2019 Oakland Raiders Preview (Not Really)

This has been a really long 48 hours with this whole Antonio Brown fiasco. Jon Gruden, Mike Mayock, the entire Raiders organization, you guys just got played.

There's an old saying: "what you want is what you get." The Raiders wanted to give Derek Carr an elite receiver in Antonio Brown. As talented as he is, we all know that know that he was going to bring a lot of baggage to this team. But they still traded to get him at the cost of a 3rd round pick, which is not bad. However, as this whole shitshow unravels, Pittsburgh's front office look like absolute geniuses. And the Patriots adding Brown at half of the price of his guaranteed money, after he was released by the Raiders today is more insult to injury.

The Raiders should've seen this coming. That when you bring Antonio Brown in, you knew you're getting yourself into a deranged soap opera. Gruden is in his 2nd year after a 10 year hiatus. Mike Mayock is in his 1st year as a GM. They were not prepared for a circus of this magnitude with this clown. This is Antonio Brown's Raider tenure in a nutshell: frostbite, helmet, fines, altercation with GM, released. His entire Raiders tenure was popcorn entertainment all the way through. At first, we thought the helmet drama was just a facade for Hard Knocks. It's not too big of a deal. But when it escalates after the show to the point AB threatens to punch Mayock in the face after getting slapped with a reasonable fine, that's when we should know this was was gonna turn ugly. 

Mayock tried laying down the law. The only problem is you have Gruden undercutting the power of the GM, sweeping this under the rug, and ultimately letting him play. Literally after Brown just gave a half-assed apology to the media. Hey "Chuck E. Cheese!" What happened to "no one is above the team" mantra? Cause it worked so well with Khalil Mack that you shipped his ass to Chicago even though he didn't say anything and his agent was doing all the talking. But with Antonio Brown, you kissed his ass all the way through when he's berating the team and the organization and he pulls this shit to make you all look stupid. 

I don't even want to share my hype video on here cause I posted it 24 hours before all this happened. Big promotion and such to amp up the Monday Night game since AB was back. The video was in a very awkward position with suspension looming, a possible release, etc. 24 hours after I uploaded, he's gone from the team. I'm done promoting that. As a content creator, the last hype video I'll always remember are my hype videos from 2015-2017. They were the most genuine. Everything else after looks like a desperate view grab even though I still put 110% on it while this shitshow unravels to throw jabs at me and force me to call audibles even though I'm a big advocate of expecting the unexpected.

This post was almost a chance for me to make amends to Raider Nation about poking fun at this team this past season. My biggest gripe is the sheep who support everything this team does. You disagree with the majority, you get labeled a fake fan. Those "It's Raider Nation or nothing. You don't like our team, go support somebody else" type of fans. That kind of mentality is the reason why the team has no desire of getting better and the last decade (excluding 2016) has proven that. We tend to forget a football team is also a product. When that product is not performing to our expectations that we pay for and are highly invested in, of course we're not going to be happy about it! You think I'm gonna call some Samsung owners fake Samsung customers when a Galaxy S7 just exploded inside their pocket and their voicing their displeasure? Of course that's not cool and you have a right to tell them that they dropped the ball on poorly mass producing the product. That's where I stand with the Raiders now. You just want to pull them to the side and tell them that they're fucking up and they need to get their shit together. Stupid decisions year after year is the reason why this team is a cellar dweller since 2002. 

It's sad the last season in Oakland will end with a distinct plop. There was no intention of winning one more Super Bowl for that city and the Bay Area. Sure it might get better when they get to Las Vegas, but at the same time they're watching this incompetence unravel very closely. These last three seasons are just a facade so they can finally build from the ground up when they get to Vegas. They have the cap space and draft picks to do that. Whether or not the incompetence and dysfunction carries over remains to be seen. If this team surprises me this season with some wins, I'll accept that I'm wrong with humility. Until then, here's to another evaluation season to see how the three 2019 first round picks pan out and everybody else is fighting for a roster spot in 2020. Deuces! 

Lakers Acquire Anthony Davis (Finally)

The King and The 'Brow

I'm officially bipolar with the Lakers right now. It was teased before the trade deadline, but both sides couldn't come to a deal. But now, it is official (well until July) and as expected, it was making waves in the headlines since it was announced. The Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a trade to get Anthony Davis in the Purple and Gold in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and 3 first round picks.

LeBron got what he wanted. He wanted Anthony Davis to come over here to LA and contend for a title and he got it. Like I said, the Lakers are just begging me to become bipolar with their moves. I gotta give credit to Rob Pelinka and David Griffin for pulling off this deal with no strings attached. Compared to the midseason, then-Pelicans president Dell Demps tried everything to sabotage the Lakers by getting them to give up the entire team for AD. But, it turns out he was bluffing and it lead to his firing. With David Griffin, whether or not the Cavalier ties with LeBron helped or not, they were able to pull off this deal. We also gotta give credit to another outside source: Rich Paul. He represents both LBJ and AD via Klutch Sports. He failed in pulling the strings during the midseason, but it worked this time around.

I get the excitement because AD is one of the best big men in the game today. He can play inside and outside and is the ideal rim protector and shot blocker that the Lakers were missing since 2013. Now on the flip side, many may argue that the Lakers gave up too much. Which is true. The risk in getting a player on 1-year rental for that much is that player might leave when things go sour on their short tenure with the team. We've seen this first hand with the Dwight Howard experiment from 2012-13. Now granted, AD has verbally expressed to sign the Lakers in the long term, but that may change depending on how the season goes playing alongside LeBron. Not to mention, the Pelicans might've secured their future for the next 5-7 years. I'm not gonna lie, they're going to be an exciting young team with Lonzo, B.I., and possibly Zion Williamson coming to town. They still have Jrue Holiday to provide that veteran presence and they have the Lakers' #4 pick this year. They'll be a team on the come up. The silver lining here is that the Lakers held on to Kyle Kuzma. At least they keep one of the key young players and it's none other than the Lakers' 2017 draft steal that showed major strides with his ability to score. With AD and 'Bron, Kuz is the ideal 3rd option. He could be the fourth option if they make a run at Kemba Walker or get Kyrie Irving to reunite playing alongside LeBron.

Now that the trade is over with, the Lakers now have some major holes to fill. Their back court is literally void of talent. Small forward is also a need now. A scoring point guard like Kemba or Kyrie could shoulder the load off of whoever fills that shooting guard spot. If they manage to land either one, great. They must use up the remaining cap to sign quality role players who can shoot and play defense. If not, they're still solid mid-tier options available like re-signing Rajon Rondo. This might actually entice Rondo to stay considering he had success with AD in New Orleans. Either way, now that the Lakers have their act together (for the moment) and with the West wide open with Golden State in shambles due to KD and Klay's injuries, they must strike while the iron is hot in the offseason in order to get back to the top.

Raptors Dethrone Warriors in Six for First NBA Championship

Series Breakdown

05/30: Game 1 - GSW 109 TOR 118 TOR 1-0
06/02: Game 2 - GSW 109 TOR 104 Tied 1-1
06/05: Game 3 - TOR 123 GSW 109 TOR 2-1
06/07: Game 4 - TOR 105 GSW 92 TOR 3-1
06/10: Game 5 - GSW 106 TOR 105 TOR 3-2
06/13: Game 6 - TOR 114 GSW 110 Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA Champions (4-2)!

All things are settled down after an amazing Game 6 last night. The Toronto Raptors are your 2019 NBA Champions as they dethrone the Golden State Warriors in six games, capping off with a 114-110 game 6 thriller in what is effectively the last game in Oracle Arena in Oakland as the Warriors move to their new Chase Center home in San Francisco for next season. As you look at the overview of this series, the home team has won once. This hasn't been done since the 1993 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls. Not only, that it's impressive on the Raptors' part that they won all of their games at Oracle Arena this season. It's never an easy feat to win in that raucous arena, especially against the reigning dynasty Warriors.

Game 1, history was made as it marked the first NBA Finals game to be played outside of the United States. The Warriors were in unfamiliar territory as they have to go on the road to achieve that elusive 3-peat. The Raptors, you wonder about jitters having hosting their first finals game, the pressure was all on them. And they stepped up to the challenge. Pascal Siakam made his case for MIP (Most Improved Player) with 32 points. Marc Gasol stepped up with 20 points. They dominated the Warriors inside the paint. It was a pretty convincing win for a team making its finals debut. Game 2, the Warriors responded like the champions they were. The third quarter was huge for them as they completely blanked the Raptors at the start with an 18-0 run out of the gate. It wasn't until Fred VanVleet's three that Toronto finally put up some points. Nonetheless, the Raptors hung in there. They had a chance with a near interception by Kawhi Leonard at the final seconds. But, the ball bounced back to the Warriors' favor and Andre Iguodala hit a clutch three to seal it. The Raptors leaving Iggy open was controversial. I can understand the rationale to leave him open as he's not a reliable 3-point shooter. But, there was no denying in the big stage, the former Finals MVP can deliver in the clutch for the Warriors.

As the series shifts to Game 3, we first see our glimpses of the Warriors' dynasty cracking as Klay Thompson had to sit out with a hamstring. Kevon Looney was initially out for the rest of series with a chest injury. This game was easy picking for the Raptors. Curry will do his thing as indicated in his 47-point explosion that game, but everybody else didn't bother to step up. Danny Green found some life this game with the Raptors, draining six threes. He has been a non-factor this postseason, but we saw a little throwback of San Antonio Danny Green. Kawhi lead the team with 30 points. Lowry made some key buckets to put this game on ice early. Serge Ibaka had a block party with 6 blocks. Game 4, the Raptors won convincingly with a healthy Klay back and Looney surprisingly playing through the chest injury. They were trailing and then stormed back in the second half with a resounding performance from Serge Ibaka off the bench with 20 points. The pick and roll with he and Lowry is absolutely devastating. Fred VanVleet took advantage of that pick and roll with Ibaka as well. The Warriors had no answer to stop it nor could they guard Ibaka's hook shot in the paint. Leonard once again lead the team with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 steals. You can just feel it that he's determined to end the 3-peat hopes of another dynasty.

Game 5, the Raptors have the opportunity of a lifetime to close this series out in front of their hometown, but Kevin Durant is back to give the Warriors a lift and possibly set up another 3-1 comeback. Durant showed no signs of rust with 11 points to provide a spark to Golden State's offense. Then, the devastating Achilles rupture happened and this is the first part of the Warriors' downfall. The Raptors fought their way back in the 2nd half. Kawhi Leonard is taking over the game, despite a bad shooting night. The Warriors are playing sloppy. The refs are trying their best to rig this game. Then Nick Nurse calls a timeout with 3:05 in the 4th quarter. If there's ever a time for a rookie coach to make a mistake, it's the regular season, not when you have a championship to clinch on your home floor. Coach Nurse made that timeout blunder, completely stopping all momentum and giving that momentum back to the Warriors. The Splash Bros. shot the Warriors back to tie and take the lead. The Raptors had a final chance with Lowry's potential winning shot, but Draymond lays a fingertip on the shot to allow the Warriors to fight another day.

Game 6, this is where it all came down. Again, the Warriors have their backs against the wall and this game is even bitter sweet that it is the final game in Oracle Arena. Nothing else was on their mind other than win one final game for Dub Nation and for Durant as well. This game was absolutely incredible down to the wire. It was like a heavyweight fight  with the defending champ knocked down by the new challenger, but the champ continued to fight to 12 rounds despite major swelling and bleeding. Unfortunately, the Warriors lost too much blood with not only KD out, but Klay going down this game with an ACL injury. The Raptors saw some heroics from Fred VanVleet off the bench and Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard taking over the game and eventually leading the Raptors to their first NBA title for the City of Toronto and all of Canada.

I've said it in my preview, that if the Raptors were to win this series and dethrone the 2x defending champs, a lot of variables have to happen. Somebody else has to step to take some load of Kawhi because obviously the Warriors will try to account for him on defense. And that came to fruition. You had Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol step up for Game 1. Danny Green for Game 3. Serge Ibaka for Game 4. Kyle Lowry played amazing on the road. Fred VanVleet has been solid off the bench. Kawhi Leonard, didn't shoot the ball particularly well this series, but he still found ways to take over the game. The key to beating these Warriors is to play physical against them, out rebound them, and most of all make them turn the ball over. And the Raptors with their #1 ranked defense checked off all those categories.

With the way the Raptors built their team, it reminded me of how the old school teams would build their championship team: have two All-Star players and surround them with role players. And if push comes to shove, make midseason moves to find the missing piece to bolster the roster. Masai Ujiri and the Raptors took a calculated risk and it paid off. The next step is to keep the roster in tact. Kawhi Leonard is the biggest wild card here. No matter if he stays or leaves, he's cemented himself in Toronto basketball lore with this epic run and Raptor fans should be forever grateful even if meant sacrificing DeMar DeRozen in the process. Also, I gotta thank him because that's twice this decade that a team tried to supplant the 2000-2002 Lakers' 3-peat and he stopped both of them. Nonetheless, if they're going to break up this championship team immediately, don't do it like what Mark Cuban and the Mavericks did following the 2010-11 season.

For the Warriors, I haven't seen something like this since the Pistons outclassed the Lakers in 2004. Granted, injuries to Durant and Klay decimated this roster. But, that's the risk that goes with fielding a superteam. You gain superstar players at the expense of a deep roster with reliable role players. As always, injuries are always a part of the game. It's unfortunate, but reality. So any Warrior fans who are salty about this, remember your first title came at the expense of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love-less Cavaliers. It's the way the NBA works, dynasties don't last long and they have to break up in order to restore competitive balance in the league. Regardless, dark times are coming for the Warriors and the loss in their final game in Oracle in Game 6 is symbolic that it signifies the end of an era. Now with Klay hurt, KD hurt, Bob Myers has a tough decision to make. Granted, they're planning to lock both players to long-term deal, but are they willing to give two injured players big contracts at the expense of the opportunity to get younger and sign quality players to bolster the team's depth? Do you really want to lose a sense of your mantra in "Strength in Numbers?"

Regardless, both the Raptors and Warriors are at the critical point after these Finals with a lot of questions heading into the offseason. But for now, the Golden dynasty falls while the North rises and so opens a brand new, unpredictable world of the NBA. Because when a superteam in one conference gets too dominant, make sure to have a Kawhi Leonard on a team in an opposite conference to face them in the finals to bring balance back to the league. Anyway, the Larry O'Brien trophy has moved to a new country. It's new home is the home of the first basketball game ever played in: O Canada.

2019 NBA Finals Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors

Four straight years, the Golden State gods have battled King James and the Cavalier kingdom for supremacy in the basketball realm. The Golden State gods have taken three out of four holy contests to establish themselves as a dynasty for the ages. Now with King James exiled into the bright lights of Los Angeles and the Cavalier kingdom broken beyond repair once again with his departure, it seemed like none would stand in the way of the Golden State gods and their quest for a 3-peat. But, a new worthy opponent has risen to the occasion. Free from the 3-year tyranny of King James, the Raptors, feral beasts of the North, thought to be extinct, are reborn from the ashes as the new Kings of the East with a new leader. He is aformer Westener who has brought the Golden State gods a worthy challenge when healthy. He is "the Klaw" and he's out for blood to exact revenge with the Golden State gods weakened. No Zaza this time to take out the imminent threat he brings to their reign. Will the reign end or are the Golden State gods using their weakened state as a ploy as they regain their beautifully enigmatic basketball play?

Hope you guy liked that literature above. Welcome in to the 2019 NBA Finals preview provided by yours truly! Finally, we get a fresh new matchup after four straight years of Cavs vs. Warriors in a battle for NBA supremacy. Although the Warriors are still here in the Finals, we get a new Eastern Conference challenger all the way from Canada. Guess you can say finally whoever inserts "World Champions" on their banner gets to justify it. Because this is more than just a Finals matchup. This is a battle of two North American countries in the United States and Canada. This year's matchup features the defending champion Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors!

Golden State Warriors

Since you have to hear about this team for the fifth consecutive time on the blog, I recommend you skip this part. Was there ever a doubt that this team, someway, somehow will find a way to head to the NBA Finals? It's like I said before, the Golden State Warriors are the champs until they are dethroned. They'll have a chance to do something that no team has done since my childhood Lakers of Shaq and Kobe...3-peat. Though they won back-to-back titles and swept LeBron, banishing him to the depths of Hollywood, the Warriors continue to stay lock and loaded. This offseason, they reminded us of how unfair their organization and culture is compared to the 29 other teams that make up the NBA. They signed DeMarcus Cousins to a cheap 1-year deal and all of a sudden, their starting lineup is literally the Western All-Stars. However, they wouldn't insert him into the lineup until January, but nonetheless they still dominated with or without him.

Despite the invincibility the Warriors bring, there is some drama brewing inside the team. The biggest trigger is the looming free agency of Kevin Durant. It's pretty questionable why he would leave the Warriors when they are his best shot at winning multiple championships. But clearly, the rumors got bigger with him being linked to signing with the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, or Los Angeles Lakers (we're not getting him, be realistic). In fact, things got testy with Durant and Draymond as Green pointed that "they already won a championship without him." Well, he's not wrong. The Warriors signed KD in the first place was so that they have somebody to counter LeBron in the finals. Now that the threat of LeBron is no more at the moment, Durant no longer has any purpose. But, despite all that, they were able to settle their differences to finish strong in the regular season and stay locked in come playoff time. They had quite a test against the superstar-less Clippers in the first round, but Durant's monster performances that series helped propel the Warriors to victory in six games. The next round involved a Western Conference Final rematch against the Rockets. This is where things shifted a little bit. Durant sustained a calf injury in Game 5 and he's out indefinitely. There's something fishy about that injury and it could be worse than what the Warriors are revealing to the media. KD out. Boogie out. That should spell the end of the dynasty right? There's only one problem...the Warriors lineup roster that's currently out there consists of nearly the same roster that won 73 games three years ago, albeit aging. From Game 6 against Houston to all four games against Portland in the Conference Finals, we saw the resurgence of the Warriors' beautiful ball movement, spacing, and pacing. I'm talking the 2014-2016 Warriors pre-KD. And it's all powered by their home-grown core of the 2x MVP Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. They also had big contributions from 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney, who has been nothing short of magnificent as a 6th man this postseason. How quickly they forget.

Toronto Raptors

Relax Toronto. LeBron is no longer in the East to torment your souls year after year. The Raptors made headlines earlier this offseason in a surprising move to let this season's NBA Coach of the Year winner, Dwane Casey go after leading the Raptors to the #1 seed, only to get swept by King James in the 2nd round. In a follow up transaction, they promoted assistant coach, Nick Nurse as the next head coach. The Raptors were pretty much an unknown heading into this season as DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry had to live in the agony of coming up short yet again. However, they received a gift from the San Antonio Spurs in the form of Kawhi Leonard (and Danny Green as extra). Masai Ujiri deserves Executive of the Year for pulling that trade. Yes, it came at the cost of DeRozan, but what they got in return was a superstar, a Finals MVP, a DPOY winner, and one of the best two-way players in the game today. Who wouldn't be ecstatic to get a big return like that?

The acquisition of Leonard has turned the Raptors from a running joke in the East to an instant title contender. While Kawhi gets all the headlines, we can't overlook a few other Raptor players that stepped up. Pascal Siakam made major strides this year with a 16.9 PPG and 6.9 RPG breakout season. This major increase in production has deemed him worthy to be nominated for this year's Most Improved Player award. He might've supplanted Kyle Lowry as the 2nd option on the team. Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell are major contributors off the bench, VanVleet especially when he's shooting hot. Ujiri and the Raptors front office made some mid-season moves to strengthen the team as well by trading for Marc Gasol and giving away long time starter Jonas Valanciunas. The Raptors had a lot of rationale in fielding a "win now" team. Kawhi is on a one-year rental and it's unknown if he wants to stay in Toronto long-term. But, he already built a legacy in Toronto in one year that surpasses what Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, and DeMar DeRozan did for the franchise in their tenure as Raptors. Come playoff time, he was an absolute animal on both ends of the floor. During the matchups against Orlando, Philly, and Milwaukee, he single-handedly carried the Raptors and put an end to their past playoff shortcomings. Nick Nurse is also doing a hell of a job as a first-year head coach, making all the necessary adjustments and placing his trust on his rotation. Heading into the finals for the first time in franchise history since their inception in 1995, the Raptors don't have just the city of Toronto behind them, but all of Canada as well.

Keys for the Dubs

Honestly, it'd be an added bonus if they get back Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins at some point in this series. But so far, the 2-time defending champions are holding their own with their home-grown Big 3 of Curry, Thompson, and Green. Since KD went out, Curry has been on an absolute tear. The shooting woes in the last few games are glaring, but in big moments Curry delivers when needed. The team has shifted back to his chain of command and he's looking for a Finals MVP this time around. Draymond Green is back to being the all-around player he used to be from 2014-2016, setting the tone on both ends of the floor. He too is going to be key, but he's gonna have his hands against bigger players such as Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam, especially since the Warriors are heavily reliant on their small-ball "death lineup." Klay Thompson, it's simple, when he heats up, it's an added bonus for the Warriors' offense. Like Curry, Klay has had some shooting slumps, but delivers in key moments on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. The Splash Bros. will do work. Andre Iguodala is going to have the assignment in trying to contain Kawhi Leonard, he'll be an X-Factor as always. Like I said before, the Warriors are getting some big-time contribution from Kevon Looney off the bench. His youth and hustle on the boards could create some mismatch problems. The motto of this Warriors' dynasty has always been "Strength in Numbers." It's time to live up to that moniker again.

Keys for the Raps

The Raptors haven't been to a stage as big as the NBA Finals in their franchise history. However, they do have some players with some Finals experience. As mentioned, Kawhi Leonard is a former Finals MVP and this will be his third Finals appearance. Danny Green is in the same boat. Serge Ibaka has been there before in 2012 when the Heat eliminated his Thunder in five games. Patrick McCaw, despite not having any major role this postseason, has been on the Warriors' championship roster the past two years and could provide some valuable insight on how to beat them. The other Raptor players will definitely have some jitters despite having home court advantage. Kawhi Leonard has been a godsend for the Raptors this year. He's going to have to set the tone, but without the question the Warriors will gameplan for him defensively, so he's gonna need some outside help. Basically, it hinges on if anybody on the roster shows up this series. Kyle Lowry has to show up. VanVleet has to continue shooting the ball with confidence off the bench. Danny Green and Marc Gasol have had minimal contributions to the team so far this postseason. If any other option outside Kawhi steps up for Toronto, it could create a lot of problems for the Warriors. The Raptors have the size with Siakam, Ibaka, and Gasol to create mismatches against the Warriors' death lineup on the boards. With Durant and Cousins out, it's essential for the Raptors to come right out of the gate these first two games and give the back-to-back defending champs a worthy challenge.

Prediction

This was my pick for this year's NBA Finals since the start of the playoffs. I think Toronto has the personnel to match up well against Golden State. The Raptors' regular season sweep of the Warriors doesn't do a whole lot of justice in showing that as both teams were not at their current state at that time. Nonetheless, the Warriors didn't have a Finals matchup as intriguing as this since they faced a healthy Cavaliers team in 2016. This is especially since they don't have KD and Boogie to start this series. There's no question, the Raptors are going to give them a run for their money. Steve Kerr and Nick Nurse are going to have an epic chess match in coaching and game planning. But at the end of the day, you can't underestimate the heart of a champion. These Warriors are hungry to add on to the dynasty and become the first team to 3-peat in over a decade. Whether Durant and Cousins show up at all, the experience and championship mettle will be on display and look for them to give Oracle Arena one final sendoff with a championship celebration on the home floor.

Warriors in 6

Raiders 2019 NFL Draft Round 1 Recap

Day 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft is a wrap and the Raiders have made all three of their first round selections. They tanked enough to get #4 overall pick. They get additional late first round picks from the Bears and the Cowboys since they traded Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper respectively. The Gruden/Mayock regime can't possibly screw this up correct? Let's take a look at their selections and I provide my own personal thoughts on them.

#4: Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson

The top 5 pick that surprised a whole lot of analysts that covered a lot of mock drafts prior. So, this is the reason why Gruden and Mayock sent their scouts home? I got a chance to see Ferrell play against Alabama in the National Title game. I was paying close attention to he and Quinnen Williams as I thought the Raiders would get both players back-to-back. Not the case today as the Jets took Williams at #3. Clelin Ferrell is not a bad player. He was key in disrupting Alabama's offense and not allowing Tua Tagovailoa to turn loose as the Tigers rolled over the Tide that game. Then again, that Clemson D-line was stacked with all kinds of talent and Ferrell without question is a 1st round talent. He's ranked as a top 10 DE/EDGE rusher in this draft. High character, coming from a military family. He's exactly what the Raiders needed to shore up the pass rush that was non-existent since they gave away Mack to Chicago. The only problem is that he was taken a little too early. Most mock drafts had him as a mid-late 1st rounder. Again, I thought the Raiders would've used their late 1st round picks to get him or they could've traded down and he still would've been on the board. Bosa went at #2. Williams at #3. The top defensive prospects are gone, so why not trade down, accumulate more picks, and still get Ferrell? Another thing is that other top prospects like Josh Allen out of Kentucky was still on the board. But, the Raiders selected Ferrell because he's a better scheme fit. The number one rule for teams with a top 5 pick is that you use that pick for a need. You use it for an impact player that can help right away, hence why I and along with a few others were stunned that they reached for Ferrell this early. Like I said, he's not a bad player. He's just overvalued for a #4 overall pick. Inserting him with Hurst, Hall, and Key on that D-line is going to be Paul Guenther's big project. That line is filled with a lot of promise and unknowns.

#24: Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama

From the Khalil Mack trade obviously. There's a lot of uncertainty at the running back position with Marshawn Lynch retiring (again) and Doug Martin remaining unsigned (like the Raiders need him). They did sign Isaiah Crowell this offseason to address RB. With this selection, they might potentially have added their bell cow back of the future. I didn't get to see much of Josh Jacobs in the championship game vs. Clemson. Alabama got destroyed so they couldn't rely on the running game too much. But from what I've heard and looking at his highlights, he's versatile and can fit in a zone or power scheme. He's shown some flashes as a solid pass catching back, has a nose for the end zone, and possesses some good speed when he hits one big hole. He's pretty shifty with his feet as well. Given that and his pass catching ability, I'm probably assuming that Josh Jacobs is more of a scat back. He's definitely a perfect replacement for Beast Mode since Marshawn is a similar runner. The only knock on Jacobs is that Alabama's running backs are hard to trust when they go to the NFL. Think Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Derrick Henry (TBD), etc. Alabama RBs have been on a downward trend lately and many are figuring out that they're byproducts of Alabama's pro-ready O-line. Nonetheless, The competition at RB is heating up with Jacobs and Crowell expected to be #1 and #2. And then Richard, D-Wash, and CW III (Chris Warren III) projected to fight for that #3 spot.

#27: Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State

I initially projected the Raiders to go defense heavy with all three of their first round picks. I wouldn't be surprised if they used one of those picks to get a DB. And they did address that with their last pick of the draft. Last year, the Raiders' secondary started to turn the corner. Karl Joseph broke out since taking over for Reggie Nelson. Gareon Conley was finally 100% and showed some flashes of being a shutdown corner. Thank goodness they didn't bring back old-@$$ Reggie Nelson and signed LaMarcus Joyner from the Rams. I'm being a little off topic here, so let's go back. The Raiders select Johnathan Abram. He was the leading tackler in the SEC Conference. He's a hard-hitting safety that excels in whenever Mississippi State's defense stacks the box. He's also a versatile safety, able to play both Free, Strong and can easily be plugged into playing as a nickel corner. I'm not sure if this pick indicates that the writing is on the wall for Karl Joseph. He's a free agent by season's end. We'll see what happens. But, the Raiders are stacking a lot of depth in the secondary. They're deep especially at the Safety position with Joseph, Joyner, Erik Harris, Curtis Riley, and now, Johanathan Abram.

A Season in Review: 2018-19 Lakers

*Some NSFW language*

This was quite a week for the Los Angeles Lakers and not in a good way. Perhaps the shitstorm that's going on in La La Land was right on queue for me to post our annual Season in Review post for the 2018-19 Lakers. What started as a season full of hope and optimism turned into a nightmare and it doesn't stop there with all the major turnover that is going on inside a franchise that was once the "gold standard" of the NBA. Let's recap a bit here.

When the Lakers brought in LeBron James, we were elated that the Lakers finally landed that superstar free agent they desperately coveted. They landed the NBA's biggest star and they were the talk of the league once again. To complement the acquisition of LeBron, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka added Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, and Lance Stephenson, players all with playoff and championship saviness to help turn the Laker boys into men. With LeBron, the young core, and the one-year vets, the Lakers got off to a solid start. They played above .500 basketball, were #4 in the West, and they blew out the 2x defending champion Warriors in Oakland on Christmas Day. The game proved that the Lakers were back and they were back with a vengeance.

And simultaneously after that game, the Lakers were never the same again. The Lakers lose LeBron on a groin injury and he dozed off to the bright lights of Hollywood, caring more about Space Jam 2 and his collab with 2 Chainz rather than bringing the Lakers back to prominence (hence the load management). It also doesn't help that the Lakers Front Office pretty much put the entire team on notice for one Unibrow in New Orleans in Anthony Davis. Let's be honest, both sides made piss poor PR moves in this trade drama. But, it hurt the Lakers more because after that, nobody seemed to trust nobody. No NBA GM trusts Rob Pelinka. No player on the roster trust LeBron and his Klutch Sports agency because they failed in pulling the strings to get Anthony Davis to LA to play with LeBron. As a result for this consolation, the Lakers still managed to pull off some trades...by adding Reggie Bullock and Mike Muscala. **Excuse me while I take a step back and question reality.**

As LeBron went down with the groin injury, the injury bug spread to the Lakers' young core like a disease. Lonzo Ball never saw the court again with leg and ankle injuries. It's what happens when you wear those cheap, bootleg BBB sneakers. Brandon Ingram is currently fighting a career and life-threatening blood clot. Even with "playoff mode" activated, the burden was too much for LeBron to carry with a lot of postseason mileage and being in a competitive West instead of a weak East. The Lakers missed the playoffs yet again and Lou Williams and Patrick Beverly backed up their statements that the Clippers still have a stranglehold over LA given their more recent successes. 

Now that I've rambled on the general summary of how this season went, let's boil down to the shitshow that has happened in these couple days after a disappointing 37-45 finish to the season. Magic Johnson stepped down as President of Basketball Operations hours before the Lakers' final game against Portland. Maybe LaVar Ball was right, he was just the face of the Lakers, not a true basketball executive. Magic has a big smile and charismatic charm that he had since he came into the league. Unfortunately, that charisma has lead the Lakers to pay some hefty fines for tampering since he could not shut up about other teams' star players. Magic may be a business man, but he doesn't have a sharp eye for talent nor does he have the patience and competency in trusting a process. Exhibit A) trading D'Angelo Russell because he needed a "leader," Exhibit B) Putting the young core on the trade block to field a two-man superteam. No matter what happens, Magic is a powerful figure in Laker land regardless. He just doesn't have the moxie to coach or build a team. At least there's some things that Larry Bird has edged Magic out in. Per Magic's words, "he's a free bird now." Good luck Rob Pelinka, you're gonna need it.

A day after, the Lakers fire their athletic trainer. When a team has this many injuries in a season, definitely there has to be an overhaul of professional trainers and physical therapists. The tragic thing is, he was probably a protege of Gary Vitti, the Lakers' longtime athletic trainer until 2016. With the amount of injuries this season, obviously the Lakers need some new trainers to better condition players and make them as injury-free as possible.

As the Purple and Gold Rome burns day-by-day, the most inevitable departure happened. Head Coach Luke Walton gets the axe after three seasons. Both he and the Lakers "mutually parted ways." Despite coaching the Warriors to a 24-0 start, Luke was still green by pretty much inheriting his own team after being a part of the Steve Kerr coaching tree. We can't ignore the deficiencies that hindered his development. His rotations were questionable at best. He throws players out there, hoping some things work out rather than survey the matchups out there and sub in and out player to exploit some advantages. His set plays off timeouts were subpar at best. But let's be honest here, Luke could not properly establish the culture and system he wanted to bring to the Lakers because of high roster turnover in all of his three years with the Lakers. He was brought in to develop the young core. His first year, he intended to build a system around D'Angelo Russell. D'Lo gets traded, now Luke has to adjust around Zo, B.I., Kuz, and Randle. Randle leaves. Lakers bring LeBron and a couple of vets in and now, he can't fully implement his system because the "LeBron system" doesn't work that way. Despite all that, Luke helped improve the Lakers year-to-year from 26 wins to 35 wins to a whopping 37 wins. Yup, Luke was definitely the "fall guy" for the Lakers because the front office kept plugging square pegs into round holes around the roster. It wouldn't take long for Luke to find a job. He's a hot candidate for young teams in need of a player development-oriented coach.

Just when we thought the Lakers were trending in the right direction. The organization is being exposed into what it currently is: a Purple and Gold Shitshow. They've done it. They've pretty much become the Oakland Raiders of the NBA: a dysfunctional franchise that is clinging on to the glory days of the past. You know I thought it was only Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak that was destroying the Lakers from within, boy does it get worse with Jeanie Buss running the show? Honestly, what is the late Dr. Jerry Buss thinking about in the afterlife now as he sees his kids destroy his proud empire? You know? It's probably like what the late Al Davis is going through right now seeing Mark Davis burn the Raiders to the ground. It's tough to root for two dysfunctional teams that is making losing a normal conformity year after year after year: coaching carousels, high roster turnover, delusions of grandeur in chasing superstar free agents in their prime, vice versa, chasing the big names in the twilight of their career, and accumulating all kinds of draft assets and then stunting and demoralizing the growth of those young prospects because the front office does not know what the hell they're doing. 

The team is in shambles. They're pretty much rebooting the rebuilding process again. But, the biggest hurdle right now is the 4-year, $134 million contact they offered to bring an aging LeBron James in. Hmmm... doesn't this remind me of Kobe's final years? Hasn't the organization learn a goddamn thing that you must choose either to win now or build for the long-term and that there's no in-between the two paths? Especially with the latter being the better option among the two because it equates to long-term success? Look at how San Antonio built their team. Look at how Golden State built their team. The Lakers can't even try to develop and mold their own draft assets even if their organization's life depended on it. We get it, the draft is a 50/50 hindsight. The #1 pick is nearly a guaranteed superstar and the Lakers haven't had the luxury of a #1 pick in these past few years. But, this doesn't excuse the fact that the Lakers have accumulated a lot of young talent these past years only to throw them away as they find success elsewhere because the Lakers are so desperate to win championships right away. This is why free agents stay as far away as possible and I bet they're not even going to consider playing with LeBron and the Lakers with the shitshow that is going on there. Free agents do not care about past success, the amount of championships won, and the fact that it's the Lakers and it's LA. They care more about the long-term outlook of the team. Hence why the Lakers are horrifyingly out of touch with today's NBA! They're trending on a parallel path that has plagued the Raiders in the NFL since their Super Bowl hangover in 2002. "We can pry Jerry West away from the Clippers." Easier said than done given the Lakers had their chance and blew it. They have a GM that nobody trusts. The next head coach is likely a puppet of LeBron. Free agents are monitoring this situation closely and it's more likely than not that the Lakers have no Plan B because no top free agent would want to come and play in LeBron's shadow.

Jeanie Buss, the ball is in your court. If you don't have a long-term plan to turn the Lakers around, then I'm afraid it might be time for a changing of the guard in ownership. For most of us fans that continue to preserve the "championship or bust" mentality, it's time to look in the mirror. Otherwise, the Lakers would continue to be in an endless loop of rebuilding and tearing back down and the cycle won't stop until they have a firm plan and identity in place for the long run. That's my rant/review for the year. We'll see what's in store for the offseason.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (03/31): Oh, Now They Start Winning?

*Some NSFW language*

A few more games after this week remain. It's a time where good teams start resting their star players sitting comfortably in their playoff spots and where bad teams start picking up G-League players to showcase their potential in making the team. The Lakers have long been eliminated from the playoffs, but they still play on as the NBA demands it. It was a March to forget about as the Lakers took so many L's that they doomed their playoffs hopes. Now ever since they were eliminated, they started playing better. Let's be honest here, they played against teams that are tanking or have no shot at the playoffs whatsoever this week. As they pile up meaningless W's, they are on pace to break their win total from last year, despite finishing under .500 yet again, which is a big disappointment considering they went from 26 wins to 35 wins in Luke Walton's first two years as Head Coach. And more likely than not, he's fired by season's end. Let's get to the bottom of this week's Lakers Weekly Roundup.

03/26: vs. Washington 106-124 [W] (33-41)

HIGHLIGHTS

Lance Making Jeff Green Dance

You know? Games like this makes me wish that the NBA had an option to flex out games that are not worthy for national television. Kinda like what the NFL does. I mean, nobody wants to see two NFL teams with losing records headlining a Sunday Night game. It's understandable why this was nationally televised from the get-go. The Wizards were projected to be playoff team this year and LeBron James has made the Lakers relevant again and must-see TV. Now, these are two teams out of the playoff hunt and riddled with injuries. This game was easy pickings for the Lakers when Washington's only offense this game came out of Bradley Beal,  who's on an all-around tear these last few games. Beal had 32 points this game, but the Lakers beat the John Wall-less Wizards on an all-around team win. Ironic to say considering they tried to tear this locker room apart. But, it was all fun and games here. Lance Stephenson had the highlight of the night this game crossing up Jeff Green and making the Laker bench and Staples Center lose their minds. Even though Green clearly stepped on Lance's foot and slipped. With the game well out of reach, the Lakers debut their recent G-League tryout, Scott Machado, signed to a 10-day deal.

03/27: @ Utah 100-115 [L] (33-42)

HIGHLIGHTS

Back-to-back set, so no LeBron here. The Lakers were bound to lose this game. It's always a hostile crowd in Salt Lake City. With the Lakers having nothing to play for, the Jazz were well within reach of a playoff berth if they win this game. The Jazz took care of business behind a stellar game from Joe Ingles. John Stockton was reincarnated as an Aussie this game as Ingles carved up the Lakers with his passing, racking 14 assists and making Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors look good. Congrats Jazz, you've clinched a playoff berth. Nothing more to say here.

03/29: vs. Charlotte 115-129 [W] (34-42)

HIGHLIGHTS

Hornets fans, you have to implore his Airness to give Kemba Walker some help. The guy does so much for this team, but he's surrounded by a shit supporting cast. Lucky for the Hornets, they play in the East and their playoff hopes are still faintly alive. But, the Lakers dampen those playoff hopes a bit with this win as LeBron continues his shutout in head-to-head matchups against Kemba. I just found out that he has a 28-0 record all-time against him. That should be good enough for LeBron. Now, let's shut him down for the rest of the season.

03/31 @ New Orleans 130-102 [W] (35-42)

HIGHLIGHTS

Following up from the last post, the Lakers announced prior to this game that LeBron James will not play the rest of the season. I'd say it's a wise move. The guy has a lot mileage with 8 straight finals appearances and he hasn't been 100% since the groin injury in December. The playoffs are well out of reach, so there's no reason to push him to play out the remainder of the season.

Now that's that, time to give the Pelicans another beating for helping sabotage the Lakers' chemistry. Funny enough, the Pelicans listed Anthony Davis as probable for this game, then they ruled him out at the last minute. Honestly, who'd be stupid enough to play their disgruntled star player at this point of the season? To smite the team that tried to trade for him? Okay. Activate Alex Caruso's bald spot! Before we get into that, this was a revenge game for Rondo against his former team and he showed out with 24 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals. McGee also contributed with 23 points and 16 rebounds. But, it was the brilliant shooting of Alex Caruso and Reggie Bullock off the bench this game to help blow the Pelicans. Caruso lead the bench with 23 points to go along with 6 assists and 4 steals. He's been nothing short of solid when given the opportunity to go off the bench. But, we gotta give credit to the Laker defense in the 2nd half to spring the hot shooting. I was checking the plays on the Yahoo Sports app and they forced the Pelicans to turn the ball over like crazy to ignite the rout. Well, I'd say this probably the Lakers' last easy W this season. They got five more games against playoff contenders in the West (Golden State, Portland, OKC, Utah, Clippers). They'd be lucky to catch some of those teams resting players. Probably the team that won't likely rest players are the Warriors as they are neck-and-neck with the Nuggets for the #1 seed in the West. I probably won't be doing weekly roundups the rest of the way. I'll be heading straight for the annual Season-in-Review post. Anyway, here's to a strong finish to the season!