The Sniper Case Analysis Essay

Season Summary: The Timberwolves had a horrible year in terms of actually winning games but it was expected. This team is still very young but the upside and potential were seen on several occasions. Zach Lavine showed off his crazy athleticism and at the age of 20 his game could evolve. Andrew Wiggins looked as solid as any number one overall pick could look, and won Rookie of the Year, this will be the first of many awards for him as he continues to mature and grow. Despite these two up and comers the Timberwolves faced injuries throughout the season to guys such as, Kevin Martin, Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic. Now having these players healthy wouldn’t by any means

This season, LaVine has answered that question in a huge way as he is developing into a polished scoring threat for the Timberwolves, giving them another scoring option outside of Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns. This season, LaVine has upped his statistics across the board from last season. He is averaging 20.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 37.9 minutes per game. Along with his scoring going up, LaVine is shooting a career-best 47 percent from the field and shooting a respectable 38.6 percent from three-point range.

For the sixth straight year, the Clippers -- with Chris Paul, Blake Griffin (albeit not present after yet another weird injury), and DeAndre Jordan -- have been bounced before the West Finals. For the third time in five years and the second straight year under head coach and President of Basketball Operations Doc Rivers, the Clippers have been bounced in the first round.

The (0-3) Los Angeles Lakers are back in downtown Los Angeles, at the Staples Center, to battle the (1-2) Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are facing the unenviable task of changing the narrative and after three straight losses, attempting to remove the stench that is emanating from their defense.

About a month ago, the Portland Trail Blazers had one of the best starting lineups in the league. They were young and rising and a perennial playoff team. Fast forward a month and the Trail Blazers are without four of their five starting players. Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, and LaMarcus Aldridge are no longer with the team.

His reported beef with head coach George Karl was put on blast throughout social media, but that died down when the Kings began to act cohesively; showing up at summer league games together and most recently, joining their teammate Omri Casspi on a trip to his native Israel.

By 1986, the Lakers were still undefeated against the Clippers. Magic Johnson also won his first MVP award. In 1987, the Lakers won the The Finals again, winning their 4 title in franchise history, and their second since the Clippers moved to L.A. In the 1987-88 NBA season the Lakers won another Finals against the Detroit Pistons a.k.a the Bad Boys, going back to back. In 1992, the Clippers had their first winning season since 1978-79 and their first playoff appearance since 1976. The Lakers, on the other hand, struggled with Magic Johnson’s retirement after he tested positive for AIDS. The Clippers ended a 27 game losing streak in the Forum, and finished with a better record than the Lakers that season.

The article written by Bruce Jenkins starts off by saying that the regular season of the Warriors was a “bumbling mess”. This article was written to be read generally by the people of San Francisco and Warriors fans. The Warriors went from a historic 73-9 record in the 2016 season, to a 67-15 record in the 2017 season, and a recent 58-24 record in the 2018 season. At the beginning of the article, Bruce talks about factors that have led to the teams bumpy season like not having a reliable center. He says that the team has reached a point to where the team’s centers are not feared by any postseason opponent. Towards the end of the article, Bruce talks about the future of the team and things to consider. He talks about possible matchups and how the team isn’t ready defensively to play, even if Stephen Curry is on the court. With the article discussing the Warriors’ downward spiral, the article uses the devices of ethos, logos, and pathos.

Allen is the heart and soul of the Grizzlies defense, without him I think they’ll be ok, but with Allen not being able to contribute due to his injury it really hinders the Grizzlies. He just isn't their defensive captain so to speak, but he’s the heart of the team.

He is only averaging 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, but the energy he gives the Sixers cannot be determined by numbers. Saric and Embiid are having great rookie seasons that are making players like TJ McConnell and Robert Covington play better.

Another year, another early playoff exit by point guard Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers. This is what people expect from the Clippers now and they always seem to deliver. It is crazy that Chris Paul has never made it to the Conference Finals in his career. At age 32, he has to make the choice whether to give it another go with the Clippers or try his luck elsewhere.

There is only one way to adequately describe former NBA star Lamar Odom's month: roller coaster. Since his October 13 collapse at the Love Ranch, a Nevada brothel, Odom's life has been a series of gains and set backs. For fans who have followed Lamar Odom through his time with the Los Angeles Clippers to his stint as a reality television star, it can be difficult to keep of with the avalanche of rumors that emerged after Odom's hospitalization. So exactly where does Lamar Odom's health and future stand?

The contest with Milwaukee was Thompson’s 300th consecutive game played as a Cavalier, which is also the second-longest active streak in the NBA, behind only DeAndre Jordan (332) of the Los Angeles Clippers. Thompson became just the fourth player in Cavs history to play in 300 straight games, joining Jim Chones (361), Austin Carr (351) and Danny Ferry (301). The Cavs power forward finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Milwaukee, his second double-double of the season.

The San Antonio Spurs, notorious for their identity and under the radar transactions, have strung together an offseason that has quietly revitalized the gaping holes in their roster. San Antonio was successful in snagging 2-time NBA champion Pau Gasol in free agency, more than making up for the impending retirement of future hall of famer Tim Duncan. Gasol, unsuccessful in making the playoffs this past season, tested the free agent market, looking to take his talents to a contender that could best assist him in chasing one more ring in this final window of his career.

It still feels like the dust is settling from a venturesome off-season for the Indiana Pacers. Rebuilding is never an easy task, especially when you’re basically forced to and have to trade your best player who isn’t exactly content. You add in the factor that anyone who traded for Paul George, knew it’s basically a one-year rental. For that reason, Indiana didn’t receive what many people perceive as equal value in the trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for Paul George. The Pacers received forward Domantas Sabonis and guard Victor Oladipo in the trade. Not an ideal package for George, but nonetheless helps the rebuilding process with the addition of two young up-and-coming players.