Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 134

No other team in the NBA seems to be more injury-ravaged at the moment than the Phoenix Suns, and their play has suffered a precipitous drop-off as a result. With Chris Paul joining Devin Booker, who hasn’t played since the Suns’ Christmas Day loss against the Denver Nuggets due to a groin injury, on their […]

The Miami Marlins won only 69 games during the 2022 season, a continuation of their putrid 2021 following a magical (condensed) 2020 season. However, despite the Marlins’ struggles on the diamond, their starting pitching depth, led by 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, remains immense. And their position of strength got even stronger […]

For years, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles were two of the Utah Jazz’s most important players. However, the Jazz felt like their core led by Mitchell and Rudy Gobert had already reached its ceiling, and they eventually traded them to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively. In fact, no one might be happier […]

Russell Westbrook’s Los Angeles Lakers tenure hasn’t been the smoothest. His fit with LeBron James hasn’t been the best, and the Lakers have felt the effects of losing their depth in the trade that brought Westbrook to town. Nevertheless, one can never question Westbrook’s commitment to winning, and he showed that he had the heart […]

The Denver Nuggets appear to have all the makings of a championship contender, and it’s thanks in large part to Nikola Jokic’s dominance that stretches well beyond his ability to put the ball into the hoop. Jokic may not be the most athletically-gifted player, but he still impacts the game at such an MVP-level by […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have been in a rough patch as of late, having played inconsistent basketball over the past month or so. Giannis Antetokounmpo has done his best to carry the team on his back amid Khris Middleton absence and Jrue Holiday’ shooting struggles as of late. However, beyond Antetokounmpo, one player has played at […]

The New York Knicks have definitely played at a much better level this season than they did for the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign, and it’s thanks in large part to the addition of Jalen Brunson. And on Monday night against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, Brunson proved himself worth every penny of the […]

Things were beginning to look up for the Chicago Bulls. Amid rumors of a midseason blowup that may involve a Zach LaVine trade, among others, the Bulls have begun to play better as of late, going 8-3 heading into their Monday night contest against the Boston Celtics to climb into ninth place in the Eastern […]

The Chicago Bulls, led by the ever-consistent DeMar DeRozan and the smoldering hot Zach LaVine, have played incredibly well ever since rumors of discord in the locker room spread following their halftime blowup in mid-December. They have gone 8-3 since, and are now the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, good enough for a play-in […]

The Green Bay Packers, led by a resurgent Aaron Rodgers, entered their crucial Week 18 clash against the Detroit Lions having won four straight to remain in the thick of the playoff hunt. However, the Packers came up short in the final game of the regular season, losing to the Lions, 20-16, to put an […]

For the greater part of the 2010s, Gareth Bale was one of the most electrifying wingers in the world of European football. However, all good things come to an end. On Monday morning, Bale announced his retirement from professional football, for both club and country, on his official Twitter account. Bale penned a heartfelt statement […]

Jordan Clarkson has definitely found a home with the Utah Jazz. Clarkson has emerged into one of the best microwave scoring guards in the entire association ever since the Jazz traded for him in December 2019. However, Clarkson’s time in Salt Lake City appears to be nearing its end, with the Filipino-American guard’s contract set […]

For months, NBA teams that have been angling for a major upgrade to their roster have been circling the Chicago Bulls like vultures. After all, the Bulls, following a promising 46-win campaign last season, have struggled with inconsistencies for much of the 2022-23 season. Thus, therein lied the possibility that the Bulls were going to […]

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, after such a dreadful start to the 2022-23 season, are, contrary to expectations, on a roll as of late. The Lakers have won their past five games, the most recent of which was an incredibly close victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. Nonetheless, James still strongly […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have hit a bit of a rough patch over the past few weeks or so. Despite Khris Middleton’s injury-related absences, the Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, should still have enough to remain a rock-solid regular season outfit. And for the most part, they have been, as they entered their Friday night clash […]

Kawhi Leonard’s body hasn’t been the same since Zaza Pachulia undercut his landing spot during the 2017 NBA playoffs. Since then, Leonard has had to sit out games due to injury, particularly on one leg of a back-to-back set, to remain healthy for when it truly matters: the postseason. However, with the Los Angeles Clippers […]

Rudy Gobert was definitely feeling himself during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Friday night win over the struggling Los Angeles Clippers. Facing a shorthanded Clippers squad without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, Gobert proved himself as the biggest star of the night. But in so doing, he may have spread his wings far too wide for his […]

Over the past three games including their 108-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton began wearing a headband. It shouldn’t be that big a deal, especially when three other members of the Pacers starting lineup in Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, and Andrew Nembhard wear the aforementioned accessory as well. It’s […]

For much of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Friday night contest against the floundering Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota had a hell of a time. Led by a motivated Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves went off and ended up with a 14-point halftime lead over the Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-less Clippers. However, Anthony Edwards had to exit the […]

The Toronto Raptors, simply put, have been disappointing this season. A confusing lack of shot creating guards as well as a legitimate big man on the interior caused by a fixation on hyper-switchable defensive wings has led to uneven results. Despite Fred VanVleet’s best efforts in the past few games, the Raptors suffer yet another […]

The Chicago Bulls have endured a rocky patch of inconsistency throughout the 2022-23 NBA season, a disappointment given their promising 46-win campaign last season. Amid the Bulls’ inconsistencies, plenty have wondered whether Chicago would decide to blow things up and trade away their core led by Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic. But at […]

It’s always a treat to see a young team with loads of potential begin to figure things out. The Indiana Pacers are one of those teams. Led by third-year future Point God Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers have now gone a surprising 22-18 through 40 games following their Friday night 108-99 win against the Portland Trail […]

Kemba Walker hasn’t been the same since leaving Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. Walker’s lone season with the New York Knicks ended up being a disaster, so the Knicks subsequently cut him loose in a trade with the Detroit Pistons this past offseason. The rebuilding Pistons then bought Walker out, but to the former […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have been sitting on an open roster spot since waiving Matt Ryan in late November. With a razor-thin squad around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers need every bit of help they can get. Thus, it’s no surprise that the Lakers are throwing darts on the 10-day contract wall to […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers exchanged AJ Pollock for Craig Kimbrel prior to the 2022 season to bolster their bullpen depth. Alas, Kimbrel fell short of expectations in Dodger blue, as he lost the closer job late in the season following a string of poor performances. Nevertheless, Kimbrel remains elite in missing bats, and the Philadelphia […]

The Philadelphia Eagles are entering the final gameweek of the 2022-23 NFL regular season as the best team in the NFC with a 13-3 record, and it’s thanks in large part to quarterback Jalen Hurts’ MVP-caliber play. However, the past two weeks have put a bit of a damper on what had been such an […]

From the get-go, the Los Angeles Clippers just didn’t have it against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. They played uninspired basketball, settling for one contested jumpshot after another as they scuffled to a 34-point halftime deficit. Simply put, that was not a performance befitting of a team led by two bonafide […]

It’s no secret that Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant hasn’t had the smoothest-sailing of relationships with fans, especially after his much-maligned move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016. But this time, Durant may have a strong point following his latest comments regarding the discourse surrounding the NBA and its fans. Speaking like his ever-candid […]

The Texas Rangers may have not made the postseason since 2016, but they sure are trying their best to upgrade their team in free agency amid a crowded AL West picture. Last offseason, the Rangers signed shortstops Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to bolster their middle infield. The following year, they nabbed one of top […]

With only John Wall and Nicolas Batum on the injury report, many expected the Thursday night contest between the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets to be a nip-and-tuck, superstar-laden affair. Both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were healthy, which meant that at the very least, they could give Nikola Jokic and the Western Conference-leading […]

During a loaded Wednesday night NBA slate, the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks were in the middle of, perhaps, the league’s wackiest game this season. A good ol’ slugfest for much of the game, the Bucks were on track to claim a convincing win in regulation, thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s incredible night, as they […]

The Los Angeles Clippers dodged a major bullet when Paul George suited up for their Thursday night matchup against the Denver Nuggets despite his hamstring tweak. Moreover, the Clippers would also have Kawhi Leonard back in action following his absence during their previous game due to a non-COVID illness. The Clippers may have lost three […]

It’s no secret that Lauri Markkanen, the 7’0 sweet shooting forward drafted seventh overall in 2017, could score the basketball. His ability to score the ball from every angle of the court to go along with his incredible size made him such a tantalizing prospect. It may have taken Markkanen a few years, but the […]

The Lauri Markkanen All-Star campaign keeps on rolling along. Many expected the Utah Jazz to crumble after they traded franchise cornerstones Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason. But crumble they haven’t, and it’s all thanks to the Finnisher, whom they acquired in the trade that sent Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lauri Markkanen’s […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have drafted extremely well in recent seasons, and are well on their way to cementing themselves as true championship contenders, if they aren’t already. The selections of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane have given the Grizzlies two offensive foundations to build upon. However, Jaren Jackson Jr. remains the two-way force that takes […]

It’s no secret that Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat have fallen off from their status as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season. Following a disheartening loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, who were without both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Heat now have a mere 20-19 record on […]

The Chicago Bulls have continued their Jekyll and Hyde-esque run in recent weeks. They play extremely well on some nights, even defeating the red-hot Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night to halt their 12-game winning streak despite Zach LaVine’s shooting struggles. But when they implode, they implode hard. Thus, there still lies the potential for the […]

The Orlando Magic definitely drafted a future superstar when they selected Paolo Banchero first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Banchero possesses a rare combination of ballhandling skill, scoring touch, and athleticism for a guy of his size (6’10, 250 lbs.). The Magic have drafted and traded for quality pieces in recent years, but Banchero […]

Saddiq Bey hasn’t had the easiest third season for the Detroit Pistons. The arrival of Bojan Bogdanovic in an offseason trade with the Utah Jazz has relegated Bey to more of a complementary piece than a featured option. In fact, the Pistons saw it best to bring Bey off the bench, which he has done […]