Ohonsi's NBA Blog

West Starters BC - Edwards (Wolves) (Lock) BC - Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) (Lock) FC - Doncic (Mavs) (Lock) FC - Durant (Suns) (Lock) FC - Jokic (Nuggets) (Lock) Reserves BC - Fox (Kings) (Lock) BC - Booker (Suns) (Lock) FC - Leonard (Clippers) (Lock) FC - James (Lakers) (Lock) FC - Davis (Lakers) (Lock) WC - Curry (Warriors) (Lock) WC - George (Clippers) (Lock) East Starters BC - Maxey (Sixers) (Lock) BC - Haliburton (Pacers) (Lock) FC - Tatum (Celtics) (Lock) FC - Antetokounmpo (Bucks) (Lock) FC - Embiid (Sixers) (Lock) (MVP as of now) Reserves BC - Brunson (Knicks) (Lock) BC - Mitchell (Cavs) (Lock) FC - Brown (Celtics) (Lock) FC - Randle (Knicks) (Lock) FC - Adebayo (Heat) WC - Young (Hawks) (Lock) WC - Lillard (Bucks) (Lock) *Creating all-star and all-NBA teams is a great mental exercise for me. *They're based on (in this order): scoring production and talent (explained at the end), creating shots for others, rebounding and defense, team success. *I think at least 30 games p...

I think the Bucks win it all and beat Boston (the other contender I see in the east) in the conference finals. They basically have the A- version of Steph (Dame), Kobe (Khris), and Shaq (Giannis) which is a great balance of 3 level scoring that no other contender has. Milwaukee also has 3 proven bigs: Giannis, Lopez, and Portis. The first  2 are DPOY candidates and Portis has a good shot at winning sixth man of the year. Basketball favors taller players by a lot and this team is best suited to take advantage of that. Out west, the Lakers are my pick. AD is arguably the best and most versatile defensive player in the NBA and is an efficient big man who scores a lot near the rim without needing to be set up. Los Angeles added a quality big in Wood which they didn't have last year outside of Davis. They had solid off-season additions and I predict they'll continue their momentum from last season's all-star break. I give them the slightest edge over Denver, Phoenix, and the Cli...

Miami beat the top 2 teams record wise but I think they should make a major change. A trade centered around Herro, a 23 year old with serious potential to make the all-star game, makes sense. The Heat should aim for a player who's way better offensively than Butler and Bam. Jimmy is a perimeter player who isn't much of a 3-point shooter. He also has a frustrating habit of driving to the paint, having a good shot attempt, pump faking, pivoting away from the hoop, then passing to the perimeter which has gone on for years and led to the crucial turnover last night. Adebayo misses many layups and paint shots in general. He also has a contact phobia which was especially consequential versus a guy like Jokic who has little interest in contesting shots at the rim. Their flaws were the main reason why Miami lost a very winnable game 5 (Denver shot awful from the 3 and free throw line while not cracking 100 points). I doubt having the 7th best record in a conference then losing arguably...

Maybe it's time for the Embiid era to end. It's been 6 years and there's still no conference finals appearance. I get the Ben Simmons excuse but he's not completely responsible for one of the most embarrassing series losses in the 21st century (2021 vs Atlanta). Then there's game 6 this year vs Boston. Tatum was horrible before the final 4 minutes, yet Philly couldn't crack 90 points in the easiest scoring era in decades. To finish it off, they got destroyed in game 7 where their 2 all star caliber players stunk (Joel and Harden). I think the Celtics win in 6 vs Miami. Though Boston is way more talented than the Heat, I think the reigning eastern conference champions will choke away a game (like they've done too many times the last 2 postseasons) and Butler's greatness will give them another loss. Here's Jimmy's supporting cast: the most timid scorer to make this season's all star game in Bam, a 20 point scorer in Herro who hasn't played...

2 posts ago, I discussed Cleveland's lack of offensive talent outside their starting backcourt. The guards were subpar which is the main reason they lost. A 5 game 1st round series with 3 L's where the Cavs had basically no chance to win in the final minutes is bad. Mobley (inefficient for someone with his shot profile) and Allen (let Robinson get a ton of offensive rebounds) also underperformed. So Robin Lopez (who has a great hook shot) not playing relevant minutes is strange since there was no other reliable big besides those 3. And it was problematic coming into the playoffs that LeVert has the 3rd most offensive talent. With the limited height of Mitchell/Garland and the offensive weaknesses of "Baby KG"/"The Fro", Cleveland needs a competent 3 and D wing. This version of Danny Green might their best option which is unacceptable. On a positive note, the Cavs twin towers did a great job on Randle. It was questionable whether he'd play in game 1 becau...