Lets talk about the Eastern Conference

So what exactly is wrong with the Eastern Conference? Analysts always seem to emphasize the fact the east is weak whenever they can. I would argue however in the west you have three contenders, one team still stuck on the border, and everyone else is background noise. In the east you have the Cavs and.....? Well I'm here trying to state that I think this year it had drastically improved with the emergence of the Raptors and of course my Celtics. Now I get it the Celtics are closer to being out of the playoffs than 2nd place but currently they're third and they earned that. And yes the raptors did get swept in the first round by the Wizards, but they didn't have Demarre Carrol then. So can anyone legitimately challenge the Cavs? Yes, the two teams I just stated, now that doesn't mean they'll win and play someone like the Warriors in the finals and lost in 4 or 5 games, but this idea that the Cavs are a shoe in just annoys me. I feel like people will look at records more than watch the team, now I've watched both these teams and they won't go away until the buzzer sounds. Come playoff team I especially think the Raptors will be making noise. 

How do you fix it?

So what's wrong with the East? Lack of talent? Poor GMs? Bad draft picks? I simply think it's just that players don't want to sign with Eastern Conference teams, and I don't know why. A big free agent this summer, Kevin Durant is gathering interest for the Warriors... Yes the Warriors! But why? Why doesn't he join a team like the Rwptors, Celtics, Heat already set up who need a piece to be in contention, and plus you're in the East? Why have to go through the Wariiors, Spurs, and Clippers? Lebron James? If that's really what you're scared of you shouldn't want to be on a contending team because eventually you will have to play him. This is a big summer for eastern teams and I hope that someone big signs or gets traded to a team looking for a piece like my celtics. Now as for teams at the bottoms like the 76ers and Nets, that is a lack of good management with the Nets trading their souls to the celtics for the next couple years and 76ers being a place to go if you wanna lose. Will it be fixed? Who knows. 

Latest NBA Headlines

Warriors

Let's talk about the Warriors and how they are demolishing everyone. Everyone seems to be so focused on this team being compared to the pace in record of the '95-'96 bulls, but to me they're just an amazing team to watch. Not only does Steph Curry makes crazy shots, but everyone in that team is incredible and whenever a big game comes up against the Cavs, Sours, or Thunder they beat them down. Do I think anyone can challenge them? No, not the way they are now but injuries and the weariness of the season can take a toll even though they haven't dealt with any of that... 

Cavs Resurgence

I personally thought Tyronn Lue was not going to contribute much to this club as they seemed more like a broken team than coaching problems. He's 10-4 now and simply destroyed the Thunder in their own building a couple days ago. Everyone believes that they are a shoe in to represent the east but I still personally believe the Raptors could win a seven game series and even my Celtics could give the, some trouble.

Spurs Wearing Down

Before the all star break the Spurs had been riddled by injuries which later affected them after with Kawhi Leonard getting hurt. The Spurs seem like a team that coach Pop can't get the best out of just yet. Kawhi Leonard hasn't exactly taken the mantle as that guy yet and Veterans are getting rested. How much should they worry going into the playoffs? That all depends on their health. Funny how I ridicule them when they're only like three games back from the Warriors.

Clippers better without Blake?

Now I'm not trying to get punched my Blake by stating that the Clippers have been better without Blake. Nobody has really been paying attention but CP3 has been revived and Deandre Jordan well he's Deandre Jordan. The team has more wins they did with Blake. How much do they need Blake for the playoffs? I don't know I still need to see what they're like when he's back.

Spurs Cavs game

This weeks spotlight in the NBA was put in tonight's Thursday night game on TNT matching up the Cleveland Cavaliers(1st in East) and the San Antonio Spurs(2nd in West). So what did we learn from this game? The Spurs are still the dominant team in the NBA. I get it the Warriors have a better record and the Cavs have Lebrom James but the Spurs are just so good defensively they are never out of the game. Looking at tonight's game I was thinking at the half that the Cavs were going to win this game narrowly, but then I looked back and thought, wow the Spurs are playing bad but they're defense is so elite they were somehow still in the game. I find it amazing how LaMarcus Aldrige can get 0 points in the first half and the Spurs still be able to win this game. Something that I noticed and thought about while watching the Cavs in the second half is, how much can Kyrie and Kevin Love step up with Lebron James in big games like this? Lebron can't win on his own in a seven game series and tonight showed me there is a reason to pause and worry about the supporting cast around Lebron. I personally believe they can win the East easily as long as these guys contribute something, now I understand the Spurs may have the best defense in the league, but hey the Cavs may have to meet these guys in the finals and Lebrons supporting cast is just as important as he is. As for the Spurs I was thoroughly impressed by the way Tony Parker stepped up and scored 24 for his team and also how Gregg Popovich can keep his team in the game mentally, but hey what else is new?

Well that's all for me Swishers! See ya tomorrow!

Update on the NBA

So here we are again from my last post and once again the NBA has flipped from that post. I'm just gonna quickly analyze what has changed from when we last met up. 

2 loss Warriors

With the Warriors starting to deal with the injury bug, albeit small, affecting Steph Curry and Draymond Green many are beginning to change their opinion on the Warriors and just how ready this team is for another championship run. I personally believe they still have Steph Curry and as long as they do have Steph they'll be ready.

Spurs Surge

How underestimated have the Spurs been not only this year but in past years and I feel like there was just absolutely no hype with this team when they're clearly should've been with the addition of David west and Lamarcus Aldridge, and now it's absolutely paying off as we all overlook the Spurs once again, they even jumped ahead the Warriors for the #1 spot in ESPN's power rankings.

Thunderstruck?

I do not know what it is about this team but I just don't like it how the thunder find ways to keep games close with average or mediocre teams when they should be closing out. Russell Westbrook is still Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant's numbers are what they should be so what is going on in the fourth quarter when KD gets overshadowed by his pal?

Wild West or Beasts of the East?

The past couple of years analysts and experts have had the sweet as the way better conference but this year we're seeing some change. Now I get it the West has tougher teams and competition causing a drop in records but hey look at the eastern conference and try and tell me it's still that pathetic conference when you have teams becoming more competitive, closer games, and better records than the West. I believe very soon enough once Lebron James fades away as the worlds best player the East will have a flow of stars coming in and with so many teams having a base or start for their franchise be ready for a shift in competitiveness.

Well that's all I have for you Swishers! I'll be back shortly to analyze some specific teams and with the trade deadline coming maybe some trade talk!

I'm back!

Welcome back everybody!!! I'm sorry for the wait but I have had to focus on so many things, but finally glad to say that pro swish is a priority of mine again. Anyway, the NBA has been amazing this season and so many surprise teams this year especially in a tightly packed East and a Wild West. This post will just be analyzing the East

The East

So who would've thought that the East would be so close this far with teams rising up and no real leader as of yet. As we stand here on December tenth, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in 1st but only 14-7 and right behind them the Charlotte Hornets, yes the Charlotte Hornets at 13-8 but that's not really saying much because there are several teams with very close to the same record. 

Impressive so far

Some of the highlight teams I have seen this year have been the Toronto Raptors. Toronto added Demarre Carroll in the offseason and although they have not really moved up in the standings from last year, they look very impressive this year. Another team is the Indiana Pacers, Paul George is making a case for MVP however Steph Curry is stealing all that shine. On top of that they have Monta Ellis at point and can support PG at any given night, look to this team to be in the top four and ready to take on the Cavaliers. Someone I believe who doesn't get enough credit is the Boston Celtics, especially Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens. Danny Ainge has found a way to trade away two Stars and reap the profits off it with an amazing hire in Brad Stevens who has found many average players and made them look above average. Although they may not be a championship team, look at this team in the rankings throughout the year. My last team has to be the New York Knicks. New York was expected to be another crap team in the East just waiting for the season to end, but then came Kristaps Porzingis. Kristaps took the hate and boos from New York when he got picked and now he's making a case for Rookie of the Year, although the Knicks may not make the playoffs, they have impressed in that they are going above expectations. 

Busts

Who's missing Paul Pierce right now? The Washington Wizards are with a below 500 record and they have one of the best backcourts in the NBA with Beal and Wall, hopefully they can improve because when they are on they are very fun to watch. The Atlanta Hawks have lost something in that they went from top team in the East to lost in the shuffle, this team needs to be able to improve because they are not a team that can handle a tough team in the playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks look very unimpressive when they had an impressive offseason but now look like they are still on the decline and a below average team. Lastly, the Chicago Bulls. I watched them last night against my Celtics and it really only looked like Jimmy Butler and a team that doesn't look inspired enough to win, Drose is suffering from double vision and it looks like he's struggling due to it.

Well that's all I have for you today, I'll try keep posting daily and next up the West! And remember keep on Swishing!

NBA Playoffs

What's up swishers!!!! I'm back, I know it's been a while. I've been busy with a lot of other work I apologize. It has been a while since my last post about the playoff and my predictions for it. Today, I will be analyzing the playoffs and all the exciting series that have taken off so far. From there I will be predicting what will happen from there, including my winner.

The East
The first subject that I would like to cover is the series that have been completed. I will go in depth to the each series.
First Round
Heat and Bobcats
The Heat and the Bobcats was the only sweep of the playoffs so far, however there were a couple of points that can be taken out from this series. I think that almost everyone could have seen that the Miami Heat were going to win this series. At the same time I believe that the Bobcats did put up a fight. It may sound a little silly, because hey they got swept, but they showed me something that I have been looking for in the Bobcats. The Bobcats showed me in 2 or 3 years they will be someone to look out for. I am going to say that if the Bobcats had Al Jefferson, fully healthy, for the whole series the Bobcats would have taken two of those games. Of course, the Heat would still win the series, but the Bobcats would have gave them a little more. As for the Heat, well they did what they were expected to do, win the series. Am I impressed that they swept the Bobcats? A little bit, yet there is nothing too big that the Heat showed me.

Pacers and Hawks
Well, this is a HUGE surprise to me. The first thing to notice is that the Pacers are not what I thought they were. In previous posts, I have said that the Pacers will end up winning the NBA playoffs, I sort of shoved it off that they were struggling towards the end of the series.  The Pacers are losing to the heat. I hate to say it, but the Heat will absolutely demolish the Pacers. It is over for them and that is all I have to say. For the Hawks, I have thought that the Hawks are a team to never gloss over. The Hawks impressed me and they will eventually be a team that will be winning.

Wizards and Bulls
This series was one that not everybody is sure of and is up for grabs. The Bulls had the potential to win this series, however the Wizards completely dominated the series. The series showed that the Wizards are a team to watch out for. I think a couple years back, everybody was laughing at the Wizards, however now they are a team that is ready and desperately wants to win. Bradley Beal and John Wall have displayed the will to win, and I think if they can keep this up, then the future holds nothing but good. The Bulls are a team I was very unsure of, and they are a team that always is ready to win, however they could not pull out the series and were sent home.

Nets and Raptors
The Nets and Raptors was another series that I was unsure of. After the first game I thought the Raptors would eventually go on to win the series. The Nets showed that they were not willing to go down without a fight. The Nets had the veteran leadership and will to win, that was definitely not enough to win later in the playoffs. I think their future is very dull, there almost is no future with almost no young talent. The Raptors are a very young team and in a couple of years, will show that they can dominate a very weak Eastern conference.
Second Round 
Heat and Nets
This was no shocker, a 4-1 series win over the Nets for the Heat surprised almost no one. The Heat show no weakness in this series, but I believe once these playoffs are over, their glory and bling is all gone, that is, if LeBron decides to leave. There is one key point to show in this series, the Nets won't go down without a fight, even to the Heat. The Nets are a team that are one to go deeper and deeper, just to get a win in a series. The Heat however, did was what is expected and they will continue to play at the level of play they are.

Pacers and Wizards
After the Pacers and hawks series, I expected this. In fact, I expected the Wizards to win the series. The Pacers won, they did not win amazingly, but they won. They are obviously not the team that they once were a while ago, but they have something in them to help them win a series. The Wizards were very impressive in this series. John Wall took over, he is not afraid nor will he ever be afraid of a team. This player has the potential to be something special and if he continues, then he can lead the Wizards, with the help of Bradley Beal, to a Finals.

Prediction
The Heat and Pacers will end quickly, in fact too quickly. The Pacers are not capable of beating the Heat in seven games. They are done, and I think Indiana fans should prepare for the worst.
The West 
First Round
Thunder and Grizzlies
There was not much to take out of this series, other than the fact that the Grizzlies are always a contender. The Thunder however have a team that can stop anyone. The Grizzlies are just not there yet, and I believe they never will be, especially if they have to face the Thunder/

Warriors and Clippers
The Warriors disappointed me big time. I expected Steph Curry to absolutely dominate, well it is too bad that he decided to basically be invisible. Curry was not there, just not there, and the Clippers driven by the emotion of the incident with Donald Sterling, took advantage of these injured Warriors. In the future, they have a lot of rebuilding to do if Curry cannot step up.

Rockets and Blazers 
The Blazers, in my opinion, did what they were expected to do. The Rockets did have the potential to win, but they simply did not want it. The only one trying was James Harden. The Blazers do have a lot of explaining to do however, they are great, but later on in the playoffs they just lost it.

Mavericks and Spurs
This was a little surprising, actually really surprising. The Spurs should have completely destroyed the Mavericks. The Mavericks did have a lot of heart. I think if other teams had the mentality of the Mavericks, they could have won their series. The spurs were a disappointment, a big disappointment.

Second Round 
Spurs and Blazers
the Spurs woke up and stepped up. The Blazers could have won this series. The Blazers fell asleep, and they just lost it. I feel bad because the Blazers were my surprise pick. The Spurs were the Spurs at 100% and when they play like that, it is over, for everyone

Thunder and Clippers
Easy series, could have been an easy series, yet it was impossible got the Thunder to just finish them. I mean, eventually they did win, but it was very surprising however I expected this to be a dominating series. The Clippers have a lot to show for.
Prediction
Thunder, Thunder all the way and that is all I have to say.

Thanks for coming guys and stay tuned for more! And until next time keep on swishing!

Taking a break from the NBA, Paige Woodard

Hey guys, it has been a while since I have posted and I am sincerely sorry for this. However, this week I will not be blogging about the NBA. Later today, I will be posting another post about the playoffs thus far and my analysis. However, as you know I am a freshman in high school and my teacher here had us participate in a google hangout with a Senior at Franklin community high school in Indiana, Paige Woodard. Paige Woodard taught me a couple things. If there was one thing that I truly learned, was to take the opportunities that present themselves to you. These opportunities that show up to your doorstep may not be the best things in the world, however these jobs, these opportunities need to be taken advantage of. The way that this needs to apply to people's lives is make sure you are paying attention to what is being told to you. Millions of times, people will just overlook what is being told to you, and they do not go anywhere. However, with the advice I learned from Paige, I have realized that nothing should be taken for granted. One small job, can lead you to another step. I strongly encourage people to take Paige's advice. Another thing that I learned from Paige is time management. I realize that the average person may not have the greatest amount of time, however Paige taught me that balancing so many different things, you have to realize that nothing is easy. If you have a job, school, and a sport, it may not be the easiest thing to have to go to practice, then your job, and then have to end up doing homework late at night. The people that are the top of the line, are the ones that are the most passionate. The people that will pursue what they want to do, and not just sit down and dream are the ones that will  be the most successful. As I said earlier, nothing comes easily, so get up and do what you truly want. One of the most important things that I learned from Paige is that whenever you are on social media, make sure you have a purpose. Whenever you tweet, Instagram, or Facebook there has to be a purpose behind it all. Paige taught me to ask questions before I actually do anything on social media. Everyone out there who reads this post, make a difference, change yourself for the better. Also go check out Paige's blog! And even though this was not a basketball post, keep on swishing!