Robbie Stratakos Articles - Page 5

To be clear: the Los Angeles Lakers should not regret trading a king’s ransom to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis. The Lakers being the one seed in the Western Conference is more than enough merit to back their decision-making. Two things can be true at the same time: Davis was worth the price […]

The Milwaukee Bucks’ formidable two-way play and the Toronto Raptors defending their NBA championship are the prevailing talking points in the Eastern Conference, and rightfully so. But don’t sleep on the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are where they’ve been in each of the last four seasons: near the top of the East. Currently 43-21, the Celtics […]

It has been a disappointing, chaotic season for the Sacramento Kings. That said, they have the chance to make the Western Conference playoffs when the regular season resumes in late-July. Simultaneously, the eight-game regular-season gives De’Aaron Fox the chance to further enhance his case for stardom. Fox, the number-five pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, […]

Back in the good old days (four months ago), NBA fans were debating trends in the sport, who would win the Eastern and Western Conference, and who should be the number one pick in the draft, among other topics. One of those talking points was resting stars, officially known as “load management.” That element of […]

Tobias Harris and Al Horford are generally viewed as second-tier contributors for the Philadelphia 76ers. While Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons’ presence provide merit to that notion, Harris and Horford’s enormous contracts have masked their importance to head coach Brett Brown’s rotation. Philadelphia re-signed Harris to a five-year, $180 million deal last summer after acquiring […]

Tom Thibodeau could steer the New York Knicks in the right direction. That said, the only way them hiring him is going to yield positive results is if they fully embrace him. Wednesday afternoon The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov reported that Tom Thibodeau is “atop” the Knicks’ coaching wish list. This should come […]

The idea of an NBA team creating a big three is always exciting. That said, the Brooklyn Nets should avoid trading for Bradley Beal. Thursday afternoon Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that the Nets have “internally discussed” ways to acquire Washington Wizards star guard Beal. Such a move would give the […]

Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin are teammates on the Detroit Pistons. Furthermore, their NBA careers run parallel to each other; they got to this point in their respective careers in similar ways. Number one overall draft picks The Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose with the number one overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft. A […]

There’s no clear path to contention for the Washington Wizards. There’s also no clear path to a successful rebuild. Hence, Washington should stick with its star-studded backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal for the 2020-21 NBA season. The Wizards are at a bizarre crossroads. They’re 24-40, five and a half games out of the […]

In a perfect world, the Indiana Pacers ride off into the sunset with Victor Oladipo leading the way. At the same time, not everything can be perfect, and there’s merit behind the Pacers moving their All-Star guard. According to SNY’s Ian Begley, Oladipo and the Pacers hit a stalemate after the team offered him a […]

If the NBA decides to play the postseason at some point this year, the Memphis Grizzlies will be the eighth seed in the Western Conference. This derives from the astounding growth of their young core which includes stud rookie Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., and veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, among others. However, what […]

The Toronto Raptors are 46-18 this season, which is good for the two seed in the Eastern Conference. Last season they were 46-18 through 64 games, which was also good for the two seed in the Eastern Conference. The 2018-19 Raptors had one of the best players in the NBA on their roster: Kawhi Leonard. […]

Arturas Karnisovas taking over as vice president and a new face poised to take over the general manager reins is refreshing for the Chicago Bulls. At the same time, the Bulls turning the corner hinges more so on who their 2020-21 head coach is. Yes, ownership is supposedly still in head coach Jim Boylen’s corner. […]

History tends to repeat itself. Grant Hill is a Hall of Famer, but he’s perhaps the biggest what-if in NBA history. He had all the talent in the world and was a great player; though held back by injuries. To this day, some say he could’ve been Michael Jordan. Joel Embiid is arguably the best […]

During the 2013 NBA Draft (June 27, 2013), Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King facilitated a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics. The deal sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to Brooklyn and Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans, and Kris Joseph to Boston. Upon checking Celtics news, the C’S also […]

One of the many prevalent talking points across sports is what players will end up in the Hall of Fame. Here’s a question: which active NBA players would make the Hall of Fame if they retired today? LeBron James Career accolades: four-time NBA MVP, 16-time All Star, 15-time All-NBA, six-time All Defensive team, three-time NBA […]

New York Knicks interim head coach Mike Miller is a dead man walking, and president Leon Rose is going to want to make a big head coaching hire. Rose and James Dolan should look no further than Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson and the Brooklyn Nets parted ways on Saturday after he reportedly lost a portion of […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are the one seed in the Western Conference. Many people deserve credit for that feat. However, head coach Frank Vogel hasn’t gotten enough of his fair share for what the Purple and Gold are doing this season. There’s always a bit of hesitation to crown a head coach of a LeBron […]

Did you live the Mike Conley experience on Wednesday? The Utah Jazz point guard began the day as the team’s starting point guard, was then reportedly moved to the bench, and a couple hours afterwards the Jazz had a change of mind, leaving him in the starting five while subbing out Joe Ingles for Royce […]

Let’s be clear: the Brooklyn Nets are highly unlikely to pursue Kyrie Irving trades this offseason. You don’t exactly sign a star in his prime to a max contract just to trade him a year into the deal. With that said, the Nets don’t need Irving. Irving dropped 50 points in his Nets’ debut. Albeit […]

It’s no secret that the 2019-20 NBA season hasn’t been what the Orlando Magic were hoping for, but that doesn’t mean they should be looking to trade their high-profile players, specifically Aaron Gordon. Orlando reportedly shopped Gordon before the NBA trade deadline. According to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, they’re expected to continue doing so this offseason. […]

When a team trades away its two franchise players, like the Oklahoma City Thunder did last offseason, they tend to get little pub the ensuing season; that has happened. In the same situation, that team tends to fall off the map a bit from a record standpoint. The Thunder have not done that. Rather they […]

Nothing is a given at the NBA trade deadline. With that said, the New York Knicks seem poised to be sellers. Who could be on the move? Where could they go? Here are landing spots for potential trade candidates. Wayne Ellington to the Philadelphia 76ers 76ers receive: Wayne Ellington Knicks receive: Mike Scott, 2020 second-round […]

Zach LaVine has been sensational this season, but can he make the 2019-20 NBA season more memorable for the Chicago Bulls by leading them to the playoffs? A few weeks ago the Bulls were 13-26, rotting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference; they’ve been playing better since. Winning six of their last 11 games, […]

There are a handful of lottery picks in every NBA Draft class who don’t play up to expectations or get buried in a team’s depth chart. It could be because the player struggled to adapt to the NBA game, a team’s player development, or both. But that doesn’t mean time has expired on their careers […]

Zion Williamson is finally suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans, and it enhances the organization both on and off the court. One of the most captivating players in college basketball history, Williamson possesses a tantalizing skill set. He bullies defenders in the post, denies shots with ease, is a well-rounded defender, hits the boards […]

Outside of the Detroit Pistons struggling to gain traction on an Andre Drummond trade, and Kyle Kuzma having a murky future with the Los Angeles Lakers, there’s minimal buzz leading up to the NBA trade deadline. Bummer. On the other hand, there are several head coaches who are — or could be — on the […]

Most NBA teams have reached the midway point of the 2019-20 regular season, and it’s clear which players are going to be in the running for prestigious NBA awards down the stretch. Here are midseason winners for Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, […]

When you’re 10-28, you’re likely going to be open for business at the NBA trade deadline. On the contrary, the New York Knicks are in the right frame of mind in wanting to retain their best player, Marcus Morris. Wednesday morning Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill reported that the Knicks intend to hold on to Morris, […]

The Boston Celtics lost Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Marcus Morris, and Terry Rozier to free agency, and they’re 25-10 this season. This is yet another testament to head coach Brad Stevens’ system. Back in training camp the Celtics looked like a playoff team, but little more given the aforementioned departures. Irving was the driving force […]

Luka Doncic is a star. Kristaps Porzingis has shown glimpses of stardom. Together, they give the Dallas Mavericks a younger version of the NBA’s best star duo, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Bold? Yep, but there are so many similarities between these players. What can’t Doncic do? He’s a point forward who usually brings the […]

The New York Knicks need to escape the NBA’s cellar. A team can’t continually be in the bottom third of the NBA in wins and be competing for the number-one pick in the draft on a yearly basis and expect to magically turn a corner. The only way the Knicks are escaping this stagnated, rebuilding […]

The Miami Heat are back. After stringing together a handful of mediocre-to-subpar seasons, the Heat have returned to being a potent threat in the Eastern Conference. Currently 22-8, they’re the three seed in the East. When a team goes from being out of the playoffs to a top-seeded team, it’s usually because they brought in […]

With Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green leaving in free agency, with a bunch of young players taking on larger roles in their rotation, the defending NBA-champion Toronto Raptors were generally viewed as a team that would sneak into the Eastern Conference playoffs but do little more this season. Well, something funny happened: their youngsters grew […]

The New York Knicks need stability, and the worst way to accomplish that is by firing two head coaches in the same season; the Knicks should stick with interim head coach Mike Miller through this season. Since the Knicks fired David Fizdale, the team’s head-coaching future has been the central talking point to the public […]

Usually when an NBA team has veterans nearing the tail end of their careers, a minimal young core is in place, and several powerhouses exist in their respective conference, a rebuild is on the horizon. With veterans present and a lot of potent teams in the Western Conference, some are pondering whether the San Antonio […]

So, it happened: the New York Knicks fired head coach David Fizdale. It was probably the least surprising coaching fire in quite some time, especially after team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry held an impromptu press conference 10 games into the season to express displeasure with the Knicks’ 2-8 start — and […]

The Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans executed the blockbuster trade of the summer. In a deal that sent star big man Anthony Davis to the Lakers with Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, three first-round draft picks, a first-round pick swap, and cash to the Pelicans, the NBA world was turned on its […]

Pascal Siakam is the present and future of the Toronto Raptors. That could mean the Toronto faithful has another Kawhi Leonard on its hands. Yes, Siakam has two inches on Leonard, and he wears a headband. But the two have a lot in common besides playing for the Raptors last season when it concerns their […]