NBA Christmas Wish Lists For All 30 Teams

Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns

Christmas Day is the unofficial start to the NBA season. It’s great exposure for the league as each game features a popular team or superstar player. That’s been the case in years past, but 2021 is different.

Many star players are in health and safety protocols due to COVID, jeopardizing their availability for Christmas games. These stars include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, and Trae Young. As appetizing as a Cam Thomas versus Isaiah Thomas matchup might be, I, along with the rest of the world, wanted to see LeBron James square off against Kevin Durant.

Regardless, the season will (hopefully) go on, and every team needs something for Christmas – good health, more shooting, stars to play, etc. Luckily for these organizations, I’m here to write their wish lists.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics: 1) The “Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can’t play together” narrative to end. 2) A point guard that can shoot.

Brooklyn Nets: 1) Kevin Durant stays healthy. 2) Kyrie Irving plays basketball.

New York Knicks: 1) Trade for another ballhandler with Derrick Rose out for 6-8 weeks. 2) Trade for a true playmaker that can create his own shot. 3) Evan Fournier to play defense. 4) Pray that a star wants to come to the Knicks via trade or free agency at some point. 5) Play defense like the team did last year. I have a lot more wishes, but I’ll spare you the time.

Philadelphia 76ers: 1) Figure out the Ben Simmons saga. Either trade him or play him.

Toronto Raptors: 1) Realize that Scottie Barnes, not Pascal Siakam, is the player to build around. 2) Trade or buy out Goran Dragic.

Central Division

Chicago Bulls: 1) Continue their hot start. 2) Trade for another big. Maybe Jerami Grant?

Cleveland Cavaliers: 1) Make the playoffs. 2) Protect Evan Mobley at all costs.

Detroit Pistons: 1) Compete on a nightly basis, but lose (a lot of) games. 2) Win the Draft Lottery.

Indiana Pacers: 1) Trade Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis. (Or trade both?)

Milwaukee Bucks: 1) Protect Giannis at all costs.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks: 1) To remember that they made the Eastern Conference Finals last year. 2) Start playing like they made the Eastern Conference Finals last year. 3) They have too many rotation guys so trade someone like Cam Reddish.

Charlotte Hornets: 1) Try to pry Myles turner away from the Pacers. 2) Let LaMelo cook.

Miami Heat: 1) Load manage Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler. 2) Get a healthy Bam Adebayo. 3) Explore the trade or buyout market for another big man.

Orlando Magic: 1) Keep playing the young guys. 2) See if a contender is interested in Robin Lopez.

Washington Wizards: 1) Face the reality that Bradley Beal needs to be traded.

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets: 1) Get the Joker some help. 2) Talk themselves off the ledge after signing Michael Porter Jr. to a max extension.

Minnesota Timberwolves: 1) Give Anthony Edwards the keys to the offense. 2) Leak to Woj or Shams that Karl-Anthony Towns or D’Angelo Russell could want out of Minnesota just to see what their market could be.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 1) Reassure Shai Gilgeous-Alexander that the team will explore trading for an all-star in the offseason. (Ex. The Paul George trade in 2017.) 2) Try your very hardest to move Derrick Favors.

Portland Trail Blazers: 1) Do whatever Damian Lillard wants. 2) Hit up the NBA Trade Machine every day to see potential returns in a trade for Lillard.

Utah Jazz: 1) Identify postseason problems (ex. how to defend a small-ball lineup without Rudy Gobert) now and try to implement solutions during the regular season.

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors: 1) Get Klay Thompson back. 2) Evaluate James Wiseman. 3) Consider packaging Wiseman and some other players or picks for an all-star caliber player. Looking at you, Sabonis.

Los Angeles Clippers: 1) Talk to Kawhi Leonard. That’s it. I’m not convinced that the Clippers talk to Kawhi daily (look no further than last year’s playoffs after Kawhi’s injury), and that’s very concerning.

Los Angeles Lakers: 1) Figure out what kind of team you are now before it’s too late. Is this a big team? Do they need to be a team of LeBron and shooters? 2) Somehow, bring in a wing that can defend. (Groundbreaking stuff.) 3) Remind Anthony Davis that he’s an All-NBA First Team member and needs to start playing like it when he returns from injury. 4) Stay around .500 until AD comes back. Then, accept the reality that the Play-In game could be their fate once again.

Phoenix Suns: 1) Keep Chris Paul healthy. 2) Explore the trade/buy-out market for another “3 and D” wing.

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks: 1) Work with Luka Doncic on getting into better shape. 2) Get another ballhandler like Goran Dragic or Kemba Walker.

Houston Rockets: 1) Keep losing. 2) See if a team wants Christian Wood.

Memphis Grizzlies: 1) Go out and get more shooting. (15th in 3-point %)

New Orleans Pelicans: 1) Have a long and hard talk with Zion Williamson about the importance of staying healthy.

San Antonio Spurs: 1) Continue to run everything through Dejounte Murray.

Every Single Team: 1) Avoid COVID.

Have a great holiday!

Do you agree or disagree with my wish lists? Leave your answers in the comments below or tweet me, @danny_giro.

Were Kevin’s Parents Worse In Home Alone Or Home Alone 2?

Home Alone parents

It may be the Christmas season for some of you, but it’s Home Alone season for all of us. Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York should air at least ten times each during the month of December. It’s an entertaining and fun movie that five-year-olds and fifty-five-year-olds will both enjoy.

Last year, I wrote about which film is better, Home Alone or Home Alone 2. (Home Alone 2 is slightly better than the original.) In the article, I discussed the poor parenting shown by Kevin’s parents, Peter and Kate McCallister. This year, I wanted to expand on their parenting technique and rank every bad decision they made in each film.

I will be grading the McCallister’s actions on the Bad Parenting Scale, 1-10, with 1 representing a great parent and 10 being the absolute worst parent. Were Kevin’s parents worse in Home Alone or Home Alone 2?

Home Alone

Blaming Kevin For The Pizza Debacle

https://youtu.be/9p0ZChSYIzk

As a middle child (Out of six children in my family, I’m third in the pecking order), I’ve experienced what it’s like to be the younger sibling and the older sibling. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that blame will fall on the older sibling nine times out of ten. It doesn’t matter what the younger sibling does. If an older sibling is involved, the blame will predominantly fall on their shoulders because they’re supposed to be “mature” and “responsible.”

Peter and Kate throw conventional wisdom out the door in the opening scene. Buzz, who is probably eight to ten years older than Kevin, antagonizes Kevin with his disgusting eating habits. As a man who despises olives, Kevin has every right to be upset that Buzz ate his cheese pizza. Kevin retaliates by tackling Buzz in the stomach, causing a chain reaction that leads to spilled milk and soda all over the family and their flight tickets.

Does Mr. or Mrs. McCallister question Buzz as to why Kevin would tackle him in the stomach? No. They let the entire family stare him down, forcing him to apologize for his actions. Then, Mrs. McCallister drags Kevin out of the room by his arm like a ragdoll. Kevin is not innocent, but his parents never gave him a chance to explain.

Bad Parenting Scale: 7.8

Allowing Uncle Frank To Call Kevin A “Little Jerk”

How did the McCallister parents let this slide? Uncle Frank is an asshole, and yet, Peter and Kate let him berate their child in front of the entire family. Stick up for your son!

Bad Parenting Scale: 8.5

Oversleeping

As the parents of the family, Peter and Kate are in charge of the wake-up. That’s their responsibility. To rely solely on an alarm clock the night before an international trip is foolish. I’m setting multiple alarm clocks including one that has batteries just in case the power goes out. Side note, not one person woke up early? Not one person went to the bathroom and noticed the power went out? Oversleeping is not a huge crime, but blood is still on the parents’ hands.

Bad Parenting Scale: 7.3

Forgetting Kevin At Home

Before I destroy the parents, Heather needs to take a lot of the blame for how she counted the children. She taps Mitch Murphy on the head, thinking it’s Kevin. How do you not ask the kid to turn around and face forward? Awful job by Heather.

Now, do I have any sympathy for Peter and Kate? Not one ounce. This is an egregious mistake. The duo banished their youngest son to the attic the night before and did not realize they forgot him until they were sitting in their first-class seats. Not only did they entrust a teenager with attendance, but failed to double-check for themselves to see if everyone made the trip. All Peter and Kate cared about were sipping orange juice out of a champagne glass.

Bad Parenting Scale: 9.8

Calling The Police And Only The Police To Check On Kevin

https://youtu.be/VZdjWTeh9eE

I don’t have a child so take this criticism with a grain of salt. If I was Kate McCallister, my first call would not be to the police. My first call would be to a family member in the area. From there, then I would try a friend, a neighbor, or a babysitter. If all else fails, then I would call the police. Clearly, the police were not interested in babysitting children in 1990s Chicago. While I don’t fault Kate for calling the police, I do criticize her for only making one call to the police. I find it hard to believe that the other children and Leslie could not get in touch with anyone. I refuse to believe it.

Bad Parenting Scale: 8.4

Home Alone 2

Punishing Kevin For The School Concert Fiasco

https://youtu.be/IT7-T-pqCCs

Beat that you little trout sniffer. Kevin sabotaging the concert is more egregious than spilling milk over the plane tickets. Public embarrassment is a hell of a lot worse than private embarrassment. Kevin’s hands are not clean, that’s for sure. However, how can Kate and Peter be so naive when it comes to Buzz and his antics? Buzz humiliated Kevin in front of the entire audience. His punishment? Apologize to the entire family. That’s it. Clearly, Buzz can get away with murder. Everyone can see through Buzz’s bullshit except Kate and Peter. To punish Kevin and only Kevin is bad, but not a sin.

Bad Parenting Scale: 7.5

Kate Taunting Kevin In The Attic

https://youtu.be/ki04Fub1Apc?t=160

“You got your wish last year. Maybe you’ll get it again this year.” Excuse me, but is Kate the mother or a middle school bully? Why would you taunt your kid after FORGETTING HIM AT HOME THE YEAR PRIOR? Immature behavior from Mrs. McCallister.

Bad Parenting Scale: 8.9

Losing Kevin At The Airport

I don’t want to cut Peter and Kate any slack, but I think that’s about to happen. I will cut them the smallest slice of slack, similar to the size of Squidward’s first bite of a Krabby Patty.

Unlike the previous year, Kevin makes it to the airport. Kevin hangs with Peter until he made the costly mistake of switching the batteries in his recorder. That mistake is on Kevin. Running after the wrong man in the brown coat is on Kevin. Not confirming the face of the man with the brown jacket on the plane is on Kevin.

In spite of this, Kevin is a 10-year-old kid. The parents need to act like adults and take some responsibility. Kate did not double-check on her kids at the airport and Peter ran the 40-yard dash in the terminal of hanging behind with Kevin. Bad parenting to lose Kevin, but not as bad as the first film.

Bad Parenting Scale: 9.1

Realizing Kevin Was Missing At The Miami Airport

https://youtu.be/lPqTZkg_RAI

Even if the flight attendants assured Kate they would make sure everyone got on the flight, Kate should have stood her ground and counted the kids herself. Peter also outran Kevin in the terminal and never turned around to check on him. Just turn your head to the door once you get on the plane to make sure your family boards. Stop flying first class and start sitting with your family.

Bad Parenting Scale: 9.0

Poking Fun At The McCallister Family Travel Tradition

If you constantly spill coffee on your shit, it’s ok to poke fun of yourself. When you lose your child in an airport, I wouldn’t be laughing at my mistake. If I was the cop, I would’ve thrown Kate and Peter right out of the office. This behavior is more infuriating than forgetting Kevin at the airport.

Bad Parenting Scale: 9.4

Final Score On The Bad Parenting Scale (Average Of 5 Scores)

Home Alone – 8.4

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York – 8.8

Peter and Kate were worse parents in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. Despite reuniting with their son in both movies, they won’t be winning any “Parent of the Year” awards anytime soon.

Were Kevin’s parents worse in Home Alone or Home Alone 2? Leave your thoughts in the comments or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

12 Greatest Christmas Movies of All-Time

‪It’s Christmas Eve. Most of us are celebrating with our family, friends, and loved ones. If you choose to spend some of that time watching movies, I have some help for you when deciding what to watch. Don’t waste your time watching other Christmas movies before you finish these 12. It just so happens that some of the greatest Christmas movies of all-time are not kid-friendly, so I have included the ratings. The best Christmas movies are those you can watch year in and year out and still be entertained. Be sure to leave a comment or drop an email unafraidshow@gmail.com. Here is the definitive list of the 12 Best Christmas movies of all time:  

12. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (PG-13)

Come hell or high water, Clark Griswold is determined to have a great Christmas. He hassles his wife and kids while trying to make sure the lights, tree and everything else is perfect. Between unplanned family members showing up and not getting a holiday bonus at work all hell breaks loose.  

11. Miracle on 34th Street (PG)

You can’t go wrong with either version of this Christmas classic. It’s the story of a man on trial for claiming to be Santa Claus. It is impossible to leave Miracle on 34th Street off the list despite only needing to see it once.    ‪

10. Gremlins (PG)

There’s far more naughtiness than niceness on display in the 1984 horror-comedy Gremlins. There is a mystical Chinese creature known as a “mogwai” named Gizmo. It looks cute and cuddly, but when fed after midnight or touched by water it gives bubbling birth to mischievous monsters.  

9. The Best Man Holiday (R)

The Best Man Holiday is completely underrated as a Christmas movie. It has everything you want. There is football, family, food, presents, and surprises. You laugh and cry when friends and family get together for the first time in 15 years.  

8. A Charlie Brown Christmas (G)

Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant, and Charlie Brown accepts. He tries to restore the proper Christmas spirit and teach those around him.  

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (PG)

You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel. You’re as cuddly as a cactus, you’re as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch. You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel! A classic Dr. Seuss book adapted for the movies. The people of Whoville get their villain and hero in one.  

6. Bad Santa (R)

Bad Santa is a hilarious dark comedy. Santa Claus is a cold-hearted, drunk, sex-addict, and thief who robs department stores. The story ends well when Santas ends up finding hope and a heart in from a little boy who is determined to give him a Christmas present.

5. Die Hard (R)

I cannot believe that some people have the nerve to debate the validity of Die Hard as a Christmas movie. It is set on Christmas Eve, John McClane delivers the gift of freedom, there’s a pregnant woman, and it has a great Christmas Song (Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC).   

4. Home Alone (PG)

There is no limit on the number of times that a person can watch and enjoy Home Alone. Macaulay Culkin is forgotten at home by his family as they leave on a trip. He is forced to battle a couple of dimwit thieves who he catches in the act of robbing a home.  

3. It’s a Wonderful Life (PG)

Not only is this a Christmas movie, but it is also a classic movie despite the genre. Few films define Christmas like Frank Capra’s 1946 fantasy starring Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, who, on the verge of committing suicide, is visited by an angel who shows him the true importance of his life.  

2. Trading Places (R)

Trading Places doesn’t get enough praise as a Christmas movie. This movie embodies everything about the Christmas spirit. It starts a few days before Christmas and ends after New Years Day. What better way to embody the Christmas spirit than by charity, love, and a little payback!  

1. A Christmas Story (PG)

Absolutely and unequivocally the Best Christmas movie of all-time! This movie teaches you about bullying, leg lamps, washing your mouth out with soap, and air rifles. It is impossible to forget the best line from the entire movie, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”