Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 160

The Denver Nuggets have now lost three straight games, their latest defeat coming at the hands of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Nikola Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets haven’t had the easiest times of late – especially Jamal Murray, who scuffled to the tune of 2-11 shooting. And it seems as if […]

Everyone knows that the St. Louis Cardinals are searching for a new everyday catcher this offseason following the retirement of legendary backstop Yadier Molina. While it remains to be seen which direction the Cardinals take in terms of their pursuit of a catcher, it may not be long until the dust settles on St. Louis’ […]

It may have been been an anxiety-riddled process, but the New York Yankees finally got their man. On Wednesday morning, Aaron Judge and the Yankees agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal, keeping Judge in pinstripes until 2031. After hitting 62 home runs in 2022, Judge was bound to get paid handsomely in free agency, […]

Much has been said about the struggles of the Dallas Mavericks role players around Luka Doncic, especially Tim Hardaway Jr.’s, who missed a chunk of last season due to a foot injury. Hardaway began the season misfiring from beyond the arc, making him a potential trade candidate given his underproduction relative to his remuneration. However, […]

Russell Westbrook may have normalized it, but tallying a triple-double remains an absurdly difficult feat. However, if there’s anyone who seems up to the task of chasing Westbrook’s triple-double record, it’s Luka Doncic, who is racking up triple-doubles at an incredible rate. In fact, Doncic filled the stat sheet yet again during the Dallas Mavericks’ […]

The New York Yankees are at a crossroads. After winning 99 games and making it as far as the ALCS, the Yankees are facing incredible uncertainty in free agency, especially with 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge. Judge, who was responsible for carrying New York’s offense during the regular season after hitting an incredible 62 long […]

The Philadelphia Phillies as a franchise definitely feels reinvigorated by their Cinderella run to last year’s World Series. After coming oh-so-close to winning their first Fall Classic since 2008, the Phillies, led by principal owner John Middleton, aren’t shy to bolster the contending roster around megastar Bryce Harper. Not only has Philly pulled off the […]

The Miami Heat appeared to be turning a corner after claiming a resounding victory over the Boston Celtics last Friday. Jimmy Butler was back to his usual cold-blooded self, and the Heat were inching ever more closely to a full-strength squad with Victor Oladipo set to make his season debut soon. However, the Heat promptly […]

The Atlanta Braves remained one of baseball’s best teams despite the departure of Freddie Freeman in last year’s free agency (to the Los Angeles Dodgers, a playoff rival, no less). Buoyed by the leadership of manager Brian Snitker and the continued elite play of Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley (among others), the Braves won the […]

The Boston Red Sox, led by Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, at the very least, are looking to make a few signings to bolster their roster that finished a disappointing 78-84 in 2022, good for last in the AL East. One particular area of struggle for the Red Sox in 2022 was their pitching. The […]

The Miami Dolphins saw their five-game winning streak get snapped by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night after the 49ers took home a 33-17 victory. That Dolphins loss gave the Buffalo Bills a one-game cushion in the AFC East race. However, all the Dolphins brass will care about is the health of franchise quarterback […]

After the Houston Rockets traded away Christian Wood, Alperen Sengun became poised to take over the Rockets’ starting center mantle. During his rookie year, Sengun showed a rare blend of nimble feet, soft scoring touch, and sublime court vision for someone so young. The Rockets experimented with bringing him off the bench this season, but […]

There were plenty of excitement when the Dallas Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis to partner with Luka Doncic back in 2019. While Porzingis and Doncic proved to be a lethal pick-and-pop duo at the beginning of their partnership, Porzingis ended up being marginalized in the Mavs offense the more Doncic ascended into the superstar he is […]

It has been a slow descent, but the Chicago Cubs have been in decline since their World Series win in 2016. Over the past few years, the Cubs have jettisoned members of their championship core, culminating in fourth and third-place finishes in the NL Central in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Thus, the Cubs are looking […]

Chet Holmgren’s performances during Summer League became cause for so much intrigue given his potential to be such an incredible two-way force. However, Holmgren ended up suffering a Lisfranc injury during a Pro-Am game against LeBron James, delaying his debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder for at least a season. But Thunder fans need not […]

Cody Bellinger has seen a precipitous downfall to his career ever since winning NL MVP honors in 2019. Ever since posting 7.7 WAR with the Los Angeles Dodgers three years ago, Bellinger hasn’t even come close to his past level of performance. From 2020 to 2022, he’s amassed a mere 2.1 WAR (including a -1.0 […]

The Houston Rockets embarked on a lengthy rebuild the moment they pulled the trigger on the trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Since then, the Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the league and they remain as such, as they entered their Monday night match against the Philadelphia 76ers […]

The Toronto Raptors have endured a plethora of injury woes to begin the 2022-23 campaign. While Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Scottie Barnes have all missed considerable time due to injuries, OG Anunoby has remained a constant for the Raptors. Anunoby has played in all 24 games, averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, and steals per […]

The Dallas Mavericks’ play to begin the year has been uneven despite Luka Doncic’s ridiculously torrid start to the 2022-23 campaign. Some fans are flummoxed as to why head coach Jason Kidd has limited Christian Wood’s minutes off the bench and why he has remained stubborn with his trust in struggling wings such as Reggie […]

It might be difficult to believe, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to turn 28 years old in a few hours time. Antetokounmpo is no longer the scrawny, 19-year old kid who entered the league as a raw project; he is now a two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year award winner, and, above all, […]

The New York Yankees won 99 games last season, more than enough to claim the AL East crown. However, it was Aaron Judge, as much as someone can carry a team given the nature of baseball as a sport, who put the Yankees on his back all season long. Judge put up 11.4 WAR (per […]

The Los Angeles Clippers received some overdue good news when it was reported that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (along with Luke Kennard) were scheduled to return during their Monday night contest against the Charlotte Hornets. Leonard, in particular, hasn’t played much this season, playing in only five games before tonight’s matchup. Moreover, he’s been […]

The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers were locked in a battle reminiscent of the early 2000s as both teams struggled to get into a rhythm throughout the night. The referees became particularly whistle-happy, as they called a season-high 13 traveling infractions that just sapped every sort of chance for either team to get into […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are slowly making their climb atop the Western Conference, and it’s all thanks to the ridiculous performances from Anthony Davis as of late. Davis’ latest masterpiece was a 55-point explosion in a 130-119 win over the Washington Wizards, with Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, and the rest of the Wizards’ interior defense […]

It hasn’t been rainbows and butterflies for Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls as a quarter of the 2022-23 season has elapsed. At 9-14, the Bulls are on the outside looking in towards the playoff picture – a disappointment, given their 46-36, sixth-place finish last season. The Bulls just haven’t been at their best, and […]

The Boston Celtics wanted to bounce back two days after their heartbreaking overtime loss to the Miami Heat, and they did just that after they took home a 103-92 win over rivals Brooklyn Nets on the road. Jayson Tatum, in particular, was able to bounce back from a rough shooting night last Friday, after he […]

The parameters of induction into Baseball’s Hall of Fame has long been a point of contention in baseball circles, among pundits and fans alike. Compared to basketball, especially, getting into Cooperstown seems so much more daunting a task. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the award-giving body responsible for deciding which player gets in or […]

The Phoenix Suns may have blown a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter in Friday night’s 122-121 loss to the Houston Rockets, but that won’t be their most pressing concern after the game. While Mikal Bridges, the Suns’ do-it-all 3 and D wing, played 37 minutes in the loss, he may have ended up hurting […]

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics remain each other’s nemesis as the two were locked in yet another tight contest on Friday night. Despite Jaylen Brown’s best efforts, the Heat still came out on top in overtime, 120-116. The Heat almost won in regulation after Jimmy Butler, fresh off a return from injury, sank a […]

Kevin Durant and Charles Barkley have bickered with each other for the past year or so, and it’s been entertaining to see two Hall of Fame talents take one shot after another at each other’s legacies. Earlier this year, Barkley ripped apart Durant, saying that he took the easy way to a championship when he […]

The San Antonio Spurs, contrary to expectations, started out the 2022-23 season strong. Coached by Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich, the Spurs remained competitive through the first two weeks as they started the season with a 5-2 record. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell spurred the Spurs into that incredible start that made many think twice […]

There were few prospects as hyped up as Zion Williamson was when he entered the league in 2019. Possessing an unreal blend of athleticism, size, strength, and deft scoring touch, Williamson was touted as a franchise-altering talent. However, the first three seasons of Williamson’s career haven’t been the smoothest. He missed a ton of time […]

Much has been said about Russell Westbrook’s struggles with the Los Angeles Lakers. Westbrook isn’t the best shooter from the outside, and he isn’t the same explosive finisher he was years ago. Nonetheless, something that can never be doubted with Westbrook is his desire to win, and his all-out effort was in full display yet […]

One point of contention in today’s NBA is the ever-divisive load management issue. The regular season is ever the grind that it was, at 82 games, and yet it takes only a maximum of 28 games to decide an NBA champion. Thus, the risk-reward calculus weighs heavily towards the postseason’s favor. Nonetheless, Shaquille O’Neal and […]

The Boston Red Sox finished last in the AL East after a strong playoff run in 2021. Always armed with lofty contending ambitions, the Red Sox are then expected to make a splash in free agency. And they planned to do just that after they pursued former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zach Eflin. However, it was […]

The Golden State Warriors, despite coming off a championship in June, faced immense offseason drama that threatened to fracture the team beyond repair. Long-time starting power forward Draymond Green threw a punch towards teammate Jordan Poole, facing a team punishment in the process. These are the sorts of moments that could prove to be a […]

Al Horford proved that he can still contribute at a high level after playing an instrumental role in the Boston Celtics’ run to the finals last season. And the veteran center has carried over his strong play into the 2022-23 campaign. Through 18 games, Horford is averaging 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks to […]

It’s no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals are targeting an everyday catcher this offseason, whether via free agency or a trade. And it seems like the stars are aligning for a potential partnership between Willson Contreras and the Cardinals as St. Louis tries to fill the void Yadier Molina left when he retired. Contreras […]

It’s difficult to envision Clayton Kershaw playing for any other team than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kershaw was drafted seventh overall by the Dodgers in 2005 (a lifetime ago) and he has played for the organization (including minors) for 16 straight years now. Currently a free agent, Kershaw’s return to the Dodgers seems like a […]