Sean Barnard Articles - Page 9

The Detroit Pistons are in the midst of a franchise rebuild and are starting at the bottom. They got a leap in the restart by selecting Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick in last year’s draft. Detroit finished with a 23-59 record this season and still has a long way to go in the […]

The Portland Trail Blazers are desperate to capitalize on the window to win with Dame Lillard. The 31-year-old has only been beyond the Conference Semi-Finals once and was swept by the Warriors in that series. Lillard has stuck by his blind loyalty to the franchise and the Trail Blazers are determined to reward him. Lillard […]

The Detroit Pistons finished last season with a record of 23-59 which was the third-worst record in the NBA. Luck was not in their favor as they landed the 5th pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. The Pistons have begun rebuilding and got off to a great start by landing Cade Cunningham with the […]

The Boston Celtics find themselves in a difficult position. After a strong start to the NBA Finals, the Celtics now trail the series 3-2. It was a poor performance from the Celtics in Game 5. They began the game going 0-12 on three-point attempts which set the record for most consecutive missed three-pointers and the […]

After a dominant start to the NBA Finals from the Boston Celtics, the tides have turned in favor of the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics started Game 5 with some uncharacteristically bad shooting. Boston began the game 0-12 on three-point attempts which set a record for most three-point misses to start a game. The Celtics […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the most exciting young cores in the NBA. They are coming off an impressive season which included them making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The growth of Brandon Ingram helped elevate the team and they even won two games over the top-seeded Phoenix […]

The Detroit Pistons currently hold the No. 5 overall pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft. They are coming off a 23-59 season which was the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference. There were still plenty of positives to build off when looking at the young roster. Cade Cunningham had a productive rookie season in […]

The Sacramento Kings are clearly trying to shift the franchise narrative. The Kings made some noise last year in a perceived “win-now” move which shipped off Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Domantas Sabonis. The three-time All-Star played just 15 games with the Kings this season and the focus has shifted to […]

The Milwaukee Bucks were unable to defend their 2021 championship, getting knocked out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The knee injury to Khris Middleton proved too much to overcome as the Boston Celtics prevailed in an epic seven-game series. Giannis Antetokounmpo, of course, continued to impress and is certain to be back with a vengeance […]

The Dallas Mavericks emerged as one of the biggest pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. The Mavs finished the regular season on a hot streak and rose to 4th place in the West with a record of 52-30. They carried this momentum into the playoffs and knocked off the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. […]

The Miami Heat just finished an impressive season in which they fell just shy of the 2022 NBA Finals. The Heat earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference by securing a record of 53-29. They built off this momentum and, led by Jimmy Butler, took the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern […]

The Toronto Raptors have done an excellent job establishing an identity over the past few years. They have built a roster loaded with length and athleticism. Toronto’s collection of unique players and defensive ability makes them an intimidating matchup for any team. it was a fairly impressive season for the Raptors. They turned things around […]

The Atlanta Hawks are on the heels of a disappointing 2021 season. The franchise took a significant step back after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020. Atlanta finished with a 43-39 record in the regular season and was knocked out by the Miami Heat in the opening round of the playoffs. There is a […]

The Detroit Pistons have begun to build their young nucleus with their eyes on the future. Led by last year’s first overall pick, Cade Cunningham, the Pistons have begun to build an identity as a team. Their 22-59 record may not be as promising but there are positive signs to build off moving forward. Their […]

The Portland Trail Blazers are dangerously close to missing their championship window. Dame Lillard is now 31-years-old and missed all but 29 games this season due to injury. The organization elected to use it as a rebuilding year and handed the reigns to Anfernee Simons. The 27-55 record left the franchise out of the postseason […]

The Charlotte Hornets have made some impressive strides as a franchise in recent years. Their young core of talent has begun to grow and establish itself at a rapid rate. The franchise finished with a record of 43-39 and ended in 10th place in the Eastern Conference last season. While they were unable to make […]

The Charlotte Hornets are in the midst of putting an intriguing roster together. The franchise made it to the play-in tournament this season after securing a record of 43-39. The youthful Hornets are not far off from competing and are currently in a solid position. While most of their offseason will be centered around free-agent […]

The Atlanta Hawks are seemingly set for an eventful offseason. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-2021, the Hawks failed to meet expectations this season. Their 44-39 record solidified an 8th place finish for the franchise and they were knocked out of the playoffs by the Miami Heat in the opening round. It is […]

The San Antonio Spurs have begun retooling after their brief time without being in the playoffs. The Spurs were most recently knocked out of the play-in game by the New Orleans Pelicans. It has now been three seasons since the franchise has been in the playoffs. San Antonio has notably added some versatile, lengthy players […]

The NBA Draft is rapidly approaching which is the most exciting time of year for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have begun their rebuild process and still hold an immense of draft picks moving forward. When looking at this draft, the Thunder hold the 2nd, 12th, 30th, and 34th picks in the 2022 Draft. Oklahoma […]

The Portland Trail Blazers did not luck out in the lottery after their rebuilding season in 2021-22. Their 27-55 record was the sixth-worst in the NBA. They left the draft lottery with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. While most of the focus falls on this first-round selection, the Trail Blazers also […]

The New York Knicks took a notable step back this season after their promising playoff performance in 2021. Despite the disappointing season, the Knicks remain in the mix of offseason rumors. The franchise will certainly be looking to make a splash and rise into the contender category. While the trade market and free agency are […]

It has been an eventful two games to start the NBA Finals. After a dominant performance in Game 1, the Boston Celtics were then blown out by the Golden State Warriors in Game 2. The two teams will now travel to Boston for two straight home matchups for the Celtics.   With the series tied […]

The Washington Wizards are coming off a disappointing 35-47 season in which they failed to make it to the play-in tournament. The franchise appears at a crossroads with the news about Bradley Beal’s contract looming. While it appears Beal is leaning toward returning to the organization, this does not change the flawed roster surrounding him. […]

The Golden State Warriors were able to successfully bounce back following their disappointing Game 1 loss. The Dubs got back to the superstar team they are capable of being in a competitive two-sided effort. They secured a 107-88 victory in Game 2 to tie the series at one win apiece. The Warriors once again exploded […]

The Golden State Warriors produced a bounce-back victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. After the disappointing loss in Game 1, the team made some notable changes and found a way to win. The Warriors secured the 107-88 victory led by the 29 points from Steph Curry. This now evens the series at one […]

The Golden State Warriors took a punch in the face from the Boston Celtics in Game 1 and were unable to respond. Boston’s length and physicality were bothersome and resulted in the Warriors’ first home loss of the postseason. There was growing concern surrounding the Warriors prior to Game 2 due to the commanding nature […]

The Orlando Magic have been rewarded for their poor performance this season by receiving the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. This is the fourth time in their franchise history that they have received the top pick and the first time since adding Shaq in 1992. The Magic are not as far out […]

The Golden State Warriors were punched in the mouth by the Boston Celtics in Game 1 and were unable to respond. Despite once leading by 15 points and having control for most of the game, the Warriors trail the series 1-0. Boston outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the fourth quarter, tying for the largest scoring […]

The convincing 120-108 victory by the Boston Celtics was a statement in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Warriors dominated for most of the game and even held a 15-point lead in the game. The Celtics remained in striking distance throughout the game and pounced when the opportunity arose. Outscoring the Warriors 40-16 in […]

One of the most exciting recent storylines surrounding the Golden State Warriors has been the growth of Jordan Poole. The Michigan product was drafted in 2018 but has taken some time to develop. The former 28th overall pick spent time in the G League before joining the Warriors NBA squad. Poole made use of the […]

The long-awaited 2022 NBA Finals tipped off Thursday night and lived up to the hype. The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors faced off in a heavyweight matchup that was a contrast of styles. Things were going the Warriors’ way for most of the first three quarters. Boston was not effectively guarding Steph Curry and […]

The 2022 NBA Finals are finally here! Andrew Wiggins was once looked at as a bust in the NBA. The former number one overall pick had sky-high expectations of him since the time he was in high school. The Kansas standout was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 before being traded to the Timberwolves […]

The Klay Thompson comeback has been an amazing story to watch this NBA season. The three-time NBA champion has missed the previous two seasons with a torn ACL and torn Achilles. Thompson made his debut midway through this season playing 32 total games in the regular season He has been able to quickly kick off […]

The Philadelphia 76ers officially have a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Well, at least they do once the 23rd pick is made and transferred to them via the Stepien Rule. Despite attaching the selection to the trade for James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets held the option to defer the pick to 2023. With […]

It was unclear if the Sixers would have a draft pick at all until the June 1st deadline. The Sixers agreed to trade the first-rounder in the James Harden deal just prior to the deadline. In the trade, the Nets held the option to defer the pick to 2023 if they desired. With a stronger […]

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may take the spotlight at times, but the impact of Marcus Smart is every bit as important. He is the heart and soul of this Boston team and constantly leaves it all on the court. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year will be tasked with chasing Steph Curry around […]

The Miami Heat just wrapped up an impressive season in which they outperformed most expectations. They led the Eastern Conference with a record of 53-29 and lost to the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals. The heroic playoff effort by Jimmy Butler made it clear this Heat team is still ready to compete. The focus […]

The wait for the 2022 NBA Finals is nearly at an end. The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics have established themselves as the top two teams in the NBA and are set to square off. Each team has proven to be battle-tested and is prepared for the challenge. Game 1 is set to tip […]