LeBron to Golden State? Plus Trade Deadline Updates - Swish Weekly - February 2
LeBron to Golden State? Plus Trade Deadline Updates
As the trade deadline of February 8th looms ominously around the corner, talks between teams have intensified. We saw a huge deal between the Clippers and Pistons and not for the Clipper we thought. The Pelicans and Bulls also consummated a trade that actually works out pretty nicely for both sides. There was also a ton of drama with ESPN reporting (potentially creating a storyline) that LeBron James will listen to offers from the Golden State Warriors as he becomes a free-agent this year. We'll have to see if that report ever gets confirmed, but there is plenty of other content to occupy your time as you'll see below. Let's get into it!
Trade Deadline Updates This Week:
We here at Swish Weekly want you to stay updated as the trade deadline of February 8th looms. Here are the trades that have been made official this week:
February 1: New Orleans Pelicans agree to trade Omer Asik, Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson, and a protected 2018 1st Round Pick to the Chicago Bulls for Nikola Mirotic
January 29: LA Clippers agree to trade Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson, and Willie Reed to the Detroit Pistons for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and a 1st and 2nd round pick
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/30-teams-play-2018-nba-las-vegas-summer-league/
All 30 Teams To Play In 2018 NBA Las Vegas Summer League - Slam Online - Alex Squadron
This is moreso a quick announcement than an in-depth piece of basketball content. With that being said, the Summer League will now feature a full 30 teams that will play a total of 82 games over 12 days. I'm personally quite excited due to the fact that with this change, there will be more minutes for young players to get their feet wet against NBA level competition.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22259303/kristaps-porzingis-uses-height-unlike-other-player-nba
Porzingis can shoot over anyone, and that might be a problem - ESPN - Micah Adams
Standing at 7'3, Kristaps Porzingis has the honor of sharing the title of "tallest NBA player" with newly acquired Clipper Boban Marjanovic. Unlike Marjanovic and really the rest of NBA players that have stood 7'3 or taller, Porzingis can shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor. It's unprecedented for someone of Porzingis' size to shoot at such a hefty clip. While conventional wisdom would suggest that Porzingis would have a staggering advantage over smaller players, the data doesn't necessarily confirm the hypothesis. You'll have to read the article to find out for sure though.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/1/31/16953396/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-trade-deadline
History is Repeating Itself in Cleveland - The Ringer - Danny Chau
Many of us old enough to remember 2010 remember where we were when LeBron James went on national television to make "The Decision" and take his talents to South Beach. While that was a different LeBron, and these are different times, the Cavaliers seem to be treading down the same path they were just eight years ago. There is less than a week before the trade deadline and if Cleveland does not make drastic changes, Cleveland could be staring down the barrel of another LeBron James departure.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22267502/scouting-devin-booker-star-potential-suns-nba
Devin Booker isn't an All-Star, but it's amazing he's already this close - ESPN - Mike Schmitz
Devin Booker has had an incredible year so far despite missing games earlier in the season with injury. When Booker came into the league, many thought he might be strictly a spot up shooter, but each year, Booker has become better and better at attacking off the dribble and getting his shot. This is just one of the many improvements Devin Booker has made in his three years with Phoenix, but you'll have to read the entire article to find out the others.
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/the-point/180123-pelinkas-preparation?ls=recent_news
Pelinka's New Job: When Preparation Meets Humanity - Lakers.com - Kevin Ding
Not all of the best content has to do with actual NBA players. In this case, the piece focuses on Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and his tough task of bringing the Lakers back to prominence in a league dominated by Cleveland and Golden State. Senior writer Kevin Ding weaves a tale of Pelinka's story from sports agent to Lakers GM and focuses primarily on Pelinka's empathy for the feelings of the human beings that bear the brunt of the consequences of his actions. Will Pelinka be able to bring the Lakers back to the top? We'll just have to wait and see, but if you ask Pelinka, it'll be through strategy and a heavy dose of teamwork.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/1/16960502/lebron-james-golden-state-warriors-rumor
LeBron Isn't Going to Golden State, So Who Does This Rumor Help? - The Ringer - Paolo Uggetti
The NBA Twitterverse was sent ablaze Wednesday night thanks to a "report" by ESPN that the Golden State Warriors could potentially be involved in the LeBron sweepstakes this summer. While it's unlikely that LeBron would take his talents to the Bay Area to team up with his arch rivals, the report forced The Ringer's Paolo Uggetti to investiage why such a rumor would surface, especially at a time when the Cavaliers are struggling and the Warriors still look unbeatable (except by 30 to the Jazz...).
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22272947/zach-lowe-milwaukee-bucks
Can these Bucks be great? They're running out of time to find out - ESPN - Zach Lowe
The Milwaukee Bucks are easily one of the most fascinating teams in the league today. Primarily because of the Greek-Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo and his other-worldly athleticism, but also because they have underachieved relative to where many fans and analysts pegged them to be this year. The firing of Jason Kidd has helped and the return of former number two overall pick Jabari Parker should spread the floor more, but it's hard to know whether this team, as it's currently constructed, will be able to battle the top dogs in the Eastern Conference.
http://www.slamonline.com/uncategorized/all-star-contestants/
2018 NBA All-Star Weekend Contestants Announced - SlamOnline - Ian Pierno
We round out this week's edition of Swish Weekly with a short piece that basically just announces who will be participating in the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities. The Skills Competition, 3-Pt Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest all have talented individuals so I wouldn't be surprised if this is one of the better All-Star Weekends in recent memory.
And there you have it folks, another edition of Swish Weekly is in the books. We hope you're enjoying them as much as we are and would love your feedback on what you like and what you think can be improved!
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Also, if you haven't already joined the Super Bowl Squares Contest I'm hosting, please join while there are still spots open!
https://steemit.com/contest/@brandonp/steemit-super-bowl-squares-official-nfl-super-bowl-contest
It's going to be a great time!
Brandon-
I think the content you put out is extremely high quality. I have never been much of a blogger, but I do love to do NBA Podcasts. If you are ever interested in linking up give me a shout.
*Below is a short preview I did with a buddy after initial All Star Selections.
As far as current trades. The Pelicans are reaching. Nikola Mirotic is potentially entereing his prime, surprisingly only 26 years old. But I just don't think he's a difference maker. Seems like they could have made the trade happen without giving away a 2018 1st Round Pick. They gave away a lot
Pistons fan here. I was happy to see us pick up Blake Griffin, but I was a bit surprised by the trade. We don’t seem to be in a position to go for a championship, so on the other end it hurts to give up the draft picks.
We will have to see how this plays out. That’s why the games are played.
Thanks for sharing!
Honestly I think it's Stan Van Gundy's way of trying to save his job. He had to make a splashy move to show ownership that he's at least trying, plus if it doesn't work out with Blake Griffin, then he's getting fired anyway. He doesn't really have to worry about the long-term health of the franchise because if this works out, he'll have a solid young player, and if it doesn't he's gone within a year.
Griffin's contract is also hot garbage that could truly destroy the Pistons franchise if Blake continues his injury plague.
I like your post sir keep it up thank you i resteem your post
I find it interesting that their might be a "the decision 2.0" If Lebron does decide to leave again and head to Golden State we will finally see how unloyal he is to his hometown.
He's far too smart to do it that way again. I don't really think he'll end up in Golden State, but there's no reason not to listen to what they have to say. If anything they might reveal a bit about how they plan on running their future. It can't hurt.
Yes I agree that he won't end up at Golden State. However, it would be interesting team if they had Lebron, Curry, and Durant that team would be unstoppable.
Sneaky Ninja Attack! You have been defended with a 2.70% vote... I was summoned by @brandonp! I have done their bidding and now I will vanish...Whoosh
To be honest I wouldn't want LaBron on GSW. The cost would be huge and we'd turn into the Cavs or something. Don't mess around with b-ball magic I say! On another note..I thought the Clips did well on that trade..and don't underestimate Boban!
He already denied it. I really do not think I can do it. Leaving Clevenland, I would do it to all teams except GSW.