeBron, Reaves, and Luka combining for 11 turnovers out of the 13 they had as a team. Coach JJ Redick, Austin Reaves, and LeBron James pointed out the physicality of the Timberwolves caught them by surprise and it was something they weren’t ready for which was also a factor in this blowout loss. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves put on a clinic last night against the Lakers pulling out with a huge win against the Lakers on their home floor. The Timberwolves looked to have set the tone of this series, coming out with major physicality that the Lakers felt bigtime. The young superstar Anthony Edwards had a decent night with 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists on poor shooting percentage. Other than the percentage, these stats are still very great and we know that Ant hasn’t even gotten started showing what he’s capable of in the playoffs. Jaden McDaniels had an amazing game last night with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists on an amazing shooting percentage going 11-13 from the field. Another notable performance in this game was Naz Reid. Naz had 23 ponts, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists which was obviously huge for this underdog team. It is key that all of these players are on point and don’t slip up against a team like the Lakers. As a team, Minnesota played the perfect game of basketball. As stated in the previous article, they need everybody on point and can’t slip up, and as the stats show, that’s exactly what they did. The Timberwolves shot 51.2% from the field, and 50% from the three point line as a team. If Minnesota continues this beautiful offense, keeping this intense pressure and physicality, the Lakers can potentially have a major problem comfortably winning this series, or winning at all. 

Written By: Aaron Allen

​The NBA Playoffs are here, and we have our 2nd and 7th seed matchup in the western conference set already. The 2nd seed Houston Rockets vs the 7th seed Golden State Warriors.

Written By: Aaron Allen

The #3 seed Los Angeles Lakers go up against the #6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of this year's NBA playoffs. Many All-Stars on the court, and only one team can come out on top and advance to the next round, the only question is which team will it be? ​

Starting off with the #6 team in the West, the Timberwolves really made a jump on the back half of the season going from an 8th seed play-in team, to now securing their spot in the playoffs as the 6th seed. A major part of that jump is obviously the young superstar Anthony Edwards. Ant had a great season averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists this year achieving a feat such as leading the league in 3 pointers made; knocking down 7 threes in the last game to achieve it. Most can make the claim that there is no argument, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the clear winners in their eyes, but one thing the whole world should’ve learned from last year's playoffs is to never count out Anthony Edwards. This young superstar led his team in that playoff run doing things like sweeping Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns and even going to the Western Conference Finals. Fast forward to this season, all he’s shown us is that he’s just getting started and is only getting better and better with more experience. This year though, the Timberwolves roster is looking different with a big piece, in Karl-Anthony Towns, being traded from there to New York. It does look like some of the pieces, if not all, were picked up with the addition of Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. Donte is coming off a good year with the New York Knicks and is cementing himself as a serious threat from the three ball, and Julius Randle being Julius Randle. Meaning he should be playing like the All-Star we know he is, and Julius is known to be one to get shut down during the playoffs, but he cannot let that happen on this team or it won’t look good at all for the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are going to need everyone to be playing their best basketball and cannot afford any mistakes. 

The Los Angeles Lakers had a very rough start to their season in the first half just as the Timberwolves, but since the addition of Luka Donicic they have turned it all the way up and haven’t turned it down since. Luka Doncic is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league, and as he’s coming off a Finals appearance, not only does he now have a little more playoff experience, he knows what he and his team needs to do to get to the NBA Finals. Luka has been averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Lakers and that has been a major contribution for the team. But as soon as you put all of your attention on Luka, in comes Lebron James who is still undeniably one of the best players in the league and his knowledge of the game and playoffs and finals are just unmatched. Lebron has been putting up 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists at the age of 40 years old. This man is a freak of nature and still can’t be stopped by the league! Then when you focus all of your defensive schemes around Lebron and Luka, in comes Austin Reaves who really had an amazing season for himself. He put up 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists this season, which are really good numbers especially considering he has Lebron and Luka on a team with him. If you leave him open though, 20 isn’t even in question, that is an easy 30 ball for the star, and that would be the last thing the Timberwolves need. Overall besides those three, the Lakers have themselves a solid well built team and together it’s really hard to not have them at least in your mind as one of the teams to make it out the West. ​

At the end of the day, there's not a lot of arguing you can do when it comes to this series because on paper it looks like the Lakers are the clear winners and even have a shot at a Championship even, but as stated before, you can never count out the young superstar himself Anthony Edwards, and don’t be shocked when he completely takes this series over. ​

Written by: Elliot Allen

            The first half of the season is over, and the NBA All-Star weekend and game is mercifully over! The big push to make the Playoffs begins. The teams that are not in are trying to push their way in. The teams that are in, are jockeying for the best possible positions.  This is also the critical time of the year in which the mental edges are formed. Often the teams that can gather the most momentum from now until the end of the season will be very strong going into the Playoffs. That strength is most importantly reflected mentally. If a team goes on a winning streak in this second half, they can start to really develop a feeling of invincibility. Sometimes that is the difference in that team winning or losing a Playoff series. That can prove to be true even when that team is less talented than their opponent. So, let’s lock in, and enjoy this spectacular time of the NBA season!
            The New York Knicks are one of those teams that has a lot at stake in the second half of the season. They have had an outstanding first half of the season! The expectations in New York are always very high, and certainly with this current group much is expected.  Do they have enough talent to win the Championship?  Certainly, it does not appear they quite have the talent to match up with the likes of a Boston Celtics team. However, the Knicks are one of those teams that can generate momentum in the second half of the season and that will be a HUGE factor. The more they believe in their system, and their chemistry as a team it will put them in the mindset they can beat any team in a series.  They will be getting back a major piece of their roster with the return of Mitchell Robinson. This is another mental edge for the Knicks as they played well without him and if they can orchestrate him seamlessly back in the flow of the team it will be big advantage. The Knicks have proven to be a gritty team throughout the first half of the season. The question is can they add the polish to put them in serious championship contention. The battle begins tonight against the Chicago Bulls. Each game at this point in the season is important to establish playoff mentality and confidence. We will get a chance to see the leadership of the team captain, Jalen Brunson, who is having an outstanding season and has shown great focus and leadership throughout his tenure with the Knicks. This is a great opportunity for Brunson to go to another level in this league and cement himself in legendary status for the storied New York Knick franchise. Let’s see what players emerge alongside the captain. This will be a mental battle that will be a treat to watch.

Written by: Elliot Allen

​As the NBA and sports world stands stunned by the surprising trade of the Dallas Mavericks Luca Doncic to Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, the resounding question is why?  There is talk about the X’s and O’s of what this trade means to both teams. Most believe the Lakers are looking to build for the future and put themselves in a position to win the championship for multiple years to come. On the other side, it is speculated that the Mavericks are going for the win now approach. While those are legitimate points, there appears to be more to it. So why make this trade?

IT’S BIGGER THAN THE PLAYERS TRADED!!!

That is a bold statement considering the players involved in this trade. Considering the current climate of the NBA this is a huge power move by NBA management. Considering the Jimmy Butler situation in Miami, along with the growing frustration of players missing a high volume of games, this trade becomes HUGE! One take is that the players are dictating the show with how they want teams to be run. That includes their unwillingness to play through injuries and back-to-back situations. Joel Embiid and Zion Williamson are two notable names who have had a tumultuous time with injuries and missing an inordinate number of games. Here is where the storyline thickens. Those two players, along with Doncic, have been questioned regarding their ability to stay in shape. This has been something that all three players dealt with for numerous years. One would have to believe lack of conditioning contributes to their injuries. Embiid has played very few games this year, Williamson also has played very few games this year and Doncic came into the season not in the best shape and subsequently went down early in the season with an injury which he is still out with at the time of this article rendering him to miss half the season so far. For all three players this has been the pattern for multiple years. This leads to the question of why this trade is bigger than the players involved.

THE LINE WAS DRAWN IN THE SAND BY OWNERSHIP WITH THIS DEAL

                This deal was initiated by the Dallas Mavericks, a clear indication of their frustration with Doncic not taking his conditioning seriously. It’s a tricky line because Luka’s success in the NBA is high level, particularly coming off of a NBA Final’s appearance last season! On one side of the line the Mavericks front office is taking a stand to say not just to Doncic but they are making a statement to the entire NBA. The statement is about players mentally accepting that their physical conditioning is very critical to the success of their teams and even more so to the business of the NBA. Having major stars sitting on the sidelines due to injuries is never good for business.
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          So, what stand could management take to change the mindset of players to take conditioning more seriously? This trade was the stance. It was interesting to see the reaction of the players in the NBA to the trade. Some reactions were captured live during the games. Some statements made in the aftermath. Bottom line it appears that message hit home. Many players have expressed anger, and a tone of uncertainty has been set. What will the result of uncertainty be? That brings us to the other side of the line drawn in the sand. The players are not happy with this feeling of seeing a seemingly untouchable player being traded without any knowledge or approval. Certainly, that must put players in a position to look at why? Maybe it will cause them to look at the accountability of being in supreme shape. Injuries in sports are definite; however, it can bring speculation when players are getting hurt because they are not in shape. This trade is an indication that management is reacting to that speculation. This sets the tone of attempting to change the mental approach of players regarding their physical training.  The NBA surely cannot be happy with the number of games missed by their marquee players. However, what can the league take to hold players more accountable for keeping their bodies in the best possible condition to compete on a nightly basis? It is tricky because the NBA does have guaranteed contracts, and it would be an epic fight with the players union to monetarily have consequences to players being injured and sitting out of a game.  So, this stance of trading Doncic is monumental, and it did have a financial effect on his next contract. While he can receive the max NBA contract, Doncic will lose out on millions of dollars because you can exceed that max amount only when re-signing with same team original contract came from.
                So, what does all this mean? Sports are thought of as a physical battle. That clearly is a true statement, but this situation highlights the importance of mental clarity. Consistent play is something every professional sport thrives on for various reasons ranging from having the best chance to win a championship, to attracting the best possible viewership for furtherment of the business. When that consistency is compromised it sacrifices the clarity of the sport. It is very difficult to regain that clarity in a large league like the NBA. Sometimes the path for clarity is dramatic move like the Doncic/Davis trade and the fashion in which it was done. The fallout in the coming months and into the next season will be interesting and that’s aside from what happens with wins or losses of the respective teams. Will this be a change in the players’ approach to conditioning their bodies in more compliance with the team and playing as many games as possible? As much as the game of basketball is a physical sport, this is where the conditioning of athletes minds is on display and the results are in front of us.

Written By: Elliot Allen

​A growing trend in the N.B.A. is players expressing to owners that they no longer want to play for their respective teams.  This is not new, however the frequency in which this happening is becoming a phenomenon.  

Written By: Elliot Allen

The current hottest debate in the sport of basketball involves Michael Jordan and Lebron James.  Which one is better?  I believe these debates are very unfair to both individuals as well as numerous other players who have reached immortal status as a basketball player.  At the same time, I do understand the need to explore the comparisons.  I’ve been watching basketball for 39 years!  I have witnessed many Hall Of Fame careers during this time.  I have great respect for domination in any life situation.  Athletes, more specifically basketball players in this case, have to have sustained dominance over a long period of time.  This feat is not easily obtainable.  So which players have done this and how? 
In all my years of watching the sport of basketball I have witnessed so many players with absolutely supreme physical ability.  However, all those players do not turn out to be Hall of Fame caliber players.  There are players with similar physical abilities of Michael Jordan and Lebron James, but what makes these two guys standout in a discussion of being among the best to ever play the game?

Jordan/James
When speaking of both of these men’s physical talent, it’s clearly undeniable.  I actually believe it’s somewhat silly to compare their physical gifts.  Both men are off the charts with the amazing feats they can physically perform on a basketball court.  Can we be picky and say one guy is faster, stronger, or can jump higher than the other?  Of course we can, but ultimately they cancel each other with different physical advantages they have over each other.  
With that being said, what makes Jordan/James standout above the rest?  I believe the overwhelming factor is their Mental Strength!  These men are in another class when it comes to their Mental Conditioning.  Interestingly because they are so physically talented it is not easy to recognize how much of a role their mental dominance plays in their greatness.  If not for their mental advantage, other players in the league would be very competitive with them night in and night out.  

Jordan
First and foremost let me establish that I am a diehard NY Knick fan.  Yes I am proud of it despite what’s currently going on.  Anyway, I say that to say, that Michael Jordan has broken my heart on many occasions.  I wanted him and the Chicago Bulls to fall short of their goals every year!  Unfortunately it never happened.  It became a vendetta just to see anybody dominate Jordan and Bulls.  As I watched year after year and player after player try to challenge his dominance it was a moot point.  As new players came into the league, as other superstar players got better, it was undebatable that Jordan was absolutely the best player in the league!  I did have the opportunity to watch the Chicago Bulls play quite often during the infamous 70 win season.  I watched every night hoping they would lose.  That was when I really got a chance to witness firsthand the mental dominance of Jordan.  His determination to win every game was astonishing.  It didn’t matter if they were playing a team with an outstanding record or a team with the worst record in the league, he would attack with the same fire and venom.  That takes strong mental strength.  The execution was the same regardless of his opponent.  What made it even more incredible was the manner in which he elevated his play to translate into his teammates.  The Bulls had great talent, but he made sure the team performed on the level they had to nightly regardless of opponent.  On the given nights where the team wasn’t performing up to that standard, he had an uncanny ability to recognize that and take it upon himself to do whatever necessary to win.  This is a phenomenal mental feat to be able to recognize and physically turn up that intensity to match.  Jordan’s ability to do this whether it was a regular season game against the worse team in the league or in a championship deciding game makes him mentally an all-time great who can be considered the best!!!!

James
Lebron James is still in the process of writing the script of his legacy.  However, the narrative that has been written thus far is so good that if I didn’t witness it myself I would assume it was a fairytale.  Obviously this man’s physicality is legendary.  Just as Jordan, Lebron’s mental strength is something that even legends have to admire.  The story plays out quite different in some ways than Jordan.  James has been on multiple teams and has had a wide array of teammates.  Many have different opinions on that. Despite those opinions one thing is evident.  No matter the team or the teammates, he has been able to elevate the level of play from day one when he entered the league.  He has gone to and won the finals with outstanding teammates and he has done the same with less than stellar teammates!  I believe this speaks volumes about this man’s mental strength.  Over the years there are countless players, even Hall of Famers who score points and elevate their play on teams that are less than stellar.  However, it’s hard pressed to find a player mentally who took those type of teams to an elite level and provided a winning mentality in the fashion that Lebron James has.  This makes him unquestionably a player to be considered an all-time great who can be considered the best!!!