Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 149

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 […]

On Monday night, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was at the center of a scary incident. After crashing with Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, Hamlin was able to stand up for a brief moment before collapsing to the ground. With such an incident proving to be such a huge reminder of just how much […]

It hasn’t been the easiest season for Fred VanVleet and the Toronto Raptors. After nabbing the fifth seed last season with a 48-34 record, the Raptors have fallen all the way down to 12th in the Eastern Conference standings after a heartbreaking overtime loss to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks following a spirited comeback […]

The Golden State Warriors entered their Wednesday night contest against the Detroit Pistons having won five straight games amid a timely eight-game homestand with Stephen Curry out due to injury. But the Pistons, despite their 10-30 record, gave Klay Thompson and the Dubs everything they could handle, with Saddiq Bey finishing the job for Detroit […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks appear to have taken care of business against the Toronto Raptors on the road, having led by 21, 90-69, with just a little over three minutes left in the game. But the Raptors, against all odds, stormed all the way back to force overtime following an incredible game-tying triple […]

Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets entered their Wednesday night contest against the Chicago Bulls as the hottest team in the NBA, having won 12 straight games. However, all good things come to an end. Despite being on the road, the Bulls led against the Nets for much of the way en route to a […]

Jalen Brunson may have turned heads with his stellar 2022 postseason performance for the Dallas Mavericks, but there were still plenty who doubted whether he could live up to the four-year, $104 million deal he signed with the New York Knicks in the offseason. But now, no one would dare doubt what Brunson is capable […]

Last season, the Los Angeles Rams became the protagonists in the movie that was the 2021-22 NFL season. With head coach Sean McVay at the helm and Matthew Stafford directing traffic, the Rams managed to pull off the unthinkable and win the Super Bowl, only their second in franchise history. While the odds of repeating […]

Amid the Philadelphia Eagles’ two-game losing skid, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves with everything to play for in their Week 18 clash against the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys could still claim the NFC number one overall seed with a win on Sunday, to go along with Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers losses. And with […]

For months, the Phoenix Suns have dangled Jae Crowder on the trade market following their mutual agreement for the 3 and D forward to sit out games until they find a suitable trade. And they have come close to dealing away Crowder, with teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and even […]

Back on Monday, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell had every Chicago Bulls defender begging for mercy as he dropped a career-high 71 points to lead the way for a Cavs OT victory. And Bulls defenders may not be the only ones begging to be spared from a Spida explosion, with Mikal Bridges and the Phoenix […]

The Miami Dolphins, after such a promising start to the season buoyed by the stellar play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, have seen their playoff hopes go up in smoke. They have lost their past five games, and their chances of making the postseason boil down to a do-or-die Week 18 matchup against the New York […]

For a good part of the past two months, the Dallas Cowboys have toyed around with the idea of signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. amid his recovery from the torn left ACL he suffered back in February. However, Beckham still hasn’t progressed far enough in his recovery, leading to the Cowboys’ pursuit of other […]

The Sacramento Kings have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2022-23 NBA season. After years of misery, the Kings are now not only one of the most exciting teams in the league, but they have also been a playoff-caliber team with a 20-16 record. Looking to make the postseason for the first […]

The New York Knicks have cooled off quite considerably following their torrid start to December. Nonetheless, their hot streak has put them in position to challenge for an outright playoff spot. But they cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Thus, it may not be the worst idea for the Knicks to add to their […]

The Boston Celtics thought that they were in for a cakewalk victory when the Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would miss their Tuesday night game with an illness. But Jayson Tatum and the Celtics couldn’t have been more wrong. The Thunder run roughshod over the Celtics with a blistering second quarter, and they […]