🏀 Clash of the Titans

March 29, 2023

What is up BTP family? We are finally down to the Final Four in this year’s March Madness Tournament. Florida Atlantic, San Diego State, Miami, and UConn are the last remaining teams that have a shot at this year’s National Championship. UConn currently sits as the betting favorite at -125 to cut down the nets with San Diego State second at +390, Miami at +450, and FAU at +550. This final weekend of March Madness is about to be a good one, I can feel it! Then we dive right into the NBA playoffs and before you know it, the NFL will be back as well!

We have an awesome BTP for you guys today. We dive into the Mavs recent struggles of getting Kyrie and Luka to play together, how this year’s MVP race is one of the most heated MVP races ever, and how UConn’s Adama Sanogo is putting himself on the map this March Madness.

Happy Humpday!

TOUGH TIMES

The Kyrie Irving Experiment is Failing

The Mavs have played 21 games since acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets, and the initial results aren’t great. While the Mavs record with Irving isn’t catastrophic at 8-13 overall and 4-8 when both stars play, it doesn’t accurately tell the full story.

The Mavs have lost four of their last five games, including two consecutive and inexcusable losses to the LaMelo Ball-less Hornets, and Luka Doncic seems as frustrated and upset as he’s ever been. He recently hit reporters with a bombshell quote saying, “I used to have fun, smiling out on the court,” suggesting that’s no longer the case. Alienating Doncic would be Defcon-1 for the Mavs, although it’s worth mentioning that Luka signed off on the Irving trade.

Even though Luka may have previously been on board doesn’t mean he isn’t allowed to change his mind when it doesn’t work. For players of Doncic’s talents, there is a greater sense of urgency and pressure to put him in a winning position. Unlike a young LeBron and the Cavs, the Mavs are actively trying to do right by Doncic but have now twice come up empty.

In trading for and then dumping Kristaps Porzingis, who’s now having a career renaissance in Washington, and trading for Kyrie Irving to middling returns, the Mavs have exhausted the majority of their asset pool and don’t have a clear path forward to fix the team. They also face a problem regarding whether or not to keep Irving around. Letting him walk for nothing, a la Jalen Brunson, would be terrible asset management, but it’s not like the pairing of Doncic and Irving has you clamoring to run it back.

The Mavs could still find their way into the playoffs in a relatively wide-open West, and with two of the best shot creators and bucket-getters in Doncic and Irving, they can definitely make a splash, but it’s far from a guarantee they’ll get the chance. The clock is ticking, and even though Doncic is only in the first year of a five-year deal, that does not mean Dallas has four more years to make this work.

CLASH OF THE TITANS

MVP Battle of the Ages

This year’s MVP race is easily the most contentious in recent memory. Putting aside for a moment that Giannis Antetokounmpo has a very valid MVP case in his own right, this season, it’s been mostly a two-man race between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. As tensions amongst fans and media flare, the debate has moved beyond the individuals and become more about what each candidate represents and therefore, what your pick says about you.

The Case for Jokic

Jokic is an analytics darling, and the numbers say he is the best at just about everything, especially for a center. He plays with finesse, shoots with remarkable and historic efficiency, and is usually more inclined to assist a teammate than score himself. He’s won back-to-back MVPs, and not only is his team in first place but he’s objectively had a better season this year than either of the previous two.

The Case for Embiid

Embiid plays the game like a bulldozer, using his impressive physicality to dominate his opponents on both ends of the court. He’s a much more impactful defender, as in All-Defense caliber, while Jokic can be seen as a liability on the defensive end. He also averages 8.4 more PPG than Jokic and has much more of that MJ/Kobe killer instinct some fans revere.

So, Who’s Better?

Both methods are clearly working, as Jokic’s Nuggets have the second-best offense in the league and Embiid’s 76ers the fourth (they’re separated by less than a single point per 100 possessions). This is reflected in the betting odds, which currently suggest a 50-50 chance for each person, although both sides have had significant leads at one point in the season. The cold reality is that both men have absolutely played MVP-worthy basketball, but only one can win.

PROSPECT SHOWCASE

UConn’s Adama Sanogo is Climbing Draft Boards

Adama Sanogo is living a storybook kind of life. After picking up the sport of basketball at just 15 years old, the 6’9 junior is two wins away from potentially making an NBA roster just six years later. Here’s everything you need to know about Sanogo’s path to UConn and his NBA outlook.

Adama Sanogo moved to the U.S. from Mali as a teenager with the hopes of one-day playing professional basketball. Since arriving at UConn three years ago, the 21-year-old has steadily improved his game under coach Dan Hurley, and after a great regular season and an incredible postseason, he could end up hearing his name called on draft night.

Sanogo has played in 86 games for UConn, starting 82, and has never shot lower than 50% from the field. But this year, he took a huge leap forward, increasing his efficiency to 61.3% while leading the Huskies in scoring and rebounding, with 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. He even added a very respectable 3-ball to his game.

However, as good as he’s been all season long, he’s taken his game to a whole other level this postseason, raising his stock to a potential second-round pick. In round one, Sanogo registered 28 points and 13 boards, and in the next, he had 24 points and eight rebounds. In the Sweet 16, he ~only~ scored 18 points but did so on over 80% shooting, and then nearly had a triple-double against Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, falling four assists shy.

THE RUMOR MILL

NFL Rumors: Dan Snyder Received Multiple $6B Commanders Bids; Could Be Sold by Draft

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

March 29, 1999: Connecticut beats Duke, 77-74, to win their first March Madness Title in their first title appearance!

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

Kenan Thompson’s impersonation of Kendrick Perkins is PERFECT

The Sacramento Kings bench could not believe their eyes đź¤Ł

Bronny James put on a show at the McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest

Patrick Beverley told Russell Westbrook he was gonna “bust y’all ass” before the Clippers-Bulls game

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