Sam Penix Articles - Page 9

After months of speculation and rumors, on June 30, 2017, the Indiana Pacers traded superstar forward Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. At the time, the Pacers were blasted for essentially giving away an All-NBA player for free, while the Thunder were praised for landing a […]

NBA fans have their opinions about which teams are championship contenders. Popular choices include the San Antonio Spurs, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Houston Rockets. However, as long as a 33-year-old trend continues, only five teams have a chance at winning this year, and they have NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal to thank. Yes, even though […]

After a hot start to the 2017-2018 NBA season, the Boston Celtics appear to have cooled off lately. They now stand at 48-23, five games back of the Eastern Conference leaders, the Toronto Raptors. Plagued by injuries and streaky play, have the Celtics simply run out of gas at this point in the season? To […]

The 2018 NBA free agency class will be one of the most talented in a while, featuring names such as LeBron James, Paul George, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and DeMarcus Cousins. But there are some other players that will have strong markets and will be attractive pieces for teams to build around. One such player […]

After being traded to the Utah Jazz and subsequently waived, Derrick Rose is now a free agent once again. With the deadline to sign with an NBA team on Thursday, Rose’s time is running out. If he’s still able to contribute to a championship contender, where are the best fits for him? Before listing possible […]

Every year, NBA Draftees are outlandishly compared to Hall of Fame players, and often times, don’t live up to the unrealistic expectations. But it’s not popular for a prospect to be compared to a player who played just 105 NBA games. Nonetheless, Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton looks like a Greg Oden clone and is worth the […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a unique opportunity that has never occurred since LeBron James ascended to the ranks of the NBA’s best player; a top 10 draft selection. Thanks to the Kyrie Irving trade, Cleveland owns the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick this year. The Cavs have some major holes, and thankfully, this draft class is […]

The hype surrounding the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers is as much as it has been in a long while. After a half season of drama and under-performance, the Cavs are riding a four-game winning streak and appear to be ready for another NBA Finals run. But is this sqaud better than the teams that made the […]

If you’re even a casual fan of the NBA, you’re probably aware of the term “flopping”. This occurs when a player attempts to draw a foul by embellishing the impact from contact. This is a prime example. Needless to say, this technique is not good for the integrity of the game, nor is it the […]

After the 2005 NBA Draft, the NBA prohibited new high-school graduates from entering the draft, mandating that all applicants must be at least one year removed from high school. This created the “one-and-done”, where highly regarded basketball prospects play one year at the collegiate level and then move on to the NBA. Recent examples include […]

In recent years, the NBA MVP award, which is supposed to go to the most valuable player, seems to have devolved into the “best statistical player” award. Are past years’ winners deserving of the distinction? Probably, but there are plenty of examples of players being snubbed of the prestigious award. Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson, […]

We are now one third of the way through the NBA season, and so far, there have been a few serious injuries, with Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, and Patrick Beverley all missing significant time. Throughout NBA history, many players have been seriously injured, and some have made remarkable comebacks from those injuries. Shaun Livingston The […]

During his time in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving built himself a reputation for being a poor defender. He never played on a strong defensive team, and did not give maximum effort all the time. John Wall, on the other hand, is known as a terrific all-around point guard who defends at a high level. However, since […]

As the quarter mark of the 2017-2018 NBA season passes by, Boston, Cleveland, Houston, and Golden State are at the top of their respective conferences, as many expected. The situation at the other end of the standings is also interesting. The race for the worst record in the NBA will be competitive for the rest […]

During LeBron James’ first tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cavs made the Eastern Conference Finals only once. One of the biggest reasons for the team’s lack of success was that LeBron James was never surrounded with top talent. Even the greatest player of the millennium needs some help. In 2009-10, his final season with […]

Back in 2010, many suitors aside from the Miami Heat lined up for LeBron James’s services. Though Miami eventually won the sweepstakes due to the Chris Bosh signing tipping the scale, there were multiple destinations that James strongly considered. One such team was Derrick Rose’s Chicago Bulls. Had James joined Chicago along with his pal […]

One of the major reasons why LeBron James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat in 2010 was the Cavs’ inability to surround James with talent; Mo Williams was the sidekick and second-best player during James’ first stint with Cleveland. Drafting was not a strong point of those Cavs teams, and […]

One of the major reasons why LeBron James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat in 2010 was the Cavs’ inability to surround James with talent; Mo Williams was the sidekick and second-best player during James’ first stint with Cleveland. Drafting was not a strong point of those Cavs teams, and […]

The 2003 NBA Draft is widely regarded as one of the greatest drafts in not just basketball history, but in all of professional sports. After all, the class lays claim to nine All-Stars and four All-NBA selections. In a draft so historically loaded, how much would change if the top ten teams were given a […]

It seems as though every week in the NFL so far has been crazy, and Week 5 was no exception. As the NFC playoff picture slowly begins to clear up, which teams are surpassing expectations, and which unexpected early-season contenders are for real? Madness In The East At the beginning of the season, many believed […]

In preseason predictions and power-rankings, the New England Patriots were constantly placed at the top, and rightfully so. They are, after all, the defending Super Bowl champions, and they added impact players such as WR Brandin Cooks, CB Stephon Gilmore, TE Dwayne Allen, and RB Mike Gillislee. One team that many thought would be able […]

After losing star SF Kevin Durant last offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder have reloaded, adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. The addition of George has been well documented. But it seems as if Anthony’s acquisition isn’t garnering the respect it deserves. This just continues a trend that has emerged over the last few years: Carmelo […]

A wild Week 3 in the NFL closed Monday night as the Dallas Cowboys beat the Arizona Cardinals, 28-17. Although just three games have been played by the majority of teams, the AFC looks to be a very hotly contested conference and the division races will be quite entertaining. There a few surprise teams so […]

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball garners most of the headlines along with the Philadelphia 76ers’ Markelle Fultz, the Phoenix Suns’ Josh Jackson, and the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox. But there are some lesser-known rookies who could develop a very good case for next year’s top greenhorn plum. Frank Ntilikina, New York Knicks Frank […]

After an impressive debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer had a very rough outing on Sunday, as his team fell 24-10 to the Baltimore Ravens. Although he looked bad, it’s extremely premature to clamor for another QB to be drafted high, as some fans and media pundits already are. Here are […]

As long as the currently-in-limbo Kyrie Irving trade is completed as expected, the Boston Celtics will sport two all-star players this season, and with the parity within the NBA, they could be looking to add one more. When free agency started at the end of June, the Celtics were reportedly interested in dealing for Paul […]