Tag: Zion Williamson

1.8.21 Hoop Tales: Build (Mikal) Bridges, Not Walls Edition

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Case Study: Mikal Bridges is one of the best defenders in the NBA - Bright Side Of The Sun

Thursday: 2-2 (-0.09 units)

Season: 15-21 (-8.14 units)


First Pick: Mikal Bridges O11.5 pts vs DET (-125)

Fact #1: The Pistons allow 25.9 PPG to the small forward position this season.

Fact #2: Bridges has totaled 12+ points in five of his last six contests.


Second Pick: Zion Williamson O22.5 pts vs CHA (-130)

Fact #1: Zion has outings of 24 and 29 over his past two contests.

Fact #2: The Hornets allow an average of 25 PPG to the power forward position.


Third Pick: Bucks -6 spread vs UTA (-110)

Fact #1: Third game in four nights for Utah and they have looked bad on this road trip.

Fact #2: The Bucks are averaging 127 points per game over their last three, meanwhile the Jazz have only cracked 110 once over their last five contests.


Fourth Pick: Cole Anthony O14.5 pts vs HOU (-110)

Fact #1: Markelle Fultz is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Fact #2: Anthony reportedly won’t play Fultz-like minutes, but he shouldn’t need to do so to hit this number.

Fact #3: The Rockets allow 27.8 PPG to point guards this season.

Celtics May Not Have Drafted 7’2″ Bol Bol, But They DID Sign 7’6″ Tacko Fall

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ESPN – Tacko Fall, a 7-foot-6 center from UCF, will sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Boston Celtics, a source told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Fall was not selected Thursday night during the NBA draft.

Fall averaged 10.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and shot 74 percent from the field over his four-year collegiate career. During his senior season, he posted marks of 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and hit 74.8 percent of his attempts.

Fall has attracted attention because of his size and because he held his own against Zion Williamson in UCF’s one-point loss to Duke in the NCAA tournament.

Exhibit 10 contracts, introduced in the NBA’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, are one-year deals paying the minimum salary. They also can be used for two-way contracts.

So technically the Celtics signed Tacko Fall to some phony bologna deal called an Exhibit 10 contract, which I have never even heard before this week.

“[Its] a one-year, non-guaranteed deal that allows teams to carry up to 20 players on their roster before the start of the regular season. If a player is waived before the season begins, he is then eligible for a $50,000 bonus if he joins the team’s G-League affiliate.” – Boston.com

What that means is Tacko will be given a shot to play for the C’s Summer League team in Vegas and then Danny will assess if he’s worth a flyer. Unless he absolutely savages people in the summer league I would not expect to see Tacko in a uniform that has anything other than a red lobster on the front next season.

If the name Tacko Fall sounds familiar to you, and like me you aren’t a giant college basketball guy, its most likely because he made you cry watching SportsCenter over your morning cereal.

So while I would not expect much from Tacko just yet, its hard to not be intrigued by a 7’6″ center. Especially since everyone and their mother has been bitching about the Celtics’ lack of a “rim protector” for my entire adult life. No doubt, we will keep you guys updated on how he does in the summer league this season.

The NBA Draft Was an A+ Fashion Show Per Usual

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As per usual the NBA Draft was the can’t miss fashion show of the year. I mean even Maria Taylor was just straight up flaunting her neon Yeezys right in my face while interviewing each player.

This has become something I look forward to blogging every year and the boys in this year’s draft did not disappoint. Zion Williamson kicked off the night with his all white everything suit looking like the Kingpin.

Bol Bol, who I was PINING for the Celtics to draft, had arguably the best outfit of the night with his suit that will undoubtedly turn another NBA athlete into Venom sooner than later.

Ja Morant just looked like a guy straight out of the 90s and more specifically a fit you’d expect to see on the cover of someone’s Death Row Records debut album.

Assuming this isn’t a religious thing because if it is then forget what I’m about to say, but this is just a preposterous outfit for a guy who just became a millionaire. Legit looks like a Matrix set costume.

Okay, I spoke too soon because Jaxson Hayes had the outfit of the night with his custom Simpsons jewelry alone pushing him over the top.

While the ESPN analysts were not as kind, with one of them saying he looked like he was wearing drapes, I audibly gasped when I saw Tyler Herro’s suit.

A lot of loud outfits on draft night that you really have to be a rapper or an athlete, or at the very least a very wealthy Silicon Valley bro, to pull off.

Rounding things out was Nickeil Alexander-Walker-Texas-Ranger.

Until next year!

If Zion Williamson Was Wearing Starburys This Injury Would Have Never Happened

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CNN – Nike is playing damage control after Duke basketball phenom Zion Williamson tore his sneaker in a game Wednesday evening. Nike’s (NKE) stock was down more than 1% on Thursday. Nike builds its reputation around creating premier shoes and clothes for athletes, but that image took a hit with Williamson’s sneaker snafu.

I’m pretty sure I could hear Phil Knight pounding his fist on his desk all the way in Oregon when this happened the other night. Obviously Zion is not your typical consumer, but having your shoes explode on national TV injuring the guy NBA teams are blatantly tanking just for a chance to draft is a bad look.

Nike’s stock has fallen after the paper mâché shoe fell apart in front of the country. Makes you wonder, whatever happened to good, quality basketball sneakers? I’m not talking about that low top bullshit that Kobe nearly broke his ankle in either. No I’m talking about the GOAT basketball shoe; the Starbury.

The greatest shoe of all time, made by one of the wildest dudes in the history of the NBA in Stephon Marbury. All for the low, low price of $14.98. As a broke as college kid I appreciated the Starburys. Unfortunately I could never find my size in AJ Wright. Sigh. Even eBay hates us 5’8″ dudes. Stephon my man, hook me up with a size 10! I respect what Steph was trying to do though. A revolutionary if you ask me. If only Zion had the same pair of kicks we wouldn’t be talking about a knee injury, we’d be talking about the most dominant college basketball player in the country in a pair of shoes cheaper than a 30 rack of Natty Lite.