Parity Achieved?

Incepting is a fine art.  On one hand, you want to subtlety influence thoughts.  But in doing so, there's the high possibility of what's being relayed not being understood in full or stretched.

Let me give you an idea of what I mean.  I was the first writer, at least that I know of, who was like wait a minute, the Lakers did not have an "A+" offseason.  Right after that post, I noticed the mainstream media began embracing that idea.  But I wasn't like criticizing LAL's roster per se.

Walker Kessler, as it currently stands, is far from an "A-list center", at least in terms of production (tho he's now like a celebrity).  But at least he holds more promise for the franchise than Ayton did.

Or let me say if I were dissing anybody, it wasn't Luka or Kessler or Reaves but rather the braintrust.  Dudes have been striking out for years now.  And even in my last post, when I implied that Doncic is in a worse position (in terms of potentially winning championship) now than he was with the Mavs, let me point out that offensively, he's by far the most-versatile PG in the league.  So the logic would sorta be that yeah, go out there and get him the best 5 you can afford and then fill out the middle, sorta like the Knicks have done, since wings are more or less in abundance these days.

I'm sure I even said this before, that one of the many major mistakes the Lakers have made of late was last year, they should have traded Lebron, not AD, for Luka.  They're fucked up because now, the mythic Lakers' mystique that made the best of the best want to play for the franchise is no longer there.

Being LAL, you're not even supposed to be out there chasing centers type shit.  They rather should want to play for you.  And Wemby just signed like a five-year extension, I'm pretty sure fully guaranteed, so who knows when or if Los Angeles will get the best C in the NBA again.

This is something else I noticed recently.  I was the first writer, at least that I know of, who was like yeah, if Lebron wants to win a championship with one of the teams on his shortlist, the Sixers are the best option.  Then, the mainstream picked up on that also.  Prior to making that statement, they were just as much, if not moreso, advocating the likes of the Nuggets, Heat or Cavs in terms of LBJ bringing home another trophy.

Then when he finally made his decision, I was like, big fun but still, not a guaranteed championship.  After posting that, now the mainstream is questioning 'his fit' in Philly.  But prior to making that statement, it seemed that they were all for it and super excited.

So this is what I wanted to clarify.  Embiid, not Lebron, is the x-factor.  There is one thing I've been saying for like five years straight that the mainstream media never reiterated, sometimes I believe because they're too afraid or perhaps are disallowed from doing so.  LBJ absolutely sucks on defense.  He's an alltime great defensively, you know, when you go back to earlier in the century.  But now, relatively speaking, he's old AF.

They say that, when NBA players start to age, the first thing to go is their athleticism.  But with some players, except those who are really locked in on that end (like Draymond), the first thing to go is rather their defensive awareness.  Go and look at some of Kareem's games later in his career.

I spoke of this many times before, based on my own experiences and observations.  Once dudes start circling 40, you can't really count on them to play defense anymore, nor can you chastise them for not doing so, because you know, they're like elders and shit.

EASTERN TEAMS THAT CAN DEFEAT PHILLY

So the way I see it, there are currently two, maybe three teams (if the Raptors actually get Kawhi) in the East than can defeat Philly, even if the Sixers are at full strength.  First is the Knicks, and I say that with a grain of salt, because losing Mitchell Robinson was indeed a big loss.

You'll notice that the two teams that made the Finals last season, neither was dealing with major injuries.  So here's to hoping that NYK lucks out like that again.

In 2025, when Robinson was injured during the postseason, NYK got upset by the Pacers.  I don't know much about 'the dreaded second apron' and shit like that.  But maybe in this case, you know, after just winning a historic championship, Dolan shoulda just bit the bullet.

The Knicks entered the last couple of seasons with the most all-around talented starting lineup in the NBA, even moreso than OKC.  But now, presuming that Lebron will start and also with the addition of Brown, Philly is more talented offensively.

And here's further testament to just how great James is.  He's made the world more or less forget that, oh shit, Giannis just teamed up with Adebayo, instantly giving the Heat the most potent twin towers in the league and arguably even of the last 40 years, since Olajuwon teamed up with Samson.  Off the top of my head, there's only like three other teams I can think of, maybe four, that currently have viable twin towers.  But unlike the rest, Miami has two 7-footers who are basically wings.

Some years back, I predicted that the NBA will eventually get to the point where you have teams with like five Giannises, you know, like five Garnetts type shit.  The Heat right now are closest to fulfilling that prophecy.  And let's not forget that they have more of a winning culture than the Knicks or Sixers.  Old ass Pat Riley, who deadass coached the Showtime Lakers, is still in the game calling shots.  And they're one of the top three organizations not only in developing talent but getting it to mesh.

THE VALUE OF A GLUE GUY

And let's not forget the Cavs also.  They've been getting dogged a lot of late, and no one really believes in them, understandably so, since they've been one of the deepest teams for like three seasons now but never really achieved shit as a unit.  But that said, finally making to the ECF, they have experienced progress.  And despite losing Dean Wade and perhaps one or two peripheral dudes, it's not like these guys are scrubs.  They have two lock future HOFs, one in his prime - and potentially a third also.

What Cleveland needs is a glue guy at the 3 who can make all of these pieces click which, all things considered, is a formidable task.  And that's an interesting observation, because how many years now have the Cavs needed that 3?  But instead, they're out there trading for PGs and shit.

People sleep on the likes on Josh Hart (and Draymond).  He may never put up the type of stats that rationalize a max contract, but trust me, it's unlikely NYK would have won that championship without him.

When a team is overtalented yet not necessarily compatible, you usually need someone who can make it all click.  If the Cavs had Hart, they could win a championship.

Back when Lebron teamed up with D-Wade and Bosh, that player was Mario Chalmers, who never got his flowers.  When Shaq played with Kobe, the Lakers had a number of glue guys.  But those types that can actually facilitate championships, they're rare, perhaps because they don't get ample love.

You have a better chance making a name for yourself as a chuck than someone willing to sacrifice.  So besides Hart and Green, currently I can't even think of anyone else who Cleveland can slot in there to desired effect.  That's how awkward - for lack of a better word - their starting lineup is.

PARITY ACHIEVED?

Whether or not parity has already been achieved depends on your definition of the word, whether it means everyone being in the middle, or rather everyone potential champions.  We're about to enter a season, for the first time ever that I can think of, with like 10 contenders - at least three in the West (don't sleep on the Rockets) and perhaps even six or seven in the East (don't sleep on the Wizards either).  This should be interesting, you know, if the U.S. doesn't bake and become too hot to even play basketball inside.

AMENDMENT (27 JULY)

In terms of mentioning the best twin towers of the last 40 years, I forget to shoutout Duncan + Robinson.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 11)

NEW YORK KNICKS (2) vs BOSTON CELTICS (1)

The Celtics drubbing of the Knicks in Game 3 was, imo, the biggest win of any series in the Playoffs thus far.  Yes, Cleveland pulled off same thing in Indiana after falling into a 2-0, home-based hole.  But the difference, this is in fact BOS vs. NYK, with the Celtics being considered the opponent the Knicks must overcome to reach that next level.  Indiana beat NYK last postseason, not Boston, but still, everyone knows that beating the Celtics is the true mark.  Meanwhile, NYK failed to do so in four attempts during 2024-25 Regular Season, including having their asses handed to them, at MSG, back in February.

It was that February embarrassment when all of the pundits were like 'damn, these Knicks are stacked, but they still aren't ready to topple the Celtics'.  So it's like dudes really need to win.  If they don't, there's going to be more questions than answers.

One thing I'd probably suggest, if it weren't this late in the season, is starting Miles McBride, most likely over Hart.  McBride is sort of a one-trick pony who I wouldn't expect to be able to really defend any guard in Boston's rotation.  But he plays hard and appears to be really proficient at scoring, i.e. making threes.  So if given more of an opportunity, maybe he can counter some of the Celtics' shooters.  And as for Hart, maybe his energy will be more beneficial, in this series, coming off the bench.

All things considered, I don't think it's sustainable for Boston to continue shooting like 50% from three for the rest of the series.  But going back to the point I was trying to make earlier, it's like now they've reasserted their dominance over the Knicks, like some confidence, bully type shit, like 'you only won because I let you' type shit.  It sucks, from a New York fan's perspective, that they couldn't take Tatum & co.'s heart when they had the chance.

The Knicks won those first two games on last second plays, and obviously that type of luck, if you will, isn't sustainable either, not against a champion.  So the thing they need to worry about is not allowing themselves to fall into a big deficit early on, as has happened in all three games thus far I think.

DENVER NUGGETS (2) vs OKC THUNDER (1)

I'm sure I said even way back when this season began that if any team in the West was likely to give OKC serious issues in a series, it would the Nuggets.  I don't know if Jokic + Gordon would classify as a twin towers, but they have the size to counterbalance OKC's bigs.  Aaron Gordon has the bulk of a traditional PF yet the athleticism and shooting ability of a SF.  I can't think of anyone else in the NBA who fits that description besides Lebron and maybe Tobias Harris.  Besides those two or three, I can't even think of anyone else who's big like PFs from the 1990s, period.  It definitely ain't these tall, lean "unicorn" types.  When I hear the word "unicorn", I think of My Little Pony and shit like that.

By this point, I'm convinced that the mainstream media has something against Russell Westbrook, since they refuse to show him ample love, i.e. give him credit, consistently as due.  Every once in awhile they'll mention him, maybe.  He's getting like the DeMarcus Cousins treatment.  So with this being NBA Inception, the next step is to theorize on what it is they may have against him, though that's a post for another day.

The thing that's really fuckin OKC up is that all of the Nuggets' starters - surprise surprise - are both healthy and effective.  I, at least, didn't see that coming, especially not this deep into the Playoffs.  Let's hope it remains that way, so it won't be one of those series like 'the only reason this team won is because an integral player on the other squad was injured'.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) vs MIINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (2)

Speaking of which, the T-wolves are the luckiest team in Playoffs thus far, as even without Steph, they had to go almost down to the wire to beat GSW in Game 3.  So if Curry were around, you already know.

Minnesota came out arguably better from that KAT deal, but, I mean idk with this squad. They've had issues maximizing rosters for like the past decade, now even post-KAT.  Well, I guess I can't really say that until they maybe beat the Warriors and then face whoever it is they'll be facing in the WCF.  But beating the overrated Lakers and then maybe GSW with an injured or hobbled Steph, like those shouldn't be counted as major accomplishments for a squad of this caliber.

I'm starting to respect the coaching stylings of Steve Kerr.  He's been doggedly loyal to the team's (star) vets, even as they've aged, yet at the same time makes bold, unexpected roster moves.  But by this point, if Steph must come back next season, then they really need to start exercising the option of him coming off the bench for a number of reasons.  None of us (outside of Minnesota) want to see him hurt at this point in the season.

INDIANA PACERS (2) vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1)

I guess the implicit lesson of Game 3 is Darius Garland being more important to the Cavs' success than a lot of us assume.  Cleveland is stacked, but apparently they need all of their stars to win against a quality team or whatever.  That may come back to haunt them if they go on to face the Celtics.

The way Haliburton fizzled out of Game 3 reminds me of Myles Turner unexpectedly doing the same against Boston during one of those pivotal games during last season's Playoffs.  I don't know what to make of these types of occurrences, especially for someone who's a perennial allstar, like Tyrese is supposed to be.  Maybe the Cavs' defense is really that good?  Anthony Edwards sometimes does the same thing, i.e. disappearing during big games.  So I guess shit happens or whatever.  But now you see why dudes be calling Haliburton overrated.

Speaking of Edwards, earlier I forgot to mention the way he banged on Looney in Game 3.  Golden State's interior D is atrocious - as it's more or less been for the past few years - so there were a number of times it looked like "Ant-Man" could've banged it if he really wanted to.  Btw, "Ant-Man" is the most nonimaginative, unapplicable nickname in the NBA.  But that said, the 2025 Playoffs have featured some of the illest dunks ever.  Remember what Gordon did to Holmgren in Game 1, what Nesmith did to Spida in Game 2?  And there's at least one or two other ones from this postseason I'm forgetting at the moment.

Lakers' Team Chemistry Officially Destroyed

This is something I wanted to bring up even before the Lakers' got their asses handed to them last night by the Oladipo-less Pacers, which they are calling LBJ's worst loss ever. When you put players on the trade block, especially who are tenured (as in being drafted and only identifiable with one squad), it's going to destroy team chemistry - especially when the trade doesn't go through and particularly in this case, where the Lakers tried to part ways with over half of their roster.

Sometimes you hear NBA pundits talking about "Lebron-ball", which is a theory that states having Lebron on the court is detrimental to a team. But I think we all know that's more or less BS. The true threat Lebron poses is that for whatever reason(s) when he's on a team (that isn't Miami) he's given executive-like influence. So if Lebron wants Anthony Davis then Lebron gets Anthony Davis, even if we have to sh*t on three-fourths of our squad to do so. For some reason, even though this dude is in his mid-30's and has more or less been a professional athlete his entire life, Lebron has yet to grasp the concept of team morale.

Then there's Magic Johnson. In the entire history of the NBA, from a fan perspective Magic is the most-lovable player ever. But when it comes to actually using his brain, well, let's just say he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. And he also seems ready to, at any given moment, sh*t on virtually any player on the Lakers' roster whose name isn't Lebron.

It's hard to imagine the Lakers' true core (Ball, Kuzma, Hart, Ingram) giving their all to help LBJ reach the next level with this team considering the way they are generally treated. I'm sure the 42-point loss last night was their way of telling Lebron - and I guess by extension even Magic - 'fuk you'.

I understand that basketball-wise AD is probably more valuable than all four of those guys put together. And I believe that he, being undoubtedly the best center of this generation, should be on the Lakers even moreso than Lebron. But as mature adults, the executives who are running these organizations need to be more sensitive to players' feelings if they realistically expect them to bring their all to the court.

SUGGESTION

Maybe the Lakers should instead trade Lebron for AD?