<center><h1>Trades, Rivalries, and Raptors! Oh My! - Swish Weekly - December 29th</h1></center>

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For the final edition of Swish Weekly of 2017, we have a great slate of articles and even one two-part podcast to quench your NBA content thirst.  We have articles about the upcoming trade deadline, the NBA's biggest rivalry since Bird-Magic, and a podcast covering each team's most interesting storyline so far this year.  Let's jump right in!

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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/26/16816722/trade-deadline-tyreke-evans-dario-saric-lou-williams-nerlens-noel

15 Players to Target Before the NBA Trade Deadline - The Ringer - Kevin O'Conner

It's that time of the year.  The cream has risen to the top and many of the teams in the middle need to decide whether they will be buyers or sellers at the deadline.  In this piece, O'Conner (who you have probably gotten familiar with by now if you've been apart of the newsletter) details fifteen guys who could be on the move come the NBA trade deadline.

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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/22/16809866/nba-triple-double-boom-russell-westbrook

**Big Bang Theory: What the Triple-Double Boom Means for the NBA's Future - The Ringer - Danny Chau**

While technically this article came out last Friday, I wanted to include it in this week's newsletter because it needs to be.  In this piece, Ringer writer Danny Chau talks about the triple-double boom and how it has affected the game.  Most importantly, it will change the way we look at statistics for years to come.

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https://theundefeated.com/features/lebron-james-vs-kevin-durant-matchup-is-unrivaled-in-todays-nba/

**LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant matchup is unrivaled in today's NBA - The Undefeated - Marc J. Spears**

The NBA has lacked a true, star-studded, championship-level rivalry since the years of Magic and Larry.  LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as you'll see from Spears' article on the subject, has the potential to eclipse Magic and Bird.  While LeBron and KD play down the perceived rivalry, neither one is willing to concede that the other has surpassed them.  For now at least, the torch has yet to be passed.

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https://news.nike.com/news/nike-nba-city-edition-uniform

**NBA "City Edition" Jerseys Revealed - Nike**

While I try to keep this newsletter exclusive to basketball written content, on Wednesday Nike and the NBA revealed 26 of the 30 "City Edition" jerseys.  While some iterations certainly miss the mark, many have a stunning subtlety that we don't normally see from NBA teams. My personal favorites are Boston, Portland, and Orlando.

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https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/26/16820640/one-thing-for-every-team-bill-simmons-kevin-oconnor-part-1
https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/27/16822908/one-thing-for-every-team-with-bill-simmons-part-2

**The Ringer NBA Show: One Thing for Every Team with Bill Simmons - The Ringer - Kevin O'Conner and Bill Simmons**

This is a fantastic podcast episode from Kevin O'Conner and Bill Simmons over at The Ringer is perfect for anyone who wants a great overview of the season thus far.  The first part is all of the teams under .500 and part two discusses each team over .500.  While I found the first part more entertaining, most people will probably care quite a bit more about the second part.  Both are great though.

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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2751008-every-nba-teams-worst-regret-from-the-year-2017

**Every NBA Team's Worst Regret from the Year 2017 - Bleacher Report - Adam Fromal**

This exciting piece from Bleacher Report writer Adam Fromal gives a nice wrap up for the year 2017 in terms of regrets for all 30 teams.  2017 was quite a year in the NBA and reading this article brought up aspects and events in the year that I had nearly forgotten about.  Each team made mistakes this year (some bigger than others), but overall it made for an exciting 2017.  Here's to hoping 2018 picks up where 2017 left off.

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https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/29/16826900/toronto-raptors-elite-east-january

**Show Us What You Got, Raptors - The Ringer - Danny Chau**

The Toronto Raptors have been one of the leagues most intriguing storylines of the past few years.  Led by one of the league's best backcourts, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors have seemed to improve as a team year over year, but always seems to have a bit of a letdown come playoff time.  It's hard to know whether this Raptors team is any different from previous iterations, but with a newfound efficiency in their offense, maybe this is the year things change.

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That's all for this week.  Hope you enjoyed the content for the final Swish Weekly of 2017.  We have a lot coming with the new year and we want to make sure you are getting the most of Swish Weekly.  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @SwishWeekly.  We would love to share Swish Weekly with as many NBA fans as possible, so please forward this email along and have your friends enter their emails at: https://mailchi.mp/dfef9429318a/swish-weekly-signup for the best NBA content delivered directly to their inbox every Friday.