UCLA vs BYU Round of 64

By Dylan Zhao

Now that was UCLA basketball! As per my last piece, UCLA minimized turnovers. Everything was firing on all cylinders. Nothing really to harp on. The Bruins got into foul trouble early in the game but overall, it did not hinder any performance. 

Though many of the fouls came on the defensive end, the defense was great overall. Cody Riley got into foul trouble early. Then Kenny Nwuba came in but would also get into some foul trouble. However, Kenny, the redshirt sophomore, had some key screens that set up off the dribble jumpers. Though the Bruins had a multitude of fouls, a lot of that is attributed to the hard and physical defense Coach Mick Cronin preaches. I do also believe that the referees were a little soft. Let the boys play! Some of those fouls were questionable. 

On the offensive end, Johnny Juzang lit up. I had some worries about Juzang. He had hurt his ankle earlier this season and then re-aggravated it against MSU. However, at the end of the MSU game he was walking on his own power so coming into BYU I knew he would play. I just didn’t know if he was 100%. That was not the case. Juzang’s first attempt was a made three. And he didn’t stop there. He went on to score 27 points. BYU had no answer for Juzang, he was automatic. In the second half, BYU’s strategy was to isolate Juzang and prevent him from even touching the ball. Touch the ball, he did not. With Juzang out of the equation, BYU mounted a small comeback as the Bruins hot hand made no impact in those lone minutes. However, Jules Bernard stepped it up. In my last piece, I also mentioned that no one man can do it alone. Last game, Jaime went off. This game it was Juzang. But teams will adapt and that’s when the rest of the team needs to step up. I said Bernard needs to step up - and he did. Jaime made a couple of threes but was nothing compared to Juzang and Jules. I also wanted to see Tyger be more aggressive and score 10. Tyger was indeed more aggressive however started the game 0-5 I believe. But in the ending minutes, Tyger scored some crucial jumpers that would seal the deal for UCLA. 

This was an expected win in my opinion and the Bruins came through. The Bruins will now face Abilene Christian, who upset Texas. This is easily a winnable game, but of course it is March and anything can happen. We need to keep the foot on the gas - play hard defense and all our players need to be ready. Good teams will prepare and find ways to stop the star Bruins. It can’t be just Jaime or just Juzang. It is a collective effort. I want to see Tyger be more of a factor. I want to see Cody Riley post up and score 6. I want to see Riley draw the defense away from the shooters. Riley can then post it up or dish it out to an open shooter on the wing. But overall if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it right. Go Bruins! 

UCLA vs MSU Play-In Recap

By Dylan Zhao

I just want to begin by saying, we shouldn’t even have played in the First Four. If we didn’t blow 4 straight games, we wouldn’t have had to play MSU. We need to do better at finishing games and preserving double digit leads. With that being said, UCLA vs MSU was a completely different game.

Going into the game, my key points were:

1. Minimize turnovers

2. Preserve the lead and finish

And guess what we did in the first possession of the game. We turned it over. Absolutely atrocious. I feel like everytime I see Cody Riley play, he averages 3-4 turnovers a game. However, right out the gate, both teams came firing. It started off back and forth but soon the momentum was on MSU’s side and they maintained the lead until the last few minutes of regular play. 

MSU pushed the ball all game. They played fast and played physical. They were the bigger team and in the first half, we saw UCLA lacking. But as usual, at halftime, Mick Cronin knows how to turn things around. The Bruins started off hot after the half and kept that momentum all game. I also want to point out how great of a coach Cronin really is. He is defensive minded and also knows how to manage the game. Everytime the Spartans gained momentum and it looked as if they were ready to pull away, Cronin called a timeout. I love that. You need to know how to strategically use your timeouts. 

Now as the Bruins prepare for BYU, all I got to say is that we need to be better. Jaime played all 45 minutes of the game. That just shows how great of a player he really is. I’ve seen him play in person and he is the real deal. He can shoot the three, he’s got the length, he’s got the spin around fadeaway, he’s got it all. But he can’t do it alone. Jules Bernard really needs to step it up. He airballed twice. Twice! We can’t have that. Bernard needs to step it up. Juzeng was great as usual. But he hurt his ankle again and we don’t know what his status is for Saturday. However, I am optimistic he’ll be ready. Additionally, Tyger needs to run his usual game and score at least 10 points. I thought Tyger played a little sloppy but I want to see him drive inside a little more - be a little more aggressive and if the lane is closed, dish it out to someone at the arch. I want to see at least 10 from Cody Riley and I don’t want to see any more turnovers from him. On the defensive end, they need to play better. It was mentioned that this was the most the Bruins gave up in one half all year.   

MSU is more physical and bigger and plays fast. For most of the game, UCLA was trying to play catch up. We can’t have that Saturday. Defense needs to be better. We need to stop turning the ball over and secure the ball. I’ve seen firsthand the turnaround of this team from last year to now and I know the potential and have high expectations. Saturday is a winnable game but we need to take care of the fundamentals.

Gauchos or Blue Jays? Previewing the First Round of March Madness

By Brett Goldman

The bracket has been set and the madness is soon to be underway (if it isn't already). Since the March Madness field expanded in 1985, the 12 seed has upset the 5 seed 50 times and the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos could be the next one to join that group if they can defeat the Creighton Blue Jays on Saturday. Can the Gauchos pull it off or will the Blue Jays move on? I'll preview the matchup between these two teams and let you be the judge.

The Teams

The Creighton Blue Jays represent the Big East Conference as an at-large bid. They lost by 25 in the conference championship game against Georgetown, but much of that had to do with them shooting 29% from the field and giving up 12 offensive rebounds. The good news for the Blue Jays is that they can't play any worse than they did on Saturday.

The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos represent the Big West Conference as the conference champion. They defeated UC Irvine 79-63 to make it to their first NCAA tournament since 2011. They have won 18 of their last 19 games and went on a school record 13 game winning streak this season.

The Blue Jays are coached by Greg McDermott, father of Indiana Pacers forward (and former Blue Jay) Doug McDermott. McDermott has had a lot of success during his time in Omaha, winning nearly 67% of his games over 11 seasons. This will be his 6th NCAA tournament appearance with Creighton. 

The Gauchos are coached by Joe Pasternack, who has really turned this program around. He has won 88 games in his first 4 seasons, the most of any UCSB head coach. This is his first NCAA tournament appearance.

Both Creighton and UCSB are on the older side. They both start 3 seniors and 2 juniors. These players are desperate to keep their seasons (and college careers) alive, which should make for a very entertaining game.

Creighton's plays at a normal pace. They are middle of the pack in the NCAA when it comes to possessions per game. On the other side, the Gauchos are one of the slowest paced teams in the country. While it helps them on defense, offensively they often rely on Big West Player of the Year JaQuori McLaughlin to make tough shots late in the shot clock. 

While they play at different paces, Both teams are excellent at taking care of the basketball. They are both in the top 40 in the country when it comes to turnovers per game, a direct result of experience, smart players, and great coaching. They both need to be ready to take advantage at any point where the other falters.

The strength of the Blue Jays comes at the 3 point line. The Blue Jays have two players (Marcus Zegarowski and Mitchell Ballock) who shoot over 40% from deep and two more (Denzel Mahoney and Damien Jefferson) who can absolutely shoot the rock as well. As a team, they shoot 36.7% from long range, which ranks them just outside of the top 50 in the country. The Blue Jays are near the top 50 in points per game and are top 40 in assists per game as well. They can score in bunches and they can score efficiency. To be frank, this team knows how to create offense. 

On the other side, the Gauchos hang their hat on the defensive end. They rank 20th in the country in points per game allowed and can force turnovers in bunches as well. Coach Pasternack always emphasizes defense, and this team is one of the best there is in that department. While they don't have an elite rim protector (nobody on the team averages even 1 block per game), they do a good job of pressuring ball handlers and forcing teams into tough shots.

The weakness of this Blue Jays team comes on the glass. They give up nearly 11 offensive rebounds per game and gave up 14 against Georgetown. That turned into 17 second chance points for the Hoyas. The Gauchos, on the other hand, are not typically a great offensive rebounding team, but when it mattered most against UC Irvine in the Big West championship they grabbed 9 offensive boards. Expect UCSB to try and crash the glass to create 2nd chance points just like they did against Irvine, or at least force Creighton to gang rebound and slow the pace of the game down.

Creighton also is a poor free throw shooting team. They shoot about 64% and only have 2 players who shoot above 70%. Late in games, this could prove to be crucial. If you can't make free throws, it becomes very difficult to put teams away. While the Gauchos don't send teams to the line often (they're 11th in the country in FTA against), the Blue Jays will have to make the most of their trips to the charity stripe.

The Gauchos biggest weakness is a team with a sturdy, long center. Amadou Sow, the Gauchos starting center, stands at 6 foot 9. While he possesses great strength at 235 pounds, he has struggled on both ends against some of the true 7 foot bigs in the conference due to being a tad undersized. The problem for Creighton is that they just don't have the personnel to take advantage of this weakness. Their tallest player, Ryan Kalkbrenner, is 7 feet tall but weighs the same as Sow and only plays about 14 minutes per game. While Kalkbrenner's length could absolutely give Sow problems, his slender frame could lead to Sow playing bully ball. If Kalkbrenner is not matched up with Sow, he will be going against Robinson Idehen, who is slightly longer than Sow but does not possess the same offensive skills Sow does. Idehen will not be an easy matchup for the Blue Jays either.

The Players

The Blue Jays' top scorer on the season is the previously mentioned Marcus Zegarowski. The brother of Orlando Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams, the first-team all Big East player is a flat out problem on the basketball court. He leads this team in assists as well as points and 3 pointers. He can shoot much better than his brother, both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations. He is also this team's best free throw shooter. It is most likely that UCSB's Devearl Ramsey will be tasked with defending him for the majority of the game. Ramsey will try to give him as little space as possible and take away any open looks from deep.

Along with Zegarowski, the Blue Jays have 4 other scorers who average double digits. Any of Mitchell Ballock, Damien Jefferson, Denzel Mahoney, and Christian Bishop can go off on a given night. It's possible that the Blue Jays will try to play through whoever JaQuori McLaughlin is guarding in order to tire him out for the offensive end.

I've already talked about the Gauchos in this article, so if you want to know more about the players, take a look there. The biggest problem the Blue Jays are going to have defensively (outside of top scorer JaQuori McLaughlin, the Big West Player of the Year who can score efficiently at all 3 levels and is playing lights out right now) is Amadou Sow. The Blue Jays are weak on the inside. I've talked about their offensive rebounding, but they also do not have a true center on the floor most of the time. We saw the Blue Jays really struggle against big men all year long, exemplified by Qudus Wahab of Georgetown getting a double-double in the championship game. However, Christian Bishop is no joke despite being undersized for a starting center. He boasts an elite 94.4 defensive rating and shoots 67% from the field. The question will be whether he can keep up with 6 foot 9 Amadou Sow and 6 foot 10 Miles Norris's superior length on the inside.

The X-Factor for this game is going to be the aforementioned Miles Norris. Norris is 6 foot 10 and starts at power forward for the Gauchos. However, the Blue Jays start 4 guards and Bishop at center. Assuming Sow guards Bishop, who is Norris going to guard? Norris is extremely athletic, but no 6-10 guy outside of Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo can defend guards at a high level. If the Blue Jays can neutralize his size by forcing him to the perimeter, they will be in a much better position to win this game. On the flip side, if the smaller guards can't contain Norris on the offensive glass, the Gauchos will have a strong advantage.

The last thing on the Gauchos: they may be without their third leading scorer and 6th man Ajare Sanni. Sanni rolled his ankle pretty badly in the first half of the Big West Championship game and did not return. Josh Pierre-Louis, an athletic sophomore guard, will surely play a bigger role in this one. Don't be surprised if we get some minutes out of Sekou Toure as well. Toure doesn't provide much offensively, but he is as quick as they come and can play good defense while one of the guards is resting.

How do the Blue Jays win?

Creighton wins by shooting the ball like they have all season and making sure the Gauchos stay off the offensive glass as much as possible. If they can do those 2 things, UCSB is going to have a difficult time keeping up with their offensive firepower. We know the Blue Jays won't make many mistakes, so it's just about execution for the 5 seed to move on to the round of 32. I expect the Blue Jays to try come out of the gates strong and aggressive to try to put the poor performance in the Big East Championship out of their heads. If they get down early, it could be bad for their confidence. 

How do the Gauchos win?

UCSB wins the same way they beat UC Irvine: be more physical and go after every loose ball. This is going to be the first time the Gauchos will be at a possible talent disadvantage this season. They're not going to beat the Blue Jays in a 3 point shooting track meet. They have to do the dirty work and take advantage of every mistake Creighton makes in order to win this game. Against Irvine, they scored 13 second chance points on 9 offensive rebounds and had 18 points off of 10 Anteater turnovers. The Gauchos will need more of the same if they want to pull off the upset on Saturday.

If I were to bet on this game, I would take UCSB +7. Even if the Gauchos do lose this game, their pace of play and the potential for offensive rebounds and second chance points almost ensures that it will be close.

Who do you have winning this one? Have any other sleepers in the tournament? Comment below or tweet me @brettauman.

Who are the Gauchos? UCSB March Madness Primer

By Brett Goldman

For the first time in a decade, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos are headed to the NCAA Tournament. One of the hottest teams in college basketball is probably going to land around a 13 seed in the big dance after a 79-63 win over UC Irvine in the Big West championship. I'll provide you everything you need to know about the Gauchos before you make your bracket.

1: What is a Gaucho?

A Gaucho is a South American cowboy. How did a South American cowboy became the mascot of a California school? Your guess is as good as mine.

2: How did the Gauchos get here?

The Big West schedule was a little different than most conferences this season. Each weekend, two teams would play back-to-back games. That means that if you played a team in December, you would not see them again unless you were playing them in the conference tournament.

UCSB started out the season losing twice to UC Irvine, the defending champions and powerhouse of the Big West Conference. They then went on a rampage through the rest of the conference, winning their next 13 games (a school record) before dropping one at UC Riverside. They haven't lost a game since, beating Cal Poly in the final 2 games of the regular season and beating Long Beach State, UC Davis, and UC Irvine in the Big West Tournament.

3: Who are the Gauchos?

The Gauchos are a small conference team with big conference talent. They are led by Big West Player of the Year JaQuori McLaughlin, a senior who transferred from Oregon State after a couple seasons with the (PAC-12 champion) Beavers. Alongside him in the starting lineup are Nevada transfer Devearl Ramsey, Oregon transfer Miles Norris, and DePaul transfer Brandon Cyrus. Amadou Sow, the Gauchos second-best player, is the only starter who has not played at another school. Other key players for the Gauchos are Josh Pierre-Louis, an athletic sophomore guard transfer from Temple, Robinson Idehen, a senior who plays the backup 5 role, Destin Barnes, a solid defender and transfer from Jacksonville, and Ajare Sanni, a sophomore guard and 6th man who suffered an ankle injury in the championship game. 

JaQuori McLaughlin is the best player in the Big West Conference. You just can't say enough about this guy. He can score at all 3 levels efficiently and plays aggressive defense. The senior had 22 points on 4/7 from 3 point range in 39 minutes in the championship game. When the Gauchos need a big shot, McLaughlin is their go-to guy. He can also be a facilitator, as he averages about 5 assists per game.

Devearl Ramsey is the other guard in the starting lineup for the Gauchos. Ramsey is a floor general who can hit big shots when he needs to. Not only is he one of the best in the country when it comes to assist/turnover ratio, he leads this team in steals as a great on-ball defender. Another senior, Ramsey is one of the best rebounders for any player I've at his size. It might not always show on the stat sheet, but he has an impact on the outcome of every single play.

Miles Norris is one of a few new additions to this UCSB team this season. Norris initially played at Oregon, before transferring to the City College of San Francisco. This season, he has held down the starting 4 position for the Gauchos and has been an elite rim protector and stretch big. Norris is versatile defensively because of his length and athleticism, and he is hitting 38% of his 3 pointers. He may not show it every night, but he can absolutely score the basketball. The junior had 27 points earlier this season against Cal State Bakersfield and poured in 19 against UCI in the championship game.

Amadou Sow is the Gauchos second option offensively. While he may be a tad undersized (6 foot 9 for a center), he makes up for his lack of length in athleticism, physicality, and toughness. Over the last 3 games, he is averaging almost 20 points and 10 rebounds. Defensively, he guards well with his strength and toughness. He has done a great job this season of playing defense without fouling. However, the last few years he has struggled against bigger, longer centers who can counter Sow's physicality with length on both ends of the floor. When Sow comes off the floor, Robinson Idehen replaces him. Idehen has a similar build to Sow. His strength and length are his biggest assets on the court, and he can absolutely hold his own against the best of them. While Sow has a much more versatile offensive repertoire, teams do not get much of a break when he goes to the bench.

Josh Pierre-Louis has been a spark plug for UCSB all season long. One of the most athletic players on this team (It's probably between him, Cyrus, and Norris), Pierre-Louis has been elite on both ends for the Gauchos in the Big West tournament. After averaging around 6 points per game in the regular season, Pierre-Louis exploded for 24 points in the quarterfinal game against Long Beach State. While he's not much of a 3 point shooter, expect him to put pressure on the rim and push the pace with 6th man Ajare Sanni potentially out.

4: So, can the Gauchos pull off a first round upset?

If they play the way they did tonight against UC Irvine, they are going to be a tough out in the tournament. They fought for every loose ball and won almost every 50/50 ball tonight. Defensively, they have a defender for every type of matchup. Quick point guard? Ramsey and Pierre-Louis are on the job. Elite scoring wing?. McLaughlin, Cyrus, and Barnes will slow them down. Great 4-man? Good luck getting easy looks against Miles Norris with his length. Post scorer? Amadou Sow and Robinson Idehen are not afraid to wrestle down low. Their confidence is at an all-time high, and something tells me they might not be done yet.

Expect the Gauchos to make some noise over in Indianapolis.

All-Star Weekend Questions: Atlantic Division

By Brett Goldman

Here we are. The last part of a six-part series where I've been asking one question for every NBA team. Check out my other articles here if you haven't already.

Toronto Raptors: What do we do with Kyle Lowry?

The Raptors started out the season 5-9 and looked lost after losing their 2 best centers Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka. They have since gotten better, as they're just 2 games under .500. The problem: this team isn't good enough to win a championship this year. The solution is unclear. Do you trade Kyle Lowry for good to get assets to start to retool and rebuild? Do you trade him and have him come back next year? Do you try to get Andre Drummond? I have no idea what Masai Ujiri and the Raptors front office are planning. While I don't think this team can win a championship as currently constructed because of their lack of inside presence (Chris Boucher is great, but he's just too skinny to keep up with Giannis and Embiid), they can really make things interesting for a high seeded opponent in the playoffs. Fred VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Normal Powell can all explode any given night and Nick Nurse is one of the best defensive coaches in the league.

New York Knicks: What's the procedure?

The New York Knicks do not suck. Let that sink in for a second. They are the 5 seed in the East, are above .500, and have an all-star caliber player in Julius Randle. The best part: they haven't sold their future for this short-term success. The Knicks future hasn't seemed this bright in a while. Their contributors are young. Randle is just 26. Immanuel Quickley is a promising young point guard and is just 21. Perhaps their most promising player is RJ Barrett, and he's only 20. They're not in contract hell and they have a decent amount of draft capital. They have a competent head coach and a seemingly competent GM for the first time in a while. The goal for the Knicks is to not mess anything up.

Boston Celtics: What do we do with Hayward trade exception?

Bear with me, this is going to be a long one. If you told me before the season that the Celtics would be just a half game up on the Knicks at an all-star break, I would have assumed Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown got seriously injured. Now, that hasn't happened, but Tatum did miss 2 weeks with COVID and Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker have both missed a considerable amount of time. With that being said, being 19-17 is a disappointment for this team. Yes, they're the 4 seed. But they have to be better than that. However, their biggest problem is not injuries or COVID. It's not even Jayson Tatum's questionable shot selection or Kemba Walker's regression. Their problems stem to a move they didn't make in the preseason.

According to multiple sources, the Celtics were offered Myles Turner and Doug McDermott from the Pacers in exchange for Gordon Hayward in a sign-and-trade. The Celtics countered, asking for Myles Turner and one of Victor Oladipo or TJ "MJ" Warren. The Pacers, not being complete idiots, declined. Instead, the Celtics completed a sign-and-trade with the Hornets for a $28.5 million trade exception. This season, Myles Turner is leading the league in blocks and is in heavy consideration for defensive player of the year. The trade exception is averaging 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists per game. If this team had Myles Turner playing 30 minutes per game instead of Tristan Thompson and Daniel Theis, there's no question they would be in a better spot than they are. Not to mention Doug McDermott could be contributing in some way. If the Celtics can get healthy and do something with that trade exception, they can be dangerous in the playoffs.

Brooklyn Nets: Can we play any defense?

The Brooklyn Nets have a bottom 5 defensive rating. They do have the number 1 offensive rating and number 7 net rating, but their poor defense cannot be ignored. Kyrie Irving and James Harden are not known for their defense, DeAndre Jordan is washed, and Kevin Durant is still a question mark due to his injuries. Lately, they have been better on that end, but a lot of that has come with elite defender Bruce Brown playing heavy minutes due to a variety of minor injuries to Durant and Irving. They recently acquired Blake Griffin, who nobody has watched over the last couple seasons. He has not dunked at all this season and he is not a great defender. Over the last decade, only 1 team has made the conference finals with a bottom 5 defensive rating: the 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron's last season in Cleveland. Of course, it was well-documented that LeBron wasn't playing much defense at that time of his career. The rest of the team was a bunch of shooters (Korver, Clarkson, Love) and not a lot of defenders. The Eastern Conference is slightly better now than it was back then. While they won't need a great defense to beat most teams, I think that the Bucks, Heat and 76ers are good enough offensively and defensively to give the Nets trouble in a 7 game series.

Philadelphia 76ers: Can we stay healthy?

The last time Philadelphia had a healthy team for a full season, they were 1 Kawhi Leonard miracle shot away from going to overtime to have a shot at going to the Eastern Conference Finals. Last season, Ben Simmons got injured before the playoffs and Al Horford had one of the worst contracts in the NBA. Simmons and Embiid are both about as healthy as they can be right now, and they have managed to acquire Danny Green, a streaky shooter and smart defender with a ton of playoff experience, and Seth Curry, an elite 3 point sniper. Combine those 4 players with Tobias Harris and you have what could be one of the best starting 5s in the league. Joel Embiid should be a monster in the playoffs. The three biggest threats to the Sixers, who are in the top spot in the Eastern Conference, are the Bucks, Heat, and Nets. The Bucks do not have a center good enough to stop Joel Embiid. Brook Lopez is too slow and Giannis Antetokounmpo is not going to want to guard Embiid for 7 games. The Heat do have Bam Adebayo, but they will struggle to matchup with Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris. The Nets have absolutely nobody to keep up with Joel Embiid. If Embiid can stay healthy and keep up his MVP level performance into the playoffs, expect the 76ers to give the East a show.

That'll do it for the All-Star Weekend Questions series! Be sure to be on the lookout for more sports content on this site and on my Twitter. 

All-Star Weekend Questions: Southeast Division

By Brett Goldman

All-star weekend has passed by, and the break was much needed. Unfortunately, the lack of fans at the event combined with a lot of injuries and a poor dunk contest really made this one of the least entertaining all-star weekends we've had. Nevertheless, the second half of the season is upon us. Every team has one question they have to answer, and I'm here to ask them, continuing with the Southeast Division. If you haven't seen any of my other articles, check them out here.

Orlando Magic: Who do we like in the draft?

The Magic have been in NBA purgatory for the last few years. Not good enough to make a playoff run, but not bad enough to be one of the worst teams in the league. This year, the tides have turned. Almost every good player on this team besides all-star Nikola Vucevic has gotten injured and this team is spiraling down towards the top of the draft lottery. Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Aaron Gordon, Chuma Okeke, and Michael Carter-Williams have all missed a significant amount of time and a most of them have a lot of recovery still to do. The Magic are in a position to add a very talented player who may be able to put them into the playoff conversation. In all likelihood, they will have a top 5 or so pick. Hopefully they don't mess it up like they did with Mo Bamba and Mario Hezonja.

Washington Wizards: Are we back?

After trading for Russell Westbrook, the Wizards were a dark horse team to make the playoffs. However, Thomas Bryant's injury and a 6-17 start have lowered their expectations. They still have the leading scorer in the league in Bradley Beal. While Westbrook is not who he once was, he still brings intensity every night. Between those two and decent role players such as Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertans, this team can definitely make the playoffs in the weaker East. The Wizards won 8 of 11 to go into the all-star break, so the question will be if they can keep that momentum going in the second half.

Atlanta Hawks: Why are we so bad?

The Hawks are another team who had high expectations going into the season. While they have suffered a lot of injuries to start the season, they are much lower in the standings than the public thought they would be. At 11th in the East, they decided to fire their Head Coach Lloyd Pierce. Nate McMillan will take over, and he will have to right the ship of a team who has plenty of talent. Trae Young is an elite scorer and passer, Clint Capela is a great rebounder, and there are plenty of talented role players such as Danilo Gallinari, John Collins, and Cam Reddish to surround them with. It doesn't look like De'Andre Hunter is coming back any time soon, but Bogdan Bogdanovic has returned and with him back, the Hawks will need to figure out how to make their way to the playoffs.

Charlotte Hornets: How do we maximize LaMelo Ball's prime?

The Charlotte Hornets, with assistance from the Timberwolves and Warriors, lucked into the best player in the 2020 NBA Draft with the 3rd overall pick. LaMelo Ball has been the clear-cut rookie of the year, averaging about 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals per game since he became a starter. He isn't inefficient either, as his true shooting percentage is at almost 60% over that stretch. The problem for the Hornets is that they don't really have a whole lot of talent to grow with LaMelo. Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier are good players having great seasons, but by the time LaMelo becomes ready to win, they will be past their primes. Miles Bridges and Malik Monk are decent, and I think PJ Washington has a lot of potential, especially as a small-ball 5. This team is certainly good enough for the play-in game, but their focus should be on surrounding their franchise player with as much young talent as possible over the next couple years.

Miami Heat: We're good, right?

The Miami Heat are fine. They have dealt with a ton of injuries, COVID absences, and a short offseason, yet they're 6th in the East and are just 1.5 games out of the 4 seed. They might not be where they want to be right now, but when Jimmy Butler plays, they're 14-8. That winning percentage would put them in 3rd in the East right now. The Heat's main focus should be getting everyone back healthy and maybe trading for another good player if one becomes available in the next couple weeks.

That's it for the penultimate article in this series. Be sure to check out the rest of the divisions!

All-Star Weekend Questions: Central Division

By Brett Goldman

It's almost that time again! Tomorrow night, we'll watch the NBA's best in the 3 point contest, skills challenge, and all-star game. We will also watch NBA players in the dunk contest, though I would not call the lineup for that event the "NBA's best". Anyways, this is the Central Division edition of a series I've been doing about one question every NBA team is asking at the all star break.

Detroit Pistons: When's the draft lottery?

The Pistons are in the middle of one of the longest rebuilds in the NBA. It was just 2 years ago when they made the playoffs before getting dusted by the Bucks. But it's been over a decade since Detroit basketball has had a real championship contender. The Blake Griffin experiment failed, as he was bought out by the team. Andre Drummond was traded for basically nothing. It's a sad time to be a Detroit basketball fan (or a Detroit sports fan in general), and the future is not looking to great either. Pistons fans must pray to the basketball gods that they can land the number one pick in this year's lottery. The #FadeForCade force is strong with this team. In the meantime, enjoy this photoshopped image of Cade Cunningham in a Pistons uniform.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Are we good or not?

The Cavs were one of the hottest teams in the league. Led by "Sexland", the 1-2 combo of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, they started out 8-7 after beating the Brooklyn Nets twice in a row. They had one of the best defenses in the league at the time as well. With the acquisition of Jarrett Allen, things were looking like Cleveland might not suck! That didn't last long. Shortly after that, they went on a 10 game losing streak and are now have of the league's worst defenses. A lot of that probably has to do with Larry Nance Jr being injured, as he was one of their best defenders. On the bright side, they have won 4 of their last 5 games. Now that Andre Drummond is being told to sit out games for whatever reason, it is clear that this team is not serious about winning now. While they have the talent to make a push for the play-in in the weak Eastern Conference, this team is destined for the lottery once again.

Indiana Pacers: How are we below .500?

I was shocked when I saw the Pacers were 16-19. I thought they were playing much better than this. Domantas Sabonis is an all-star, Malcolm Brogdon is a very good point guard, and Myles Turner is an elite shot blocker. Their problem has been injuries. They traded away Victor Oladipo, a good starter, for Caris LeVert, who is yet to play due to a mass found in his kidney. TJ "MJ" Warren, one of the darlings of the bubble, is dealing with a foot injury and has barely played this season. Jeremy Lamb also missed part of the season with injury. Even Myles Turner dealt with (and may still be dealing with) a hand injury. If this team can get somewhat healthy, the Pacers will make things difficult on whoever they face in the first round.

Chicago Bulls: How good is our core?

The Chicago Bulls don't completely suck this year. Shocking, I know. They're 16-18 and are 9th in the East. Led by first time all-star Zach LaVine, the young Bulls are playing well. They've won 6 of their last 9 and have a nice young core. The question is, who is going to be in that young core going forward? The Bulls have to make a decision on Lauri Markkanen, a talented forward who is often injured. Do they pay him or let him walk? My guess is that he won't be playing for Chicago next season due to the rise of rookie Patrick Williams. Coby White and Wendell Carter Jr are improving, but not to the level some thought they would. They are both very young and have plenty of time, and the new coaching staff led by Billy Donovan should definitely help their development more than Jim Boylen. Expect the Bulls to hang around the 10 seed area and maybe be in the play-in tournament. They have the talent, it's about the experience for now.

Milwaukee Bucks: Can we do it in the playoffs?

As always, the Bucks are near the top of the Eastern Conference. Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up MVP-type numbers, but he's not getting nearly the buzz he has gotten in previous years. Why? Because everyone is tired of him and his team not stepping up in the playoffs. We know this team can win a lot of regular season games. Can they win in the playoffs is the question. Newly acquired guard Jrue Holiday should certainly help in that regard. Ultimately, nobody will bat an eye at anything the Bucks do until they show us something in the playoffs. If they don't make it far enough, it doesn't look like Coach Mike Budenholzer will be there much longer.

That's it for my Central Division Questions. Be sure to stay on the lookout for more articles to come, and have a good time watching the best the NBA has to offer in the Slam Dunk Contest tomorrow!