The Victor Oladipo trade certainly caught me off guard. He was a two-time All Star, playing very well, at least in my opinion, and very popular with the home crowd. The Pacers are still shaking things up as they move on with new coach Nate Bjorkgren. Maybe Victor was too strongly identified with the old regime. As you have probably heard the Pacers were part of a four team swap that saw Oladipo go with the Houston Rockets and sent disgruntled James Harden to Brooklyn.
The Pacers picked up Caris LaVert, a small forward/shooting guard. LaVert has spent the last four-and-half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. He played his college ball at Michigan. He is 26 years old and listed as 6’ 6” and 205 pounds He’s had some injuries but generally has been pretty healthy. Apparently the Pacers see something in him that they hope will help the team be a consistent winner Good Luck to Caris LaVert and the Pacers.
NFC and AFC Championship Games
The Final Four are meeting this weekend to determine who will go to the Super Bowl. In the NFC, two old pros will be meeting: Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers vs Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have both been here before. Rodgers has been quarterbacking the Pack since 2005 and has seen his share of championship games. Some say that 2020 has been his finest season. This is Brady’s first year with the Bucs and in the NFC, but he spent over 20 years winning championships for the Patriots in the AFC. Many consider him to be the GOAT. Both these guys are Hall of Fame bound when they retire….whenever that will be.
In the AFC two of the NFL’s top young guns will be squaring off. Patrick Mahones and the Kansas City Chiefs vs Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The Chiefs are the defending Super Bowl Champs and Mahones is probably the league’s top quarterback right now. Josh Allen is in his third season and is establishing himself as a major star. He can pass, run, and make big plays. For the Bills it’s been a long time since they have been a Super Bowl threat, but here they are. They may be a sentimental favorite.
In two weeks, two of the teams will be playing for the Lombardi Trophy in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. I’m betting it will be the Chiefs and the Packers in a replay of the very first Super Bowl way, way back in January 15, of 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum which no longer exists. Now wouldn’t that be something.
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