NBA Musings 231113 - Don't Forget About the Cavs

I'll be honest and say that I forgot to mention the Cavaliers in my last post while delineating the few teams that actually have the size to counteract the Nuggets.  It's like sometimes, I forget the Cavs even exist.  But I was reminded of their existence when they recently defeated the Warriors for the second time in as many weeks.  And one of the players who stood out was Evan Mobley who, btw, is visibly taller than anyone in the Dubs' rotation.

Although I can't find the link at the moment, Mobley was recently criticized, if I remember correctly, by a prominent member of the Cavs' braintrust, due to inability to shoot.  The argument was that, since Jarrett Allen likewise can't do so, then it doesn't pay to have two non-shooting bigs on the same squad, especially as starters.  That's how thinking is in today's NBA.  It's like shooting is even prioritized over defense which, all things considered, shouldn't be.

So perhaps Cleveland should be more focused on maximizing what they have as opposed to conforming to the makeup of other rosters.  Ideally, you fight fire with water, not fire with fire.  And with that in mind, in theory the Cavs are just as much in position to win the East as anyone else.  The Celtics may be better on the perimeter but not in the interior.  And as for the Sixers, having two quality defensive bigs to throw at Joel Embiid is definitely better than having just one.

KNICKS STARTING TO WIN AGAIN(?)

Last season I criticized the Knicks, reasserting that Randle was their alpha, and immediately after he went on a tear, and the team started winning.  I did the same thing a few days ago, and since then NYK has won three straight, even though all three of the teams they beat - the Spurs, Clippers and Hornets - are, as it currently stands, suspect.

Now, it is becoming more obvious that NYK's x-factor is RJ Barrett.  I'll be honest and say that for awhile there, I was starting to believe that dude was a bust or, in the very least, overrated.  But he keeps getting better.  And now, it's not unreasonable to speculate that Barrett may even be an allstar soon.

I also kinda slept on Immanuel Quickley, believing that he had already hit his ceiling.  Even from the time he was a rookie, Quickley, imo, has always been above-average in his position as backup PG.  But now it's like he's developed into a legitimate threat, someone that opposing teams have to be mindful of.

That said, it remains to be seen how the Knicks fare against teams that actually have their shit together.

SHOUTOUT TO TYRESE MAXEY

I was able to perceive Tyrese Maxey's superstar potential from the time he was an unknown rookie, back when Ben Simmons was still around.  Then, when Simmons refused to play and with Maxey starting at the point, the Sixers were still winning, as if nothing had changed.  So I was thinking to myself that when they did trade Ben, they would use the opportunity to acquire someone like an allstar level 3.  Instead they acquired Harden, in the process potentially stunting the progress of Tyrese, i.e. relegating him to third or fourth on the pecking order, even though he obviously deserved more.  But Maxey took it in stride instead of griping or demanding a trade (something that made me admire him even more), and in the long run, things are working out for the best.  Just don't forget who it was that first recognized he was a great player.

SHOUTOUT TO SCOOT HENDERSON

Scoot Henderson is injured again, as to have been expected, and he's also been stinking the joint up, as at least I expected.  It isn't his fault because, even if does prove to be a generational talent or whatever, it should have been obvious to the Blazers' braintrust that he isn't the type of rookie you start, especially not at point.  It'll be interesting to see what they do with Scoot when he returns.  But hopefully, it won't be throwing his ass right back into the fire.

THE RETURN OF MILES BRIDGES

LaMelo Ball may be the most-popular player on the Hornets, but imo Miles Bridges is the best, or at least he was a couple of seasons ago, even if he didn't make allstar.  Melo has a sound all-around game, but chuckin' PGs are common these days, and Charlotte's roster isn't good enough to capitalize on his passing abilities.  So in the grand scheme of things Miles was the more-valuable player, the type that you can win games with.

That said, even with Bridges and Ball, this squad isn't likely to make the playoffs.  Hornets' fans booed when they choose Brandon Miller over Scoot, but I believe now they realize that was a wise decision, which isn't something you hear often in relation to Charlotte.  Oh well.  At least with Bridges back, they'll be more entertaining to watch and currently have a better outlook than the Grizzlies, which definitely wasn't something I saw coming.

2023 NBA PLAYOFFS RUMINATIONS (12 MAY 2023)

ARE THE HEAT THE PERFECT TEAM?

The Heat are like a perfect team in a way.  You have accomplished vets like Butler, Adebayo, Love and Lowry, buttressed by young stars like Herro and Robinson, alongside other dudes with little to no notoriety, like Vincent and Strus and Martin, yet who always represent.  I thought Lowry was washed, but now it feels like he just needed to be in the right situation again, i.e. games that actually matter and a chance to compete for a championship.  And the thing that's really scary about Miami is the braintrust.  They have been fielding contenders so consistently that you might as well call them the Spurs of 2020s.  And what really the current iteration altogether, imo, is the play of Adebayo.  Butler may be the leader, but out of all of the star centers in the league Bam is the most athletic.

But if any team has the depth to beat them, it's the Knicks, I guess.  What it seems it ultimately boils down is, interestingly enough, is RJ Barrett.  Like every time NYK wins, it's like he had a good game.  I was on his Wikipedia page recently, and dude was like a basketball phenom, as was Jalen Brunson.  And speaking of Brunson, there's no way I'd ever say he's better than Luka one-on-one.  But in terms of running a team, that's another story.

SHOUTOUT TO THE GAUNTLET

Yes, I'm once again gushing over Gary Payton II, in terms of the way he played in Game 4 especially, which was a thriller.  I'd also like to give a shoutout to Lonnie Walker IV, who I remember namedropping a few posts back.  But the Lakers rely too much on luck for my liking.  And I like Austin Reaves, but sometimes it looks like he literally can't defend anyone in the NBA, though not for lack of trying.

And still, nobody has figured out a consistent way to shutdown Steph.  I also believe that GSW has been incepted, because after mentioning "Steph fatigue" a post of two back, it's like now he's passing the ball more, even when he has a shot, and the Warriors look better that way imo.  Somehow amidst it all, Jordan Poole got lost in the sauce.  And after this season, I'd rather see him (and Kuminga) get traded rather than endure this treatment.

REMEMBER HIM? (KEMBA WALKER)

And speaking of Walkers, whatever happened to Kemba.  It just doesn't feel right the way various teams turned their backs on him, especially considering the way he played for Team USA back in 2019, when the squad was garbage.

Where's the Original Julius Randle When You Need Him?

The Knicks have a deep and talented roster, but it ain't like they're the '03-04 Pistons.  You know what I'm saying?  This is a team that actually needs a distinguishable alpha, and Julius Randle is the only one who can fit that bill, you know, like if he wanted to type shit.

I had my suspicions of Jalen Brunson, but dude grew on me after awhile, and one thing I can say by observing his move to the Knicks is this.  There's a difference between being a star and a superstar.  The presence of a superstar, like Luka Doncic for instance, automatically elevates a roster from where it was before to at least the next-highest tier.  But a star needs a superstar in order to be recognized, like what happened to Brunson in Dallas.  In other words, there's a difference between flourishing when your the second or third option who steps up when need be and doing so when the onus is on you, daily, to win.

Also, I understand why the Knicks gave RJ Barrett that money, because he was the first player they drafted since like Porzingis whose earned like a high trade value.  You know what I mean?  It always makes an organization look better when they draft 'a star' rather than trading or getting one from free agency.  But I can't sit here and believe that anyone among NYK's actual braintrust actually believed he was a franchise player when giving him that contract.  Barrett is more like a really-skilled third option.  And all things considered there's nothing wrong with NYK giving him $100mil+ to be that, if they actually knew what they were doing.

The real culprit here, in like a Ben Simmons way, is Julius Randle.  Randle, to me, is a prime example of why players should always be cautious taking advice from the mainstream media or even coaches at times.  When he came into the NBA, he was instantly to be one of the best lowpost bigmen.  Then somewhere along the lines, he started that jumpshooting BS.  And now, it's like how often do you see him grinding downlow?  When the NBA or whoever started promoting jumpshooting over interior offense, they should have known that instead of seeing the big picture, some players would just take the easy way out and stop working hard on offense, you know what I mean, like struggling to get closer to the basket or even truly open.

And I can remember when this all started, during the 2020-21 Playoffs.  The Knicks were surprisingly good that season, and those of us who spent years being tortured by their incompetency were looking forward to the squad finally winning a series.  That was the year that Julius Randle went to the All-Star Game.  And guess what?  Thibs decided to instead give the keys to the car to D-Rose, Randle scored fewer pts than in the regular season, and the Knicks almost ended up getting swept by the lower-seeded Hawks team.

CONCLUSION

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander is a player who, from the time he entered the NBA up until now, keeps continually proving that he's better than anyone expected.  When he was drafted by the Clippers, no one was really expecting that one day he'd truly surpass CP3.  But I don't think the Knicks' problems could be solved with a G, even if it was Donovan Mitchell.  For some reason you never really hear shit about Mitchell Robinson, and Randle is out playing pansy near the three-point line.  So now, it's like their main bigman is that big white dude?

So maybe, idk, the Knicks will be incepted to take the idea of an Anthony Davis trade more seriously.  He's a bigman who is ready, willing and able to takeover games, and I can actually picture Barrett and even Brunson flourishing next to him, because then no one is going to expect them to be what they aren't.

Randle is still averaging an impressive 9rpg, but let's just say that he's no Giannis.  And him going to back to the Lakers, along with other young(er) players, may be just what uncles Lebron and Russ need.

Where Do We Go From Here? (NYK Edition)

I haven't been writing about the Playoffs lately because they're once again starting to get that WWE feeling to them.  You have teams that are clearly dominant to their opponents losing by like 30 points.  You have a team winning by 30 points one game, and then the other team winning by 30 pts the next.  You have seasoned vets fouling out in less than two quarters of playing time.  And you have to feel that some of these series have already been decided but may be prolonged for business reasons.

But basketball is a sport, not a business.  So regardless of what may go on behind the scenes, we fans like to see well-constructed, competitive teams.  And that's the purpose of these "where should we go from here" articles.  There's more to winning a NBA Championship than having a superior team, but having a superior team is where it all starts.

And one thing I can say in this case is if you ever want to know how it feels to almost have a heart attack from following a sports team, become a Knicks fan.  Unfortunately for someone who developed an affinity for the NBA, I was raised in NYC, which naturally makes you root for the Knicks, at least back in those days.  So I actually remember them, between the 1990s and now, doing more dumb shit than the average the average NBA fan would.  Like back in the days when Jeff Van Gundy coached the Knicks, New Yorkers used to deadass call him "Jeff Van Dummy".

And even right now as we speak, it's like the Knicks are making Jalen Brunson their top free agent priority.  Now anyone who reads this blog would know I have nothing against Brunson, and I know the upcoming free agent market is thin.  But damn, it's obvious the Knicks don't need another role player at this point.  They already have more role players than probably any other team in the association.  Julius Randle was supposed to be the alpha dog, but for whatever reason things didn't work out like that.  So what they should be doing is looking for someone of his skill level or better, you know, a player that'll actually move the needle.

If this was one of the lowlier teams, I wouldn't say something like that.  But the Knicks are the top market in the NBA.  So it's like, WTF?!  Y'all can't even get one perennial all-star on the roster?  That's the Knicks for you.

The way they're trying to push it now is that RJ Barrett is the next big thing.  And I'll admit that he has exceeded my expectations.  But franchise player?  Maybe on a lowlier team.  That fact that NYK has even put themselves in a position where Barrett can be considered its franchise player shows how dysfunctional this organization is, like one of those small-market teams who are just trying to maintain a name in the NBA.

If anything the Knicks should be pursuing Bradley Beal, not Zach LaVine as, knowing the Knicks, they're more likely do.  Both of those players have injury issues, but Zach's seems to be worst.  And Bradley Beal himself, imo, is overrated.  But in NY, if they don't gut their roster, he'll be surrounded by perhaps the best role players he's ever had in his career.  And some people are on that 'loyalty to one team' shit, but it ain't like Beal is Kobe, nor are the Wizards anything like the Lakers.  Also, to my understanding he can run the point.  And that's what the Knicks really need right now more than anything, a high-volume scorer and apparently PG, since they're chasing Brunson.

Russell Westbrook may also be a good choice, since he can not only score but do a bit of everything.  And if the Knicks could get him without giving up a bunch of players or any of their stars, that'd be the best supporting cast he's ever had as an alpha dog (if people still consider Russ one).  And another two ways that he can hypothetically help NYK is (1) Westbrook doesn't get injured often, and (2) he's the type of versatile player that would allow the Knicks to progressively, over the course of a year or two, build up a contender that he's a part of, you know, if Russ doesn't take too much dough from them, which he likely will.

I'm also not a big fan of Tom Thibodeau tbh.  In 2021 the NBA gave him the Coach of the Year at the same time the Knicks, for whatever reason during the Playoffs, deviated from their successful strategy of running the ball through Randle, instead putting the spotlight on D-Rose and subsequently losing to the Hawks in the 1st Round.  And this season they were even more disappointing, while Thibodeau was out there benching their best scorer and all types of shit.

CONCLUSION

The New York Knicks, despite being the wealthiest organization in the NBA, never had a superteam in the age of superteams.  And it doesn't look like they're going to be able to put one together now.  But at least they have a deep roster, including Kemba Walker lingering on the bench somewhere.

But all because they may not be able to land a Giannis or Luka doesn't mean they should sell themselves short.  And making Brunson your top priority isn't the worst decision.  But it's like damn, how much longer must NY fans be punished with a non-contending team?  Niggas is out in the boondocks winning championships, and these dudes are making moves like they'd be content just to make the 2nd round.