All of a Sudden the East Has Never Been More Attainable - Turn Me Up Daryl!
Zo sizes up the current league and the Sixers' surprisingly not-disregardable place in its hierarchy.
Team Ricky Rundown
New guy absolutely crushing his first piece on the cardiac Sixers and VJ’s very real clutch gene.
Much more important topic than whatever the hell that Nuggets game was.
Ok yea, this is a good team. New Team Ricky member!
Adding to the Knicks woes felt oh so good. Maybe this IS the year.
Around the League
I’m okay with this trade for both sides. The Wizards get a top 50 veteran to accelerate their rebuild, even if they’ve already made it known he won’t play much the rest of this season, and the Hawks gain useful veterans and a clear path to flexibility and growth and build around soon to be All-Star, Jalen Johnson without Young’s huge cap hit hanging over them.
Aside from some obvious big chips maybe moving, I’m taking a wide-angle view with this deadline. It’s healthy for the league to have narratives on both sides — contenders trying to add, rebuilders reshaping — and it gives your audience a clear lens through which to follow February’s action without just repeating rumor mill noise. That said, I’ll be interested to see: 1. Where Anthony Davis and his desire for a max extension wind up. 2. If Giannis grows a pair and tells his agent to put the ask in. 3. What the Pistons/Sixers/Knicks might do to sure up mid to latter halves of rotations.
Never been much of a “check the ratings” guy but I love this. It’s a positive signal for the sport as it’s about to lose at least 3 of the greatest of all time in the next few years and a good backdrop for everything we’re watching unfold on the court, especially the ushering in of young, charismatic talent and a rookie class that has been nothing short of amazing so far.
Real Day Ones remember Keith Pompey showing us hand-drawn evidence when the center had a similar wet floor issue.
5 Things to Care About
Welcome to smokescreen season! With Trae Young already moved, the most interesting deadline question isn’t who’s next, it’s which teams actually know who they are. Some contenders will resist the urge to overpay, while others will quietly pivot toward flexibility and future assets. The smartest moves might be the ones that don’t dominate the timeline.
Across the league, younger players aren’t just developing — they’re forcing decisions. Front offices are choosing between timeline alignment and comfort, coaches are adjusting rotations on the fly, and veterans are no longer guaranteed runway. Whether teams lean into that or fight it will shape the next two seasons.
Between transfers, fifth-year seniors, and NIL keeping guys in school longer, college basketball is once again driven by players who matter more to their teams than to mock drafts. That’s good for March, good for rivalry games, and good for anyone who actually enjoys watching college hoops instead of just tracking prospects.
More NBA teams than ever feel competent, competitive and directionally fine — but not close to a title. That middle class is comfortable enough to avoid blowing it up, yet fragile enough that one bad matchup, injury, or contract decision can tilt everything. How long teams choose to live in that space — versus picking a lane — is one of the quiet stories shaping the league for me.
I will keep this as simple as possible. Coach Nick and Jalen have earned the right to not be doubted during the playoffs and I’m not going to start today. Birds 24 49ers 14.
