I haven't been following the NBA super-hard for these first couple of weeks, sorta besides the Warriors and the Spurs. So there are still a number of teams I haven't seen play yet. But I do have a few observations I wanted to share, albeit nothing, as for now, that probably hasn't been stated in one way or another before:
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
As long as they're around as a tangent, Steve Kerr is going to start the Splash Bros. + Draymond, a decision which, all things considered, I've come to respect.
Green may not be as agile as days past, but he still has a defensive presence. Meanwhile, Steph has never been a stopper. And whereas I do sorta remember a time when Klay was applauded for his defense, that time definitely isn't now, the way Donovan Mitchell recently ran roughshod over him. In other words, the Splash Bros. can be considered akin to defensive liabilities. But in most cases, they're able to counteract that reality with their historically-unparalleled offensive output.
That said, if those three are going to start no matter what, then Kerr should perhaps be considering adjustments elsewhere, lest the Dubs have serious problems with younger teams that actually have their shit together (i.e. the Thunder). I'm a strong advocate of experimenting with starting Jonathan Kuminga over Andrew Wiggins.
Neither, to my knowledge, are known for their defense. But I can envision Wiggins making more of an impact coming off the bench than as a starter at this point. And maybe having the lanky Kuminga start over him will make their starting five more intimidating defensively, kinda like how Victor Wembanyama is able to intimidate offensive players solely with his length.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
Speaking of Wembanyama, anyone who's been reading this blog knows that I'm a strong advocate of the traditional strategy of the biggest guy on the team playing in the post. But one of the issues in that regard with Victor is that even though he's hella tall, he really isn't that big. Also, his current skillset is more akin to a 2 than a 4 or 5.
I don't know if Tim Duncan is still lingering around, but what Wembanyama really needs is someone of a similar stature to himself, like Duncan or Olajuwon, to teach him post moves. If he learns how to play with his back against the basket, it's hard to imagine any defender in the NBA getting up high enough to block his shot attempts.
That said, the Spurs almost recently beat the Raptors, which would have been an impressive win, even if in San Antonio. But ultimately, their lack of depth showed.
BOSTON CELTICS
I have to give it to the Celtics that they've started off a lot better than I thought they would be. From what I've seen, Jrue Holiday is not playing a traditional PG role. But he's so good of an all-around player that he's had the desired effect nonetheless. And I have to tip my hat because the way I've seen him exploiting defenders all around the court has caught me by surprise. Like he may actually be Boston's best post player.
I also have to give it up to Kristaps Porzingis. There are certain teams in the NBA (Jazz, Mavericks and esp. the Celtics) who I believe are more conducive to the development of White players than others. And it may just be all in my head, but Kristaps now looks happier than I've ever seen him in his entire NBA career.
He's no longer burdened by high expectations - as he was in New York and, to a lesser extent, in Dallas - because there are at least two or three other guys in Boston who are generally considered to be better than he is.. Also, for the first time ever, he's on a contender. So here's to hoping that his health keeps up, and maybe I'll no longer look like a fool for once predicting that he may one day be better than Lebron.
NEW YORK KNICKS
The success of last season was sort of a fluke - for lack of a better way of putting it - for the Knicks. With that in mind, you have to wonder why they traded Obi Toppin (for a couple of second round picks?!). He wasn't putting up major numbers but was visibly a key cog in the team's unexpected success. Oh, the fukin Knicks.
Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson is still averaging 24ppg but obviously isn't a number-one option. Even back when he was overachieving in Dallas, still everyone knew that the true alphadog was Luka, even if he was injured. So it wasn't necessarily like the onus was on Brunson, sorta like it is now.
Julius Randle, when in his stride, is the most-impactful player on this team. But it's now becoming increasingly evident that he too isn't an alpha per se, at least not on a night-in, night-out basis.
So what the Knicks need now is an exceptional strategy. This team is still relatively, even if not intimidatingly, deep. And Thibs running dudes into the ground or whatever isn't going to solve the problem.
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