Kobe
I don’t feel like being analytical this week. This has been a really long, boring, and sad year.
We lost Kobe Bryant this year. He died in a terrible accident on January 26. I don’t really have a way to write this out well, I feel dumb and emotional as I type it. It’s almost like this didn’t even happen, or that I can’t accept that it’s happened. With his death being right around the start of the pandemic, it’s like this entire year isn’t real and is just a bad dream. I hope I wake up soon.
Kobe wasn’t just a basketball player. He was an inspiration. Not just in basketball, in life. Kobe instilled a competitive fire in those who were inspired by him, taking that competitiveness and desire to succeed into all walks of life. I remember in 2011, when I started to watch basketball, he was still playing. He was getting older, but man he was still good. I remember looking up highlight clips of him hitting difficult shots, contested shots, and clutch shots. It’s beautiful to watch, it’s art. I remember playing basketball more, wanting to win and compete. Kobe didn’t inspire me to play basketball more, though, he inspired me to want to succeed, to stay competitive. He inspired me to do everything I do with passion.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=250892702567446
I couldn’t get this video to embed, as it’s only on Facebook. It’s a tribute to Kobe made by a basketball page I’ve followed since I was in high school.
Zion Williamson & The Pelicans
I think Zion Williamson is going to dominate the NBA this season. Averaging 27.8 minutes per game with only 24 games played, I don’t think we’ve seen what he can truly do yet. He came into the NBA somewhat out of shape, was injured by mid October, and then the NBA was season was cancelled.
Zion and the Pelicans are set up to be contenders for the next several years. There is cap space to keep Brandon Igraham, a young offensive star. Ingraham played 62 games last season, averaging nearly 24 points and shooting 39% from the 3 point line. JJ Reddick, a veteran knockdown shooter, is also on the team to provide shooting. Having Ingraham and Reddick to space the floor while Zion drives to the basket is a nightmare for opposing offenses due to Zion’s court sense and passing ability.
The ball doesn’t even need to be in Zion’s hand. The Pelican’s best highlights come when Lonzo Ball lobs a half court alley oop to a cutting Zion. It reminds me of back in the Lebron-Heat era when Lebron and Wade would pass each other crazy alley oops that would be replayed on ESPN for weeks. Lonzo hasn’t been the superstar that people thought he would be when he was drafted, but has been a perfect starting point guard. He’s taller than your average point guard, his defense is great, and his passing is as good as Rondo or Rubio.
Do you think the Pelicans are setting up a dynasty or will all these players be on different teams in a few years?
We Want Andre
We still need a big man. However, there are rumors that the Celtics are looking to acquire one. Specifically, Andre Drummond has been talked about as the next potential big man for the Celtics. Would Drummond be an effective piece for the Celtics? Could he be the dominant big man that gets the Celtics to the finals?
Andre Drummond is still under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The contract is only for the next season, and the Cavaliers have no shot of being a contender by the time Andre Drummond is ready to sign a new deal. I cannot see a situation in which Drummond resigns with the Cavaliers, unless he is offered a supermax deal since the Cavaliers have nothing else to do with their money. I think if a non-athletic, balding gamer can recognize that Drummond will be moving out of state soon, the Cavaliers organization recognizes it as well. This is likely why there are trade rumors surrounding Drummond right now. There is really no point in keeping him on the team all season, not make the playoffs, and then watching him walk away in free agency for no value in return. The smartest move is to trade him now, even if his trade value is overall is low due to his expiring contract.
Now, there will be critics to Drummond joining the Celtics. I have posted an article below that touches on some of these issues. It is said that Drummond may not fit in with Brad Steven’s system, requiring his players to stretch the floor. I think that if Drummond takes Theis’ spot on the roster, not much will change. Theis doesn’t have the physical tools to be a great rebounder or defender, and it seems most of his value comes from shooting. I don’t think Theis provides enough from the 3 point line to justify having him over Drummond’s rebounding, defending, and athleticism. Please Cleveland, just take Theis and a few picks, give us Drummond, and start your rebuild. Nobody wants to watch a team that can’t make the playoffs 8 years at a time, start rebuilding your team and GIVE US DRUMMOND.
NBA On TNT
I absolutely love when the NBA game I am watching is on TNT. The guys are so funny and I would argue that it makes the games way more enjoyable. Kenny, Shaq, Chuck, and Ernie Johnson have such great on air chemistry.
Whenever it’s half time, I don’t go do something else. I don’t make another snack, or look at my phone for 20 minutes until the game is back on. No, I listen to Ernie Johnson put on a little game show so everyone can watch Chuck answer things in ways that are not even relevant to the question being asked. That’s the high quality basketball side content that I need.
I think TNT really allows the guys to have fun in a way that a more strict network may not. I think this adds an additional level of entertainment and keeps the audience engaged during non-game time. I think this is likely recognized by TNT and encouraged, it should be making them extra money.
Guys I totally promise this isn’t short because I just wanted to post a compilation of the TNT guys being funny and worked backwards from that.
We Need A Big
I’ve been saying it since around 2013, the Celtics need to get a good center. While the Celtics have played a lot of small ball with Tatum playing at the power forward position, we haven’t been strong at the center spot since I started watching basketball back in 2012. I remember back in late 2016/early 2017, when Demarcus Cousins trade rumors were afloat, how hopeful I was that the Celtics would land him.
Demarcus “BOOGIE” Cousins was my favorite big man in the modern NBA. Following Andrew Bynum’s abrupt retirement from basketball, I was pretty bummed. I really like the old school, back-to-basket big man game. Fortunately for me, when Bynum was gone, there was still Cousins. I think he’s the most dominant center in the league, or at least was prior to injuries.
Demarcus Cousins is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. With his injuries and non-performance, I think this is a “buy low” moment in the market. His value has been demonstrated, he’s a veteran, he knows this is probably his last contract, and he’s going to sign for cheap wherever he goes- SIGN BOOGIE COUSINS.
Miami In 6
Alright I’m writing this during the first quarter of game 3 of the NBA finals and I want to make a bold prediction: the Miami Heat are about to hit the Lakers with a variation of the gentleman’s sweep. They lost the past two games, and now they’re going to win every game from here on out.
The one serious point I want to make this week is that Jimmy Butler really has been a superstar in these playoffs. One of my earlier posts praised Butler and I’m going to continue the praise. While the Heat got blown out in game 1, Jimmy Butler had 23 points on 8-13 shooting with 5 assists. In game 2, he scored 25 points on way worse efficiency (7-17), but had 13 assists and 8 rebounds. The way he gets looks for his teammates is really special. I would compare his court awareness to that of a solid point guard or even a worse LeBron James. To say a worse LeBron James is a compliment even if it may not seem like that. Jimmy always manages to use his physical attributes to get to the rim and kick out. The way I expect a small forward to earn assists usually swinging the ball around the perimeter, but Jimmy Butler does way more than that to get his teammates looks.
Anyways, here is my foolproof plan for Miami to win the next 4 (or 3, since its on now) games:
This shot actually made me stop watching the Celtics/Heat series. Tyler Herro, the 20 year old rookie from Kentucky, is the key for Miami to make me not hate the outcome of this year’s NBA finals. They just need to let this man shoot 25-30 shots a night for the rest of the series and just kind of see how it goes. What’s the worst that can happen? Since I started writing this, Miami lost the double digit lead they had on the Lakers. Give Herro the ultimate green light and let Jimmy Butler try to create as well. The bubble has been a joke anyway and I’m bored of it, onto offseason speculation I go.
THE NBA 2K RANT
I’m going to go ahead and bend the rule on staying on topic with this post, as it’s an issue that is dear to me. While I will normally only talk about “real life” basketball, the NBA 2K video game series has gotten progressively more egregious every year with the way that they scam basketball fans out of money.
The first issue I want to address is the blatantly exploitative practices of 2K Sports. While there are plenty of instances of scummy monetization structures in gaming, I want to focus on 2K for the sake of staying within the realm of basketball. Not only that, but 2K’s greed is genuinely harmful to consumers, the gaming industry, and maybe even basketball itself.
Launch day. Once a year, 2K releases its new version of NBA 2K. Every year on launch, the game isn’t perfect. As someone who plays way too much video games, I understand a game will not always come out perfectly finished or balanced. However, the gameplay is not what I take issue with. The issue here is that they monetize the game in such a way that if you don’t buy their currency on launch, you don’t get to enjoy the game. Sure, you can play against your friend in a casual match. Sure, you can play against the computer, or make your created character and start the process of making them better in the single player mode. If that’s fun for you, great, the game is worth the 60 dollars. If you’re like me and your ego is tied to glorious victory in multiplayer games, you might feel a little ripped off. I am going to provide two examples of how the monetization system in 2K forces players to buy in-game currency, spend hundreds of hours gaining the paid equivalent, to be worse than everyone else in a multiplayer setting.
Alright so.. What the heck have I been ranting about for three paragraphs? What is this monetization system and why have I been treating it like it’s a crime against humanity? Well, when you first create your character, it starts off around a “60 overall” rating. The player’s overall rating is to indicate how good the player is overall, with individual categories of basketball skills having their own value that contributes to their overall rating. The ratings are based on a maximum overall rating of 99, with a 60 being one of the worst ratings. So, you start off as a 60 overall, can’t-hit-a-shot rookie with similar basketball skills to current day me. It’s a terrible feeling to play a game to be reminded of your own limitations when playing a video game, we play video games to escape those! Maybe next year they can give my character a beer gut and a receeding hairline so I can get that extra layer of immersion. Anyways, what are the options when you have that 60 overall character? Well, we’ve established that your character starts off with the basketball skill of a middle school junior varsity bench player. So how do you make him better? Hundreds and hundreds of hours of repetitive, boring, single player grinding. Not only is the grind a tedious nightmare, but your player is hot garbage and you miss all the time, increasing the time investment required. Most people don’t have time for that. So if you want to keep playing and actually have competitive matches, you HAVE to shell out 20-40 dollars to buy their in-game currency and upgrade your player. This is what most people do, which perpetuates the need for others to buy currency.
They also allow you to purchase packs of cards for your MyTeam mode. This would require another long explaination, so I will just say that you can buy access to the best players with real money. A 10 pack box of cards costs 20 REAL DOLLARS. You get one player per pack, and the odds are a joke. They post the odds of getting a certain tier of card on the packs, which likely covers them from illegal gambling charges, with the best cards having a less than 2% drop chance. I know what you may be thinking, who cares if this weird guy in my class spends his money poorly? You don’t need to worry about me, I’ve learned my lesson. What we need to be concerned about is children. This game isn’t age restricted, it’s for all audiences. Minors play more video games than adults, they’re the ones being targeted by microtransactions. Kids have a limited perspective on life and will beg their parents for money until they get it. Or worse, they’ll go behind their parents’ backs and charge their card anyways. This isn’t a flaw in their monetization system, it’s a FEATURE. They’re counting on children to overspend their parents’money and impulse purchases from others. I would argue that at best they’re setting children up for a life of justifying gambling, and at worst they’re actively causing children to gamble their parents’ money.
My Friends Are Mad That The Celtics Are Losing
My friend group is pretty down right now. Comprised of a bunch of 20 something dudes who have an irrational emotional attachment to their regional sports teams, we are in the dumps over here. I like to think that I am less effected, as I just like basketball in general and don’t care too much if the Celtics win the championship. While I would like that to see that happen, my friends are much more upset with seeing the Celtics go down 2-0 in this series against the Heat.
How did it get like this? Why are the Celtics losing? The other week, my blog post was talking about how well the Heat have been playing. Well, I don’t think my praise then was even enough credit. I specifically mentioned Jimmy Butler’s defense, but failed to talk about how well the Heat’s overall defensive strategy is executed. At times, they were running a perfect zone defense. The Celtics would be swinging the ball around the perimeter, a solid way to break down a zone and find an open three, only to be met with a perfect switch. Watching some of the possessions where the Celtics would get no offense out of them was like playing against a guy in NBA 2K that knew how exploit defenses. So many scoring opportunities negated because of a really well disciplined defense.
I don’t even want to focus on the Celtics’ shooting numbers. I almost feel like the Heat’s defense has been so good, that I don’t blame them for shooting poorly. In game 2, Tatum, Brown, and Kemba all shot under 50% from the field. While pointing out poor shooting is fair criticism, something more is going on here. The Celtics are getting outcoached. Brad Stevens has to find holes in this defense, and his players need to hit big shots when they count. It was really hard to watch Jaylen Brown hit those two threes near the end only to miss the game-tying shot.
If you read this, what do you think? Who needs to improve the most in this series for the Celtics to make a comeback?
Hats Off To the Raptors
We did it, New England! The Boston Celtics have won their matchup against the Toronto Raptors in a series that went the full 7 games. At first, I thought the Celtics would win in 5 games. The Celtics won the first two games of the series and there is really no home court advantage with all playoff games taking place in “The Bubble” in Orlando. All signs were pointing to a 4-1 Celtics victory, perhaps 4-2.
However, the Raptors persevered and made it a competitive series. Having lost Kahwi Leonard last summer in free agency after winning the NBA championship last year, it seemed like the Raptors would have attempted to rebuild. They have several guys on their roster who were at one point great players, some even all stars, but are all operating outside of their prime. Two exceptions would be Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, who are both 26. I would’ve thought that they’d try to trade Gasol’s expiring contract for young players or picks, instead he got minutes in this series.
One of the main factors in this series going down to the wire was the coaching. Nick Nurse is a great basketball mind and implements an impressive defensive strategy. It was nice to see the battle of great coaching minds between Brad Stevens and Nick Nurse. I hope to see the Raptors begin a rebuild this offseason. While my heart lies with the Celtics, I think the Raptors have a solid infrastructure to build a great team.
How should the Raptors go about this offseason? Was their playoff run this year good enough for them to try and contend next season? With the contracts of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka ending, is it time to find a new big man to play next to Siakam?
The Bucks Are Getting Swept
I can’t believe that I’m even typing this, to be honest with you. We all hate to see it and love to see it at the same time. The Milwauki Bucks, a team considered a championship contender, is going to be swept.
It’s hard to believe that they’d get dropped off like this. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one year removed from his MVP season and his team earned the 1st seed for their conference with a 57-16 record, yet they are potentially about to be swept by a team who I did not consider to be good enough to make it out of the second round. Well it looks like I was wrong about that because not only is Miami going to get out of the second round, they’re eliminating their main competition in the process. This made me think, though. Is Miami this good, or is Milwauki just playing this bad?
Well, it’s both. Jimmy Butler has really transformed himself. Not only is he one of the league’s best defenders and a reliable bucket-getter, he’s really improved his ability to playmake. Butler came to Miami and became a leader. This man is constantly looking for his shooters. He’s put his trust in these young, inexperienced dudes and it seems to be paying off.
The Bucks, however, just don’t seem to be the same. I believe this is from the way Miami is defending Giannis. Their strategy seems to be to dare Giannis to shoot and try to stop his driving. While you can’t ALWAYS stop Giannis, making it more difficult for him to finish in the paint is a huge key to victory. What do you think? Is Miami playing insanely well, or are the Bucks just out of their element?