Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 67

Cody Bellinger picked the right time for a career renaissance; in 2023, after the Los Angeles Dodgers non-tendered the 2019 NL MVP, the Chicago Cubs signed him to a one-year, $5.5 million deal. And Bellinger promptly tore the cover off the baseball. Now, he is drawing plenty of interest as he makes his return to […]

The Utah Jazz may be playing at a much better level as of late, but the writing remains on the wall with regards to their status as a selling team come the trade deadline. After all, with a 15-19 record, the Jazz still sit way outside the playoff picture, and a cursory look at their […]

Dwight Howard, after spending last season with the Taoyuan Beer Leopards of the T1 league in Taiwan, will continue to ply his basketball services in the continent of Asia. This time, however, Howard will be suiting up for the Philippines contingent that will be competing in the 2024 iteration of the Dubai International Basketball Championship. […]

There was much uncertainty surrounding Kyrie Irving’s health when he went down with a concerning knee injury back on December 8. But thankfully, Irving’s injury wasn’t too serious, and the Dallas Mavericks finally had him back in the lineup during their New Year’s Day clash against the Utah Jazz. However, Irving’s return ended in nothing […]

The Detroit Pistons were making all sorts of ignominious history to end the 2023 calendar year. It seemed like with every loss, the walls caved in on an organization that was floundering. The Pistons set the record for the most consecutive losses in a single-season and they also tied the record for most consecutive defeats […]

The last time the Utah Jazz faced the Dallas Mavericks, the infamous “masterpiece of dogs**t” game happened. That was when the Jazz suffered a 50-point blowout defeat, 147-97, back on December 6, 2023. However, the Jazz were severely shorthanded during that game, missing the likes of Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson, among others, during that […]

After a drawn out will they-won’t they trade dance with the Toronto Raptors, the New York Knicks finally pulled off a blockbuster deal for OG Anunoby — giving the team an elite perimeter defender and one of the best 3-and-D guys in the association. However, to acquire talent, one must relinquish talent. In acquiring Anunoby, […]

The Miami Heat have put the basketball world on notice with their incredible ability as an organization to bring out the best in nearly every player that manages to latch onto the roster. This is the famous Heat Culture effect, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., the swingman drafted by the franchise with the 18th pick of […]

There was considerable excitement surrounding the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday when they took on the Baltimore Ravens in a clash between two powerhouse AFC teams that could have major playoff repercussions. However, that excitement quickly turned to consternation. Not only did the Dolphins lose in blowout fashion to the streaking Ravens, 56-19, they also […]

Time is ticking for the Toronto Raptors, and they continue to be in limbo. Ever since crashing to the NBA’s dreaded middle-ground last season, the future of Pascal Siakam with the franchise has been speculated upon. After all, the Raptors have a 12-18 record at the moment, and it appears as though they’re going nowhere […]

The Detroit Pistons have been the laughingstock of the league during the 2023-24 season. Despite bringing in head coach Monty Williams to instill a winning culture, they have proceeded to go on a historic losing streak, entering their Thursday night matchup against the Boston Celtics losers of 27 games in a row. However, the Pistons […]

On Thursday night, it seemed as though another loss was in the offing for the Detroit Pistons, as they had to face the team with the best record in the NBA, the Boston Celtics, to try and snap their 27-game losing streak. However, Cade Cunningham made sure that the Pistons were not going down without […]

The mere fact that Bronny James is back on the court and healthy for the USC Trojans basketball team is already a huge win in and of itself after the 19-year old suffered a terrifying health scare back in July. But now, his return to the hardwood means that it’s time for him to put […]

Before the 2023-24 season began, the Oklahoma City Thunder were already garnering some buzz as a potential playoff contender in the loaded Western Conference, with analysts seeing promise in the team due to the impending arrival of Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft who missed his entire first season as […]

The Houston Rockets have done a good enough job of being competitive during the 2023-24 season thus far. The hiring of new head coach Ime Udoka has worked out for the best, while the additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks via free agency have given them a defense-first identity, helping turn things around for […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are seeing the fruits of their three-year rebuild pay off in a big way in the 2023-24 season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has continued his MVP-level play, and the rest of the Thunder roster have caught up, giving him as ideal a supporting cast as there can be in the modern NBA. On […]

The New York Knicks, coming off a huge Christmas Day victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, had to face another difficult test on Wednesday night, facing an Oklahoma City Thunder team that has established itself as one of the best in the NBA in the 2023-24 season. In the end, Tom Thibodeau’s men fell short, with […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are turning things around, and all it took was the returns of Ja Morant and Marcus Smart to jolt some life back into a flatlining franchise. One underrated impact of Morant’s return is that it reduced the burden Jaren Jackson Jr. carried in terms of creating offense. On Tuesday night, in a […]

Over the past few weeks, the sky appears to be falling for the Phoenix Suns. Losers of three straight, which has brought their record down to 14-15, the Suns have grown increasingly frustrated, with Devin Booker even calling out the team in his postgame presser. But the biggest development for the Suns has been Kevin […]

The San Antonio Spurs’ hopes of turning things around rest on the broad shoulders of 19-year old rookie Victor Wembanyama, making protecting his health the utmost priority for the franchise at the moment. And in the aftermath of the ankle injury that kept Wembanyama out on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks and kept him to […]

Talented San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama was able to suit up for the team during their Tuesday night matchup against the Utah Jazz following a one-game absence due to an ankle injury. In 24 minutes of play, Wembanyama put up 15 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks, an impressive performance all things considered despite […]

The Detroit Pistons are discovering depths that no other NBA team has charted in the past. On Tuesday night, the Pistons suffered their 27th straight loss in a 118-112 defeat against the Brooklyn Nets, and at this point, wholesale changes may be what’s necessary to jolt the franchise out of its misery. In fact, fans […]

The punches keep on coming for a Detroit Pistons that has one foot in the grave. On Tuesday night, the Pistons suffered their 27th straight defeat, a 118-112 loss to the Brooklyn Nets — and now, they are the infamous owner of the worst losing streak in NBA history. Nonetheless, as soul-crushing as it may […]

The Phoenix Suns were expected to be one of the best teams in the NBA entering the 2023-24 season. After all, the Suns have three unstoppable shot-creators on the roster in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Depth was an issue, sure, but many expected that the sheer talent level in the squad would […]

Without Kyrie Irving, almost all of the responsibility to carry the Dallas Mavericks’ offense falls on Luka Doncic’s shoulders. But worry not, for on Christmas Day, Doncic received the perfect present in the form of a matchup against the Phoenix Suns — the team that he embarrassed in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Moreover, the Mavs […]

There’s a reason why the Denver Nuggets are the reigning champion of the NBA. Even on nights where they’re not shooting the ball particularly well, they are able to find ways to put some points on the board. On Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors, the most effective way the Nuggets found was to […]

The Baltimore Ravens have had a stellar 2023. Leading up to their Christmas Day clash against the San Francisco 49ers, the Lamar Jackson-led team boasted an 11-3 record, looking like one of the most legitimate contenders in the entire NFL. They proved their championship worthiness even further with an out-and-out demolition of the 49ers, putting […]

The Miami Heat, over the past few years, have earned the reputation of bringing out the best in any player on their roster; no matter how overlooked they may have been during the draft process. And it appears as though the Heat, despite picking in the middle of the first round of the 2023 NBA […]

For much of the 2023 season, the San Francisco 49ers have been on a roll, thanks in large part to the play of two MVP-caliber players in quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey. It’s even gotten to the point where fans are debating who between those two is the more deserving of receiving […]

Acquiring Christian McCaffrey in a trade back in October 2022 has already reaped the San Francisco 49ers plenty of benefits, but words continue to understate just how impactful the star running back has been to the team’s offense. And on Christmas Day, during a tough matchup against the 11-3 Baltimore Ravens, McCaffrey continues to shoulder […]

The Dallas Mavericks looked headed for a scheduled loss on Friday night against the Houston Rockets, as they entered that game without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, Dereck Lively II, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber — six important rotation pieces. Even then, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd expected his team to put up a […]

The Atlanta Hawks, ever since making it to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, have become painstakingly mediocre, even though Trae Young continues to produce at such an elite level offensively. And for the 2023-24 season, this trend hasn’t changed. In fact, the Hawks seem to be progressively getting worse, falling to 12-16 on the season […]

On Friday night, Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole returned to Chase Center for the first time since the Golden State Warriors traded him away in the offseason in a deal for Chris Paul. Even though Poole’s Warriors tenure didn’t end on the best of notes, the Dubs franchise still made sure to welcome the polarizing […]

The stars aligned for Yoshinobu Yamamoto amid his decision to make the trip stateside and start plying his trade in the MLB. After all, the Los Angeles Dodgers clearly earmarked their coffers for an incredible spending spree during the 2023-24 offseason. As a result, Yamamoto was able to sign a 12-year, $325 million deal with […]

The Philadelphia 76ers may have been put in a tough spot by the James Harden trade saga, but they were confident in their chances of remaining competitive despite the Beard’s forced departure, thanks in large part to their belief in fourth-year guard Tyrese Maxey. Maxey was already showing glimpses of All-Star-level consistency prior to this […]

The Los Angeles Lakers were already facing an uphill battle on Thursday night, as they went into the second night of a back-to-back against the team with the best record in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves, without the services of LeBron James. James’ absence meant that there would be trickle-down effect on the roster […]

The Yoshinobu Yamamoto fever has taken over the league by storm, and the 25-year old Japanese international ended up signing a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, marking an end to weeks of free agency courtship. Now, the teams that have lost out on Yamamoto, including the San Francisco Giants, are turning […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a world of their own in a financial sense, and the amount they’ve spent this offseason alone shows just how unafraid they are to put together the best roster they can possibly assemble regardless of cost. On Thursday night, the Dodgers added even further to their already-considerable expenses by […]

For much of the 2023-24 season thus far, the Memphis Grizzlies have been disjointed, with the team struggling to string wins together thanks in large part to the 25-game absence of Ja Morant due to suspension. Morant’s return, however, has breathed new life into the Grizzlies. In his return to the hardwood on Tuesday night […]