WOES OF THE LAKERS
It seems that the rest of the world is finally starting to realize what I've been arguing for at least two or three years now, that Anthony Davis is far from being the athlete that he used to be. Meanwhile, the geniuses behind the Lakers' braintrust recently acknowledged that reality by giving him a historically-wealthy contract extension, lasting all the way until 2028. That means that NBA fans, in theory, are looking forward to five more years of watching Davis painfully serve as LAL's primary bigman, because I have to believe that giving AD that much dough has basically made him, all things considered, untradeable.
Another big mistake this braintrust has made was putting so much faith in D'Angelo Russell. Russell, under the right type of circumstances, i.e. when he's a team's alpha, is an allstar-level player. But the way the Lakers' have been constructed over the last couple of seasons, it would actually be better if he were to come off the bench. LAL are more or less paying him sixth-man money anyway. But all because he showed out iduring the playoffs doesn't mean he should start throughout the regular season.
That said, we still have yet to see him alongside Gabe Vincent. I would presume the plan is to start Vincent at point and then slide Russell over to the 2. Looking at the Laker's size on paper, i.e. the fact that they have both Lebron and AD, having such a small backcourt can actually work. But another woe of the Lakers, besides their stuck-in-time braintrust, has been injury issues.
As underwhelming as this season may prove winning-wise, at least LAL are a good watch. It wouldn't be farfetched to say that LBJ could play in the NBA into his mid-40s, if he wants to. Also, as Austin Reaves' confidence goes up, he's becoming a more-entertaining player, even if he may never be a defensive stopper.
FINALLY, THE MAVS
The Mavericks still rely heavily on guards and wings, but at least now they appear to be more balanced. This is not only due to the versatility of Luka but also that of Grant Williams. Also, Doncic and Kyrie are learning to play together. And that's a scary thing because in theory, talent-wise they're the best backcourt in the NBA.
I've been saying for a few years now, since he was rookie really, that Luka is the best player currently in the NBA, even if he sorta sucks on defense. There's a difference between developing a skill and being born with a gift. Or let me say that when you're born with a gift and then proceed to actually develop it, of course you're going to be better than most others. So maybe this year he'll finally be able to stay on the court and win MVP.
THE CURSE OF THE NUGGETS
The reason I believe that the Nuggets may not be able to repeat as champions isn't only about the departure of Bruce Brown. Even without Brown, who was a bench player, they still have the best, or in the very least the most-balanced starting five in the league. But secondly is the injury issues. The good thing about Jamal Murray is that he seems to come back from injuries better than ever. But the bad thing is that he is in fact injury-prone.
His backup, Reggie Jackson, is no slouch. I criticized Denver for not giving him more burn during the Finals, but now it becomes more obvious why they kept Reggie around nonetheless. But Murray, when he's hot, is on par with Steph.
So hopefully, you know what I'm saying? Nikola "the Miracle" Jokic may be the best C in the NBA, even if he lacks an imposing defensive presence. But it's sorta hard (though not impossible) to envision Denver winning a championship without a healthy Jamal, even if they have the best frontcourt in the league.
YES, THIS IS HARDEN'S LAST STOP
Recently NBC posted a video questioning whether the Clippers will be Harden's "last stop". One of my favorite subtopics of is analyzing the career trajectories of superstar divas, of which the Beard definitely falls into the category. And yes, I do believe that if things don't work out for him with the Clippers that no other team, all things considered, will want him, at least not as his current price.
In theory LAC are contenders, you know, if they all have one mind, so to speak. But Harden is along the lines of an impenitent chuck. And it's difficult to reel him in, because he's so talented.
For instance, him dropping 42 points against the Celtics last May was, in my opinion, the most impressive individual, single-game performance of the entire 2023 Playoffs, because like who knew that the Beard still had it in him, and furthermore against a quality defensive squad? But of course, the Sixers still lost the series. The problem with players like Harden, a "system" in and of himself, is that even when he's dishing out a lot of assists, he's still not a team player.
The second problem with his class is that they're unwilling to go to non-contending, building teams. Of course no one wants to be on a losing squad. But if you are a one-man system, that means a braintrust may even consider building a roster around you. And that's not possible if you go to a team that's already contending.
Harden already had rosters built around him, back when he was with the Rockets. The iteration which featured him and Dwight "the Bi-Baller" Howard was really formidable and probably would have made it to the big dance, if not for the Dubs. So it isn't like the Beard has never had his chance as the recognized alpha. And to put that reality into perspective, even Kevin Durant, in a way, has never been on a team where he was the hands-down alpha.
Moreover, most young squad these days seem more committed to player development as opposed to accommodating divas in the name of hopefully winning a championship faster. Diva-ism just isn't conducive to team sports. And that's why when you see dudes forming instant superteams but still losing, all you can do and sit back and shake your head, like they've sacrificed the integrity of the sport for nothing. So that said, I would have rather seen Harden go to a team like the Magic, where his talents are really needed, as opposed to the Clippers to form a superteam with redundant and overlapping talents which, based on historical precedence, should take at least a solid season to gel.