Bradley Beal

What should the Warriors do with the #2 pick?

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The Golden State Warriors phoned in the 2020 season.  The injuries and transitioning of multiple superstars made them a team that was ready for a rebuild.  Unlike other teams though they have a built in core of stars that will be returning from injuries.  Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green are still in the prime of their career and ready to make another run.  They have amassed a bunch of assets that can either help continue to build the future or make a deal that brings another superstar to play with the splash brothers in 2021.  

What should they do with the #2 pick?  Here are a few ideas. 

Go get Bradley Beal.  

The Washington Wizards have to move forward with a rebuild.  Their star Bradley Beal is locked up for a long time but his value at this point could not be any higher.  Washington will get John Wall back in 2021 and in the East they may be ready to make a run to the playoffs next year.  They can do that and continue to be a minimal franchise in the middle or bottom of the pack in the east or they could make a bold move and go out and start from  the beginning. Dealing away Bradley Beal for the #2 overall pick and Andrew Wiggins would not only be bold but it would allow them to move in a new direction with a core that could be very promising.  With the #2 pick the Wizards could add Deni Avdija or Lamelo Ball to a roster that includes the emerging Rui Hachimura.  They would also have the #9 pick they could grab Vanderbilt product Aaron Nesmith who would fit in perfectly with Hachimura.  

This is not a game changing draft but it does have a lot of depth and potential.  Andrew Wiggins could be a stop gap that could help net them another pick or litany of young players towards the trade deadline of 2021.  

For the Warriors, adding Bradley Beal, an underrated two-player that would create a new three headed monster from long range. 

Go get Kevin Love.

I will assume that Andre Drummond will accept the player option for next year.  The Cavaliers have great young guards Darius Garland and Collin Sexton but they need some true wings to make it work.  They will have little to no interest in Andrew Wiggins so that may be a problem but the #2 pick to go along with their #5 picks puts them in a position to stock up on some of the best talent in the draft.  

Love has an ability to change his game to what is needed around him.  In Minnesota Love was a dominant force in the paint.  He was a big time rebounder and was able to play with the back to the basket and work in the middle.  When he moved on to Cleveland he was able to develop his outside shot in order to play along with LeBron James. Love is a great fit along with the fast paced Warriors could be a the asset they need to complete the team and put them right back in the running as a championship contender. 

Draft James Wiseman.

James Wiseman was considered one of the top NBA prospects entering college.  Standing at 7ft tall and moving like a guard he can be a force in the middle of the lineup.  Wiseman will have the ability to not have to be the cornerstone of an organization, he can grow in a lineup featuring so many different experienced stars.  He can learn to play team defense along with Thompson and Draymond Green and he can be a force in the middle to clean up the glass for the shooters that Golden State features.  His mobility will allow him to fit the style that the Warriors want to play.  

He is not a traditional fit for Golden State but his talent and potential are unique and could be a future star for the Warriors. 

NBA Trade Candidates

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The Washington Wizards have announced that everyone is on the market.  John Wall stands out to most as the big-ticket pick up but I see it differently.  Bradley Beal seems like the better fit for most teams.  He will bring shooting, defense and he is not as big a jerk as John Wall.  Where would he be the best fit? He has a big salary but can be worth the risk for a team looking to compete.

Unlikely but intriguing: Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are on the cusp of being great.  Eric Bledsoe has stepped up in a leadership role to go along with Giannis and Khris Middleton.  Adding a guard the caliber of Bradley Beal would put them over the top.  Beal would give them a guard that they can rely upon to handle the scoring load if Giannis is off the court.  A lineup featuring multiple All- Stars would be too much to handle.

Bucks give up: Malcom Brogdon, Tony Snell, future first rounder this trade is unlikely because Washington would want more young talent but its worth a shot.

Makes sense: Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are in desperate need for a second star.  That star could be Bradley Beal, along side Kemba Walker they could have debatably the best backcourt in the NBA. Beal would be a much better fit along side Kemba when compared to Wall. He’s a better shooter and just generally more active when not controlling possessions. Micheal Jordan wants to make a contender out of Charlotte, refusing to move Kemba Walker.  This move could be a way to help Kemba stay at the end of the season.

Hornets give up: Malik Monk, MKG, 2019 first-rounder.  Monk would be a nice center piece for a team trying to rebuild as well as a 2019 first rounder.

Makes too much sense: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons made a splash last season adding Blake Griffin to play along side team cornerstone Andre Drummond.  This season they should make another bold move by adding Bradley Beal to the mix.  Detroit has had an ever turning ferris wheel of two guards flow through their rotation, names like Reggie Bullock, Langston Galloway, Ish Smith, Glen Robinson, and Luke Kennard have all had time playing the role of starter. These are not the cream of the crop for a team looking to contend.

Detroit currently ranks 29th in the league in three point % at just 31.6% on the season.  In todays shooter friendly NBA that is going to hold you back.  Adding Beal will force the defense to the outside and limit the double teams on the the two star bigs Griffin and Drummond.

Pistons give up: 2019 first round pick, Reggie Bullock,Stanley Johnson, and take on the full contract.

Should do it: Los Angeles Lakers

You should always place shooters around Lebron James.  Adding Bradley Beal would not only give you a shooter but a player that can be perfect as your third star after the summer. Los Angeles will likely be looking to add a big contract in the summer, many have looked at Klay Thompson as an additional piece to the puzzle, but maybe the piece could be Bradley Beal.  He is a similar player skill wise, (Klay is probably better) and you can get him for a cheap price of bench players.

The Lakers are looking to contend next year, why not make your moves now.

Lakers give up: Josh Hart, KCP, 2019 first round pick

 

 

Jayson Tatum- Make Basketball Great Again in the STL

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The last time the city of St. Louis had a professional basketball team was in 1976.  The ABA’s St. Louis Spirits did not make it into the NBA when the two leagues merged.  As the Spirits left so did the spirit of professional basketball in the Gateway City.  It is time for the city to recapture its passion for the sport by watching one of its native sons emerge on the grandest stage professional basketball has to show.

Celtics GM Danny Ainge made a controversial move when he traded away the #1 overall pick to the 76ers. Washinton’s Markelle Fultz was looked at as the can’t miss star of the draft.  His length and athleticism was thought to be elite on all levels.  Ainge took the gamble moving down to draft Duke Freshman  and St. Louis native Jayson Tatum. Jayson Tatum has emerged as an underrated rookie star for the Boston Celtics. If you are not sure who Jayson Tatum is, he is the guy  from the Imo’s commercials.

While flashier rookies  like Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell have been getting the headlines Tatum has quietly brought his team to the verge of the the Eastern Conference finals. Tatum, a graduate of Chaminade Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, Missouri, has given St. Louis sports fans a reason to watch the NBA playoffs.  With key stars, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward going do with season ending injuries Tatum was forced to take a more prominent role on a team that finished  with the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference. His scoring and defense have transitioned perfectly into the professional level.  Unlike most lottery draft picks Tatum has not been forced to be the savior of the organization.  Instead he was put in a position that allowed him to play a role, he was able to develop throughout rather then burden himself with the weight of the organization.  The regular season went well for Tatum averaging 13.9 PPG, 5 RB, shooting 43% from three and an astounding 53% shooting overall.  Tatum’s production has been taken to the next level for the Celtics in the playoffs.

In Game 1 of the second round series against the third seed Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum had a career-high 28 points in a 117–101 win, becoming the first Celtics rookie to score 25 or more points in a playoff game since Larry Bird (Maybe you have heard of him) during the 1980 NBA Playoffs, also against the 76ers. Tatum continued his strong play in Game 2 of the series scoring 21 points, those points would be the fourth game in a row Tatum reached the 20 point mark, making him the youngest player ever to accomplish that surpassing a guy by the name of Kobe Bryant (Maybe you have heard of him).  Brad Stevens has been called the best coach in the NBA for his ability to develop players, having them exceed expectations by putting them in a place the helps them excel.  The best example of the Stevens approach has been the production of Jayson Tatum.

St. Louis has had its fair share of NBA talent over the last few years.  Players like Larry Hughes, Darius Miles, and Bradley Beal have made an impact at the NBA level but Tatum is showing that he may end up being the best of the bunch.  He goes about his business quietly and professionally.  He plays in a major market and will be put in the spotlight as he develops and he will develop under the leadership of Brad Stevens.  Next season the Celtics may be the favorite in the Eastern Conference when their injured stars return but for now Tatum is the guy leading the charge of the dynamic Boston offense.  Tatum is the star that the St. Louis fan base needs, giving the fanbase a player and a team to follow.

Tatum is becoming the face of St. Louis basketball.