By Evan Oesterle

It's the time of year that sports fans dread. Basketball and hockey are over, there are still months until football season, and this year in particular there are no Summer Olympics or World Cup to fill the two month void. Aside from cities with good baseball teams (not Detroit) or the golf/tennis major every 6ish weeks, it isn't a great time to be a sports fan. Unless of course you enjoy the most entertaining offseason in professional sports league in the world has to offer:

• No other league has a draft that can change so many team's trajectories so rapidly because 1) the chance at a star means more given how few players a team has and 2) because the value of a pick is so high, blockbuster trades happen far more frequently
• No other league has its players tweeting about each other, responding to fans, and criticizing their front offices as often as NBA players do
• Similarly to the draft, no other league can have its entire landscape shifted so dramatically through free agency compared to the NBA. Lebron has controlled the east for almost a decade now, but with two different franchises. All-star players like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Lamarcus Aldridge, and now Chris Paul have left contenders for new contenders just in the past few summers.
• Also, the players are always in front of cameras during the summer (ex. Kevin Durant embracing his "softness" sporting a hat with a cupcake, but the cupcake is garnished with an NBA Championship ring)

​Last summer it was the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. This summer we have already seen Chris Paul switch teams via sign-and-trade (unofficially). Jimmy Butler was also traded more than 24 months before he will be a free agent, joining a loaded young core in Minnesota. And we still have:

• Paul George, who will be traded before the season tips off after telling the Pacers he is signing with the Lakers next summer
• Gordon Hayward, who is taking meetings with the Heat and Celtics BEFORE his current team (Utah)
• Paul Milsap, a likely sign-and-trade candidate for a rebuilding Hawks team (possibly again to Houston)
• Blake Griffin, who is a major flight risk following Paul's departure
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Pistons most valuable player who is a restricted free agent and will command max offer sheets from the Nets and other teams (KCP doesn't even belong in the same article as the previous four guys mentioned)

So now it's time to gear up for a thrilling month of July. Here is my Bill Simmons-esque NBA Trade Value rankings for the 2017 season.

The "so un-tradable that even if Danny Ainge had the cajones to trade for a superstar he couldn't get a deal done with all his assets" tier:
(Note: I won't start ranking until the next tier since these players won't be traded. Also, when I do start ranking players, it essentially means that the #2 player alone isn't enough to acquire #1 via trade, #3 isn't enough for #2, and so on.)

Lebron James, SF Cleveland Cavaliers: Is there an NBA team Lebron James could not make the playoffs with? How many college teams could he make the NBA playoffs with? Even if the Cavs were convinced he was a flight risk, they couldn't trade him. He's worth too much and any team would have to give up all their assets to acquire him, meaning they would have nothing left to win with once he got there so he wouldn't resign.

Kevin Durant, SF Golden State Warriors: See James, Lebron. (Also, would the Warriors trade KD straight up for James? Food for thought)

Kawhi Leonard, SF San Antonio Spurs: He is younger than Lebron and KD, and despite not having the same sexiness to his game that they do, is on the same level as them. If I had an MVP ballot, it would've read: Lebron, Kawhi, Harden.

Russell Westbrook, PG Oklahoma City Thunder: Unless Westbrook ditches OKC for the Lakers in 2019, he will probably end up being (hot take cover up: one of) the best player(s) to never win a championship. Similar to the next player on the list, it isn't impossible that Russ gets traded, but OKC would look foolish (especially after trading another player in this tier and losing another to free agency)

Anthony Davis, PF New Orleans Pelicans: The Celtics want Davis. The Pelicans should not trade Davis for anything less than Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and the Nets 2018 First. Aka: AD isn't being traded.

James Harden, PG/SG Houston Rockets: Harden should have won MVP in 2015, and rightfully came in second this year. You don't trade MVP candidates.

The "budding superstars that would be traded for two dollars on the dollar or not at all" tier:

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Everything Milwaukee Bucks: I went back and forth about whether to put the Greek Freak in the last tier, but he is still so much more potential than actual results. Had he won the series against the Raptors, he would be in the prior tier. 

2. Karl Anthony Towns, Center Minnesota Timberwolves: I'm not as big on KAT as some, which should tell you all you need to know about his talent level based on his ranking here.

The "proven superstars that I didn't think would ever get traded but some of them are already getting traded" tier:

3. Stephen Curry, PG Golden State Warriors: Ankle issues and weak defense aside, Curry would also be in the un-tradable tier. 

4. Chris Paul, PG Houston Rockets: He is the reason for the title of this tier.

5. Draymond Green, PF Golden State Warriors: I believe that he is valuable enough defensively to make any team elite on that end.

6. Jimmy Butler, SF Minnesota Timberwolves: See Paul, Chris. Also, I think a lot of people have more of an idea of what they think Jimmy Butler is than an actual understanding of what he is. So I think he is a little underrated and when he leads the T-Wolves to being a top 4 seed in the west this year he may actually get some of the credit he deserves.

The "pretty un-tradable but if Danny Ainge calls you don't hang up the phone young guys" tier:

7. Nikola Jokic, C Denver Nuggets: There is a growing contingent of people around the NBA who believe the Joker is better than KAT. They should have a fun rivalry that was created for them for the next decade and a half.

8. Joel Embiid, C Philadelphia 76ers: You probably think this is way too high for a guy who has played 37 games in 3 NBA seasons, and you are probably right. But let's say he stays healthy. He would be way higher on this list based on the way he did perform.

9. Kristaps Porzingis, PF New York Knicks: Nobody not named Phil Jackson would trade modern NBA Dirk. Phil is gone, and he is safe now.

10. Markelle Fultz, PG Philadelphia 76ers
11. Ben Simmons, SF Philadelphia 76ers Neither has played a game in the NBA, but if they are even 3/4 of what they could be right away, the 76ers will get to lose to the Cavs in the first round.

The "PGs" Tier

12. John Wall, PG Washington Wizards: If he were a better shooter he would be a perennially MVP candidate.

13. Damian Lillard, PG Portland Trailblazers: This might be too high. I don't know. He scores points and his team makes the playoffs.

14. Paul George, SF Unknown Team: The other kind of PG.

15. Kyle Lowry, PG Unknown Team: He's actually great at playing basketball. He really does everything well.

The "land of misfit toys" tier:

16. Rudy Gobert, C Utah Jazz: He is elite defensively, but can he take the next step offensively? He needs a jumper to become a superstar.

17. Brandon Ingram, SF Los Angeles Lakers: So much of the potential success of the Paul George to LA scenario hinges on his development into a star.

18. Josh Jackson, SF Phoenix Suns: He was the most talented player in this draft, and Danny Ainge would have taken him at number one. (I don't know how Jackson not working out for the Celtics and intentionally knocking himself down at least 1 spot in the draft isn't a bigger story)

The "Dwayne Wade from Lebron's Heat elite sidekicks" tier

19. Kyrie Irving, PG Cleveland Cavaliers: I will never stop feeling like Kyrie only gives 50% 80% of the time.

20. Gordon Hayward, SF Unknown Team:  If he stays with the Jazz, he is Rudy Gobert's Robin. Ditto if he goes to the Celtics with Isaiah Thomas. If he goes to the Heat he will be waiting for another star to join him there.

21. Devin Booker, SG Phoenix Suns: If Josh Jackson becomes a star, he will be open for 3s all the time.

22. Klay Thompson, SG GSW: He is the most underrated defensive player in the league. Period.

23. Lonzo Ball, PG LA Lakers: If Ingram develops, and Paul George (followed by Lebron or Westbrook or Anthony Davis) joins the kids in Laker-Land, Lonzo Ball could have a 4 year period where his stat-line looks like: 8 ppg, 20 apg, 6 rpg, 2 spg, 1 bpg. If that isn't elite sidekick status I don't know what is.

24. Blake Griffin, PF Unknown Team: There was a time, before all the injuries, when a lot of people thought Blake was gonna join KD and Lebron in the top tier of players in the league. Now, he is 28 and may not even be this valuable.

25. Paul Milsap, PF Unknown Team: He will thrive if he gets traded to the Rockets (CP3 and Harden feeding him easy buckets) or Nuggets (forming the best offensive and worst defensive front-court in the league with Nikola Jokic).

The "Stars that can carry a team but will always be more valuable to their own team than anyone else" tier:

26. Isaiah Thomas, PG Boston Celtics: I'm sorry but he sucks at defense and will always be "the other Isaiah Thomas."

27. Demarcus Cousins, C New Orleans Pelicans: I'd buy a lot more Boogy Stock if the Pelicans make the playoffs this year.

28. Kemba Walker, PG Charlotte Hornets: If he played at a time when the point guard position wasn't so loaded, he would be regarded as a star by a lot more people. He is gonna go down as a college basketball legend who had a fine career and didn't bust in the NBA.

29. Demar Derozan, SG Toronto Raptors: He will get a chance to prove himself as a star without Kyle Lowry next year.

30. Bradley Beal, SG Washington Wizards: He should be in the sidekicks tier but he isn't quite good enough.

The "2016 and 2017 draftees who could be superstars but no one really knows yet" tier:

31. Jaylen Brown, SF Boston Celtics: Danny Ainge reportedly hangs up when teams ask for Brown during trade talks. If this were any GM other than Danny Ainge, that'd be enough to move him up two or three tiers in these rankings.

32. De'Aaron Fox, PG Sacramento Kings: I'm huge on Fox, and I think the Kings are being WAYYYY underrated in the "up and coming young teams talk." Sure the 76ers, T-Wolves, Lakers, and Nuggets have more young pieces, but I'm convinced Fox is gonna be a better version of John Wall.

33. Jayson Tatum, SF Boston Celtics: Can he break the trend of Duke scorers flopping in the NBA? I think so but don't be surprised if he joins Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor as a bust.

34. Jonathan Isaac, SF Orlando Magic: I think the Magic finally got a draft pick right.

35. Andrew Wiggins, SF Minnesota Timberwolves: I know he technically doesn't belong in this tier, but this is where he belongs.

36. Dennis Smith, PG Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs got a steal because GarPax and Phil Jackson are delusional.

The "kind of stars but really would be better off as a 32-38 minute per game role player who does 2 or 3 things really well" tier:

37. Kevin Love, PF Cleveland Cavaliers: Rebounding, Shooting

38. Lamarcus Aldridge, PF San Antonio Spurs: Scoring, Facilitating

39. Otto Porter, SF Washington Wizards: Shooting, Defense

40. Al Horford, C Boston Celtics: Shooting, Facilitating

41. Avery Bradley, SG Boston Celtics: Shooting, Defense 

42. Eric Bledsoe, PG Phoenix Suns: Scoring, Having one of the most valuable contracts in the NBA

43. CJ McCollum, SG Portland Trailblazers: Shooting, Tweeting

44. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG Detroit Pistons: Shooting, Defense

45. Deandre Jordan, C LA Clippers: Shot-blocking, Rebounding, Dunking

46. Mike Conley, PG Memphis Grizzlies: He actually does everything well, but having the contract he does and being over 30 years old and being from Ohio State knocks him down these rankings.

47. Marc Gasol, C Memphis Grizzlies: Passing, Defense

The "Young players who might develop into elite sidekicks and the old veterans who can make a difference for a contender" tier:

48. Myles Turner, C Indiana Pacers: He could develop into a star without Paul George.

49. Hassan Whiteside, C Miami Heat: Meh.

50. George Hill, PG Unknown Team
51. Jrue Holiday, PG Unknown Team
52. Patrick Beverly, PG LA Clippers
53. Patty Mills, PG Unknown Team
Any of those guys could reasonably be the starting point guard for a contender.

The "Contenders Role Players" Tier:

No more rankings, so I'll just throw out all the valuable role players in the league that would only be traded in pursuit of a superstar.

• Tristan Thompson, C Cavs
• JR Smith, SG Cavs
• Iman Shumpert, SG Cavs
• Andre Iguodala, SF Unknown Team
• Ian Clark, PG Unknown Team (If the Warriors lose Iguodala and Clark, then they could actually have a weakness: Depth. Vince Carter won't fill those holes)
• Louis Williams, SG LA Clippers
• Eric Gordon, SG Houston Rockets
• Ryan Anderson, PF Houston Rockets
• Clint Capela, C Houston Rockets
• Marcus Smart, SG Boston Celtics (I could be convinced that he belongs way higher on this list, but eh)
• Terry Rozier, PG Boston Celtics
• Kelly Olynk, PF Boston Celtics (F*** you Kelly Olynk, you're the dirtiest player in the NBA and you cost the Cavs a championship)
• Danny Green, SG Spurs
• Dewayne Dedmon, C Spurs
• Jonathan Simmons, SF Unknown Team

The Pistons suck, so if you're upset I didn't include any Pistons on this list, it's because I believe they have zero trade value. Since SVG hasn't started rebuilding he must believe he can't. (I know this isn't true, but he's delusional. Not rebuilding to try to compete for a first round playoff exit is why the Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers are all among the franchises in the worst positions in their respective leagues. Past their prime stars, no young talent, and very little roster upside tied to huge pay sheets.)

Feel free to respond in the comments, on facebook, or on twitter (@E____money). LESS THAN 60 DAYS UNTIL COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!

The Cleveland Cavaliers put their pride and manhood on the line Friday night at home in Game 4 of the Finals. Another loss would’ve ended their season in the worst fashion possible, a sweep at home to their only true contemporary in the current NBA landscape. Led by their big 3 and a flurry of long range shots, the Cavs put the Warriors’ bid to regain the NBA throne on hold with a 137-116 win. LeBron (31 points and a record 9th triple double in the Finals), Kyrie (40), and Kevin Love (23) combined for a massive 94 points, a Finals trio record, to capture their first win in these Finals.
           
​After the kind of disastrous collapse they experienced in Game 3, many believed the Cavs would be gutted and couldn’t keep up with the Warriors in Game 4, who were staring an immortal 16-0 playoffs record in the face. Kevin Durant was coming off a career signature moment after what proved to be a game winning 3 in front of LeBron, Steph Curry continued his stellar play, and they seemed like a runaway freight train, unable to be stopped let alone slowed down by anyone. LeBron-led teams are a different beast however, and they yet again showed it Friday. They got off to a roaring start, ballooning their lead to 19 in the first quarter, eventually settling for a 16 point lead after scoring a record 49 first quarter points. Some will point to the 22 free throws taken by Cleveland in the first stanza and a blatant Kyrie backcourt violation that was unfathomably missed, and questions early on arose surrounding the officiating crew’s motives, although the referees eventually evened out their asinine calls for both teams. Regardless, the Cavaliers, as well as their raucous crowd, deserve a heaping amount of appreciation for their efforts. Most teams would fold in a similar situation, and it’s a testament to the team’s mental fortitude as a whole as well as their leader LeBron James. Beating this version of the Warriors is ridiculously difficult, and it will take a record setting 4 game stretch for the Cavs to pull this series off. For one night they did so, but the chances of the Cavs once again hitting 24 threes and holding KD and Steph to 13-35 shooting combined are slim at best. But as both teams know, especially every Warriors star, all it takes is one game to turn a series around. Although the Cavs were able to extend theirs and the NBA’s season, the NBA brand did anything but come out feeling good about itself after the game.
         
A total of 51 fouls were called, 67 free throws were taken, and 7 technicals were given out Oprah Winfrey-style in what ended up being a 3 hour long event that felt more like 17. The first quarter alone progressed as slowly as possible, lasting over 45 minutes. The scoreboard quickly swelled, and a game in the 130s seemed like destiny. For some, this was entertaining sport, seeing two teams constantly run and jump and shoot. However, when the Cavs have 49 first quarter points and the halftime score becomes an eye-opening 86-68 split, one must wonder what happened to the “old NBA” (as a 21 year old, I can’t even begin to imagine how fans of the 80s and 90s NBA felt watching). Not long ago, this would be the final score of a Finals game, yet another half was set to be played. In a game involving 200 or more possessions, singular possessions become less and less significant and at times leads to a deflated feeling as a fan. Instead of enjoying the play-by-play performance of the best athletes in the world, an All Star Game attitude sets in, hoping only for a close game in the fourth quarter. The minutia that would get us there becomes less important because of the frantic pace when a shot is being taken every 10 seconds. For some this may be enough, as many who watch the Finals do so casually, but for basketball fans this is increasingly frustrating. Watching this many all-timers on the court at once makes fans’ mouths water in anticipation of constant nail-biters like we were catered to time and time again in last year’s Finals. Instead we got Friday night. Every possession is supposed to matter. Instead a high powered pace that was hard to keep up with ensued in the first half. The game then became frequently sloppy, and when both teams weren’t running amok they were hoisting 3s, with 84 being attempted in all. This would be ecstasy if you graduated from Daryl Morey University, but is undeniably an eyesore to others. Nearly half of all attempts in the game were 3 pointers, and the Cavs made 24 of their 45 attempts, another Finals record for makes, while the Warriors only made 11 of 39. And especially and most egregiously, the refereeing crew was atrociously inconsistent. On many occasions the NBA lived up to its Charmin-soft reputation with touch fouls being called in mid-June with legacies on the line, while in other situations the refs let the two teams tackle, slap, and slam each other. Both teams had numerous blown calls they could point to in favor of claiming the refs “rigged” the game, and after watching the film both teams will agree the refs were simply appalling towards both teams. The crew never seemed to have a handle on the game, fully encapsulated by an awe-inspiring sequence in the third quarter involving Draymond Green.
         
Earlier in the first quarter, Green elbowed Iman Shumpert battling for position after a jump ball and received a foul call that he clearly did not appreciate. He made this obvious, and proceeded to argue the call, which is commonplace for the emotional ball of inferno that Draymond resembles. A whistle followed. The scorekeepers as well as everyone in the arena and watching all over the world thought Dray was called for a technical. Then, in the third quarter Draymond received a Rasheed Wallace-quick technical foul, sending the Warriors bench and Quicken Loans Arena into a frenzy. Draymond picked up his second tech, and was on his way out of Game 4, a déjà vu of types dating back to him being suspended and consequently missing Game 5 last year. But after a delay, the officials retroactively changed the technical in the first quarter charged to Draymond and gave it to head coach Steve Kerr, a puzzling decision to say the very least. Doris Burke emphasized that the original technical was assessed to Draymond, and that the referees changed their own call from an hour prior, allowing Green to stay in the game. The confusion piled onto the already evident emotion on the court from both sides. Dahntay Jones, the defending Worst Player in the League title belt owner, got a technical earlier for simply talking trash to Durant from the bench. Matt Barnes got into it with a Cavaliers fan behind the Warriors bench, resulting in the fan being ejected. Even LeBron and Durant showed some emotion, politely arguing with each other after KD was fouled by Kevin Love, claiming he was hit in his head (which he was, and for which Love was given a Flagrant I after another extended delay). The ultimate eye sore Zaza Pachulia got into the action, swinging his arms during a scrum that came close to Iman Shumpert’s groin area, which nowadays requires at the very least a Flagrant I based on precedence. Zaza is historically dirty, and he received no repercussions for his clear intentions, even if he didn’t execute to the extent I’m sure he wanted to. Chippy play continued, Draymond committing a few border line flagrants himself, and the game stayed choppy until the benches were emptied with a few minutes left, finally putting the game to rest.
         
This surely can’t be what the NBA planned for in a pivotal Game 4 with the championship on the line, but it was self-conflicted with the crew they employed. Warriors fans will point to Mike Callahan, who has now officiated 12 straight Cavalier wins, the last three times the Cavs have beaten the Warriors, and the fact that in the last 8 games he has refereed a Warriors game they are 4-4. This is likely just a slew of coincidences lumped together, but it will fuel conspiracy talk regardless. Marc Davis was voted the third worst official in an anonymous poll of NBA players and coaches. John Goble was officiating his inaugural Finals game. When the NBA is providing 2 days of rest between games it is hard to imagine why the very best officials aren’t being provided, particularly because of the historic implications of this series. The league has always had a fishy history with officiating and this was another devastating black eye on their overall incompetence.
         
The game was, in a word, bizarre. After the fiasco with the Draymond-ejection-that-wasn’t, the game seemed more and more like a WWE match with the puzzling plot twists occurring. Dwyane Wade With Hair was courtside (looking eerily like Gucci Mane but this is neither here nor there) and a few times it did not seem totally unreasonable that Wade would saunter out of the Cavs locker room as a theme song blared and join the Cavs on the court. Even the old and dusty Deron Williams scored in the game, who through 3 Finals games had as many points as I did. Fans were ejected. Players that seemed were meant to have been ejected instead were not. We will have a Game 5, and the Cavs will need to play as well if not better in Oakland on Monday night to extend the series further. Even though the Cavs led by double digits throughout, it still eerily felt that the Warriors would have a chance to win at the end of the game. That speaks to their greatness, and to beat them the Cavs will not only have to be great, but nearly perfect. Let’s just hope the refs don’t get in the way again.
 

​

by Evan Oesterle

I've lost count of how many people have called the NBA playoffs boring or said that having two teams dominate up to the finals is bad for the league and its product. The kicker? That so-called bad product is thriving as much as ever with game 1 of the Finals being the third most viewed game 1 ever.  You don't have to like the Warriors or Cavs. You don't have to enjoy watching one of the greatest teams of all time steamroll through the playoffs. You don't have to respect the way society allocates its resources, dishing out billions to athletes, movie stars, and other entertainers. But if you are going to be vocal about it, you sure as hell better not watch. I am never surprised to hear about the next giant contract coming in baseball ($400 million to Bryce Harper in the 2018 offseason), the next outrageous shoe deal (Lebron signed a $1 billion lifetime deal with Nike), or even movies making hundreds of millions or even billions at the box office (Star Wars: Force Awakens brought in more than $2 billion). Why do none of those things surprise me? Because I sit down and watch almost every meaningful playoff game of every sport. Because I go to the movie theatre to watch new movies. Because I buy jerseys, shoes, and other apparel of my favorite players. There is so much said about the exploitation of college athletes, but how many Power 5 schools don't sell out of football season ticket packages? 

To sum up that rant, the consumer drives every single market in this country. If people didn't watch basketball, players wouldn't get huge contracts. I am just tired of seeing people complain when they contribute to the 'problem.' (I don't think its a problem. If the market values the top basketball players at $40 million per year to entertain people on the basketball court, then so be it.) 

​So lets get started with the real stuff:

MYTH: KD has become an NBA villain and super-teams are bad for the NBA.
When watching, reading, or listening to any sports related material, I almost always approach it from one of two perspectives: first, as a fan, looking to be entertained; or second, from an analytical viewpoint, trying to figure out how something will impact the on field result. Over the last couple weeks, I've forced myself to look at the Kevin Durant situation from a third perspective: as a human being. If you were offered a better job, for more money, in a better town, exactly on your terms, would you say no? Kevin Durant chose to go play for a better team, in a city that he loves, and be more successful. He is starting his own business in Silicon Valley, and laying family roots down in the Bay Area. Tell me again what he did wrong? Sure he went to a team that his couldn't beat after being up 3-1, but take a look at every other sport. If Antonio Brown signed with the Patriots in a couple years there is no chance he would be viewed as a villain. If (when) Bryce Harper signs with the Cubs, nobody is gonna say "Oh, look how soft he is" or "He is a villain for going to a champion since he can't win in Washington." Literally all the best teams in European soccer are super teams. You can't be successful in the Premier League, La Liga, or Bundesliga without having stars at every position. 

So why do basketball players and teams get attacked for building these so-called super teams? Maybe its because basketball is so much more of an individual sport. But these teams make people watch. 90% of American sports fans might hate the Penguins, Patiots, Yankees, and Warriors. But those same 90% watch them every time they're on national TV. Regardless, having super-teams doesn't hurt ratings. League ratings peaked when Michael Jordan's Bulls were on their way to winning their 3rd championship in a row and their 6th in 8 years. And Draymond Green (for as big of a blowhard as he is) put it best: people don't appreciate greatness. I never watched Jordan's Bulls or the Shaq-Kobe Lakers, but I feel pretty confident in saying this year's Warriors team is the best of all time. If they finish a 16-0 playoffs (they won't) then that conversation would be over. 

Myth: Lebron James isn't the most dominant player of all time
NOTE: THAT DOES NOT SAY GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME
When I was watching game 2, I kept thinking, I am watching the most dominant player of all time face off against the best team in NBA history. Obviously the team one, because an individual can only carry a team so far in a game that is played as a 5 on 5 sport. But come on, watching Lebron against the Warriors was absolutely incredible. He had answers for everything the Warriors did for 3 quarters, until the Warriors unleashed their full cabinet of weapons. What more can the man do? FiveThirtyEight determined that Lebron is the most clutch playoff shooter since 2000 by effective field goal percentage with the magnitude of the shot factored in. He is tied for the most triple doubles in NBA Finals History. He has made 7 consecutive NBA Finals, something that hasn't been done since there were only 8 teams in the league. If you want to continue to bash Lebron and say he's no Michael, go ahead. Lebron is better than Michael. The '96 Bulls don't beat this Warriors team. Once again from Draymond Green: people don't appreciate greatness.

Not a myth but a constant WTF moment every time the Warriors play: Why does Draymond get such a long leash with refs?
I don't know how Draymond hasn't picked up a technical foul in the NBA finals. He swings his arm or runs down the court on every single foul called against him. Lebron ran down the court without saying a word during a series against the Indiana Pacers when he was on the Heat. Shocker: he got T'd up. I don't know why Green gets so much leeway, but it bothers the hell out of me and every rationale person on my twitter timeline.
Related: Lebron does not get calls because of his size. I won't go any further, but it is not fair.

​

Myth: Klay Thompson is leaving (via trade) after this championship
I don't know how this became a story because there is no way the Warriors trade Klay Thompson. But several writers and radio hosts made it a story last week after this CJ McCollum tweet.

Myth: The Lakers are going to pass on Lonzo Ball
This was a garbage report and I don't even get the point. Its not like a team behind the Lakers creating this story benefits as if it will make the Lakers not take Ball. I personally don't think Ball is a top 5 prospect and I think his dad does bring a great distraction. But the Lakers are picking him. If they do pass, I actually believe Jerry Colangelo saying he won't take him, and then he could fall out of the top 5 (which I would love). I actually feel bad for Lonzo, but his father is the only sports figure in this country that is a bigger blowhard then Draymond Green. 

Myth: The Celtics adding Gordon Hayward and/or Jimmy Butler this offseason is enough to dethrone the King
First of all, there is no way the Celtics trade for Paul George. That would be a one year rental at this point (he's LA bound next summer). I do think they should sign Hayward. But trading Fultz for Butler would be a horrible mistake. IT-Bradley-Hayward-Butler-Horford wouldn't be enough to take down the 2018 Cavs with Lebron still in his prime. But Fultz-Bradley-Jaylen Brown-Hayward-TBD Superstar Big would be enough to take down the 2020 Cavs with Lebron a step or two outside of his prime. Danny Ainge needs to be patient. The Celtics will win championships with their core if he can hold on to his assets for just another summer or two.

Myth (NOT NBA RELATED): The Detroit Tigers can contend
About two weeks ago, a report surfaced that the Tigers front office would determine whether to sell their stars on July 1st, a month ahead of the major league deadline. That would be right after the conclusion of an extremely easy June schedule. This is my takeaway from that report (that appears to be pretty credible): the Tigers front office can't get themselves to trade their stars (Justin Verlander, JD Martinez, Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler) and rebuild around the young, developing stars (Michael Fulmer, Dixon Machado, James McCann, Justin Wilson, Alex Presley) because of the money they've shelled out to busts (Jordan Zimmerman, Justin Upton, Anibal Sanchez) in recent years. So they're taking the easy way out. When the team is 2 games back of the Twins or Indians after June, the front office will say, "We are going to give it one more run with this group of players" and then the Tigers will miss the wild card by 3 games and they won't find any buyers for their veterans in the winter. Thanks for depleting the farm system for division titles Dave Dombrowski.

If you disagree with any (or all) of what I've said feel free to leave a comment or bash me on twitter @E____money. Here is a little something for all the disgruntled basketball fans to get you excited for football season.