Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 131

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s partnership has been forged in the fires of adversity. Suffering plenty of heartbreaking playoff losses together – none more painful than their loss against the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals – has strengthened their resolve immensely. And this much was apparent after Brown missed two crucial free […]

Being voted as an All-Star starter is already one of the most lofty achievements an NBA player can achieve. But to be the highest vote-getter in one’s conference? That takes a special combination of talent and popularity. Thus, it’s no surprise that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is proud for having been named the All-Star […]

The Dallas Mavericks entered their Thursday night matchup against the Phoenix Suns already having to endure the absence of Christian Wood, the team’s second-leading scorer behind Luka Doncic. However, circumstances appear to have gone from bad to worse for the middling Mavericks after Doncic stepped on Mikal Bridges’ foot on a turnaround attempt early on […]

Even with the start of Spring Training being less than a month away, there are still a few unsigned free agents that could very well become impact additions for an aspiring contender. In particular, there are a few left-handed relievers capable of strengthening even the best of bullpens left on the market, such as Matt […]

The Atlanta Hawks have found themselves in a bit of flux as of late. There have been reports detailing the turmoil in the Hawks front office, which led to a shakeup in their leadership ranks. This kind of uncertainty is all fine and dandy if the Hawks were one of the best teams in the […]

On Wednesday night, Damian Lillard showed that he has grown tired of all the inconsistency and all the losing the Portland Trail Blazers have been experiencing in recent weeks. Lillard dropped an eye-popping 60 points to lead the Blazers to a much-needed 134-124 victory at home against a potential rival for a playoff spot in […]

In a surprising turn of events, Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno decided to backtrack on his decision to sell the franchise he has owned since 2003 and he will remain as the team owner for next season and beyond. That decision could have major repercussions for the direction the franchise would take in the […]

The Dallas Mavericks will be in for a tough next few games with Christian Wood out due to a thumb injury. The Mavs’ marquee offseason acquisition fractured his thumb against the Atlanta Hawks on January 18, and it remains unclear until when he won’t be able to play. Thus, Luka Doncic and the Mavs, who […]

It is quickly becoming evident that Alperen Sengun is the crown jewel of the Houston Rockets’ rebuilding efforts. This is especially true amid Jalen Green’s ride along the teeter-totter of inconsistency. And on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, Sengun showed once more just how impactful he can be, especially as he continues to develop […]

Many expected the Brooklyn Nets to drop off significantly with Kevin Durant out due to injury, and it’s not hard to see why. When Durant went down injured last year, the Nets fell off a cliff. They went 5-16 during that stretch, including an 11-game losing streak. However, Kyrie Irving and the Nets, despite their […]

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets play beautiful basketball. That much is true. There is just a palpable verve in the way the Nuggets play that inevitably titillates the senses of the most highly-attuned basketball fans. And that much was evident during the Nuggets’ rousing 99-98 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. […]

It may have been Chris Martin of Coldplay who popularized the iconic verse, “When you try your best, but you don’t succeed” through the hit song “Fix You”, but it was LeBron James who sang its tune on Tuesday night. James saw yet another monster performance of his go to waste after the Los Angeles […]

Russell Westbrook does not have the smoothest of relationships with reporters, especially following tough losses or rough shooting nights. This much was apparent back in Westbrook’s stay in Oklahoma City, when he repeatedly turned a cold shoulder towards Berry Tramel, a reporter for The Oklahoman. But his relationship with reporters appears to be taking a […]

The Golden State Warriors are at a crossroads as a franchise. Not only will they soon have to decide soon just how much longer they would straddle the line between contending and player development, they will also have to deal with a potential front-office overhaul. The contract of Bob Myers – the Warriors’ longtime general […]

For years, the Los Angeles Clippers have played second-fiddle to their big brothers in the Los Angeles Lakers. Certainly, that is the reality Shaquille O’Neal grew up in. During Shaq’s eight-year stint in LA, the Clippers won just 202 out of 624 games, making the postseason just once during that span. However, since 2012, the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers took a 133-115 loss against in-city rivals Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying from LeBron James. James scored 46 points against the Clippers, allowing him to complete the 40-point gauntlet against every NBA franchise. After another strong game, he inches ever more closely […]

It’s no secret that Spencer Dinwiddie, after signing a three-year, $62 million deal with the Washington Wizards, did not enjoy his time in D.C. at the very least. And the feeling is mutual; it’s apparent that Dinwiddie’s former teammates in Washington don’t like him one bit either. This much was evident in Kyle Kuzma’s reaction […]

The Washington Wizards continue to confound. They seem rather content with remaining one of the most decidedly mediocre teams in the entire NBA. Their latest trade – sending away Rui Hachimura, a 24-year old combo forward, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks – may not be such a bad […]

The Los Angeles Clippers are in the middle of, perhaps, the most crucial juncture of their season. Entering their Tuesday night clash against rivals Los Angeles Lakers with a 25-24 record, the opportunity is there for the Clippers to continue washing away the stench of their mostly uneven play during the 2022-23 campaign. But, at […]

For years, LeBron James has lathered his hands with talcum powder prior to tip-off. He then tossed the chalk into the air, creating an incredible sight that quickly won over the love and adoration of fans all over the globe. And thus began James’ iconic chalk toss, an indelible tradition that The King would bring […]

The Boston Celtics received a bit of unfortunate news when Marcus Smart revealed that he’d likely be out for at least a week after suffering an ankle injury against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. However, amid the Celtics’ strong 2022-23 campaign, the vibes in their locker room remain immaculate. As a matter of fact, […]

A lot has already been said or written about the Los Angeles Lakers’ spacing issues. They still rank dead last in the entire NBA in made threes per game, which is a huge no-no for a LeBron James-led team. Even with James’ improved jump shot over the years, The King’s bread and butter remains his […]

The Sacramento Kings received a ton of flak for trading away Tyrese Haliburton in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. Sure, Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox didn’t have the most seamless fit in the Kings backcourt. But players with Haliburton’s potential usually don’t get traded while they’re still on their rookie scale contract. However, it’s clear that the […]

The Los Angeles Clippers performed better than expected with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George out for such an extended period during the 2021-22 campaign. One of the reasons for their overperformance was the breakout season of backup center Isaiah Hartenstein, showing off his ability to function as a playmaking hub on offense. Hartenstein was then […]

One of the most prominent teams to watch out for with the trade deadline coming up in around two weeks’ time is the Toronto Raptors. Armed with a slew of pieces that could help contending teams in Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr., what the Raptors end up doing will dictate […]

Domantas Sabonis is living proof that blockbuster trades don’t always have to be heavily one-sided. The Sacramento Kings may have traded away Tyrese Haliburton, but Sabonis has been well worth the price. And the Lithuanian beast displayed his dominance once more on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. With his former teammate Steven Adams out, […]

For much of the season, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills played at an extremely high level. And for the most part, they have; with a 13-3 record heading into the postseason, the Bills had the look of a Super Bowl-winning outfit. But cornerback Eli Apple and the Cincinnati Bengals squashed that noise in more […]

Drafted 48th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Terance Mann began to earn his minutes as a hustle guard off the Los Angeles Clippers bench. However, Mann showed what he was capable of in the 2021 playoffs, when he stepped up immensely for an injured Kawhi Leonard. He scored 39 points – a career best […]

The New York Knicks currently have a 25-23 record thanks in large part to a strong December effort that saw them win eight games in a row. It’s evident that the Knicks possess enough pieces in place to at least make the postseason. Jalen Brunson, signed to a four-year, $104 million deal in the offseason, […]

The Golden State Warriors have had a season-long championship hangover. Every time it seems that they are on track to turn things around, they put up a stinker of a performance that ends up knocking them down a few pegs. For example, after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers despite not having Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson […]

At first glance, the Toronto Raptors look like they have all the makings of a team that thrives in today’s NBA. Armed with a plethora of switchable wings with considerable skill, they look like a team that could make the lives of their opponents a living hell on both ends of the floor, capable of […]

The past two and a half seasons LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have had since winning the 2020 NBA championship in the bubble have not exactly gone according to plan. Due to untimely injury woes in the 2020-21 season which led to their playoff defeat against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers felt that […]

Serge Ibaka just has not been the same player ever since he suffered a back injury in the 2020-21 season. Signed by the Los Angeles Clippers to supplement their frontcourt depth alongside Ivica Zubac, Ibaka fell off a cliff during the 2021-22 campaign, which eventually led to his trade to the Milwaukee Bucks during last […]

The Orlando Magic have been one of the most decidedly mediocre franchises in the NBA over the past ten seasons. In fact, ever since they traded Dwight Howard away prior to the start of the 2012-13 season, they have only finished with a record above .500 once – in 2018-19, and they only did so […]

Oh how far the San Antonio Spurs have fallen down the NBA’s pecking order. For 22 seasons, there were three certainties in existence – death, taxes, and a Spurs playoff berth. However, all good things come to an end. The Kawhi Leonard saga in 2018 effectively put an end to the Spurs dynasty, and they […]

The Indiana Pacers have arrived earlier than expected. Acquiring Tyrese Haliburton in exchange for Domantas Sabonis was quite the masterstroke that expedited their contending timeline. However, Haliburton’s knee and elbow injuries threaten to derail Indiana’s surprising 2022-23 campaign, which complicates their trade deadline plans even further. It’s no secret that the Pacers have tried to […]

Fans of the Sacramento Kings have long waited for their franchise to turn things around. The Kings have not made the postseason since 2006 – an incredible feat in a league where putrid teams earn the chance to draft top talent and where more than half of its teams make the playoffs. There was even […]

The Golden State Warriors, for one reason or another, just have not been able to conjure the same magic they had in the 2021-22 season. Entering their Thursday night clash against the Boston Celtics with a 22-22 record, head coach Steve Kerr knew he had to do something to ignite a spark that could, perhaps, […]

Nothing comes close to the pain of falling ever so short of the summit, like the Boston Celtics did in the 2022 NBA Finals against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. It’s no secret that this pain of defeat has motivated the Celtics to play at an even better level than their 2021-22 output. […]