Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 164

It’s panic time in LA, after the Los Angeles Lakers have scuffled to a putrid 0-3 start despite posting the third-best defensive rating in the NBA thus far. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have put up huge numbers to begin the year, but it has yet to count on the win column. Accordingly, Lakers fans […]

It’s safe to say that the season, through seven weeks, has not gone according to plan for the Denver Broncos. After finishing 7-10 last season, the Broncos traded for Russell Wilson and almost immediately signed him to a $245 million extension in the hopes that he would lead the team to contention much like he […]

The Green Bay Packer have not been off to the best of starts to begin the 2022-23 season. After improving to 3-1 following an OT win over the New England Patriots, Aaron Rodgers and company have dropped their past three games, the most recent of which was a regrettable two-point loss against the Washington Commanders. […]

It has not been the best couple of days for Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. Towns, despite having the best game of his season in the last game against the San Antonio Spurs, saw his team get played off the court, going down by as much as 35 points to a team that’s […]

Golden State Warriors franchise icon Stephen Curry is not only the deadliest shooter from beyond the arc the league has ever seen, he is also one of the most reliable hands on the free-throw line. For his career, Curry has shot around 91 percent from the foul line, and he entered the Warriors’ nationally televised […]

The Dallas Mavericks entered their nationally televised tilt against the New Orleans Pelicans fresh off a rousing 41-point victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, who were on the second night of a back-to-back. Bouncing back was important for Jason Kidd’s squad after a crushing loss to the Phoenix Suns in their season opener, and the Mavericks […]

The Los Angeles Clippers held Kawhi Leonard out in their Tuesday night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder due to stiffness on his recuperating knee. With the season in its early legs, Clippers fans will be especially understanding of just how much the team is being careful with regards to its handling of Leonard’s health, […]

The NBA’s rookie entry draft is one of the most exciting times for a team hoping to strike gold on the next biggest thing. Solid contributors have emerged from almost every draft spot, making the selection process a crapshoot. But for the Washington Wizards, the early returns on their most recent first round pick, Johnny […]

Before suiting up for the Los Angeles Clippers in their season-opening win against intracity rivals Los Angeles Lakers, it had been a long layoff for Kawhi Leonard, having missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season after he injured his knee in the Game 4 of the second round against the Utah Jazz in the 2021 […]

NBA fans will be elated to see John Wall back on the court and healthy once again, especially after his well-chronicled battles with mental health struggles over the past few years. In two games thus far with the Los Angeles Clippers, Wall has put up 16 points and 3.5 dimes in only 23 minutes a […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are in dire straits at the moment. The Lakers’ offense seems to be stuck in 1978, a bygone era where all made baskets counted for two points. The Lakers, in their bid to zig while everybody zags, have become the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA, making only 8.3 threes […]

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots finally welcomed the return of franchise quarterback Mac Jones after a three-game absence due to ankle problems. However, Jones proceeded to struggle in his first game back against the Chicago Bears, throwing an interception and drawing jeers from the home crowd at Gillette Stadium. Belichick then proceeded to […]

After trading Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks this past offseason, almost everybody expected the San Antonio Spurs to be mired in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Spurs’ dynasty began when they landed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in 1997, and no one would blame the franchise for attempting to […]

The Brooklyn Nets haven’t been off to the best of starts in the newest campaign. After splitting their first two games, the Nets were unable to overcome 38-point explosions from the Memphis Grizzlies’ backcourt of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, losing 134-124 in the end, dropping to 1-2 to start the season. One pressing area […]

Chauncey Billups’ first season as the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers was mired with a plethora of problems that put a damper on their 2021-22 season. Damian Lillard battled abdominal issues all season long before getting shut down following abdominal surgery, CJ McCollum was diagnosed with a collapsed lung before he was traded […]

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons hasn’t been off to the best of starts in the newest campaign. After shooting 9-of-22 in the Blazers’ season opener, he proceeded to shoot 5-17 in back-to-back games, which both ended in two-point victories over the Phoenix Suns and the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers. But the 23-year old […]

Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter Desmond Bane took a huge leap during the 2021-22 season, upping his scoring average from 9.2 to 18.2, emerging as one of the most reliable volume three-point marksmen in the league. With the injury to Jaren Jackson Jr., Bane was expected to shoulder an even bigger offensive load in the 2022-23 season, […]

The Minnesota Timberwolves appeared to have an easy run-in to begin the 2022-23 season. They were slated to face the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs twice, and the Utah Jazz at home, three teams that many pundits believed were destined to jockey for the right to draft Victor Wembanyama first overall. But Timberwolves […]

The San Antonio Spurs appeared to be destined for the bottom of the NBA standings, especially after shipping away All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for a package centered on a boatload of future first-round picks. The Spurs’ season debut could have been one that foreshadowed the rest of their season after they […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has never been the most reliable shooter from beyond the arc. For his career, Westbrook has made 1.1 threes on 3.7 attempts per night (30.4 percent), peaking during his MVP campaign with a career-best 2.5 threes per game on 7.2 attempts a night (34.3 percent). But now that Westbrook […]

Even the best of us make mistakes – the important thing is for the person responsible to be accountable for their gaffe and make sure it never happens again. Two weeks after Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams notoriously shoved a cameraman following the crushing 30-29 defeat they suffered at the hands of the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers, who have started the season 0-3 after an inexplicable choke against the Portland Trail Blazers, are unequivocally the worst three-point shooting team in the league, having made a terrible 8.3 threes on 39.3 attempts per night through their first three games, a putrid 21.2 percent that’s eight percentage points lower than […]

Much has been said about the Philadelphia Phillies’ 13-year, $330 million commitment to Bryce Harper, especially after he appeared to be on a downward trajectory following a torrid NL MVP-winning 2015 season. Some were optimistic that the then-26 year old will age well and live up to the contract, while some were worried that Harper’s […]

Everything gets easier with time. Such is the case with Pedro Martinez, 18 years after he struggled in Game 2 of the 2004 ALCS between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Martinez memorably conceded defeat that night, going as far as calling the Yankees his “daddy”. The banter between Yankees fans and […]

St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols went through a bit of a career renaissance in his final season in the league. Pujols hit 24 home runs and 68 runs batted in in only 351 plate appearances, and he reached the 700-HR mark in the process. However, as all baseball fans know, the 42-year old could […]

Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is one of the most electrifying players in the NBA, capable of tantalizing crowds due to his unreal feats of athleticism. Morant took an All-Star-sized leap last season, averaging 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 33.1 minutes a night in 57 games. And if his preseason […]

After struggling for much of the 2021-22 season, the New Orleans Pelicans–ninth in the Western Conference with a 36-46 record–finished the season strong, pushing the league-leading Phoenix Suns to six games in the first round of the playoffs, thanks in no small part to trade deadline acquisition CJ McCollum’s contributions. The Pelicans are on the […]

As one could point out at first glance, there are major parallels in Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal’s careers. They both began their successful careers with the Orlando Magic, led the franchise to an NBA Finals appearance, and then moved to the Los Angeles Lakers later in their careers. But where their similarities end, their […]

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is clearly making the most out of his life after retirement. It has been great to see Nowitzki continuing to remain in the spotlight after his 21-season long career that peaked in 2011, when he vanquished LeBron James and the famous Miami Heat big three to win the Mavs’ first […]

The reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams haven’t been off to the best of starts in the 2022-23 campaign. In particular, the Rams offense, which is supposed to be spearheaded by quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, has struggled in the past two gameweeks. And it appears as if the 34-year old […]

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green isn’t the easiest of guys to get along with in an NBA locker room, and former teammate Kevin Durant will be the first to tell everybody that. The two memorably butted heads during Durant’s last season with the Warriors after Green yelled at the two-time Finals MVP, telling him […]

Baseball is a game of rhythm. This is why the effectiveness of starting pitchers decline the more they pitch through the opponent’s batting order. Thus, in a game where deception and craftiness reign supreme, New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes stands out among the rest. However, a quick glance at his pitching repertoire reveals nothing […]

Manager Scott Servais and the Seattle Mariners were staring at a lot of statistics that should have dissuaded them from putting in usual-starter Robbie Ray to close out Game 1 of the ALDS against the Houston Astros. While the 31-year old southpaw had a solid 2022 season, pitching to the tune of a 3.71 ERA […]

Russell Westbrook isn’t in the best of graces with the fans of the Los Angeles Lakers these days, and performances like the ones he turned in against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Lakers’ fifth preseason game won’t help his cause. In 25 minutes of action, Westbrook only mustered five points on 1-3 shooting from the […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are still dealing with significant uncertainty regarding their playing rotation, as they attempt to make the Russell Westbrook fit work in Year 2. One option that has always been discussed as perhaps the Lakers’ best option to maximize their spacing is to move Anthony Davis, a power forward by trade and […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is known for his fiery disposition on the court. He’s built a reputation over the years as a player who will get on his opponents’ throats from tip-off. During the Lakers’ preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Westbrook’s competitive spirit was in full display once more. During the first […]

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been the subject of much controversy over the past year or so. From his overall eccentric behavior, to his aversion to taking the COVID-19 vaccine, Irving is as divisive a public figure as they come. And amidst all of the drama surrounding him, Stephen A. Smith claimed that the […]

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is a man of many talents. Sure, he’s often injured, and his shooting numbers have declined over the past two seasons. But his defense still remains top notch, both on the perimeter and at the rim. However, when it comes to all things sewing and stitching, the last guy […]

Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently locked in a dogfight with the San Diego Padres in Game 2 of the NLDS, with the Padres currently leading the game 4-3 in the top half of the seventh inning. However, the Dodgers do not have Clayton Kershaw on the mound anymore after he was […]