After a harsh second round exit in the playoffs last season , the 76ers seemed dull. Their two super-stars, Joel Embiid and James Harden, didn’t seem themselves in their last game of the 2022-2023 seasons. This lead to Harden requesting a trade and that request was granted recently with his trade to the Clippers. Keeping in mind the Eastern Conference performance last season the two teams to watch in the 2023-2024 season were obviously the Bucks and Celtics. Both teams played amazingly in the regular season and went far in the playoffs. While 76ers drifted off to the side, the Bucks and Celtics prospered.

As the 2023-2024 NBA season starts up we see a few surprising teams fall in the ranks and some unlikely leaders. In the Western Conference the Rockets are doing surprisingly well while the usually promising Grizzlies are at the bottom of the pack. In the Eastern Conference the 76ers are leading the pack at 8-1 followed closely by the Celtics at 8-2. Surprisingly the Bucks are tied with the Pacers at 6-4. The Pacers are usually unsuccessful at even making playoffs let alone being neck and neck with the Bucks.

With the 76ers taking a surprising lead we are left to wonder, what’s changed? There is one major change from last season to this season that could explain the difference. The replacement of Doc Rivers with new head coach Nick nurse. It’s no secret the Doc Rivers struggled coaching the 76ers. With multiple second round exits in the playoffs and barley being able to keep up with the other conference leaders, the 76ers as coached by Rivers were doomed to fail. However, with Nick Nurse as their coach, the 76ers seem to playing with a new confidence. Last season the 76ers plays appeared sloppy and uncalculated, making little mistakes that cost them winnable games and loosing their momentum mid game. This year they seem to only get better as the game progresses: making adjustments, setting their own pace, and making smarter passes. It seems as if their strategy is to conserve energy for the second half or it could be second half adjustments made by Nick Nurse.

Their game seems to be more cohesive and team oriented this season. Shining lights on other players besides Embiid. Tobias Harris, who previously seemed in a slump, has become a consistent shooter. The addition of Kelly Oubre also seemed to put more points on the board prior to his recent injury.

However the main star that seems to be growing as a player at an alarming rate has to be Tyrese Maxey.  With his outstanding defense and recent 50 point game against the Pacers, he looks to be a star in the making. Tyrese showed the NBA who he really is: he is him, he is a dog, and he is resilient. Maxey seemed to show the NBA that he is the player to look out for.

The 76ers are looking good in the beginning of the season and hopefully their skills and newly found confidence will persist.

Basketball is knowingly a very physical sport. Weather your being guarded or a pick was set. Your bound to get tangled up at some point during the game. In order to even be in the NBA you would have to play aggressively and that would mean putting you all on the court. Even if it means coming face to face with fight. If someone throws a punch would you not punch back?

During a highly anticipated game between the Lakers and the Rockets a brawl occurred between to All-Stars. After Shaq missed a free throw Charles Barkley decided to toss the ball directly at Shaq’s head. Possibly not his greatest decision. Shaq retaliated by throwing a punch at Barley but it didn’t connect. What followed was an all out fight between the two big men. Shaq was consequently ejected from the game. Unsurprisingly this was actually Shaq’s second ejection that week.

In a game where the New York Knicks were predicted to beat the San Antonio Spurs a fight broke out. Normally fights are between the players but this time a coach was involved. The Spur’s Danny Ferry and Knick’s Marcus Camby were tussling under the basket for a rebound. Ferry hit Camby in the eye however when the whistle was blown Camby stormed up the court toward Ferry. This led to the referee having to hold back Cambry as he tried to get at Ferry. Even though the ref seemed to have the situation handled as Cambry calmed down, Cambry’s anger resurfaced. Cambry got another glance at Ferry and decided to walk up to him and take a swing. The knick’s coach immediately got between the two before Cambry could fully punch Ferry. It led to the coach taking the force of the swing and he ended up in the hospital with over a dozen stitches near his left eye.  Cambry was facing suspension from five straight games and fined 25,000 dollars. However, if you were a millionaire would you care about a small fine?

In another fight involving the Knicks head coach, this was a playoff game between the Miami heat and New York Knicks. Despite Miami being favored to win the match it ended up being a very close game. This game took place when a team only needed to win best of five games to advance. With Miami up two games to one the Knicks needed to go all out. With tensions high and the knicks in the lead when Alonzo Morning and Larry Johnson simultaneously throwing punches at each other. Despite being friends in previous seasons the two just couldn’t get along during this game. The fight continued leading to the Knicks head coach attempting to get between the two. However, the coach being just five foot nine compared to seven foot players, fell to the ground but continued to hold onto Johnson’s leg. The whole team them tried to break the fight and it eventually fizzled out.

One of the most widespread and popular forms of shooting is the dunk. Their are creative ways to get the perfect dunk but, they can be straightforward as well. One of the hardest parts of a dunk is forming a path to the basket in order to even make the shot. Many players excell at this and can pull off insanely throughout out plays.

A great dunk was pulled off by Joel Embiid when he was facing the Celtics. Kornet matches Joel’s height at 7 foot and 1 inch. Kornet was directly in front of Embiid guarding the net. Despite Kornets insanely defense, Embiid pushed through Kornet’s arm putting up a straight dunk by just slightly turning his body. Embiid used minimal movement to pull off a dunk that the average player could only dream of.

Harrison Barnes pulled off deviously determined dunk, against the Pacers. Harrison was dribbling the ball looking for an opening, when all of a sudden one appeared. There was an unguarded line towards the basket and he took it. He dribbled down the paint and jumped incredibly high. He lead the ball up with one hand and slammed it down. Barnes used his patience to get the better of the Pacers. He made a calculated dunk that sent the crowd roaring with excitement.

It was the Houston Rockets facing off against the Atlanta Hawks. Josh Christopher was dribbling the ball when all of a sudden he found a perfect opening. Around the free-throw line, Christopher jumps into action literally. It appeared as if he were floating through air towards the basket. He completed an astounding dunk while being guarded from both sides. This dunk took skill, athleticism, and confidence, all qualities Christopher embodies. The decision to go for the dunk was smart and well calculated, I guess you could call Christopher the Einstein of the NBA.

In a game between the Pacers and the Lakers, the pacers ran towards the basket, making a smart pass to a player at the three point line. However, when the shot was let off it bounced of the rim. With the Pacers losing this would have been a game changing shot. Luckily, Isaiah Jackson was there to save the day. After the ball hit the net, Jackson jumped and shoved the ball into the net without holding the ball, only palming it. This truly was a great move for Isaiah to make.

The NBA utilizes a variety of different ways to score. However, dunking is a great way to add points to the board while showing off skill and timing. Dunks are legendary and even being able to pull one off is an accomplishment all in it own. These players really showed hat it means to pull off a great dunk.

In the sport of basketball there a many skills that can win a game. However,  sure fire way to get that basket is to create a play thats unstoppable. While anyone on the court can make a play, only a few specific players can say they are the best.

In order to decide the best you would want to know what exactly is a playmaker? Some say that they are the players that lead the offensive team. However, there is more to it than leading the team. Playmakers are tasked with creating plays that allow for more than one player the opportunity to score. They use the players they have to create openings for others to get points. Many opposing teams have a tough defense to crack. It is the playmakers job to get around defensive tactics in order to win.

One of the greatest playmakers in the NBA is Chris Paul. While Paul has missed numerous games due to injury, he remains one of the best playmaker and point guards in the NBA. According to his stats, Paul ranks No. 4 in points created by assists per game, No. 16 in unassisted points per game, and No. 20 in possessions used per game. These stats prove that Paul is able to move the ball efficiently and meaningfully. He is able to get more points from each possession than  19 other players in the NBA. If this doesn’t prove why he’s a great playmaker, nothing will.

Another exceptional playmaker is the Chicago Bulls’ very own DeMar DeRozan. Saying that he is a demon on the court is an understatement. DeRozan is known for his mid-range attacks and turnaround jumpers. He is playmaker that will create space on the court through contact. He is an aggressive player that only an assist on 21.1% of his 2-point shots. While his plays are untraditional, he always comes through for his team. As he has he uses less possessions to get unassisted points.

James Harden might be the most unique playmaker in the game. Not only does he add an additional 3.6 points of an assist than Russell Westbrook, he has the skill to fish for plays at the rim. His passing skills are subpar to no one. He creates openings for players to shoot through clever and fast paced passes. He also often creates seemingly easy openings for his teammates to knock down 3pt shots. He uses fines to dribble past the defense and always keeps an eye out for open assists and shots. Not only is his playmaking skills off the charts his two-step three point shot is almost uncontested!

Playmaking can make or break a game. If a team can’t get past the opposing defense, there is no game. Creating smart and meaningful moves in the offence can win any game. If a team were to acquire any of these players, their playmaking position would be lucky.

throughout NBA history there have been some amazing steals. Steals are often made by skilled defensive player. However, many players can create a grat steal no matter their position. Here are some of the NBA’s best steals.

In a round 5 playoff game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns one of the best game game winning steals of all time. It was the fourth quarter with only 20 seconds left on the clock the game close at 120 to 119, with the bucks in the lead. Devin Booker (suns star) went for the lead, attempting a two point lay-up. However, just as Booker went for the shoot, Drew Holiday got in his way. Holiday ripped the ball away from him, stopping Booker from taking the lead. This led to a game winning dunk by the Buck’s star player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

During a regular season game where the Pelicans were facing off against the Hawks, Jose Alvarado a Pelicans player showed off his defensive ability. In the first quarter a Pelican lost the ball to the Hawks after missing a lay-up. However, Alvarado wasn’t having it, he snuck up behind the Hawks player, tapping the ball out of his hands into the hands of his teammate. This led to an easy un-contested shoot by the same player who had the ball taken away. This proves that you can take the ball away from the man but, you can’t take the man from the ball. There’s no wonder they call Alvarado, “Jose ‘Grand Theft’ Alvarado.

It was a regular season game, LA Kings versus the Oakland City Thunder, only a 11 seconds left on the clock, with a tied score. The Kings had the ball but when they went to run into the paint Ace Dort dribbled the ball out of the King’s hands. He ran down the court making a massive, game winning, one-armed lay-up. The crowd went wild, cheering for the Oakland City win.

In the final seconds of the fourth quarter of a Celtics versus Pacers game, Indiana was up by one point. Indiana’s number 11 went to pass the ball by throwing it high in the air. Out of nowhere Tory Rozier came in, jumping up and stretching his arm out, in front of the Pacer, to catch the ball. He went towards the net, getting the dunk, and coming up with the one point win.

While there are many different attributes to win an NBA game, defense has to be one of the most important skills. Coming up with a well put together steal can win any game.

Technical fouls (techs) are form of punishment for unsportsmanlike behavior by coaches, players, and even entire teams. It only takes two technical fouls to be ejected from a game. While techs are usually well thought through by the referees many justs seem to be ridiculous. These are a few of the funniest technical fouls in the NBA.

When a good shot is made it is common for players to celebrate by cheering, hand movements, etc… However, in a Lakers vs. Hornets game Lance Stephenson might have taken it too far according to the referee. After scoring a three point shot in a Hornets blowout, Stephenson made a hand signal resembling playing a guitar. While, to everyone else this looked like a normal celebration, the ref called a Tech on Lance. Needless to say Stephenson and Lakers fans were not happy with the call. Many calling it a disgrace and a complete overreaction to such a simple taunt.

One of the funniest reactions to a bad call from the ref was when Ben Simmons took a seat in a courtside chair after being wrongfully called for a 3-point foul. Simmons reaction may have been a little overkill but during a game where the refs just seem to hold a grudge against the sixers, he had enough. This was the third technical foul of the game following Jimmy Butler and Embiid, all players on sixers. Simmons seemed infuriated with the call and continued to play regardless of the questionable reffing during this game.

Rustle Westbrook, a former Oakland Thunder star, made one of the worst mistakes a player can make. After being frustrated with a game he tossed the ball in a seemingly random direction. Unfortunately for him that direction led to a referee straight in the head. Without a second thought the ref called a tech and Westbrook was left apologizing, ie. music to the refs ears.

When the Phoenix Suns were playing the New York Knicks a technical foul was called on Rasheed Wallace. He was call for unnecessary roughness when he pushed a kick’s arm when he was trying to score. Rasheed was frustrated by this call but went to line up when the knicks were shooting free throws. When the first shot missed Rasheed yelled his signature phrase “ball don’t lie” the ref called another tech on the Suns player for unsportsmanlike conduct. This led to his ejection from the game. While it was inevitable that he would vacated from the court he left with some words for the ref. As he left the cout he continued to argue with the ref and looked visibly upset about the calls.

In the middle of a Golden State vs. Chargers game a player lost a shoe on the court. Demarcus Cousins, the GSW center, tossed the shoe into the crowd. While his intention was to save other players from tripping on the shoe leading to injuries, the ref immediately called a technical foul. While his intentions are good “NBA law” states that not a single thing can be thrown into the crowd.

The NBA holds many different kinds of players that form special bonds and friendships but, the friendship between 76ers’ power forward Tobias Harris and Rockets’ center Boban Marjanović is truly special. The pair has played together in 3 seasons on 3 seperate teams- the Pistons, Clippers, and 76ers- forming a lifelong friendship.

The duo fist meet when Boban was drafted to the Pistons in 2016. At first they didn’t seem to get along, Boban thought Tobias was cocky and a ball-hog. However, this changed when Tobias approached Boban in the gym. Tobias complimented the big man’s game and their friendship was set ever since.

Tobias shared that their relationship first grew from their mutual love of singing and dancing. Tobias shared “I’m a big music guy, so we’d play a lot of music. I always used to see Boban in the weight room dancing to the music, and I would have to show him some moves, so that just like increased our bond,” a great insight into how their friendship originated. Their brotherly love was shown more to the public when a goofy video of the two dancing to Chicken Noodle Soup surfaced on instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd1a3Yngpv_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

The pair became internet sensations, creating their own mini-series during the 2018 preseason called “Bobi + Tobi”.  Tobias shared the he wanted Boban and himself ro match but, Tobias never loved the name Tobi. He claims that he’s alright with being called Tobi as long as it’s with the context of Bobi.

Tobias recalls one of his favorite moments with Boban as when they were leaving a restaurant and playing Cardi B in the car. Reportedly, when the song Bodak yellow came on, during Cardi’s verse, Boban pulled out his red slippers as the song sang “these are bloody shoes.”  Tobias started laughing uncontrollably and any time the song played after that Boban pulls out his “red bottoms”.

Boban was offered a acting gig via Goldfish commercials in February of 2023.  Tobias was brought onto the commercial as well after a Goldfish executive had the idea to further their friendship through a new media. These commercials are used to promote the “grab a handful” promotion. Who better to represent a handful then Boban, the largest hands in the NBA. The two loved shooting these commercials together. Their friendship was only strengthened as they made these commercial hand in bigger hand.

The two have become very close friends, some may say BFFs. Their friendship has been extremely publicized that when Tobias shared a tweet stating “I can’t wait to marry my best friend” fans were quick to comment asking if he’s marrying Boban. Tobias obviously denied the claim but found it hilarious that the fans would think “Toban” was reaching the point of marriage.  You really got to hand it the pair their friendship lasts no matter where they are. Weather their on the court or shooting commercials together, their friendship shows the true meaning of Brotherly Love.

From the beginning of Morant’s career he has always shown promise. He continued to make poster dunk after poster dunk and develop a good defensive game. Ja Morant was drafted in 2019, as the second pick in the first round, to the Memphis, Grizzles. Where he averaged 18.4 ppg (point per game), 3.9 rpg (rebounds per game), and 7.1 apg (assists per game), while averaging a whopping 31.7 minutes per game. Which if you’re new to basketball is a Hefty amount of minutes for a rookie. This season, the 2019-2020 season, he was even named rookie of the year. To date Morant boasts 29 double-doubles; he also preformed 3 triple-doubles. Before he entered the NBA he was the first college basketball player to average 20 point and 10 assists per game at Murray University. In 2019, before he was drafted into the NBA, he was name OCV Player of the Year and tournament MVP.  He than was awarded the 2019 Lute Olson Award and 2019 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard. He currently has grown in his game and has shown that he is champion material; he now has a ppg of 24 point, a rpg of 5.9 rebounds, and apg of 8.1 assists.

In most recent news Ja Morant has been the center of NBA controversy. His first slap on the wrist from NBA officials occurred in March of 2023, where he appeared on a live stream in a Denver-area strip club.  Morant started the live on instagram where he was clearly in possession of a fire arm. 11 days later the NBA decided to suspend Ja for 8 games without pay, totaling a loss of 700,000 dollars out of his 12.1 million dollar salary.

His second controversy began only 2 months after the fist in May of 2023. Another Instagram live stream surfaced on X, formerly known as Twitter. The live shows the 23 year old holding a gun while gathered  by friends and cars. This controversy seemed to really infuriate the NBA, especially following his prior gun related controversy. The only comment regarding the Morant situation from the Grizzlies themselves said, “We are aware of the social media video involving Ja Morant, he is suspended from all team activities pending League review. We have no further comment at this time.” He was later barred from playing in the next 25 games of the season along with all practices and training camps. Ja was also forced to forfeit even more of his salary, this time losing a mass of 7.6 million dollars from his salary. Many suspected that Ja might face further punishment from the NBA and the many might have been correct. NBA commissioner alluded to other stipulations Morant might need to be reinstated, but the specifics were not publicly released.

While Morant has already been through some career altering controversy it didn’t end there. According to the Washington Post Morant’s mother got into a non-physical altercation with a Memphis mall employee. She called over Morant and he came with about 9 of his friends. A police officer approached the crowd and reported being threatened by Morant. However, there were no charges pressed on Morant. He was also accused of beating up a teenager. A 17 year old boy accused Morant of assaulting him at a pickup-basketball game during an off-season. The kid stated that after accidentally hitting Morant in the face with a basketball, Morant proceeded to repeatedly punch him along with another person.  While no charges were brought against Morant for the altercation, the kid decided to sue Morant. Morant responded claiming that he was only acting in self-defence. He says that the kid intentionally threw the ball and threatened him by saying “light his house up” which Morant thought to mean as a call to someone else to grab a gun.

Ben Simmons could go on to lead the 76ers roster as the biggest failure in 76ers history. While, he may have had a promising future starting out in the NBA his overall performance has tanked. Weather it’s the lack of a jump shot or his beyond sub par free throws he has severely lacked the true traits of an NBA star.

Ben may have many flaws in his game plan but he has one strength, defense. He is often able to make smart plays to keep opposing players away from the ball. Weather he’s setting up a screen or stealing the ball, he always shined in a defensive role. However, in order for a player to reach the status of All-Star, which he has, he would need to create a more versatile skill set.

In his first year in the NBA Ben showed serious promise. He even garnered the attention of LeBron James. Many commentators have compared the early stages of Ben to those of LeBron. James went on to respond saying “The sky’s the limit for Ben. His size, his strength, his vision, his IQ … he carries himself as someone who believes he’s the best, as you should.” While Ben might have originally shown potential, it was all wasted following the 2019-2020 season.

Ben was never consistent in his games. He often switched his game to either a good shooting night, a good defensive night, or neither. While every now and again he could shoot the ball his defensive skills is what got him on the All-Star team. Ben is historically a horrible free throw shooter, averaging 59% throughout his career. To put that in perspective, the average free throw percentage in the whole NBA is 75%.  While other acclaimed NBA stars have preformed poorly behind the free throe line, for instance Shaq, Ben is not able to make up for his shortcomings with defensive surges alone.

During the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons Ben faced a multitude of issues with the 76ers. It started with Ben facing criticism from coaches, fans, and commentators for his lack of a jump shoot and poor performance at the free throw line.  His mental health might have affected his game as even his defensive plays seemed to drop. However, Ben was given ample opportunity to practice and perfect his game. He would miss practices, refuse to play, and would incessantly complain about his role on the team. One of his biggest failures to show up for the team was during the 2021 playoffs verses the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were loosing in a possible series winning game when they realized just how horrible Simmons is at free throws. They would spend every defensive play fouling Simmons, forcing him to the line. This lead to a tie game and eventually the Hawks winning the game and series. While the 76ers were predicted to win the series Ben Simmons almost single handedly cost them the series.

Ben was later traded in 2022 to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden. Where he consistently didn’t play until over half way through the 2021-2022 season. He has still yet to play consistently for Nets and seems to go through the same cycle for the last 2 years: season starts, plays horribly, gets a back injury, then posts a workout video, then repeat.

My first idea for my passion blog is write about the 2022-2023 Philadelphia 76ers offseason and the continuous trade failures Daryl Morey brought amongst the team. So far this years off-season has been unfruitful and lacking. While some newer players were acquired, none of them seem to be the right fit to piece together the Sixers. While going through numerous subjectively failed players such as Ben Simmons and Josh Richards. Along with giving up on players that showed promise like Jimmy Butler. Daryl Morey has yet to create a ring winning team let alone one that has surpassed the second round of finals.

My second idea is to write about the long and dangerous path the monarch butterfly has to travel during migration season. Come winter, monarch butterflies pack their thing and start flying to the boarders of Mexico to maintain a warmer climate. Their journey is long and extremely dangerous for these delicate bugs. They face challenges like weather, pollution, and long periods of flight. With climate change increasing this journey becomes more and more difficult to complete. While many monarchs survive the migration much more are killed and this pattern will only worsen if people are not made aware of the affects of climate change.