Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 83

There’s been much talk all offseason long that Anthony Edwards will be ascending as the Minnesota Timberwolves’ top dog, usurping Karl-Anthony Towns in the pecking order in the process. This has come from Edwards’ performance for Team USA during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where he emerged as the team’s most dangerous and consistent offensive […]

Steve Kerr, ever since becoming the Golden State Warriors’ head coach in 2014, has made it a point to run a motion-based offense that could maximize the gravity of star player Stephen Curry. But it’s not like Kerr is fixed in his ways. As one of the best coaches of his time, Kerr is not […]

Paolo Banchero’s rookie season for the Orlando Magic, by all accounts, was a rousing success. Outside of a putrid three-point cold spell in February, Banchero displayed his potential as a lead scoring option for the Magic down the line, showcasing rare playmaking and dribbling for his size as well as shot-creation fluidity that bodes well […]

There are certainly parallels between the situations the Philadelphia 76ers have found themselves in when it comes to dealing with trade requests from star point guards. Back in 2021, Ben Simmons memorably wanted out of Philadelphia after a tumultuous playoff run left him feeling like he wasn’t valued at all by the Sixers franchise. And […]

The Arizona Diamondbacks may not have looked to convincing as playoff contenders entering their 2023 NL Wild Card series against the 92-win Milwaukee Brewers, but come postseason time, everything is a crapshoot. Such is the beauty of the MLB playoffs. And for the Diamondbacks, it wasn’t too wise to count them out, especially when they […]

Jalen Williams has quickly established himself as a budding star, a huge piece for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they try to return to playoff contention. But the 22-year old isn’t content with what he’s done, working hard on himself in the gym. And it seems to have paid off, with Williams boasting his incredible […]

Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann has played just four seasons in the NBA, but it seems like he’s been around for far longer than he’s actually been. It’s a testament to the way he nails the little things on the court that make it seem as though he’s a seasoned veteran already, but it’s […]

The Los Angeles Clippers roster, as presently constructed, has a glaring hole at the four. None of the options they have at the position look particularly enticing; Kenyon Martin Jr. isn’t a high-level floor spacer, Nicolas Batum has shown signs of aging, especially in the 2023 playoffs, and Robert Covington remains a question mark with […]

For the past four years, the Los Angeles Clippers have placed an inordinate amount of emphasis on getting to the postseason in tip-top shape. As a result, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have tended to miss a lot of time due to load management. But the 2023 playoffs proved to be a hard lesson for […]

It may be hard to fathom, but LeBron James is approaching his 21st season in the NBA. Even then, James still remains near the top of his game, thanks to his incredible work ethic and the millions he’s poured in to ensure that his body remains in tip-top condition, much to the Los Angeles Lakers’ […]

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently holding a four-day training camp at the Colorado State University facilities in preparation for what figures to be a big 2023-24 season. Joel Embiid may have to shoulder a heavy offensive load, especially with James Harden’s departure being more and more inevitable with each passing day. And there may be […]

The Houston Rockets have been, simply put, abysmal for the past three seasons. Ever since the Rockets traded away James Harden in early 2021, the Rockets have fallen on hard times, yet to turn things around in what has been a rebuilding process that’s been full of tumult. But with new head coach Ime Udoka […]

Even though they recently traded face of the franchise Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, better days may be yet to come for the Portland Trail Blazers franchise. The Blazers’ rebuild is off to a flying start; in addition to getting as good of a return as it gets for their former star, they’re also […]

It’s every man’s dream to work for the least amount of time and be compensated with as much money as possible. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, when stripped of all his basketball genius and greatness, is just like all of humanity for real. Who could forget the time when, fresh off winning a championship, Jokic […]

Losing Fred VanVleet for nothing in free agency instead of trading him away for draft assets could not have been an easy pill to swallow for the Toronto Raptors franchise. VanVleet has been a staple of the franchise for years, and it was difficult to argue that his de facto replacement, Dennis Schroder, was an […]

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry appeared to hurt the feelings of some when he boldly proclaimed that he was the greatest point guard of all time over Magic Johnson. As is the case with most things, old heads quickly became defensive of their legacies, with Michael Jordan sternly denying Curry’s claim. But Curry isn’t […]

Throughout the 2023 offseason, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before Damian Lillard joined the Miami Heat. After all, Lillard made it clear that he preferred to land in South Beach so he could compete for a championship alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. But now that the dust has settled […]

The Philadelphia 76ers’ stalemate with James Harden appears to have no resolution in sight, the bridge incinerated into ashes long before The Beard went missing during the team’s media day. Harden memorably went scorched earth when he was on tour in China, straight up calling Sixers president Daryl Morey a liar by not accommodating his […]

For much of the past two months since Damian Lillard made his bombshell trade request to the Portland Trail Blazers, it seemed like a trade to the Miami Heat was inevitable, for this was Lillard’s preferred destination. But in the final hour, the Toronto Raptors, based on the rumor mill, had usurped every team that […]

Devon Witherspoon ran riot during the Seattle Seahawks’ 24-3 win over the New York Giants on Monday night, stealing the show with an electric defensive performance. Witherspoon tallied 2.0 sacks, and to top it all off, he also added a 97-yard pick-six during a crucial juncture in the game, driving a dagger deeper into struggling […]

The 2023-24 season figures to be an exciting one for fans of the San Antonio Spurs, for they will finally be able to witness their prized prospect, Victor Wembanyama, make his much-anticipated debut. Wembanyama, the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, should be a game-changing presence for a Spurs team in need of […]

The New Orleans Pelicans’ 2022-23 season went downhill the instant Zion Williamson suffered what ended up being a season-ending injury back in January. Williamson, when he’s off and running, is such an impactful force, an unstoppable freight train in the paint who fuels the Pelicans’ high-octane offense. But his inability to stay healthy has become […]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has a new co-star in town. Just last week, the Bucks turned the heads of everybody following the NBA when they pulled off a bombshell trade with the Portland Trail Blazers for star point guard Damian Lillard, ending months of trade talks linking the seven-time All-Star to the Miami Heat, […]

The Phoenix Suns have an embarrassment of scoring riches, especially in the aftermath of the trade that brought Bradley Beal to the Valley. However, the Suns had to deal away Chris Paul in the process, leaving the team without a “true” point guard. Some fans wondered if there may be diminishing returns when it comes […]

The New York Giants offense, rather than impress, continue to depress. The Giants have had difficulties gaining favorable field positioning as it is, so to see them waste their golden scoring opportunities will hurt head coach Brian Daboll to the core of his being. One play in particular drew the ire of Daboll. In the […]

The Seattle Seahawks made scoring an inordinately difficult endeavor for the New York Giants on Monday night, and it’s thanks in large part to the continued excellence of 22-year old cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the blue-chip prospect the Seahawks took with the fifth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. One play, in particular, hyped up […]

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson’s physical condition has been a trendy topic in league circles ever since the highflying southpaw broke into the scene as one of the most hyped-up prospects back in Duke. Some wondered if Williamson was too heavy for his height, as well as his playstyle, which may lead to an […]

The goal of an NFL game, at the end of the day, is to score touchdowns to put points on the board in a more efficient manner. As the old adage goes, “man does not live on field goals alone.” But the New Orleans Saints, during their Week 4 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, […]

It’s shaping up to be a huge year for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Still motivated by their Western Conference Finals defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, James is still looking to win his fifth championship in his 21st season in the NBA. And beyond the usual suspects, such as Anthony […]

The New York Giants have been, in summary, a bad team for the majority of the 2023 season thus far. Outside of a rousing second half effort in their 31-28 comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, the Giants’ offense has been downright terrible. And in Week 4, that trend continued, with the […]

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be in the Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant one-team man mold, but in today’s NBA, there are no such guarantees. Antetokounmpo said as much during his podcast appearances, basically telling the Bucks front office that he could be a flight risk if the team fails to […]

Given the Chicago Bulls’ middling 2022-23 season, it’s no surprise to see the names of their star trio appear in trade rumors throughout the year. And it seems like this involvement in rumors has no end in sight, especially when the Bulls are lagging behind their peers in the Eastern Conference. But Zach LaVine, at […]

Giannis Antetokounmpo, almost all offseason long, was indirectly urging the Milwaukee Bucks to make some upgrades to show that the team, indeed, was serious about making another run for the championship. And to the Bucks’ credit, they pulled it off. The team that finished with the best regular season record in the NBA last year […]

The Portland Trail Blazers front office appears to have stumbled upon a trick that longtime players of NBA 2K’s MyLEAGUE game mode have used over the years — trade players with tons of value for players who could bring back even more assets, rinse and repeat. This was exactly what Joe Cronin and company did […]

There’s always a possibility that reigning title-holders suffer from a championship hangover, but Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone doesn’t want his players to fall victim to that trap. In fact, Malone isn’t just content with seeing his players flourish in the postseason. This time around, he wants his players, specifically star point guard Jamal […]

The start of training camp is always an optimistic time for NBA teams looking to break into the upper-echelon of true title contention. The hype is at an all-time high, and this appears to be the case for Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans. Both Williamson and the Pelicans are looking forward to putting […]

Kelly Oubre Jr. is coming off the best scoring season of his eight-year career, averaging a career-high 20.3 points per game for the moribund Charlotte Hornets. Oubre could not have picked a better time to put up the best scoring numbers of his career, and yet there he was, languishing in free agency until late […]

The Philadelphia 76ers, ever since their fateful defeat to the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, have fallen on hard times. Ben Simmons was unable to recover from the infamy of passing up on a layup in the dying moments of Game 7 against the Hawks, leading to his eventual […]

More than two months after Damian Lillard made his bombshell trade request from the Portland Trail Blazers, specifically for him to be traded to the Miami Heat, a new reported frontrunner emerged in the Toronto Raptors. According to multiple sources, the Raptors overtook other prospective Lillard suitors in the race for the seven-time All-Star’s services, […]