Eyes On NBA: 5 New NBA Duos To Watch

By @TrueGodImmortal

So, the NBA season is nearing and there's so much to watch out for. After a few trades and free agent signings, we now have a number of top tier duos in the NBA that could end up doing some damage or making some noise. In addition to the already existing juggernaut in Golden State, the stacked team in Cleveland, and of course the duos in Washington, Toronto, and New Orleans, we now have 5 new duos to get used to. Not included here? LeBron James and Isaiah Thomas, because we don't really know how soon it'll be before Isaiah will play. That aside, let's take a look at 5 new duos to watch for.

5. Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic
(Denver Nuggets)

-This COULD be a post nightmare for some teams, and I think Denver suits Millsap pretty well. My biggest concern is that these two won't mix well, but with the type of players they are, it should work to give Denver some solid offense. While Denver needs to really work on their backcourt, their frontcourt is set, and of all the new duos, this is the most slept on of them all and underappreciated. Millsap doesn't make the Nuggets a championship team, but he definitely can make them a playoff team again.

4. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward 
(Boston Celtics)

-It is surprising in many ways that Kyrie and Hayward both would end up in Boston, but we knew Boston would end up making some big move. I just never expected Isaiah Thomas to leave and I never expected Kyrie to leave Cleveland. Hayward was clearly heading to Boston and with the system they have in Boston, it is fairly certain to be a fun thing to watch Kyrie as the no. 1 option. The question remains, is this big time All Star duo enough to push the Celtics beyond the Cavs and to the NBA Finals? That remains to be seen. The sure thing is that it'll definitely be fun to watch regardless.

3. Jimmy Butler and Karl Anthony Towns
(Minnesota Tinberwolves)

-As a Bulls fan, it sucks that Jimmy Butler is gone. For Minnesota fans, you have to be ecstatic. The playoff drought should finally be coming to an end. The Wolves don't seem championship bound, but with Butler provided scoring and defense for the Wolves alongside KAT and his natural abilities, this duo could work very well to help the team see the Conference Finals at best and at worse, the first round of the playoffs. This duo will be fun to watch and I think Butler takes over where Wiggins couldn't. That'll be interesting to watch play out. 

2. Chris Paul and James Harden
(Houston Rockets)

-This duo is the most intriguing. These two have never played with a player of this magnitude on each end. Harden can comfortably go back to his shooting guard position, but he's still a good passer and a primary ball handler, and so is CP3. This will end up being an interesting dichotomy and while I can't for sure say that it will work like everyone expects it to, on paper, the Rockets look very good. Chris Paul is silently beginning his late career decline (defensively mostly), but outside of that, he's still a viable player and Harden was just a MVP candidate, so he for sure has the tools to help this team. Will this duo work? Will the Rockets make the Conference Finals? That remains to be seen.

1. Russell Westbrook and Paul George
(Oklahoma City Thunder) 

-This duo is the most intriguing. Russell Westbrook had a decent team around him, but he carried the scoring load in OKC. He has been used to having a second option most of his career and PG has been a first option on his own team, so putting these two chiefs together to make something happen should result in instant playoff success. If Paul George plays solid defense and scores at will like he usually does  when focused, the fact remains that we might see the Thunder as a top 3 seed in the West and a sleeper to make the Conference Finals. This is the duo you need to watch out for the most.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:02 AM  No comment

Eyes On NBA: The 2017 NBA Free Agency

By @TrueGodImmortal

The NBA off-season is one of the most fun things to witness if you're a real fan of the game. With the free agency period heating up, there have been some amazing deals put into place and we wanted to take a look at the 7 biggest or most important so far. Let's get into it.

*Blake Griffin
(5 years, 173 million)

-This is honestly a shock. Blake hasn't shown he can lead a team 100%, but yet the Clippers chose to stay with him and pursue him to give him a max deal. Add to that a rumored emotional meeting (Steve Ballmer probably cried tears) with the most awful shirt in existence that saw Blake's face next to Gandhi, MLK, JFK, and more pioneers, and this was just an experience in itself. Regardless, if the Clippers feel putting the keys into Blake's hands is the right thing to do, they showed him that it is now his team (along with Deandre Jordan) by paying up.

*Steph Curry
(5 years, 201 million)

-The biggest "free agent", we knew that Steph was going to sign back to the Warriors, but for how much? That was the question. We knew he was going to likely get the super max deal, but would he take a pay cut? Not a chance. The Warriors know who the franchise player is. The two time MVP. The man who set the single season record for the most three pointers over and over again. The most important player of the last 5 years that revolutionized the game, who has overtook LeBron as the top selling jersey the last 3 seasons and seemingly has become the most popular player in the league.

*Andre Iguodala
(3 years, 48 million)

-The biggest drama so far besides the currently undecided Gordon Hayward was the Iggy saga. He set meetings up with the Spurs, the Rockets, but it really didn't seem like there was a chance of him leaving. The Warriors know that even at 33 years old, Iggy can go out and do what they need him to. This past season was an adjustment for them with adding Durant into the system, but their death lineup with Iggy, KD, Draymond, Klay, and Steph is just about as undefeated as any lineup in the NBA. Bringing the core guys back was important to Golden State and they did just that.

*Jeff Teague
(3 years, 57 million)

-While not quite the deal that I was expecting Minnesota to make, Teague is a solid option at point guard, and while 19 million a year is a bit more than I thought he would get paid, he could fit in well with the new big 3 of Wiggins, Butler, and Towns. One has to wonder though how this new core will work out going forward. Could Teague help lead them to the Conference Finals? Only time will tell.

*Kyle Lowry
(3 years, 100 million)

-Lowry stays in Toronto. It looked as if he was going to leave for maybe Philly or Minnesota and yet he ends up with 33 million a year to stay in Toronto along with a deal for Ibaka. 76ers didn't need him since they drafted Fultz, and there didn't really seem to be a market for him. Lowry sticks with his team and keeps the backcourt with Derozan alive, but will it matter? Will the Raptors get back to the Conference Finals? Can they pull off a great feat and shock the world? They've got their core back at least with deals for Ibaka and Lowry, but only time will tell.

*Jrue Holiday
(5 years, 125 million)

-The most puzzling deal of them all. 125 million dollars. 25 million for Jrue, who isn't the answer for the Pelicans. A team with Boogie Cousins and Anthony Davis will definitely benefit from his presence some if he stays healthy, but I think they overpaid by about 8-10 million dollars a year. However, Jrue seems to be a priority for the Pelicans and if he is focused and ready to play, it's very possible this investment does not seem like a waste. Still, I'm skeptical at this deal. Huge payday for Holiday however, which is great for him.

*Paul Millsap
(3 years, 90 million)

-The most recent deal to be made is one that also confused me. 3 years for Millsap is an ideal contract, but I saw finishing at like 75 million at best for a threw years deal. Realistically, he's worth a 3 year, 69 million deal, but with him being named to the All Star team, it's very possible that he used that to get 30 million a year. Does the addition of Millsap increase the Nuggets' chance of making the playoffs? Yes. Does it make them a contender? Far from it. Will it be worth the 30 million a year? As usual, time will tell.

-True 

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Eyes on the Ring 1:41 AM  No comment