Jalen Brunson: The One That Got Away

I'll be honest and say that when the Mavs traded Doncic for Davis, yes, I was a bit surprised, but I wasn't one of those kinds of people who couldn't see the logic in the decision.  There were financial factors involved, i.e. do you want to supermax a player who you know isn't likely to lead you to a championship?  And you know, it's sorta like damned if you do, damned if you don't.  Luka was the face of the franchise, and you don't want to alienate your fanbase.  But at the same time, with a superstar like that, if you don't win a championship eventually, those same fans will diss you.

In hindsight, I would say the biggest mistake Dallas made wasn't trading Doncic in and of itself but rather trading one perennially-injured allstar for another, even older perennially-injured allstar.  Also, having Anthony around never panned out as idealized because, excuse my expression, he plays like a bum.

It was blaringly obvious that the Mavs needed an interior presence more than anything.  Remember, we're now in the Wemby Era.  But there goes Anthony, executing crossovers and jacking up three-pointers, as if he isn't 7-feet tall and shit.

But now, let's go back even further to the 2022 Playoffs.  And if you dig back through this blog, this is something I pointed out at that time.

During that postseason, the Mavs were playing better with Brunson and without Luka than they were playing with Luka and without Brunson or with both of them in the lineup.  These kinds of things, they aren't easy to explain logically because of course, Doncic was putting up better stats, perhaps more than anyone else in the entire playoffs.  But he was also of course regularly injured.  Yet the Mavs, depsite being underdogs without him, led by Jalen were pulling off upsets.  And once Luka did return like fulltime, that chemistry or magic was destroyed.

Again, this isn't something I can fully explain, how the team seemed to play better without Doncic, considering that Brunson is an even bigger chuck.  But I would say that maybe, the other Mavs players were able to fukwit him more because, not trying to sound racist or anything, but he plays more of a Black brand of basketball.

Also, back then Luka appeared sorta despondent towards his teammates.  Thankfully, that problem appears to have been solved, as he seems to be a lot more connected and supportive on the Lakers.

Now we can say that, no matter how much money Dallas offered, Brunson was going to bounce anyway, to be with his dad in NY.  If the Mavs' braintrust had inside knowledge of something like that, that they didn't even have a chance, then that would explain why they didn't really try to keep him.

Indeed, the general thinking at the time was, who would pay a king's ransom for Jalen and in the process risk losing Luka?  In other words, no one was even imagining that Brunson may be the better player.  Well, that is to say no one but me.

IS BRUNSON BETTER THAN DONCIC?

So recently I was watching this video about 'who turned out to be best player in each NBA draft', and when the presenter got around to 2018, I was sure he was going to crown Luka.  Remember that both Ayton and Bagley were selected before Doncic, and even the Hawks had a chance to land him but rather opted for Trae Young.  Those decisions have gone down as some of the biggest mishaps in recent draft history.

But who the presenter actually chose - who I had totally forgotten about - is SGA.  And I mean, he's right, now looking back from the future.

I'd still contend that Doncic is the most naturally-talented player in the NBA.  But all of the things people were predicting or hoping for Luka - MVPs and championships and shit like that - it's rather been Shai who's taken them home.  Yet and still, I wouldn't go as far as to say that SGA is the better individual player(?).

And that, dear reader, is the dilemma or confusion surrounding Doncic.  Dude commonly averages close to 10apg, so you can't turnaround and be like he doesn't get his teammates involved.  But it's just like, well, I don't think there's any team in the NBA - including the Lakers, marketing aside - who would rather have Luka than Brunson at this point.  None of them, except arguably the Knicks, could see this coming.

SHOUTOUT TO THE KNICKS

One of the reasons I'm calling this the Wemby Era, even if the Spurs don't win the championship, is because once dude fleshes out and like puts on more muscle, man, he's going to be an even bigger problem than he is now.  But as it currently stands, Victor's biggest weakness is his lightassednees.  It appears, at times, that the Thunder tried to exploit that, but they don't really have the personnel to do so, especially with Williams hurt

The Knicks, however, have the personnel.  They have the best all-around wing core in the league, and they are clearly physically stronger than the Spurs.  NYK's starting five is so stacked that Mikal Bridges is like the third or fourth option or some shit.

And the way I see it, going back to Brunson vs. Luka but also with Bridges vs. Durant, that's the biggest challenge of being an NBA braintrust, as far as roster decisions are concerned.  You're forced to constantly deal with this dilemma of having to choose between what the fans want, i.e. marketability, versus actually winning.  But of course, we don't have that problem at NBA Inception.  Here, we can tell the truth.

So if you dig back, you'll see that when the Suns traded KD for Bridges, I was like why?  Kevin is and by the looks of things always will be more popular.  But, as I argued back then, Bridges is the better all-around player.

CONCLUSION

In a perfect world, all braintrusts would be incepted, and every team would consequently be a contender(?).  But in the real world, you know, niggas be doing some dumb shit.  Like if the Lakers were going to trade AD - remember, this is a franchise that always had like the best C in the league and won accordingly.  So if you're going to trade AD, why for Luka anyway?  That was a Hollywood-inspired decision.  So anytime a superstar is involved in a transaction the question must be asked - is this decision based more on popularity or competitiveness?  The Rockets going after KD, was that more about popularity or competitiveness?  Could they have made wiser decisions in pursuit of the Larry O'Brien?  And on the flip side of the coin, what about players who are devalued because they aren't popular?

2026 Elimination Ruminations: OKC Thunder

OKC THUNDER (11-4)

In the last post, I sorta implied - or maybe it sounded like I took for granted - that the Thunder would win, but I didn't mean it like that.  What I was saying is that, imo, they would have been a better matchup for the Knicks.  That is to say that if any team in the East has the perimeter defenders (not including KAT or Brunson) to counteract the Spurs, it's NYK.

And you know, I wasn't the only person sounding like OKC was going to win.  Even mainstream outlets were doing the same, to the point that I even heard one YouTuber claim there was some type of rigging conspiracy in their favor.  Well, he was obviously wrong.  "The Dragon" won't be released this year.

JUSTICE IS SERVED

I've been saying for a year now that if Haliburton hadn't tripped over a banana peel in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals, it was very much looking, from the onset, like the Pacers were going to upset the Thunder and furthermore blow them TF out.  In hindsight, OKC's braintrust should have taken that more seriously, i.e. made some type of significant upgrade.

Maybe they were thinking 'oh, Tyrese is hurt. We ain't got nothing to worry about this season'.  You know, they believed their own press type shit.  Indeed, the danger of everybody being on your d*ck is thinking you're better than you actually are.

That's taking nothing away from Jared McCain who for spurts looked like OKC's best player.  The way the Thunder acquired him reinforced just how exceptional their braintrust is.

Also, shoutout to Jalen Williams.  Now we see that yes, despite their depth or regular season dominance, his playability is integral to this team's overall success.  But he's obviously not a true Pippen in terms of durability.

It's also safe to predict that now, all of that SGA MVP shit will stop, not saying that he isn't deserving though.  Some people say that he's boring to watch, but I beg to differ.  Having this relatively-slow PG who you like already know what he's going to do but still can't stop is must-watch, imo.  He's the most-methodical high-scoring PG since John Stockton (though not necessarily comparing the two).  But by the end of the day, he was effectively neutralized by Wemby.  And you know, it ain't like Shai can go to the gym during the offseason and grow a foot taller or some shit.

This is only Wembanyama's third season, but I think it's safe to say he's the best defender I've ever seen.  Lebron, in his prime, could guard the 1 through 5, though you wouldn't want to put him (defensively) against the bigger Cs.  But big or small, Wemby can defend them all.

SHOUTOUT TO THE SPURS

The Spurs are the only team who have more or less been contenders for 30 years straight.  They won at least one championship in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and now possibly 2020s.  That's three different roster iterations (though two were led by Duncan).  No other franchise, not even the Lakers, can make that claim.

Picking Wemby a couple of years back was a no-brainer.  So what they should really be applauded for was drafting Castle who, the way I remember it, wasn't particularly popular coming into the league.

I remember when dude won ROY, and pundits were like 'so what. The class is garbage, so who else you gonna choose?'.  I remember they were even talking like, once the Spurs acquired Fox (and later drafted Harper) that they should just trade dude away or some shit.  Man, were they wrong.  When he banged it on SGA - I think that was in Game 4 or 5 - that's when you knew that the MVP was indeed beatable.

Speaking of which, my favorite thing about this series was the physicality.  Dudes played like real men, like now, you could see the difference between the NBA and WNBA(?).  All types of bodies were flying, with Wemby's light ass getting thrown to the floor nightly.  Yet, no punches were thrown, although I think there was like one altercation.

That's the scariest thing about Victor, imo.  His height, coupled with his mobility, is intrinsically an unfair advantage in the game of basketball.  It's more of a natural advantage than Steph having twice the shooting genes of Dell.  You see all types of players now mimicking Curry to success.  But there's no way they can copy Wemby.

But the truly scariest thing, I meant to say, is his competitiveness.  Even with all of his talent and advantages, dude is out there playing dirty and shit, you know, throwing elbows and taking cheap shots, like he really wants to win.  But as he becomes the most-popular player in the NBA, i.e. someone finally surpassing LBJ, the refs need to keep an eye on that type of shit.  You don't want the face of the league earning the reputation of a bad boy, because then, everyone else will follow.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Despite all that shit I was talking earlier, I don't think OKC's roster need any changes at this point, not with the recent acquisition of McCain and the emergence of Caruso.  In fact, as far as this postseason for instance, it almost seems like they now have more rotation players than they can accommodate, even with the absence of Williams.

Rather, the main priority should be the health of Jalen.  But you know, as I always say with these young injuries, who knows if dude will ever fully recuperate?  The good news is that he already won a championship, as well as made an All-Star Game.  The bad news is that, oh shit, he hasn't even gotten past his rookie contract yet(!).

This iteration of the Thunder have to play it back at least one more season to see if they can get revenge.  But that said, it takes both Holmgren and Hartenstein to attempt to neutralize Wemby.  So if anything, they obviously need another big, one who can come off the bench and actually have an interior impact against the best in the league.    

The Spurs Having OKC's Number

The Spurs apparently have OKC's number.  This is where, if you're a team like the Thunder, the NBA rigging in your favor becomes important.  And relatedly, this is also why it's imperative to have at least one hands-down superstar on your team.  You know, not just someone who's really good but a player who fans across the board want to win.

Every perennial champion or contender is going to have at least one team they simply can't beat, whether that team is also contenders or not.  That's been true going back at least to the 1990s.

The 1998 Bulls for instance couldn't hang with the 1998 Lakers, even before Kobe truly found his footing.  I remember Jordan and co. also had what looked like issues with the early-1990s' Nets, a relatively garbage team but one likewise replete with quality players who were younger (and faster) than the Bulls core.

The Lakers have also had problems with faster teams, even going back to the Kobe + Shaq championship days.  J.J. Redick finally admitted, indirectly, that LAL's core is too old and too white - something that we at NBA Inception understood since the time they traded for Doncic.  But this organization being unable to defend youth isn't anything new.  Derek Fisher used to always get burned by opposing star PGs.  The present-day Lakers have one of the most hardheaded braintrusts in the NBA, so again, you shouldn't realistically be expecting them to win a championship anytime soon unless, you know what I'm saying?  Is Luka really rig-worthy?

ARE THE SPURS CONTENDERS?

There's a difference between being able to beat a champion and actualy being a contender.  The conference playoffs have three rounds, meaning that even if San Antonio does luck out and face OKC, somewhere along the line there's two other teams they also have to beat before getting to the Finals.  And that's also presuming that the Thunder doesn't figure them out between now and then.

So I'm not in a rush to call these gusy contenders even though I'm glad there's at least one team out there has proven they can beat OKC.  The more interesting observation, in the grand scheme of it all, is that besides the Knicks and Nuggets, all of the other older teams in the NBA looked more or less washed.  But of course if you've been reading this blog over the past few years, then you knew this day was coming.

SHOUTOUT TO JALEN WILLIAMS

Something all star players should fear(?) is their team proving bettrer without than with them.  I know that isn't fully the case with Jalen, but you get what I mean.  You're looking from the sideline, watching your team go like 23 and 1 or some shit, and on one hand you're like 'wow, this is amazing'.  You're jumping out of your seat and cheering, as if you too are on the court.  But in the back your mind it's like 'what if they start losing when I come back?'

The NBA is a strange beast these days.  Predictability has, in large part, been thrown out the window.  Or rather let me say that dudes are now injured so often that, you know what I'm saying, you have to live with or without them.  And some teams learn to play better without a star player or two.  Wemby almost ended up there himself until, oh shit, the Spurs starting beating the Thunder.  Then it became obvious that even if they did having a higher winning percentage when he was injured, they aren't actually better without him.

CONCLUSION

Honestly, I don't want to see a non-superteam(?), you know, only lose like five game throughout the entire season.  When something like that happens, you know what I'm saying?  SGA isn't Jordan, like people don't want to see him winning all the time like that.  If he were Jordan, then Team Canada wouldn't be so garbage.  And when the Warriors only lost nine games, it's like with the roster they had, they should have won all 82.  So thank you Wemby and co. for at least making the NBA competitive again.  And as for the Thunder's braintrust, if you're looking forward to the benefit of rigging - which often separates champions from other contenders in the world of professional sports - then I suggest you like market your brand better or something.

NBA Power Stinkings (December 2025, Part 2)

Sorry it took so long to get this second part off.  I was thining that maybe the teams on the lower half of the Power Stinking spectrum shouldnt even be mentioned, since technically they don't stink(?).  But none of us can see the future, and some of these better squad will inevitably fall off as the season wears on.

So that's the theme for today, not focusing on why these teams are good but rather postulating how they may most likely fail.

15. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (14-11)

NBC recently pointed out how the Cavs aren't doing as well as they did last (regular) season, but that may be a good thing.  No use having the best record just to flunk in the First Round.  The better turnaround is to underperform in the regualr season but then represent in the postseason.  Unforutnately though, except for that 2016 championship, that Cavs aren't known for pulling off miracles.

It amazes me how much this roster seems to depend on Darius Garland.  But the bigger issue, I would agree, is the apparent lack of development in Evan Mobley.  Like I have yet to read anything positive about him this seaosn.  And I know he isn't a bad player, being a double-double machine, defensive force and all.  But Cleveland isn't likely going anywhere special unless he develops into the Kareem I predicted him to be.

14. ATLANTA HAWKS (14-11)

Add Trae Young to the ever growing unexpectedly-suddenly-expendable superstar list.  And the thing about these scenarios, as I continually point out in this blog, is it being kinda hard to shop a max player whom even his own team doesn't want(?) anymore.  I mean, it ain't like dude is KD.

Jalen Johnson has been the talk of the town when it comes to a star who's emerged out of nowhere.  Like I never even really heard of dude before.  But suddenly he's the man and proving, as a single player, to be what Atlanta hoped for when they paired Young with Murray a couple of seasons ago.

The rest of the roster is cool and play well as a unit, but there really isn't anyone else to fear to per se.  So it's safe to say that the Hawks will rise and fall with Johnson.

And as for Trae, bringing him back at this point and trying to reincorporate him, imo, is a no-no, unless he's able to relegate himself to the 2 and play off the ball (which is unlikely) or unless Johnson gets hurt.  They can offload him for a couple of complimentary players, save money and still progress in terms of on-court production.

13. MIAMI HEAT (14-11)

The Heat are a team that are known to overachieve in the postseason regularly.  Their achievements may not be miraculous per se, not in the Haliburton sense - rather being more attributable to good organization - but you get what I mean.  Meanwhile, they have a roster that's more or less built for the modern NBA.

But depending on what team you face, being undersized isn't always a good thing.  So yeah, it does kinda concern me that they don't seem to have anything like a traditional four whom they trust with big minutes.

The bigger concern though may be their lack of depth at the point.  I don't even know who's behind Mitchell on the depth chart.  Okay, I just googled it - Jahmir Johnson.  No disrespect, but TF is that?

12. TORONTO RAPTORS (15-11)

Let me be frank and say that I have a hard time believing in the Raptors.  What I do believe in, however, is pressure defense.

I've been waiting a long time for some braintrust to develop an effective way to defend againt the incessant three-point chucking that has become the norm.  And the answer may have been there all along, you know, fullcourt D type shit.

And you have to give it to Toronto's coaches for actually convincing dudes to play hard.  It probably wouldn't work if, you know, they had a diva or two on the roster.  I guess that's the advantage of not having even a single player who's like overly popular.

I don't really know enough about the Raptors to predict what may go wrong, and I like rooting for underdogs anyway.  That said, I have yet to hear anyone mention them as contenders.  And even then, if you really want to excel in media-driven professional sports, it helps to have a superstar.

11. PHOENIX SUNS (14-10)

I firmly agree with the other pundits who assert that the Suns have thus far been the surprise team, in a way, of the season.  Players like Booker, Brooks and even Williams are far from slouches.  But still, I don't think any of us was expecting this squad to actually be formidable.  And it's kinda scary, sorta in that Pacers-from-last-postseason kinda way.  Like if a team with an inferior roster starts beating better-built squads, then the sky's the limit.

The worst thing that can happen to Phoenix is reality catching up with them, like it has with the Bulls.  You pull a Buster Douglas, beating teams that you aren't supposed to but then, after knocking out Tyson, are like 'wait aminute. I'm fodder, not a champion'.

This is actually a feel-good story, considering how much this franchise recently suffered with their quote/unquote Big 3.  And if they sustain this, I think it's safe to say that Suns are just one compatible (disgruntled) star away from being contenders, if they can get someone like that without giving up any key pieces.    

10. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (16-7)

The NBA is a superstar-driven league, but there's obviously something going on these days that we're all missing.  When the next big thing goes down, on a team who's roster has only one other proven star, yet the team performs better without him, like that kinda shit is becoming increasingly common.  But the good thing about Wemby is that at least he's too young and popular for the Spurs to consider trading or benching, even if they are arguably better without him.

The Spurs biggest drawback, come postseason time, would likely be lack of experience.  Fox has been in the league for almost a decade but only has seven playoff games under his belt.  Barnes has championship experience from his days with the Dubs, but that was a long time ago and since then, he's been stuck on teams like the Blazers.  Oh yeah, Olynyk has been around the block a few times also, but neither he or Barnes, though made men(?), are like central pieces on this roster(?).

The Spurs are young, and in today's NBA, youth is an advantage more than its ever been.  But remember, OKC is out there also.

9. ORLANDO MAGIC (15-10)

I've been consistently dogging the Bane trade for months but am now eating my words a bit.  The thing is though, the Magic have been an upper-mid level Eastern Conference team for a couple of seasons now.  So it's not like them having a winning record or holding down a 3rd or 4th seed is anything new during the Banchero era.

What is becoming increasinly obvious is that this team is better with Banchero or Wagner but not both healthy at the same time.  Interestingly, if one of them has to go and the decision was made based on on-court success rather than popularity, it would have to be Paolo, not Franz.  Apparently that's a decison this braintrust has to eventually face, and hopefully they'll do the professional rather than trendy thing.

That said, Desmond is now proving his worth.  And since we already know this team can function without its biggest star, he may now be more valuable to Orlando's success than Banchero.

8. MINNESOTA TIMEBERWOLVES (15-9)

Eventually, you have to give props where props are due.  Not every great team is going to win a championship.  Malone + Stockton never won a ring, nor has the Lob City Clippers.  But still, we appreciate them for putting on good shows, which is what entertainment is all about.

That's how I feel about the Timberwolves.  On paper, this year's roster is worst than last season.  But here they are, once again in the mix.  And all things considered, there's no reason not to belive that they can't make the WCF (and lose) yet again.  This is one of the teams that should seriously be looking for an upgrade, if finances, in any way, allow.

We already know what the T-wolves can and can do with Edwards as the undisputed alpha.  So now it's time to give Randle, a perenially-underrated player, his chance to lead.

Anthony came into the league with Jordan-like potential, but I think his ceiling has already been more or less reached.  Julius is the x-factor, and if he goes down, I think then it'd be safe to write this team off.

7. BOSTON CELTICS (15-9)

I'm a big Jaylen Brown fan.  He's a victim of colorism, always being considered a second fiddle to Tatum, despite the fact they're at least equally as good.  Jayson, make no mistake, is a phenom.  But if you were to force me, I would even argue that Jaylen is the all-around better player, an MVP type, and I'm glad he's finally getting a chance to prove that over an extended period (though not glad that Tatum is hurt).

The Celtics' roster, as a whole, isn't anyting to write home about.  All things considered, I think it's safe to say they've definitely downgraded, intentionally, from last season.

But they do have the advantage of playing for an organization with a winning culture, which, dear reader, does make a difference.  But that said, if Brown were to also go down, like if they're still able to win without them then consider Boston contenders.

6. NEW YORK KNICKS (17-7)

The Knicks are defintely at the top of my list of teams who, regardless of how good the roster may be, I have a hard time envisioning as champions.  That said, in terms of all-around talent, their starting five has to be the best in the league.  Also, they're in the East, and all of their main conference rivals have (more) serious injury issues (for now).  So as I said from the onset of this sesaon, there's no reason they shouldn't at least make the Finals.  And them versus the Thunder would be like the ultimate young squad vs. vets type of scenario.

When teams are top heavy like this, it's usually the bench that suffers, and so it is with NYK.  But in terms of what can go wrong, based on this team's recent history it would have to be injuries.

In the grand scheme of the 2025-26 Knicks, the Pistons have to be the biggest pain in the ass.  If not for Detroit, they'd be able to comfortably play the load management game and still secure the number one seed.  Bur being in this type of race means that dudes have to continue to play hard, thus increasing the liklihood of injuries.

5. DENVER NUGGETS (17-6)

The Nuggets are a team that're playing exactly to expectations, which in their case is a good thing.  They have a perennial MVP C and build around him smartly rather than making rash or trendy decisions.

It looks like Sacramento are on the verge of tanking, so I hope Denver will bring Westbrook back and give him a more solid chance to win a ring.

With that in mind, I'd still argue that the biggest potential drawback for this squad, if they once again face a team like OKC in the postseason, is lack of energy.  Denver would be an exceptional 1990s' team, back in the days when everyone was playing halfcourt.  But in the here and now, with dudes literally running themselves ragged, speed matters more than ever.

So the biggest potential drawback for this team is failure to adjust.  Again, we as fans appreciate all great squads.  But for the Nuggets to go deep into the playoffs to once again get knocked out by what will likely be a younger, faster team means that they didn't properly adjust between this season and last.

4. HOUSTON ROCKETS

The Rockets are good but, based on their record, clearly not invincible.  The liklihood is that they'll become better as the season wears on.  Imagine if Fred Van Vleet were actually healthy?  Then, they'd have to worry less about injuries, which is kinda ironic since, you know, he's injured. You don't really feel it right now, but maybe his absence will become more pronounced come postseason.

That said, it's been awhile since I've seen dudes play.  Maybe it's KD fatigue?  I don't know.  But it's hard for me to predict what can go wrong outside of injuries, which is a very common concern these days, unless of course Houston runs into Steph "the Rocket Lander" Curry come postseason.  Then, we'll really get a chance to ascertain if the Durant addition was worth it.

3. LOS ANGELES LAKERS (17-6)

I had to rank LAL lower on the power stinkings, even though they may not actually be better than Denver, because unlike the Nuggets, this team has thus far exceeded expectations.  I don't even believe the dicriders were expecting them to get off to this sound of a start or for Austin Reaves to suddenly start looking like a lock allstar.

When Lebron made a game-winning pass to a (much less-popular teammate) rather than using to opprotunity to try to perpetuate his double-digit winning streak, that was some super symbolic shit.  LBJ was never a chuck per se, but he is one of those Kobesque, obsessed-with-winning types who never seemed overly confident in his teammates, even eventually turning his back on a non-injured, semi-prime D-Wade.

So as I argued before, I dont think his newfound humbleness is based on age per se, you know, 'I'm getting old, so let me have more confidence in my younger teammates'.  Rather, Lebron has recognized that for the first time ever, he has a teammate whose hands down better, than being Doncic.  Yes, King James being nearly 20 years older than Luka does factor into that dynamic, but you get what I mean.

L.A.'s roster isn't perfect, but at the same time, you know what I mean?  NBA basketball is a team, not individual, sport.  And if dudes increasingly learn how to play together, besides having at least two exceptional scorers (not including Lebron), you know what I'm saying?  They have a number of quality role players.  (Whatever happened to Gabe Vincent?)

The downside is both Luka and Austin being white, and no, I'm not making that observation as a racist.  What I'm saying is that, when playoffs time comes around, players accordingly become more physical, and refs increasingly embrace physicality.  Take last postseason for instance.  Meanwhile, relatively speaking white players, including Doncic and Reaves based on previous observations, don't respond particularly well to overly-aggressive defenders.

So that's something to lookout for.  Lebron has reportedly committed to LAL to the end of this season.  And that's a good thing, because once whitey and them start getting tossed around, they're going to need the ironman more than ever.

2. DETROIT PISTONS

It looks like there may be a ECF this coming postseason featuring the Knicks v. Pistons, who btw had a really exciting First Round matchup last playoffs.  Detroit's performance isn't surprising per se, not to the people who believed in Cunningham and the young core.  The Pistons have played the game right, complementing promising youth with quality veteran role players who aren't divas and whose playing styles don't stunt the development of up-and-comers.

Detroit has admirable depth, but lose Cunningham or Duran, the head or the tail so to speak, and the ship likely falls apart.  That's a scary thought in today's NBA, as no team would ideally be built in such a way that a single player would knock them out of the race.

1. OKC THUNDER (23-1)

I was looking for a reason, any reason, not to do the obvious and put the Thunder at the bottom of the Power Stinkings.  But damn, 23 and 1?!  What are they going to do, lose only three or four games for the entire season?

Jalen Wiliams doesn't start the season, but still they win games.  Then SGA goes down, but still, they win games.  If they keep winning like this, the Thunder can then increasingly embark on load management yet still claim the regular season record for wins.

The reason this team looks invincible is that they don't have any superduperstars per se.  SGA, MVP he may be, isn't a Durant or Lebron or Steph.  This isn't a superteam in the traditional sense of the word, i.e. having three players who are proven perennial allstars.  They're just well built and, oh shit, moderately priced.  So the sky's the limit.  Combine their talent and athleticism with their champoinship confidence, and these dudes may be able to win it all even if SGA is hurt.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 7)

 THE PACERS HAVE EARNED MY RESPECT

A week or so, after taking the Eastern Conference and maybe a game or two in the Finals, Haliburton was talking about how the Pacers have been underestimated all season long, how many critics considered their success of last year a "fluke" and shit like that.  I was thinking like man, dude must've been reading this blog, because that's exactly how I felt about Indiana's 2024 postseason showing and to some extent this year's also.  But dudes have now firmly earned my respect, for what it's worth.  IMO, there's no reason to believe if Tyrese didn't get hurt or whatever, they probably would have taken Game 7, in OKC.

Obviously though, this is a team that needs and upgrade or two.  If Haliburton is incapacitated, you can't put the onus on Siakim because he's too old in NBA years, and frankly put, even though Pascal is a star, he's never been a superstar.  You know, he ain't KD type shit.  But dude really tries.

I'm also hoping that Myles Turner sticks around.  Yes, it's frustrating at times seeing the biggest man on the team, especially one as mobile as he is, going through stretches where he has like zero impact.  But if they retain Turner, instead going out trying to fill a specific position, their roster is such that Indy can just go for whoever is the best free agent on the market.  But ideally yes, they would make an addition that'd edify the frontcourt, preferably a big who like rebounds and plays defense.  Why not?  The Thunder - and especially Jalen Williams - were like killing them in the interior.

HALIBURTON FALTERS

No disrespect, but I was looking forward - one way or another - to Tyrese proving ineffective in Game 7.  I thought it was going to be something like the crowd getting in his head.  Instead he came out the gate ultra-hot, easily looking like the best player in the contest, and then fucked up his ankle at like totally the worst time.

To some extent, I think there are legitimate questions as to just how much an "MVP" SGA is, you know, how much he deserves that title, because in the grand scheme of it all Haliburton has been more or less playing just as well, up until Game 7.  You know what I'm saying?  There were games during this series where you're like 'is SGA really MVP'?

"THE FUTURE OF THE NBA"

You now have these news outlets dubbing OKC and Indy 'the future of the NBA', with the current youth movement being something I first predicted at least three years ago.  But anyway.... if niggas is playing in the Finals and winning championships and shit, obviously they're the present, not the future.

The Thunder, in my humble opinion, didn't overly impressed.  I'm genuinely convinced that the Pacers had OKC's fandom shook more than vice versa.  That's one of the advantages of being the underdog - there isn't as much pressure to succeed, so to speak.  But still, even if Indiana did proceed to win the championship, it would've been hard to argue that the Pacers' roster is superior.  It's more like Indy just had the bigger heart, which is understandable considering the road they took to get here. 

Indy relied more heavily on the three which, as the series progressed, did appear as the preferable strategy, so long as the shots were going in.  I was hoping that, given the size of OKC, the Finals would prove the end of the smallball era.  Obviously that's not going to happen just yet, if ever.  But I think it did reaffirm that size does matter as teams, such as the Thunder, rely on drives and midrange shots.  In other words, if other squads don't have the adequate size/talent to defend the key (which most don't), it's going to be virtually impossible to dethrone the defending champs.

IS OKC OVERRATED?

I know that's a funny question to ask, considering they just won the championship.  But I think they are overrated in the sense that many of us presumed, or I guess you can say assumed they'd best the Pacers more convincingly.

The Thunder also seems to have issues sometimes maximizing all of the major pieces on their roster, which isn't really anything new, as I remember last postseason Josh Giddey getting lost in the sauce.  I'm not saying that anyone was neglected in 2025 per se, but again, you have to believe this team could have played better - or perhaps smarter - during the Finals.  Like I don't foresee Mark Daigneault winning COY anytime soon.  If you have a team who, on paper, is better than everyone else, than you're not just supposed to win games; you're supposed to dominate.

But I guess now that the roster is used to each other, we'll really see what's up next season.  I'm looking forward to dudes, if healthy, winning 70 games next year.  Like I hope more pundits start calling out their less-than-stellar performance rather than dickridin.  Now that OKC has won a championship, they'll prolly need that extra encouragement to stay motivated.

It'd be cool if Chet Holmgren especially learned how to play better or more consistently in the post.  Maybe he will, as he ages and get fatter(?).  These days, it's like you have to push bigmen to bang down low, to take advantage of their size instead of relying on jumpers, and you don't want to wait until too late, kinda like how the Cavs have done with Mobley.  Conclusively, OKC could really benefit, imo, from adding some versatility to their offensive style/strategy, because dudes may have struggled more than they should have versus Indy.

SHOUTOUT TO LU DORT

Speaking of being lost in the sauce, Dort is probably the fifth or sixth most-popular name on OKC, but he's like their glue guy.  Lu may never be like a star in his own right, but in the grand scheme of things he's just as important to this roster as anyone outside of SGA and Williams and is arguably just as important as the latter.  He's the one who, when defenders are paying so much attention to the stars, can do unexpected shit that like changes the momentum.

A GOOD, SCRAPPY WHITE

If I were able to put together my own NBA team, the rotation would definitely have to include a scrappy White, and I'm not talking about any of those European sissies.  I mean an American whiteboy like T.J. McConnell, Alex Caruso, Tyler Herro if you want to take a more 'civilized' approach or even Austin Reeves, who's been developing swag of late.

As for McConnell, I'd have to presume these Finals raised his stock significantly.  He's far from being a max player, and he's also kinda old in NBA years.  But more than anyone on the Pacers' roster, based on the Finals, he deserves more burn next season.  More importantly, he's proven to be exactly the type of player you want on your team during big games.  He's a small, unpretentious Whiteboy - so much so that even if T.J. scores 40 points, it'd still be difficult for the opposing defense to focus on him.  McConnell played better than Haliburton in at least two games during this series, but the D could never rationalize giving him the full Haliburton treatment.

There's a headline currently circulating insinuating that T.J. was like crying or some shit after losing Game 7.  It's hard to imagine what, from a professional perspective, would compel someone being paid $10mil/year to play basketball to cry, you know, in public even.  But that just goes to show not only how much dude wanted to win but how much he believed they could have won, even without their star.

And speaking of American whiteboys, you know, I never seen Cooper Flagg play, but I hope he knows or learns how to scrap.  He's going to need that playing alongside the likes of AD and Klay.  Coming into the NBA as an American white, you're already an underdog.  That's one of the reasons, I believe, that Cooper has gone from being unanimously considered to be the next big thing to now analysts saying 'who knows how he'll pan out against the big guys'.  Learn from Alex Caruso; learn from McConnell my nigga.  A lack of athleticism can be mitigated by doggedness.

THE RISE OF THE TALL POINTGUARD

I'm sitting here ruminating over that stupid-ass Desmond Bane trade and thinking to myself that yes, the Magic could've used an upgrade at point, but they needed one more in the interior.  Pointguard is the most stacked position in the NBA, like the easiest one to fill with a proficient player.  Why?  Because more people are playing basketball these days, and most of us are normal-sized, not giants.

But on the surface, the NBA is getting taller, not shorter.  The game may have transitioned more towards the three, with guards traditionally being better shooters.  But now, as compared to the past, people no longer believe that really-tall dudes are like too dumb to dribble type shit.

If you look at this year's Finals, you'll see that Haliburton is listed at 6'5" and SGA 6'6".  Even looking at those dudes on TV, you can tell they're lengthy, like tall enough to reasonably play SF (in today's NBA).

Contrast this with back in the days, when tall points like Magic Johnson were considered anomalies.  Even into the 21st century, PGs like Shaun Livingston and Michael Carter-Williams stood out due to their height.  Now, we have a Finals with two tall starting points, and like no one even blinked twice.  Meanwhile, this may have been the first time in history something like that happened, i.e. both starting points being taller than 6'5".

Most of the PGs in the NBA are still short, relatively speaking, but maybe we're witnessing the start of something new.  It isn't unfathomable to imagine, say, Wemby and Holmgren one day being on the same team.  Lu Dort, at the 2 (and listed at 6'4") is the shortest starter in OKC.  Just something to think about, once again headed into next season.  If you want to beat these guys, throwing all your disposable assets at Desmond Bane (listed at 6'5", tho he obviously isn't that tall) probably isn't the (complete) answer.

SHOUTOUT TO JOSH GIDDEY

I always wonder how it feels to be a starter on a team, get traded, and then the very next season the team wins a championship, like what happened to DeMar DeRozan.  Well, the same thing just happened to Josh Giddey, whom the NBA world seems to have more or less forgotten about (probably by design, all things considered).  Those two situations were kinda different because, I don't think anyone would argue that DeRozan is better than Kawhi.  But with Giddey, it's not like Caruso isn't necessarily better - a better fit in OKC, yes, but probably not better all-around.

That was just one of a couple of shrewd moves the Thunder made last offseason to get to this point.  It'll be interesting to see what they do this summer, if anything, but even moreso with the Pacers.  I don't envy Indiana, because one of the worst predicaments you can be in as an NBA team chasing a championship is reliant on a superstar who is, well, unlucky health-wise.  It's funny because, if you would have asked me just a week ago, I was on the verge of even concluding that Tyrese is blessed type shit.  But this goes to show how you can't take nothing for granted.

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 Finals Ruminations (Game 4)

I finally got around to watching the highlights from Game 4, and I would say the biggest mistake the Pacers made down the stretch, with about 30 seconds left in the game, down by 4 with approximately 10 seconds on the shot clock, was having Turner shoot a three instead of Haliburton.  But it wasn't all Myles's fault, because Tyrese, if he really wanted the ball like that, would've bolted out to the perimeter, away from defenders, after passing the rock to Turner.

The media has been making it sound like SGA was the big hero of the game.  He made some tough shots, as usual, but it wasn't really like that.  But I guess that's how it is when you're MVP, like your name always has to be mentioned in the headlines.  Meanwhile, Jalen Williams proved just as important down the stretch, not to mention Chet Holmgren and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Lu Dort.

The Thunder basically won on fouls and free throws.  I would further go on to say that the officials were on their side but not go as far as to proclaim, based on the small sample I've seen, that the game was rigged.  The NBA powers-that-be probably don't favor either team, but I would presume that a longer series benefits the league financially.

Everyone thought Indiana were just going to get their asses kicked, but it hasn't been like that, at all.  These victories have been down-to-the-wire affairs, to the point where I can no longer definitively say that OKC is the better team.  They have a superior or better-rounded roster but don't have that type of offensive firepower the Pacers have become known for.  Indiana's offense has really impressed, matching up with the best defense in the league.

Speaking of which, another pivotal play was when Andrew Nembhard, with about 2:30 left in the game, for whatever reason decided to drive to the basket, even though he was being firmly defended by Alex Caruso, and Holmgren, the best shotblocker in the series, was lingering right there under the rim.  That was a very poor decision in a contest of this magnitude, even though the other four Pacers on the court, all of are noticeably taller than Nembhard, were lingering behind the three-point line, as if they didn't really want the ball.  Maybe the Pacers actually called an isolation play for Andrew, which again, all things considered, would be stupid.

SHOUTOUT TO ALLEN IVERSON

I intend to write an article in the near future the about most-influential NBA players of the last five decades, of which I only intend to mention like three or four, not the most-popular or winningest per se but those who actually changed the way the game is played.  One of the handful of people to make that list, the only one who didn't win a championship, is Allen Iverson.  And I was thinking about him because you see a couple of players on OKC wearing those forearm braces.  That's a style that AI brought to the NBA, not to mention the cornrows which, due largely to his influence, went on to become a society-wide cultural phenomenon, not just one practiced in the NBA or basketball circles.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 3, Round 2 Ruminations

TIMBERWOLVES 2, NUGGETS 1

Earlier this postseason, I was about to say that this year is the most-exciting playoffs I've ever seen.  A variety of players are having exceptional games.  There were spectacular dunks and other extraordinary plays, and even a few nail biters here and there.

But as the playoffs progressed, blowouts starting becoming more common and now even seem to be the norm.  You have teams losing by 20+ points, even in the 2nd Round and in some cases at home.

Theoretically, these are supposed to be the eight best teams in the NBA.  So it feels strange that dudes are getting their asses soundly bust on the regular.  By the time the fourth quarter rolls around, half of the games are already decided.  And I'll just leave it at that.

As for Jokic winning his third MVP, which was just announced a couple of days ago, there are only eight other players to have won as many.  They are all - including Lebron James, who's the only other one still playing - unanimously considered to be all-time greats.  I just don't feel that kind of aura around Jokic, even if he is a stats' machine.

The way I feel, on a conspiratorial level, is that so long as Russia is at war with Ukraine, then Nikola, being from Serbia, has a better chance to win than he would otherwise.  But it remains to be seen what he does throughout the rest of his career.

MAVERICKS 2, THUNDER 1

After taking Game 1 and with the advantage of youth on their side, I was under the impression that OKC would win the series.  But if they don't, I won't feel as if I were wrong per se.

The way their roster looks is as if it was specifically designed to beat the Warriors.  So even if they do get by the Mavericks, they aren't likely to beat Minnesota or Denver.  But the superstar factor is shining through.  And I have a newfound respect for Kyrie, even if he did carry on that pivotal play against Jalen Williams in Game 3.

If I can get season tickets to any team in the NBA, if would be Dallas.  This squad, win or lose, has been an entertaining watch throughout the entire playoffs.  And unlike other teams (except the Knicks and possibly the Cavs), they also look like they're getting better as the postseason progresses.  And don't forget about Luka.  He finished top three in MVP voting, behind Jokic and SGA.

Speaking of SGA, this is a prime opportunity for dude to prove himself.  He appears to be able to more or less score at will.  But the Thunder, as deep and versatile as their roster may be, needs someone to step up to the Jordan level, like Edwards has been doing for Minnesota.

CELTICS 2, CAVALIERS 1

The Cavs are making a mistake similar to what the Bucks did in Round 1.  Both of these teams have a superstar player that can put up 40 pts at will.  The problem though is when they decide to explode.

Dame would go wild in the first half, be average in the second, and Milwaukee would go on to lose the series.

That's the same thing that's been happening to Cleveland.  You will see in Game 2, the team as a whole represented in the first half, and then Mitchell went wild in the second.  That's the only one they've won thus far.  When it's the other way around, with Donovan carrying the squad to start the game and then later the onus falling on the rest of the team, things don't go as well.

These two teams have very similar playing styles, but Boston is better,  So again, the Cavs aren't likely to prevail unless they devise some sort of strategy the Celtics cannot counteract.  Mitchell looks like the best player between both teams, but they need to use him more wisely.  The idea of exploiting the middle with Mobley since Porzingis isn't around no longer looks like a realistic option.

KNICKS 2, PACERS 1

If all of the Knicks were healthy and they were running an eight-man rotation, literally half of those players - Randle, Anunoby, Bogdanovic and Robinson - were not available for Game 3.  But still, the Pacers struggled to beat NYK, in Indiana.

In the last post I wrote, I argued that the Pacers are just as good, if not better, than the Knicks.  Now I see that was an erroneous statement.

Reportedly Haliburton is now hobbled, but it's very much possible that NYK will lose this series due to injury.  Maybe.  If, during that pivotal sequence in Game 3, Brunson would have passed the ball instead of trying to be a hero and shooting surrounded by three defenders, the Knicks probably would have won that one also.  I have to imagine that, if nothing else, they feel very confident despite all of the injuries.

Imagine that, first of all, a playoff team with half of their rotation injured.  Then, the squad they're playing against appearing as if they're more or less incapable of capitalizing on that advantage.  My, how things have changed.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 1 Ruminations

Originally, I was intending to write playoff predictions for each separate team.  But there's too many variables to be making long-term guestimations at the moment.

At the top of the list of those variables is the potential for injury.  Back in the old days, when a team submitted their playoff roster, you could pretty much take for granted that the players listed would be active throughout.  Nowadays, I would speculate that every team in the playoff has at least one key player, a star even, who is either currently injured or injury prone.  So even if none of the games during this postseason are rigged, still, you can't be going crazy with the predictions.  And that brings us to the first contest on this list:

SIXERS 104, KNICKS 111

Joel "the Injury Report" Embiid got hurt but still managed to play the fourth quarter.  However, despite putting on a show during the earlier parts of the game, he didn't appear to be a factor near the end.  That would likely have something to do with injuries.  Now, I'm reading he may not play in Game 2.  So the luck of the Knicks continues.

For instance, I'm now starting to believe that NYK may actually be better off without Randle and with Anunoby starting in his stead.  Why?  Because OG is a lot saner than Julius in terms of shot selection.

As for the Sixers, they've been playing musical chairs for too many seasons now.  Now, I also see why they need a second superstar.  With a second superstar alongside Maxey, even with Embiid hurt, they could still probably beat most teams.  But that said, Philly's depth also isn't as intimidating as it has been in the recent past, even like going back to the beginning of this season.

That dunk Joel did off the backboard, the one that re-f*cked up his knee, has to be one of the top 10 in-game dunks in NBA history.  Like that sh*t almost caused me to jump out of my seat.

SUNS 95, TIMBERWOLVES 120

That, my friend, is what you call an ass bustin.

I picked Minnesota to win it all at beginning of last season, but fortune and favor wasn't on their side.  This year, it looks like they're actually entering the playoffs at or near full strength.  Also, Anthony Edwards has emerged as perhaps the best 2-guard in the league.  So, to me at least, it's easy to envision the T-Wolves emerging as WC champions.  The only western teams I think may be able to beat them in a series are DEN and LAC.

As for the Suns, their roster is designed to thrive on firepower.  So if the big 3 aren't dropping like 30 points each against an opponent of this caliber, Phoenix doesn't stand much of a chance.

Braintrusts are finally starting to wise up and realize that size does matter.  So we  may be entering the age of twin towers, with organizations such as MIN, CLE and to some extent even the likes of DEN, LAL and NOP having already gone such routes.  Up against those types of odds, Nurkic isn't likely to cut it.  So dudes are prolly missing Ayton right about now.

PELICANS 92, THUNDER 94

Holmgren may have had five blocks, but OKC's interior defense still sucks, to the point of being a cause for alarm.  They put the defensive onus of holding down the post on a rookie who's too skinny for that kind of responsibility.

SGA showed why he's a tier above most other stars in the NBA.  It isn't only about points.  He has the ability to takeover and actually win games, with consistency, which is rare, jordanesque even.  McCollum, who's a damn fine player himself, had a chance to win the game.  But ultimately, he's not in the MVP conversation.

That said, the Pelicans aren't the ones to sleep on.  I believe I said last season that they were deepest team in the league, and that may also be true or near true now.  The homey Alvarado, repping NYC, needs to play with a more level head.

PACERS 94, BUCKS 109

When the star of your team is an (oversized) PG, if you go out to seek a second star, you're supposed to look for one who's dominant in the post.  Instead, the Pacers went out and got Siakim, who has a  similar playing style to Tyrese.

That would imply that they intend to rely on Myles Turner into the foreseeable future.  He's like a fringe allstar, so that isn't a bad decision.  But something just didn't look right with the way they played, like they didn't have composure.  Maybe it's just lack of experience running together under such circumstances.  Contrastingly, Milwaukee's core already has experience playing at the highest levels, and you could tell by the way they handled business.

That said, dudes should be praying that Giannis pops up sooner rather than later.  Dame will do what Dame does, but, you know what I'm saying?  Once the Pacers settle down, I don't think they're going to be getting their asses bust like that.

MAVERICKS 97, CLIPPERS 109

Dallas is a perfect example of what I mean by you can't have a star PG without a post player to match.  Lack of interior presence is one of the issues they continue to deal with during the Luka era.

A couple of months ago, reports were implying that the Mavs finally found their C in Daniel Gafford.  By the looks of things, that may have been more of a regular-season type of phenomenon.  Dwight Powell, who has been relegated to the bench, may not be the most talented bigman in the NBA, but at least he knows how to put up a fight.

Also, I just checked and, oh sh*t, Jason Kidd is still coach of this team.  If he had been reading this blog, he would have known that Doncic's biggest on-court issue, regardless of how many assists he may tally, is lack of rapport with his teammates, thus disqualifying Luka as the ideal PG.  That means, move him to the 3.  But, you know, these days coaches are afraid to tell superstars to play in positions where they may not want to.

As for the Clippers, the world needs to realize that there is a such thing as a "Playoff James Harden" - a beard for all seasons, so to speak.  Also - wait a minute - Westbrook is the best pound-for-pound player in league history, in terms of actually generating stats.  So, sleep on him if you want.  He didn't thrive with LBJ + AD, but then again, who does?  If you play for the Lakers, either you're going to underachieve and become a scapegoat, or overachieve and get traded or snubbed.  The only player who has really bucked that trend has been Austin Reaves.

The thing that impresses me the most about LAC is that they have multiple stars with similar skillsets, yet they don't overlap each other.  You have the Beard out there busting ass with PG13 lurking in the shadows, and you forget like oh dip, their third and fourth options are future hall-of-famer.  I guess that's one way of beating the injury bug, by having so many superstars that it doesn't matter so much if one is hurt.

HEAT 94, CELTICS 114

This one pretty much went as expected.  Miami is a different team without Jimmy Butler.

Still, I'm not so quick to completely count them out, as in getting swept or blown.  Soon, some team is going to expose Boston's lack of interior defense.  They have Porzingis, who's visibly the tallest dude on the court in most games he's in, out playing at the top of the key and behind the three-point line.

'Hey Kristaps, get your ass down in the post.'

'But, I don't like playing there, coach.'

'Then TF is you 7'2" for?'

Also, I'm sure I stated in the past that Adebayo should be moved to the point.  That's taking nothing away from Jacquez, who has a ridiculously amount of grit for a rookie.  But Bam needs to at least touch the ball during every offensive position, and all things considered, it'd just be best to let him bring it up.  The Heat have the best pair of jump-shooting whiteboys in the league amongst their wings.  And I don't see any reason why Thomas Bryant can't start at C.  Hey Erik, time to really exercise that bigass P-pop dome head of yours.

MAGIC 83, CAVS 97

You really can't ask for a better franchise player than Donovan Mitchell.  He's confident, fearless, and the fans totally feel him.  But I've believed, since the time he was drafted, that Evan Mobley is Cleveland's x-factor.  I'm not saying that he needs to shoot threes like other people are recommending, but it should be that when he's on the court, he makes it impossible for the opposing team to forget, even for a moment, that he's there.

The Magic are likeable, and I deadass didn't know that Jonathan Isaac was now playing.  Last I heard, he came back and got re-injured yet again.  Dude is tall AF, which is something I never knew.

But that said, now obviously isn't Orlando's time.  But again, they are likable, have a valid leader in Banchero and, I would say most importantly for a young team like this, at least made the playoffs.  So their future is looking brighter than any other of the youthful squads in the East. 

LAKERS 103, NUGGETS 114

Of course, the first thing I'm going to argue, as always, is that LBJ should be running the point.  After that, LAL's second-biggest problem is lack of continuity.

It's amazing how teams who are a lot less storied than the Lakers are able to consistently field better rosters.  And, it isn't as if the one Los Angeles currently has is that bad.

I'm not going to call for Darvin Ham's head yet.  But he's another one who needs to, let's say take full advantage of the extra cranial circumference he's been blessed with.

Also, I'm still foreseeing that, at some point during these playoffs, the Nuggets are going to miss Bruce Brown.

CONCLUSION

It feels strange writing about the playoffs without mentioning Steph, so I wanted to do it at least once before closing out.

SGA for President

A more accurate title for this post would have been "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP".  But "SGA for President" sounds better.

The thing about the MVP Award is that you can't have the same person winning year in and year out, even if they do deserve it.  This is something I learned back during the Jordan Era.

From 1991 to 1998, except for those a couple of seasons he more or less took off, there was no question that MJ was literally "the most-valuable player", not only in the NBA but sports in general.  But one of those years, the league gave it to Charles Barkley and during another, to Karl Malone.

I'm not going to sit here and try to imply that the "Round Mound of Rebound" and "the Mailman" didn't earn it.  But the point is that, there's politics behind these awards.  The type of players who perform at an MVP level tend to do so perennially.  So sometimes, instead of giving it to the same person, decisions have to be made based on other criteria, i.e. in the name of not appearing as if you're dickridin.

That's why I'm advocating SGA as MVP.  I'm not doing so not based on the argument that he's actually better Nikola Jokic or any of the other one or two top candidates this season.  The Thunder are a pretty talented team and would probably make the playoffs even without SGA.  And I knew it was only a matter of time before one of these really young squads transforms into a contender, considering how they're more energetic, and recent champions are aging.  I thought the Grizzlies' would reach that level before OKC, but things didn't quite turn out like that.

But even with phenoms like Giddey, Dort, Williams and I would say Holmgren especially in terms of pushing this team over the top, SGA is the alpha and the one who has proven that he can win games when need be.  And honestly, I think most of us were expecting the Thunder to gradually become better, not anticipating that they would conclude the season with the number one seed, even over the defending champions, in the highly-competitive West.

SGA has already been in the MVP conversation for a couple of seasons, so might as well give him his flowers.  Like, you can't take sh*t for granted.  A couple of seasons ago, when Jokic won his first MVP, the award should've rather gone to Chris Paul.  And since then, CP3's game has never been quite the same.

The funny thing is, given Embiid's injuries, there probably really isn't anyone else really in the MVP conversation, outside of SAG and Jokic, besides for maybe Luka, Brunson or, if you really want to go there, AD.  The Celtics have become so well balanced that even though they have the best record and will likely take the East, it's hard to single out Tatum as the league's MVP.  So this season definitely doesn't feel like others in recent memory, where you'd may have five or even more viable MVP candidates.

CONCLUSION\

The Thunder are one of my favorite teams to watch.  I like Josh Giddey, because he's a pretty Whiteboy who looks like he should be on a fashion runway or album cover rather than leading fastbreaks.  I like Chet Holmgren, because he's dumb tall, visibly so even, but also multi-faceted and an impactual rookie.  I like Lu Dort, because on TV he looks too short and stocky to be in the NBA.  But most of all, I like SGA. 

I still remember when he was a rookie.  Shai was a number 11 pick, not someone you'd expect to one day be an MVP.  He wasn't one of the players who people were talking about going into that draft.  So it's like, give props where props are due.

Jokic, who by the way wasn't drafted until the second round(!), has too many accomplishments to still be considered a cinderella (lol).  The other usual suspects, like Lebron, Giannis and Steph, didn't represent like that this year.  So now, it's time to finally move on to the next big story, either SGA or Luka.  And with the Thunder having secured the number one seed, the decision is sort of a no-brainer.

2023 Western Conference Play-In Predictions (Round 1)

TIMBERWOLVES (42-40) VS. LAKERS (43-39)

FAIR & SQUARE

Even if the Lakers did respect hard work and continuity, which they apparently don't, the Timberwolves would still have a better roster.  Lebron is no joke on offense but is a defensive liability.  And watching AD play, I feel like he's constantly in pain but taking one for the team.  Like he's still an exceptional player but isn't the AD of old.  For instance, you never hear anyone saying he's one of the best centers in the game these days.  And whereas the Lakers are now one of the deepest teams in the NBA, it isn't necessarily that the role players adequately complement a chuckin Lebron and a hobbled AD.  Maybe it would be if, once again, they had continuity.  But the way LAL rotates players in and out of the starting lineup, even the ones who have been around since the beginning of the season, is disheartening.

WHAT WILL THE NBA DO?

But they're probably still going to prevail against the Timberwolves away because, lucky for them, Minnesota has been experiencing all types of misfortunes of late.  First was Naz Reid, who's an absolute beast, breaking his wrist.  Then during the last game of the season Jaden McDaniels, another important and effective player off the Minnesota bench, broke his own hand punching a wall, which ain't something you hear everyday.  And then, lo and behold, the one T-wolves opponent the Lakers would have to worry about most, Rudy Gobert, decides to punch his own teammate, even though doing so would undoubtedly result in him getting suspended, you know, right before his team is about to play the most-important game of their entire season.

So I personally believe the script for this one has already been written.  The Timberwolves, imo, weren't favored during last season's playoffs, and they aren't favored now.  The Lakers, at or near full strength, barely beat the tanking Jazz the other night.  So in my mind there's really no way they could beat a healthy Minnesota squad at full strength in such a critical game.  But the Timberwolves are down three key players, i.e. a starter and two regular-rotation guys, so we will likely witness LAL getting their asses bust by Memphis in the First Round instead.

THUNDER (40-42) VS. PELICANS (42-40)

FAIR & SQUARE

I believe that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Brandon Ingram will end up counteracting each other, even though the former tends to have a greater impact on games, especially close ones, overall.  So then, it's up to the other players to decide who wins this game, and I think New Orleans has the edge there, especially if McCollum plays.

You can argue that if Zion were playing it would be no contest, but he and Ingram don't play particular well together anyway, and if the Pelicans were smart they'd trade Zion and get another star or two who's healthy and actually complements Brandon's skillset.

WHAT WILL THE NBA DO?

I can imagine that the NBA would be more inclined to have SAG and Josh Giddey in the playoffs than the Pelicans, and I wouldn't be surprised if OKC even give the Nuggets a run for their money, even in a seven-game series.  But the Pelicans made it out of the play-ins last season and can probably do so again.  Or at least that's what I believe, that they're a better all-around team than OKC, though again with Shai, miracles are possible.

CONCLUSION

I can understand how the NBA is favoring Lebron again.  He just broke Kareem's record, which is the biggest (American) sports' story of the year, and also these days he doesn't make as many political statements as a couple of years ago.  But it's going to be sad when the Lakers run into a really good, healthy team, unless they're really expecting the likes of Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell to win a series for them.

And personally I think OKC would stand a better chance against Denver, but it's hard for me to imagine them beating the Pelicans, which is a deceptively-deep squad.

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.

Let's Look at the Bright Side (Sacramento Kings' Journey)

We human beings tend to be such that we remain the same like forever.  In other words whatever habits you develop as a child, whether they be beneficial or detrimental, tends to stay with us throughout our entire lives, unless some conscientious effort is made to change.  The same cannot be said for organizations and especially, in the case of this article, NBA teams.  The only team who, relatively speaking, has maintained a standard of excellence throughout the entire modern era of basketball (i.e. from the 1980s going) has been the LA Lakers.  But as for every other squad, they tend to go through notable periods of being really competitive but at other times the exact opposite.

Take the Sacramento Kings for instance.  Believe it or not, at the turn of the century the only team that was more must-watch than the Kings was the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.  That is to say that the Kings were also a very-talented team that featured a number of fascinating personalities and playing styles.  But you wouldn't know that looking at them now, whereas they haven't been to the playoffs in nearly 20 years, and the only time anyone ever seems interested in watching a Kings' game is when they're playing against one of the more-popular teams.

And honestly, I've never been sold on De'Aaron Fox.  Now let me say that I've only seen him play sparsely.  But the way he has been placed at the top of Sacramento's roster kinda reminds me of that part of the Bible where the Israelites demanded that God give them a king because everybody else has one.  There's no actual rule that an NBA team must have a franchise player.  But since all of the big-name squads tend to have one, it's like the Kings had to also make Fox their de facto head honcho, sorta reminiscent of the Shai-Gilgeous Alexander situation out in OKC (though I'd probably take Shai over Fox).

And I'm not trying to diss De'Aaron, who is more or less unanimously considered a borderline All-Star.  But every time other writers get to extolling his virtues, the main thing they tend to mention is his speed.  And of course speed is very important when you're playing a sport like basketball that's like 90% running.  But on the other hand, it's like so what?  Or look at it this way - if basketball were all about speed, than someone like Usain Bolt would be dominating the NBA.

BUT, LET'S LOOK AT THE BRIGHT SIDE

The Kings are considered to be the biggest underachievers in the NBA.  That's a roundabout way of saying that no one would deny that this team is talented.  They aren't like, say the Orlando Magic.  If the Magic misses the Playoffs, people are like 'well what did you expect?'  But when the Kings miss the Playoffs, it's more like 'how do they keep failing despite having all of that talent on the roster?'

Back in the old days, that phenomenon would be attributed to the fact that the West was so stacked.  But it ain't like that these days - fuck around and even the Rockets will make it to the Playoffs this year.

The good thing about the Kings' situation though is that they have a deep roster of undeniably talented players, i.e. those, such as whathisname, who may prosper on other teams.  Or put differently, they have plenty of tradable players.  That means for this squad, the missing piece(s) to the equation is at least theoretically attainable.  However the challenge that lies ahead is identifying that piece or pieces.

I personally believe what this team needs is not a standard above-average player or players.  Rather the Kings could benefit from having a superstar, like a truly undeniable franchise player, on their squad.  But there isn't a lot of those floating around these days.  So even if Sacramento, hypothetically speaking, are in a position to make an appropriate roster change and flip the switch at any given moment, then the question becomes who is it exactly they should target if they decide to make a major power move?

CONCLUSION

Now that there's actual mainstream talk of De'Aaron Fox potentially being traded, I wish I had published this article two weeks ago when I actually wrote it.  But conclusively, the Kings are hands-down considered to be the most individually-talented losing roster in the NBA.  So it's only seemingly a matter of time before they make some kind of massive trade.

Knowing the Kings recent luck/history, said trade still may not move the needle.  But at least, unlike other perennially-mediocre teams, the fact they possess that flexibility gives them palpable hope.