Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 59

It was in 2016 when the legend of Draymond Green as the world’s best recruiter was born. The 2016 Golden State Warriors, a team that blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals despite winning 73 games in the regular season, needed reinforcements, and there Green was, setting in motion the plan that landed them […]

There was no way the Philadelphia 76ers were going to stand pat at the trade deadline. With reigning MVP Joel Embiid out for an indefinite period due to a knee injury, the 76ers needed to make some moves to remain afloat in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race. But president of basketball operations Daryl Morey […]

The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers were both quiet at the trade deadline. Little did everyone know that the Warriors were already plotting the trade of a lifetime when they inquired about James’ availability in the hours leading up to 3 PM E.T. on February 8. Golden State apparently made an “unsuccessful bid” […]

The Milwaukee Bucks made it clear that anything short of a championship at the end of the 2023-24 season would be a catastrophe after they went all-in by acquiring Damian Lillard to be Giannis Antetokounmpo’s co-star. But the Bucks have a plethora of problems right now that head coach Doc Rivers and company must fix […]

The Sacramento Kings found themselves in a hotly-contested affair on Tuesday night against the Phoenix Suns, with two teams continuing to jockey for position in the lower half of the Western Conference playoff picture. The Kings’ stars came to play, with Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, and Malik Monk combining for 96 points, although it wasn’t […]

It’s easy to forget, but there were a couple NBA games on the day of the Super Bowl, with one of them being a rivalry renewal between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. During that contest, Duncan Robinson and Jaylen Brown, players who’ve featured prominently in the two team’s playoff tussles over the past few […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder have made the 2023-24 season their coming-out party. Last season, they showed glimpses of the powerhouse they were going to become when they nearly made it into the playoffs as the eight-seed. But this season, they have become a bona fide title contender, thanks to the rapid ascent of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander […]

The Boston Celtics traded away two of its point guards in the offseason, trading away Marcus Smart in the deal that netted them Kristaps Porzingis while giving up the reigning Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon to acquire Jrue Holiday. While Porzingis has grabbed all the headlines with how he has elevated the Celtics, […]

The Dallas Mavericks were intent on upgrading at power forward prior to the trade deadline. They ended up pulling the trigger on the trade that brought PJ Washington to town from the Charlotte Hornets, but as per the rumor mill, Washington was only the Mavericks’ Plan B. Their initial target was Washington Wizards forward Kyle […]

The New York Knicks, on Monday night, were fighting tooth and nail to come away with a victory against the Houston Rockets despite being heavily shorthanded. They were without Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, and then to make matters worse, Donte DiVincenzo had to exit the contest late due to a hamstring issue. So […]

Ever since the Milwaukee Bucks traded Jrue Holiday (and Grayson Allen) for Damian Lillard, analysts began to think that the Bucks were going to have more difficulties on the defensive end than they think, even if they have Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo to patrol the paint. This has mostly been proven right, with the […]

Klay Thompson’s decline has been a major plot point for the Golden State Warriors over the past year or so. It’s not always easy for some of the best players in the league to accept that their level of play is not what it used to be. It certainly took Thompson a while to accept […]

The ending to the Houston Rockets’ 105-103 win over the New York Knicks on Monday night was filled with controversy after referee Jacyn Goble called a foul on Jalen Brunson for his closeout on Aaron Holiday’s Hail Mary attempt with the clock winding down and the game tied at 103. That call was a bailout, […]

Discussions about the new playoff overtime rules the NFL put in effect beginning in 2022 enveloped Super Bowl 58, as it was only the second time in the Big Game’s history that extra time was necessary to decide the winner. Some believe that the San Francisco 49ers ended up digging their own grave by choosing […]

The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t exactly found their transition into a post-Damian Lillard world to be as smooth as they would have wanted. Scoot Henderson has gone through woes one would expect from a 20-year old rookie point guard, while the team’s veterans whom many thought would keep the team a bit nearer to the […]

Throughout the 2023-24 season, it looked like the Washington Wizards were finally going to embrace the concept of being a team that intentionally takes a plummet down the standings in hopes of boosting their lottery odds so they can try and draft the franchise cornerstone that would put an end to their cycle of mediocrity. […]

As fans have come to expect, the Los Angeles Dodgers had yet another incredible regular season in 2023, winning 100 games en route to claiming their 10th NL West crown in 11 seasons. Moreover, Mookie Betts had yet another stellar season that, in any other year, would have netted him another MVP award. These things […]

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers will be visiting the new-look Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Monday night, with Indiana looking to continue its winning ways after defeating the New York Knicks in their prior contest. However, there is a possibility that Haliburton could visit the Hornets stomping grounds as a spectator. Fans will […]

Only once has a Super Bowl gone to overtime prior to the 58th iteration of the game. Thus, it was a big deal when the San Francisco 49ers held the Kansas City Chiefs to a field goal on the final drive of regulation, forcing overtime. That’s when the topic of the new overtime rules became […]

Oh to come so close yet come so far — that was the exact thing Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers were trying to avoid during their revenge match against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl four years in the making. It’s difficult enough to get to the Big Game, hence why […]

The Milwaukee Bucks haven’t exactly gotten off to a dream start in the aftermath of their seismic decision to fire head coach Adrian Griffin and hire Doc Rivers in his place. With Rivers at the helm, the Bucks have gone 1-4; the absences of Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton haven’t helped matters, but […]

For the past few months or so, Dejounte Murray has become the most prominent player involved in trade talks. The Atlanta Hawks have come to the realization that a core of Murray and Trae Young may not lend itself to winning, and as a result, it’s looking likely that Murray will be changing homes with […]

The Washington Wizards, despite their 9-41 record at the time of writing, are poised to keep Kyle Kuzma on the team, rebuffing reported trade overtures from the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings in the process. But the Wizards, being one of the worst teams in the association, remain poised to be sellers at the trade […]

During the offseason, it appeared as though the Dallas Mavericks addressed their need for a power forward by signing 3-and-D player Grant Williams. However, after a scorching start, Williams’ production has tapered off, and as a result, the Mavericks have been forced to rely on Derrick Jones Jr. as the team’s starting four, with Josh […]

The Los Angeles Lakers remain one of the biggest players on the trade market with a few hours to go before the deadline. Astronomical expectations always come with being a LeBron James-led team, and at present, the Lakers have fallen way short of expectations. As a result, the Lakers are expected to be one of […]

It never looked like Bruce Brown was going to be staying long with the Toronto Raptors franchise in the aftermath of landing in the North as the main salary centerpiece in the trade that brought Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. Brown, according to the rumor mill, has drawn plenty of interest on the market […]

After missing the entirety of the 2022-23 season and the start of the 2023-24 season after pleading guilty to charges of domestic violence, Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has returned to his fringe All-Star form two seasons ago. In fact, the Hornets forward is currently on a tear, having dropped a combined 86 points over […]

Amid the Golden State Warriors’ tumultuous 2023-24 season, they have found themselves prominently involved in trade rumors. After all, the expectation as long as Stephen Curry is playing at a high level is for them to compete for a championship, much less a playoff spot. Alas, to this point, the Warriors have stood pat, and […]

The Los Angeles Clippers, back in late October, had to acquire PJ Tucker in addition to James Harden to complete the blockbuster trade that would end up turning the team’s fortunes around. While Tucker has clearly lost a step, the hope was that he would continue to be a solid 3-and-D rotation piece for a […]

For the first three quarters of the New Orleans Pelicans’ 117-106 win over the red-hot Los Angeles Clippers, Zion Williamson appeared content to defer to his teammates. He had just eight points on 2-8 shooting from the field during that span, leading some to question why he wasn’t being his usual aggressive self when it […]

The Boston Celtics made a trade on Wednesday that, while not exactly needle-moving, helps bolster their frontcourt depth in preparation for the season’s stretch run. They dealt away Lamar Stevens and two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Xavier Tillman Sr., an unheralded big man who racks up defensive stats in a […]

The Golden State Warriors are reaching a crossroads with their current core that, at the moment, doesn’t appear to have enough two-way firepower to legitimately contend for a championship. As a result, the Warriors have been brought up in plenty of trade rumors, with the likes of Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Chris Paul all […]

The Charlotte Hornets finished in a play-in tournament spot during the 2021-22 season; it appeared as though things were on the come up for them, with rising stars LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges leading the way. But the Hornets wanted to expedite their timeline of contention, so they brought in veteran head coach Steve Clifford, […]

The Boston Celtics are the proud owner of the league’s best record, and yet they of all teams would know that there’s no such thing as having too much talent on the roster. Prior to the Celtics’ 125-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Boston pulled off a trade to bolster the team’s frontcourt […]

It seemed as though the Indiana Pacers will inevitably be trading away Buddy Hield after the two sides failed to come to terms to a contract extension. With less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline passes, Hield reportedly remains on the trade market, with the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly among the 31-year old […]

The Los Angeles Clippers have already pushed their major chip to the center of the table when they acquired James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers back in late October. It may have taken the Clippers a few games to integrate Harden, and now that they have, they look like one of the most unstoppable teams […]

In the aftermath of the Golden State Warriors’ 109-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, Klay Thompson’s postgame reaction to being benched stole headlines. Thompson had endured a rough 2023-24 season to that point, and the Warriors’ decision to utilize rookie forward Gui Santos over him during crunch time plunged the 34-year old […]

The Charlotte Hornets essentially kicked off the trade deadline proceedings when they dealt combo guard Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat. Given how poorly the Hornets have performed this season, many expected an even bigger fire sale to commence in Charlotte, with the likes of Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward, and Nick Richards likely to depart […]

The Atlanta Hawks, despite looking poised to compete for a playoff spot this season, have fallen off the pace despite having a full offseason under head coach Quin Snyder’s tutelage. As a result, the Hawks appear poised to be sellers with the trade deadline fast approaching, with the likes of Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela, and […]