Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 44

Much was made about Karl-Anthony Towns’ lack of involvement thus far in the New York Knicks’ offense. Entering the Knicks’ Wednesday night contest against the Miami Heat, Towns had the fewest shot attempts per game among the team’s starters, which is simply inexcusable given how New York brought him in specifically to make the most […]

The Memphis Grizzlies, to start the decade, looked like they were going to be one of the league’s next great powerhouses. They had one of the best young point guards in the NBA in Ja Morant leading the way, a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber paint protector in Jaren Jackson Jr. patrolling the interior, and […]

In a rematch of the 2024 Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, it was the Dallas Mavericks that once again got the better of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Led by 35 points from Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks took a 120-114 victory as they managed to overcome a scoring barrage from Anthony Edwards to begin the game. […]

The Denver Nuggets’ decision to sign Russell Westbrook this past offseason was a polarizing one. While there’s no doubt about how impactful Westbrook can be off the court, it was fair to question how well he’d fit in on a Nuggets team that doesn’t have many shooters. And his first three games with the team […]

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were dealt their first defeat of the season in a rematch against the Phoenix Suns; they ended up losing, 109-105, with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combining for 63 points on the night. But the Lakers, even though they were facing a near-insurmountable deficit (given the circumstances) with […]

The New York Yankees are one loss away from letting another chance to win a World Series get away from them after the Los Angeles Dodgers quieted their bats in Game 3 on Monday night en route to a 4-2 win. Time is not on their side, and Aaron Judge is staring at the possibility […]

The Milwaukee Bucks were expected to at least come away with one win during their back-to-back set on Sunday and Monday against the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, respectively. However, they fell short in what ended up being a trap game against the Nets, and the Celtics matchup is as unforgivable as it can be […]

As if the New York Knicks’ 110-104 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night wasn’t already frustrating enough, they also saw Josh Hart exit that game early due to an ankle injury. Hart played 38 minutes and put up an incredible stat line of 16 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and three steals before […]

The defending champion Boston Celtics are rolling. Following their 119-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night, they are now 4-0 start the new season. While one of their big dogs, Jaylen Brown, led the team in scoring with 30 points, an unsung hero came up huge for Boston amid a bit of a […]

The process of integrating big pieces into a new-look roster doesn’t always go in the smoothest of fashions. For the New York Knicks, they are certainly discovering firsthand just how difficult it is to transform your roster over the course of the offseason and have it work optimally instantly. The Knicks fell to 1-2 on […]

The first three games have been a rollercoaster ride for an Indiana Pacers team that’s looking to cement themselves as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. And on Monday night, the Pacers continued to show that this rollercoaster may long continue as they remain one of the biggest glass cannons in the […]

The calendar year of 2024 hasn’t exactly been kind to the Milwaukee Bucks. But the 2024-25 season was supposed to bring the team the fresh start they sorely needed after undergoing through plenty of seismic changes last season that never allowed the team to gain their footing. However, the first three games have given more […]

On Sunday, the Miami Heat paid tribute to the greatest player in the history of their franchise, Dwyane Wade, by unveiling a statue of his that was built outside Kaseya Center. However, good intentions don’t always result in good outcomes. The statue looks nothing like Wade; in fact, it looks as though Wade has been […]

On Saturday night, fans were treated to a classic California basketball matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers had started off the season on the right foot, winning their first two games, but the Kings were in control of their first matchup of the year as they led through three […]

In a World Series moment that will be replayed for years to come, Freddie Freeman launched a ball into orbit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-3 win in Game 1 against the New York Yankees on Friday. All the Yankees needed was […]

In a game that began with a whimper as both teams struggled to score runs, Game 1 of the 2024 World Series clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees ended in some epic fireworks in favor of the home team. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, Freddie […]

The New York Knicks bounced back in a major way on Friday night; after suffering through a blowout defeat at the hands of the reigning champion Boston Celtics on opening night, they did some demolishing of their own, as they handled the Indiana Pacers with ease with a 123-98 victory. This version of the Knicks […]

In what is surely one of the most divisive World Series matchups of all time, two of the biggest spenders in the biggest markets in the MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees , many expect there to be fireworks given the talent of the players involved. However, even though both teams […]

The San Antonio Spurs are on their way to building the NBA’s next great powerhouse, their opening night loss to the Dallas Mavericks notwithstanding. And at the heart of their effort to return to their contending ways is Victor Wembanyama, who made plenty of history during his rookie season and is now poised to have […]

Given the high expectations the Minnesota Timberwolves have for themselves following their run to the Western Conference Finals last season, it will be a tough pill to swallow for them to start the season 0-2, even though their first two games came against very good teams. Nonetheless, Anthony Edwards came up huge for the Timberwolves […]

Zach Edey came into the league as one of its most polarizing prospects. Following a successful stint at Purdue, there were plenty of questions as to whether or not Edey’s game would translate to the NBA. Nonetheless, the Memphis Grizzlies valued what Edey brings to the table, selecting him with the ninth overall pick of […]

The San Antonio Spurs brought Chris Paul in via free agency with the express intention of making Victor Wembanyama’s life easier on offense. Paul may no longer be the player he once was, but court vision, basketball IQ, and passing ability never go away with age. Even in his 20th season, Paul can still dish […]

Playing as if they still have something to prove despite coming off a championship run, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have been off to the races to begin the 2024-25 season. They followed up their historic shooting night in a blowout opening night win over the New York Knicks with another outstanding effort on […]

On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers began a new era. They are no longer sharing a home with their rival Los Angeles Lakers, moving instead to the highly-regarded Intuit Dome. But some of the Clippers’ past demons keep on haunting them. A new season may be upon the Clippers as they begin life in […]

On opening night, Rudy Gobert was once again the subject of mockery among fans. During the same night in which Gobert’s camp finalized a three-year, $110 million extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers dominated the paint en route to a 110-103 defeat for the Timberwolves — with Anthony Davis popping off for […]

Many eyebrows were raised when the Denver Nuggets decided to allocate their limited offseason funds to signing Russell Westbrook to a two-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum. Westbrook’s stock was at an all-time low in the aftermath of a dreadful run of games in the playoffs which saw him shoot 26 percent from the field […]

When the Golden State Warriors lost Klay Thompson, there was only one player who stood out as the ideal replacement for the three-point marksmanship that they lost: Buddy Hield. Hield has made 1,929 threes since entering the league — only second to Stephen Curry during that span (Curry has 2,157). In what’s looking like the […]

LaMelo Ball has been bitten by the injury bug over the past two seasons, but on Wednesday night, he showed why he remains one of the brightest young stars in the today’s game with the way he led the Charlotte Hornets to a 110-105 win over the Houston Rockets. Ball dropped 34 points, eight rebounds, […]

Opening night did not exactly go according to plan for the New Orleans Pelicans despite their 123-111 win over the Chicago Bulls. Their past few seasons have been beset by injuries, and it’s an absolute nightmare for them to lose one of their best players for an extended period during the very first game of […]

Last season, Josh Giddey was hit with allegations that he was having inappropriate relations with an underaged girl. The authorities later determined that no legal action against Giddey was needed, although this did not affect the way fans viewed him anyway. His stock fell off a cliff, paving the way for the Chicago Bulls to […]

The past two seasons have been an extended nightmare for LaMelo Ball. He missed a total of 106 games over the past two years, which can be attributed mostly to the freak ankle injuries that he has suffered. But in the opening night of the 2024-25 season, Ball is back better than ever for the […]

Tyrese Haliburton had himself quite the offseason; he may not have played a ton of minutes for Team USA in their gold medal run in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but being part of the team gave him the opportunity to learn from the best of the best — including Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry. […]

Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Toronto Raptors aren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot. Even Jakob Poeltl admitted as much on media day. But they expect to at least put up a fight every night, especially with rising star Scottie Barnes leading the way. But their opening night performance gave everyone no reason […]

In what was a testy affair that saw Nic Claxton be ejected for a flagrant foul penalty two, it was the Atlanta Hawks that came out on top on opening night against the Brooklyn Nets, 120-116. Both teams may be expected to compete for lottery balls for next year’s Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, but with Trae […]

The New York Knicks are coming into the 2024-25 season as one of the most hyped-up teams in the NBA. Following a playoff run in which they fell one win short of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks decided that it was time to go all-in, trading away a boatload of picks […]

The biggest subplot of the Los Angeles Lakers’ offseason was their search for a new head coach following their decision to dismiss Darvin Ham from his position. In the end, the Lakers decided that bringing in first-time head coach JJ Redick, following a fruitful stint as a podcaster and as an on-air analyst, was for […]

Fresh off a deep run in last season’s playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves have high expectations from themselves as they look to get over the hump and bring home the franchise’s first championship. But on opening night, the Timberwolves slipped on a banana peel, suffering a 110-103 defeat to a Los Angeles Lakers team that looks […]

The Golden State Warriors held Stephen Curry out of action for their final preseason game — a 132-74 demolition of the Los Angeles Lakers. This put Curry’s status for opening night in some doubt, as his name popped up on the injury report leading up to the Dubs’ regular-season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers. […]

When the New York Knicks traded away a boatload of first-round picks to bring Mikal Bridges in, they envisioned that they’ll be getting closer to the Phoenix Suns version of him — an uber-efficient three-and-D wing who can elevate the team and get them over the hump. However, during preseason and training camp, concerns grew […]