Random Wax: 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball

 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball: The playoffs start today!  The farce that is the play in games don't count.  We'll kick it off with a favorite of mine, Jimmy Butler, whose Miami Heat are the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.  Excited for the playoffs.  Both conferences have plenty of great teams and matchups.

This pack was actually bought in November 2020 but I'm just now getting around to sharing.  That isn't a big deal but sometimes the cards I scanned at the time are telling.  Walker had just come off an All-Star year in his first season with Boston.  Russell had just played part of the previous season with the Warriors before being traded to the Timberwolves.  Fox was on the upswing with the Kings.

Okoro still hasn't gotten a ton in traction in the NBA for Cleveland.  I enjoy seeing Gail Goodrich on cardboard.  He was so good.  Known more for his time with the Lakers he also played for Phoenix and the New Orleans Jazz.  I also like the inclusion of mascots in this set.

Pretty good pack and I really enjoy looking back at packs I picked up some time ago.  We'll end it with Ja Morant, star of the #2 seed in the Western Conferences, the Memphis Grizzlies.  Outstanding year for both. 

BREAKDOWN:
18 - Total Cards
2 – Game Ticket Green Parallel 
1 – Mascot
1 – Winning Ticket
1 – 2020 Draft Class
1 – Purple Game Ticket Parallel

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball

2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks: Still have a few of these packs from last year to show off so let's knock one out.  Jimmy Butler has been in and out of the lineup for the resurgent Heat but he is having another good year in Miami.

No complaints with my pull.  Love seeing these old photos.  Can't wait to see Klay Thompson back on the court with the Warriors in the new year for the already dominant Warriors.  This design isn't my favorite of the Contenders brand but I still like them.

Retired greats are always appreciated.  Okoro is a wing for the Cavs but still hasn't found his shooting touch from deep though he has averaged nine points per game in his two seasons.  Some Sparty love.  

This was a good pack and always a fun brand to open.  The Ja Morant looks even better this year for the Grizzlies averaging 23 PPG, shooting 35% from three, and averaging almost seven assists per game.  

BREAKDOWN:
18 - Total Cards
2 – Game Ticket Green Parallel 
1 – Mascot
1 – Winning Ticket
1 – Front Row Seat
1 – Purple Game Ticket Parallel

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball

 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball: Another pack from November.  Tonight is the draft where every team has hope they might find that next star to help put their team over the top.  Trae Young is that guy for the Atlanta Hawks.  Young, drafted by Dallas, was traded to the Hawks who originally drafted Doncic.  The Hawks used the Mavs' first round pick they received to draft Cam Reddish (still a work in progress).

Definitely good pulls in these packs.  The set size isn't that large with 50 base cards, each having a photo variation.

Great seeing retired greats as part of the set.  Front Row Seat and Winning Ticket are inserts.

Mascots also get some love in this set.  Again plenty of stars to be had in these packs.  Fun pack and here's to hoping everyone's team finds "that guy" in tonight's draft.  

BREAKDOWN:
18 - Total Cards
2 – Winning Ticket
2 – Game Ticket Green Parallel 
1 – Mascot
1 – Front Row Seat

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks with an Auto

2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball:  This is one of the packs I found in the wild back in Novermber.  The NBA Finals kicks off tonight so I had to do some basketball.  I'll be rooting for the Bucks but the fact that Phoenix has never won a title makes them tough to root against.  We'll kick this pack off with Kawhi who is a PC guy.  Would have been nice to see what the Clip's series with the Suns looked like with a healthy Leonard.

I pulled one of the Ball brothers just not the one everyone is chasing.  I'll be curious where his career goes.  He's a restricted free agent I think and I'm not sure what to think of him at this point.  

Plenty of veteran star power in the pack too.  These guys look so young and I guess they were.  Almost unrecognizable. 

One of the two autos I pulled in the packs I grabbed at the time.  Zeke had a minimal role with Denver this year but it looked like he played OK given the limited opportunity.

More vets to round out the pack.  You can never complain when you pull an auto and with the base set at only 100 total cards (50 with a photo variation of each) you're gonna get some good players in these packs.   We'll end it with Zion.  Enjoy game one tonight!

BREAKDOWN:
18 – Total Cards
2 – Winning Ticket
2 – Game Ticket Green Parallel 
1 – 2020 Draft Class
1 – Red Game Ticket Auto #/99

2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball Blaster with an Autograph

 2020-2021 Contenders Draft Picks Basketball:  NBA draft is tonight so now is the perfect time to show these off.  Found these the beginning of the month.  It's been a long time since I've seen basketball cards on the shelf.  I didn't buy them all but I did pick up some packs as well as this blaster.  I'll show the packs off over time.  I'll start with the one rookie from last year who might be hotter than Zion himself.  I really like the Ja Morant is from a small school like Murray State.

This set lets us see current players and some NBA hopefuls in the college unis.  I really enjoy that about these sets. The base set is only 50 cards strong but each of these have a variation with a different photo.  Not sure why they just don't make the base set 100 cards with each player getting two cards but I guess the variations are somewhat tougher to get in theory.  I screwed up and didn't determine how many variations I received in this box.  ugh.  Variations are noted on the backs with a "V".  Makes it nice and easy.

I did pull a Red Cracked Ice Autograph #/23.  Nice variation on the autos.  Hard to tell if Ty-Shon Alexander will get drafted but obviously that would help this card quite a bit.  We'll find out tonight.  I also pulled an auto in one of the packs I'll be showing off at a later time.

I really like the inclusion of mascots this year and though they are a Blue rival the Michigan State Spartans have a great mascot in Sparty.  That Ben Simmons is a red parallel.  I like seeing retired greats but I'd prefer color photos.  Won't get too picky though.

Of course those players hoping to hear their name tonight are here but in smaller amounts in the insert sets.

The Contenders brand is a favorite of mine.  For some it gets repetitive.  This year's design is pretty good but not my favorite.  The backs are nice too giving us the school logo which I like seeing.  The "V" for variation cards would be right next to where the "23" is on this card back.  As a reminder the Sec/Row/Seat are the player's weight/height(feetinches)/jersey number respectively.  Fun box and good pull.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the draft plays out tonight.  And I don't remember ever seeing James Harden in his college uni. 

BREAKDOWN:

42 – Total Cards

5 – Winning Ticket

3 – Game Ticket Red Parallel

3 – Front Row Seat

2 – Mascots

2 – Retired Greats

1 - Red Cracked Ice Auto /23

1 – Red Winning Ticket Parallel