Author: bestkeptsecret19

I'm just a man trying to be listened to. Hopefully, I can motivate and inspire people on the way to making a widespread positive difference.

After three seasons, the eyes of Texas are still crying

The Texas Longhorns concluded their season with a 38-10 victory over 11th-ranked Utah in the Alamo Bowl. There’s no doubt finishing the season strong should be celebrated, but for the Longhorns, all it does is salvage an otherwise disappointing season that was supposed to be the announcement of a program being back to prominence. I mean no disrespect to the Alamo Bowl when I say my next statement, but the standards are a lot higher than playing in this game. After all, that is why Tom Herman was brought in as the head coach before the 2017 season, to lead Texas to heights not seen since winning the national title in 2005. In the three seasons Herman has been in charge, results have been up and down, but one thing is for sure. The Longhorns are still far away from that return to the glory days, and because of it, the eyes of Texas shed many tears.

Let’s start with year one of the Herman era. The man who was previously the head man at Houston took over for Charlie Strong, who was fired by the university after three seasons. Because of the success he had in Houston, Herman was looked at as someone who could instantly get the best out of the talent that was in place. Expectations were high, but fans and media alike would be sorely disappointed. Texas began the year losing at home to an unranked Maryland team that put 51 points up on their defense, and finished with a 7-6 record. That seventh victory came in the Texas Bowl against Missouri. Like the Alamo Bowl, the Texas Bowl is a good bowl, but not exactly where a program with all of the resources the Longhorns have should be. By the way, Texas lost to arch-rival Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown (I’ll always call it the Shootout), which is always a no-no. I get it, it’s one year into a five-year contract, but this was not exactly the start people were looking for.

Year two surely would be an improvement over the first, right? The beginning painted the picture of it being more of the same, as the Longhorns lost to Maryland (again). To Herman’s credit, he coached the players up and got things turned around. They actually beat Oklahoma in the shootout and got to the inaugural Big 12 Championship Game, where they lost to OU in a rematch. Texas actually finished the year playing in a bowl game more to the liking of the masses, the Sugar Bowl, and defeated Georgia 28-21 in New Orleans. The Longhorns compiled ten wins and played in a major bowl, or what is known as a New Year’s Six game in today’s times. At any rate, there was significant signs of improvement from the first season in Herman’s tenure, and with the majority of the players returning to school, the future looked bright in terms of seeing a potential return to glory.

So here it is, the beginning of the season, and the hype behind Texas football is as high as it has been since Colt McCoy was the quarterback a more than a decade ago. Speaking of quarterbacks, the present-day signal-caller, Sam Ehlinger, was on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s college football preview edition, with the caption saying “The Longhorns Are Back.” To me, back means they are competing for national titles regularly, and the year would end with a birth to the College Football Playoff. Not so much, as the program regressed in a year that seemed so promising. Texas compiled a 5-4 record in conference play, and weren’t even the best football team in the state (Baylor, Texas A&M, take your pick). Included in the losses was another one to Oklahoma. Needless to say, the Longhorns are a long way from being “back,” and there’s no telling when that day will come. What we do know is Herman, at least to this point, has not produced the results that was sure to come with his arrival in Austin.

Next year will be the fourth in the Herman era, and this should be the make-or-break season. It’s understood we live in a world where instant gratification is sought after, but in college football, year four is all about the coach who’s been in place. There should be no more residue from the previous regime, and fresh recruiting classes are of their picking. The system is in place, and the time for excuses is long gone. Combine this with the fact Herman let go of many assistant coaches before the Alamo Bowl, and it equals no room for error or misunderstanding. Next season, if you ask me, anything less than in the Rose or Sugar Bowls, the two games that will host the national semifinals, is a failure. The eyes of Texas are squarely on Herman and the Longhorns, and they can only watch replays of the 2006 Rose Bowl on the Longhorn Network so many times. If things don’t get better, the same eyes could be watching another head coach get his walking papers.

A few NFL teams that should be banned from air time

When a person turns on a television, listens to a radio or monitors a website on their computer or smartphone, it’s hard not to notice the huge amount of mess that is accessible to the eyes and ears. Part of that mess is teams in the NFL that continuously get air time, even though their performance on the field says they shouldn’t be talked about at all. Some of these teams may have historical significance in terms of winning championships in the past, while others have been given unnecessary hype because of a few offseason moves. Either way, these teams have either underachieved, or have been overall trash. A few of the teams I am talking about are the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns and both of the New York teams, the Giants and Jets. These teams get talked about way too much while the product on the field is subpar at best.

Let’s start with the Cowboys, who are currently in first place in the NFC East. Seeing this fact alone would make someone want to ask me why I’m listening Dallas as one of these overhyped teams. It’s because they have a 6-7 record while playing in a garbage division no one seems to want, and the headlines are the same as always. Head coach Jason Garrett is in supposed jeopardy of losing his job, but this has been the case ever since Garrett took over the position in 2010. Jerry Jones, the owner and general manager of the team, continues to try and sell to anyone who will listen this is a team who can win a Super Bowl, something the Cowboys haven’t done since the 1995 season. Dallas is one of those teams who have historical value (on top of being the world’s most valuable sports franchise) and when this is the case, the media seems to hang on anything that can be a sign of a return to glory. Factually, the Cowboys are far removed from those winning ways, and we can’t continue to hold on to past history when recent history says they are as close to average as any team can get on the field of play. The play is what it should be about, and until the day comes where changes at head coach and owner are made, or the record gets better, there’s no reason why Dallas should get as much attention as they get.

Speaking of unwarranted attention, there’s no better definition of this than the Cleveland Browns. I just talked about how average the Cowboys have been, but the Browns would have a championship parade if they were close to average. If you don’t believe me, just go back a couple of years, when the city of Cleveland threw a parade for the Browns going 0-16 in 2017. At any rate, this is a team that came in to this season with a lot of excitement, and understandably so. They have an up-and-coming quarterback in Baker Mayfield, a good running back in Nick Chubb, a wide receiver duo featuring Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry and a good defense. Sure, Cleveland has a lot of young talent, but Super Bowl contending status? That’s what numerous media members thought. After 12 games, it looks like the Browns are still, well, the Browns. They are 5-7, and are in grave danger of missing the playoffs, something that has happened every year since 2002. Because of all of the preseason hype, ESPN, Fox Sports and other television and radio stations continue to talk about Cleveland like they are one of the elite teams in the league. Maybe this is breaking news to some, but one thing they’re not is elite, and reality has to set in at some point. The Browns aren’t good, and there will be plenty of time to talk about them around NFL Draft time, but not in December. This month is meant for actual playoff contenders, and Cleveland is not that. Get ’em out!

If anyone thinks the Browns are overhyped (which I clearly do), just imagine how much worse it would be if they were playing in the nation’s No. 1 media market, which is New York City. That’s the only reason why the Giants and Jets continue to stay somewhat relevant, because saying their play on the field has been garbage is an insult to trash cans everywhere. The Giants sit at 2-10, and the Jets are 4-8. The Giants, as bad as they have been the last few years, have at least won a couple of championships recently.The Jets? They have done next to nothing on the field for decades now. For this season, they are best known for being the first victory for the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, two teams that were looked at as tanking the season. If the Giants and Jets played anywhere else besides New York, there’s no way they stay in the media cycle as much as they do. It’s a good thing we were created with minds, so we can look past all of the hype and see how truly bad these two teams are.

I understand this article seems funny because I’m talking about these teams getting too much air time, and by writing this story, I’m doing the same thing I’m coming after media outlets about. The main thing I wanted to point out is all of the hype and history can only carry a team so far, because if they’re not winning, it’ll get harder and harder to hold on to these nuggets of hope. The Cowboys, Browns, Giants and Jets are simply not as good as the narrative would have us believe, and we have to see it for what it is, not from a fantasy world. The reality is these teams, among others, have not been good, and they shouldn’t be covered like they’re perennial championship contenders when they are anything but. The teams that are actually doing something are who should get the attention, and hopefully, more people can see it this way.

What to make of the NFL-Colin Kaepernick saga

August 26, 2016. That was the date where Colin Kaepernick, then the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, was seen sitting on the bench during the national anthem. Sept 1, a week after the protest was maid public, Kaepernick would change his protest from sitting to taking a knee (I’ll get into the reasoning for his actions in a bit). These two events combined to touch off one of the most volatile and explosive debates in recent memory. People were fighting each other trying to get their point across, longtime friendships were ended and Facebook blocking was at an all-time high. In the midst of all of the mutiny, the original reasons for Kap’s protest were lost in the shuffle, and everything turned into a political firestorm that rendered the NFL clueless on how to deal with it all.

As for the reasons why Kaepernick was protesting, we have to remember, no matter what side we want to argue, his position was taken to bring attention to social injustices going on in America. The stance going from sitting down altogether to taking a knee was because of a conversation Kap had with Nate Boyer, who was an Army Green Beret member (one of the military’s elite units). It was Boyer who recommended taking the knee, which is a way the military honors the fallen. It never was, as Kaepernick said, about disrespecting the military or the country’s flag. Like everyone else, I can go on and on about my feelings, but that’s not the reason for this article. I just wanted to set the stage on how we ended up at what transpired last week, and because of the sides involved, why we are still at the same spot we have been at all along, which is on the road to nowhere fast.

Since Kap opted out of his deal with the 49ers after the 2016 season, he hasn’t played in the NFL. The deal opt-out was purely Kaepernick’s decision, but I tend to think San Francisco was going to move on from him anyway. Be as it may, it’s been a while since Kap has been on an NFL field, and based on the overall quarterback play throughout the league, it’s hard to figure out why he couldn’t get a roster spot. There are two things the NFL cares about more than anything else, money and optics. Of course, the league would say otherwise, but their actions speak louder than their words. The anthem protest controversy, fairly or unfairly, put a dent into the league’s ratings. Combine that with the fact they didn’t know how to handle things because of public outcry, and you have an optics nightmare that messes with their money. There are people who say the league colluded to keep Kaepernick out of the league, and based on the way the league handles things, I don’t think it’s a stretch for someone to have that opinion. To move on, the league and Kaepernick would come to a settlement after the former 49ers star sued the league. Part of the settlement was Kap would get a workout that could be checked out by all of the teams. Apparently, it would be the league’s choosing when the workout would take place, because they chose a random Saturday during the season, with only a few days notice and a day before almost all of the teams play in their respective games. The timing of this announcement seems shady, and it screams covering their asses from a league known for trying to cover their asses. The NFL knows there are people who want to see Kaepernick get a shot to play, and by doing this, they can say they granted that opportunity. Again, it’s all about optics.

While the NFL is guilty of a lot in my estimation, Kaepernick isn’t completely innocent. While the original reason for the protest is legit, Kap can get in the way of his own message (see the pig socks and Fidel Castro shirt he has worn in the past), and we really haven’t heard if he even wants to play. When Kap talked after Saturday’s workout, which was moved from the original location given by the NFL, that was one of the first times we heard definitively he wanted to play in years. In regards to the workout, people said Kap looked good, but there’s no way of telling how good he can be unless can get time in an actual game, and judging off of Kap’s other comments calling out the 32 owners of the NFL teams, we probably won’t be seeing that anytime soon, if at all. The bottom line is as much as I would like to say this was a productive event, I really can’t say that because nothing positive came out of it. If anything, the wedge between the two sides became bigger.

So here’s where we’re at. The NFL did what they always do, which is look out for their money and optics. I don’t think Kaepernick helped his cause out either. Therefore, we are where we have always been since the original protest, which is heavily divided, and left searching for a solution. How this saga ends is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for sure. There are no winners here, and things will continue to be bitter between the two sides for the foreseeable future. The saddest thing is a once promising career appears to be over, and because that’s probably been the case long before a supposed workout.

Time to answer the annual best player in the NBA (world) question

So the free agency period in the NBA has come and gone, and what a period it turned out to be. This class of free agents was one of the most star-studded in recent memory, and the results of the moves has turned the league into a place where, dare I say it, parody, might be the theme of the upcoming season. Through all of the moves, there has been a lot of debate (as usual) in regards to which player holds the title as the best basketball player in the world. Obviously, this answer varies depending on who you talk to, but for me, it’s between four men. Before I dive into the debate, I want to send my apologies to fans of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (this season’s regular season Most Valuable Player) and Houston Rockets guard James Harden (not really), because they aren’t on this list, but here are the four dudes that are:

Could it be Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard? Most players who come off of an NBA Finals MVP instantly become part of this conversation, and the same is true in this case. Leonard is coming off of a season where he led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship, and he was traded to them by the San Antonio Spurs before last season. In his only season in a Raptors uniform, Leonard quickly reminded all of us how good he is, and the run he went on during the playoffs can compare to some of the all-time great runs we’ve ever seen. Going to the hardware count, he has two titles, two Finals MVPs and is also a two-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner. Maybe there is a little bit of prisoner of the moment energy when it comes to Kawhi, but this man was always among the best in the league.

Might it still be Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James? I say still because in the estimation of most fans and analysts, James has held this title for quite a while. Even though we didn’t see him in the playoffs this season, the “Chosen One” has more than enough to back up his claim for the world’s best. He is a four-time regular season MVP and a three-time NBA Finals MVP to go along with his three championships. To go along with all that, James has been on a team that has made the Finals eight straight seasons (four with the Miami Heat and four with the Cleveland Cavaliers) before the miss with the Lakers. Say what you want about LeBron, but it’s hard to ignore the man has been historically good for a decade and a half.

Maybe it’s Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant that takes the vote. The instant boost into the best player discussion from winning Finals MVPs was mentioned earlier in the article. Durant was the beneficiary of that boost in 2017 and 2018, where he won the award on the Golden State Warriors’ title teams. We all know Durant is already one of the best scorers ever to play the game, and he has four scoring titles to back that up, and he has a regular season MVP award by his name also. Because of the Achilles injury he suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Raptors, it’ll be a while before we see him on a basketball court, but don’t be surprised if KD comes back to remind us of how potent he can be.

Perhaps it’s Warriors guard Stephen Curry who claims the best player award. Curry is already widely known as the greatest shooter of all-time, and he still has some years left two play. He has two regular season MVPs, and is the only played to win that award by a unanimous vote (2015-16). He’s also a three-time NBA champion, and is also given credit for revolutionizing the game because of his shooting ability. Unlike the other three players mentioned above, there’s nothing physically imposing with Steph. He can dominant a game entirely with skill.

There are my four player who are in the running for best player in the world. Of course, I can’t complete this article without actually listing them, right? On my rankings, I would still have to give a slight edge to James. LeBron has been on the top of my list for a while, and it’ll take more than a season to knock him off the No. 1 spot. Leonard would be second, followed by Curry, then Durant. I would love to hear who you have as the best player in the world. Is one of my four, or do you have Antetokounmpo? Maybe Harden, or perhaps Russell Westbrook? Let me know, then let’s debate.

Don’t believe LeBron if he says he’s just a basketball player

When we look at how most sports leagues are ran, the common thing seen is players won’t have power like the team owners and management does. This is not the case with the National Basketball Association (NBA), where players have huge influences, not just within the sport itself, but outside in the social world as well. That influence wasn’t on any bigger display than it was during the league’s free agency period, where players literally were able to swing the balance of power with their moves, even if they had multiple years left on their contracts. So who gets most of the credit for starting this movement of player empowerment? Look no further than Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

In pointing to James as the person who should get credit for starting this era of player empowerment, it isn’t to say he’s the first to use his stance to get what he wants. Going back to when Michael Jordan played, players would use their leverage to get as much money as they can. What I am saying is LeBron is one the first players to use his stature to get what he’s looking for, while keeping the pressure on the team he’s playing for at the same time. By pressure, I mean in ways like signing other players to fit James’s game, and getting his friends paid also (see the deals signed by Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson and Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for context). Overall, I definitely understand if a player wants to exercise leverage, because in the business world, a team would be quick to let him or her go if they don’t think he or she can no longer produce at a high level. At the same token, a squad has to ask when it’s too much for a player who is probably going to leave anyway.

LeBron, to look at things objectively, did spend the first seven seasons of his career with the Cavaliers, who drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. After that, it was the summer of 2010, when James announced he would be “taking his talents to South Beach,” and signing with the Miami Heat. In doing so, LeBron would join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the No. 5 and 4 picks in the same draft James was in, and form a “superteam.” I’m sure I don’t have to explain the significance of this move, but it stands out because the balance of power literally swung in the Heat’s favor just from that decision. After joining Miami, there would be other moves made to make sure the roster was to LeBron’s liking. From the outside, it may look like everything is great, because the team James is on is instantly (until last season) in contention for a title. Having said that, there seems to be a lot teams who have the player widely viewed as the best basketball player in the world have to deal with in order to have that luxury.

After four years, and two championships, with the Heat, James would leave Miami and come back to play with the Cavaliers in the summer of 2014. There were some who thought he left because he couldn’t control the team like he wanted, because the president of the team was Pat Riley, who is best known for being the coach of the showtime Lakers during the 80s. Upon his arrival in Cleveland, expectations changed for the Cavs, going from a team who was building towards the future, to a team who has to win right now. The head coach at the time, David Blatt, was brought on to help develop the young talent, led by point guard Kyrie Irving (more on him later). Now, it was how to manage a player who believes he’s the smartest in the room. Andrew Wiggins, who was drafted by the Cavs in with the No. 1 pick in 2014, was all of a sudden traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves to bring in Kevin Love. This team had James’ fingerprints all over it, so much in some’s, estimations that he might as well have the title of player-coach, general manager and owner. Blatt would later be fired in favor of assistant coach Tyronn Lue, another move that had LeBron’s preferences. Now, it’s the Lakers who seem to be at the mercy of James. Over the past few months, Luke Walton has been replaced by Frank Vogel as the head coach, and the man who helped bring LeBron to Los Angeles, Magic Johnson, suddenly stepped down as team president and went scorched Earth on every associated with the team. Only the people inside know for sure, but I can understand if someone thought LeBron was a reason these changes happened.

In following the career of James, one thing that sticks out to me his his passive-aggressiveness. He’ll have you believe he’s just the player, and he has nothing to do with any of the personel moves. That stance in and of itself is laughable when you consider this is the NBA we’re talking about. In a league where players have a lot of power, it would be hard to believe the most powerful player sits back and does nothing. The Lakers just got Anthony Davis in a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. James and Davis have the same agent in Rich Paul. I think we’re teasing ourselves if we think that had nothing to do with the trade pulling through. Those deals with Thompson and Caldwell-Pope, they probably don’t get done without the influence of James and his camp. Those two also have Paul as their agents. Bottom line, a lot of stuff doesn’t get down unless James gives the OK. What teams have decided is having LeBron is worth the headache, as long as they have the chance to play in June. Back to Cleveland, Irving didn’t think it was worth his sanity, as he would demand a trade. He got his wish, and went to the Boston Celtics. That’s part of that player empowerment James has lead. Sometimes it can be a gift, and other times it can be a curse. Lately, it’s looking more like a curse.

Two players, two reminders of greatness

In sports, there are times where a player reaches a level of greatness, go off the radar for a little bit, then rise back up to let people know they’re still around. Most of this can be attributed to the way society is, especially with us being in the “What have you done for me lately?” attitude that has taken over. Another part is people just didn’t realize how good a player was when they were destroying everyone in their path, and when they do it again, it’s some sort of coming out party. The “surprise” of what’s going on is what dominated the airwaves when it comes to discussing Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, who are duking it out in the NBA Finals. Honestly, this isn’t any sort of coming out party, nor should anyone be surprised at the high level these two are playing at. What both are doing is reminding everyone how great they were, and still are.

Of course, while Curry and Leonard are sharing the biggest stage in basketball, the paths the two used to get there this season are drastically different. Let’s start with Curry, who is making his fifth straight NBA Finals appearance with the Warriors. The seventh pick in the 2009 NBA Draft was the league’s Most Valuable Player two seasons in a row (2014-’15 and 2015-’16), and became the only unanimous winner of the award the second time (not to mention winning one league title and being seconds away from making it two during this span). After forward Kevin Durant joined the Warriors in the summer of 2016, Curry became a very potent sidekick in many’s eyes. Through it all, the shooting never left, then Durant goes down with a calf injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets. The injury to Durant was supposed to spell doom for Golden State, but Curry said not so fast. From that moment, to the completion of a sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference finals, the son of sharp-shooter Dell Curry went on a tear that quickly reminded people what he’s capable of. After Game 5 of the Rockets series, Curry scored 33 points or more in each game. Suddenly, analysts and bloggers were acting like this was a shock. I guess people forgot how great Curry was before Durant even entered the equation.

While Curry’s road wasn’t exactly easy, it was nothing like the route Leonard took to get to this point. The 15th pick in the 2011 draft (traded from the Indiana Pacers to the San Antonio Spurs on the same day) came into the league know as a great defender, but worked to improve his game in some form every year he’s been in the league. The hard work cumulated in the form of an NBA Finals MVP in 2014, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards in the years that followed. It seemed like the sky’s the limit for Leonard, then came the 2017-’18 season, in which he only played in nine games for the Spurs. There was a lot of controversy in regards to a quadriceps injury Leonard was nursing. The Spurs medical staff cleared him to play, but his team was saying he wasn’t ready to return. Regardless of what happened or what side a person is on, the bottom line is the dispute led to a serious disconnect, and ultimately, a broken relationship that was beyond repair. Leonard would be traded to the Raptors, and what followed him was a reputation (in some’s eyes) of someone who quit on the Spurs. With his new team, Leonard would quickly reminded people how good he is, leading Toronto to a 58-24 regular season record, and the franchise’s first Finals appearance. During the playoffs, Leonard had plenty of scoring outbursts, prompting analysts to ask where is that coming from. Again, how quickly people forgot this man was the best “two-way” player in the league.

Both Curry and Leonard have interesting stories that have seen the highest of highs, and some low points. Everyone who plays sports will experience peaks and valleys, but for those players who have achieved a certain level of greatness, it’s hard to imagine them becoming sorry all of a sudden unless unforeseen circumstances happen. Both of these men never lost their skill, or work ethic. They were just put in situations where their individual excellence was forgotten. For Curry, he sacrificed his own status of being the man for the Warriors to make room for Durant and put titles over personal fame. For Leonard, he didn’t (or at least his team didn’t) think he was healthy enough to play. At any rate, both are back to doing what they do, and doing it at a high level.

For more context, we can’t forget how historically good these two were, and are. Curry, with his shooting ability, has literally changed the way the game is played. Leonard is a rare player who can score with the best, and can also guard all five positions on the court on defense. How quickly people forget how good players were. It’s so bad, people will be the talk of the day one minute, and forgotten about the next. From here forward, Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard should be mentioned in the best player in the world conversation, and what they have done in the playoffs should serve as a reminder. The problem is these names should have never left that conversation in the first place.

Criticism of Greek Freak shows what’s wrong in today’s sports media

One thing I can’t stand about society these days is whenever something goes wrong, the instinct is to find something, or someone, to blame for the reason why it happened. The world of sports isn’t any different. As a matter of fact, players get their feet put to the fire, especially if the team they play for went through a monumental collapse at the moment of truth. We know the drill by now. If a team loses, blame automatically (in most cases) goes to the star player, and this is the reality that faces Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of what happened in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even though the majority of the time is spent piling on the negative, I prefer to look at the positive and give credit to where it’s deserved. The Toronto Raptors were great in coming back from a 2-0 series deficit to win four straight and earn a trip to the NBA Finals, where they have a chance to dethrone the Golden State Warriors. The Raptors’ defense, particularly forward Kawhi Leonard, did a great job of forcing Antetokounmpo into jump shots, and making other players, such as guards Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe, into doing things they’re not as comfortable doing. Toronto’s bench, which was a strength during the regular season, had disappeared at times during the playoffs. In the conference finals against the Bucks, those contributions came back to life. If you ask me, this series was more about what the Raptors did right than what Milwaukee did wrong.

Having said all of that, I would be cheating if I didn’t look at both sides of the equation. Toronto was great, but there were times where it looked like the moment was too big for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo actually airballed free throws, and the crowd at Scotiabank Arena wasn’t afraid to let him hear about it. Yes, the Greek Freak wasn’t nearly as dominant against the Raptors as he has been all season and in the first two rounds against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. That much may be true, but to say he was practically a no-show in the latter part of the series is, for the lack of a better word, a lie. Looking at his numbers in the games, they were still decent. In Game 3 (for example), Antetokounmpo had 12 points on 5-16 shooting, but he also had 23 rebounds and seven assists. I bring this game up because the shooting percentage could have definitely been enough for most players to let the rest of their performance slip, but that wasn’t the case with the Greek Freak.

If anyone watched the coverage following Milwaukee’s dismissal, they would have thought Antetokounmpo didn’t do anything in the series at all. I even heard people (mostly from Houston) try to compare these performances to past playoff failures seen from Houston Rockets guard James Harden. I’m here to say those games aren’t even close to being the same. Antetokounmpo didn’t go 2-of-11 shooting with six turnovers in an elimination game, like Harden did in Game 6 of the 2017 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs (a game the Rockets lost 114-75). The Greek Freak also didn’t have a game like Harden did in Game 5, another elimination game, of the 2015 West finals against the Warriors, where almost had as many turnovers (12) as points (14). All I’m saying is if we’re going to make comparsions, let’s at least be in the same ballpark, and putting Antetokounmpo’s performances side-by-side with Harden’s is nowhere near the same.

I think we can all agree the Greek Freak is an awesome player who can still get better. He’s only 24 years old, and the potential he can reach is downright scary. What the Raptors did was exploit one of the few weaknesses in his game but taking away the easy paint baskets, and that’s the lack of a consistent jump shot. It’s not that Antetokounmpo can’t hit from the outside, it’s just not to the point where teams are going to say they need to get out there before he releases. Just imagine if the Greek Freak does get a consistent mid-range jumper (doesn’t even have to be a three-pointer). If that happens, he becomes almost unguardable, and that might be something the rest of the league is not ready for.

For now, Antetokounmpo is more than pretty good. Keep in mind this is his first time getting this far in the playoffs, Before this season, he hasn’t made it out of the first round. While I don’t think anyone is above criticism, to crush him on his performance is over the top in my eyes. The Greek Freak wasn’t destroying things on the court, but I don’t think he vanished either, and for all of the hot take artists out there, it’s time to be realistic instead of trying to cause click bait. By the way, he’s probably going to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Players award later this month, so I think he’s doing okay.

The curious case of the Warriors

As the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors beat each other up in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors, the two-time defending NBA champions, are enjoying an extended break as they wait and see who they will play in the NBA Finals, which start May 30. After sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers out of the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors get to rest and get a little healthier before they make their fifth straight finals appearance. For the rest of us, we get to dissect everything off the court surrounding this team, and it has made for some interesting conversation across the airways. Before we continue the dive, keep in mind I believe all of this is comical, and the potential for this to become hilarious is super high.

Let’s start with naming the characters in the soap opera, and at the same time, catch things up to the current point. Golden State was in a hotly-contested series with the Houston Rockets. In Game 5, with the series tied at two games apiece, forward Kevin Durant goes down with an injury (diagnosed as a calf strain, although it looked worse when it happened) in the third quarter. Most people thought losing the reigning NBA Finals MVP would spell doom for the Warriors, but it has proven to be the opposite. Golden State would win Game 5, then go to Houston and eliminate the Rockets in Game 6. Afterwards came the sweep of the Blazers in the conference finals. In other words, the Warriors haven’t lost since Durant went down, and the team looked like the one before he came there, yes, the one who won the title in 2015 and won an NBA record 73 games the year after.

Through this improbable run, we have been reminded about the greatness of the splash brothers, guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (as if we needed it), the versatility of Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala and a bench that has people thinking the motto “Strength in Numbers” is still alive and well. Curry, in particular, has been on a tear since Durant went down. Going back to Game 6 of the Rockets series, he has scored 33 points or more in every game since, topping off the stretch with a triple-double in the close-out of Portland, where he had 37 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Green also had a triple-double in the last game the Warriors played.

The recent run has media outlets everywhere asking questions about whether or not Golden State even needs Durant to win what would be their third straight title going forward. Numbers would tell you no, especially the record of 34-4 for the team when Curry plays and Durant doesn’t (since Durant was signed by the Warriors in the summer of 2016). All of this conversation is apparently getting the attention of the probable free agent to be, because he is being his normal sensitive self and clapping back on all of his doubters through Twitter, among other social media outlets. One of the people who Durant was going back and forth with is Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard, who basically said in so many words the worst nightmare is becoming a reality for KD (more on that in a minute). Seeing how thin-skinned Durant makes me shake my head, but hey, at least he isn’t creating fake accounts to shake the “haters” off this time.

Looking at things objectively, it would be hard to believe a team could be better without the services of a man who many would say is the best basketball player in the world. Having said that, one could see where that opinion is not far-fetched. The ball moves, and everyone is involved in the offense. As great as KD is, he is primarily an isolation player, and he has to have the ball in his hands to make his biggest impact on a game. As a team, it’s easy to fall in love with a player who can score in bunches, but it can make it easier for a team to defend them. Back to that worse nightmare comment from Broussard. My translation is if Golden State wins the title without Durant, the temperature, if it can go any higher, would really go up in terms of the team needing him at all. We can hear the critics now, saying how weak it was joining a team he couldn’t beat as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The critics will also say it’s proven KD is a luxury to the Warriors, not a necessity. All he did was make an already great team even better. This is what has been coming towards KD, and will reach a higher pitch if another trophy comes back to the Bay Area. I will be interested in the result, but for now, I’ll just sit back and laugh at Durant’s sensitivity on full display.

If Tiger wants to catch Nicklaus, how about playing more golf?

Who can forget where they were back on April 14, the day Tiger Woods announced he is back on the prowl by winning the 2019 Masters Tournament? Every network and radio station couldn’t wait to see the day where Woods would win another major, something he hadn’t done since his victory at the 2008 U.S. Open, and honestly, I was one of the people waiting for that day also. When that day finally came, I remember sitting in a barbeque restaurant, eating a brisket sandwich with a smile on my face, watching Woods sit at a press conference wearing his fifth green jacket.

This was the climax of the journey of a man who was at the top, then went to a through a complete freefall (mostly from his own actions), and worked his way back to the No. 1 spot, at least for this event. It was great to see, but than I had a thought, and asked myself what happens next. As I finish the fries that came with my brisket sandwich, I start to wonder what happens in the future, and get caught up in the wash that is the prisoner of the moment syndrome.

It’s at this moment where I get logic to set in. What seemed inevitable before, which was Woods catching Jack Nicklaus for most career major victories, is suddenly back in the question after a moment of serious doubt. Tiger now has 15 major wins, which puts Nicklaus’ 18 squarely in the crosshairs. Knowing this, we have to understand this isn’t the same man who was tearing the PGA Tour up in the late 1990s – early 2000s. He’s 43 years old, and his body has been through numerous surgical procedures. How much will Tiger be able to play? How will his mind, body and soul hold up? How deep is the competition he’ll have to go through? These are just a few of the questions I ask myself as I ride home.

The first two questions, only Woods can answer, but the last question, I can say the competition will be as tough as it’s ever been. This showed at last weekend’s PGA Championship, the now second of the four major tournaments that was moved from August to May. Coming off of the Masters win, hype was strong, but all of that excitement turned into disappointment when Woods went on to miss the cut, while his playing partner, Brooks Koepka, was blowing through the course at Bethpage Black on his way to his second straight PGA Championship win. If Tiger is going to pass Nicklaus, it’ll be tough to stave Koepka off alone, and that’s on top of the mix of Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Rory Mcllroy and Justin Rose, among others.

While I would never claim to know everything, I do know and believe this much. It’s hard to think of a scenario where a person can just show up and beat the world’s best in any situation, let alone without any playing and practice time. That’s what Woods was essentially trying to do, because he didn’t play at all between the Masters and PGA Championship. The result was nothing short of disastrous, and if Tiger wants to win any tournament going forward, he has to play competitive golf. He says he’ll play in the Memorial Tournament leading up to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, so that’s a good sign, but is that enough? If I was a betting man, I would say no. I root for Woods to break Nicklaus’ record, but I don’t see it happening if he just plays in primarily majors. If Tiger is back on the prowl, it’s time to go hunting on other courses.