Jedd Pagaduan Articles - Page 97

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 […]

For the past few weeks following Shohei Ohtani’s decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, most of the attention in free agency shifted towards another Japanese international in Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yamamoto, only 25, has displayed a near-unparalleled combination of elite play and elite consistency, making him quite the attractive target for teams looking for […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers are flexing their financial might on the rest of the MLB. Not only did they secure the services of Shohei Ohtani, the biggest free agent in MLB history, by signing him to a 10-year, $700 million deal, they also bolstered their roster even further on Thursday night after news of Yoshinobu […]

The Los Angeles Clippers looked well on their way to a ninth straight victory on Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks. Despite missing the services of Paul George, the Clippers took a huge lead against the Mavs in the first half, leading by as many as 22 points. However, the Luka Doncic-led team did not […]

The New York Knicks received some terrible news around two weeks ago when reports came out that starting center Mitchell Robinson suffered a serious ankle injury that would require surgery, keeping him out for 8-10 weeks. This timeline opened up the possibility of an eventual return come late February or March; however, on Wednesday night, […]

The New York Mets, ever since Steve Cohen took ownership of the franchise, haven’t been afraid to spend. During the 2022-23 offseason, the Mets set records for free agency spending. Alas, the Mets scuffled during the 2023 season and missed the playoffs. Nevertheless, the Mets still have as much financial might, making them one of […]

The Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes continue to roll along, with as many as six teams in the running for the 25-year old Japanese international’s services. Nevertheless, among all of Yamamoto’s suitors, the New York Yankees are hoping to convince him to put his signature on the dotted line by using the allure of playing for most […]

In a star-driven league, the last thing fans want to see is for one of their team’s best players to go down due to injury. On Thursday night, the hearts of Los Angeles Lakers fans were in their mouths after they witnessed star big man Anthony Davis, who’s no stranger to being on the mend, […]

For years, one criticism of Stephen Curry is that he disappears in clutch moments, or that he took a backseat to Kevin Durant during the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, failing to win Finals MVP honors. Curry, however, is rewriting that part of his story. In fact, the Boston Celtics know firsthand not to underestimate […]

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr isn’t known for his willingness to throw rookies straight into the line of fire. Over the past three seasons, Kerr has brought the likes of Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody along slowly. However, the Warriors’ current roster predicament appears to be forcing Kerr’s hand into giving Trayce Jackson-Davis, […]

Stephen Curry always seems to cook whenever the Golden State Warriors come up against the Boston Celtics. During their Tuesday night matchup, Curry bailed the Warriors out over and over in ways reminiscent of his Game 4 masterclass against the Celtics back in the 2022 NBA Finals. Even Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James saw […]

The New Orleans Pelicans were drawing rave reviews for the past few weeks; now that they’re getting their entire roster healthy, the Pelicans are now viewed by some as one of the most legitimate contenders in a stacked Western Conference. This is not wishful thinking; as one would recall, the Pelicans were the first seed […]

The San Antonio Spurs, despite drafting Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, have been terrible thus far during the 2023-24 season. Wembanyama has shown flashes of being a transcendent two-way star, but the Spurs team, from top to bottom, is clearly lacking in the necessary talent for them to […]

Andrew McCutchen is already 37 years old, so the veteran centerfielder is closer to the end of his career than its beginning. One would think that he would want to latch onto a contending team as a depth piece via free agency so he could compete for a World Series title in the twilight of […]

It seems as though the Milwaukee Bucks are flying under the radar more than they should have. The Bucks elevated their championship hopes when they acquired Damian Lillard, but Lillard has mostly taken a backseat to Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the star point guard has seen his averages drop to begin the 2023-24 season. However, on […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have sorely missed Ja Morant during his 25-game suspension. Heading into Morant’s return game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, the Grizzlies have gone 6-19 — around eight games back from a play-in tournament spot. Even the 24-year old point guard knows just how much at fault he is for […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have suffered to begin the year amid Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension; entering their Tuesday night battle against the New Orleans Pelicans in Morant’s return, the Grizzlies have gone 6-19, a far-cry from their performance level with their star point guard on the roster over the past two seasons. But everyone knew, including […]

The Philadelphia Eagles did not have the best of offensive nights on Monday against the Seattle Seahawks. All the hullabaloo surrounding their coaching situation on the defensive side of the football has overshadowed the fact that the Eagles offense, led by Jalen Hurts, has been lifeless as of late. Hurts, in particular, did not look […]

The Philadelphia Eagles appeared hellbent on righting the ship during their Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks after they suffered their worst defeat of the 2023 season in Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys. And the Eagles, on paper, looked like they had a huge advantage in the quarterback department against the Seahawks, with […]

The worst time to go into a slump in professional sports, aside from doing so in the playoffs itself, is when the postseason is approaching. The Philadelphia Eagles, after a stellar 10-2 start to their 2023 NFL season, have now lost two straight games in infuriating fashion. In Week 14, they were on the receiving […]

The Philadelphia Eagles may have one of the best records in the NFL at the moment but the past week or so wasn’t exactly kind to them; the Eagles are coming off a blowout defeat to division rival Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, and now, during their Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia […]

The Golden State Warriors, entering their Sunday night clash against the Portland Trail Blazers, haven’t exactly been on solid ground even though they managed to swing a huge victory on the first night of a back-to-back against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Draymond Green remains out due to suspension, and Stephen Curry hasn’t been at […]

The Indiana Pacers did not have a very fruitful Friday night. Not only did they lose to the horrendous Washington Wizards, gifting them just their fourth win of the season in 24 tries in a 137-123 Indiana loss, they also might be without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton in the immediate future. Haliburton ended up […]

Jalen Brunson doesn’t exactly have the reputation of being one of the best three-point shooters in the league today. Sure, he is a career 39.1 percent shooter from deep who is currently shooting 42.9 percent from three this season with the New York Knicks, but everyone may have to rethink the way they perceive Brunson’s […]

There was a battle of stars in the Valley on Friday night, as the New York Knicks took on the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. In the end, however, only one star shone the brightest. And in a game with All-Stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Julius Randle, it was Jalen Brunson who stole the […]

The Memphis Grizzlies, after their dispiriting end to the 2022-23 season, decided that they were not going to bring Dillon Brooks back. Amid all the Ja Morant hullabaloo, Brooks’ antics proved to be more distracting than endearing. The Grizzlies then let Brooks sign a huge deal with the Houston Rockets in free agency — and […]

The San Antonio Spurs entered their Friday night contest against the Los Angeles Lakers losers of their past 18 games. However, Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs roster played like their lives depended on it. Led by a career night from Devin Vassell, who broke out of his funk in a big way […]

The Los Angeles Dodgers already made plenty of waves when reports came out that they managed to secure the services of the biggest MLB free agent of all time, Shohei Ohtani, by signing him to a 10-year, $700 million deal — the biggest contract in professional sports history. More seismic reactions came out when details […]

Dillon Brooks’ Memphis Grizzlies tenure ended on a whimper, with the team basically scapegoating Brooks for their first-round exit against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 NBA playoffs. There were even reports that stated that the Grizzlies will not be bringing Brooks back in free agency under any circumstance. However, on Friday night, in […]

The Golden State Warriors may be watching their longstanding dynasty crumble with every questionable act Draymond Green pulls on the hardwood. Green, in addition to being the team’s heart and soul, is also the Dubs’ playmaking and defensive fulcrum. Now, amid his indefinite suspension due to his wild swing towards Jusuf Nurkic, the Warriors are […]

The Indiana Pacers are on an upward trajectory. Led by Tyrese Haliburton, who has cemented himself as one of the best players in the NBA with his coming out party in the NBA In-Season Tournament, the Pacers look the part of a team that could legitimately make noise in the Eastern Conference. Thus, many believe […]

The Toronto Raptors have stubbornly continued their attempt to make their current core of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes work. This, however, hasn’t reaped them any rewards. At the moment, the Raptors have a 10-14 record, which, if the season ended today, would be good enough for a finish in the play-in tournament. […]

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to handle the tricky James Harden situation to the best of their ability. Not only have they continued to flourish on the court amid Tyrese Maxey’s breakout and Joel Embiid’s continued excellence, they also possess the flexibility to trade for a third star. One popular name that’s been floated out […]

Lauri Markkanen was the league’s pre-eminent breakout star during the 2022-23 season, earning Most Improved Player honors in his first season as the number one option for the Utah Jazz. As a result, Markkanen became the pillar of the Jazz’s rebuilding efforts given how versatile the 26-year old forward is on the offensive end. However, […]