Hot-Take Hotep: A Sports Blog pt. 1

You may already know this from listening to the show, but I just want to say plainly that I love sports.  Sports usually involve drama that never gets old, and from season to season there are a ton of different storylines to follow at any given time regardless of what sport you choose to pay attention to.  Even in golf, the whitest sport of all time, there’s an interesting narrative to be told.  With that being said, I’m proud to provide hot-takes and some semi-responsible commentary on sports.  Let’s get to it!

The NBA Playoffs

Unlike the 2015, 2016, and 2017 playoffs, there appears to be a little more parity in the 2018 playoffs.  Now I believe that we’re headed for a Houston Rockets (if Curry doesn’t return in time from injury) and Cleveland Cavaliers (more on that in just a bit) NBA Finals, but let’s break down some noteworthy bits that have occurred in the first round so far.

A Singin’ Wakandan vs. The Kang

The Cavs are coming off a Game 1 loss to the Pacers who bodied them behind the leadership of an R&B singer who also happens to be a citizen of Wakanda.  Victor Oladipo dropped 32 pts on 11/19 FG’s and looked like he was Infinity War-ready.  I’m sure the Cavs are going to bounce back in Game 2, but let’s really take a look at their 2017-18 campaign as a whole.

The Cavs started the season off on a down note when they traded Kyrie Irving to Boston for a damaged Isaiah Thomas.  Then they traded everyone they got in that trade and did what essentially was a mid-season reboot and decided to press forward.  Before the season began (and the Kyrie trade) I said that the Cavs weren’t going back to the Finals this year.  It just seemed like the organization was set to implode with the realization that going against the Golden State Legion of Doom was an exercise in futility.  The ONLY reason I’m picking them now is because of Kyrie’s injury.  Boston was set to usurp the Cavs during the playoffs, but it doesn’t look like that’s set to happen.

Could you imagine the jokes that Bron haters would have if he gets eliminated in the first round?!

Dwayne Wade goes back to 2006

I’ve been saying for years that Wade’s best years are behind him and what happened during Game 2 of the Heat/76ers series did nothing to change that stance.  That was a life model decoy, not The Flash.  (Yes I know those references are from two different comic book companies… Suck it…) The Heat have a lot of great pieces in place and all they really need is a true superstar to give them a fair shot against most of the East.  Dwayne Wade is no longer that man.  Sixers in 5. 

It was fun seeing 2006 again, though.

Boston ain’t going…

The Boston Celtics have pulled off a miracle and find themselves up 2-0 on the Bucks without their two best players, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.  Only it’s not a miracle if you think about the fact that Brad “IT Helpdesk Support Rep” Stevens is their coach.  This was the team that I figured would be going to the Finals and fulfilling my great “Fall of the King” prophecy, with part of that prediction rested on the shoulders of Stevens.  The man knows X’s and O’s and commands more than superstar power in order to be defeated.  Too bad we couldn’t see his squad at full strength.

And seriously… he looks like he’d troubleshoot the s*** out of your failing computer.
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J2

J2 once eliminated the Cleveland Brows from playoff contention.