Sak Sports Blog

In a shocking, blockbuster trade, the Los Angeles Clippers have shipped star forward Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, a 1st-round draft pick, and a 2nd-round draft pick. The move comes just hours after the story broke that the Pistons had made Bradley available for trade. I wrote an entire article on Bradley's potential landing spots, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, only for this trade with the Clippers to be announced as I was seconds away from hitting publish. My predictions, and the general consensus around the league, was Bradley would be shipped to a playoff contender in need of his elite defense and solid three-point shooting.  The Clippers aren't out of playoff contention, sitting 9th in the West at 25-24, so technically they fit the bill. But I was expecting a team near the top of the playoff race to acquire Bradley, not one currently on the outside loo

The Detroit Pistons surged out of the gate this season, sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference at an impressive 14-6. But point guard Reggie Jackson was lost for the season, and the wheels started to fall off.  An 8-20 stretch, and a current eight-game losing streak, has plunged the Pistons to 9th in the East. While there's still months to play, the team has lost realistic hope of making the playoffs and is trending towards the bottom of the conference. With hope dwindling, Detroit will reportedly shop guard Avery Bradley ahead of the February trade deadline. Bradley was acquired from the Boston Celtics last summer, but will be a free agent in the summer of 2018. The Pistons are looking to move, to avoid having him walk for nothing in July. Contenders would be wise to look at adding Bradley for a playoff run. While the guard's production offensively isn't as good as it was the previous two seasons, his defense is still elite and he can knock down an open thr

After dropping 10 of their last 13 games, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue knew he needed to do something different to change Cleveland's fortunes. Specifically, the defense has been atrocious, like when they gave up 148 points to the Oklahoma City Thunder last week. Coach Lue teased a lineup change after the Cavaliers loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. With Dwyane Wade, Tristan Thompson, and even Kyle Korver on the bench, he had a few options of how to go about it. But with defense being a priority, it immediately makes the most sense to start an actual center at the center position. This isn't a slight to Kevin Love, he's been great, but he's more naturally a power forward. It makes sense to put Love at center against undersized teams or those that rely more on shooting than offense in the paint. But over the course of a long season, Tristan Thompson is a better option than Love at center. Moving Thompson into the starti

Nearly every game of the 2018 NFL Playoffs has been close, and many have featured epic finishes. Hopefully this streak continues into championship weekend, as the final four teams square off for a chance to play in Super Bowl LII. Will the Minnesota Vikings become the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium? Or will the Philadelphia Eagles prove the doubters wrong once again behind Nick Foles? As Tom Brady and the New England Patriots play in their 7th-straight AFC Championship game, will they reach back-to-back Super Bowls? Or will Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars continue their Cinderella run all the way to the big game? So far in the playoffs, I'm 5-3 picking games, so I'll look to be 7-3 after this weekend. There's plenty of storylines and drama, but only four potential Super Bowl matchups. Which two teams will meet on February 4th? Read on for my picks. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-6) at New England Patriots (14-3)

The 2018 NFL Playoffs kicked off in a huge way on Wildcard Weekend, with upsets, an 18 point comeback, and of course, some officiating calls that sparked debate by armchair referees. The divisional round could be just as fun if not more exciting, with eight teams set for action this weekend. Last week I went 2-2 in my picks, incorrectly choosing the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams. The Tennessee Titans win was improbable so I don't feel bad about picking that wrong, but I almost picked the Atlanta Falcons and wish I did. With that being said, why am I going to pick against the Falcons AGAIN this week? Read ahead to find out my picks for all four games. Atlanta Falcons (11-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) Time: Saturday, January 13th at 4:35 PM ET TV: NBC Line: Atlanta Falcons (-3) For the first time in modern NFL playoff history, a conference's top seed will open their first game as a home underdog. Despite having tied for the NFL's

The Philadelphia Eagles finished the season tied for the best record in the NFL at 13-3, and had a defense and rushing attack that both finished in the top five in the league. So why are the top-seeded Eagles playing underdog against the Atlanta Falcons? After beating the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons come in as three-point road favorites over the NFC's top seed. This is the first time under the current playoff format that a #1 seed has played their first playoff game as an underdog. It's obvious why oddsmakers are betting against the Eagles: the absence of MVP candidate Carson Wentz. Wentz tore his ACL in Philadelphia's 43-35 victory over the Rams, ending his season, and in the minds of many, the Eagles season. I already wrote, in the wake of the injury, that the quarterback swap doesn't necessarily doom the Eagles.  Losing a starting quarterback hurts, especially considering the great season Wentz was having. But Foles isn't just any backup, he&#

The 2018 NFL Playoffs are well underway, in a weekend where three games came down to the final minute, an eighteen point lead was squandered, and division champions were upset at home. I layed out these games and made my picks in a preview,  where I only went 2-2. Both of Saturday's results surprised me, especially the Tennessee Titans comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Atlanta Falcons win over the Los Angeles Rams was slightly more believable, considering Atlanta's playoff pedigree. But I was still shocked the Rams could only muster 13 points, although they weren't great at home all season. Sunday's games felt a lot more predictable, but they were exciting nonetheless. Seeing the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs for the first time in years was a fun way to start the day. The game dragged at times, scoreless for awhile then tied 3-3, before intensity rose in the second half. Blake Bortles gained more yards with his feet (

The 2018 NFL playoffs kick off this weekend with a different feel than recent years. Gone are the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson, and teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Tennessee Titans qualified for the first time in years. Of course, familiar faces like the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers also made the postseason, looking to block the paths of any Cinderella runs in the AFC. The first weekend of NFL games in 2018 is loaded with storylines, so let's dive right in to each of the four games. Tennessee Titans (9-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)    Game Time: Saturday, January 6th, 4:20 PM ET / 1:20 PM PT TV: ESPN Line: Kansas City Chiefs (-8) If these two teams met in the beginning of the 2018 season, it would have been a much more exciting affair. Both offenses were thriving, as the Kansas City Chiefs dropped 24 or more points in each game of their 5-0 start, tallying 42 points twic