Best NBA dynamic duo

By: Bryce Hanson

Dynamic duos have been one of the main faces in the league since the 80s and we’ve seen some special ones across the decades. Dynamic duos just bring an exciting mix to the league and prove two is better than one.

I’m not going to just read off their stats to you because that would just be boring, no I’m going to give you my 17 year old opinion about this. Now the oldest duo I can remember is the Magic Johnson and Kareem on the magic back in the 80s.This duo became the face of the league and really brought most of the NBA’s fans into the league. The exciting young Magic paired up with the vet Kareem created a duo like pb and j.

The next duo I think of after the Magic and Kareem duo is the Jordan and Pippen duo. I’m sure a lot of the older generation will agree with me on this one. I believe that because this is when they were young teenagers and that is when basketball is at it’s peak for you to watch. This duo will echo in eternity not only for their success in the finals but also because one of the GOATS is in this duo. Yes Scottie was a great player but that success in the finals would not have happened without the main man Micheal Jordan. He carried this duo which is why in my opinion, this is not one of the best.

Last one of the duos I was not alive for, is Kobe and Shaq. These two butted heads the entire time they were together. Which speaks to how much they were like brothers. Unlike the Bulls duo, this pair was not one sided at all. Kobe was making his name be known as one of the greatest, while Shaq was already known as one of the best. Their success just showed that all the off court nonsense didn’t matter in the real game.

Finally the duo that is my personal favorite, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Before the Jordan and Pippen fans get mad, you have to remember what I said. I’m a young teenager and this duo was at it’s peak when basketball was at its peak for me. This duo not only one championships together but became known as the best shooting duo of all time. Reviving the toughest name I’ve ever heard, “The Splash Brothers”. If that name itself doesn’t send shivers down your spine then wait to hear the leaders of this duo. Stephen Curry is the best shooter of all time and my opinion the best player of all time. I didn’t say greatest, but I said best. The other splash brother, Klay Thompson is arguably the second best shooter of all time, which shows this duo is not as one sided as people think.

Overall, through all these years of amazing duos being in the league, my opinion points towards the Splash brothers being the greatest NBA duo of all time.

Review of the Charlotte Hornets first three games of the Season

By: Knox Buxton

The Charlotte Hornets have started 1-2 in the first three games of the season. They have played the Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat where they won the first game against the Rockets and dropped the next two against the Hawks and Heat. I was honestly surprised by the Hornets performance on opening night in Houston against the Rockets. I knew it would be a close game, but with Mark Williams and Josh Green out it would be a tough one to win. Brandon Miller who is arguably the best player on the Hornets got injured after playing the first eleven minutes of the game and did not return. Lamelo Ball and Tre Mann ended up carrying the hornets to a 110-105 win after they went down by as much as eighteen. Ball nearly had his first triple-double of the season with 34 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds as Tre Mann came off the bench and added 24 points and 6 rebounds. Two nights later the Hornets played in Atlanta against the Hawks without two starters in Brandon Miller and Mark Williams. The Hawks led most of the game even though it was close, but the Hornets could not pull ahead as Atlanta won 125-120. The game seemed like a back and forth between Lamelo Ball and Trae Young as Ball scored 34 points with 9 three pointers and Trae Young finished with 38 points and 10 assists. On Saturday night, the Miami Heat came to Charlotte for the Hornets’ first home game of the new season. Miami took a double digit lead, but the Hornets came back and made it a one score game for most of the fourth quarter. Miami was able to pull away in the final minutes and leave Charlotte with a 114-106 victory. Lamelo was the leading scorer for the Hornets once again with 27 points in the loss. In conclusion, I know the Hornets are 1-2 right now and that does not look good but they have also had 3 of their starters out with Josh Green, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams. Both of the games they have lost were close without those three so I don’t think there is a need to worry too much. One of the main problems for the Hornets is Rim Protection and when Mark Williams comes back that should be fixed. I have been very happy with the way Lamelo Ball and Tre Mann have started the season as Lamelo has averaged 31.7 points per game and Mann has averaged 18.3 off the bench. If those two can keep it up once Williams, Miller, and Green come back the Hornets could surprise a lot of people in the Eastern Conference this season.

2024-2025 NBA Season Opener Preview

By: Know Buxton

The 2024-2025 NBA season tips off on October 22 with the defending champions Boston Celtics facing the New York Knicks. That game will be followed by the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. I really like these matchups for opening night because all four of these teams should be pretty competitive this season. In my opinion, the Boston Celtics look like the favorites to win the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. They definitely have all of the pieces they need in order to go back to back. They have two stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, they have two of the best defending guards in the league in Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, and they also have one of the best shooting and defending big men in the league in Kristaps Porzingis. They have a solid bench with players like Payton Pritchard, Al Horford, and Lonnie Walker IV, but it could be better. To me, their biggest threat to going back to back is their health. If one player in their starting five gets injured for an extended period of time, things could go downhill. Luckily for the Celtics, these players don’t have bad injury histories except for Kristaps Porzingis so this shouldn’t be much of a concern. For the Knicks on the other hand, they also have a good chance to make a championship push. I really like the additions they made with Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. Their biggest concern is the depth which they lost by trading Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. They also lost Isiah Hartenstein to the Thunder in free agency this summer which doesn’t help. As for the opening night game between the two, I think the Celtics will win a close game and this could potentially be a playoff matchup we see later in the season.

The Lakers are a team to watch this season too. They are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis , two of the best players in the NBA; but their biggest problem, as always, is the supporting cast for their two superstars. They signed JJ Reddick as a first time head coach and he seems to be very close with LeBron James. This is a make or break season for the Lakers in my opinion because LeBron’s career is coming to an end and Anthony Davis might not want to stay for much longer if there is no LeBron James. For the Timberwolves, I am very high on their young superstar Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves finished as a top team last season and made a deep playoff run before losing to the Mavericks. They traded their star that went alongside Edwards in Karl-Anthony Towns, but I like the additions of Julius Randle and Donte Divincenzo. The biggest question for Minnesota is if their good season last season was a fluke or not. I think they have all the pieces in place for another successful season, but it largely depends on how the Towns trade turns out for them. In the Timberwolves vs Lakers game, I think the Timberwolves will win in a close one but it definitely could go the other way. This game comes down to which team plays better together because both teams made moves this off-season and have some new additions.

Who’s the best basketball player

By: Bryce Hanson

To be the best basketball player you can be you need five factors to your game. Now of course there’s outside factors like, the ability to win and your ability to lead a team, but we’re talking about the best player of all time, not the greatest player of all time.Which is obviously Micheal Jordan but I will not be getting into that.

The five factors that makes up the best basketball player are shooting,passing,dribbling,finishing and defending. Some uneducated people would say that Lebron James is the best at those things but many facts prove those people wrong. First skill is shooting and unless you have been living under a rock you would know that Stephen Curry is the best shooter of all time. He holds many single season three point records and has the most three pointers made ever. He revolutionized the game of basketball and made every team in the NBA better their shooting to compete with him. After shooting we have passing and it can be argued but if you really know ball it’s obvious that John Stockton was the greatest passer of all time. He holds the single assist record for a season and has the most assists of all time. Then that brings us to dribbling and there are no records we can look at to justify this skill but dribbling is a major part of the game and can really put fans in the seat. Now it’s argued between a couple of players, weather it Allen iverson, who the older generation loves, or Kyrie Irving who is the new generation’s best to offer but if you really think about it there is only one player who it can be. Kyrie has shown year in and year out that he is a master with the ball in his hands. Then comes finishing, which isn’t just dunks but also layups in the lane and scoring at the rack.This can can be argued many ways but Micheal Jordan was legendary not only for his mentality but his ability to finish. He dunked from the free throw line and did acrobatic layups ever game. Lastly is the best defender of all time and that is a very loose term but I take it as who stops people form scoring the most. The person who did this the most was Hakeem Olajuwan who has the most blocks of all time. People would drive to the line and drive right back out of they saw him.

So I leave it to you to determine who the best is and I hope I have educated you between the difference between being the best and being the greatest, at least when it comes to NBA basketball.

Top NBA Games for April 29-May 5

By: Andrew Brown

Monday 29, 2024

Thunder vs Pelicans 8:30pm

West 1st round – Game 4, OKC lead series 3-0

Who’s going to win: Thunder. The Pelicans have had no answer for this young and talented team. Without Zion they can’t really do much. For the Thunder they have to finish this out and carry their momentum to the next round.

Lakers vs Nuggets 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game 5, DEN lead series 3-1

Who’s going to win: Nuggets. Lebron has to carry this game. He is the key to them winning this game/ possibly the series. Denver needs to just play them like they usually do. they are 11-1 against this team so whatever they are doing shouldn’t change.

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Tuesday 30,2024

76ers vs Knicks 7:00pm

East 1st round – Game 5, NY lead series 3-1

Who’s going to win: 76ers. With Embiid not at 100% the 6ers have been struggling offensively. If Embiid was at or at least close to a 100% this series would be closer, they might even be ahead. For the Knicks Bruson has been on fire and has to stay that way or they might be in trouble. Their defense against Embiid is very good. As soon as he touches the back there are at least 3 people on him or 4 people ready to pounce when he drives.

Pacers vs Bucks 9:30pm

East 1st round – Game 5, IND lead series 3-1

Who’s going to win: Pacers. With Giannis and Dame out there is no excuse for them to lose. The Bucks lost to basically the G-League Grizzlies twice with Dame and Giannis playing, it will be embarrassing if they lose. They also have one of the best offenses of all time with them having the second best offense rating of all time, another reason why the Pacers shouldn’t lose. The Pacers do not need to play like it’s a guaranteed win, they need to fight hard from the start to the end. For the Bucks they just need to come out and play hard. If they want any chance of winning Middleton needs to have a huge game. Their bench needs to be ready too.

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Wednesday 1, 2024

Heat vs Celtics 7:30pm

East 1st round – Game 5, BOS lead series 2-1

Who’s going to win: Celtics. Ever since Jimmy Butler got injured this series was already over. They probably had a chance to win the series with Butler healthy but still would’ve lost. For the Celtics with Porzingus out this game but they should still easily win. Last game the Celtics played mad especially Derrick White who had 38 points (career high) was greening 3 and dunking on everyone. He only had 13 dunks in the regular season but for that game he had two big contested dunks with a nasty one over Bam the big man. If they play like that the whole playoffs nobody will beat them.

Mavs vs Clippers 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game 5, series tied 2-2

Who’s going to win: Clippers. The Clippers have more experience on their team than the Mavs do. With them having Harden, George, and Westbrook they all have the capability of scoring. For the Mavs with Luka being on the injury report as a Game Time Decision (he’ll most likely still play) it’ll be hard for them to win if he is out. If he is out Kyrie will be the leader of this team and will have to give it all that he got.

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Thursday 2, 2024

Games TBD

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Friday 3, 2024

Cavs vs Magic Time is TBD

East 1st round – Game 6, series tied 2-2

Who’s going to win: Magic. I believe the Magic have the capability of winning this series. Franz Wagner looks like the number one option it’s all up to him if they will win it or not. Banchero has also been playing very well. For the Cavs the key to them winning is Darius Garland. He needs to be a scorer and not just sit in the corner. If he gets more involved they will win the series.

Clippers vs Mavs 9:30pm

West 1st round – Game 6, series tied 2-2

Who’s going to win: Clippers. I feel like in this game the Clippers are going to run away with it as it’ll be an all around team effort. There is just too much talent for them to lose. For the Mavs Luka hasn’t been on his best game. He even admitted it as he said he felt like he was letting Kyrie down with his bad performance. This game I think Luka will go off but it will not be enough for the win.

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Saturday 4, 2024

Games TBD

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Sunday 5, 2024

Games TBD

NBA Picks for this week

By: Andrew Brown

Wednesday 24, 2024

Heat vs Celtics 7:00pm

East 1st round – Game two, BOS lead series 1-0

Who’s going to win: Celtics. With the heat without Jimmy Butler and Rozier it’ll be hard for them to win against this Celtics team. For the Celtics they need to play like they’ve been playing this whole season. They cannot get into the one on one game they’ll need to pass the ball and create/look for mismatches.

Pelicans vs Thunder 9:30pm

West 1st round – Game two, OKC leads series 1-0

Who’s going to win: Thunder. With Zion out players like Trey Murphy need to step up for Zion’s absence. The Pelicans were also one of the best teams scoring in the paint but it’ll be hard doing that without Zion. For the Thunder they should easily win the series unless Shai gets injured. With them being the youngest team in the league they need to use their young energy to beat out their opponents.

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Thursday 25, 2024

Cavs vs Magic 7:00pm

East 1st round – Game three, CLE lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Magic. In my opinion I think the Magic will come back and win the series. If they want any chance of doing that they have to believe they can. At the start of the season they were on fire. If they can play like that then they will easily make the conference finals and maybe the championship. The only 2 things that come down to them winning is hard defense and Jalen Suggs stepping up. Palo and Wanger can’t be the only two scoring. For the Cavs they can’t let them come back. If they end up losing this series they will have a lot of things they have to do in the summer. The key to winning is Darius Garland. Garland has been in a shooting slump and needs to get out of it before it’s too late.

Nuggets vs Lakers 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game three, DEN lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Denver. Last game the Lakers had a 20 point lead and still lost. If they can’t win games when they’re up by 20 then they aren’t winning the series. Darvin Ham needs to make some serious adjustments to win. Lebron and AD also need to finish out games and hope they can come back. For the Nuggets they need to play like they have been every time they play this team. They have won 10 straight and will probably get 11. They have a good chance to sweep them too.

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Friday 26, 2024

Bucks vs Pacers 7:30pm

East 1st round – Game three, series tied 1-1

Who’s going to win: Pacers. After the last game it looked bad for the Bucks. The pacers were just getting everything they wanted on offense. Sikam also looks like the best player in the NBA. For the Bucks Lilard has to carry the load now that Giannis is out. On defense They need to box out and stop them from getting offensive rebounds. Either the Bucks win the series or at least keep it close for Giannis to return.

Clippers vs Mavs 10:00pm

West 1st round – Game three, series tied 1-1

Who’s going to win: Clippers. With all their talent how can they lose. Also with Kawaii coming back they should be better all around. They need to all use their experience to win the game and the series. For the Maverick it all starts with defense, especially Luka. If Luka plays hard defense and doesn’t let players blow by then it’ll make winning easier for them. With the Clippers having the big 4 you have to pick your poison because you can’t and won’t defend all of them.

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Saturday 27, 2024

Thunder vs Pelicans 3:30pm

West 1st round – Game three, OKC lead series 1-0

Who’s going to win: Thunder. Without Zion they’ll probably get swept. Shai (who has a chance of getting the MVP) has to lead this team to the next round. He cannot slack off now, he has to finish the job and go to the next round. For the Pelicans at this point they have to hope they are shooting well and they aren’t.

Nuggets vs Lakers 8:30pm

West 1st round – Game four, DEN lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Lakers. If they lost their last game then this is make it or break it time. If they get a 10 point lead it’ll probably only goi u p from there. With his career potential in the line Lebron will give it his all and will break the losing streak against Denver. For the Nuggets they have to expect that they won’t go down without a fight. They need to match their energy and go on to the next round. If the Laker wants to go on they need to pay like their life is in it because most of them are. For the Nuggets to win they have to play like they have been this whole season and not let them gain confidence.

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Sunday 28, 2024

Knicks vs 76ers 1:00pm

East 1st round – Game four, NY lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: If the Knicks haven’t won. game 3 then this is the last chance for the 6ers. Just like the Lakers situation they have to win to keep their season alive. With Embiid going batter and better each game expect him to have a big game especially if the Knicks are up 3-0. The 76ers need to use their strength and size down low offensively and defensively. For the Knicks they look like they’ve already won the series the way they played. If they keep this defense up then they should and easily sweep them. They have held the 6ers to under 100 points each game. If the Knicks want to win and possibly sweep then they cannot lack on the defensive side where they’ve been good at.

Timberwolves vs Suns 9:30pm

West 1st round – Game four, MIN lead series 2-0

Who’s going to win: Timberwolves. If the Timberwolves won the last game then they should easily sweep the Suns. The Timberwolves are a total mismatch against the Suns. The Timberwolves can get anything they want offensively and then destroy them defensively. It also helps to have the best defensive team in the NBA. If this is possible the last game for the Suns then KD and Booker need to not pass the ball and only shoot. This team in the previous games looked like it had no idea what they were doing on the court. KD and Booker were missing and complaining while The Wolves stormed down the court and scored. If they want to win they need to lock in because this team showed throughout the season that they can beat anyone.

NBA Play-In Tournament

by: Andrew Brown

Rules: The 7 and 8 seeds of both conferences will play one game. The winner of the side will receive a spot in the playoffs facing the 2 seed while the loser of this game will get another chance to get in the playoffs as it will play the winner of the 9 and 10 seed games. The winner of the 7/8 seed game on the western side will play the 2 seed Denver Nuggets and the winner of the eastern seed side will play the 2 seed New York Knicks. After those seeds play, the 9/10 seeds will play. The winner of the 9/10 seed game will go on to play the loser of the 7/8 seed to get a spot in the playoffs against the number 1 seed. Whoever loses this matchup will be eliminated from the playoffs.

Western Conference
Tuesday 16

8 Lakers vs #7 Pelicans 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: Pelicans. The Lakers won the regular season series 3-1. With Zion looking better than ever I see him having a really good game. With Zion being physically matched to handle Lebron strength expect him to have a low scoring game. With them being one of the best defensive teams in the league it’ll be hard for the Lakers to get shots up especially in the paint as they rank number 5 in the nba in opposing teams points in the paint per game. But scoring in the paint is one thing the Lakers are good at. The Lakers are the second best team in the Nba in doing that. The Lakers also might lose this game on purpose just so they don’t have to play the Nuggets. This game is going to come down to Zion, whoever wins the battle down low and if the Lakers are hitting from deep.

10 Warriors vs #9 Kings 10:00pm

Who’s going to win: Kings. The regular season series was a tie at 2 apiece (2-2). This team feeds off energy and when they get hype they get hot. After the Warriors made them pack their bags up last year this is a revenge game. For the Kings this game is more than making the playoffs. They want to destroy the Warriors and let them know how it feels. I expect Fox and Sabonis to have big games and send the Warriors home. As for the Warriors Curry likes to be
the villain. He has carried his team to the playoffs and when you think they have no way of winning he shows up and gets it done. If he isn’t shooting well in this game then they have no chance of winning. With that being said Veterans like Klay and Paul need to use their experience to help Curry out and win this game.

Eastern Conference
Wednesday 17

8 Heat vs #7 76ers 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: 76ers. The regular season series was a tie at 2 apiece (2-2). With Embiid back, winning will be much easier for the 76ers. When Embiid plays they win 79% of their games (31-8) but when he doesn’t play they win 37% of their games (16-27) which means they are losing 63% of their games when he doesn’t play. As for tonight, Embiid should easily score. Losing will be embarrassing especially when they only have Jimmy Butler. As for the Heat, their only priority for this game is slowing down Embiid. Playoff Jimmy also needs to be activated for this game in order to win and get into the playoffs.

10 Hawks vs #9 Bulls 10:00pm

Who’s going to win: Hawks. The Bulls have won the regular season series 2-1. This team is hard to figure out. They can beat the number 1 Celtics back to back nights and then lose to the Hornets 2 weeks later. Even though they are on a 6 game losing streak Trae Young and the Hawks won’t go out without a fight. They know that if they lose their season is over so I expect Young and Murray to come out aggressively and have big games. As for the Bulls who have been dealing with injuries this season they just need to focus and win this game. Demar DeRosen needs to come up big to win this game.

Eastern/ Western Conference
Friday 19

Winner of Eastern #9/10 vs Loser of Eastern #7/8 Time TBD

Winner of Western #9/10 vs Loser of Western #7/8 Time TBD

Top NBA games for March 11-17, 2024

By: Andrew Brown

Monday 11, 2024

Warriors vs Spurs 8:00pm
Who’s going to win: Spurs. This will be the third game of the series with the Warriors squeezing by the first game. Even though they’re not winning much, Wemby has been on fire and we are starting to see another reason why he was picked first overall in the draft. Not only for his height but what he can do with his height. There are plenty of players over 7 feet tall but not all of them can hit step back threes like Wemby. With the Warriors biggest player on the court being Draymond Green (who’s only 6’6) Wemby should feast all night and if he isn’t stopped they can win this game. For the Warriors they need to play like they were before they got destroyed by the Celtics. They will have to rely on their 3 point shooting (which they already do) because they’ll rarely score on Wemby down low. Stopping Wemby will be the biggest priority for this game if they want to win.
Hornets vs Pistons 7:00pm
Who’s going to win: Hornets. This will be the third and last game of the series with the Pistons winning the last two. A battle between the worst teams in the NBA. Like I said earlier the Pistons own this series. But this Hornets team has gotten much better. With acquiring Tre Mann and Grant Williams they’ve been better offensively. Once LaMelo is back and healthy They will be winning more than they are. For the Pistons they have to realize that this is a totally different
team from the last two times they’ve played. They have to work hard and win because now at this point every win counts.

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Tuesday 12, 2024

76ers vs Knicks 7:30pm
Who’s going to win: Knicks. With Embiid out it’ll be hard for them to win a game. They’ll have to rely on the rookies and bench players to make big plays. They also need Maxey to step into Embiid’s role which will be tough. For the Knicks they need to focus. This team is definitely better than the Hawks and Warriors but lost both of them by 10+ points. They cannot play like that against the 76ers.
Timberwolves vs Clippers 10:00pm
Who’s going to win: Timberwolves. This will be the fourth and last game of the series with the Timberwolves leading 2-1. The T-Wolves have the best defense in the league with Kat and Gobert. This team has been turned around in the last three years from being last in their conference to being top 3. A big reason for this turnaround is Ant. Carrying his team through it all. For the Clippers it’ll be tough losing Westbrook off the bench. He was the tone setter for the players on the bench. They have to lock in on offense and need every opportunity they can get. The Timberwolves defense’s relentless scoring will be tough for the Clips.
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Wednesday 13, 2024

Nuggets vs Heat 7:30pm
Who’s going to win: Nuggets. This will be the second and last games of the series with the Nuggets being up 1-0. Jokic has been a problem having 4 triple doubles out of the last 7 games since the all-star break. They also won 6 out the last 7 games. With anyone being able to score 30+ this is a problem for opponents who have to play this team. For the Heat Jimmy Butler can’t
be the only one scoring the majority of the points. They need Rozier to be the one scoring when Butler is having an off game. Bam also needs to do his best to contain Jokic if they want any chance of winning.
Lakers vs Kings 10:00pm
Who’s going to win: Kings. This will be the fourth and last game of the season series with the Kings taking a commanding 3-0 lead. As I said earlier the Kings carry this series and if they meet in the playoffs things will not be looking good for the Lakers. Fox has also carried them this series scoring 35+ in two of the last three games. Including having 44 in the last game. The Lakers need to keep them out of the paint. The Kings have outscored the Lakers in every single game against them. With Lebron possibly out for this game it’ll be hard for the Lakers to prevent the series sweep.
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Thursday 14, 2024

Celtics vs Suns 7:30pm
Who’s going to win: Celtics. This will be the first game of the season series. The Celtics have shown that they can beat any team by 30 if they want. But they cannot afford losing a game when they’re up by 22 with 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter. With Jaylen Brown winning eastern conference player of the week and Tatum winning the eastern conference player of the month, these all-stars look like they want a ring. For the Suns KD is averaging 28 points per game while basically making half the shots he takes. To win this game they’ll need Booker to come back from his injury ready to go against this aggressive Celtics team. If I’m the Suns coach I’ll play to win but to also not lose by 50. The Suns cannot take an embarrassing loss and want to keep this game to at least 10 points.
Mavs vs Thunder 10:00pm
Who’s going to win: Thunder. This will be the third game of the series with it being tied at one a piece. The Mavs have been awful since the all-star game winning only two out of seven games. They also have the worst defense in the NBA since the all-star break. Even when Luka gets a triple double they lose. Obviously if they want to get back on the winning side they have to start by getting their defense back on track. As for the Thunder, if the Mavs keep playing horrible on defense then the Thunder should have an easy night due to having one of the best offenses in the league. Shai, the MVP candidate, has been the leading scorer in most of the games he has played. Shai needs to keep leading this team to victory to keep a top 3 spot in the conference.
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Friday 15, 2024

Heat vs Pistons 7:00pm
Who’s going to win: Heat. This will be the third game of the series with the Heat up 2-0. At this point the Pistons have only one option. Tank and hope things go better next year. With this embarrassing season major changes need to be done to get them to at least win games. For the Heat they are 8-2 in the past ten games. If they lose this game there will be some serious problems they’ll have to solve. Even with Tyler Herro potentially missing this game they should easily win this.
Hawks vs Jazz 9:30pm
Who’s going to win: Hawks. This will be the second and last game of the series with the Hawks winning big the last game to be up 1-0. The Jazz haven’t been all that good since the break winning only one out of the last five. This is mainly because of the injuries. With Young out for a while they haven’t been doing that bad. winning three out of the last five. With Seddiq Bay stepping up this team is a team to watch especially when Young comes back. For them to win they have to come with the dominance they came with the first time.
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Saturday 16, 2024

Nets vs Pacers 7:00pm

Who’s going to win: Pacers. This will be the first game of the series. The Pacers are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. This team can put up 130 every game if they wanted to. Haliburton has come out of nowhere. Him and his team have improved significantly from last season. For the Nets injuries are their biggest problem right now. With Ben Simmons out for the year the Nets are running out of players to play. Harden, KD, and Kyrie messed this team up by leaving. Even though it might seem that there is only bad news, they have won three of the last five games with a lot of stars out. Dorian Finney-Smith and Mikai Bridges need to have big games for them to win.
Warriors vs Lakers 8:30pm
Who’s going to win: Warriors. This will be the third matchup of the series with it being tied at one a piece. Lebron looked like age is finally getting to him in his last game. With this the Lakers most likely will give Lebron rest for his upcoming games. This being said AD, Reaves, and Russel have to show his presence for this game. For the Warriors they did an exceptional job bouncing back from the 52 point Celtics loss to beating the Bucks by 38 points. With a loss like that, teams usually lose confidence and lose again the next game. After that performance this either means the Celtics are really good or the Bucks just are trash. Curry needs to keep being dominant and keep winning.
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Sunday 17, 2024

Bucks vs Suns 1:00pm
Who’s going to win: Bucks. This will be the second and last game of the series with the Suns up 1-0. Before the loss to Golden State they were on a 6 game winning streak due to their efforts on defense. Before the all-star break they lost a surprising game to the Grizzlies who only have half the team with a bunch of G-league players. If they want to win they need to continue playing good defense. They also can’t let Giannis, Dame, and Portis score 63 combined points out of 90. That means the rest of the team scored 27 points. All 10 players that played combined for 27 points. That can’t happen. They need other players like Crowder and Lopez to show up. For the Suns they need to stay consistent. They can’t lose to the Rockets and then beat the Nuggets. Consistency is key for them making the playoffs. To win the need to keep Giannis out of the paint and make him make tough shots. They also need to contain Lillard from deep. Last time Booker and KD combined for 60, they either need to do the same or play good defense.
Nuggets vs Mavs 3:30pm
Who’s going to win: Nuggets. This will be the third and last game of the series with the Nuggets looking for another series sweep. After the Nuggets swept the Celtics in the season series this team might be favorites to win it all now. With Jokic having a triple double against the best defense, it looks like he cannot be stopped. Even though they made only 4 threes they scored 115 while shooting exactly 50% from the field. For the Mavs, stopping Jokic is almost impossible. Jokic will probably have another 30 point triple double so they need to focus on
stopping everyone else and hope Jokic plays badly. They also have got to play good interior defense. They scored 103 points in the paint against a good Celtics defense. If Luka and Kyrie go to an offensive clinic they have a chance to barely outdo them.

Do you draft Bronny James this year?

By Dylan Jones

Many basketball fans know of the name LeBron James as he is looked at as one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball. LeBron has a son named Bronny James, and he is a freshman at University of Southern California. He was projected to be a mid-first round pick before this summer he suffered a cardiac arrest during a practice at USC. This sidelined him for the rest of summer workouts and practices. Leaving people to question if he will even declare for the draft this year because of the unfortunate start to his freshman year. He isn’t playing as well as he was projected to. This was most likely due to the tragic circumstances he had to deal with this summer. His father, LeBron, has stated numerous times throughout his career that before he retires he wants to play with his son (Bronny).

As a manager of a NBA team you look at this as an opportunity to get Bronny and LeBron on your team. As the 2024 NBA draft class is looked at as one of the weakest draft classes we have seen in a while this gives teams more of a reason to draft Bronny. As Bronny is not NBA ready yet, drafting him would give you a great shot at getting LeBron via trade or signing him in the 2025 offseason. Teams would want LeBron in the final stretch of his career because they know no matter where he is playing he will sell a lot of tickets and jerseys. Bronny also has plenty of potential since he is the son of LeBron. He is an excellent finisher around the rim, and has great vision when playing point guard. His three point shooting ability is not great, but that is something that he can get better at over time with NBA shooting coaches. I am very excited to see what NBA team takes a chance on Bronny’s untapped potential and gets LeBron for the last few years of his career.

Top Nba games for February 5-11, 2024

By: Andrew Brown

Monday 5, 2024

Warriors vs Hornets 7:00pm

Who’s going to win: Lakers, With Lebron James on your team, how can you lose especially when you play the Charlotte Hornets. Playing against a young team, AD and Lebron should dominate because of how long they’ve played. For the Hornets, they’ve never been good. With the rookie Brandon Miller finding his rhythm this team has a better chance of winning. The Hornets need to make some big time trades for picks or players or they’ll just keep being one of the worst teams in the league.

Clippers vs Hawks 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: Clippers, they have too many experienced players being one of the oldest teams in the league. After showcasing their talent against the top seed Celtics, this team could easily make it to the finals. The one question is can they stay healthy. Kawhi missed 30 games, PG missed 26, and Harden missed 24 last season. If they can stay healthy they could be taking the trophy home this year. For the Hawks, people forget how good this team can be. If you sleep on this team they will make you pay like they did to the 76ers and Thunder the last time they played. With Trae and Murray getting better each game and the rise of Johnson, once again is not a team to play around with.

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Tuesday 6, 2024

Mavs vs Nets 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: Mavs, the Mavs have the best front court in the league with Luka and Kyrie. When one is not feeling it the other steps up. For the Nets this team is just trying to figure each other out. Most of the players have been traded to that team in the past year with their best player being Mikal Bridges scoring 22 ppg. To win they literally just have to stop Luka. Luka is surprisingly leading their team in scoring, rebounds, and assists with 35-9-10. He’s the key to the Mavs winning.

Bucks vs Suns 10:00

Who’s going to win: Bucks, after hiring their new coach Doc Rivers expect them to be a better team on defense. Ranking number 24 -out of 30 teams- their defense is one of the worst in the NBA. The only reason they are second in the east is because of their offense. It’s almost impossible to guard with Giannis and Dame. You cannot let Giannis inside because he’ll kick it out to shooters or just score and you can’t let Dame shoot. For the Suns they have KD and Booker. Booker recently coming off a 62 point game he will be hard to stop along with KD. If the Bucks defense woes keep going then the Suns will have an easy day.

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Wednesday 7, 2024

Warriors vs 76ers 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: 76ers, With Embiid they are unstoppable. Their whole offense is literally to give Embiid the ball, get out of the way, and be ready to shoot if he passes (he’ll probably won’t pass). With the Warriors having no center he can probably score 70 on this team. If the Warriors want to win they need to get back on track from 3. They won’t be able to score in the paint with Embiid roaming the paint. They need to focus on the 3 to win.

Pelicans vs Clippers 10:00pm

Who’s going to win: Pelicans, this team is underrated with Zion, McCollum, and Ingram. If Zion stays in shape this team can make some runs. The Pelicans also have one of the best scoring benches in the league. With the Clippers’ big 3 it’ll be hard for the Pelicans to stop. This game will be close but I think the Pelicans will pull off the upset.

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Thursday 8, 2024

Mavs vs Knicks 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: Knicks, The Knicks are on a 8 game winning streak with one of them being a blowout win against the reigning champs. They’ve been doing that without Randle. Ever since the OG trade this team has what it was looking for. For the Mavs their two stars have been out with injuries. They probably won’t even play this game. For the mavs they have a decent defense. The Knicks scored 122 on the Nuggets and held them to 84 points. If they want to win, they will have to step it up on the defensive side.

Nuggets vs Lakers 10:00pm

Who’s going to win: Lakers, with everyone watching this game I believe Lebron will have a big game and pull out the win. It also depends on if the Lakers will let Lebron or Davis play. If they don’t then the Nuggets should easily win. For the Nuggets Jokic will probably have a triple double but it won’t be enough for the win.

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Friday 9, 2024

Rockets vs Raptors 7:30pm

Who’s going to win: Rockets, the rockets have turned it around from last season winning the same amount of games last season. With them hiring the new coach, getting Vanvleet, and brooks this team is trending in the right direction. Their Sophomores and rookies are also stepping up and knowing their roles. As for the Raptor this team will take a while to develop. After the trade this team is just figuring each other out and will soon be winning games.

Hornets vs Bucks 8:00pm

Who’s going to win: Bucks, unless the bucks decide not to play the starters they should easily win. With the nasty duo of Lillard and Giannis it will be extremely difficult for the Hornets to win. Giannis wil roam the paint while Lillard will hit from deep. With the improvement of Brandon Miller (who just won the eastern conference rookie of the month) he can be just what they need. All the Hornets need is another star and a good bench with players who want to win.

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Saturday 10, 2024

Bulls vs Magic 7:00pm

Who’s going to win: Magic, the magic will win this game simply because of the injuries on the Bulls. As I said in my last blog the Magic were on fire to start the season and now they’ve cooled down. The need to start their winning streak again and have momentum going into the all star break. For the Bull with the absence of LaVine White has had to step up. On track to winning the most improved player going from 9 ppg to 19. This team needs to restart and get a good pick in the draft so they can actually win.

Suns vs Warriors 8:30pm

Who’s going to win: Suns, KD return’s back to the Bay to go against his old team. With KD, Booker, and Beal they shouldn’t have lost 20 games. They need to stay healthy if they want a chance at the finals. For the warriors at this point their only way of winning is Curry. They just need to trade everyone and start over with them building around curry.

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Sunday 11, 2024

Celtics vs Heat 2:00pm

Who’s going to win: Celtics, The last time they played the Celtics destroyed them. No one on the Heat could score with the Celtics number one defense and if they did the Celtics would answer back with their number number one offense. If no injuries occur and they keep playing how they’re playing then they should be 2024 NBA champs. For the Heat who just acquired Rozier they have a lot of work to do to get this team to the finals. But who knows Butler could carry them to another finals appearance.

Kings vs Thunder 3:00pm

Who’s going to win: Kings, the number 5 Kings going at number 2 Thunder. With Fox and Sabonis leading their team to the first playoff game in decades this team will win and show that they mean business. For the Thunder their young star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading them to a number 2 seed in the west. This team came out of the blue, last year they had a losing record with 40-42 in 10th place. Now they’re 31-13. This all round team is top 10 in both defensive and offensive ppg rankings. But it will not be enough for them to win.