Life's Too Sports

Since their bitter defeat in Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the most highly scrutinized franchises in the NBA. The organization has undergone many changes over the course of the past few years, both in on-the-court personnel, as well as at the helm. After failing to agree on a contract extension in the 2012 off-season, James Harden, NBA Sixth Man of the Year, was shipped to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a plethora of young talent. While the trade quickly thrust Harden firmly into the spotlight, and he has since become a foundational piece in the southeast region of Texas, it left the Oklahoma City franchise with many unanswered questions. Following second and third-round exits in the 2013 and 2014 postseasons respectively, the Thunder missed the playoffs entirely in 2015 for the first time in six seasons. As injuries and frustrations continued to mount, it was 2009-2010 Head Coach of the Year, Scott Brooks...

As the calendar year of 2015 draws nearer to its conclusion, it seems only fitting for one to begin constructing analysis based upon the status of the 2015-2016 NBA Regular Season thus far. U nsurprisingly, the Golden State Warriors are once again leading the way for the National Basketball Association, breaking seemingly insurmountable records in pursuit of repeating as World Champions. The Warriors currently hold a win-loss record of 26-1, and are on pace to finish the season with roughly 78 victories.  Their remarkable journey will continue tomorrow evening as they host the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs (24-5) continue to flash their athletic prowess.  Led by legends such as Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, and featuring high-end youngsters like Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs pose an enormous threat to the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors. These two Western Conference powerhouses will first collide on January 25th at Oracle Arena. In t...

It's official: the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors are back... and better than ever. Kicking off the 2015-2016 regular season with five consecutive victories against playoff-caliber opponents, Golden State seems prime to prove that last season's historic title run was no fluke. Led by reigning MVP Stephen Curry, the Warriors opened their new season with FOUR straight double-digit wins, including two smackdowns of Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans, and an inconceivable 50-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. And last evening's thrilling contest against the Los Angeles Clippers saw a resilient Warriors' squad emerge victoriously once more. Already plagued by the ongoing health concerns of center Andrew Bogut and head coach Steve Kerr, Golden State refuses to make any excuses. Rather, Luke Walton leads his team into battle each night with a successful game plan, and regardless of circumstance, the Warriors always seem to pull out "...

In completing their desired roster for the 2015-2016 regular season, the Golden State Warriors were forced to make one final personnel swap. On July 31, the Warriors traded SF Gerald Wallace, cash, and draft considerations to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for PF Jason Thompson. This was an outstanding move for Golden State, as they have essentially traded David Lee in an effort to land Jason Thompson (a younger, cheaper, and arguably more talented player). And while Thompson spent 7 seasons donning a purple jersey in Sacramento, his adjustment to "The Bay's Team" should be rather seamless. "A lot of instability with seven coaches in seven years, 180 teammates and things like that. That doesn't ever lead to winning," Thompson said. "To come to an organization that has [won] and is coming off a championship, that's great for myself." Although Thompson grew up in Philadelphia, being traded from a team that won 18 games last se...

Oftentimes, when a professional sports franchise finally captures a championship, their ensuing off-season features a great amount of free agent shuffling. However, this is certainly not the case for the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, as they plan on entering the 2015-2016 regular season with a roster that is nearly identical to the one that lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy this past June (aside from a short list of unavoidable exceptions). The few notable roster changes include names such as Kevon Looney, Justin Holiday, Gerald Wallace, and David Lee. As addressed in a previous blog, with the 30th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Warriors selected PF Kevon Looney, who will seemingly be a quite valuable asset to their franchise moving forward. In a deal featuring slightly less media coverage, SG Justin Holiday has signed a 2-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks. Although Golden State will miss Holiday greatly, it was clearly time for him to pursue an expa...

With the 2015 NBA Championship clinched, the Golden State Warriors were forced to quickly alter their focus onto the 2015 NBA Draft, where they held the 30th overall pick. And although there was serious speculation that the Warriors would attempt to move the pick in an effort to trade David Lee, no significant moves were made. Instead, with the 30th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected PF Kevon Looney, from the UCLA Bruins. While this pick was definitely scrutinized by many experts, the Warriors seem to believe that they have acquired a player of immense skill - a player that will go down in NBA history as an unbelievable "steal". The 6'9, 220 pound forward averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his freshman season at UCLA, finishing with 15 double-doubles before declaring for the 2015 NBA Draft. And while his injuries may keep him sidelined for an extensive portion of his rookie season in the NBA, he should prove himself as...

After 40 stressful years of failure and disappointment, the Golden State Warriors have renewed their status as NBA Champions. And while this should be a perfect opportunity for Golden State to celebrate, head coach Steve Kerr is taking this time to exhale and process what his team has finally accomplished. "I can't tell you how many things are going through my mind because we've spent so much of our time competing," Kerr said. "But the one thing I'd forgotten was the grind. It has been 12 years since I'd last been here with San Antonio, and it's a long, grueling two months." While Kerr takes a breather in an effort to allow his team to savor the victory, however, the unselfish leaders of the 2014-2015 NBA Champions continue throwing compliments at one specific individual, NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala. "I always said Andre's a pro's pro," said Warriors forward Draymond Green. "He's a professional guy and it sho...