Trades Already Made & Ones To Come, The 2017 MLB Trade Deadline Preview

Major league teams trading players prior to a week before the trade deadline, thus forcing people to rewrite and edit their pre-deadline pieces is a tradition unlike any other. Twitter has quickly transitioned from the NBA's Woj Season to the MLB's Rosenthal Season with three trades occurring over a three-day span in the middle of the month. If I were a betting man, I'd say that the biggest names to get dealt this season are already off the market (Jose Quintana & J.D. Martinez) but, this is baseball, America's most unpredictable sport.

Trading season kicked off with a whimper in late June when the Marlins chose J.T. Riddle as their shortstop of the future by dealing defense-only Adeiny Hechavarria to the Rays for speedy AA outfielder Braxton Lee and 22-year old A-ball righty Ethan Clark. The change of scenery has yet to show any alterations in Hechavarria's game and the two minor leaguers are not projected for major league success so, this deal seems like one everybody will forget by next July.

One week later, the Blue Jays made two separate deals, acquiring sudden clubhouse headache Miguel Montero as Canada's first reasonable backup catcher of 2017 and 22-year old project outfielder Eduard Pinto. Toronto is not clearly buying or selling yet as they gave up on veteran reliever Jason Grilli and his 6.97 ERA (now with Texas) as most teams would have done and picked up a veteran catcher because Luke Maile and his .121 average are not worthy of a spot on the 40-man roster, let alone the 25-man list that forces John Gibbons to use Maile on a regular basis.

The All-Star break could have also been labeled the Hot Stove break as the rumor mill always kicks into high gear following the mid-Summer classic. This season barely even wasted any time before rumors turned into reality on the 13th. The first major trade piece was sent a short distance to the defending champions from their cross-town... I don't if "rivals" really applies here but sure.. rivals when the best lefty on the block (Jose Quintana) went to the Cubs for a haul of enticing prospects. As if the White Sox did not already have enough in the way of Top 100 prospects, GM Rick Hahn received outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease (along with infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete) all for one arm that had underperformed halfway through the season. Acquiring the #8 and #63 prospects in baseball (according to MLB.com) alongside two solidly performing infielders for at least a season and a half of Jose Quintana is an excellent move and would have been fairly lopsided if it weren't for the two team-option years remaining on the newest Cub's contract. Overall, a fair deal if Quintana's shiny debut is a sign of things to come (7 shutout innings with 12 strikeouts).

CBSSports.com
Jose Quintana's Cubs tenure is off to a brilliant start.

In response to their rivals making a deal, the Brewers swapped AAA All-Star 1B Garrett Cooper with Yankee southpaw Tyler Webb to help glue together a random bullpen in Milwaukee while the Yankees desperately clung onto the nearest body resembling a major league first baseman. So far, so meh.

The Nationals tried solving their serious closer concerns by adding two non-closers (though both have experience in the ninth inning). Washington does not NEED any additional help until October but, with Oakland trying to sell high on any and all rostered veterans, the Nats jumped at the chance to scoop up Sean Doolittle (36 career saves) and Ryan Madson (85 career saves). All it cost the NL East leaders was Blake Treinen during a career-worst season, promising A-ball third baseman Sheldon Neuse and 19-year old lefty Jesus Luzardo. Giving up last year's third round pick (Luzardo) in addition to Treinen and Neuse might seem like a bit much but, the Nationals might be in their last 18 months of Bryce Harper and if there's any team that should be selling everything for a championship, it's them.

The most surprising deal to me was Arizona dealing three minor league shortstops (Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King) for right fielder J.D. Martinez. Martinez has outperformed all expectations as a Tiger and after his return from a six-week lisfranc injury, the 29-year old has a .305/.388/.630 line and 16 homers. The D-Backs didn't strike me as a team willing to acquire or capable of adding a hitter of Martinez's stature. He is a lefty-destroyer, something the Diamondbacks were missing in their hunt to maintain home-field advantage in the NL's wildcard game.

Later on that same night, the Yankees swooped in on the Red Sox' budding deal with the White Sox and claimed three major leaguers for the price of New York's third-best prospect (OF Blake Rutherford), a first-round pick from 2013 (LHP Ian Clarkin), a .382 hitter in AA (CF Tito Polo) and they likely forced Chicago to take on disappointing reliever Tyler Clippard. Clippard will be the only player to have an immediate impact on the White Sox as he is now likely their closer in a bizarre turn of events. Clippard might get the role because the Yankees' return in this deal included closer David Robertson (2nd stint in pinstripes), reliever Tommy Kahnle and third baseman Todd Frazier. As a result of this trade and the Quintana deal, the White Sox now own a league-high ten of MLB.com's top 100 prospects including the recently promoted Yoan Moncada.

Lastly, the Marlins added four of Seattle's top 30 prospects (OF Brayan Hernandez and pitchers Lukas Schiraldi, Pablo Lopez and Brandon Miller) for one David Phelps. Granted, Seattle does not have a flashy farm system but, four guys for David Phelps is a deal any team would love to make.

Here are the Major League Baseball Standings as of the morning of July 21st.

Green = Buyers
Blue = Undecided as of the 21st
Red = Sellers

AL East
Boston Red Sox 54-43
Tampa Bay Rays 51-45
New York Yankees 49-45
Baltimore Orioles 46-49
Toronto Blue Jays 44-51

AL Central
Cleveland Indians 48-45
Minnesota Twins 48-46
Kansas City Royals 47-47
Detroit Tigers 43-51
Chicago White Sox 38-54

AL West
Houston Astros 63-32
Seattle Mariners 48-49
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 47-50
Texas Rangers 45-50
Oakland Athletics 43-52

NL East
Washington Nationals 57-37
Atlanta Braves 46-48
New York Mets 43-50
Miami Marlins 42-51
Philadelphia Phillies 32-61

NL Central
Milwaukee Brewers 52-46
Chicago Cubs 49-45
Pittsburgh Pirates 48-48
St. Louis Cardinals 46-49
Cincinnati Reds 40-55

NL West
Los Angeles Dodgers 66-30
Arizona Diamondbacks 55-40
Colorado Rockies 56-41
San Diego Padres 41-54
San Francisco Giants 37-60

The Royals were guaranteed sellers until they turned a winning corner sometime in June. Now, they are trapped with multiple key players on expiring contracts and an outside shot at contending for another surprise championship run. The Angels should never sell as long as they have Mike Trout unless they grow confident enough in their own managerial staff to deal Trout for the entire White Sox minor league system. The Braves should almost certainly be sellers 8.5 games out of the wildcard chase and 11 games behind their division leaders but much like last season, Atlanta is inexplicably rumored to be interested in every big name once a player is finally dealt (see: Quintana, Chris Sale, etc.). With the mixed signals coming from Atlanta, the hopelessness of Anaheim and the never-say-never attitude of the 2015 champion Royals, these three are totally unpredictable when it comes to trades.  Let's go team-by-team and figure out who every GM has a realistic shot at acquiring and shopping away before July 31st's trade deadline or the August 30th waiver deadline. Typically, I would have a paragraph summary with each team on their season to this point and additional explanations on why they'd be making any moves but, due to an unforseen amount of action that has already taken place and an unexpected illness in the process of creating this deadline piece, I must save my summaries on teams for sometime in the future. 

Since I began mapping all of this out, 3 separate trades have taken place...

The Twins acquired SP Jaime Garcia & C Anthony Recker from Atlanta for RHP Huascar Ynoa and cash considerations.

The Royals acquired SP Trevor Cahill, RP Brandon Maurer & RP Ryan Buchter from San Diego for SP Travis Wood, RP Matt Strahm & IF Esteury Ruiz

The Rays acquired RP Sergio Romo from the Dodgers for a player to be named or cash.

Boston Red Sox
Positional Targets: Third baseman or men, backup hitter, bullpen assistance
Specific Targets: Yunel Escobar, Jose Reyes, Manny Machado?, Conor Gillaspie, Eduardo Nunez, Addison Reed, Hunter Strickland, Pat Neshek
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: With Dombrowski in charge, anything is possible. 3B Rafael Devers would be the hardest player to part with, especially given the team's current corner infield security.

Tampa Bay Rays
Positional Targets: Bullpen help, outfielder(s?)
Specific Targets: Michael Lorenzen, Brad Hand, Brandon Maurer, Jeremy Jeffress, Melky Cabrera, Carlos Gomez, Hunter Pence?
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: One of 1B Jake Bauers and 1B Casey Gillaspie, RHP Jose De Leon, RHP Chih Wei-Hu

New York Yankees
Positional Targets: Corner infielder, Starting Pitching
Specific Targets: Sonny Gray, Yu Darvish, Matt Moore, Eduardo Nunez, Steve Pearce, Yangervis Solarte?
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: Unless the player has already appeared in the majors (ex: OF Clint Frazier), the entire farm could be for sale if someone like Yu Darvish is truly on the table.

Baltimore Orioles
On The Market: Everyone not named Dylan Bundy, Jonathan Schoop or Adam Jones.
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: RPs Jimmy Yacabonis & Stefan Crichton and C Chance Sisco.

Toronto Blue Jays
On The Market: SPs J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada & Francisco Liriano, RPs Danny Barnes, Joe Biagini & Aaron Loup, IF Darwin Barney, SS Troy Tulowitzki, utilityman Steve Pearce, DH Kendrys Morales
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: OF Anthony Alford and SP Mike Bolsinger.

Cleveland Indians
Positional Targets: Catcher, outfield depth, Starting Pitcher
Specific Targets: Jonathan Lucroy, Cameron Rupp, Wellington Castillo, Marcell Ozuna, Jay Bruce?, Carlos Gomez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Scott Feldman, Dan Straily
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: Everybody including Bradley Zimmer is for sale if the right all-star becomes available.

Minnesota Twins
Positional Targets: Multiple Pitchers, outfielder?
Specific Targets: Jhoulys Chacin, Jaime Garcia, Jeremy Hellickson, Curtis Granderson?, Matt Joyce?, Howie Kendrick
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: RHP Felix Jorge is the only name I'd deal from this promising core of young players.

Kansas City Royals
Positional Targets: Pitching (like... a lot of it) and outfielders.
Specific Targets: Jeff Samardzija?, Sonny Gray, J.A. Happ, Raisel Iglesias, Hector Neris, Santiago Casilla, Justin Upton?, Nick Markakis, Denard Span
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: C Chase Vallot.

Detroit Tigers
On The Market: EVERYONE not named Miguel Cabrera.
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: Utilityman Jim Adducci, RPs Joe Jimenez & Bruce Rondon, SP Myles Jaye

Chicago White Sox
On The Market: SPs James Shields, Derek Holland, Mike Pelfrey & Miguel Gonzalez, RPs Dan Jennings, Anthony Swarzak & Tyler Clippard, OF Melky Cabrera
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SPs Lucas Giolito & Reynaldo Lopez, OF Jacob May, RPs Matt Purke & Zach Burdi

Houston Astros
Positional Targets: Starting Pitcher, Tony Sipp replacement
Specific Targets: Justin Verlander, Michael Fulmer, Edinson Volquez, Dan Straily, J.A. Happ, Justin Wilson, Tony Cingrani, Mark Melancon
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: OFs Kyle Tucker & Teoscar Hernandez, RHP Franklin Perez

Seattle Mariners
Positional Targets: Starting Pitching X 1,000,000
Specific Targets: Scott Feldman, Jhoulys Chacin, Matt Moore, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Cain, Marco Estrada
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: Yes, everybody will be available for reliable starting pitching.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
On The Market: SP Ricky Nolasco, RPs Bud Norris, Blake Parker & David Hernandez, 3Bs Luis Valbuena & Yunel Escobar, OFs Ben Revere & Kole Calhoun
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SP Parker Bridwell, RP Cam Bedrosian, 3B Kaleb Cowart, RP Brooks Pounders

Texas Rangers
On The Market: Everyone not named Joey Gallo, Nomar Mazara or Elvis Andrus.
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SP Austin Bibens-Dirkx, OF Ryan Rua & utilityman Jurickson Profar

Oakland Athletics
On The Market: SP Sonny Gray, RPs John Axford, Daniel Coulombe, Liam Hendriks & Santiago Casilla, 1B Yonder Alonso, IF Jed Lowrie, OFs Matt Joyce, Rajai Davis & Khris Davis?
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SP Daniel Mengden, IF Joey Wendle, OFs Mark Canha & Jaff Decker

Washington Nationals
Positional Targets: Starting Pitcher, Outfielder
Specific Targets: Justin Verlander, Sonny Gray, Jeff Samardzija, Rajai Davis, Denard Span, Melky Cabrera
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: C Pedro Severino, OF Victor Robles, SS Luis Garcia

Atlanta Braves
On The Market: SPs Jaime Garcia & R.A. Dickey, RPs Jose Ramirez, Arodys Vizcaino & Jim Johnson, C Tyler Flowers, 2B Brandon Phillips, OF Nick Markakis
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SP Lucas Sims, RPs Mauricio Cabrera & Enrique Burgos

New York Mets
On The Market: RPs Jerry Blevins, Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker, Fernando Salas, Hansel Robles & Addison Reed, C Travis d'Arnaud, 1B Lucas Duda, IF Asdrubal Cabrera, OFs Jay Bruce & Curtis Granderson
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: RPs Chasen Bradford, Logan Pill & Ben Rowen, C Kevin Plaeecki and SS Gavin Cecchini

Miami Marlins
On The Market: SPs Dan Straily, Adam Conley & Edinson Volquez, RPs Dustin McGowan, A.J. Ramos, Vance Worley, Junichi Tazawa & Brad Ziegler, C A.J. Ellis, 1B Justin Bour?, 2B Dee Gordon, 3B Martin Prado and OF Marcell Ozuna
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SPs Justin Nicolino & Chris O'Grady, RP Drew Steckenreider, C Tomas Telis, IF Miguel Rojas & utilityman Steve Lombardozzi

Philadelphia Phillies
On The Market: Anybody over 27 years old and 1B Tommy Joseph.
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SP Ben Lively, RP Edubray Ramos, C Jorge Alfaro, 1B Rhys Hoskins and OF Roman Quinn.

Milwaukee Brewers
Positional Targets: Starting Pitcher, bullpen help, Second Baseman
Specific Targets: Sonny Gray, J.A. Happ, Kevin Gausman, Raisel Iglesias, Dan Jennings, Mychal Givens, Ian Kinsler, Jed Lowrie
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: OF Corey Ray, RHP Luis Ortiz, IF Isan Diaz and OF Trent Clark

Chicago Cubs
Positional Targets: Starting Pitcher, one more star
Specific Targets: Yu Darvish, Justin Verlander, Sonny Gray, Justin Upton?, Yoenis Cespedes?, Wil Myers?
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: After Eloy left, everybody was marked "available".

Pittsburgh Pirates
Positional Targets: Starting Pitcher and a reliever.
Specific Targets: Marco Estrada, Wade Miley, Jeremy Hellickson, Anthony Swarzak, Brad Brach, Brad Hand, Hunter Strickland
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: SS Cole Tucker and RHP Luis Escobar

St. Louis Cardinals
Positional Targets: Anything and everything but a Catcher.
Specific Targets: Kevin Gausman, Miguel Gonzalez, Homer Bailey, Santiago Casilla, A.J. Ramos, Zach Britton, Jed Lowrie, Howie Kendrick, Hunter Pence?, Denard Span
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: They may be reluctant to deal anyone with high ceilings.

Cincinnati Reds
On The Market: SPs Homer Bailey & Scott Feldman, every reliever, C Devin Mesoraco
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SPs Cody Reed & Lisalverto Bonilla & RP Kevin Shackelford

Los Angeles Dodgers
Positional Targets: Starting Pitcher.
Specific Targets: Sonny Gray, Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: Every prospect is for sale with how important this run is for the Dodgers.

Arizona Diamondbacks
Positional Targets: Closer, Catcher
Specific Targets: Zach Britton, Brad Brach, Justin Wilson, Raisel Iglesias, Nick Hundley, Cameron Rupp, Jonathan Lucroy
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: There are no "big" names in the D-Backs' system so, everyone is available.

Colorado Rockies
Positional Targets: Relievers and a shortstop.
Specific Targets: Darren O'Day, Anthony Swarzak, Tony Cingrani, Alex Wilson, Kyle Ryan, Josh Edgin, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jose Iglesias, Troy Tulowitzki?
Any big-name prospects they might deal?: RHP Peter Lambert, OF Jordan Patterson, 2B Forrest Wall

San Diego Padres
On The Market: SPs Clayton Richard & Jhoulys Chacin, RPs Brad Hand, Kirby Yates and Craig Stammen, C Hector Sanchez & OF Jabari Blash
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: SPs Dillon Overton & Walker Lockett & RP Carter Capps

San Francisco Giants
On The Market: Everyone not named Buster Posey or Madison Bumgarner
Who gets a bigger post-deadline role?: IF Orlando Calixte, SPs Chris Stratton & Tyler Beede

Please note that the following does not consider contracts and is mostly just fun nonsense ideas...

9 Deals I want to see happen (Not necessarily going for realistic here)
1. Detroit sends Justin Verlander to Milwaukee for IF Isan Diaz, RHP Brandon Woodruff & a low-level body and/or cash.
2. Texas sends Yu Darvish and Jeremy Jeffress to the Cubs for DH Kyle Schwarber, RHP Jose Albertos & RHP Duane Underwood.
3. Texas sends Adrian Beltre to Boston for 3B Michael Chavis, RHP Roniel Raudes & a low-level body.
4. Oakland sends Sonny Gray to Houston for OF Kyle Tucker & a low-level body.
5. Baltimore sends Zach Britton & Brad Brach to the Dodgers for OF Yusniel Diaz, SS Gavin Lux and RHP Brock Stewart.
6. Toronto sends Troy Tulowitzki back to Colorado for Carlos Gonzalez and nobody wins.
7. Texas sends Cole Hamels to the Dodgers for RHP Yadier Alvarez and three low-level bodies.
8. Texas sends Jonathan Lucroy to Cleveland for 1B Bobby Bradley, RHP Shane Bieber and LHP Ryan Merritt.
9. The Mets send Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce and Addison Reed to Tampa Bay for RHP Jose De Leon, OF Garrett Whitley & cash.

No, I'm not necessarily rooting for a complete Texas Ranger rebuild, they just seem to be the team most ready to copy the White Sox' recent strategy of acquiring as many Top 100 prospects as possible for your older core. Also, I need Kyle Schwarber to DH somewhere. Some of those trades honestly make my eyes burn but, it sure would create a lot of havoc on a fun timeline and that was my whole purpose in figuring those ***FLAWLESS*** trade ideas out. 

Happy Rosenthal Season! and may the trades be in your team's favor.

Quick Thoughts On Sports, Music and the Dog Days of Summer

The middle of July is always a nice time to schedule a family reunion or a vacation of the traveling variety because there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING going on in the world of sports and/or entertainment for a couple of weeks. Sure, baseball is a joy to experience but, takes quite a bit of patience to watch that so many people lack in 2017. Football is still weeks away from their preseason hypefest and Summer League basketball has wrapped up along with most of free agency (unless you REALLY need to know where Derrick Rose ends up and it's somehow not China).

Any chance I have at a non-injury related diss of Derrick Rose, I will take.

As some might have noticed, my blog has been suspiciously quiet this Summer and that is the result of A. Life happening and B. The WRBL Year In Review for 2016 coming at a snail's pace sometime before the WRBL Draft of 2017. With all of the content coming this Fall and Winter, I'm hoping to even things out a bit. Until then, I am conserving most of my energy the way Miguel Sano did during the Home Run Derby. Speaking of which, I am so elated that the MLB has absolutely nailed down the perfect format for a derby. It's just a shame that Aaron Judge did not use the final two minutes he had remaining on the clock as he had already clinched a win for the real Mid-Summer Classic.

I continue to love NBA free agency but, there is something unfamiliar in the air that brings me down a bit and that's the seemingly 100% unbreakable truth that is the Warriors remaining unbeatable. Chris Paul, Paul George, Jimmy Butler and Gordon Hayward all changed teams and yet, nothing is different about the league. The Warriors keep adding shooters and ignoring big men because why not? Nick "Swaggy P" Young should be fun to watch and Omri Casspi is criminally underrated. Their main rivals in Cleveland added two lesser names in washed up Point Guard Jose Calderon and consistently inconsistent Jeff Green. Yawning after a July like this in basketball should not be acceptable but, it has become reality.

HBO's The Defiant Ones is a four-part documentary about the rise of musical masterminds Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre and is just as fun as I thought it would be. It has been so long since the Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty duet and Marilyn Manson's rise that I had forgotten either existed despite the huge impact both had on music and somehow, Iovine was behind the scenes for everyone's peaks. The 260-minute series also does not shy away from the Dee Barnes lawsuit with Dr. Dre and has interviews with Bono, Kendrick Lamar and so many more. It does not hurt the series that the songs playing throughout could all be considered classics now.

Some gems of albums are coming out this season with Broken Social Scene, Waxahatchee and Lorde already making this a Summer to remember for indieheads of the world. Typically, I only have one album that I focus all of my hype and future attention to at any given moment but, with Tyler The Creator, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, The Killers, Kesha, Declan McKenna, Passion Pit and Lana Del Rey all coming in with new albums, my brain is just uncertain on how to process all this exciting content falling onto my Spotify playlists. I kind of want everything now but, I'm pretty certain that Arcade Fire is telling me that that is a bad thing? (I really don't know what their talking about anymore but, it's more fun and danceable than ever before).

Along with my music suggestions, I have to suggest listening to The Starters Podcast this Summer (specifically, their Drop-off episodes that run weekly during the NBA offseason) as they have moved on from the sometimes repetitive topic of sports to the most bizarre of topics like this week's "Would You Rather?" episode that answered tremendous questions like "Would you rather crap yourself once a week in private or once a year in public?". Trust me when I say that you cannot get content like that anywhere else.

Finally, I'd like to give a shout out to my cat Whisper, who died right before my most recent post at the age of 13. She was a pretty dope cat and I respect all dope animals that just let humans sleep when they need to sleep and know how and where to go to the bathroom immediately upon arrival in their respective houses while occasionally being comic relief ("Oh, what's that? You're about to read something on a table?" SITS ON BOOK. She caught like 15-30 mice last Summer that may have otherwise overthrown the household so yeah... RIP Whisper Todd: War Hero and Cool Cat.

Born too late to hear Dr. Dre in his prime, lived long enough to experience dank memes.

Picking The All-Stars and a Home Run Derby

It is 2017 and names like Logan Morrison, Justin Smoak and Trey Mancini are tearing up the league with surprising power. I loooooove (extra o's for emphasis on sarcasm) that the non-MLB Network sports shows can't have a single discussion without skepticism. Either the balls are juiced or the players found new drugs. We are now 30+ years into the PED-era and instead of just admitting that baseball is too niche a sport for ESPN or NBCSports to pay real money for anymore, that the sport has somehow disintegrated due to the constant struggle for more. Whether it be more runs, more homers, more strikeouts or more suspensions, who the hell cares? It's not as inherently dangerous as football and pays better than basketball and it's impossible not to enjoy baseball when you see Aaron Judge, Francisco Lindor, Cody Bellinger, Eric Thames and Kenley Jansen succeeding in such disparate, incredible ways. If I found out that something "unnatural" made all of these players crazy great 15 years from now, it's not going to take away from the fun I or most other baseball fans are having watching this season of baseball. It's a game, not politics. 80-year old Bills fans still reminisce of the days of O.J. Simpson.

Taking a glance at the standings, it is impossible to separate reality from fluke runs of greatness or hopelessness. The few things we can determine so far are that the Nationals are running away with the NL East whether Trea Turner's wrists are in place or not, the Astros are very good and the Mets, Phillies, Giants, Padres and Athletics stink. Other than those few truths, the entire league is up for grabs while the local markets continue to thrive with THE baseball-dominant month of July ahead. It has been a weird season and things will only get weirder with the trade deadline and All-Star festivities around the corner. Speaking of which... Here is the final All-Star voting update with my picks for reserves and pitchers.

Current American League Starting Lineup (based on actual leaders of most recent voting update)
Catcher - Salvador Perez (KC)
1st Baseman - Eric Hosmer (KC)
2nd Baseman - Jose Altuve (HOU), Robinson Cano (SEA)
3rd Baseman - Miguel Sano (MIN)
Shortstop - Carlos Correa (HOU)
Outfielders - Aaron Judge (NYY), Mike Trout (LAA) & George Springer (HOU)
Designated Hitter - Nelson Cruz (SEA)


Current National League Starting Lineup
Catcher - Buster Posey (SF)
First Baseman - Ryan Zimmerman (WAS)
Second Baseman - Daniel Murphy (WAS)
Third Baseman - Kris Bryant (CHC)
Shortstop - Zack Cozart (CIN)
Outfielders - Bryce Harper (WAS), Charlie Blackmon (COL), Marcell Ozuna (MIA)

Who SHOULD be the AL All-Star Reserves & Pitchers
C - Gary Sanchez (NYY)
1B - Justin Smoak (TOR) and Yonder Alonso (OAK)
2B - Starlin Castro (NYY)
3B - Jose Ramirez (CLE) and Mike Moustakas (KC)
SS - Elvis Andrus (TEX), Xander Bogaerts (BOS)
OF - Corey Dickerson (TB), Avisail Garcia (CWS) and Mookie Betts (BOS)

Pitching Staff - BOLD indicates game's likely starter
Dellin Betances (NYY) 4th appearance
Brad Brach (BAL) 2nd appearance
Yu Darvish (TEX) 4th appearance
Michael Fulmer (DET) 1st appearance
Craig Kimbrel (BOS) 6th appearance
Corey Kluber (CLE) 2nd appearance
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) 1st appearance
Andrew Miller (CLE) 2nd appearance
Roberto Osuna (TOR) 1st appearance 
Chris Sale (BOS) 6th appearance
Ervin Santana (MIN) 2nd appearance
Luis Severino (NYY) 1st appearance
Jason Vargas (KC) 1st appearance

Who SHOULD be the NL All-Star Reserves & Pitchers
C - Yadier Molina (STL), Yasmani Grandal (LAD)
1B - Paul Goldschmidt (ARI), Joey Votto (CIN) and Wil Myers (SD)
2B - Brandon Phillips (ATL)
3B - Nolan Arenado (COL) and Justin Turner (LAD)
SS - Corey Seager (LAD)
OF - Cody Bellinger (LAD), Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) and Adam Duvall (CIN)


Pitching Staff - BOLD indicates game's likely starter

Jacob deGrom (NYM) 2nd appearance

Zack Greinke (ARI) 4th appearance

Greg Holland (COL) 3rd appearance

Kenley Jansen (LAD) 2nd appearance 

Clayton Kershaw (LAD) 7th appearance

Corey Knebel (MIL) 1st appearance 

Carlos Martinez (STL) 2nd appearance

Pat Neshek (PHI) 2nd appearance

Robbie Ray (ARI) 1st appearance

Felipe Rivero (PIT) 1st appearance

Max Scherzer (WAS) 5th appearance

Stephen Strasburg (WAS) 3rd appearance

Alex Wood (LAD) 1st appearance

Here are my guesses as to who will be the final five left up to fan voting for the final roster spots!
American League
Kansas City Royals OF Lorenzo Cain
Cleveland Indians SS Francisco Lindor
Baltimore Orioles 2B Jonathan Schoop 
Seattle Mariners SS Jean Segura 
Detroit Tigers OF Justin Upton
National League
St. Louis Cardinals 3B Jedd Gyorko
Atlanta Braves OF Matt Kemp
Arizona Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb
Arizona Diamondbacks SS/OF Chris Owings
Milwaukee Brewers 3B Travis Shaw

ESPN
Matt Kemp will be dismayed to find his All-Star fate still undetermined.

Those are my unbiased, fairly educated picks for the upcoming MLB All-Star roster announcement show (ESPN, July 2nd @ 7 PM ET). Of course, the game's managers might still favor the All-Star potential of players like Anthony Rizzo, Francisco Lindor and Miguel Cabrera but, they just aren't off to hot enough starts to crack my rosters. Hopefully, they all soar to their usual heights in the second half of the 2017 season as they are some of the most enjoyable faces of the sport to watch on a regular basis.

Also enjoyable is the Home Run Derby. This year's takes place in Miami and Giancarlo Stanton absolutely must defend his crown amongst a field of eight competitors in a power-heavy season. This year's crowd feels especially fun with plenty of fresh faces.

Here are the 8 names that would make a perfect Home Run Derby in 2017...

Marlins OF Giancarlo Stanton

Yankees OF Aaron Judge

Dodgers 1B/OF Cody Bellinger

Twins 3B Miguel Sano

Brewers 1B Eric Thames

Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo

Nationals OF Bryce Harper

Astros SS Carlos Correa  

I'm pumped just looking at that list of names and casual fans should be as well. There's no way that this field of players along with the promise of no more BACKBACKBACK Chris Berman should be enough for baseball to keep people's attention on a Miami-based baseball game for the first time in years.

Good luck to those making their vacation plans around All-Star week and may the exit velocities on home runs wow us all.

2017 NBA Mock Draft, The Process Realized

#1. Philadelphia 76ers - PG Markelle Fultz (Washington)

Dean Rutz - The Seattle Times
The only piece missing from the 76ers' "process" being realized was a point guard and they traded up to acquire the best PG in a draft loaded at that position.

The process has finally come to fruition. In an officially announced trade, the Sixers have acquired the #1 overall pick so that they can fill their need at the guard position. With Fultz, Covington, Saric, Simmons and Embiid on the court, they will be a playoff team and it's all thanks to years of hard-fought sucking and crafty former GM Sam Hinkie turning the awful Andrew Bynum deal into everything we see today. Fultz can do a little bit of everything and might be the best player on this roster after Thursday.

#2. Los Angeles Lakers - PG Lonzo Ball (UCLA)

AP Photo/David Zalubowski
The most talked about prospect goes to the NBA's most overly-discussed franchise.

Unless the 76ers are playing the crazy long-con game, the next player selected will be the pass-happy phenom of Los Angeles, Lonzo Ball. The only question is whether or not the Lakers keep the pick or are they ready to jump at the two hot free agents (Paul George & Jimmy Butler) of next offseason. Luckily for new GM Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson, it should be impossible to screw this pick up despite the eldest son of Lavar Ball's broken shooting mechanics. 

#3. Boston Celtics - SF Josh Jackson (Kansas)

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The Celtics will not miss out on their main draft target (Jackson) despite the trade down.

Josh Jackson had risen up draft boards immediately following his stellar run in the March Madness tournament. Boston did not need another point guard after dramatic improvements from Isaiah Thomas and Terry Rozier so, they traded down two spots. In all likelihood, GM Danny Ainge felt comfortable making the deal because their main target for the first pick (either Jackson or Jayson Tatum) will still be available and simultaneously, a much better fit for contending in the East as soon as possible.

#4. Phoenix Suns - PG De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)

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The Suns love their point guards from Kentucky and will add another if they are unable to find a trade partner.

Another team possibly looking for a proven star instead of younger depth, it would surprise nobody if the Suns dealt the fourth pick in the draft. On the other hand, it would also surprise nobody if the team that already rosters Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Tyler Ulis decided to take any point guard from Kentucky. I have heard that Fox, the quickest player in the draft, is also the only player that wouldn't mind going to the Sacramento Kings at #5. There are an endless array of possibilities for pick #4 and I'm betting on the Suns giving the tall duo of Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender another season before drafting additional competition.

#5. Sacramento Kings - SG Malik Monk (Kentucky)

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Kings owner Vivek Ranidive adores anybody with a jumper and Monk would be the closest thing to his backcourt teammate (De'Aaron Fox) that Sacramento would accept. 

Sacramento is dedicated to making Buddy Hield a superstar and drafting Malik Monk does not undo any of the good they have already done with the former Pelican. If their main target (Fox) truly is too good to fall past Phoenix, then the Kings will take the next best available guard. With Ben McLemore, Darren Collison, Ty Lawson and Tyreke Evans all potentially departing this offseason, they will need the best available guard.

#6. Orlando Magic - SF Jayson Tatum (Duke)

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Orlando is hoping that Tatum is the player to save their team from basketball purgatory.

The direction of the Magic's future has been unclear since they dealt away Victor Oladipo, their best player, at the 2016 NBA Draft. The one player left with obvious star potential is Tatum, an athletic forward with a high-percentage shot. Frank Vogel is all about 3-and-D players and every player drafted by the previous regime with those skills has failed to deliver on expectations (see: Mario Hezonja, Oladipo, etc.) despite good chunks of minutes. Tatum going this low is a bit of a surprise but, trades and the NBA Draft are synonymous so, Tatum might go as early as third and still end up in Orlando.

#7. Minnesota Timberwolves - PF Jonathan Isaac (Florida State)

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Jonathan Isaac would be a nice big to play alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.

Tom Thibodeau's first season in charge of Minnesota went poorly as Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a severe regression on defense and the chronic rookie-denier sat lottery pick Kris Dunn too often in favor of wasting the energy of improving young core players like Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins. LaVine even managed to tear an ACL after Thibs gave him 30+ minutes in multiple games LaVine never should have played in due to an already sore leg. The coach likely wants more defense (or if recent reports are true, a reunion of his failed team in Chicago) and Jonathan Isaac has a higher defensive ceiling than most bigs in this class. Good luck getting minutes next season, Isaac.

#8. New York Knicks - PG Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State)

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Smith will be a better version of what the Knicks thought Derrick Rose might still be.

Speaking of teams with questionable leadership, Phil Jackson's fun house from hell wants to keep making the triangle offense a thing. Derrick Rose is almost certainly leaving after a moody season in the big apple. Luckily for James Dolan and his ragtag gang of circus clowns, Dennis Smith is as explosive as Rose was last season right now and should only improve given he does not tear any major ligaments. The eighth pick should not be as depressing as New York media claims it to be after another season of low effort.

#9. Dallas Mavericks - PF Lauri Markkanen (Arizona)

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The player most frequently compared to Dirk Nowitzki joins the man himself as an eventual replacement.

Nobody in this draft is going to score 30,000 points like the face of the Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki but, Markkanen has a similar set of skills with room to improve in the paint. Mark Cuban's team has rarely owned a first-round pick so, this pick is anybody's guess. I see Markkanen as the best player around at nine picks in and the team still needs a power forward for the future. Dirk is 39 after all.

#10. Sacramento Kings - PG Frank Ntilikina (France)

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The Kings should look to continue digging for star-potential guards with Ntilikina at the top of the board.

As mentioned with the fifth pick, Sacramento is likely looking for guard help and the best point guard after Fox is either Smith or Frank Ntilikina. Sacramento seems like a team that likes to take chances on a foreign prospect annually and Ntilikina is more reliable defensively than Smith. Of course, none of this happens if they make the right offer for the fourth pick.

#11. Charlotte Hornets - PF Harry Giles (Duke)

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With good coaching, Harry Giles could wind up as a steal for whoever drafts him.

The Hornets may have already added Dwight Howard for some meaningless wastes of contracts but, there is still room in Charlotte for an athletic big. Even if Giles is only a project pick that requires Steve Clifford to up his game as a head coach, he will still get immediate minutes with only Marvin Williams shooting his way into the starting lineup over the former Duke backup.

#12. Detroit Pistons - C Zach Collins (Gonzaga)

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The most natural center in the draft gets to sit behind Andre Drummond for a bit.

Detroit seems to refuse admitting that they need to rebuild or forever be a nine-seed. Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Andre Drummond are not the future of this franchise and Stanley Johnson only might be. Center may not be the best place for them to begin their rebuild but, there are no better players remaining on my hypothetical board so, why not take a big if Stan Van Gundy is not ready to give up on their mediocre cast.

#13. Denver Nuggets - SF OG Anunoby (Indiana)

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Ogugua Anunoby could end up replacing Danilo Gallinari in Colorado.

OG Anunoby is more defensively skilled than either Danilo Gallinari or Wilson Chandler. Both players, coincidentally, could exit the rocky mountains this Summer. The Nuggets already have plenty of offensively skilled players in Nikola Jokic, Mason Plumlee, Will Barton and the currently-bubbling Gary Harris. Anunoby won't be the sexiest pick but, he is a good fit for a team on the verge of winning.

#14. Miami Heat - PF Edrice "Bam" Adebayo (Kentucky)

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The Heat will continue to go all in on defense with the selection of the best Wildcat defender.

Miami's resilient 30-11 finish after an 11-30 beginning will attract the enormous names that Miami is accustomed to attracting in free agency, as if Pat Riley's presence and expertise weren't enough. The Heat will easily be able to get a player that does everything offensively one way or another. With the 14th selection, I have Miami betting on their own superior capability to turn a player that's all defense (like Adebayo) into an all-around stud (see: Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson).

#15. Portland Trail Blazers - PF T.J. Leaf (UCLA)

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Portland adds to their rotation with their first of three firsts likely playing a key role all season.

Simply put, the Trail Blazers need bodies for their badly bruised bench. Leaf will help Portland keep up their continued quest at conquering the Warriors at Golden State's deep-shooting game. That may not be their best usage of their first pick but again, they get two more chances at not botching this whole thing in the first two hours.

#16. Chicago Bulls - SG Donovan Mitchell (Louisville)

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With Jimmy Butler's time in Chicago running out, the Bulls must think fast on possible replacements.

No matter how this draft ends, the Bulls are fucked. Either the GM duo of GarPax deals Jimmy Butler for 50 cents on the dollar or they have another year of mediocrity ahead with old Dwyane Wade, moody Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez. If they take Mitchell, Chicago will at least have a guard for safe-keeping in case of a firesale.

#17. Milwaukee Bucks - SG Luke Kennard (Duke)

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The Bucks still need shooting and Kennard just happens to fall to them at pick #17.

Milwaukee desperately needs a big man in case Greg Monroe is no longer around to steal all of John Henson's minutes. The only thing they still need slightly more of as soon as possible is a shooter to steal all of Rashad Vaughn and maybe Jason Terry's minutes. The fundamentals are all there with Duke's lesser-hated white dude and it's not like the Bucks need any more lengthy defensive disruptors when a shooter like this falls to them.

#18. Indiana Pacers - SF Justin Jackson (North Carolina)

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If they do indeed trade Paul George, the Pacers will need an NBA-ready forward to slow the bleeding caused by losing a star and Jackson is ready for the league right now.

Similar to the Bulls' situation, Indiana is considerably more likely to lose their superstar but, they at least have the hope that Myles Turner continues his ascent. Justin Jackson is one of the more NBA-ready players in the draft and should help control the bleeding caused by George's eventual absence. His recently discovered shooting hand is questionable at best but, he'll give Indiana productive time on the court immediately ala Danny Granger.

#19. Atlanta Hawks - SG Terrance Ferguson (Australia)

Sarah Reed
Atlanta adds a Kent Bazemore-like versatile guard/forward in Ferguson.

The Hawks have waved the white flag on the 2017-18 season after dealing Dwight Howard for Miles Plumlee's stupid contract and Marco Belinelli's future second-rounder value. This move signifies that they have admitted defeat on re-signing Paul Millsap and probably even the egregious Kent Bazemore contract. While Bazemore is still employed in Georgia, the GMless Hawks are best off taking a draft-and-groom prospect like the 19-year old that chose to come off the bench in Australia over college.

#20. Portland Trail Blazers - SF Jonah Bolden (Australia)

FMP
Former UCLA forward Bolden will still be able to sneak into the first round after a year abroad.

3-and-D players are so hot right now. The Blazers tried to win the west with some crazy contracts and an attempt at turning into the Warriors. One of the Warriors most valuable players is Draymond Green, a 3-and-D guy with major emphasis on the defense. Bolden is not Draymond but, he can be Al-Farouq Aminu with a better jumper if he stays the exact same as he is right now. This former UCLA Bruin left for Australia and came back with a higher floor than your average prospect.

#21. Oklahoma City Thunder - PG Jawun Evans (Oklahoma State)

Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World
The explosive Evans stays in Oklahoma with OKC needing a backup for their MVP.

Jawun Evans does not have first-round potential but, that did not stop GM Sam Presti from taking Cameron Payne, a similar guard with a worse shot, two years ago. Evans is a homeless man's version of Russell Westbrook. He is an explosive player that is extremely capable of playing quality offense, even though he may hog the ball sometimes. The Thunder's championship odds likely do not depend on this pick and they will need to do some serious digging for help for their MVP in free agency.

#22. Brooklyn Nets - PF D.J. Wilson (Michigan)

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After a March breakout, Wilson will help the Nets avoid the NBA's basement in 2017/18.

Brooklyn does not want to tank yet has no reasonable expectation to win. This is the worst state to be in as a franchise and it's all thanks to former GM Billy King and the KG-Pierce-Terry for picks five years in the future. Until they start receiving their own draft picks again in 2019, the Nets should take a scorer like Wilson while their defense seems in tact despite rostering zero all-stars. The 22nd pick will not suddenly make the Nets good but, it can help them avoid atrocious basketball.

#23. Toronto Raptors - PF John Collins (Wake Forest)

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Collins is a stronger pick in 2017 than Pascal Siakam was in 2016 for Toronto.

The two deadline acquisitions that the Raptors made last year (Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker) are expiring contracts and likely gone this Summer. This opens up space for another forward and clearly, this team does not want 2016 pick Pascal Siakam starting for them or else they would have felt comfortable with him in February. John Collins is not the defender that any of the current Raptors are but, his scoring ability is more NBA-ready than Siakam's defense and somebody other than DeMar DeRozan needs to get buckets if Kyle Lowry is indeed gone.

#24. Utah Jazz - C Jarrett Allen (Texas)

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Along with Josh Jackson, Allen is bringing the classic afro hairstyle back into the NBA.

Texas basketball has only had one player drafted in the last five NBA classes (Myles Turner) and Jarrett Allen is here to try and reinvigorate the repertoire of the Longhorns' basketball program. Of course, Allen does not have star potential but, the man is lengthy and has a comparable game to an NBA champion, JaVale McGee. Utah doesn't NEED a center the way they NEED to make sure Gordon Heyward stays in Salt Lake and as long as they keep Heyward, they are only one bigger piece than the #24 pick away from making the Warriors (or at least the Spurs) shake a bit.

#25. Orlando Magic - C Anzejs Pasecniks (Latvia)

Orlando needs a backup big and good luck pronouncing this one, Adam Silver.

Pasecniks' value confuses me. The Latvian center is very mobile for a seven-footer and has no obvious skills with a high ceiling. He is as much of an unknown as 2014 prospects Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bruno Caboclo. Anzejs could become the player that takes over for overpriced Nikola Vucevic' or he'll just be additional young depth taking a seat on the bench for a few years.

#26. Portland Trail Blazers - C Ike Anigbogu (UCLA)

Portland fills their need for big man depth with their third first-rounder of three.

With the Trail Blazers' final first round pick and their last scheduled pick, they officially erase their fans' minds of the Festus Ezeli contract. Anigbogu would be Portland's lone center behind folk hero Jusuf Nurkic. Ike's play defensively will be the perfect compliment to all of the team's shooters and the two picks (Leaf and Bolden) that I've already given them.

#27. Los Angeles Lakers - PF Caleb Swanigan (Purdue)

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Originally my pick for Brooklyn, the Lakers land a stat-machine in Swanigan.

I fell in love with Purdue this March because of Swanigan and his story of overcoming his living situation as a child (including weighing 380 pounds at age 13) to becoming a potential first-rounder. The 6'9'' forward averaged 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds his sophomore season and was 2016-17's Denzel Valentine Box Score MVP. Not to seem like too much of an armchair psychologist but, Swanigan seems like the gritty type of player that Magic Johnson would love to have on his team with the added modern bonus of a decent long-range shot.

#28. Los Angeles Lakers - PF Isaiah Hartenstein (Germany)

Hartenstein is the most mysterious potential first-round pick and LA might just bite on unknown potential.

With three first round picks, the Lakers are bound to take a chance on a foreign talent that may not come to the USA right away. Hartenstein is much like Anzejs Pasecniks in their totally unknown ceilings and under-developed skill sets.

#29. San Antonio Spurs - SF Semi Ojeleye (SMU)

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A 3-and-D sleeper pick, Ojeleye lands to the one team that could make him a star.

Gregg Poppovich has turned Danny Green, Jonathon Simmons and Kawhi Leonard into complete NBA players. Semi Ojeleye is the player most likely to be taken outside of the top ten and still possibly turn into Leonard. If he doesn't step foot into a gym or doesn't work on his handles, there will be problems as he is very inconsistent right now but, there is promise here.

#30. Utah Jazz - SG Josh Hart (Villanova)

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Josh Hart would be a nice fit off of Utah's bench.

Utah might package their two late firsts for an earlier draft pick but in case they don't do that... Here you go Utah. In a world where nobody stands a chance against the greatest and most three-point friendly team ever (Golden State), the Jazz should just take a shooter like Hart since they are already nearly on par with the Warriors' defense. Hart might not get the best separation on the court but, at least he's had some experience with winning.

These Playoffs Were The Hardest Road

I'm not mad at Kevin Durant, I'm happy that another player has lifted the unfair "YEAH BUT, WHERE ARE YOUR RINGS?" debate off of his shoulders. I am extremely upset for the remaining 29 teams in the NBA that have virtually no present or near-future opportunity at winning a championship (or in the western conference's case, reaching a Finals) without MULTIPLE great players falling to a catastrophic injury. What chance does a team like the Utah Jazz, a team has done everything right from a developmental standpoint, have when they reside in the barren wasteland that is Utah? The Jazz are especially out of luck when you consider that they are about to lose their strongest all-around player (Gordon Heyward) to another SUPERDUPERTEAM destination like Miami or Boston, who have had recent runs of success based on unproven teams created via multiple sly acquisitions.

Rings culture has killed the NBA's casual, non-contending teams' fans, when all people everywhere do is add unnecessary pressure to the all-time greats by pointing out a players' championships won. Wilt Chamberlain only gets downgraded in everybody's all-time rankings for playing at the same time as Bill Russell and a homegrown superteam like the 1960s Boston Celtics. Charles Barkley only gets downgraded for playing at the same time as all-time greats like Kareem, Magic and Michael Jordan. Steve Nash and Allen Iverson will never get the respect they deserve because they had to play against the Kobe Bryants, Tim Duncans and Shaquille O'Neals of the world. Sure, there were some fun and unique champions along the way in the seventies, with the early-90s and '04 Pistons and even the 2011 Dallas Mavericks but for the most part, the league has always seen the best player in the league at any given time in the Finals. Kevin Durant was about to become another one of those "YEAH BUT..." players until he joined Golden State and took down the latest GOAT, Lebron James.

If we didn't have these barber shop-type hot take-laden debate shows that mindlessly continue the rings culture, the league might not be looking ahead at the next 4-5 years of utter hopelessness spread countrywide. Kevin Durant has been consistent in his reasoning for signing with the Golden State Warriors, he enjoys the way they play. That's really just a not-so-well-disguised way of saying "they're winners, they went 73-9, OKC, Miami and Boston did not go 73-9 last year and dammit, I want to win and have fun doing so". Again, I will not fault Durant for ruining the competitive balance of the NBA in a way that has never been done before. The only reason outside of that desire to win pointless barber shop arguments that KD to GS became a thing was because of the ridiculous cap spike in 2016 that rightfully rewarded the players while simultaneously and unexpectedly taking away from fans' enjoyment because of one transaction. There is no easy or sudden fix to this problem (and it will be a problem numbers-wise beginning next season) when Durant has openly suggested he would take a pay cut to stay when Draymond Green and Klay Thompson's contracts are up after next season.

AP
Kevin Durant's "hardest road" quote is his version of "taking my talents to South Beach" in it's lack of self-awareness.

The Golden State Warriors would have won last year's NBA Finals in five games had Draymond Green been kinder to his fellow man's testicular area and instead, they only won in five games this year because the Cleveland Cavaliers had the greatest offensive half of basketball in NBA history. I'm beginning to think this was Draymond's plan all along. Thus concludes my Finals recap.

So long and farewell to my least favorite postseason I have ever had the displeasure of watching as Russell Westbrook and James Harden proved just how meaningless the regular season is, Zaza Pachulia may have purposely injured a robot to kill a series and the NBA ruined it's own product for a few years thanks to a sudden spike in money available to teams (including one 73-9 team) for immediate spending, thus rendering the postseason just as meaningless for a couple of years. At the end of the day, we are all at fault for the greatest team in NBA history.