Upsyde Blog

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: MOCK DRAFT 3.0 WITH TRADES: Now that we have the official draft order and we are starting to see the rumor mill pop up, I had a little too much fun with the trade machine and updated my draft in a way that is viable.  1. DETROIT PISTONS - Cade Cunningham - Despite the baiting to try to get an elite player for the #1 overall pick, there would have to be too much roster jiu jitsu to get the type of franchise altering player they are looking for. Killian Hayes is starting to look more like a project, so they likely still give him sufficient minutes, but ultimately start building the team around Cade. Both #1 overall picks that the Pistons have selected were multiple All-Stars, so Cunningham has some big shoes to fill. --- TRADE --- 2. ORLANDO MAGIC RECEIVE: #2 OVERALL PICK (Jalen Green) HOUSTON ROCKETS RECEIVE: #5 OVERALL PICK, #8 OVERALL PICK - The Rockets consolidate talent due to the long list of point guards in this draft. Orlando trades up to get Jalen Gre...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: KENTUCKY GUARDS AND WHY MAVS NEED MALIK MONK: I've always been a fan of Kentucky guards. They have a strong track record and some of the best guards in the league were part of the Wildcats system. Just going down the list, here's a quick analysis of the last 6 years of Kentucky guards. 2020: Immanuel Quickley, Tyrese Maxey - Quickley averaged 11.4 PPG, 1.8 3PG, and shot 39% from beyond the arc. He only started 3 games, but they had a logjam at the position and were in a playoff battle. Maxey averaged 8.0 PPG, was efficient at 46% from the field and 87% from the line. With Simmons imploding in the playoffs, he could be in a position for a major role next season if Simmons is moved. 2019: Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson - Herro has developed incredibly quickly and was crucial his rookie year in the Heat's playoff run. He'll at some point be the starting guard at either the 1 or 2. Keldon Johnson had a big jump in his second season, averaging 12.8 PPG, ...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: POSSIBLE TRADE DESTINATIONS FOR BEN SIMMONS: For those that missed it, Ben Simmons has been atrocious during this most recent playoff series. A young Hawks team overpowered the 76ers and completely took Simmons out of the game. Simmons has the potential to be one of the best young superstars in the game, if he can get out of his own way. The "Trust the Process" Sixers probably need to shake things up, and he's their most moveable contract. While many gawked at Tobias Harris' contract, many completely overlooked how much they are paying Ben Simmons. Simmons exited this Game 7 with the lowest free throw percentage in NBA History - not one of the records he wanted. He will now watch other fellow young players like Trae Young, Devin Booker, and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their team to Conference Finals. Embiid is probably losing patience, so for the sake of the franchise, it might be best for these two parties to part ways. But who would want him a...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: BREAKING DOWN THE KEMBA TRADE: OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER RECEIVES: KEMBA WALKER, 2021 1ST ROUND (#16), 2025 2ND ROUND BOSTON RECEIVES: AL HORFORD, MOSES BROWN, 2023 2ND ROUND My overreaction trade grades might have been extreme. On the surface, this looks like a clear fleece job by the Oklahoma City. Sam Presti seems to be playing 4D Chess and is essentially playing NBA 2K in real life. That being said, the trade makes sense for both parties for a lot of reasons. My clear dislike of the trade is rooted in thinking that Kemba Walker's value should have been a lot higher. OKLAHOMA CITY - This was a no-brainer yes for the Thunder. They receive a veteran presence that they can hopefully groom into a Chris Paul type flip. Just to rehash - they traded Chris Paul to get Kelly Oubre (flipped for a protected 1st and 2nd from Golden State), Ricky Rubio (flipped for Aleksej Pokuševski and a future 2nd from Minnesota), Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque (flipped for a future 2nd from ...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: FREE AGENT POWER RANKINGS: DALLAS MAVERICKS EDITION: Like many of my articles and lists, I like to try to give context and explain my methodology. This list is not to diminish or rank the actual talent levels of the players, but more-so, how the Mavericks organization should prioritize these free agents. There are a lot of free agents this summer, well over 100, so once teams run into cap issues, there will be several reasonably priced quality players. Essentially, this is a "big board" for the Mavs. The things considered in this list were fit, contract size, interest in joining the team, culture, etc. This article will be an in depth analysis with a preview of how this player could perform on this team. 1. KAWHI LEONARD - 2020-21 Stats: 24.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 1.9 3PG, 51/40/89 Splits - Kawhi is the crown jewel of free agency. Had Luka not shown Kawhi first hand his improvement over the last two playoff series', he wouldn...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: WAY TOO EARLY OVERREACTION LILLARD TRADES: Personally, I am of the notion that the Lillard talk is a lot of smoke and mirrors. I think it is probably mostly media-driven and that he is probably a lock to stay in Portland and try to run it back. They have a very desirable roster that needs some tweaking. It seems more likely that if they were to break apart that backcourt, it would be in the direction of McCollum packing his bags. That being said, this is always one of my favorite exercises. I've done this song and dance with Beal, I've done it was Porzingis, now it's Lillard on the hypothetical chopping block. There will be a lot of analysts trying to interject heir bias as dream destinations they would want him, but I'll try to suppress my desire to have him in Mavericks uniform. TRADE 1: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS PHILADELPHIA: Damian Lillard PORTLAND: Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Shake Milton There are a lot of whataboutisms with this trade. For one...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: MOST INTERESTING DRAFT PROSPECTS: With the top-4 basically a lock to be Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, and Jalen Green, there should be very little movement. Yes, there could be a surprise like when Chicago went with Patrick Williams this past year. Yes, there could be anomalous draft orders that disrupt mock drafts. Yes, there could be trades. That being said, I'm looking at this first round and beyond and seeing a lot of interesting players that could drastically outperform their draft position throughout their career and probably all depends on their situation. ALPEREN SENGUN - Probably the most interesting player in this draft for several reasons. For one, he's one of the few centers in this draft. Outside of Evan Mobley, Kai Jones, and Isaiah Jackson, there is not a plethora of bigs. While, this does make sense overall, as the league has transitioned into a position-less style of ball, all of the top teams in the league have a dominant g...