The Dilemma of the Unneeded Superstar

I know I talk a lot of shit, but I understand that in reality being an NBA GM type can't be easy - if for no other reason than having to deal with actual human beings are opposed to everything being theoretical or in your head.

For example, it's one thing if I say 'hey, maybe the Pistons are better at this point without Cade Cunningham'.  But it'll be a whole 'nother ballgame for Detroit's braintrust to actually bench him accordingly.  And I can see both the positives and negatives of letting Cade ball.  You can rationalize this decision by arguing that the Pistons will inevitably need him at some point in the playoffs.  But on the downside, the way the team was hot, maybe they would have done better by waiting for that moment rather than instantly forcing him back into the spotlight.

WHAT MAKES A SUPERSTAR?

There's this old saying that in the NBA, a superstar is "a player who makes his teammates better".  I don't know if I necessarily believe that 100%, but let's apply that argument to Cade.

Please forgive me if I don't feel like googling for exact statistics, but in summation, the Pistons started off the season really hot, to the point of Cunningham being in the MVP conversation and the team securing the number1 seed.  Despite playing alongside a fellow allstar in Jalen "Woolridge" Duren, Cade is undoubtedly the face of the franchise.

Then, I think about a month ago, he suffered a "collapsed lung".  Now I don't know exactly what a "collapsed lung" is, but shit sounds life threatening by default.  But lo and behold, not only is he back for the postseason but even the team's very first game.

Now this is why, by that above definition, Cunningham would definitely be a superstar.  The Pistons, under his leaderships, had gotten to the point where they actually playing better without him.  So between October and March, when Cade was healthy, he did in fact make his teammates better, because if you go back like a season or two ago, when dude was hurt niggas was garbage.

And this isn't as much of an anomaly as some people may think.  When Jordan retired the first time, the Bulls would have made it all the way back to the NBA Finals, without him, if not for that bullsh*t call on Hubert Davis.  It was Pippen and them playing in the shadow under Jordan those previous years which got them to that level of greatness.

There was also a time, earlier this season, when the Thunder were virtually unbeatable without Jalen Williams.  Yeah, you really did make your teammates better, mate - so much better that now they can score without you.

SHOUTOUT PAOLO

Readers of this blog can attest to the fact that I've been very critical of Banchero's style of play, like he's DeMar DeRozan, despite being the size of a baby ram.  But now you see your boy finally crashing the paint and reaping the benefits thereof.  He's like a latino Lebron or some shit, like get in his way if you want.

In fact, the league as a whole is starting to re-realize how important the post is, you know, as the easiest place to score from on the entire court.  Lebron also recently had his 'wait a minute' moment, with the Rockets paying the price.  So these teams that are built to defend solely from the perimeter, they're going to have some big problems into the foreseeable future.

In a way, I guess you can say Shai started this trend, but I think it also has a lot to do with the decline of Steph.  Now that his magic is on and off, everyone else is starting to come back to reality.  Talk about influential.

CONCLUSION

The way the Pistons were rolling, even if Cunningham was ready to come back, there was really no need to rush it.  But if they do go on to experience an extended playoff run, I guess the sooner he's back into the mix, the better(?). 

260415 NBA Play-In Ruminations

HORNETS DEFEAT HEAT IN CHARLOTTE

This was a really close game, which makes you wonder what the outcome would have been if Adebayo were able to play throughout.  Now, they're saying that injury he suffered in the second quarter was the result of a dirty play on the part LaMelo Ball.  Oh well, this isn't the first time a franchise player was taken out in a playoffs series by a dirty play.  But you would hope the powers-that-be can come up with a more fitting punishment than just a fine.  Maybe, they should penalize Ball by having him sit out after the first 1.5 quarters of the Hornets next game.

BRANDON MILLER

I remember when Charlotte fans booed when Miller was drafted.  But in the small sample I've seen, he looks like the perfect 2guard to play alongside chucking 1guards like Ball and White.

KEL'EL WARE

"Semi-Wemby" did a good job filling in for Adebayo.  Ware appears to be starting material, which makes you sorta question his future with Miami since they already have Bam.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE (HEAT)?

I had big hopes for Miami this season, and, as much as I hate to say it, I think the loss of Rozier is more impactful than a lot of people think.  "Lil Chauncey" has never been an all-star, but he's always been a talented scorer.

My biggest issue with the Heat is that they appear to lack on-court structure.  Based on the highlights, they were relying heavily on iso plays.  This is why I've been suggesting for years that they might as well let Bam be the defacto (starting) point (if Jacquez is going to continue coming off the bench).  That may actually work, with Ware at the 5.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE (HORNETS)?

I wasn't overly impressed by the way the Hornets won.  I know that the NBA is now a three-point league(?), and Charlotte has some exceptional chucks - I mean shooters - but over reliance on threes is never ideal.  They also appear to be undersized in the post.

But that said, what they lack in size and structure, they make up in youthful energy, which can take you far in sports.  Also, I am kinda glad they won, you know, like their uniforms are more colorful, and the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, which always seems to feature the same teams, may be different this year.

BLAZERS DEFEATS SUNS IN PHOENIX

If you look at the boxscore, the only Suns' player who had a positive plus/minus is Dillon Brooks.  That's why he's one of my favorite players, even if he does sometimes pick fights he can't finish.  And even though the Suns' season isn't over (yet), I'm kinda hoping already that next year he finds himself on a better squad, maybe like the Magic, who can capitalize on his skillset more, you know, if Phoenix fails to make any type of notable upgrade.  It isn't ideal for this generation's Draymond(?) to be stuck on a middling team.

DEMI AVIDJA

I kinda slept on, so much so that I think this is the first time I've ever mentioned him in this blog.  But now that I've finally seem him play, his style style reminds me of Manu Ginobli though stronger(?) and more skilled.

JALEN GREEN

It's easy to love/hate Jalen.  He's mad talented, but when it comes to decision making, he has sorta that Westbrook energy about him.

MATISSE THYBULLE

Perhaps the last of the non-scoring defensive stoppers still in the league - so much so that I was thinking the Blazers waived him a long time ago.  When he made a key play late in the game, I was like 'oh shit, Thybulle is still around?'  And even tho I can't exactly explain why, it makes me happy to know he's still playing, like the league still has a place for pure (wing) defenders.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE (PHOENIX SUNS)?

Time for me to beat a dead horse - the Suns are still reeling from losing CP3.  What they don't  understand, going back to Booker + KD + Beal and subsequently with Booker + Green + Brooks, etc. is that if you have a roster full of talented, privy-to-shoot wings, then it's best to have a respected, pass-first PG to control them.  Pass-first PGs and furthermore respected ones are increasingly becoming a thing of the past, but there's still a couple of teams that can use them.  Like I don't fully understand why neither Paul nor Ben Simmons aren't currently signed.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE (PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS)?

In all likelihood the Blazers are going to get their asses bust by the Spurs, but at least they're a good watch.  In any event, even if they do lose in the First Round, I think their season can be considered a success.  2025-26 was supposed to be like a throwaway for them, but instead of tanking they've reestablished a winning culture.  And don't forget that next year, Dame is supposed to be back.

CONCLUSION

This was a thrilling first day of the 2026 Play-Ins, with both games going down to the wire.  But it's still kinda difficult to understand how all of this shit works with the brackets and everything.

Analyzing the 65-Game Rule

There's been a lot of debate lately about the NBA's "65-Game Rule" when it comes postseason-award eligibility.  The mainstream media, d*ckriders that they are, appear to be against it, instead arguing that exceptional players like Edwards, Cunningham and Doncic should be awarded, despite their regular inability to take the court.  (And let's not mention the fact that with a couple of those guys, their teams are actually playing better with them injured).  I'm not calling these journalists d*ckriders as an insult, but when it comes to celebrities and especially entertainers, you know, you can't be a fan and objective at the same time.  A reporter shouldn't sound like a celebrity's publicist or agent.

So I agree with Adam Silver that the rule is working as intended.  And furthermore I would say that it's doing so on a couple of fronts.

DISCOURAGING TANKING

If the best player on your team is forced to suit up 65 games for at least 20 minutes, it should be harder for said team to lose because, if he's aiming to potentially land a postseason award, it's not like he can just go out there and do nothing.  You know, he can't pull a Rozier type shit.

DISCOURAGING LOAD MANAGEMENT

At the end of the day, you can't get angry at someone for being (genuinely) injured.  But I've been speculating for awhile that a lot of these injuries are suspect, not the player pretending per se but also like the organization preserving star's strength or minimizing their risk of injury for the postseason.  And you know, that logic is sorta understandable in today's NBA.

And that's why, yes, even a quality B-lister who can suit up 65+ games deserves a postseason award more than a regularly-injured A-lister.  This is what some people may term as an entitlement mentality and may even argue is contributing to the degradation of society.

Awards are supposed to be based on achievement and, in the case of team-based professionals, contribution to the organization.  So yeah, in the case of the Timberwolves for instance, maybe someone like Julius Randle or Naz Reid needs to be recognized this season more than Anthony Edwards.  They'll never be as popular or make more money that Ant-Man but at least are there for the team and fans.

THIS IS PROFESSIONAL "ATHLETICS", AFTER ALL

An "athlete", i.e. someone who's considered more athletic than the average person, isn't just an individual who can jump higher, run faster or shoot better.  What makes a person an athlete, and especially a multimillion-dollar one, is also supposed to be there endurance, i..e the ability to achieve the aforementioned feats on a consistent basis.

If some dude goes out there and averages 20ppg, afterwards gets injured and henceforth can't even walk straight without painkillers, then dear reader, I would contend that you or I are probably more athletic at that point than he is.  When you hear the word "athlete", the first thing that's supposed to come to mind is health and geniune strength, not big muscles and shit like that.  Those skinny-ass marathon runners are some of the best athletes in the world.

And that's one of the problems with the modern NBA, that I've already cried about numerous times in this blog.  You have these incredibly skilled players whose bodies simply aren't strong enough to consistently be on the grind.  I would speculate that most people couldn't endure an NBA season, which is supposed to be the main factor - not the ability to shoot jumpshots or dribble or rebound - that differents us average people from NBAers.  Roughly 80% of the NBA game is running up and down the court, which btw is pretty damn big.  And that's one you have someone like Dennis Rodman, with no discernible basketball skills to speak of, arguably being the best defender in history.

CONCLUSION

That said, I'm definitely not advocating anyone going out there and destroying their body in the name of a postseason award.  If you can play half a season's game (or less) and still make a gazillion dollars, like Joel Embiid for instance, then more power to you.  Ultimately, the biggest award is a championship, I guess.  And speaking of the likes of Embiid, George and Tatum, they're not going to win any individual awards this year, but at least they're fit(?) for the playoffs.

But at the end of the day, this is really about the fans.  Adam Silver, he's like a man of the people.  He knows that we want more teams, and he also knows that organizations intentionally fielding scabs is a betrayal to the customer.  Merchandising, TV deals, ticket sales - all of the ways the league makes money ultimately traces back to the fans.  And I'm glad that the Commissioner is that not letting this hardcore capitalist way of thinking, i.e. charging premium for an inferior product, take over the NBA.