Sak Sports Blog

We're over a month into the 2018-19 NBA season. The Los Angeles Clippers have the best winning percentage in the West. Last year's Western Conference runner-up is sitting at 13th in the conference now. And the Golden State Warriors aren't currently the top seed. (At least not technically) Sure, the Warriors will probably remain atop the conference, but after that, the West has more intrigue and storylines than ever. The top seed and the 14th-best team are separated by a mere 5.5 games. In the East, this disparity is 12 games. Sitting outside the current playoff picture are six teams that have just as good a chance to make the playoffs as the seven teams ahead of them, not counting the Warriors. The conference currently stands: Los Angeles Clippers (13-6 but technically 0.5 GB) Golden State Warriors (15-7, technically 0.5 GA) Denver Nuggets (13-7, 1 GB) Memphis Grizzlies (12-7, 1.5 GB) Oklahoma City Thunder (12-7, 1.5 GB) Portland Trailblazers (12-8, 2...

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...