Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 152

Luka Doncic has taken his already MVP-caliber game to a different stratosphere in the 2022-23 season, and the Dallas Mavericks have needed every bit of his contributions following the departure of Jalen Brunson. And Doncic is even etching his name in NBA history alongside Michael Jordan at the tender age of 23 following yet another […]

Ben Simmons has never been an incredible scorer, although he did have that one game where he scored 42 points against Rudy Gobert. Simmons has made a name for himself with his terrific defense and his ability to contribute in other facets without having to put the ball into the hoop. However, he has taken […]

Our robot overlords are here. A sport long dominated by tradition, convention, and unwritten rules, baseball is embracing major changes entering the 2023 season – changes from which there may be no looking back from. The introduction of instant replay in the 2010s was just the start of the game’s embrace of technology. For next […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have been playing much better in recent weeks despite the absence of Anthony Davis, and the Dallas Mavericks discovered that firsthand. For much of the game, the Lakers, led by LeBron James, have been trying to dig themselves out of their first-quarter hole, and they did just that. With only a […]

Only 43 games have elapsed for the Boston Celtics this season following their 109-98 victory on Thursday night over the Kevin Durant-less Brooklyn Nets, but they may already be feeling the lingering exhaustion that comes with the grueling grind. Jaylen Brown is already dealing with an adductor strain that could keep him out for a […]

The San Francisco 49ers enter the postseason as the hottest team in the entire NFL, having won 10 straight games to finish with a stellar 13-4 record. In doing so, the 49ers earned the second seed in the NFC and thus, they will face the lowest-seeded playoff team in the conference in the Seattle Seahawks. […]

The Phoenix Suns have found themselves involved in trade talks for much of the season, especially with them yet to find a resolution to the Jae Crowder situation. And amid Devin Booker and Chris Paul’s injuries, the Suns’ need to make a move has only grown, especially with the trade deadline approaching. Thus, the Suns […]

The Utah Jazz, after a torrid start to the season, have come back down to earth. Their tumble down the standings may lead to their decision to sell off on some of their pieces that could be of help to contending teams such as Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, among others. In fact, the Jazz […]

It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of depth, including in the frontcourt amid Anthony Davis’ injury. LeBron James, simply put, needs some help in carrying the Lakers’ razor-thin squad. The Lakers may soon utilize their open roster spot following the waiving of Matt Ryan last month. Enter DeMarcus Cousins. Bleacher […]

The Washington Wizards are only a game back from the 10th seed and final play-in spot despite their 18-24 record following a putrid 10-game losing streak earlier this year. Amid Bradley Beal’s injury woes, Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis have kept the Wizards afloat. However, the Wizards could end up losing Kuzma for nothing, with […]

The Denver Nuggets have all the makings of a championship contender, and it’s all thanks to Nikola Jokic’s ridiculous ability to make his teammates better. Following the returns of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. from major injuries during the 2021-22 season, Jokic has taken his playmaking and scoring efficiency to another level. Through 38 […]

The Indiana Pacers, expected to bring up the rear in the Eastern Conference before the season began, have overachieved in the 2022-23 campaign, and it’s all thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s ascension as one of the best point guards in the league. In addition, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, linked to a potential trade for the […]

The Atlanta Braves are figuring out in increasingly heartbreaking ways that the cost of winning is hefty. Over the past two offseasons, they have lost two infield stalwarts in Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson, weakening the core of their 2021 World Series-winning roster. However, such is the reality of economics in professional sports. Even Braves […]

There is arguably no better feeling than to be compensated as much as possible for the work you put in. And Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers could attest to that following a hilarious response during contract negotiations with owner John Henry. Speaking with Jen McCaffrey and Chad Jennings of The Athletic, Red Sox […]

Almost everything the Dallas Mavericks have done this season has revolved around superstar point guard Luka Doncic, and for good reason. Doncic has ascended into an even higher level in just his fifth season in the NBA, putting up monster numbers night after night while shouldering as heavy an offensive burden as he could given […]

It’s rare for a player in any professional sport to be fully content with one’s own performance, the team’s performance, the money one’s making, and the overall living situation that comes with playing for a particular franchise. Thus, when one stumbles upon this rare situation, one must grab ahold of it and not let go. […]

The Houston Rockets drafted explosive scoring guard Jalen Green second overall in the 2021 NBA Draft with an intention to rebuild around him as a foundational piece. However, Green has seen his efficiency numbers dip, and his star go a bit dimmer as a result. But amid Green’s struggles, another one of the Rockets’ 2021 […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the Milwaukee Bucks’ Wednesday night clash against the Atlanta Hawks averaging 31.7 points per night, good for third in the league behind only Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid. Thus, no one would have expected, barring an unforeseen injury, that Antetokounmpo would only score seven points on the night. Something must have gone […]

The Toronto Raptors’ wacky roster construction appears to be catching up to them. With a lack of a true center and an obvious lack of backcourt depth, the Raptors have struggled this season despite having All-Star caliber talents in Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby. Through 41 games, the Raptors have won just 18 […]

The Miami Heat were able to overcome their shorthandedness on Tuesday night when they took on the Oklahoma City Thunder thanks to their Jimmy Butler-led free-throw perfection. However, the Heat’s 112-111 victory didn’t come without its distractions. In the second quarter of the aforementioned contest, officials ejected backup center Dewayne Dedmon from the game after […]

Everyone in the league knows that the Detroit Pistons are open for business with the trade deadline fast approaching. Armed with a few quality veterans that could help contending teams with their playoff pushes, the Pistons should cash in on their trade assets given their status as rebuilders. And accordingly, the Pistons appear willing to […]

The Indiana Pacers are exceeding expectations for the 2022-23 season, and it’s all thanks to the emergence of Tyrese Haliburton as the heir apparent to the Point God moniker. Blessed with unselfishness and elite court vision, Haliburton is a foundational piece that evidently makes his teammates better. However, it seems as though an injury could […]

Thing appeared to be looking up for the Golden State Warriors. Not only has Andre Iguodala played in his first game this season following a drawn-out will-he, won’t-he play dance in the offseason, Stephen Curry was also set to return from the shoulder injury on Tuesday night against the depleted Phoenix Suns. However, the Suns […]

The Utah Jazz pulled off the biggest trade of the offseason when they sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for a package headlined by Lauri Markkanen and Collin Sexton. Many expected the Jazz to plummet down the standings as a result. However, on Tuesday night, the Jazz showed that they’re here to […]

It’s no secret that Jimmy Butler is as capable as any other superstar in the league of dragging his teams to victory. Who could forget the time that Butler reportedly carried the third-stringers to a scrimmage victory against the starters back when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves? Of course, no one will ever forget […]

The Miami Heat were as shorthanded a team as they can be on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Kyle Lowry out (among seven injured players in total), the onus was on Jimmy Butler’s shoulders to carry the burden offensively against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder. And surely enough, Butler […]

The shorthanded Miami Heat became even more depleted on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder after backup center Dewayne Dedmon inexplicably got himself ejected early in the second quarter after throwing a massage gun onto the court following a heated argument with head coach Erik Spoelstra. But the argument doesn’t appear to be anything […]

The Miami Heat have gone through a plethora of injury woes throughout the 2022-23 season, and things appear to have taken a turn for the worse in recent days. The Heat, who have already ruled Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin out ahead of time for their Tuesday night contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder, are […]

For months, the Detroit Pistons have been in involved in a plethora of trade talks involving their veteran players, the most notable of which is veteran sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogdanovic has drawn strong interest on the trade market from teams with playoff aspirations, with the Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Los Angeles […]

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 […]