Author: Josh Gutbrod

NBA

Thursday night, the Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 122-113. The loss marked the team’s second straight and fourth on the season overall. While the record is not bad, a glaring problem was exposed against Philadelphia. The Clippers lack a true star player, and the team will only go so far until they get one. Who’s There Now The Clippers have an offensively dynamic trio between forwards Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari and guard Lou Williams. Each of the three players are skilled bucket-getters. Harris and Gallinari are averaging roughly 21 points per game and Williams in…

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NBA

The Portland Trail Blazers were left searching for answers after an embarrassing end to the 2017-18 season. The team was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the 6-seed New Orleans Pelicans. Worse yet, the roster lacked any sense of cap flexibility, leaving the hands of the front office tied. The situation seemed so bleak that some in the NBA world expected Portland to scrap it all and rebuild. Yet, that was not what general manager Neil Olshey decided to do over the summer. Despite the limited room for improvement, the team made numerous moves to shake up…

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NBA

While the excitement for the new season has filled most of the week, the NBA community lost a valued and respected member on Monday. Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft amongst several other ventures, passed away. At 65, Allen left behind a full life. Whether it was his technological endeavors, philanthropy, or his involvement in professional sports, Allen touched thousands of lives across his lifetime. Trail Blazers Owner As Microsoft took off, Allen purchased the Blazers in 1988. The team won a title before his arrival, but was also inconsistent otherwise. After Allen’s purchase of…

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NBA

The NBA is full of talented players. From East to West (well, largely West), the league has some of the greatest athletes on Earth. That said, it can be hard for young talent to crack the ranks of the league’s elite. Some have production, but need to prove they can lead a winning team. Some of these young NBA veterans have pools of talent, but lack steady production. For others, it can be off-court or attitude issues. Whatever the reasons may be, there are plenty of young players sitting on the cusp of true NBA stardom. Five of those such…

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NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers seem to have no interest in sulking over the loss of generational superstar LeBron James. The team continued its first summer post-LeBron and signed power forward Kevin Love to a substantial extension. Love, a five-time All-Star, became the team’s unquestioned best player after the departure of the King. The deal, worth $120 million over four years, was the first big step in Cleveland’s retooling process. No Tank Job for Cleveland The re-signing of Kevin Love all but ensures the Cavaliers will not be tanking in 2018. The refusal of a tank job may be risky. The Cavaliers’…

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NBA

KJ McDaniels’ NBA career has not gone as he planned to date. After starting off in Philadelphia, where his electric blocks and dunks made him a fan-favorite, he has bounced around the league. The 2014 ACC Defensive Player of the Year has talent, but also some very clear limitations. He certainly has a place somewhere in the league, but it’ll take a little luck finding where that is….until now? A Big Break? KJ McDaniels won the Summer League Finals MVP Tuesday night in Portland’s 91-73 drubbing of the Los Angeles Lakers. While McDaniels did not play much at all…

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NBA

Portland Trail Blazers forward Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan turned in a gem of a performance Monday night. The 6’8″ 250-pound Purdue product was simply a man among boys. Memphis rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. did not play, which left substantial room for Swanigan to go to work. Despite the dominant performance, Memphis hung tough and received strong contributions from unlikely sources. When the dust settled, the Trail Blazers emerged victorious, 97-92. The Blazers will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Summer League final tonight. Biggie’s Best ZBO Impression The undersized big narrative really starts and ends with former Blazer and…

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NBA

Jevon Carter continues to prove it is never a good idea to judge a player based on a few bad games. The former West Virginia star was atrocious to start the Summer League. He appeared to lack any sort of feel for distributing the ball. His shot was not falling. The defense he was most known for at West Virginia was limited by the impromptu flow and pace of Summer League. Carter was just not ready for the NBA, or so some thought. Of course, things have changed for Carter rather quickly. Finding Some Rhythm Carter managed another strong…

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NBA

The Phoenix Suns will have one of the best young cores heading into the 2018 season. Whether it’s budding superstar Devin Booker, the quietly productive TJ Warren, or the uber-explosive Josh Jackson, the Suns have a plethora of young talent. In addition, throw in the first-overall pick DeAndre Ayton and you have the makings of the next great NBA power team. Of course, most of the Suns’ young core was not even placed on the Summer League roster. The bulk of the team’s core is either too seasoned or too well established to need Summer League play. Even Ayton, who…

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NBA

The Hawks Summer League team struggled early, but things have certainly turned around. After an embarrassingly bad start, the Hawks have seen both wins and promising performances from the team’s top prospects. Yet with both Trae Young and John Collins on the bench Friday against the Clippers, the Hawks needed some unlikely contributors to secure the victory. New Hawks’ Heroes The Hawks were propelled to a 97-81 victory over the Clippers by a group of fresh faces for Summer League. Point guard Robert Johnson was amongst the leaders for the evening. Johnson played his collegiate ball at Indiana where…

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