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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 0:55:45 GMT -5
The trade deadline is officially up and the 8 teams in the respective conferences have been set. 16 teams remain and look to fightt for the ultimate goal of winning a Basketball Dynasty Championship. The stage is set and we will be breaking down each game- let's get it.
***Not doing it in order just flying them off.
 Vs.  #5 Chicago Bulls (21-8) #4 Boston Celtics (21-8)
Here we go. What a match up to start us off. These two teams couldn't have taken different paths. Bman was considered the pre-season favorite for i'd say atleast 90% of the off-season. Bman finally flipped a switch and decided why not just compete? This man somehow assembled a team with KAT, SGA, Simmons, and Bam.... Let that sink in. Fast forward to now, Bman has also formed a pretty underrated group of role players around his stars. James Johnson is cooking due to some injuries, Isaiah HArtenstein is getting consistent minutes, Marcus Morris is now starting, and best of all.. KAT is HOOPING. The only issue, SGA is out. This core and role players are playing so well this team can still put up a crooked number without SGA, watch out if SGA comes back in time.
Chuck honestly came into the off-season pretty bare. Reality set in, and Chuck got to work. His team is playing its best ball of the year and the two time runner up is once again cooking when it matters. This is the most Chuck team ever, no stars but depth everywhere. Every single player on this team contributes and it seems like every week someone is having a career week. I know I said that there were no real stars, but Jrue sure is playing like one. If he continues to play like this and Buddy and Rich homie are cooking this team can beat anyone. Noel should see an increased role with no Mitch and i'm curious to see if his usage increases with all the trades made. Also wtf is happening with THJ? He's making everything this year lmao. Long story short this Bulls team is playing its very best ball of the year right now. Somethings gotta give.
These two teams are both championship caliber, one team has to go home. Chuck has a two game advantage, but that's pretty miniscule. James Johnson isn't going to play like this for much longer with Zion back, but he'll have a bigger role than he did in Dallas. Regardless I think Chuck's depth gives him the slightest of edges in this match-up without SGA. Respect to both these owners for a hell of a season.
Odds: Bulls -130 Celtics +129
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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 1:32:22 GMT -5
 Vs.  #3 Los Angeles Clippers (23-6) vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks (13-16)
This is the most interesting Western Conference match up to me.
To me this is Kyle's first full year on job. He came in learned the ropes and then started getting to work. You can always tell Kyle knows hoop, the key now translating that into a winning team, and then obviously a title winning team. Kyle came into this year almost with a house money mindset. He knew this probably wasn't his year, but I give the man credit. Half way through the year I think he realized shit I might as well somewhat compete. He managed to pull Donavon to pair with his young core and while it's not a title contender, it's no a push over. End of the day this year will go down at very worst as a first round exit and thats a win for a team with 4 rookies. I would not be shocked at all to see Kyle with title aspirations next year.
Remy is coming on about 2 years of running the ship in LA. Don't let the sweet talk fool you, remy is a killer GM. I don't think there is a move he has made that I haven't liked. Remy tried to trick us into thinking he was rebuilding half way through, but he's a competitor and as I expected he's thrown his hat into the ring. Remy went and grabbed Hayward, and then once he went down immediately flipped him for Trent. I mean this guy is good. He's since added Devonte Graham and this team is ready to rock. If he can hold off Mavs, Kyle Lowry should be back just in time for a presumed second round date with the Pelicans.
These two teams were separated by just 13 points this last week, but something tells me this week will be a little different. Remy added Graham and Trent and Lonzo is back just in time. Unless Jamal, MPJ, and Spida all simultaneously stay hot for another week, it's tough for me to envision Mavs having enough fire power to pull this one off. Crazier things have happened though.
Odds: Clippers -300 Mavs: +300 |
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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 12:39:06 GMT -5
 Vs.  #8 Portland Trailblazers (10-19) #1 Minnesota Timberwolves (26-2-1)
What an impressive first season for first year GM Tyler. When he took over the reigns this Blazers team was winless, without any sort of direction. Look now and Tyler has stock piled multiple firsts, young players like Coby White, Tyrese Maxey, Cam Johnson, Matisse Thybulle, THT, and Moses Brown. It's honestly hard pretty to make the playoffs so being able to accomplish that all while getting younger and gearing yourself for the future is a big win. As for the game itself, it will be an up hill battle but an upset isn't completely out of the question. Of all the sharp moves Tyler made, the Moses Brown signing is the most impactful. Moses has a legitimate chance to be the best contract in the league with Siakam and FVV expiring in the horizon. You couldn't build a better fantasy player for this league in a lab if you tried. Regardless, the recipe this week is simple... CJ McCollum has to play like an all-star, Moses has to part the red seas, and Love and Griffin need to stay healthy and produce this week. Rubio and DLO are set to miss some time so Nowell may see some extra run, but at the end of the day Tyler is just going to need some really big performances from his squad. Regardless of what happens this season is a win for the Tyler in his first year. It's clear Tyler has a vision for his group and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the thick of things as soon as next year. The future is bright.
Drew is another part of a fantastic GM class that we brought in this year. He built on what was already a really good team and put his own spin on a team that many believe is the title favorite. I mean a 2 loss year is pretty unbelievable, and that's with AD missing a vast majority of the year. Now I don't think he should have too much trouble this week, but the health of Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Davis loom over this team's potential title run. I think Brogdon should be back by the end of the week, and even if he misses a game or two he'll be good this week. Anthony Davis is probably at least two weeks away from being back, and even when he's back he probably won't be a full go. Regardless, this team is filthy pretty much from top to bottom, Julius Randle has been phenomenal, Jaylen Brown was an all star and I think the biggest part now is Wendell Carter Jr is BALLING out in Orlando. This team has every thing you need in a title winning team, it just needs its leader back.
Tyler's squad will fight, but he's going to need some really big performances from CJ and Moses as well as Coby coming back, and Blake and Kevin Love turning back the clock. It's possible, but far from probable. If things play out as i assume they will, it will signal the end of a really successful and promising year for Tyler who I am excited to watch work this off-season. The Wolves will turn their eyes to the Warriors or Lakers and will hope that they are nearing an Anthony Davis return.
Odds:
Twolves -900
Blazers +900
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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 13:05:27 GMT -5
 Vs. #2 New York Knicks (23-6) #7 Washington Wizards (19-10)
Look i'm proud of the work Octstuff put in this year. In dynasty leagues like this you just see too many owners scared to take risks and do what it takes to win ball games. You saw NONE of that with Octstuff. Honestly 9 out of 10 owners in his situation would have mailed it in earlier in the year, but Octy kept working and now he is here! The game itself won't be easy, but even a loss in the first round to this really good Knicks team is worth a pat on the back. Both these teams are coming in with 41 games and honestly I think Wiz has a better shot than most realize. Wiz has a couple things going his way right now, Markieff Morris is playing a large role without AD (that shouldn't change), and Terry Rozier should see massive usage without Hayward and Ball. I think a really underrated X factor to this all is the health of MCW. We've actually seen some huge lines from him, and if he can get healthy he should get plenty of run on a pretty beat up Magic team. JV is playing like a true #1 center and again in fantasy this Wizards team can beat any team if things break right for him.
I can't say enough about the job Sood has done this year. Most GMs would have come in a blew it up, but Sood worked diligently and has put together a title team with just solid move after solid move. This team follows the mold of a title contender team to a T. A couple studs in Beal and Tobias surrounded by depth everywhere. Every guy on this roster has a role in real life. The key obviously is going to be Beal's health. He's questionable for today so I'd say he at-least gets 1-2 games in this week. The Thad Young and KO trade was absolutely an epic get and very much could make the difference in a week like this. Gallo is hooping and I don't see that stopping any time soon with Hunter getting another surgery. Zu is thriving without Serge, and let's show some love to Jae'Sean Tate who has been lighting it up over the past month. I can't guarantee the Knicks win this, but Sood can rest easy knowing he did everything in his power to give his team the best possible shot. It's like a Chuck team except instead of no stars he has 1.5. Let's just say i'm glad i'm not in the East.
I think i give the slight edge to Knicks here. Again the games are tied at 41 and early projections have this Knicks team projected to win by 86. But they call them projections for a reason, you still got to play the games. I got the Knicks as a slight favorite in this one, but the Wizards have more than just a puncher's chance.
Odds:
Knicks -156
Wizards +156
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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 17:24:46 GMT -5
 vs.  #3 Atlanta Hawks (22-7) #6 Miami Heat (20-9)
The Hawks and Heat match up in an intriguing round 1 game. The Hawks are run by league legend, Trey. Trey came into this league a young kid and was just absolutely terrible to start. Really ever since the transition to 26 he's learned and has built himself a sustainable winner the past couple years. It's pretty straightforward... If Harden and Lillard play well, this team is really hard to beat. If either of them slip up for any portion of the week, the Hawks are beatable. The biggest X factor coming into this match-up was the health of James Harden who missed the last game and a half with a hamstring tweak. He is ready to go again today with no minute restrictions and will be ready to lead his team. Despite two studs at the top the Hawks also have put together some decent depth, Covington is having a big year, Royce O'Neale has been solid all year, and even Patty Mills and Ricky Rubio have made large contributions. Hell even Cojo has carved out a nice role for himself in Detroit. The Hawks are fully healthy and should be able to take advantage of a pretty banged up Miami Heat team.
Sanjul and his Heat burst onto the scene this year with a lot of his young talent taking big steps. The season couldn't have started more promising for him.. But eventually things started to add up and the Heat picked up a pretty bad case of the injury bug in the second half of the season. Ultimately they endured a couple brutal weeks and now have limped their way into the playoffs. Regardless, the team is still more than capable and while they'll probably need a bit of luck, Ja Morant, Deandre Ayton, and Laurri Markkanen are all still capable of putting up big numbers. Everyone on this roster still plays, so you really never know.. but Sanjul is facing a pretty significant game deficit this week. Ideally Sanjul would need an injury to one of Dipo or Butler to free up some minutes for Herro, Nunn, and Duncan. The Heat do have a little something going for them in that Fournier looks to be adjusting well in Boston, Hassan is active, and Obi Toppin is back in the rotation. Ultimately this probably won't be the year for the Heat but a 20-9 season is a huge step in the right direction and I expect this team to be a playoff team pretty much annually moving forward.
Fantrax is giving the edge to Trey by about 150 points and i've somewhat got to agree. This is not the best squad Sanjul has had and Dame and Harden are locked into huge roles. If Sanjul can get some luck in the form of a Harden or Lillard injury he's got a chance, but i've got Trey as a pretty size-able favorite in this one.
Odds:
Hawks -270
Heat +270 |
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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 17:58:24 GMT -5
 Vs. #1 Milwaukee Bucks (23-5-1) Cleveland Cavs (19-10)
It's been said time and time again, but depth wins championships.. It seems like this season more than most has led to see some pretty brutal injuries, and both of these squads have been impacted. Let's start with the Cavs. I think it's safe to say that the Cavs boast the best 1-2 duo in the league when healthy in Lebron James and Nikola Jokic. The issue now is that about a week ago it was announced that Lebron would miss about a month with a high ankle sprain. I think we were all wondering whether the Cavs would pack it in or continue to see what they can do and ownership answered that question last night by sending KO and Thad to New York for a first and some change. I get it, but honestly this Bucks team has never been more vulnerable than now, I would loved to see the Cavs see what they can do and maybe hope to get Bron back for the title game. But at this point it's really just Jokic and Middleton against the world. The East dodged a bullet on this one. I expect Chris to run it back with Bron, Jok, and Middleton next year with a whole off-season to create a supporting cast.
Jacob has proven to be one of the best owners in the league, as he competes but still has his eyes set on creating the best possible future for his squad. The Lamelo injury is tough, the kid was playing so well and had the Bucks consistently as a top 3 scoring team. Now while Ball being out hurts, this team still has its fair share of producers. Clint Capela has been an ANIMAL this year, he's made perfect for this league and as long as John Collins continues to miss time he could very easily be a top 10 scorer. Giannis is Giannis, and Dejountae has been spectacular this year. Ultimately the success of this Bucks team is going to come down to how well the role players play. Guys like Miles Bridges, Brook Lopez, Josh Jackson, Otto Porter, and Carmelo all have super dramatic swings in terms of their production. The Bucks should be able to take care of business this week, but a huge date with either Brandon or Chuck awaits.
Had the Cavs not dealt Thad and Kelly at the buzzer, I think there would actually be a decent shot of an 8/1 upset. But without those two I just don't think the Cavs have the depth to hang with this deep Bucks team. The Bucks should roll barring hall of fame weeks from Middleton and Jok.. Please give us Bulls Bucks next week... Please.
Odds:
Bucks -567
Cavs +567 |
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Post by The Athletic on Apr 5, 2021 18:16:29 GMT -5
 vs. #2 New Orleans Pelicans (25-4) #7 Oklahoma City Thunder (11-18)
I think this is the only match-up where one team really doesn't have a shot here so i'll keep it short. Loren came into the year with a decent squad led by Kyrie and Nurk. He had some shit luck here and there with Nurk going down and Kyrie missing time, but didn't really do much about it other than let people know he had bench player OTB. But for whatever magical reason he was able to strike up quite a favorable deal with one of the hardest owners to deal with and now is sitting pretty with a Westbrook, Booker, Nurk core moving forward. But for this year, it's essentially Nurk, Booker, and Russ and that's just not gonna be enough. Had he not sold off some assets before the deadline who knows.. but for me he just has too much of an up hill battle.
Good ol Johnny. Everyone needs a league troll and he plays his role as good as anyone. The team is ridiculous, and while I wasn't a huge fan of the most recent trade, it does in theory make it better for the playoffs. Ultimately nobody in this league really has the combo of depth and fire power the way the Pelicans do. I mean we're talking about, FVV, Siakam, CP3, Plum, Draymond, Kyrie Irving, Darius Garland, and Rudy Gobert all on the same team. It's not gonna be easy to beat this team.
I got Johnny man. It's just a number game and the Thunder don't have the depth enough to compete. It will be very interesting to see how these two teams manage their teams moving forward into the off-season.
Odds:
Pelicans -1900
Thunder +1900 |
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