Who Should Be Introduced Last? (Eastern Conference)

So today, I was envisioning the first time Jaylen Brown returns to Boston as an opposing player.  I'm presuming there's going to be a ridiculous amount of applause when he's introduced.

So then I was thinking, what order will he be announced in?  Will he be mentioned as the last Philly starter?  Perhaps you would think so, in anticipation of that applause.  But despite being one of the top-five players in the league, he's not even the most popular player on the Sixers.

That then got me thinking about who should be introduced last on every team in the NBA.  Generally speaking, it appears the unwritten rule being that the last starter introduced is the alpha, even if the visiting team gets no love from the announcer.

ATLANTA HAWKS

Last-Called: Jalen Johnson

Backup: CJ McCollum

Jalen Johnson is not only homegrown, i.e.being drafted by the Hawks, but he's also the team's only allstar.  So even though he doesn't have A-list name recognition, no one else in Atlanta does either, so he's "the last-called" by default.

If Jalen isn't around, then I think it has to go to CJ McCollum, who never has been and perhaps never will be an allstar, but you have to respect his talent and consistency.

BOSTON CELTICS

Last-Called: Jayson Tatum

Backup: Derrick White

Another no-brainer when it comes to the last-called.  But please, when Tatum is (inevitably) hurt, don't tell me that it's rather going to be PG13, unless he re-transforms to an allstar.  All things considered, I think that love should instead go to Derrick White.

BROOKLYN NETS

Last-Called: Michael Porter Jr.

Backup: Julius Randle

This is by default because, first of all, Porter Jr. has established himself as one of the best players in the league.  And second, no one else on the roster is really known besides Randle.

CHICAGO BULLS

Last-Called  Caleb Wilson

Backup: Josh Giddey

I really want to say Wilson but, all things considered, it may be Giddey instead.  Josh is good but clearly not enough to be an undisputed alpha.  So now, all eyes are on Caleb.  And I wouldn't be surprised if Chicago pushes it as hard as introducing him last, perhaps even from the jump, if they truly have that kind of confidence in him.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Last-Called: Kon Knueppel

Backup: Brandon Miller

This is the most difficult decision on this list, because the Hornets have two young, let's say homegrown stars.  But I guess we have to go with Knueppel because, besides being the more popular, he came realistically closer to winning ROY.  Whoever thought this guy would be given the keys to the car so soon?  It's yours to take, Kon.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Last-Called: Donovan Mitchell

Backup: James Harden

I know that the Beard is more popular, but it has to be Spider, dude.  Mobley should perhaps even get precedence over Harden, but I don't think that's going to happen.

DETROIT PISTONS

Last-Called: Cade Cunningham

Backup: Jalen Duren

So you're trying to tell me that the backup last-called is the same dude embroiled in a contract dispute?  Currently, I would venture to presume that he's the lowest paid second-to-last called in the NBA.

INDIANA PACERS

Last-Called: Tyrese Haliburton

Backup: Pascal Siakim

Another no-brainer, though Turner would be the backup if he was still around.

MIAMI HEAT

Last-Called: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Backup: Bam Adebayo

This was hard because, Bam is the perennial allstar with tenure.  But barring injury, there's no way Giannis is going to fail to live up to expectation.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Last-Called: Tyler Hero

Backup: Kel'el Ware?

For some reason I can't really explain, I'm looking forward to seeing Herro in Milwaukee.  And I know Myles Turner is more tenured than them both, but it's hard to envision him getting last call on the Bucks.

NEW YORK KNICKS

Last-Called: Jalen Brunson

Backup: Karl Anthony-Towns

Another no-brainer, as the team has two perennial allstars, with one being more popular than the other.

ORLANDO MAGIC

Last-Called: Paolo Banchero

Backup: Franz Wagner

Since Orlando personally maxed Wagner out, he has to be the backup behind the undisputed alpha, even though Bane may be the better player.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Last-Called: Tyrese Maxey

Backup: Lebron James

If you were to put the entire NBA, i.e. its 12 biggest stars, on the same team, Lebron would undoubtedly be the last-called.  But the funny thing is, he shouldn't be so on the Sixeers.

Factoring in tenure and accomplishments within the Philly organization, it should be Joel Embiid - if he weren't so hurt.  So then, by default, it goes to Tyrese Maxey, who's not only homegrown but also a reigning perennial allstar

And so it should be with the team in general.  I hope all of the talent is able to understand that Maxey is the man, just like Shaq had to defer to a D-Wade when he went to Miami.  There are now guys who may be better all-around players, but ask yourself this. Has  "the Process" been completed?

TORONTO RAPTORS

Last-Called: Kawhi Leonard

Backup: Scottie Barnes

It'll have to be Kawhi which, in a way, is a slap in the face to other players on the roster who may actually be loyal to Toronto.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Last-Called: AJ Dybantsa

Backup: Anthony Davis

It should perhaps go to the rookie because, not only is he the reigning number-one pick but also is symbolic of the transition the Wizards are going through.  And as for AD, he's the most-accomplished member of the roster, and, besides that, his emotions shouldn't be tested.

Draft Rules' Inception

A couple of days ago, I read an exhaustive article via Yahoo!Sports explaining the new draft rules, but I still don't understand that shit.  To be totally honest, I never really understood the old or current rules to begin with.

What I did take away from the exposition is that tanking has been disincentived and furthermore, bottom-of-the-barrel teams are now being penalized.  The main reason I wrote this post is to point out that latter idea is something I actually introduced to the world years ago.  More specifically, I argued that teams who are perennially bad, such as the Kings, should be thrown out of the league for a year to teach them a lesson.  Mind you, that was like back in 2022, and Sacramento still sucks (though they did have a brief resurgence).

And this is the funny thing about it.  The bottom teams possessing the best statistical chances of landing a top pick is a rule that's been around for as long as I can remember.  Yet, I can't say I recall dudes tanking back in the days.  Maybe in the days of yore, organizations had too much pride?  Maybe I didn't fully understand what was going on then?

THE HINKIE ERA

That all changed with "the Process" in Philly.  And here's the funny thing about it.  Out of all those high draft picks, the Sixers only landed two stars, and this generation has yet, if ever, to win a championship.  And when I say two stars, I'm not, btw, referring to Maxey as one of them. He was drafted all the way down at 21 and in the 2020s. 

And that's the true strength of Philly's braintrust imo - finding gems.  Yes, they drafted Carter-Williams, Okafour and Fultz, three guys who've had careers but never really panned out.  But again, even amidst those decisions and then later losing Simmons, they've remained akin to perennial contenders.  They're still getting value for those picks, if you will.

But going back to this no championship thing, again you gotta ask - what's the ultimate goal?  Is it to land high draft picks just for picking's sake, or is it to actually win it all?

Or, in summation, let's say that high draft picks alone don't lead to a championship.  If you say before Wemby the generational talent was Lebron and before him MJ, then that means those types of players who can win it all on their own, so to speak, only come around once every 20 years.  It's possible that another multi-skilled player even taller than Victor, or a stud stronger than Lebron, or a star more marketable as MJ, will eventually come along.  But is it really likely?

LET THEM EAT CAKE

So you, as a low level yet ambitious team executive, walk into the boardrooom, straight to the owner and are like 'boss, our rivals just drafted Wemby'.  Then he screams at you and says 'then go draft Holmgren!'

I've been saying for years that coaching matters.  I've also been saying that now, many coaches are just more or less figureheads.  When every man, 1 to 5, is empowered to jackup shots at will, that's not coaching.  I kept saying, not every nigga is Steph.  But I didn't foresee that it would be someone as different from Curry as Wemby who finally got that point across, though I did know that eventually the post would become important again.

So in the WCF you had these little guys - and yes, they looked nephews standing next to Victor - deadass driving to the paint, trying to execute layups with dude directly on them.  WTF?  It reaches a point where you're just like, that's stupid.  Or rather let me say, they've been doing shit like that with no repercussions for so long that now it's hard for them to stop.

So yeah, coaching.  SGA recently called Sam Presti 'the best GM ever' or some shit.  So, let the Thunder run it back and prove that first ring wasn't a fluke.  But that said, if they're able to keep their starting five + McCain + Caruso and still land Giannis, I'm all for it.  Look at what type of superteaming you have to do to beat Wemby.

CONCLUSION

Remember when Draymond blew up the Kings' spot and was like niggas ain't even competing?  Yes, enough of the bullshit already.

Fuck happened to David vs. Goliath?  Where are the underdogs these days?  There's this video just uploaded to YouTube where dude is like the NBA rigged the 2023 Draft, because the Spurs have proven that they know what to do with players like Wemby.  Yeah, fuck that.  Draft picks don't win championships (most of the time) - braintrusts do.

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.

Trade Talk: Harden + Tucker vs. Martin, Covington, Batum, Morris, etc.

NOTE

The current URL to this blog (nbainception.xyz) may be expiring in a couple of days.  Afterwards, NBA Inception can be accessed at its source address, which is nbainception.blogspot.com.

Honestly, by this point I was thinking that Harden was going to remain with the Sixers throughout the season, or that they were going to trade him to another team besides the Clippers.  But the Beard got his wish and is reportedly "ecstatic" as a result.

In theory, this should make the Clippers one of the top five teams in the NBA, if they weren't already.  Presumably, their starting lineup will read something like James at point, Westbrook at the 2, PG13 at SF (i.e. his true position), and Kawhi at the four.  And there's a number of reasons why that lineup may lead to a championship.

First of all, that has to be the most-talented guard/wing core in the league.  Secondly, most NBA teams more or less play small now anyway.  Third, Kawhi is a good enough defender that he should be able to match up with most 4s.  And fourth, Westbrook is the best-rebounding G in the modern history of the NBA.  That said, the chances of all four of them being healthy simultaneously is probably minimal, so the aged PJ Tucker is probably going to get a lot of starting time also.

So now, the x-factor actually becomes Ivica Zubac.  He's a European C, all of whom these days seem to be above-average at their position.  But the best thing about it is that unlike many others in that category, he doesn't shoot threes.  And that's a good thing because now, playing with at least three solid chucks, he should focus almost exclusively on rebounding and playing down low.

As for the Sixers, as I said at the beginning of the season, they don't really need Harden anyway.  When Ben Simmons decided to bounce, that was when they were supposed to give the keys to Tyrese Maxey, as he had already proven, since day one, to be an exceptional draft pick (at number 21).  Instead, he had to take a backseat to Harden and, by the looks of things, didn't complain about it.

The Beard may average more assists, but given the Sixers roster, I think Tyrese is better at the point.  Harden has this weird sorta game whereas he does average more assists than most other Gs but still retains the tendency to sometimes alienate teammates out of the offense.  I guess that reality is sort of a testament to how good he really is.

That said, the player I'm most excited about landing on the Sixers is KJ Martin.  He was one of my favorites on the Rockets last season, and I never approved of the idea of him playing on the Clippers, as they're like too far past his timeline.  So I'm presuming that he'll be a much better fit alongside Maxey + Embiid, and since they also traded away Tucker may potentially be a starter.  That's going to be some exciting shit, seeing Tyrese and KJ play together.

I haven't really been following Philly during this early season, but I do know that Maxey just won Eastern Conference Player of the Week.  And remember who was the first analyst to say that he's the most-underrated player in the NBA and will also be an allstar this season.

I'm sorta envisioning a starting five along the lines of Maxey + Oubre + Martin + Harris + Embiid.  And as a sidenote, it's also cool to have Robert Covington back, a player whom the Sixers never should have let go of to begin with, though of course he has a lot more mileage now.  What is kinda sad though is that they reportedly cut Danny Green to make room for the new additions.

CONCLUSION

With a big name like the Beard bouncing, honestly the Sixers do feel a little less formidable.  But my argument has been, besides boasting at least a couple of allstar-level players (as well as one or two that may be on the borderline), they have more depth than any other team in the NBA.  And now, having acquired four quality rotation players for Harden (besides the future draft picks), they've only gotten deeper.  So obviously, the strategy when it comes to beating teams like the Bucks and Celtics will be to defeat them by being able to exhibit a higher level of energy, i.e. Philly having a bench long enough that it can, in theory, where other squads down.

Final Predictions for the 2022-23 Season

Yes, I may be a basketball guru.  But I also realize that some of the biggest predictions I made at the beginning of this season haven't and aren't going to come to pass.  But who knows?  Around this time last season, the Warriors were almost looked like they were washed.  Then a number of events which may have seemed like misfortunes at first - such as Klay's injury and relying on bench players for long stretches - proved to their advantage.  So  there's some teams, like the Hawks, that I still wouldn't completely count out.  So instead of reinventing the wheel I'm going to use the same tier format that I did last time.  And also, even for teams that have severely underperformed, like the Timberwolves (or vice versa), instead of moving them down up or down two or three tiers I'll just make it one because hey, I still haven't really accepted that my predictions.

TIER 1 - CONTENDERS

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Giannis has been looking increasingly mortal, i.e. injurable, of late.  But the Bucks are a team of intelligent players backed by an intelligent braintrust that doesn't lust after superstars but rather pursues compatible team players.  Also they have a good mainstream image, which is something that matters to the NBA.  Then on top of that they have a stable roster, i.e. one that isn't being flipped every season or two.  So there's no reason that, if Giannis is healthy, they can't win a second championship under him, though Middleton's health is something to also keep in mind.

JAE CROWDER - a sound addition for this team, of course

PHOENIX SUNS

Usually I wouldn't predict that a newly-formed superteam could win the championship.  I did sorta recently with the Suns but am now backpedaling a step.  My main cause of concern is wondering how hard KD will play off the ball, i.e. at times when Booker is chuckin instead of himself.  Second is that he only has a little longer than a month to get to know his new team (and vice versa) before the Playoffs.  And third is that out of all the contenders on this list, Phoenix now has arguably the weakest bench.

DARIO SARIC - whatever happened to this dude?

BOSTON CELTICS

I don't particularly believe that the Celtics are more talented than the Cavs.  What I do acknowledge though is that they currently have the strongest sense of continuity of any team in the NBA.  Also, they play hard D (sometimes).  So that's why, if healthy, I'll give them the advantage over Cleveland.

MARCUS SMART - haven't heard from him in a minute

JAYSON TATUM - arguably the best in the NBA sometimes

DERRICK WHITE - the X-factor?

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Unlike every other contender in the East, if you take away Philly's star player, Embiid, they're arguably just as formidable, even over an entire series.  But if they go up against the Celtics especially in the playoffs, I think they're going to regret giving up Thybulle, even if wasn't getting minutes.

JAMES HARDEN - deserves applause for effectively modifying his game

TYRESE MAXEY - one of the humblest stars in the NBA

DENVER NUGGETS

The Nuggets are finally healthy(?) and now appear more formidable than they ever have during the Jokic era(?).  They also now have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA.  But it remains to be seen if that will translate into playoff success.  Fukaround and they have to go up against a healthy Dubs team or an inspired Lebron + AD in the First Round.  But at least now they look ready (sorta), and there isn't any reason besides bad health that they shouldn't be able to win a championship, which is something I've been predicting for like the last three seasons anyway.

REGGIE JACKSON - glad he didn't end up on a garbage team

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

I haven't watched much of the Cavs of late.  But just like I thought, they're in a position to win a championship.  And since they're so young, they're also in the position to become a dynasty.

KEVIN LOVE - too bad he became expendable

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

The Clippers haven't looked like contenders, but at least they haven't entirely disappointed either.  I don't know why they shuffle through guards so much, but Westbrook was a major addition, since he's actually the best all-around G in the league.  Getting Mason Plumlee was huge also, as now the Clips have a little bit of depth at the 5, which was really what they needed most.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

I had to fight with myself before re-listing the Grizzlies as contenders.  It's obvious they have the talent, with theirs also being better balanced than perhaps any other team (for instance, they just bust the Nuggets asses a couple of days ago).  But I strongly believe that these days, the NBA doesn't want a team with a thuggish image winning it all.  So all of this shit that Brooks and Morant has been getting into of late really isn't helping.

DESMOND BANE - made me eat my words, can possibly be an all-star soon

TORONTO RAPTORS

The Raptors have dealt with championship success, albeit led by the most transient superstar in the NBA, and then afterwards regularly being under pressure to trade their stars or rebuild.  Instead they have remained committed and, in my opinion, are sleeper contenders now that they got Jakob Poeltl.  I believe this team would get a lot more respect if they were actually in the United States.

JAKOB POELTL - after KD, the most needle-moving acquisition of the trade deadline

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Even though the Warriors are in a slump or I decided to keep them as contenders, because they have the Splash Bros. and a good image with the NBA.  But going out and bringing back the Gauntlet feels like too little too late, and losing James Wiseman to get him back was, imo, downright stupid.

JORDAN POOLE - deserves more respect, from like everybody

TIER 2 - BETTER LUCK NEXT YEAR

NEW YORK KNICKS

Within the blink of an eye, the Knicks went from having arguably the dumbest braintrust in the NBA to now making shrewd moves like unexpectedly acquiring Josh Hart, who's actually one of the best forwards out there.  This all started with the acquisition of Jalen Brunson (who honestly has exceeded my expectations) and before that Julius Randle.  No more starchasing and all that backwards shit.  Now the Knicks are deep, settled and focused, and I believe, under certain circumstances, can even take the East.  

JALEN BRUNSON - not as flashy as Kyrie, but...

RJ BARRETT - luckily is no longer under as much pressure to live up to his new contract

JULIUS RANDLE - has been incepted to remember that he is a dominant player

MIAMI HEAT

Last season was like the Heat's to lose, and lose they did.  This team is still one of the most talented but also sports a couple of aged star and what feels like a ever-shifting starting lineup.  Miami is always competitive, but sometimes the championship window only opens for a season at a time.

BAM ADEBAYO - might as well make him the starting PG come next season

KYLE LOWRY - 'fat' NBA players don't necessarily age well

SACRAMENTO KINGS

Anyone who's been reading this blog know that I've always been big on Domantas Sabonis, way before anyone else got around to acknowledging how good he is.  In fact he and Arvydas mark the best father-son players the NBA has ever seen.  And I'd be lying if I said I expected the Kings, the organization I tend to diss the most (after the Knicks), to suddenly be this good.  Like I know the West is now weaker, but 3rd in the conference?  But one of main reasons I don't want to get over-excited is because I don't think they're popular (nor deep) enough to win a championship at the moment.

HARRISON BARNES - on the low, prolly the best glue guy in the NBA (after Draymond)

DAVION MITCHELL - prolly needs to go a team where he'll get more run

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

The Wizards are perhaps the only team in the NBA with three players averaging over 20 points.  So it's safe to say that they really are just one addition away from contendorship, and the reason they're floundering likely has a lot to do with the fact that this is indeed the Wizards, i.e. losing being the organization's culture. 

ATLANTA HAWKS

This is one of the two teams I was tempted to move down an entire two tiers.  I haven't watched the Hawks play enough to really know what their problem is.  But the couple of times I did, as predicted Young and Murray didn't particularly play well off each other.  And since Young very much deserves to run the point if he wants to, it may be that acquiring Dejounte was overkill for that position.  Meanwhile, as usual the blame is falling on Jason Collins (and Nate "the Head" McMillan).

JASON COLLINS - the team scapegoat

TYRESE MARTIN - not to be confused with Tyrese Maxey

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

The Timberwolves, by this point, are just annoying to write about.  The problem with this team for about a decade now is that no matter how much talent they have, they still find a way underperform.  It may be a coaching thing, but sometimes it just feels like they're cursed or some shit, on top of not having the favor of the powers that be, despite having one of the dopest logos in sports.

KAT - might be time to move on

MIKE CONLEY - the type of PG this roster needs

TIER 3 - ONLY FATE KNOWS

INDIANA PACERS

The Pacers have exceeded everybody's expectations this year (even if they don't make the playoffs), and it says a lot that on top of them moving up a tier, I also placed them at the top of it.  I still believe that Haliburton is overrated, but I'm not hatin.  Indiana may never be the most popular team in the NBA, but at least now there's a greaters sense of hope surrounding this squad than even the Nets.

BROOKLYN NETS

I still believe in the Nets, though they now have a couple of notable issues.  First is that being devoid of superstars, there's less incentive for the NBA powers that be to favor them.  And second is that Jacque Vaughn (and the rest of the braintrust) was so used to dealing with superstars, divas even, that now he doesn't seem to know how to properly run a deep team of no stars.

MIKAL BRIDGES - will never be as popular as KD, but is better all-around

BEN SIMMONS - compelled Kyrie + KD to leave with his lackluster play

CAM THOMAS - they should've just let dude run free once he got hot

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS

An argument can be made that no team has a deeper roster than the Pelicans.  Unfortunately they're two biggest stars are always hurt and when they are both healthy don't particularly play well together.

JOSE ALVERADO - the rare player who actually brings joy to the game

CJ MCCOLLUM - should've made the all-star team just out of respect

ZION WILLIAMSON - needs to play for a league with fewer games

UTAH JAZZ

I haven't really heard of Utah since around the trade deadline.  They have slid from being the surprisingly-hottest team early in the season to now fighting for a playoff spot, maybe.  If I was Danny Ainge and them, I would have kept Westbrook unless he didn't want to be there.  But this is a team so focused on the future that winning now doesn't particularly seem to matter.

RUDY GAY - feels like he's been in the NBA longer than Lebron

LAURI MARKANNEN - hope they don't end up wasting his talent

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

Damian Lillard is now proving, even at the age of 32, that he really has been the second-best scoring PG after Steph Curry.  I would also say that unlike Steph, his style is such that you can rationalize building a team around him, like they did Allen Iverson or Michael Jordan.  But unfortunately, by this point his health isn't.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

At first I wasn't feeling the Westbrook trade but can now admit that depth - for whatever it's worth in this case - does matter.  I also believe that, if Lebron is playable, the NBA definitely wants the Lakers in the playoffs and will do what they have to in order to get them there.  But then ask yourself this - if he isn't healthy, would you even be interested in watching them play?  That's how problematic the great Lakers have become.

ANTHONY DAVIS - would probably be more vested if LBJ wasn't around

DENNIS SCHRODER - one of the most exciting players when he's hot

CHICAGO BULLS

Damn, what on earth happened to the Bulls?  They were one of the most promising teams coming into the season but are now playing like the post-Jordan years or some shit.  And some people on this squad, I won't say any names but have always been suspect in my eyes in terms of being considered an all-star.

LONZO BALL - needs to play in a league with a lot fewer games

PATRICK BEVERLY - a viable short-term replacement for Lonzo Ball

ORLANDO MAGIC

Throughout its short history, the Orlando Magic have proven that they can build contenders around #1 draft picks.  The thing is tho Banchero, as good as he may be, isn't as dominant as Shaq or Howard.  It remains to be seen what happens, as this roster isn't as bad as it looks sometimes.  But it does appear that the Magic are going to have to do it the hard way, via the draft.

MO BAMBA - not quite sure why they traded him

JONATHAN ISAAC - too bad injuries derailed dude

TIER 4 - THE LUCK OF THE DRAW

DALLAS MAVERICKS

I've been saying for years now that the Mavs need to strengthen their frontcourt, like at the 5 type shit.  And instead, they went out and got a superstar PG to put alongside the one they already have, smh.  Is Luka + Kyrie a fun watch anyway?

JAVALE MCGEE - may finally need to retire

DWIGHT POWELL - the bravest player in the NBA

OKC THUNDER

One thing I like about OKC is that even though no one expected them to do well this season, and they remained more or less true to that prediction, still, the Thunder don't feel like a tanking team.  So when Chet Holgrem and/or whoever else shows up next season, they're going to be joining a squad with pride, which is arguably more important to long-term success than high draft picks.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

I haven't seen a lot of NBA this season, but the few times I did make an effort my favorite team to watch has been the Rockets, even though they always lose.  So part of me is hoping that the Beard doesn't return, as this team already has more than enough chucks.  But now that he's gotten older and wiser, maybe that'll be exactly what the doctor ordered.

JABARI SMITH JR. - shoots too many threes for his size

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

There's no team it pains me to witness suck more than the Spurs, because their downfall wasn't due to the braintrust fukin up but rather their marquee player forcing himself out.  But enough of me crying over spilt milk .  Now, my hope is that they'll get Wembanyama and turn him into like the next Tim Duncan.

GREGG POPOVICH - might as well retire(?)

DETROIT PISTONS

The Pistons have disappointed just about everyone, including me as far as certain predictions are concerned, but I was right in two regards.  One is that they look mighty stupid having gotten rid of Kemba Walker, the only payer on that roster who had a history of like leading teams to victory.  And second, Cade Cunningham is talented.  But giving him the keys to the franchise has thus far proven more frustrating than even the Pelicans doing so with Zion.

BOJAN BOGDANOVIC - the biggest roster anomaly in the NBA

JADEN IVEY - has a lot of heart for a rookie, but he isn't the type that can lead a franchise

JAMES WISEMAN - entered the NBA too young

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

The Ball boys can ball, but it looks like their bodies can't withstand the rigors of the NBA year in and year out.  And when you combine that with the unfortunate story which is that of Miles Bridges, on top of Charlotte some years back wrongfully regarding Gordon Hayward as a still-viable star, what you get is the team with the least promising future in the NBA - unless maybe the luck draws in their favor.

LAMELO BALL - should play for a league with fewer games

TERRY ROZIER - Boston should have shown him his proper love

CONCLUSION

I guess one of the subthemes of this article is that there's a lot of significant injuries going around the NBA.  Creating a league with a shorter season just for injury-prone players or like moving Zion down to the D-League is likely out of the question.  So maybe in the future, we'll see a different type of contract whereas, say, a player is only stipulated to suit up for half of the games, since so many of them are already doing so anyway.  And that way, maybe teams will have enough flexibility to get other players to cover that lost time.

Oh Sh*t! The Sixers

I know good basketball teams when I see them.  For instance, when I predicted that the Timberwolves would be the best team in the NBA this season, it ain't like I ever actually saw them play with Gobert beforehand.  And even now, you know what I mean?  Everybody's on D'Angelo Russell's ass as usual, but the bigger concern should be the KAT problem.

The Sixers are a good basketball team.  When the Harden/Simmons trade first happened, I felt the Nets got the best of that deal.  That wasn't me underestimating the Beard.  That was me acknowledging that he's lost at least two steps from his prime, and his mind hadn't caught up yet.  But lo and behold, catching up it has, thanks primarily I would say to Doc Rivers, a guru respectable enough to even get underneath the beard.

Doc Rivers has that kind of head that if he tells you to do something on the basketball court, you're going to do it.  He just looks like he knows how to play basketball, and he's always had that face, like he could just bite you or some shit.  You don't hire former superstar guards to be head coaches; you hire guys like Doc Rivers.  Rivers played a whopping 15 years and descended from the 15pt/10ast per game range in his prime all the way down to like 4pts/1ast before he retired, but still he was a 'respected vet' in terms of being able to run an offense.  Melo deadass averaged 13pts last season, and he's not even in the NBA at the moment.

And even before getting Harden, the Sixers were just a damn formidable team.  Unlike every other contender in the NBA, it doesn't matter who on their roster is injured, because they can still win.  Tobias Harris is one of the highest-paid players in the NBA, which is like WTF?!  But even when Embiid's out, the Sixers be winning and shit.

Also, Tyrese Maxey is a young beast.  The reason I call him a beast is because he can probably score efficiently in more different ways than other small guard in the NBA, sorta like Tony Parker and shit.  And the reason I'm saying he's young is despite being that good, he still conceded to James Harden.  You know what I mean?  It's like he respected the coach and the vet type shit and was willing to take a step back.  At one point I was even like 'nah', you know what I mean.  But now it's like oh shit, it's working.

One last thing I must say is a couple of years ago when the Sixers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Hawks, I believe the NBA favored Atlanta in that series.  And right now, I'm not sleeping on the Nuggets or the Cavs or even the Grizzlies.  But dudes really have to look out for Philly, because air and square there's like no reason they can't win the championship.

CONCLUSION

Speaking of the Hawks, they're one of a few teams right now with so much talent that it could only be coached by a guru.  So as much as I love the Beard and Maxey and Melton and Milton and the entire gang, I think Rivers is the ex-factor.  You don't hear Embiid's name being mentioned in the MVP race these days.  But maybe, since he's like easily distracted and shit, that'll prove for the best.

James Harden = "A Scoring Magic Johnson"? (Wow)

It's only recently I came across that quote where Joel Embiid kinda dissed James Harden.  He didn't really diss him but just acknowledged what I've been saying for like a couple of seasons now, that the Beard has moved up an age group as a player.  What that means in more practical terms is that he's suffered through a major injury(ies), and unless a miracle (or maybe a whole lotta time off) his body is never going to ever be as fast as it was during his 2018 MVP campaign.  So he's sorta like D-Rose now, only fatter, and I would say also, it looks like, with worse ankles.  Yet with the NBA + media being what it is, it took a long time for others to realize this, and some viewers/analysts still haven't been able to swallow that pill.

See, the thing about the Sixers is that they're like the luckiest team in the NBA.  Sam Hinkie was a mad genius, so now it's like no matter how many bad rosters move they make, this team can never be garbage.  And what I mean by lucky is that they'd make these really high draft picks like Jahlil Okafor or Markelle Fultz, or even Ben Simmons for that matter, that don't really pan out.  And then they'd turn around and choose somebody all the way down with the 21st pick, like Tyrese Maxey.  And guess what?  If Ja Morant didn't exist, I'd probably be calling Maxey the best scoring PG in the NBA right now (no disrespect to Steph, who's like in a class of his own).

So James Harden playing a "scoring Magic Johnson" role, as Doc Rivers envisions, is theoretically possible.  Magic Johnson was a reluctant scorer, and his jump shooting form made Markelle Fultz look like Ray Allen.  But he'd shoot if he had to, and like shit would go in.

So it's like, imagine if James Harden was truly pass-first?  He has one of the best dribbles in the NBA, and he's also one of the best scorers in league history.  So if he really becomes pass first, it's like look out.  And the reason I mentioned Maxey earlier is because it's really his greatness that would allow Harden not to be preoccupied with scoring.  And the Sixers have other weapons also.  But Maxey's playing style, the fact that he's a guard and the fact that it would impossible for any defenses to ignore Harden, means he can be like Kyrie Irving, and Harden can take on a Simmons role.  It's like if you can take Ben Simmons' brain and put it into James Harden's body/history, that's exactly what the Sixers need right now, with this current roster.

CONCLUSION

This NBA season looks like it's going to be very competitive.  It's kinda like the post-Jordan era, when there's no straight-up king established, so a number of upstarts also smelled a chance.  Again, no disrespect to Steph, but that's how it been since the Lakers, led by Lebron, have fallen off - like there's no big dawg in the NBA to utterly fear these days.  So a lot of these superstar vets are going to have to make attitude adjustments if they want to win.  And what that usually entails is humbling themselves and shooting or dribbling less.

Reflections on Simmons

I feel that the NBA is a lesser league as this entire season it has been devoid of four of its biggest stars - Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson and Ben Simmons - not to mention Klay Thompson also.  Earlier, I felt that Simmons should either get over his emotions, be a professional and suit up or, somewhat akin to Kyrie, quit the NBA altogether.  But unlike the other players mentioned above, as time progresses Simmons' absence is actually becoming more intriguing.

The greatest factor in this equation is the fact that the 76ers have thus far proven respectfully-competitive even without him.  Back when Simmons was actually playing, I personally considered both Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton as PGs reminiscent of Terry Rozier when he was in Boston, i.e. clearly deserving more playing/starting time but being limited due to an established All-Star preceding them on the roster.  And this current season that belief has proven correct, especially as far as Maxey is concerned.  No, the Sixers are not better without Ben.  But the fact that they have remained competitive regardless means that any trade they make is going to upgrade their current roster, hopefully even putting them into contention status.

And that's where the current Simmons' debacle really becomes interesting.  The earlier trade scenarios that were being reported were not overly inspiring.  Recently other sites have come to realize, as I did months ago, that Ben Simmons for CJ McCollum would be a fair trade.  But again, that was months ago.  Since then Dame, the ultimate NBA chuckwagon, seems to have geared down a level or two.  Also, let's just say that CJ himself hasn't responded particularly well when his name finally did come up in Simmons' trade rumors.  But now Indiana has also entered the mix, and it's like oh my goodness.

According to reports, the Pacers have put three quality players on the trade block.  Honestly I don't know much about Caris LaVert besides the fact that, when healthy, he has more or less overachieved  in the NBA.  And as for Myles Turner, I'm currently envisioning him, by some miracle of basketball fate, ending up in Charlotte and instantly thrusting the team into contention status.  But Domantas Sabonis on the Sixers?

Despite being overachievers themselves, without Simmons in the picture, Philadelphia's guard rotation does leave something to be desired.  So ideally, any trade involving Ben would return a high-level guard(s).  But imagine a frontcourt of Tobias Harris (SF), Joel Embiid (C) and Domantas Sabonis (PF).  With a lineup like that, even if little guys like Maxey, Curry and Milton are holding down the backcourt, it doesn't even matter.  That frontline, under my estimation, would even be more formidable than the current iteration of Lebron-AD.

CONCLUSION

So basically things breakdown like this.  Since Ben Simmons hasn't actually played this season and the Sixers are good without him, then it's like anything they get in return from a trade is basically a free upgrade.  So if they are actually able to land even one player that places them back into championship contention, then it's pull the trigger. 

Up until now, no such player was actually made available.  But if Indiana would actually be down for trading Sabonis for Simmons, I don't see, based on my limited knowledge, why Philly wouldn't agree to do so.