Lebron - The King of Player Empowerment

I don't think anyone foresaw that this offseason was going to be just as dramatic starring Lebron as "The Decision" was back in the day.  Back in 2010, the drama surrounded King James holding something like a news conference to announce his free agency decision which, like I can't think of any other sports star who ever did that, even to this day.

Now, a solid 16 years later, it's rather about dude taking his sweet, aged time in officially deciding where to go.  For all we know, he may even end up just being like 'fuck it, I quit'.

Sometimes, looking at the way he's behaving, you get the impression that maybe he's uninspired by this point, no longer being a max player and shit like that.  James Harden is slated to make more money than Lebron next season, if you can imagine that.

LBJ, defensive shortcomings and all, is more effective than many, if not most max players out there, which kinda makes you wonder why he's being forced to take such a massive paycut to begin with.  He's a reigning allstar, for crying out loud, about to take a vet min.  That's unheard of.

But that being said, since he is still delaying and still the biggest headline in the NBA, I wanted to use this opportunity to revisit how he may fare on the teams he shortlisted.  Nothing has really changed from three weeks ago, other than more stars from those franchises making their pitches.

What I do find interesting is that no player from other teams that could clearly use Lebron (like the Pistons) haven't at least pressed their luck.  No one wants to feel embarrassed or ignored or humiliated.  But at the same time, as the old saying goes, "you have to be in it to win it".

Lebron delaying has given us all a chance to think more deeply about his preferred options.  So here's an updated analysis of the LBJ sweepstakes:

FEELING SORRY FOR THE LAKERS

But first off, let's start with LAL because, they're now the shining example of braintrust asininity, of what happens when you put the wrong minds in charge of a premiere franchise.  Why would you force your most popular player out the door, just to come out of it all looking worse than before?  I dare anybody to call the Lakers a contender.

They aren't in the worse of situations tho.  They still have Luka, one of the few players who can consistently takeover games.  LAL also has been the recipient of perhaps more favoritism than any other team in recent years.  That favor doesn't translate into multiple championships like it used to, but maybe it still exists.  And also they're now, surprisingly enough, the whitest team in the NBA, and, you know, we are living in the Trump era.

That said, if these guys don't actually win games, they're going to quickly transform into the team you love you hate.  And when their mediocrity does become apparent, remember who pointed it out first, how this offseason has been a bust, unless the primary goal was simply to get rid of Lebron and come out of it all at least looking they're trying to compete.

Upon James's departure, these dudes instantly gained $50+ million in spending money - i.e. superstar, franchise player dough - and used it basically to sign Walker Kessler, who you can't even confidently predict will ever make an allstar game.  All things considered, they prolly would have been better off exercising patience and keeping it in the bank.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

A couple of weeks ago, I said out of all teams on Lebron's shortlist, Philly was the best option in terms of him actually winning a championship, and the media quickly picked up on that idea.  But I don't feel as strongly about that as I did before.  

If Lebron does go there, I'm foreseeing something like Embiid managing his load for the entire regular season and then returning for the postseason.  When it comes to load management, I guess you can pull it off and still win when your core consists of really talented, veteran players.  It didn't work for the Celtics last season, but you know what I mean.

The problem with Philly is that yes, they've had an exceptional offseason, but who's going to backup Joel?  Or put otherwise, why didn't they place more of a priority on landing a backup C, instead of focusing on wings?

When dude inevitably misses large swarths of the season or perhaps even postseason, are we really supposed to expect an aged Lebron to play the 5, now in the Wemby era?  Maybe it's possible that the Sixers + Lebron can win it all even with a hobbled Embiid, but all things considered I doubt it.

MIAMI HEAT

I've now come to favor the Heat more, based on one simple realization.  Actually, I was watching some 'NBA greatest highlights' clip which featured this ECF game, I think from 2007, where Lebron scored 25 points straight(!), mostly on jumpshots, and led the Cavs to a come-from-behind victory.

Then, I was thinking about those performances he put up against the Thunder a couple of months ago, as well as some of his past All-Star games.  And this is the realization I came to - Lebron can actually shoot.  I don't know what his percentages and all that kinda shit looks like, but in big games he can make jumpshots.

Even if they did score King James, it can be argued that Heat's roster lacks shooting as compared to competitors, but it isn't as bad as it may look on paper.  And the best thing about this scenario is that finally, Lebron would be on a roster, with Giannis + Bam down low, that actually rationalizes him playing like a G despite his size.

Also, here's another thing to keep in mind.  When Lebron returned to the Cavs, the implication was that he did so in part due to feeling guilty, given the way he deserted them the first time around.  Well, if that's the way you feel about it, then it can be said that he did the Heat even dirtier, because they were actually contenders when he bounced.  So, that's just something to keep in mind.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Cleveland also has twin towers, and Lebron + Allen + Mobley would be absolutely fearful.  Those latter two may not be as all-around talented as Giannis + Bam, but needing the King's scoring more, they may be a better fit.

But that said, I'm still having a hard time picturing LBJ and the Beard playing together.  As the old NBA Inception adage goes, "two chucks don't make a right".

Spider, btw, is a chuck also, though more deservingly so than Harden imo.  But unlike the Beard, he knows how to defer yet still prove effective, so I can picture him coexisting with Lebron.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

There hasn't been a lot less chatter of late about the possibility of LBJ going to Minnesota or Denver.  But here's an interesting observation about the Twolves.  Lebron is actually more level-headed at the point than LaMelo is, so it's not like he would absolutely have to play the 4.  Also, Lebron + Gobert may actually work, perhaps being an even better fit than Lebron + AD, because by this point in his career, LBJ is strictly offense, while Rudy is strictly defense.  James can not only play point but also mitigate Minny's lowpost scoring deficiencies.

In hindsight, yes, you have to applaud the Wolves for being aggressive and making bold, headline-generating moves.  Randle, all things considered, had to go.  But losing Reid hurts, and I'm not convinced Minny needs LaMelo as much as they needed Naz.  And if Lebron does come to town, LaMelo is going to have to learn to play off the ball, which I'm not sure he can do.

DENVER NUGGETS

The Nuggets, not OKC, is the poster child for a team who's paying so much for their core that they lack financial flexibility to put the right pieces around them.  And I guess you could say relatedly, they also have a really hard time retaining quality role players.  Concerning Denver's braintrust, they are above average and have been for like the last 20+ years.  But bold they are not.

So this coming season, even if they do re-sign Watson, they'll also likely be the poster child for a team that's unable to capitalize on the youth wave.  They aren't as confined to the geriatric ward as the Warriors are.  But calling these dudes contenders, even with (the overrated) Jokic, is a stretch.

And the interesting thing about it is that if Lebron does come over, he'll likely play the 2, replacing Braun basically, because there's no logical reason really to move Gordon or Watson out of the (starting) frontline to accommodate him.  Wow, old ass Lebron, despite his defensive deficiencies, is still a deserving starter, regardless of which of these teams he goes to.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

I already made an argument for the Warriors in my last post.  LBJ's presence isn't likely to translate into a championship given their current roster (and the injuries thereof), but it will be really exciting from a fan standpoint.  Despite not looking like contenders on paper and despite headlining stars from a generation ago, the Warriors will instantly become the most must-watch team in the NBA (though it's going to be painful when Lebron or Steph are injured).

And I mean, who knows?  If Steph had just one consistent scoring partner, dudes actually would've made the playoffs last postseason.

You can believe in miracles with Curry on your squad.  And when dudes actually want to play together, I mean a lot of times shit like that doesn't work out.  But given LBJ's and Steph's resume, and if this organization can effectively embrace youth a bit more, maybe something special can happen.  And please, if you haven't already, get the Gauntlet back.  Like learn from the past type shit.

"A BUSINESS DECISION"

Note how Rich Paul most recently pointed out, twice, that choosing his next team is "a business choice" for Lebron.  He didn't say anything about being close to his family or the possibility of winning a championship.  And indeed, what would it really matter if Lebron won more championships?  Even if he did reach Jordan it wouldn't mean as much since, regardless of what team he goes to, he isn't likely to be the primary option.

That's something to also keep in mind, that out of all the teams on LBJ's shortlist the Warriors are in a position to pay him the most.  In the grand scheme of his finances, $15mil(!) may not be much.  But going back to the James Harden / max player argument presented earlier, how much you're paid is considered a sign of respect.  And btw, with Bronny and the fam being based in LA, San Fran is also nearer than any of his other options.

CONCLUSION

The way players are taking paycuts and shit like that, it may look like the ball is shifting back into the owners' court.  But the Lebron era has not officially concluded yet.  You have Silver and co. like 'dude, make your decision already, so we can put the TV schedule together'.  And his response is basically like 'kiss my ass, I'm taking my time'.

That's one thing we're going to miss if Lebron ever retires, as he is the king of player empowerment.  These young superstars dominating the league these days, they don't appear to have that type of destiny.

Trade Talk: Ball vs. Reid

I believe the Hornets got the best of this trade, because at least their strategy is theoretically discernible.  But as for the T-Wolves, I can’t imagine why they would trade Reid for Ball, besides future draft picks, unless the goal is to sell more tickets.

BYE, BYE BALL

I totally understand why Charlotte traded ‘Melo.  Under his leadership, which lasted over half a decade, they haven’t really accomplished shit in terms of actually winning.  That is up until last season when, after the All-Star Break, they unexpectedly became competitive, even one of the best teams in the East (during the regular season).  But logically speaking, that wasn’t as much due to Ball, whose been around for a minute, as it was the newer presence of Kon Knueppel.

Having both of them wasn’t the problem in and of itself.  The more outstanding players you have, the better - if they can all get along.  So the real problem was Ball exposing himself as the chuck he is during the postseason.  There's a lot of chucks in the NBA these days.  But in order to rationalize that kind of behavior, year after year, you have to be a really good one, like Luka or Spider.

I don’t feel like looking up stats right now.  But based on what I observed with my own naked eyes, during this postseason it wasn’t that opponents neutralized Knueppel as much as it was him not getting the ball in positions he could score (if at all).  And that’s hella odd considering that, even as a rookie, he’s the team’s most potent offensive threat.

I don’t think his teammates intentionally phased him out(?).  I think it was more like Ball and co. got caught up in the moment, you know, like their first postseason appearance ever and sorta forgot that Kon was even out there.

Kneuppel’s name sounds foreign, but for all intents and purposes, he’s an American whiteboy.  And with that in mind, note that there hasn’t been a dominant American whiteboy in the NBA since Larry Bird, who retired like 40 years ago.  Or another way of putting it is that, you have to actually play team basketball with an American whiteboy by your side, in the very least during the early stages of his career.

But instead, during the postseason the Hornets reverted back to that freestyle, let’s say Black brand of basketball that defined them before Kon’s arrival, and there were a couple of things wrong with that approach.  First and most disrespectfully was the fact that they likely wouldn’t have made the postseason without him.  It was like biting the hand that fed you, so to speak.

And second is that the streetball approach doesn’t result in rings anyway, unless you have the very best athletes on your roster.  Or let me say that the only time it did work (on a championship level) was when Lebron and Wade teamed up, both in their prime and arguably the two most athletic NBAers at the time.  And that’s the reason you see a lot of teams failing these days, including the likes of the Spurs(?).  You’re not likely to win a freestyle battle if the other team is stronger than you.  And meanwhile, NBAers don’t reach their max strength until they start nearing 30.

With that in mind, maybe it would have been better if they traded Ball for a pass-first PG.  But those types of players, especially on the younger side, don’t really exist anymore.  So the next best thing is to adopt more of a positionless style, which makes Reid a perfect fit, since he can do it all.  And I also think Miller will benefit more from organized basketball.  So I’m totally expecting the Hornets to be better next season, i.e. making the Playoffs instead of Play-Ins.

MILES BRIDGES - THE ODD MAN OUT

I found it interesting that the couple of articles I read about the trade seemed to not even mention Miles Bridges, like he doesn’t even exist anymore.  I’ve seen shoutouts to Knueppel and Miller and White and even Charlotte’s C whose name I can’t remember, but nothing of Bridges.  He may not be a borderline allstar anymore, but at the same time, he isn’t a slouch either (though he takes too many jumpshots imo).

I would speculate that domestic violence incident from a couple of years ago is still haunting his career.  In order to come out of some shit like that with your standing unaffected, you have to be an A+ lister, like Tyson for instance.

But that said, as it currently stands, the Hornets have more depth than they’re being recognized for.  The pundits are insinuating that Reid will supplant Bridges.  But what I’m envisioning is something like the two of them starting together.

ODD MAN OUT NUMBER 2: JULIUS RANDLE

It’s hard being a Julius Randle fan, and believe me, I’ve tried.  But after that series against the Spurs, again, who actually knows what’s going on with these players?

When one of your team’s stars suddenly becomes a nonfactor at the most-pivotal point of the season, you know, these guys are professionals, so that shit seems inexplicable or inexcusable.  So yeah, being banished to the Nets feels like a proper punishment for a borderline allstar lacking postseason potency.  But on the low, Randle + Porter Jr. should be one of the better F combinations in the East.

WHAT IS MINNESOTA TRYING TO ACHIEVE?

If you look at Minnesota’s history over the last 10+ years, this hasn’t been a team lacking talent.  They’ve had combinations such as KAT + Wiggins + LaVine, KAT + Wiggins + Butler and KAT + Edwards + Gobert, which are all more or less superteams on paper.

Looking at that sentence, it may seem like KAT was the problem, but keep in mind that he’s moved on to a championship, while the Wolves, this past season, have digressed.  In fact, I would say these last couple of years is the most-balanced roster they’ve had since the early-aughts, and maybe that injury to DiVincenzo was more significant than most of us realize(?).

In any event, if we were to single out an individual opponent who cost the Wolves their season, that of course would be Wemby.  So if he’s your biggest problem, why would you trade Naz Reid - the one player on your roster closest to Victor’s height/weight(?) - for a PG?

Granted, San Antonio’s Gs also outplayed those of Minnesota.  But even if Ball + Edwards + Dosunmu are able to outplay Castle + Fox + Harper, who’s going to guard Wemby?  Gobert may have had his moments but obviously is too old to hang with Victor for an entire series.  And that’s not an insult, because who can defend him one-on-one anyway?

So I would imagine, I mean I don’t know.  Minnesota is one of those organizations that you always hear about having an (overly-)expensive roster.  But I would imagine, since they got rid of both Reid and Randle, that they’re in the market for a 4, someone who could actually help against Victor.  And that would most logically be Mitchell Robinson, a free agent who, in the Wemby Era, I would imagine is the hottest commodity this offseason, even moreso than the likes of Lebron or whoever else is available.

All of that considered, I would speculate that this move on the part of Minnesota is more about selling tickets than winning a championship.  You know, if you can’t bring home the ring, at least be popular.  And now the T-wolves are definitely must watch - that is until Ball and/or Edwards inevitably gets hurt.

CONCLUSION

I wouldn’t call this past season a failure for Minnesota because, even at full strength, there’s no guarantee they would have beat the Spurs.  So I think with this trade(s), unless they have solid plan to acquire a quality 4, the braintrust sorta panicked.  And what may have compelled them to do so is fear of Edwards demanding out, you know, when you look at the way he behaved in Game 6 vs. the Spurs.

But as for Charlotte, their vision is clearer.  The decision came down to popularity vs. winning, and they chose the latter.  Or maybe, they’re able to perceive that as a team, nothing makes you more popular than actually winning.  The second half of last season must’ve felt really refreshing, finally winning for a change, and they want to build on that instead of once again fizzling out.  Sometimes, it isn’t losing as much as it is the way you lose.

2026 Elimination Ruminations: Lakers, Timberwolves, Pistons

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (4-6)

LAL put up a gutsy effort, especially in Game 6, but I'm glad this series didn't drag on any longer than it had to.  And the funny thing is, out of every team in the NBA, it can said that they're facing the biggest dilemma heading into the offseason.

It's easy to say ignore Lebron and use that money to acquire another star or a couple of quality players.  That makes sense on the surface and is the approach I advocated coming into this season.

You can more or less take for granted that, if the Lakers do make the postseason, Luka "the Hamstring" Doncic will miss at least some games.  So part ways with Lebron and fortify the roster, with at least a couple of players just to be on the safe side, who can not only score but also play defense.  I mean, you can go for a single superstar with that money, but health across the board is pretty fragile these days.

But the reason this is a dilemma, and why doing so would be sorta a slap to the face of Lebron, is because he, more than anyone else on the roster (taking nothing away from Reaves or Hachimura), held the team down this postseason.  And say for instance, you replace LBJ with Giannis.  Would that really make a difference, championship-wise, given this roster?

I've been saying for years that Lebron needs to retire, but after this postseason, I kinda sorta feel differently.  Just the fact he's all old and shit makes anything he does more exciting.

But if LBJ intends to really chase another championship, he needs to go to a better team than LAL, which is funny thing to say, that they sorta need Lebron more than he needs them.  But what's obvious, considering that he's now been reduced solely to a scorer and facilitator, is ideally James should be running a second unit rather than starting.  And when I think of a team that's a contender that unquestionably needs an offensive specialist while simultaneously mitigating that player's defensive deficiencies, I think the Pistons most fit the bill, so long as they don't lose the likes of Duran and Thompson.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (6-6)

Yes, I do think it was insulting - to his teammates, the coaching staff and Minnesota's braintrust at large - that Edwards went and started congratulating the Spurs, in front of the entire world, with almost a quarter left in Game 6, even though the contest - embarrassingly for the Wolves - was already decided by that point.  That's how it is sometimes when you have a teammate who knows or feels he's better than everyone else.  But it isn't a good look, and Anthony needs to watch out, because likability matters.  And it isn't like he hasn't let his team down in the playoffs before, nor was his most recent outing particularly jordanesque.  The way I interpreted that move was like he was advertising himself to the Spurs, but it ain't like they need him.

The further funny thing is that, the Timberwolves would probably be better off without Edwards and rather using his salary to score a couple of additional above-average players, the likes of Naz Reid or Jaden McDaniels.  Remember that they were able to finish off the Nuggets without Ant.

But I mean, I'm not trying to put it all on Edwards neither, because Randle and more surprisingly Gobert totally disappeared in Game 6.  Even the little guys on San Antonio's roster were basically dunking at will.

Randle and Gobert, given their size, are the two Minny players you would think would be most responsible for trying to defend Wemby.  Maybe Rudy was just tired by Game 6.  Every year, you hear people questioning his qualifications.  And every year, even though his team inevitably fails, he proves naysayers wrong, to an extent.  Like he isn't someone you can just up and replace, especially now that scorers are starting to attack the interior again.

But as for Julius, man.  I've been an advocate of his years for years, feeling that the Knicks devalued him for instance.  But he didn't really do his standing well with this outing.  He's one of those types of players, in my opinion, who's really big but fails to use his size to his advantage. 

DETROIT PISTONS (7-7)

The Pistons aren't what you would call a superteam.  Yet they secured the number one seed over squads like the Knicks and took the Cavs, who have a superior roster, to seven games.  This iteration reminds me of that 2004 Detroit squad who won a championship, in that they weren't the most talented either, though they obviously had some type of magic that these current guys have yet to claim.

It's obvious that these guys need more scoring, but in the form of who and at what cost?  Maybe they shoulda kept Ivey around?  Who did they trade him for anyway?  Oh, a couple of dudes that they didn't even play.

For most of the playoffs, Tobias Harris was sporting like an allstar and seemed to be poised to finally shake the pariah, scapegoat reputation he gained in Philly.  With the Sixers, almost every year when they flunk there's a scapegoat, with Embiid being exempt, though this time they got it right sacking Morey, if he was actually responsible for signing PG13 for that much money.

That said, as it currently stands I'm pushing the idea of Lebron going to Detroit.  Remember that you heard it here first. 

If I Could Send One Player to Any Team (Southwest Division)

Remember that in 2024, it wasn't all the way 'til like the last week of August that KAT ended up in New York.  So I don't want to start hastily giving out offseason grades, because by the time all the ink has dried we still don't know who may end up where.  For instance, Giannis still has yet to definitively state he's going to remain in Milwaukee.  And even someone like CP3, if he ends up on a contender that actually appreciates and needs his skillset, that could be monumental.

But most of the roster moves heading into next season have already transpired.  So unlike the first installment of "If I Could Send One Player to Any Team", henceforth I'm going to try to be more practical, focusing on players whom teams can more realistically acquire, such as free agents that are still on the market.  Doing so may not be as exciting as going full fantasy, but it is more practical.  And on that note...

DENVER NUGGETS (JONATHAN KUMINGA)

It's more difficult to call this one because we don't know if Valanciunas is going to report for duty.  But I foresee something like Aaron Gordon noticeably aging this coming season.  And I don't know how much better Cameron Johnson is supposed to be over Porter Jr., but with Denver recently acquiring Brown and Hardaway, there appears to be more of a need in the frontcourt.

I don't want to see Westbrook re-signed, considering the way they devalued him in the postseason.  I'm thinking more like a PF, and realistically the best one that may be available is Kuminga.  His athleticism and all-around game would almost be like a second Gordon next to Jokic.  He can also run the point a bit, which will come in handy once Murray is inevitably injured.

If I really wanted to go wild, I would even suggest trading Kuminga for Gordon straight up as, considering age and experience and all that kinda sh*t, the latter may now be better suited for the Dubs.  Imagine Aaron Gordon on Golden State?  They never had a PF like that.

If I were still on that hardcore fantasy shit, I'd rather go with Giannis over Kuminga.  Giannis + Jokic would be a definite championship, but again, dude ain't a free agent.  So Denver would literally have to trade like their entire team to get him, though Giannis + Jokic could probably win a championship with virtually any supporting cast, so long as dudes can play defense and score a bit.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (MALCOLM BROGDON)

I went with a PG because I still find it kinda odd how large of a role Conley has on this team.  I have nothing against Mike and rather think he deserves more recognition for being one of the few players who's still viable in his late 30s.  He makes timely plays on occasion, but it's hard to understand why he's averaging nearly 25 minutes on a team built like the Timberwolves.  Apparently, he's like a really good teammate or some shit.

Having Ben Simmons alongside Rudy Gobert isn't ideal from a scoring standpoint.  That type of dynamic would dictate that Edwards and Randle be allowed to take as many shots as they like.  That isn't a bad thing, if not for the fact that the former appears shy at times, while the latter can be shutdown if the right type of defense focuses on doing so.

A high-scoring PG like Steph, it's hard to imagine him co-existing alongside Edwards.  This is Anthony's team, for better or worse.  So ideally anyone who comes in would complement, not overshadow, Ant-Man.  Yeah, I know what you're thinking, 'isn't that Mike Conley anyway'?  But that just goes to show how complex the Wolves' situation is.  They're too extraordinary to fail yet not good enough to actually win.

So I'm going with Malcolm Brogdon.  Remember there was a time, before the injuries started piling up, when he was one of the most-formidable scoring Gs in the NBA, like early in his career, even from his rookie season.  But the reason I'm espousing him is not only because Brodgon can score, but also his game is more cerebral, like it wouldn't take away from Edwards or Randle.  Also, having him plus Conley around, like if you were to mesh those two together, you'd have the perfect PG.  All things considered, Minnesota doesn't need a major upgrade like another superstar.  They just need to figure things out type shit, while making the right under-the-radar additions.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (CHRIS PAUL)

There were reports that CP3 may go to the Knicks, which sounded exciting at first.  But then when I really thought about, NYK is a team that seems to flourish with shoot-first PGs, like Brunson and McBride.  So no need to change that dynamic now, as it currently looks like they're going to take the East next season.

Out of all of the contenders out there, Paul going to OKC makes the most sense.  He may not be a starter as he prefers, but this is a team that could really benefit from a pass-first PG when SGA is on the bench or sometimes even when he's on the court, thus allowing him to solely focus on scoring.  With a teammate like CP3, Shai may even go on to average like 35ppg.

Meanwhile, let's just say that whereas the Thunder took home to Larry O'Brien, they didn't necessarily impress in the Finals.  Given the youth of their roster, a noticeable degree of internal growth is expected.  But it won't hurt to upgrade externally also, and their frontcourt isn't lacking.  Meanwhile, for whatever reason, CP3 is available on the cheap, and no one will see this coming.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (NIKOLA JOKIC)

The Trailblazers are like a youth movement with no discernible future.  So in this case, I'm not going to go with a player who's a free agent but rather, you know, with the best guy in the league, i.e. Nikola Jokic.  Technically, SGA is MVP, but it's hard to imagine how a PG, as opposed to a C, can turn this ship around, even though their guard rotation, especially since trading away Simons, leaves something to be desired also.

It's been awhile since I did any research on Scoot, and by the looks of things, he has more or less materialized into a bust, as I predicted, not due to any shortcoming on his part (tho he may have been overrated) but rather Portland's braintrust unwisely throwing him (i.e. a rookie PG) into the fire too fast.

UTAH JAZZ (JOSH GIDDEY)

The Jazz is a team that has become so irrelevant that it's a chore to even write about them.  The thing I dislike about Utah is that they overtly tanked over the last couple of seasons, just to have shit totally backfire on them.  The biggest news to come out of Jazz land over the past 18+ months has been acquiring a rookie who doesn't or didn't even want to play for them.

They also recently gave up on Sexton and Clarkson which, if you look at the rest of their roster, doesn't really make sense.  But maybe Ainge and co. know something that we don't.  It's almost like now, they're in a semi-rebuild.  Markannen is still the star of the team I guess, but if he actually wants to win, it's hard to imagine him being content with this lackluster organization, which also happens to be in the West.

It almost feels like an insult suggesting any player go to the Jazz.  But since he is White and is currently the best all-around (restricted) free agent available, I have to go with Josh Giddey.  As it currently stands, it's hard to imagine a primarily White team winning a championship, even if there are a couple of above-average Europeans thrown in the mix.  But all things considered, something like that may happen sooner than we think.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 5)

SGA is MVP.  The reason I'm pointing that out is because he received the MVP treatment at the end of Game 4 - so much so that even the opposing coach had to defend the refs.  But he is MVP.  Out of all the players in the league, Shai is entitled to that treatment, so to speak.

The thing tho is that Game 4 shifted the momentum of the series.  Of course, I can't say that the Pacers would've won if Shai wasn't receiving somewhat generous calls or non-calls down the stretch.  I don't like playing what if.  But let me just say that, up until Game 5, OKC never definitively established themselves as the dominant team, as everyone, including myself, was expecting.  I wasn't expecting them to dominate Indy like they did Minny, but still, niggas was struggling.

Shai was once again magnificent in Game 5, but the man who really led the charge, who was also instrumental during crunch time in Game 4, was Jalen Williams.  SGA recently made a comment where he said he understood the value of a second fiddle when it comes to winning a championship.  Williams is like the second coming of Scottie Pippen.  And what people don't say is that there were times, even if not so often, when Pippen played better than Jordan.

As for Tyrese Haliburton, I sorta see him becoming like a Ben Simmons.  But that's not to say the series is over - far from it.  During these Finals, it's like you can feel the homecourt advantage.  Look at how Haliburton shrinks in OKC.  But in Indy, it's a different story.  And as for Pascal Siakim and even T.J. McConnell, you know, those types, dudes don't give AF.  Try to tell them they don't belong on the big stage or that the Thunder are flatout better.

SHOUTOUT TO AARON NEISMITH & CHET HOLMGREN

Also shoutout to Aaron Neismith, who once again had a ridiculous dunk, this time on Chet Holmgren.  Remember that Aaron Gordon banged it on Chet also.  The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been no joke.

I like Holmgren, because even though he's young and skinny, he's not afraid of the post or playing defense.  It's players like him who are reminding the rest of the NBA that size does matter.  And you know, he's like the Kukoc of the team, so to speak.  But wait until Williams or SGA go down, and then you'll see how valuable he is.

All things considered, that's probably the biggest advantage the Thunder have over Indy - depth.  I can't even call Myles Turner overrated, because I never really heard anyone big him up anyway, at least not in the last five years type shit.  And unless dude turns into Shaq during these last two games, I'm really interested to see how much Indy is going to offer him this summer.  Yeah, let him go to Detroit or whatever team is dumb enough to throw a shitload of money at Myles.

KEVIN DURANT IN "THE DIVA BLUES"

Speaking of Detroit, if there's one team in the NBA I'd like to see KD go to, without them giving up too much in return, it's the Pistons.  Talk about instant contenders.  And it's interesting that there doesn't seem to be any team out there, not even the lowly Spurs or the starchasing Knicks, that seem overly interested in him except, based on reports, Minnesota which, if I were them, I wouldn't give up Randle for Durant.  Giving up Randle or Reid or any of those guys would sorta defeat the purpose.  Gobert, if they can get rid of him, would make more sense, even though that would leave a big gaping hole in the middle.  And now, looking at the way OKC is dominating the paint, you remember the value of interior D.

NBA teams have been incepted and are no longer enamored by divas.  They know that KD has now been at the center of two failed superteams, the latter more disappointing than the first.  They see how trying to placate an over-the-hill Lebron has destroyed what has traditionally been the best braintrust in the NBA.  So, good luck KD.  If you haven't already, learn how to concede the point.

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 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.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 8)

INDIANA PACERS (2) VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (0!)

I don't have anything against Tyrese Haliburton - Myles Turner maybe, though he's reclaiming his strength of late.  Instead, there's a more practical reason I want the Pacers to lose.  If they win, they're going to f*ck up all that shit I was talking about the small-ball era being over.  Remember that shit I said about about 'the Cavs players look like they genuinely like each other, so other teams need to watch out!'  Well I guest at doesn't really matter if the other team is playing harder or smarter.

As for the Cavs, it's kinda hard to blame it on injuries because (#1) by all means at least one, if not two of their big four is likely to be hurt during any given game by this point in the Playoffs, and (#2) they have or had the homecourt advantage.

Me wanting Indiana to lose doesn't mean it's going to happen, of course.  But damn, son.  I saw some headline at NBC that at least gave me the impression that the writer thought the ending of Game 2 was rigged.  When Nesmith banged it on Mitchell, especially the first time I saw the play, it just looked like he wanted it more.  And Haliburton deciding to shoot a three on that last shot, that was a gutsy play, especially considering that the defense on him, though one-on-one (against Jerome), was pretty sound.

Tyrese appears that he may be on the verge of superstardom, if he isn't already there.  If that happens, I would argue that the party who deserves the most credit is the Pacers' braintrust.  They deadass pulled off a Kobe, believing in a player that every other organization slept on.

You also have to give Indiana credit for believing, like Cleveland, in the power of continuity.  Remember that they retained their entire rotation from last season, and the only addition they made was James Wiseman, with that experiment lasting a good game or two.   

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0)

Let me just get this off my chest - if Curry is healthy, I have no reason not to believe that the Warriros would beat, if not swept, Minnesota.  There's something like inexplicable about the Wolves underachievement.

There was this one play when Gobert backed down Butler I think and dunked.  Gobert is like an entire chest bigger than anyone on the Dubs' roster.  And the announcer was like, 'you'd expect to see more of that from Minnesota'.  After all, isn't the size of Gobert how they ultimately finished the Lakers off?  But that's what I mean sometimes when I say head coaches are obsolete on many teams.

Draymond is also playing like a man inspired.  And as for Buddy Hield, previously he never lived up to the marketability of his name.  But this team has a winning culture, so you would expect dudes to overachieve, or at least their achievements to shine more.  But beating Minnesota without Curry, I mean anything is possible, you know, they do have "Playoff Jimmy".  But I can't see it.

NEW YORK KNICKS (2) VS. BOSTON CELTICS (0!)

Zero nigga, lol.

Yahoo currently has a headline up about Tatum not panicking and believing Boston will still pull through.  Yeah, maybe, I guess.  I mean, it's not like the Knicks won either of those games resoundingly.

But the scary thing is like, I mean I only have a small sample to refer to.  But at the beginning of the Playoffs, it looked sorta like the Knicks didn't really know what they were doing but winning on superior talent.  Now, it's starting to look like all the guys know and accept their roles, and everyone expect Brunson I guess understands they need to sacrifice their game in one respect or another to make shit happen.  Does that make Jalen the leader?  Yeah, I guess so.

The thing about Brunson is, remember when he was Luka's sidekick?  No one but the Knicks (and myself) picked up on the fact that Jalen is actually better than Doncic in some applications.  Like there was this one game - I believe it may have been against Mitchell's Jazz - when like Luka was hurt, and Brunson led the Mavs to victory  The next game Luka came back, and they lost.  And I'm sitting there like 'does anybody else see this shit'?  Yeah, I guess NYK did.

As for the Celtics, like now that people are starting to jump on the Miles Bridges bandwagon, remember who was biggin' him up first.  I was the one who said, like two whole years ago, that he's a better all-around player than KD (at this point in his career). So why the Suns preferred Durant anyway, I guess it was in the name of selling tickets or whatever.

My point is that Brown and Tatum are studs, but so is Bridges and, let's not forget, Anunoby.  They have the athleticism to counter.  So then you have to look at the rest of the roster and ask, which team's is better, especially considering the inconsistency of Porzingis?

I believe the Celtics braintrust may be a bit cocky, but you can't blame a champion for running it back.  But win or lose, they should now know that some type of major upgrade is in order.

DENVER NUGGETS (1) VS. OKC THUNDER (1)

The Nuggets won Game 1 on a last-second clutch pay, while the Thunder won Game 2 by absolutely demolishing Denver.  You do the math.

The Nuggets are one of my favorite teams, on some days my sentimental favorite in the West.  But damn do they have a thin rotation, even in these Playoffs, when most teams are playing it tight.

The thing I'm most thankful for is at least Jamal Murray is playing and effective.  Remember that, just a week before the postseason, dudes was like he wouldn't even be suiting up.

Remember that, it was Mike Malone who made that statement, who Denver then like fired the next day or some shit.  And we have to remember also that these dudes lost their coach right before the Playoffs, though whether or not that was a good thing remains to be seen.

I believe ultimately, it everyone stays healthy or whatever, the Thunder are going to simply outrun the Nuggets.  Obviously, they can turn it up on Jokic if they want to.  And who on the bench, nay, the entire team, can alternatively take his place in terms of productivity?  Westbrook is a stud, but he isn't a C.

2024-2025 Offseason Grades (Northwest Division)

DENVER NUGGETS: A

I like to refer to Russell Westbrook as "the ScapeGOAT".  Pound-for-pound, he's perhaps the best player in NBA history in terms of overall skillset.  Yet every time a team he's on underperforms, it's Russell's fault.  That was even true after KD bounced on the Thunder even though, all things considered, there was no way they were going to win a championship after that.

I have a lot of respect for KCP.  He's obviously one of the better role players when it comes to palpably contributing.  But him being better than Russell Westbrook?  C'mon, man.

The Nuggets are a team which, besides Jamal Murray, tends to appear too lethargic at times.  Ideally, the energetic Westbrook will be able to mitigate that.

Dario Saric is also an underrated player.  And as for Christian Braun, at least now he'll really get a chance to prove himself, you know, like over the long term.  So I'm feeling what Denver has done this offseason.  If nothing else, they will give fans a slightly different look.  And you know, sometimes when you lose like they did in the postseason, trying to evolve is preferable to standing pat while key free agents bounce.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: D

Minnesota tore my heart out during the postseason, going that far and then losing to the Mavericks, even though the Wolves had the height and also arguably the depth advantage.

The issue, imo, is that Minny needs a faster, and let's say younger starting PG.  I'm pretty confident that Conley, back in his heyday, would have been able to more or less contain Luka (as best as anyone could), and he did have impact moments against Dallas here and there.  But what did Minnesota do instead of upgrading at the 1, or even overall for that matter?  Practically nothing in terms of offseason additions, at least not anything in terms of actually being a better team than they were last season, considering most notably that Kyle Anderson has bounced.

Seemingly, they're banking on the progression of Anthony Edwards, which isn't a bad thing considering his talent, athleticism, age and societal standing.  But let's just say that he seemed out it at certain points during the WCF.  So whatever it was that may have been bothering him, I hope that they focus more on that than, you know, making him practice more.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: A

I like Josh Giddey, if for no other than him being one of the more pleasant NBA players to look at.  But it became blatantly obvious during the postseason that his style of play doesn't mesh particularly well with the Thunder as a whole.  Or let me say that they don't really need him per se if SGA is healthy.  At times, during long stints on the court, Josh wasn't doing jacksh*t.  So replacing him with Caruso, who's effective off the ball, totally made sense.

More importantly, OKC needed help in the middle.  In most seasons, someone like Chet Holmgren would have prolly won ROY.  But it also seemed obvious that, you know, you don't want his skinnyass to be forced to bang downlow throughout an entire game.  So bringing in Hartenstein, the type of effective big who won't take the ball out of the hand of scorers, also makes sense.

And with that OKC, a team that was already in position to contend for a championship, had arguably the best offseason.  The only reason I didn't give them an A+ is because I don't want to get my hopes up too high to later eat my words, like I did last season.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS: C

In a manner of speaking the Blazers traded Damian Lillard, one of the best scorers ever, for Scoot Henderson, a young, unproven PG.  One thing I admire, after Henderson's less-than-stellar rookie campaign, is that at least Portland has remained committed to his development without changing direction.

Scoot is getting his chance, from the jump, to either prove a star or a bust.  None of that Markelle Fultz sideline sh*t.  But at the end of the day, if he does fail to impress, I'm not going to blame it on him, because they should've never thrown a suspect rookie PG in the fire like that to begin with.

If you can't be competitive as an NBA team, then at least be entertaining.  And the addition of Clingan, you know, he was like the second most-popular rookie in the draft and moreover plays a position that won't overlap with Scoot.

Also, it's not like Portland has a bad roster.  I would say that talent-wise, it's good enough to make the playoffs by default if they were in the East.  But potential lack of overall compatibility and talent being overly concentrated at certain positions seem to be other issues this team may have to contend with.

UTAH JAZZ: F

Remember a couple of seasons ago when the Jazz were overachieving but then proceeded to like intentionally tank?  This is why you don't do things like that.  There's no guarantee that once you develop a losing culture, you'll be able to overcome it.

That's not the reason I'm giving them an F though.  It's more because of these Markkanen trade rumors.  If those are true then, coupled with their less-than-impressive roster, it's like Utah have totally lost their direction or conviction from a couple of seasons ago.

I understand that rebuilding, if that's what Jazz is actually doing, usually takes time.  I also understand that they may be compelled to tank in hopes of landing Cooper Flagg, who's not only White (Utah's favorite color) but furthermore an actual American.  Like when is the last time a White American player generated such buzz?  But damn, in terms of last season and presumably this forthcoming one, what a way to let the fans down, especially for a braintrust led by Danny Ainge.

CONCLUSION

There really isn't much reason not to believe that OKC will once again be the best team in this division.  Their biggest deficiency last season was lack of size, to the point that they were prolly fortunate not to have faced Minnesota or Denver in the playoffs.  But now all of a sudden, they have one of the biggest frontcourts in the league.

Shoutout to the Celtics

I'll be honest and admit that last offseason, when the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, I wasn't overly thrilled about either of those moves.  Boston's style of play is more or less position-less, so I thought that a traditional PG along the lines of Holiday would get lost in the sauce.  As for Porzingis, I always knew that he was one of the better players in the league.  But he's also regularly injured, besides being reluctant to capitalize on his size by playing more in the middle.

But now, I see that Boston's braintrust knew what they were doing.  That's not to say that the Celtics are the best team in the NBA.  But they have lucked out in terms of being in the East and then facing a squad  like the Mavericks in the Finals.

BEST TEAM IN THE NBA?

The NBA - and perhaps most professional sports' leagues - isn't so much that there's a hands-down best team.  It's more like a matter of matchups.  In fact, even most NBA dynasties weren't always the best teams per se, at least not in every season that they've won a championship.

For instance, it did seem that the NBA powers-that-be helped the Jordan Bulls here and there, and did so even more blatantly with the Shaq + Kobe Lakers.  The only dynasty I've seen that was hands-down better than every other team was the Dubs in their prime, especially with KD.

In other words, the Celtics should consider themselves fortunate that they didn't facing the Timberwolves or Nuggets in the Finals, i.e. a squad with enough size to potentially counteract their speed and athleticism.  Dallas has done a good job of respecting height more than they have in recent years, but they're still an undersized team by conventional standards.  And as far as undersized teams go, it's obvious that none are better than the Celtics.

A NEW CHAMPIONSHIP STANDARD?

It seemed that, with the Lakers (2020), Bucks (2021) and Nuggets (2023) winning championships in recent years, that the NBA has started trending back towards teams that dominate through size.  However, the Celtics just managed to win championship with their starting C, Porzingis, being more or less a non-factor throughout the playoffs.  Let me repeat that - the NBA champions' starting, allstar-ish center was more or less a non-factor throughout the playoffs.  Kristaps made his presence briefly felt against the Heat, and he also represented big-time in Game 1 of the Finals.  But it felt like, by the time all was said and done, Boston didn't really need him against the Mavs.

The Celtics are smallish and shoot well, similar to the Dubs.  But the difference is Boston placing a very high premium on defense.  They have at least three players - Holiday, Brown and White - who have established themselves as above-average defenders who usually play between the 1 and 3.  And it showed in a league where teams have now, sometimes against logic based on their rosters or the defensive weaknesses of their opponents, come to rely on three-pointers.

KYRIE IRVING SHOWS HIS IMMATURITY

If nothing else, those statements Kyrie made about the Celtics' organization being akin to a "cult" were mistimed.  If anything, he should've at least waited until the series was over to let that out.  Boston had already established themselves as being a better team than Dallas, regardless of what may go on behind the scenes.  And for all we know, those statements may have inspired them to play even harder in Game 5.

RACISM IN BOSTON?

I understand that Jayson Tatum is the face of the franchise, but it was blackass Jaylen Brown who won Finals MVP.  Yet, the Celtics took Brown out of the game (seconds before) they did Tatum, knowing that the latter would then be due the bigger round of applause.

I also just read on NBC Sports that after Boston's bigwigs got to hold the championship trophy, and "soon (it) was in Jayson Tatum's hands".  I don't know if maybe Jaylen, who again was Finals MVP, got to hold it first, like before Tatum.  But if nothing else, NBC made sure to point out that Tatum (and Horford) got to hold it.

Jayson Tatum is blantantly black but also very light-skinned.  Now the reason I'm bringing all of this up is because recently, I watched an interview with Benzino, a Boston native, who was talking about the time Paul Pierce got stabbed.  Throughout that interview, he kept mentioning how racist the city of Boston is.  And as an example, he was talking about how the city has incarcerated the black guys who stabbed Pierce, way back in the year 2000, to this day.  But contrastingly, they love blackass Paul.  And his argument was that, if you're a black athlete playing for the city, they love you.  But if you're just like an average black dude, then, you know what I'm saying?

So yeah, I think there is some colorism involved here on the part of the Celtics, if not the NBA at large.  Brown was actually drafted (a year before) Tatum, and he also played better than Jayson throughout 2023-24.  And you know, I'm not trying to start no beef or anything but just a reminder that, you know what I'm saying?

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

In Round 1, the Celtics faced a Heat team without Jimmy Butler, arguably their best player, as well as Terry Rozier, who I'm sure wanted the opportunity to face his old team.  Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo neglected to exploit the middle, i.e. Boston's weak spot defensively.

In Round 2, they faced the Cavs without Jarrett Allen, who plays exclusively in the middle, which again is Boston's weak spot.  Also during the last couple of games, Cleveland's best player,  Donovan Mitchell, was hurt.

In the Conference Finals, there was at least one game when the Pacers' allstar-ish center, Myles Turner, appeared as if he decided to be a non-factor.  He also seemed to reject the idea of attacking the middle.  And before the series was over Indiana's franchise player, Tyrese Haliburton, was too injured too play the final two games.

Then, Boston lucked out once again by not having to face one of the bigger teams from the West, such as Minnesota.  All of that considered, I don't know if this classifies as an asterisk championship.

As I've said a million times on this blog, NBA players of today are weaker than their forefathers.  So I don't think you can't fault the Celtics if their opponents are falling left and right.  After all, it's not like they didn't have their own major injury to contend with.

WAS GAME 4 OF THE FINALS RIGGED?

The Playoffs, and let's say the final eight teams especially, are supposed to represent the cream of the crop of the NBA.  Yet, every other day there were teams losing by like 20+ points in the postseason.  That standard is even more eye-popping when it occurs during the Finals, like when the Mavs beat the Celtics by 38 points.  You would think with with that type of dominant performance, Dallas would've at least won more than one game in the series.

I believe either one of two things happened.  Either the NBA told Boston to throw that game, to prolong the series a bit and perhaps save face, since Dallas sorta looked like they didn't even belong out there with the Celtics.  And/or, the Celtics themselves decided to lose so that they could rather win the championship in their hometown.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? (DALLAS MAVERICKS)

Off the top of my head, I want to say 'hey Dallas, y'all need a dominant big'.  But it ain't like there's a bunch of those floating around these days.  Also, it ain't like the ones they already had are really that bad.

Daniel Gafford has always been an overachiever, though more of an complementary player.  Derrick Lively at times looked out he was more or less taking up space during the Finals, but he is a rookie.  And as for PJ Washington, to me he's a prime example of the downside of a big developing a viable outside shot.  When that happens, they tend to forget how to play in the middle, which again is where Boston is weakest at defensively, you know, if you actually post them up.  That said, the Mavs' big performed damn well in the West.

The same goes for Kyrie.  He was absolutely dazzling against the West but, upon facing a team more familiar with his style and designed to defend guards, he sorta fizzled.  You could tell he was expending a lot more energy scoring on the Celtics than he was against, say, the Timberwolves.

Luka faced a lot of criticism, but I don't really think it's his fault.  He's the main reason Dallas got this far to begin with.  Also, they should've expected, given his history, that he would weaken sooner or later, especially against a team like Boston.  The contingency plan, when Doncic isn't effective, is supposed to be Irving.  But they were exposed playing against a team that's built to defend guards and wings.

Boston also did a damn good job taking away the alleyoop game that the Mavs have come to depend on (and were embarrassing teams in the West with).  It's been a long time since we've seen an NBA team, you know, actually like win a championship with defense.

It's difficult to predict how to fix the Mavericks.  Kyrie is getting older, with his age showing in the Finals.  Also, whereas Luka may become more skilled, he isn't likely to get any stronger or more athletic.  But the good thing is that, at least now they're Western Conference Champions, i.e. a more-attractive squad for a star player to join.  Also, Dallas has a lot of trade chips, if they decide to go there.

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.

Where Do We Go From Here? (Phoenix Suns Edition)

My prediction at the beginning of the season was that if the Suns so much as get off to a poor start, Kevin Durant would start throwing fits and probably demand a trade.  Well, they did get off to a poor start, a 4 and 6 one to be exact, but KD held his composure.  And as the season progressed and dudes started to gel and get healthy, there were stretches in which the Suns looked formidable, even though this isn't necessarily what you would call a holistic roster.

Now that the season is over and the Suns, with their big 3, got swept in the First Round (!), reportedly the diva in KD has finally showed up.  It's been circulating that he "was not always happy with how he was used", "feeling that he was... relegated to the corner... and not having proper designs to play to his strengths".  I don't know if that's fake news or not, as I would presume most players probably have issues with how they are "used".  But if Kevin did intentionally let this leak, then his tenure with Phoenix may be a lot shorter than most of us expected.

To some degree, I can appreciate those sentiments as the Suns, as with most teams in the NBA these days, play offense as if they don't have any particular strategy in mind.  But it appeared to me that KD was pretty much allowed to take any and all the shots he wanted.  Also, Phoenix got their asses straight up bust by a better (constructed) team.  Anthony Edwards is a revelation, like the next Jordan out this piece.

KD, THE MISUNDERSTOOD SUPERSTAR DIVA

When Durant bounced on the Thunder in 2016, he was only about 27 years old.  At the time, some people were criticizing him along the lines of being, most simply put, a traitor.

The Thunder were the second best team in the West.  When Kevin left, not only did he destroy that dynamic, but he went to the Warriors, their main rival and the best team in the conference, making Golden State even more unbeatable.  And you know, I could understand why OKC fans felt as if he stabbed them in the back, especially considering that this was the organization that drafted and more or less built a team around him.

Most NBA superstars never won a professional championship, never won a collegiate championship, and some of them didn't even win a high school championship.  Yet, they're paid tens of millions of dollars annually.  To most people, I think that would rightfully classify as a success story, Cinderella even.  But in recent years, let's say since the Shaq + Kobe era, the argument became something like no matter how much money or individual accolades you've achieved, you're not a legitimate success as a NBA star unless you win a championship(s).

It's that line of thinking - the Mamba mentality, if you will - that I believe made Lebron obsessed with winning.  He was but a lad when he came into the league.  And the same with KD.

When you're older, it's easier to look back and say 'hey, I made my millions anyway, so what difference does it make if I never got a championship'?  But when you're young and like in your teens and twenties, peer pressure and outside voices and shit like that have more of an influence.

So if that was the specific reason why Durant joined the Warriors, to win a championship, he should've been applauded as one of the most intelligent stars in the league rather than a turncoat, because guess what?  Most superteams don't win championships.  So him 'taking the easy way out' was wise from that perspective.  In fact, those couple of seasons with the Dubs may well be the only NBA championships he ever wins.

THE BEAL EXPERIMENT

When the Suns acquired Bradley Beal to play alongside Durant and Booker, I saw that as a bit of overkill, albeit one with potential.  Beal had developed this reputation of being a loyal superstar, one who was willing to stick with the team that drafted him, the Wizards, despite the fact that they've established themselves (since the departure of John Wall) as one of the most garbage squads in the league.  I actually admired Bradley for that, not giving into the pressure to hastily chase a championship, even though, as we can see now, he eventually did so anyway.  But I was thinking that when he did leave, he would go to a team like the Heat who could actually use him.

There's this prevailing idea that the most talented team always wins (a seven-game series), but that's not true, as proven by the Pistons in 2004.  Yet to this day, we seemingly have braintrusts who think like if you throw three superstars together, they just gotta win a championship.  I don't think there's ever been an NBA champion who won on sheer talent, besides maybe the Heat with LBJ + Wade + Bosh.  And even with them, you know, they all had to agree beforehand that Lebron was the alpha.

When the Suns had Booker + Durant + CP3 + Ayton, that was more of a championship-level roster, one poised to take on the likes of the Timberwolves or Nuggets.  But I knew, from the time KD arrived, that the ball was going to be taken out of the hands of Chris Paul, so he would be made obsolete.  The same thing more or less happened when Kevin was on the Nets, that since he favors bringing the ball up and is very capable of doing so, then it's like the PG basically has to play like a 2.  But you can't expect someone like CP3 to make that adjustment.  So, in the name of accommodating KD, he had to go.

What was a bit more shocking was when Phoenix traded Ayton.  Or let me say that once Deandre left (and was replaced by Jusuf Nurkic), then it became obvious that the Suns' strategy, with the addition of Beal, was to basically outshoot other teams.  And you know, they had a pretty good regular season, one that, in theory, can be built upon.  But it's like, dudes ain't getting no younger.  You know what I mean?  These type of superteam rosters are built more for instant championships than years of development.

So my argument, in theory, is that it would have been better for the Suns to have kept Paul and Ayton rather than acquiring Beal and Nurkic.  That move made them more formidable from a quote/unquote superstar standpoint, but it made them less of a holistic, comprehensive team.  But the reason I say this is a theoretical argument is because once you acquire a superstar diva like Durant, there's always the risk of the team dynamic being thrown out the window.  You know what I mean?  Like the situation also could've been worse if CP3 stuck around.

SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

This is a messy situation.

The most logical move, if Phoenix doesn't make any major roster changes between now and next season, is for Beal to try to play more like a traditional PG, setting out to average 10apg.  The problem though is that with KD in tow, he probably isn't going to get a chance to touch and hold the ball enough to do so.  So another option would be to move him to the second unit, where he could do more damage against opposing benches.  But chances are someone of his caliber wouldn't be down with not starting.

The more realistic approach would be making Durant the point.  Even though he was the alpha on OKC, it wasn't necessarily like the team was built around him per se.  So it can argued that, as historically talented as KD is, he never had his own team, so to speak.  So maybe the Suns could take that approach, while concurrently keeping Booker around and using Beal as a trade chip.  But the irony of the situation is that doing so would entail acquiring the same types of players they recently parted ways with, i.e. a dominant inside C and a pass-first G that can also score.

CONCLUSION

The Suns have so thoroughly falling into the trap of star chasing and failing to properly deal with an unruly-yet-necessary player (Deandre Ayton) that now, perhaps the best thing that can happen to them is KD demanding a trade after only one full season.

NBA Reflections (2023 November 10)

It's funny how NBC posted an article today pointing out how the Bucks' defense sucks, because I was going to make that same observation after watching them play the Pistons a couple of nights ago. And now, I regret ranking Milwaukee higher than the Nuggets at the beginning of this season, under the belief that they had a better frontcourt defensively.

At the heart of the problem, the way I see it, really isn't the fact that Lillard is a palpable stepdown on defense from Jrue Holiday, because truth be told most teams, by the design of the league even, kinda suck when it comes to perimeter defense anyway.  Dudes be bustin' threes and driving to the lane like it's nothing these days.  The bigger problem is that Brook Lopez has visibly lost a step, maybe even two.  Also, please don't tell me that Khris Middleton is injured again.  Like who couldn't see that coming?

That said, it isn't as if the Bucks suck.  They do have Giannis and Dame, two players who, and especially the latter, can win games on their own.  So their situation feels a bit more hopeful than, say, the Clippers.  But it's also sorta obvious that, as it currently stands, the Sixers and Celtics are in a different class than the Bucks.

LET'S GO, T-WOLVES!

I have yet to see the Timberwolves play this season, but, from what I've been reading, they've been representing.  Remember that this is the team I predicted to win it all at the beginning of last season.  It proved obvious pretty quickly that was a hasty prediction.  But now that they're healthy and getting their shit together, Minnesota is living up the potential that I expected of them, such as recently beating the Celtics, who lack a palpable interior defensive presence, having traded away Robert Williams III (who, btw, is currently injured anyway).

REMEMBER THE BIGS

Remember that even as recently as last season, there were so-called analysts, even some on the payroll of of major media organizations and maybe some employed by teams also, arguing that bigmen are played out.  Now, for those teams that were actually dumb enough to heed that type of advice, if you don't have a viable big on your roster, then you're assed out.  That's how the Nuggets were able to beat the Warriors the other night.  Jokic, instead of focusing on shooting jumpers, was banging inside, and there was no one on Golden State to give him any type of notable resistance.  Meanwhile, Aaron Gordon is still doing his thing, and Michael Porter Jr. has finally seen the light and is even averaging 8 rebounds.  So who's going to be able to stop the Nuggets?  It can only be a team with comparable size, like the Sixers, Bucks or T-Wolves or one that is really loaded on the wings, like the Suns or Clippers (or Dubs, if the Splash Bros. are on fire).

KAWHI, THE ODD MAN OUT

I know it's only been a couple of games since the Beard has arrived in LA, but something just doesn't feel right with the Clippers.  And the funny thing is, based on what I've seen, Kawhi Leonard, arguably the best player on the squad, appears to be the odd man out with this current arrangement.

Trading for Harden was a risky move, or let me know one which LAC's braintrust should have already had a solid idea what they were going to do with him before making the deal.  It appears that inevitably, either he or Westbrook is going to head to bench.  Logic would dictate that if anyone it should be Harden, since the Clippers were apparently playing better before he arrived (and with pieces they have now traded away).  But then it's like, if they do bench one of them and slot Kawhi back to the 3, then who's going to start at the 4?  Their frontcourt is already thin enough, but the logical conclusion would be the semi-ageless PJ Tucker. 

So the way I see it, the real problem with LAC may turn out to be a ego thing.  It's kinda like how, when Jordan Poole was around, the Warriors were arguably better with Steph coming off the bench.  But then it's like, you can't bench Steph.

So when it comes time to choose between either Harden or Westbrook starting, I wonder if LAC is going to chicken out and prioritize James over Russell.  You know what I mean?  Like I wouldn't want to be the one to tell the Beard to come off the bench, you know, especially for $30+mil/year.  By the time all is said and done, if things they don't work out, some higher up in the braintrust is probably going to get the boot.

FUK THEY DOING TO WEMBY?

First of all, let's get this out of the way - the Spurs' roster, relatively speaking, sucks.  They traded their lone allstar, Dejounte Murray, during the offseason of 2022 in the name of tanking to get Victor Wembanyama, and that goal has been accomplished.  But let's just say, as amazing as Wemby may be, he ain't no Shaq.  And it's becoming increasingly obvious that his game doesn't respond well to intentional contact, which is understandable, considering he's currently one of the skinniest player in the league.

So there's two things that's concerning me here.  First is that, development-wise, I would argue that it's not ideal for someone who's apparently a future allstar to get drafted onto a garbage team.  Like you don't want a player who's potentially an all-time great  to get used to losing.  And if the Spurs are unable to attract any quality free agents or make an exceptional trade or two, then they're going to have to rely on some of that draft magic from days past.

But second and more concerning is the way Popovich and them are using him.  They have Wembanyama, who's like the tallest dude in the NBA, basically playing the 2.  Then, when he does find himself in the post, it's obvious that he isn't used to playing interior defense (or is intimidated by it).  Furthermore, based on what I've seen, he never posts up on offense, despite once again being the tallest player in the league.  Then it's like they be giving him these extended rests during key stretches of the game, sorta like they value and are trying to preserve him over the rest of the squad, which I'm presuming isn't particularly good for the morale of his teammates.  You know, even if it is true, don't make it obvious.

When the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan, he had the luxury of playing alongside a perennial allstar, David Robinson, from the get-go.  But as for Wembanyama, who knows when or if San Antonio will get someone else to ease the pressure, if you will.  But that said, it's pretty obvious, as it currently stands, that fans are going to vote Victor into the 2024 All-Star Game.  So it remains to be seen if the coaches and media will rain on the parade.