On The Watch “It’s All About 2023 NBA FINALS CHAMPIONS”

2023 NBA CHAMPIONS

Nikola Jokic has finally reached the mountain top of the 2023 NBA Season by closing out game 5 of the NBA Finals as best he could with a solid 28 points and 16 boards bailing out the squad as they were struggling heavily to maintain their hold on securing their first NBA Championship in franchise History.

I gotta tip my “B” hat to Jokic. This Dude’s strong mentality and solid composure throughout the NBA Season, the NBA Playoffs and the NBA Finals were levels above his peers, hands down. History was in the making the moment this year NBA Finals started. Jokic became the first player in history to lead the league in points (600), boards (269) and dimes (190) in a single postseason while practically averaging a triple-double per game, collecting averages of 30 points, 13.5 boards and 9.5 dimes. Worthy and deserving of the Bill Russell trophy as well as the NBA Finals MVP.

Record breaking accolades aside, Jokic couldn’t have completed these historical feats without a healthy Jamal Murray to release some of the responsibility and a driven and motivated squad that showed how battle tested they were throughout the entire Season with only one common goal in mind: the NBA Championship that they have now collected as a team.

The Heat should still keep their heads up high, real talk! Although they fell short once again at claiming the NBA Championship, they became the only second No. 8 Seed to make it to the NBA Finals after running through some very tough opposition. They balled hard night after night on both ends of the court but were met with a better team destined to enter the record books.

Congratulations to the Denver Nuggets for emerging as the NBA Champions of the NBA Season 2023. You Boys dominated the NBA Playoffs and the Finals in such a convincing fashion that the Championship could not be denied.

Well done!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA PLAYOFFS 2022”

NBA Playoffs 2022 (Sweet 16)

With a full 82 Games NBA season now over and the NBA Play-In Tournament effectively completed, we are now officially ready to proceed with the NBA Playoffs 2022.

This year’s shocking “King of The Court” and No. 1 Seed in the entire league are the dominating Phoenix Suns (64-18). Them Boys fell short last year in the NBA Finals but worked their way back into a powerhouse team this year that dominated the entire league with such presence on both sides of the court that, short of reaching and winning the NBA Finals this year, would be a disappointment for this focused squad. With home court advantage secured throughout the Playoffs the path to the Finals should be very interesting.

The No. 2 Seed are the surging Memphis Grizzlies (56-26) who have caused havoc throughout the league with their young core of stallions making a name for themselves by dominating their opposition and making pure highlight reels night in and night out. Lack of experience aside, this squad has the goods to outduel any challenger on any given night. They are undeniably must watch TV.

Coming in as the No. 3 Seed are the Golden State Warriors (53-29). The Warriors have steadily worked their way back into the Playoffs and could surprise quite a few teams who underestimate their squad who are not at full strength as of yet but still possess the experience to overcome tough challenges If a healthy Curry, Klay and Draymond can grace the floor together, their chances of advancing throughout the Playoffs increase dramatically.

The No. 4 Seed are the Dallas Mavericks (52-30). Them Boys have had a slow start but managed to get it together in time to build that confidence needed to raise hell throughout the Playoffs. Their squad is intact and well balanced but absolutely need a healthy Luka Doncic to lead the way to any victory.

The stronghold of the Western Conference has dipped this year but rounding up the remaining playoff spots are at the No. 5 Seed Utah Jazz (49-33). The Jazz have had an up and down type season but still managed a respectful seeding while battling it out to the wire. They could cause a problem throughout the Playoffs on any given night. The No. 6 Seed Denver Nuggets (48-34) have maintained their respectful standing throughout the season by playing hard night in and night out but surviving the Playoff run will be challenging, especially without the services of Jamal Murray still out recovering from a torn ACL but with Nikola Jokic running the show, their odds of success are still good. Making a new entry as the No. 7 Seed are the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-36). Them boys making it to the dance is a positive and good for the experience but other than that, I see a quick exit out. The same can be said about the New Orleans Pelicans (36-46) fresh from the Play-In game against the Clippers, them Boys fought hard to get to the dance but their stay might be short lived.

Representing the Eastern Conference with the No.1 Seed are the Miami Heat (53-29). Grabbing that No. 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference wasn’t easy this year. The Eastern teams have improved dramatically making the conference very competitive all around. Any team from 1 to 5 had a chance at claiming the No. 1 Seed. That said Miami earned it but will still have a hell of time defending it throughout the Playoffs. The No. 2 Seed are the Boston Celtics (51-31). Them Boys literally came from the bottom seed all the way up into the standings giving themselves a legitimate chance at a good run in the Playoffs. Their squad is solid with two very good All-Star players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown playing at an all-time high-level night in and night out. In the No. 3 Seed are the Defending Champions Milwaukee Bucks (51-31). Them Boys had it rough at times throughout the season with injuries disrupting their line up but with their MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo holding the team down on every level, these Defending Champs will remain a problem to any team trying to derail them from reaching the NBA Finals.

The Philadelphia 76ers hold the No. 4 Seed with their revamped squad balling out. They are hoping to reach the NBA Finals this year with Joel Embiid playing at an MVP level at both ends of the floor and newly acquired point guard James Harden running the show. Over all they have a tight squad that can get the job done but actions speak louder than words and they gotta get it together and not choke this time around. The No. 5 Seed are our Canadian Team the Toronto Raptors (48-34) who worked their way up to a respectable standing considering they were at the bottom riddled with injuries slowing them down throughout the season. Fully healthy now they have an opportunity to give it a good solid run.

The Chicago Bulls hold the No. 6 Seed and at one point held the No. 1 Seed but dealt with some close losses that eventually knocked them down the standings. They have a solid squad that can get it done but will have a hell of a time competing with the Heavy hitters sitting ahead of them but the Bulls shouldn’t be slept on just yet.

The 7 Seed Brooklyn Nets (44-38) and the 8 Seed Atlanta Hawks (43-39) both needed the Play-In Tournament to get in this year’s Playoff run but truth be told, they are also the two teams capable of beating the No. 1 and No. 2 Seed to move on and completely disrupt the Playoffs. Neither team is gun-shy and can rack up the scoring board in very little time. They both possess the playmakers who can individually win games on their own when on fire. Definitely two teams to keep a close eye on during the first round of the Playoffs.

Tune in this Saturday April 16, 2022 for this year’s NBA version of the “Sweet 16” Playoffs run.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA-Who’s On Top?”

The NBA-Who’s on Top?

We are officially at the Quarter mark of this year’s shortened NBA Season and although we are still going through a Worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, the players from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference have all managed to keep their morals up and  stay upbeat while entertaining us with some thrilling games.

The struggles of the unexpected circumstances have affected every team somehow in some ways but throughout the challenges, some teams have risen to the occasion while some unexpected teams have faltered trying to keep up.

The Philadelphia 76ers are taking claim of the No. 1 Spot on the Eastside for the time being with a modest start of 17-7 record. Under the guidance of new head coach Doc Rivers, the 76ers seem to have found the right leader to help elevate this team to Championship calibre. The Milwaukee Bucks have had some tough losses to date but still maintain a respected 15-8 record. The Boston Celtics have actually had to postpone a few games due to Covid-19 protocol but still managed a reasonable 12-9 record. With the latest acquisition of James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets who stand at 14-11 record, the fire power has just dramatically increased but only time will tell how well this version of the “Big 3” Kyrie, Kevin and James actually gel together. While the Indiana Pacers 12-11 record, the Atlanta Hawks 11-12 record, and the New York Knicks 11-13 are playing musical chairs between themselves, it has been the poor start of our Canadian team the Toronto Raptors 10-13 record and the Miami Heat 8-14 record that has been the most surprising to me so far.

The Utah Jazz lead by Donovan Mitchell is marginally taking claim of the No. 1 Spot on the Westside with their own impressive start of 18-5 record. Them boys have shown some serious growth and maturity in their steady play so far at both ends of the court. The defending Champions the Los Angeles Lakers 18-6 record and the Los Angeles Clippers 17-7 both have picked up where they left off last year and could easily steal that No. 1 Spot on any given day. That being said the Phoenix Suns 12-9 record have kept things very interesting. With Chris Paul now running the point this squad has upped their competitiveness to 100% at both ends of the floor. As for the San Antonio Spurs 12-10 record, the Denver Nuggets 12-10 record, the Portland Trail Blazers 12-10 record and the Golden State Warriors 12-11, it’s a toss-up from this point on. The Western Conference teams are all capable of putting up some serious win streaks together that could set the whole Western standings into a roller-coaster game by game. Real Talk!

Stay locked in and appreciate this attention-grabbing and unpredictable NBA Season.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA Season 2020/2021”

The NBA Season 2020/2021

The NBA Season is set to start this upcoming Tuesday December 22, 2020 but with 10 games shorter than the previous seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic still looming over the World.

So many things are going to be different and unpredictable for this upcoming season but one thing is for sure, the Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to repeat as Champions regardless of the obstacles ahead. The Lakers’ squad is still well-intact and well-built for the long haul. As for the Los Angeles Clippers, they may have fallen short in the Playoffs last season but redemption will be their motivation throughout this season. The Houston Rockets are an uncertainty right now considering they have done some major changes starting with their front office and the coaching staff and their star player, James Harden, looking for a way out of the city. Assuming Harden’s indecision to still run with the team, only time will tell how they will look as the season progresses. The Western Conference will still be competitive as usual with the strong play coming from the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and let’s not forget The Golden State Warriors who may still have a say in the Western standings, – they are not done yet in my eyes.

The Eastern Conference is steadily improving with major players changing conferences to help balance the forces. The Milwaukee Bucks fell short once again at reaching the Finals but have managed to secure their MPV player Giannis Antetokounmpo to an extended contract giving them another opportunity at the task at hand, an NBA Title. With a few added pieces to the team, things could be looking up for them. The Miami Heat shocked the league last season when they worked their way to the NBA Finals. They showed they belong and plan on getting it going right back where they left off. The Brooklyn Nets will be looking for a “Takeover” type season with a healthy Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the pack along with a new coaching staff to draw up the winning format. Our own Canadian team the Toronto Raptors are still in the running and still have the ability to stay competitive with any team from any conferences. The Philadelphia 76ers have done some revamping with their team and the coaching staff in the hope of changing their future outcome. Let’s see how everything unfolds throughout the season. The Boston Celtics is still a major player with a proven squad that can definitely upset the apple tree once they get going. They are a proven squad that can definitely disrupt the standings in the Eastern Conference. As for the Indiana Pacers, the Washington Wizards, the Charlotte Hornets, the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic, the jury is still out on what they can bring to the table.

We are entering the unknown with this year NBA Season. There is no script on how things will evolve and for that alone we should all tune in this Tuesday night December 22, 2020 and be part of another roller-coaster type NBA Season 2020/2021.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About NBA FINALS 2020”

2020 NBA Finals

Two teams that didn’t make the playoffs last year are now set to do battle in this year NBA Finals Wednesday September 30, 2020 inside “The Bubble”.

The No. 1 Seed representing the WESTSIDE is the Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers and the No. 5 Seed representing the EASTSIDE is the Eastern Conference Champion the Miami Heat.

No one predicted this Finals matchup at the beginning of this year NBA season but truth be told it does have the makings of a very intriguing outcome.

Although the odd makers favor the LeBron-led Lakers to come out on top as the NBA Champion, I personally believe the Heat may be the formidable opponent that will actually make things challenging in preventing the Lakers on having an easy run to the Championship.

Both teams have dismantled their previous opponents with relative ease coming into the Finals with an identical record of 12-3. They have both stepped it up on the defensive side and impressed with a very efficient offensive style of play that have kept us fans glued to the screen.

The Miami Heat squad has been counted out the day the Playoffs started but have quickly changed the narrative round after round to now entering the Finals. Unlike “King James” and the Lakers they were expected to reach the Finals with the squad that they have with Anthony Davis being the x-factor.

AD has well proven his worth dominating throughout the series, definitely making it hard on opposing opposition trying to slow him down. The Heat may not have two Hall of Fame running mates to match up with “King James” and AD but the squad that Miami is rocking with have no backing down in them. They are a no-nonsense crew ready to get physical and grind it out by any means necessary.

That said, there is absolutely no favoritism inside “The Bubble”. The Larry O’Bryan Trophy is up for grabs now let’s see who will get crowned NBA Champion of the year 2020.

Tune in this Wednesday night September 30, 2020 live on ABC inside “The Bubble” for game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA PLAYOFFS 2020”

NBA Playoffs 2020 (Sweet 16)

With the NBA-Restart successfully completed, we are now ready for phase two of inside the “Bubble” of The NBA Playoffs.

This year “King of The Court” and No. 1 Seed for the shortened season are The Milwaukee Bucks (56-17). Them Boys came out the gate strong the entire season and established their dominance night in and night out. They have literally picked up where they left off last year but are definitely determined to write the wrong of not getting to the NBA Finals. They want that “Ring” by any means necessary.

That being said, our own Canadian team the Defending Champions the Toronto Raptors No. 2 Seeded (53-19) are still ballin like the Champs that they are. Real Talk! For those who thought that the Raptors would have fallen off due to Kawhi Leonard leaving, have unquestionably misjudged this team. The Raptors have acquired the experience needed to get to the promise land. They are battle-tested and have the right squad to compete with anybody on any given day. They will be defending their crown.

The Eastern Conference teams that have all made it to the “Bubble” will all have a jab at whom will represent the Eastside but I’m most intrigued by the 3rd Seeded Celtics (48-24), 4th Seeded Pacers (45-28), the 5th Seeded Heat (44-29) and the 6th Seeded 76ers (43-30) because they are all making the Eastern Conference run real attention-grabbing outside looking in.

Representing the Western Conference with the No. 1 Seed is the LeBron James- and Anthony Davis- driven Los Angeles Lakers (52-19) and breathing down their necks are the Kawhi Leonard- and Paul George- driven No. 2 Seeded Los Angeles Clippers (49-23). The word on the street is one of these LA teams will be taking it all the way to the finish line. Personally I think it would be foolish to think that the remaining participants in the 3rd Seeded Nuggets (46-27), the 4th Seeded Rockets (44-28), the 5th Seeded Thunder (44-28), the 6th Seeded Jazz (44-28), the 7th Seeded Mavericks (43-32) and even the Cinderella team in the 8th Seeded Blazers (35-39) couldn’t throw a twist to any possible outcome in these Western Playoffs. Records aside, these Western teams competing in the “Bubble” are way too competitive to being overlooked by any one of them.

Don’t sleep on this year’s 2020 “Sweet 16” Playoff run and tune in this Monday night August 17, 2020. Check up!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About NBA FINALS 2014”

NBA FINALS 2014

The long awaited rematch between The Miami Heat/The San Antonio Spurs is now set. Both teams have a high expectation for them to execute a flawless series but there can only be 1 True winner for that O’Bryan Trophy.

On one side we have The Spurs who were stripped of their Fifth Title by the hand of The 3 Headed Monsters and company at last years Finals. Retribution has been on their mind ever since REAL HEAVY! This Spurs team may be facing Father Time but judging by their play throughout the season (62-20 No. 1 seed) and their convincing run throughout their playoff run to date, one can clearly see that they have probably figure out how to manipulate Father Time to their advantage by surrounding the team with some very good savvy players who play up to their potential to a “T” This well balanced experience team just might have the right tools to slay down The 3 Headed Monsters of The Miami Heat.

With that being said The Defending Back-to-Back Champs The Miami Heat are also looking to cement their name into the Record Books by becoming members of “The Three Peat Club” Love them or Hate them The Heat have established their Championship Level of play and they do rock the “Championship Belt” very well. REAL TALK!

The Heat has improved in every Championship run so for. With only 3 losses under their Belt in this years Playoff run to date, it has been clear that their mental toughness and clutch play has a team has improved dramatically game by game. Slaying The Miami Heat and The 3 Headed Monsters (Wade, James and Bosh) will not be easy but definitely worth the “HYPE” and “ATTENTION” given to see who will be adding their names to this year’s 2014 NBA Records Books, has “King of The Court” of The 2014 NBA Finals Championship!

Tune in this Thursday night June 5, 2014 for Game 1 of the NBA Finals!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About The NBA-Who’s On Top”

The NBA-Who’s On Top?

We are officially passed the midpoint mark for the season with over 42 games played and still representing the EAST with their No. 1 Defensive team in the league, we have the Indiana Pacers leading in the far front with a team first mentality that’s been working wonders for them so far. The Pacers are clearly focus and determine to hold on to that No. 1 seed come playoff time. Their game is tight and their team well balanced with a discipline worthy of an NBA’s Finals showing.

Hopping to stunt their drive is The Defending Champs The Miami Heat. The “CROWN” still belongs to them even if they do look wounded at times; they still have the time and the experience to turn things around come playoff time. As for the remaining Eastern teams still gunning for a spot in the playoffs, 3 to 8 have yet to be concrete. Expect a dogfight for those spots to be filled.

Now for the Wild Wild West, it’s a whole different story. The West is deep and loaded and the competition is fierce. Sitting atop this time around are the Oklahoma City Thunder with them being the Top Defensive Team to beat, however with the WEST being so competitive holding on to the No. 1 spot is a challenged within itself.

The Spurs as usual have worked their way back to the top as the second seed but with many injuries to key players, I’m just not sure if they will hold on to that spot for very long. The Portland Trail Blazers have played like true contenders throughout the first half of the season so expect them to keep hovering around the 1 to 3 spot for the remaining of the season. Now for the remaining playoff spots between 4 and 8, expect the unexpected cause any one of these teams gunning it out can move up the food chain in no time.

Keep your eyes and ears tuned in cause the spotlight is on high for the remaining part of the NBA season. REAL TALK!

Blaze

On The Watch “It’s All About NBA Finals”

 

The 2 teams that will be representing their respective coast in the NBA Finals this year were now decided. Representing the West Side will be the 4 times defending Champs The San Antonio Spurs. Fresh off a 4 games clinic of the Memphis Grizzlies, this Spurs team has once again defied father time and re positioned themselves has the team to beat. REAL TALK! The way they’ve approached each game in these playoffs with such poise and discipline is straight up intimidating (if you ask me). These kats are for real and their game does all the talking for them.

Representing the East Side will be last years defending Champs The Miami Heat. Straight from a game 7 trashing of the No. 1 defensive team in Indiana Pacers, the HEAT have once again reaffirmed why they are one of the best defensive teams in the league PERIOD! Indiana simply couldn’t match the HEAT’s intensity and their aggressive play, but don’t expect the same predicament from the Spurs come this Thursday night June 6, 2013, cause these Dudes in San Antonio play hard through-out the whole 48 minutes. REAL TALK! This year’s Finals will definitely be a must see T.V.

Who will be the last team standing when all is said and done?

Blaze