Trying to Make Sense of the Knicks

I haven't been following this season closely in terms of observing gameplay, so maybe I shouldn't bc commenting on the Knicks like that.  But I've been a "fan" of this team for over 30 years, and a lot of the things I predicted with this current iteration of NYK is, sadly, coming true.

KAT THE SCAPEGOAT

I just recently learned that KAT won the 3-Point Contest a couple of years ago.  That's how good of a shooter he is - as a C.  But I still argue that it isn't ideal to have the tallest man on your squad more prone to shooting (long-range) jumpshots as opposed to taking it to the hole.

The way you mitigate such anomalies is by having the other players on the team, i.e. the wings, be above-average defenders and rebounders.  As far as starters go, the Knicks have more quality, all-around wing depth than any other squad in the league.  So even if Karl is out there hoisting up threes, the interior should be able to compensate.  You know, KAT is going to KAT.  And that's what makes the mediocrity of this team even more surprising.

THE "CURSE OF THE KNICKS"

If you're the type of sports' fan who likes to be disappointed you know, having a reason to be depressed at the office - 'I'm not feeling good today. My team has lost yet again' - then the Knicks are for you.  NYK rosters tend to fall into two categories which, in a way, are kinda one in the same.  Either they're contenders who, even if they make it to Game 7, somehow flunk in the Playoffs.  Or they have a talented, overpaid roster that just flunks in general.

Those Michael Jordan years, i.e. the early-1990s, I mean you can't blame anyone for losing to MJ.  But damn, were some of those losses painful.  And even when His Airness wasn't around, the Knicks failed to get over the hump.

There was that one asterisk season when they made it (back) to the Finals, only to have their asses handed to them by the Spurs, like when Tim Duncan was a rookie type shit, illustrating how even a much less-popular franchise can build a dynasty, while NYK can't.

Oh, and let's not forget circa the early 2012,  back when NY managed to land both Melo and Amare Stoudemire.  Theoretically, that was supposed to be best F combination in the league.  But first of all, they gave Amare like a max contract, even though by that time he was already on the perennially-injured list.  And second, remember that time he punched a fire extinguisher and in the process, extinguished any (false) hopes of the Knicks prevailing in the playoffs?  That's NYK for you.

Having too little of what you need is a curse, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, so is having too much.  Robert Kiyosaki, aka Rich Dad / Poor Dad, has this saying, when it comes to money, that he'd rather be cursed with too much than too little.  But that's not true in all cases.

You have a team like OKC who, faced with the challenge of not being a coveted free agency destination nor a franchise that's particularly favored by they powers-that-be, dug deep inside their own expertise and managed to put a potential dynasty together.  Braintrust-wise they're the envy of the league, at least for now, while a couple of their big 3 are still on their rookie contracts.

On the other side of the coin you have the Knicks, the premiere team (as compared to the Nets) in "the biggest market in the NBA", their home being the most famous arena in the United States, seemingly with all the money in the world, with every superstar free agent at least reportedly considering signing there.  Every year, credible reports emerge of the Knicks being after KD or Lebron or this season, Giannis.  After the Lakers, it's safe to presume that NYK is the most coveted player destination in the NBA.  And that's pretty amazing, considering how outstanding LAL's history is compared to the Knicks.

OVERTALENTED

But as I've been saying since the time they went out and hastily acquired KAT, this iteration of the Knicks are overtalented.  Karl's money could've rather been used to land what they really need, i.e. a versatile, defensive-minded C.  This team was not lacking in offensive firepower when they went out and got KAT.

All things considered, they'd been better off keeping Julius Randle, now that he's prover healthy.  I'm not saying that Randle is better than KAT.  But in the grand scheme of things he's just as effective, yet one of those players whose style doesn't take away from his teammates(?).

So what inspired me to write this post was reading today that, oh shit, Bridges is riding the bench during crunch minutes, if you can imagine that.  As far as two-way players go, i.e. dudes who are good on both offense and defense (unlike KAT or Brunson), Mikal is top-10 in the league.  Furthermore, as the NY Post has pointed out, the Knicks are paying him $150mil.  It's one thing when you have these star players getting paid a gazillion dollars to ride exercise bikes and shit.  But to have someone like that who's actually healthy riding the bench?  Only in NYK, dear reader.

So after this season is over and everyone is finally able to realize that what I'm saying is true, these are the questions that need to be asked.  Why did they go out and get KAT to begin with?  Why didn't they allow Bridges +Anunoby + Brunson to mesh first?  Why not let that core play out a full season without, you know, adding a superstar to mix  and then evaluate what type of additions to make?  Fuck happened to Mitchell Robinson?  TF you doing getting repeatedly blown out by the Pistons, who only have, relatively speaking, like two recognizable names on their roster?  The Pistons are supposed to be like small boys compared to the Knicks.  NYK beat Detroit in the playoffs last year yet somehow, since then, despite retaining all of their rotation players, have managed to get worse

CONCLUSION

You know how you go out and buy some really expensive shit and then later, when you're broke, start kicking yourself?  Or you know how, you know, you buy a really expensive car or outfit to get a particular girl, and she still rejects you?  That's how I see the Knicks.

Sometimes, having too much money and favor is a bad thing.  When there's limitations, you have to manage and use your brain.  But when the reins are off, you're able to do all types of dumb shit knowing that, win or lose, the money is going to keep coming in regardless.

NBA Power Stinkings (October 2025, Part 2)

This is the second half of the list, meaning that we're now dealing with the teams that performed better during this early part of the season.

16. UTAH JAZZ (3-4)

The Jazz are bucking the system by first of all going big and secondly starting three Whites - bold moves, albeit ones that have yet to translate to notable winning, though things could be worse.  A lot of hope was obviously placed in Ace Bailey, who made all types of noise during the offseason but has yet to make headlines for his on-court production as a pro.  So now, I agree with a report I read a couple of days ago, that Sexton is looking like the one who got away.  He was traded for Jusuf Nurkic, another big White guy though in his case one whom the Jazz apparently don't need.

17. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (4-3)

The Timberwolves are too talented to be garbage, but it's hard for me to get excited about this team, especially considering that they failed to make upgrades (while concurrently losing a key player) this past offseason.  I don't want to use the word fluke, but every time they make the WCF, it's like the other team proves that Minny doesn't belong.  Fans may be expecting or hoping that AE's game takes another leap, but I think he's already more or less reached his ceiling, which isn't a bad thing in his case, but you shouldn't expect him to power a team to the Finals in the West.  So it's like now, the braintrust has to step up and prove their worth, which will be hard since, to my understanding, the ownership is frugal.  Maybe when Anthony does come back, he'd be willing to play more of a secondary, complementary role.

18. NEW YORK KNICKS (4-3)

Generally speaking, the East has always been weak in the post-Jordan NBA.  Now arguably the two most-impactful players in the conference, Tatum and Haliburton, are injured, and the Knicks still appear unable to capitalize.

I don't think there's any one person to blame, but if I were to scapegoat somebody, it'd probably be KAT.  That's not a dig against Towns but rather the braintrusts he's played for, who never seem able to effectively put a roster around him that can mitigate his shortcomings, or however you want to put it.

NYK was supposed to build on the momentum of last (off)season and come into this one hot and hungry.  None of the key dudes on this roster, besides Anunoby, has ever won a ring (I think), and they haven't lost any of their keys pieces from 2024-25.  Maybe dudes really did need Thibs to keep a fire lit under their asses.  Anyway, I agree with Draymond that, as it currently stands, there really isn't any reason for opponents to fear the Knicks.

19. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (4-3)

Yes, I ranked the Blazers lower on the Power Stinkings than the Knicks.  Even devoid of the leadership of Chauncey "X-Ray" Billups, Portland has managed to establish and thus far maintain a non-losing record - something which honestly, I don't remember ever happening when X-Ray was around.

It's been awhile since I heard of Scoot Henderson, and I don't want to call him a bust, but the writing is kinda on the wall.  The hype can help, but it can also hurt.

20. MIAMI HEAT (4-3)

The loss of Terry "Lil Chauncey" Rozier stings, but I'm still expecting the Heat to overachieve, maybe even beat the Knicks in the Playoffs.  I just noticed that Herro isn't around, and once he does show up, that should be a boost.  Miami is currently starting twin towers, but once Tyler returns, maybe Ware, still a work in development, will return to the bench.  That'll give the Heat something like two formidable Cs, i.e. a quality(?) 5 on the court at all times, which is a luxury most teams don't have.

21. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (4-3)

The Warriors are still my favorite team to watch, even though I don't know half of the dudes on the roster these days.  Steph, you can see some nights he's not as vibrant as in days past, but you have to give it to dude - who's not only aged but has also won like every accolade imaginable - for at least retaining the competitive spirit into his late 30s.  If healthy, this is perhaps the one team in the entire West who opponents wouldn't want to run into come postseason.

22. DENVER NUGGETS (4-2)

As far as players are concerned, Bruce Brown returning to the Nuggets, imo, was the feel-good story entering this season.  But now looking at his production, he's sorta giving off that Westbrook, too-aggressive-for-his-own-good kinda vibe.

As for Cameron Johnson, he's more or less morphed into Porter Jr. 2.0, which I guess is sorta the plan, but still.  There's only so much ball (and space) to go around, and while I've been dogging Porter all these years, maybe he was forced into that mold by the Nuggets' structure.

23. MILWAUKEE BUCKS (5-3)

I like how the Bucks have started this season, as a team with championship pedigree, even though the roster is mediocre.  I still wish that Dame experience would've worked out, but it's time to move on already, even if those types of experiments mean your roster may be under par for awhile.

But of course, I'm not dissing anybody.  As a professional, you have to be ready even if unexpectedly the spotlight is thrust upon you.  It looks like a lot of unknowns will be making names for themselves (across the league) this season.  And of course there's Giannis who, even in the age of disgruntled, diva-like, ring-chasing superstars, remains the pride and heart of this small market team.  Shit like that can take you far, especially in the East.

24. HOUSTON ROCKET (4-2)

I haven't really been following the Rockets, but I guess, judging by their record, their starting to live up to expectations after a shaky start.  In effect, they gained Durant but lost both Jalen Green and VanVleet, and that's besides Dillon Brooks.  So the question remains, is this roster actually better than last season?  At least now, with KD signing that extension, you'd expect them to keep this cast together for a couple of season rather than doing any(more) rash shuffling.

25. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (5-2)

The Sixers have thus far exceeded expectations as far as I'm concerned.  Only those who made the decision actually know why they signed Paul George, as it was questionable from the jump whether he would contribute anything noteworthy on the court.  And now PG13 has been reduced to a non-factor, literally, as in the team may not even need him when he finally is playable.

26. DETROIT PISTONS (5-2)

I haven't heard much of the Pistons, and that may be a good thing.  Judging by their record, they're the only team in the East who had a notable postseason that has been able to pickup where they left off, and that's despite losing a couple of key role players.  All things considered, this may be the top team in the conference to actually fear.

27. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (6-2)

I'll admit that I wasn't expecting much from LAL entering this season, but there are a couple of things to consider.  For instance, after utterly failing at roster construction over the past couple of seasons, they somehow managed to nab two of the top three picks from the impressive 2018 Draft.  Ayton may never be a Hall of Famer, but he isn't a bum neither, and Los Angeles has always thrived when they had good Cs.

I wonder if LBJ, when he returns, will negatively alter the chemistry this team is building?  Sometimes, the team alpha being hurt is good thing, and that may be especially true, all things considered, with the current iteration of Lebron and LAL.  Hopefully when he comes back, he'll be more committed to fitting into the established mode (and playing D) rather than point-chucking.

28. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (5-1)

The Spurs have arguably the most domination-able player in the league, who's part of a young, hungry roster with at least one quality vet beside them.  There's still though something missing that doesn't make them team feel like contenders.  Maybe they're too young, inexperience and unproven.

Idk what the team's financial situation looks like, but if they have considerable dough to spare, San Antonio should be looking to add another vet, a borderline superstar even, sooner rather than later.

29. OKC THUNDER (8-0)

I haven't been overanalyzing this team, who they've been playing against and stuff like that, but I'll admit them going this far undefeated without Jalen Williams is impressive.  The Thunder are giving off that 'I know I'm better than you' type of confidence, which is like half the battle type shit.  They're not playing like they're trying to repeat; they're playing like they want other teams to prove their better, if so.  That may be the SGA factor because remember, at the start of his career no one was expecting him to one day be MVP.

30. CHICAGO BULLS (6-1)

When you look at the Bulls' roster, you know what I mean?  There's not a proven allstar among them.  Yet here they sit, on top of the East, which is something I would have never predicted, even for a single day, a month ago.  In the blink of an eye, Chicago has gone from 'who gives AF' to must-watch.  And the reason we must watch, if they maintain this standard, is to try to figure out why they keep winning.

Please Don't Do Anything Stupid (NY Knicks Edition)

I know I've been talking a lot of shit about the Knicks lately.  But in their defense, it should be noted that superteams rarely win championships in their first season together.

Moreover, it's arguable whether or not this iteration of the Knicks is actually a superteam.  The way I define a superteam is as:

• a squad whose core is made up of three perennial all-star level players, or
• a squad with two perennial all-stars buttressed by exceptional role players.

I've been saying for awhile that Mikal Bridges is one of the most-underrated players in the NBA.  That's something I picked up on when the Suns devalued him for KD, and dude was like a borderline all-star during his brief stint with the Nets.  But I don't know if Bridges + KAT + Brunson, would meet that first definition of a superteam.

As for that second, if we were the take it that the Knicks true core is rather made up of KAT + Brunson, yes, they're surrounded by some quality players, but the bench isn't deep enough to qualify as a superteam.  With that second definiton, I'm thinking more along the lines of those types of rosters that the Lakers surrounded Shaq + Kobe with back in the day, you know, during their last two championships.  During their first championship, history tends to forget that had Glen Rice by their side and therefore qualified as a straight-up superteam.

The funny thing is, this past season, the only squad that had a straight-up superteam was the Suns.  Bradley Beal has sorta fallen off of late, you know, if you're looking for a scapegoat.  I've been saying since his days in Washington that he was more or less overrated, and now, that's sorta been proven, though to my understanding injury is a major factor.  But anyway, as you know, Phoenix, with that stacked core, didn't even make the Play-Ins.  There's a lesson to be learnt there somewhere.

After the Suns, if I were forced to name another superteam, second on the list would the Knicks.  Talent-wise, NYK has the best starting five in the league.  They fared much better than Pheonix but went on to disappoint nonetheless.

But the point is, now I sorta agree with Jalen Brunson.  For what it's worth, NYK did make progress this season.  They were the only team to have two players start in the All-Star Game.  And they made it all the way to ECF, even if they had some notable 'luck' along the way.

The bottom line is, their current roster deserves at least one more chance.  What the Knicks should be focused on is edifying their bench and, if any player must go, trading Mitchell Robinson for another defensive big who's healthier.  But, once agian this is the Knicks we're talking about, not an organization that's necessarily known for its intelligence when it comes to roster construction.  So instead, we're met with rumors of them rather focusing on trading for Giannis, KD or, oh my goodness, Jason Kidd.  As for the latter, I don't know exactly how that deal would look, but I hope they aren't actually stupid enough to give up a valued rotation player for a coach who, as if the one that just departed, never won a championship.

Now let me be honest and say I can totally picture a frontline composed of KAT + Giannis.  Giaanis is exactly the type of frontcourt runningmate someone like Karl needs.  We already tried Rudy Gobert, but the lack of speed between the both of them wasn't ideal.  Then there's Mitchell Robinson - tall, lanky, quick and defense-first, someone who, in theory, should fit better next to KAT, who himself is more or less like a lumbering big.  But damn, those injuries.  It's like even when Robinson is healthy, he's isn't.

The problem though with trading for Giannis is, who are they going to give up?  The Knicks already gutted their roster last offseason, and whereas they've added guys like Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet and PJ Tucker(?), I think you know what I mean.

Then on the other side of the equation is, who exactly would the Bucks take back in return?  If Giannis goes, I think it's safe to say that would be start of a rebuild rather than Milwaukee still trying to win with the oft-injured Dame as their best player.  That experiment did not work out at all... because of injuries.  It's always sad to see a team fail just because its stars' bodies are banged up, you know, like back in the days when Grant Hill teamed up with Tracy McGrady.  It's like we'll never actually know how good they could have been.

That said, it's hard to imagine the Bucks, say, taking back Brigdes and Anunoby for Giannis.  A  two-for-one deal like would be more or less fair.  But again, there wouldn't be much sense sending Mikal and OG to a team that's rebuilding.  And for the Knicks, that would literally be one step forward, two steps backwards, sorta like they did in trading Randall + DiVincenzo for KAT, though that trade, transaction-wise, was more understandable.

And speaking of not making sense, I don't even know why the Knicks would consider going after KD.  It may sound like I do a lot of Durant bashing, but let me clarify that if I could meet any player in the NBA, it'd probably be KD.  He's someone I actually admire, like personality-wise.  He's also an offensive powerhouse, albeit one not known for defense at all these days.  Unfortunately for Kevin, his mind is stuck in a past where you could go out and grab two other all-stars and boom, a championship.  And even after witnessing the failure of the 2025 Suns, the Knicks are exactly the type of franchise who would comply with some dumb shit like that, you know, assembling a core of three superstars who none of them can play defense.  But I guess the logic would be that the best defense is a good offense, supporting players be damned.

CONCLUSION

The Knicks played well enough this season and were entertaining enough that fans deserve a runback.  Or if they must make additions and subtractions, let it be on some guru shit, like the Thunder did last offseason.

There comes a point where someone needs to sit James Dolan and them down and be like 'look, we need to choose a path and stick to it'.  Even the Trailblazers are on that shit these days.  Yeah, it's cool having more money than you can spend and the ability to shuffle superstars at will.  But there comes a point, even last offseason with NYK, where constantly making big transactions proves counterproductive.  Again, note the Suns.

The Knicks did take a stand bringing in Jalen Brunson a couple of seasons ago, and they followed up by acquiring the services of KAT last year.  Now, since they've made those decision, they need to focus more on acquiring players that will mitigate their weaknesses rather than engaging in perpetual starchasing.

In theory, being backed by Bridges, Anunoby and Hart, all of whom appear to be above-average defensively, should work.  If anything, NYK is over-talented.  But trading dudes to get another superstar does not, all things considered, sound like a viable short-term solution.

2025 NBA Playoff Ruminations (June 5)

Not all of my predictions are correct; no one's is.  But when it comes to foretelling a roster's fortune, you're probably better off reading this blog than resorting to mainstream outlets, some of whom are unable to figure shit out until months after I've already said it, besides sometimes outright biting my shit, you know, without a shoutout or nothing.

For instance, I'm the first pundit that I know of who was like, why TF did the Knicks trade for KAT?  I made that statement all the way back when the transaction first occurred, i.e. October 2024.  I'm not saying it was a bad move, but I did say it was hasty one, considering they had just acquired Miles Bridges, in another trade in which they sent out a few rotation players, like a couple of days prior.  Based on the Knicks playing style in 2023-24, Bridges was a better selection than KAT.  Yet with KAT, as I anticipated, Miles never really got to show his true potential.

And that's the reason why NYK is arguably the most-frustrating braintrust in the NBA.  They can do something spectacular, like acquiring Jalen Brunson back when he was underrated, and then follow up a season later by starchasing instead of properly using their noodle.

'Well, we got further this season than we did last season, so at least that's progress'.  No one wants to hear that shit, Jalen. Why?  Because the Knicks didn't lose in the 2024 Playoffs because of lack of talent.  They lost because of injury, in fact being the most injury-laden team in NBA Playoffs history that I've ever seen.  But within the timespan of just two months, they totally forgot about that and went about more or less retooling the roster.  Well now, they had the talent + health for the most part, but lack the compatibility, i.e. the roster being poorly and overly built.

So now all of a sudden, KAT is the scapegoat.  Well at least he was, until they fired Thibs yesterday, finally.  Meanwhile, NYK prolly would've gotten swept out of the ECF if not for Karl's performance in Game 3.

I was also the first person, while every other pundit was giddy with excitement, who was like Lebron + Luka is not going to work out.  You'd never know it looking at their current makeup, but back in the days the Lakers were like really-really smart when it came to roster construction.  That was back when the likes of Pat Riley and Phil Jackson and what's his name, that original owner dude, were still around.  Now, in the Lebron era, like there's a reason why I always say that GM Lebron is to be feared on an organizational level.  His presence may result in a quick championship, but good luck to your roster in the years that follow.

In defense of these less-than-analytical mainstream reporters, I think there's an advantage, when you're trying to make predictions, to not actually watching NBA games.  When you watch games regularly, it's easy to form biases or favorites based on personal reasons, or something like that.  It's more easy to get caught up in hoopla when you're consuming all the marketing and hype rather than actually using your own noodle.  Like I can imagine the Knicks' braintrust just sitting around watching games all day.  'Hey, that guy KAT is really good, a double-double machine.  Let's get him, compatibility be damned'.  

That said, guru I may be, I'm not a betting man when it comes to the NBA, nor do I advocate such behavior, as in the grand scheme of things, predictions don't really mean shit if games are rigged.  But apparently, to be a long-term beneficiary of rigging, you have to be like a top-notch veteran.  And even these days, you know, I would say Lebron more or less fell out of the powers-that-be's graces a long time ago.  It's rather the Lakers' brand, so to speak, that's keeping him afloat.  And just forget about KD and them.  Like the mainstream is rightfully saying, there's a new day in the NBA, though I've also said that a long time ago, that professional athletics favors the young, and if the league doesn't rig for certain stars the youngsters would inevitably takeover, especially in this day and age of neverending injuries.

GIANNIS TO BOSTON?

My biggest fear when it comes to Giannis (please don't ask me to spell his last name) is that he ends up being a KD, a superstar bouncing around to different teams yet not winning shit.  Remember when Durant went to the Dubs back in the day - that was arguably the most-controversial free agency decision ever.  But it was also hella smart, because it doesn't look like he's going to win anymore championships beyond that.  Like there aren't any surefire squads in the NBA these days like the Dubs in their prime, except maybe OKC, who obviously doesn't need any roster additions.

Practically any team he goes to, except maybe some of those at the very bottom, will instantly become a contender.  Giannis can go to the Magic and, oh shit, they're contenders, like deadass.

But what I suggest, more than anything, is that he needs to go to an organization with a winning culture, and there aren't many of those.  The only two I can think of off the top of my head are the Celtics and Warriors.

I was reading an article a couple of days ago, I believe on Yahoo, that suggested Giannis stay in the East, since the Eastern Conference is easier, so to speak.  So on that note, I'd like to recommend the Celtics.  They're saying that Jayson Tatum may not come back next season.  But if Giannis comes to town, I'm sure that would expedite his return.

The problem is, who will Boston be willing to give up to get him?  This team needs it role players, even Jrue Holiday if Giannis shows up, since they're homeys type shit.  But you know, that's rich peoples' problems, not mine.

INDIANA PACERS vs OKC THUNDER

Of course I'm predicting the Thunder, as I have all season.  Imo, the only team with a roster that was able to beat them was the Nuggets, who they've already overcome.  That may have been the true Finals' series, so to speak.

But at the same time, I'm not going to completely count the Pacers out, because they're obviously on some miracle shit.  Like Steph Curry is a miracle-ass nigga, which is why you can never count Golden State out (unless he's hurt).  Meanwhile, Indiana has Tyrese "Steph of the East" Haliburton.  So this should be interesting, whether or not OKC can shut them down, like they did Minnesota.

Perhaps the bigger challenge, all things considered, will be the Pacers trying to stop the Thunder.  But they should've gotten some preparation in the regard facing the Knicks, who are apparently one of the better offensive teams in the league, even if they did disappoint.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (28 May 2025)

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (1) vs OKC THUNDER (3)

I haven't watched the highlights from Game 4 but am surprised that, based on what I've read, the Thunder were able to totally shutdown Randle and Ant-Man.  Either Julius and Anthony are overrated, OKC's defense really is that good, or there's something else going on.  I don't think they're overrated, but, you know what I mean?  Niggas ain't ready type shit.  Or like I was saying before, the competition, all players considered, is just flat-out superior.

Sometimes, it feels like the Wolves are cursed.  They have one of the better logos and braintrusts in the NBA but still more or less suck.  They aren't one of those franchises like, say, the Wizards, that haven't had a good roster in over a decade.  Remember that Minny once had KAT + Wiggins + Butler but still couldn't make it work, at all.  Meanwhile, their current roster is deeper and more versatile than most.  It isn't the braintrust (per se), and it isn't the players, so maybe it's the coaching.

Besides that, I don't want to say much except Minny should prolly be happy they even won Game 3.  Yes, I do think that it's suspicious that the best team in the NBA suffered their worst lost of the season, a 40+ point blowout(!), not during an inconsequential mid-January game but rather the Conference Finals.  But other than that, this series is more or less playing out as I expected.

Mike Conley may be an anachronism, but at least he isn't the scapegoat.  That's going to fall on Ant-Man, and I would presume, to a lesser degree, Randolph and Gobert.  The good thing about being a lesser-known player is that at least no one blames you when the team loses.

INDIANA PACERS (3) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (1)

The Pacers are now one of my favorite teams, as they arguably have the best brainstrust in the NBA.  They've made a number of unusual, arguably questionable (at the time) moves that are now paying off:

...retaining Myles Turner for over a decade, even though he's never made an all-star team.

...making Tyrese Haliburton the face of the franchise, at a time when he was virtually unknown.

...trading for Pascal Siakim who, previously being stuck up in Toronto, seemed to almost never get his due respect.

But more exceptional than any of that has been surrounding them with an overachieving supporting cast, composed of a bunch of dudes who like no one ever even heard of before last season.

I feel bad for the Knicks if they lose this series, because there's going to be more questions than answers.  Just yesterday, Yahoo published an article basically highlighting how poor of a defender Jalen Brunson is and accordingly, the Pacers targeting him on offense.  They even went as far as to point out that, according to some advanced metrics, he's one of the very worst defenders in the NBA.  Damn, I didn't know it was like that.  Meanwhile, he and Lebron "Godfather" James recently made the All-NBA Team.  That's obviously an accolade that's based primarily on offensive output than anything else.

Besides that, they're also implying that the much lesser-known Miles McBride is better defensively.  Damn.  If this were the regular season, I'd perhaps even suggest, as controversial as it would be, benching Brunson for McBride.  But it isn't, and you can't ask a reigning All-Star to suddenly give up his starting spot in the Conference Finals.

WILL THE LAKERS BE WATCHABLE NEXT SEASON?

Apparently, the answer to that question will be based on how much Luka + Lebron + Reeves you can endure, because it looks like they may be running it back with that same middling core.

More than any other franchise in the NBA, the Lakers have a history of attracting top-notch talent.  But damn, who can they even afford right now?  They're saying that if LBJ opts into his contract, LAL will be on the hook to pay him $55mil(!).  Even Lebron, as confident as he may be, has to be able to admit by this point that this roster is lacking, and he isn't known for being loyal to non-contenders.  But the question is, can even King James walk away from $55mil?

Luka, btw, didn't make All-NBA.  Having played only 50 games, he wasn't even eligible, despite his extraordinary all-around stats.  Does that mean that Lebron, who's almost 15 years his senior, is still a better player?  And if so, why did LAL go after Doncic to begin with (while losing AD in the process)?  That's the real question they should be asking themselves going forward, at least after this season, when they no longer have to pay Lebron.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 24)

INDIANA PACERS (2) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (0)

I didn't even include any exclamation marks in the above subtitle, because I personally am not surprised that the Knicks are in a 2-0 hole, even if they do have homecourt advantage.  Indiana disappointed me in the last round, in that they won even though I predicted and was rooting for the Cavs.  But it's like, fool me once type shit.

As for NYK, I'm not going to get ahead of myself and say okay, they're going to lose to series, even if it does very much look that way.  When they took those two games in Boston, it was on last-second plays.  But the Pacers are like straight up beating these dudes, you know, making history against niggas type shit.

I've been saying all season that the Knicks are overtalented, that Miles Bridges was a better acquisition for this roster than KAT, and as such they should have given the Bridges experiment more time before running out and chasing Karl.  James Dolan has obviously not been incepted.  If he were, he would have known that the era of impromptu superteams is over.

In the whole history of the NBA, an instant superteam only worked once in terms of instantly producing a championship.  That of course was the 2008 Celtics, and it was because it's star were actually compatible (and very hungry).  If the Knicks were actually thinking instead of starchasing, they would have went after a defense-first C instead of KAT.  And my further argument is that, dickridin' a player who isn't compatible with your roster isn't becoming of a professional braintrust at all.

So with that in mind, lol @ NYK.  I can't help but to get at least a few 'I told you so's in.

Beating the up-and-coming Pistons and the limp Celtics (and more or less struggling on both occasions) was not proper preparation to face Indiana, and Thibs is overrated.  The Pacers are like an entire team that has caught the Steph spirit.  Tyrese Haliburton may also be overrated, so to speak.  But he has arguably the most-overachieving supporting cast in the NBA.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0) vs OKC THUNDER (2)

I don't feel like digging back right now, but I'm pretty sure I said at the beginning of the season that, if healthy, the Thunder are likely to bring home the gold.  A lot of other people probably said the same thing, like that isn't actually a bold prediction.  Sometimes the team that's supposed to win actually does.

OKC are the exemplary braintrust right now, because they've been clear contenders throughout the season yet not paying any luxury tax, and even with SGA, you know, he may be a consensus superstar now, but they took a flier making him the leader of this squad when they did.

Meanwhile the Timberwolves, who do have one of the higher tax bills, are not contenders, regardless of what any pundit says.  There's nothing they've done throughout this entire postseason that screams champion.

I'm not trying to place the blame on anybody, but if I were to make one change to that roster, it'd likely be minimizing its dependency on Mike Conley.  Again, I have nothing against Conley.  You may not hear his name come up in those father time conversations, but he's actually one of the older players in the league.  Dude was deadass teammates with Allen Iverson and is still around, in 2025, logging like 30 mins/game in the postseason.  You have to respect that.  It ain't like he's an old dawg who's been relegated to cheerleading.

But if you're going to pay the luxury tax, you know what I'm saying?  I don't mean dumbing out like the Suns, but I already said at the end of last season, after they lost to the Mavs, that Minny needed to upgrade from Mike.  Trading KAT for Randle and DiVincenzo was a sound move but not all that they needed to do.  More than anything, they needed to upgrade at the point.  Duh.

Conley is like an anachronism in today's NBA.  The Timberwolves play that kind of position-less basketball that most teams do.  So, you know what I'm saying?  Maybe they need to spend extra and get a player more compatible with that style, a more appropriate backcourt running make for Anthony Edwards.  I'm not going to jump off a ledge and say the Pacers are going to beat the Knicks, but I will say that about OKC's chances over Minny.

It's probably better like this anyway.  If the Knicks make it to all the way Finals and start doing that Laurel & Hardy shit, some New Yorkers, like those who aren't used to being disappointed like that, may have a heart attack or something.  Oh, the drama.  And speaking of Laurel & Hardy yes, it did kinda seem that NYK really gave Indy a chance to come back at the end of the Game 1.  Man, the NBA.  The type of anomalies that back in the old days no one would expect from professional athletes or that they would get chastised for are now so common that they can happen multiple times in a single postseason alone.  Ben Simmons truly was a scapegoat.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 13)

 NEW YORK KNICKS (3) vs BOSTON CELTICS (1)

Non-contact injuries frighten me more than those that occur when someone is hit.  So on that note, let me say that even if Tatum is cleared to play in Game 5, I'm kinda hoping that he doesn't.

The way I've come to understand it, these professional athletes are being paid gazillions of dollars basically to destroy their own bodies.  On that note, I've been a strong advocate of key players sporting through injuries, especially during pivotal junctures in the season.  But the way your boy was on the court like that, writhing in pain in front of the entire world, shit touched me.

Remember how KAT was down there on the court, clapping for Jayson as he was carried away.  Haters are always trying to make it like Karl is soft, but he probably understands that if you're going up against somebody, if you want to truly say that you're better, then they need to be at full strength before you can really feel good about yourself.

The irony of the situation isn't only that Jayson went down when his team needed him most, but also that beforehand, he was having arguably the game of his career.  He was making an absolute mockery out of a team that has a number of above-average wing defenders.  As soon as he went down and it was clear he wasn't getting back up, NYK went from 'likely to win series because they have a 2-1 lead' to it being almost inevitable that they'll eliminate Boston.

You have to give it to the Knicks though that first of all, they did not allow the Celtics to build a big lead out of the gates, as they have in the previous games this series.  To note, Boston did win a game in the First Round without Tatum.  But you know, that was against the Magic.

Let's not forget that the Celtics also won a championship last season more or less without Porzingis.  As far as I know, winning a championship with your starting C being on the injured list during half of the Playoffs was unprecedented prior to Boston doing it.  I don't care if your starting C was fuckin Todd McCollough.  To have a chance at the Finals you still needed him, or at least that seemed to be true back in the old days.

My point is that you can't count these dudes out, even if they are devoid of Tatum.  It wouldn't be overly surprising if they won Game 5 without Jayson.  But now, it's starting to feel sorta like, let's just get this shit over already.  If you wanted a chance to win even if your franchise player got hurt, then you should've at least won at least one of those first home games.

The Knicks meanwhile, when they acquired KAT heading into this season, the way I understood it wasn't like they were trying to replace Robinson at starting C.  Rather, no one was really expecting Mitchell to be consistently healthy.  He sat out most of the regular season if I remember correctly and has this historical tendency to be injured around the times the team needs him most.  Hartenstein was able to make a name for himself last offseason due to Robinson being hurt.

But lo and behold, everybody in the Knicks' rotation is healthy.  So if they do go on to face the Pacers, as seems likely, remember both of those teams have the health advantage over their respective Semifinals' opponent.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (3) vs MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (1)

This upcoming offseason is shaping up to be an interesting one, where the teams with good braintrusts will be convincingly distinguished from those that don't.  I don't know much about the 2026 Draft, but I don't think there's any player therein who everyone is dickridin as the unanimous first pick.  So I think this coming season, every team should be trying to win instead of tank.

One of the teams that really need to put their thinking cap on is the Warriors.  Their core have had these age + injury issues for years, something it feels like their braintrust has been more or less ignoring.  Yes, now that Klay is gone, I'm talking most specifically about Steph.

If the doctor tells you 'hey, if you keep smoking you're going to catch lung cancer' and you do catch it five years from now, the problem didn't start then.  I was saying as far back as 2022 that 'hey, the Dubs are aging and need to do something about it'.  They still kept enjoying those cigarettes though, and we all partook of the celebration for awhile.  But some of the decisions they made, besides devoting so much money to an aged core, were foolhardy.  For instance they traded away Jordan Poole (instead of resolving whatever beef  he had with his teammates) who, at the time, was their most-promising young player and the face of the Dubs' youth movement.

So nowadays, GSW doesn't even have a youth movement to speak of.  Podziemski, no offense, is overrated.  Jonathan "Butterfingers" Kuminga is still a player I'm hoping will end up with a younger squad, more age-appropriate squad, preferably Memphis.  Moses Moody went from a borderline starter a few games back to now being limited to garbage time.  And as for the Gauntlet, he's older than he looks, like he isn't actually a "young" player but one who blew up late.

Am I counting Golden State out?  Yeah, more or less.  I love a good Cinderella story, but it isn't ideal if a team makes it all the way to the Finals on luck.

Speaking of which, I guess we'll see what Minnesota is really made of in the next round.  Them playing the Curry-less Warriors while OKC and Denver are dogfighting isn't necessarily ideal from a preparation standpoint.  And as for the Nuggets v Thunder, remember that's the only series in the Semifinals whereas both teams are fully healthy.  That's why it's more intriguing, and shall we say genuine than the rest.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: DALLAS MAVERICKS

I actually wrote a "Where Do We Go From Here" section dedicated to the Brooklyn Nets before realizing the draft lottery was last night and, oh shit, Dallas got the no.1 pick.  Besides Utah and perhaps Boston, no other team has had as much historical success with White players as the Mavericks.

Apparently, some people are saying that the draft was rigged, and yes, instantly teaming Flagg up with Kyrie + AD, two future HOFers, does feel suspicious.  But it isn't like this type of shit is unprecedented in the NBA.  Remember how they had draft sympathy on the Cavs after Lebron jetted.  Cooper can now be considered the luckiest draftee since Magic entered the league over 40 years ago(!).

Who I really feel sorry is the likes of the Nets, Wizards and especially Jazz.  Remember I was asking, when it became apparent that Utah was tanking, what was their backup plan if they don't get Flagg?  Danny Ainge used to be my executive hero.  But now it's like, who knows what he's doing?  Some of these guys don't realize that the era of Sam "the Antihero" Hinkie is over.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 1)

DETROIT PISTONS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS

What happened to the Knicks in Game 5 was the realization of the biggest concerned I had when they decided to acquire KAT, which is interior defense.  I'm not saying that it's all his fault.  He pulls off a big defensive play from time to time.  But he is the starting C, meaning that, if the Pistons do go on to win the series due to that discrepancy, he will be scapegoat - and rightfully so, since Karl has always been criticized for his lack of defensive output.  But since the entire world already knew that, you have presume NYK's braintrust did also, and the blame is ultimately on them.  The problem with building your roster to defeat a specific team (i.e. the Celtics) is that, wait a minute, there's other good teams out there also, with different types of makeup.

Meanwhile, Detroit is one of the few squads that has a roster built to bang hard in the post, i.e. possessing more than one young, athletic big.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (4) VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (1)

Speaking of teams that can't compete in the post, the assinity of the Lakers - in trading AD for Luka without getting any bigs in return - has now been exposed in front of the entire world.  That was really, really stupid, because even when AD was around, they needed more depth in the post (since Lebron now insists on being a perimeter player).

The Lakers, in the aftermath of the Luka trade, recently gave Rob Pelinka like a raise or some shit, and  I was like why?  They got caught up in that early, unwarranted excitement, which you aren't supposed to do as professionals.

Rudy Gobert may be overrated, particularly when it comes to defending perimeter players, but he's still the type of borderline-allstar, traditional C most teams these days completely lack.  And if he goes against a squad like the Lakers, one that doesn't respect post play at all, you know, your boy can go off.  I mean, why's not?  Who on the opposing team is big enough to contest him?  Lebron may be ageless, but he isn't vintage, so you can't expect him to consistently play consistent, quality defense anymore.  Duh.  I've been saying that for years.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS. INDIANA PACERS

There was Gary Trent Jr., (finally) on the cusp of the stardom.  And just like, it was taken away, in like the worst way imaginable for a professional athlete - through a blunder in a close elimination game.  There's a lesson to be learnt there, like for all of us type shit.

If Haliburton is in fact overrated, that definitely didn't show against the Bucks.  I see this as sort of a defining postseason for him.  The Cavs apparently are better suited to defend a large, scoring PG than the Bucks are.  So if he wants to prove that he truly is one of the best, now he's going to get the chance.

BTW - I'm not as pessimistic about Milwaukee's future as others may be.  I believe they can build something with Giannis + Porter Jr. + Sims + AJ Green and yes, including Trent Jr.  A star winning championships with the same organization yet different iterations of the roster is not unheard of (i.e. Kobe).  With a player like Giannis, in his prime as some would say, I think the Bucks need to focus more on speed and athleticism.  That makes players like Lopez, Portis and yes, even Dame expendable.  Getting rid of those guys won't be easy, but if Milwaukee can flip them for more applicable players of the new youth era, that would be ideal.  

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

Damn, the Thunder haven't played for like a week now.  Talk about teams getting their rest.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (April 28)

DETROIT PISTONS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS

I have a lot to say about the Knicks but will just note that this team sorta lives and dies by KAT.  He's the one, not Brunson, who has that ability to set the entire tone.  And that's the way it should be since he is, after all, "the center".  When the onus is rather on guards to ramp up bigs, like sometimes that shit doesn't work.

The Knicks are almost a perfectly-balanced team.  The problem is that they're over-talented, and therefore Bridges is better off serving as a role or supportive player rather than a key one.  Meanwhile, he's actually one of the best all-around players in the league.  If he can finally and consistently make that adjustment - like Bruce Banner fighting with his brain instead of using the Hulk - then taking for granted KAT + Brunson stays healthy, then the sky's the limit for this squad, because they have one of the best perimeter-defense cores.

Indeed, that Shroder play against Brunson was dirty or in the very least excessive, the way he rolled on his ankle.  None of us knows what goes on between these guys on the court, like low blows and things niggas saying things under their breath and shit like that.  But when you're compelled to try to take out the other team's leader by intentionally hurting him, that's like admitting that they're better.  And it's because of shit like that, I would presume, that the refs didn't call that last foul on Hardaway.

ORLANDO MAGIC VS. BOSTON CELTICS

At the end of the day, you know, the win is the most important thing.  You see niggas feening, intentionally hurting opponents, and then their home crowds roar as they take advantage of the subsequent mismatch.  The point is that even if you win, it's not always something to feel good about.

Using that loose example, that's sorta how I feel about the Celtics right now.  Yeah, you won the game, but damn, is it really a cause for celebration?  Was it really supposed to be that hard against the Magic?  Either Orlando is much better than their seeding indicates - which may be the case - or the Celtics are missing something.  Brown + Tatum have this sorta forever young feel about them, but this isn't a youth squad.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS

The Lebron + Luka Lakers have finally earned my respect.  LBJ, after all these years, has finally conceded the point, though it took a Steph-like teammate for him to do so.  The problem though is that instead of sliding down to the 4 where he belongs, he still prefers to operate from the perimeter.

The Wolves won Game 4 not due to being better but rather having the youth and athleticism advantage (a common issue against the Lakers during the Lebron era).  They ran a set play at a pivotal juncture with like a minute left whereas, despite having four better-suited players on the floor, instead it was DiVincenzo who ended up driving into the lane - with no backup - and being summarily dismissed.  That's sorta what I was saying before.  These guys are getting by on their length and athleticism, not strategy, but they won't have those type of advantages if they reach subsequent rounds, except maybe if they once again find themselves against an older team.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (1) VS. INDIANA PACERS (3)

The way Myles Turner banged it on Giannis, that was a statement dunk.  No one in their right mind would ever argue that Turner is the better player, but he is on the better team and let the world know that.

The Bucks are going to face some really tough decisions this offseason.  The only keepers on their roster, besides Giannis, are Porter Jr. and Trent.  The first time, they built a champion around Giannis by surrounding him with more of a traditional roster.  Now, they may decide to take the athleticism approach, kinda how Atlanta should be doing with Trae Young (hint hint).

I'm sorry that the Dame experiment didn't work out, because I did advocate it before anyone else did.  But the Bucks' braintrust, it's sorta like they get ahead of themselves sometimes.  You know what I mean?  Like why acquire Lillard while losing Holiday in the process?

As for the Pacers, those dudes were red hot.  Like I can see them giving a team like the Celtics legitimate headaches.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (April 22)

 NEW YORK KNICKS

The way the Knicks fukedup, going all the way back to last summer, is like less than a week after acquiring Bridges, they proceeded to add KAT also.  They should have at least given themselves a chance to see how the addition of Miles alone would work out in and of itself.  All things considered, acquiring him made more sense than going after Karl.  Remember that NYK deadass gave up Randle and DiVincenzo for KAT.

If the braintrust was actually thinking instead of star chasing, they could have used those KAT resources to go after someone(s) who can defend and rebound, which they really needed in the absence of Hartenstein and with the unreliability of Mitchell - not another scorer.  Oh well.  Maybe they'll still beat the Pistons.  But with this type of overtalented, unbalanced roster, I mean if you're going to do it, do it right.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

When it comes to physique, playing style and overall effectiveness, there's no player past or present who reminds me more of Jordan than Kawhi Leonard.  It's too bad that he's always unavailable, thus making it difficult, if not impossible for LAC to build a team around him.  If the Knicks played with the same type of intensity the Clippers did, they would have also won Game 2.

DENVER NUGGETS

It looks to me like the Nuggets may have intentionally thrown Game 2.  If not, than they were more or less playing like bungling idiots down the stretch.  But I'm not knocking them.  It was obvious after Game 1 that, you know what I'm saying, you can't take the Clippers for granted.  And now, that point has really been driven home.

MIAMI HEAT

The Heat are a good team, but they miss Jimmy Butler.  Butler is a lot like Leonard, a player who can instantly make any team better offensively and defensively, and their probably the only two guys in the NBA (still in their primes) who have displayed that ability.  I'm not writing Miami off just yet, but it'll be really interesting to see who or what type of player they go after this summer, and hopefully Wiggins will stick around.

BOSTON CELTICS

Speaking of guys who have fit well with diverse teams, Derrick White, on the low, may be like the best or most effective all-around PG in the modern NBA.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

The Rockets have had the most surprisingly-good season imo, but now you see why still, despite being the 2 seed, no one has called them contenders.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

I feel kinda bad for the Grizzlies.  It should be obvious by this point that the core of Morant + Bane + Jackson Jr. isn't going to win a championship unless they're buttressed by the right type of supporting cast.  They actually had such a squad a few seasons ago, but then came the departure of Brooks, blazi blah. 

Remember how the Memphis bench used to be celebrating on the sideline, so much so that they generated headlines and criticism?  You don't see that type shit anymore, or at least I haven't.

It takes a real forward-thinking, well-funded, sacrificial braintrust to be like 'okay, we may end up getting taxed out the ass, but we have to try to keep the band together, because they're supportive of each other and have good chemistry'.  You know, if you have a group of guys who actually feel each other, that's invaluable, because most teams, like the Nuggets, don't have that.

Dudes play harder when they love their teammates type shit.  But in today's NBA, it virtually impossible for most organizations to keep quality rosters together.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 1, Conference Finals Ruminations

CELTICS 1, PACERS 0

This is yet another series which Indiana, despite not having homecourt advantage, should be able to win as the result of facing an injured opponent.  They're saying that Porzingis may be back by Game 4, if the series goes that long (which it looks like will).  But then, you know what I'm saying?  You see how pitifully your boy Anunoby looked prematurely forcing his way, in vain, back onto the court.  Like we NBA fans really don't need anymore of that shit.

With Kristaps out, the Pacers have the clear advantage of size.  Myles Turner, based on his performance this postseason, may finally garner enough recognition to be an all-star next year.  He should be feasting in the post with Porzingis out.  But instead Siakim, who's pretty long himself, seemed to take advantage of the Celtics more inside.  If both of those dudes attack the middle, I really don't see how Boston has much of a chance, unless their threes are really dropping like that.

And that's no disrespect to Al Horford.  I've always had a lot of respect for him, being one of the pioneers of the "stretch 4" position.  I still remember when Horford was on that Atlanta squad that sent four players to the All-Star Game.  But you can't look at a dude who's almost 40, see that he's averaging 9pts and 7rpg and assume he can be relied on defensively.  It's moments like these that the Celtics could use Robert Williams III, perhaps even more than Jrue Holiday, who he was traded for.

Also, it's like where TF is Xavier Tillman?  Now they're saying, unfortunately, he had a death in the family and may be back for Game 2 or maybe not.  But it ain't like Boston was really using him anyway.

That said, I can't close without giving a shoutout to Jaylen Brown for that three he made at the end of regulation.  Imo, he single-handedly saved Boston's season with that shot.  The Pacers should feel good about themselves after their Game 1 performance.  But if they had actually won, then it's like they'd be super confident, and the mood in Boston would probably be a lot different.

MAVERICKS 1, TIMBERWOLVES 0

I was surprised that Dallas won this game.  Earlier on, it appeared as if Minnesota had the athletic advantage.  But as it wore on, the Mavs rather prevailed.

When they first acquired Irving, I criticized that move in large part because I felt Dallas needed help (at that time) in the frontcourt more.  But as time progressed, I also recognized the potential genius in pairing him with Luka in that if one is hurt, the other could take his place.  Or if they're both healthy, as luckily they are now, then you know, Kyrie may be cold, or Luka may be cold, but they're not going to be cold at the same time.  That's nearly impossible, given their talent.

And speaking of Luka's talent, imo he's the best scorer in the NBA.  So it doesn't look like this dude Jaden McDaniels is going to cut it trying to defend him.  And that's a big problem, because I'm presuming he's the go-to perimeter defender for the Wolves.

But it's not like I'm writing them off.  During Game 1, there was this announcer who said something like 'Anthony Edwards needs to be more aggressive on offense'.  That's actually something I was thinking since they almost blew Round 2 to Denver.

Edwards has the Jordan potential, but he doesn't have the Mamba Mentality.  MJ was drafted onto a team which, after a couple of seasons, gave him the keys to car.  He wasn't playing alongside any other discernible stars, unless you consider Orlando Woolridge to be one.

Meanwhile Kobe, during his first few years, even if you surrounded him with two or three all-stars, he was still going to chuck regardless.  Neither is the case with Anthony Edwards.  He plays with a couple of perennial all-star level players, one of whom has been loyal to the Timberwolves for his entire career.  Also, Anthony does not appear to be consumed by a desire to obliterate the enemy.  Sometimes, it looks like he may even have health issues which start to nag somewhere around the late-third quarter.

But the Timberwolves need him to take it up a notch, like mentally.  Even if he's not injured, this isn't likely to happen anytime soon because again, there's no clear leader of this team.

KAT is the past, Edwards is the future, but both of them are the present.  So it's like Minnesota needs to have that LBJ + Wade + Bosh moment where dudes are like 'okay Anthony, you're the alpha', because the double-alpha thing may not work, and KAT already had enough leadership opportunities in the past.

And speaking of KAT, I'll admit that a few years back, when he decided he'd rather play on the perimeter than the post, I was very, very, very much against that decision, as well as Minnesota allowing him to do so.  But now, they have Gobert to cover the middle, and KAT may well be the best three-point shooting bigman in the NBA.  And in Game 1, at least the Mavs weren't able to put on an alleyoop exhibition like they did in the first two rounds.

F*ckin Up My Predictions (Timberwolves Edition)

Maybe I should watch more Timberwolves games before writing this.  But there's two things I will say from the jump.  One is that, I still believe Minnesota has the most talented starting 5 in the NBA, even though I don't know who the other starter is besides KAT, Russell, Edwards and Gobert.  And last I heard, D'Angelo was like on the verge of getting bench or some shit.  But that doesn't matter.  This is a team with four All-Star level starters, or let me say three players who have already been allstars and a fourth who is likely on his way there, with only Gobert being 30 years old already.  And I don't think you can say that about any other squad except maybe the Celtics.

So I placed them at the top of my list of contenders.  But I also knew that it would take a certain type of PG to make this work, one that doesn't really exist in the NBA anymore.  And that is the true pass-first PG, the exceptional passer and glue guy, but one that can't really shoot and can also demand the respect of superstars.  Those are the likes of Rajon Rondo and Michael Carter-Williams who have been chased out of the league by the advent of the Splash Brothers.  And again, this only works if the superstar scorers are willing to concede to point, which virtually none of them are these days.  The same thing almost happened to Ben Simmons recently, who does sometimes look like he's actually scared to shoot, thus making his purpose questionable if he also isn't running the point.  But he's survived, for now.

People don't realize just how much some teams need a Ben Simmons.  If an organization goes the superteam route, they're going to need a player like Ben Simmons, someone with other skills who can counterbalance the chucks.  Another palyer I can think of who falls into this category, though for different reasons, is Payton Jr.

So when I saw that KAT went down with that funny injury yesterday and the T-wolves now saying that he'll be out for over a month, I already knew that at some point they were going to have to find a way to bench him over an extended period to see if the team is actually better without Towns.  Russell may be the scapegoat , but when they traded for Gobert, one thing that wasn't talked about is how doing so made KAT expendable if the experiment doesn't work.  Like after this, I don't anyone wants to see him as the face of an ever-disappointing T-wolves squad.  And he's definitely a more attractive trade lure than D'Angelo.

KAT is one of the very few no.1 picks of the last few years who actually played like a top pick from day one.  Even when you look at that class now, you can't say that the Minnesota made a mistake by picking him.  But obviously he isn't a franchise player, like one who could lead a team to a championship.  And if he is eventually traded, I think that will become more evident.

But I'm not putting the blame on him either.  Even without KAT, this may be the most well-rounded roster Gobert has ever played on.  And the Timberwolves may be better off letting Anthony and D'Angelo run wild and free as opposed to also having a third scorer on the list, a 7-footer who'd rather play like a guard.  A center who averages almost four offensive rebounds a game is a luxury that most chucks don't have.  Throw in another rebounder and PG, neither of whom like the shoot, and take the reins off of Russell.

CONCLUSION

And if that doesn't work, then it backs to the old theory of the Timberwolves being cursed or whatever it is when you allow the tallest person on your team to like shoot the most jumpshots.  I don't want to go as far as to diss their braintrust, but its obvious something ain't right here.  Giannis came into the NBA like unable to play basketball but is now the most imposing player in the league.  Then you have KAT who already had so much talent, and instead of developing them further he's been allowed to shoot jumpshots, like that's the only part of the game that matters these days.  Imagine what the Spurs would be if they had allowed Tim Duncan to take his game outside of the paint.

1st Round Prediction - Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves

My original plan was to write this post yesterday, before the series started.  But in a way I'm glad I, because Game 1 was revelatory.  But I still have to believe that the Grizzlies will find a way to beat the Timberwolves, maybe.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

By NBA Inception standards the Timberwolves are a superteam, i.e. a squad with three all-stars.  KAT has been on the best Cs since he came into the NBA.  Anthony Edwards will likely be an All-Star next season.  And D'Angelo Russell has already proven that he can be an All-Star if he were forced to actually run a team.

STARTING 5 MAKE-UP

PG-2G-SF-PF-C (PointGuard, 2Gaurd, Small Forward, Power Forward, Center)

The T-Wolves have a pretty traditional starting 5 structure, even though Russell may not really be like a true 2 (defensively).  This can work with players with Edwards and KAT, because Patrick Beverly is like pass first PG.

BIGGEST STRENGTH

I would have to say KAT.

BIGGEST WEAKNESS

Depth, maybe.  But the overall depth of a team isn't as important when you have three offensive all-stars.

X-FACTOR / KARMA ASSESSMENT

If I had written this article yesterday, I would have listed Anthony Edwards as the x-factor.  And that would have been cool, because then he went out and bust the Grizzlies ass.  But now, I'm more compelled to go with Patrick Beverly.

I knew he would be a good fit when the Wolves got him last offseason.  But now it's like, don't forget Minnesota is a team where traditionally superstars tend to butt heads.  So now I'm thinking like if Beverly wasn't around, maybe KAT and Edwards would have some type of alpha beef considering that Anthony may be just as good as Karl.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

I'll be honest and say I'm a Grizzlies fan.  They're my second favorite team at the moment.  So as good as the T-wolves may be, I'd be disappointed if the Griz ends up getting their asses bust by them.

STARTING 5 MAKEUP

2G-2G-SF-PF-C

I know that Ja Morant is a PG, but I think most of us would agree that he's more dangerous as a scorer than a facilitator.  Also, I had no idea that Dillon Brooks was 6'7" until I just now looked it up.  Before I thought he was a little guy.

BIGGEST STRENGTH

Of course most people would answer this question by saying "Ja Morant".  But things aren't that simple when you consider that the Grizzlies have had a better winning percentage this season without him.

BIGGEST WEAKNESS

As for his character, Steven Adams is one of my favorite players in the NBA.  But even some months ago, I was on the verge of mentioning that he seems out of place on the Grizzlies.  The reason I never said that is because I later found out that he leads the league in offensive rebounds.  And honestly that fact really shocked me, because every time I've watched Memphis play it's like he didn't really do jackshit.

X-FACTOR

I would have to say Jaren Jackson Jr.  He's the team best defender, and defense is the one thing you really need against the Timberwolves.

KARMA ASSESSMENT

It looks like the members of the Grizzlies genuinely like each other.  That's the glow of winning.  The problem is that - like let me just go ahead and say it - as good as they may be, they may be even better when Morant isn't playing.  Every time that happens - a team being arguably better without its franchise player - shit can get sticky, especially if dudes end up disappointing with Ja playing.

CONCLUSION

I'm still going with the Grizzlies on this one, even though my confidence has now been shaken.  Maybe they'll try something like benching Adams and starting Clarke, for all the good that may do against KAT.  But the thing is that Edwards and Russell, as well as some role players, also have to be chased around the court.  So Memphis has to become like super focused on defense.  But at least they have the depth to do so.

Kyrie Irving, the Well-Rested Superstar

'Thank you very much.  I'm now off to play some flag football
against my non-professional athlete homeys.' -Kyrie

About a week ago, Kyrie "Fievel" Irving dropped 60 points in a game against the ever-lowly Magic, and all types of dickridin took place afterwards.  This even included NBC Sports postulating whether he's "the most skilled NBA player ever" (a distinction I would rather give to Kobe, but that's a discussion for another day).

Meanwhile, Karl Anthony-Towns accomplished the same feat the night prior against the Spurs, another team that really isn't that good but is still more respectable than the Magic.  And personally, I consider KAT's 60 points to be more notable than Kyrie's.  Why?  Because Kyrie Irving is better rested than any other NBAer who is actually playing at the moment.

This then brings up the age-old debate of which is more preferable, rest or practice?  Every year during the Playoffs, you have one team sweep another, while whoever they're going to face in the next round is locked into a longer, more-competitive series.  So then people start asking what's preferable, having days of to rest or constantly plying your craft?  The old adage, "practice makes perfect", would support the latter theory.  But natural law itself dictates that rest is a good thing, especially if you make your bread engaged in a profession as physically strenuous as the NBA.

Oddly enough, none other than Allen Iverson already answered this question, in his own special way, decades ago.  AI wasn't the most coachable player, and the pinnacle of his hard-headnesses was on display in what has gone down in history as "the practice rant".

Even though the Answer didn't actually diss the importance of practice, that's how his words were interpreted anyway.  But even if you do decide to take what he said like that, there's something very important you have to remember about Allen Iverson.  From the moment he stepped on the court as a rookie, he was already the best scoring PG in the NBA.  And that is not an ability he got from practicing.  In other words, he did not need to practice as much as some of the other dudes.

Would practicing make him a better player overall?  Of course it would, so long as he didn't overextend himself.  But it isn't like he's one of those players who has to go to the D-league and shoot a thousand free throws and all types of other shit before becoming a starter.  Allen Iverson wasn't Eric Snow or Aaron McKie or those other dudes he played with, no disrespect to them.  He didn't become one of the best basketball players in the world through practice.  Rather, he was born with it.

So if Kyrie Irving is in fact the most skilled player in the NBA, logic would dictate that the more rest he gets the better.  Why?  Because he's already more talented than 99.9% of the other players, so constantly being on the court isn't as beneficial to him as it would be to them.  That is to say that he is in the enviable position of being able to prioritize general health over actually playing basketball.

CONCLUSION

When this season began, I didn't believe that the Nets were contenders.  But with this current roster, I do.  Yet that said, if the Nets do make it out of the East please, let's not contribute it all to their talent, even if they do have one of the most-gifted rosters.

If they do make a long playoff run and Irving is healthy throughout, that would likely be due to the fact that he rested most of this season (remember what happened during last year's Playoffs).  And if Ben Simmons also suits up, which I believe he will, then the Nets will basically have two all-stars who rested all the way up until the playoffs.  Some people will say 'oh, Ben Simmons is rusty' - but he will be rested.  And in a way that may not be fair to the other teams who will likely be facing them with hobbled stars.