Apologies for the creating the new Weekly Thread a bit early, but I had a few thoughts on some current NBA issues that I wanted to post, so I thought I'd disguise them all as the new Weekly thread.
This "NBA Points of Interest" roundup might become a regular part of the weekly thread if I can be bothered putting the effort in and if others thought there was actual value in having these tl;dr posts.
Anyway, here are last week's Points of Interest as we start another week of NBA action...
Dante Exum: A Continuing Education
Earlier this week I found myself wondering how Dante Exum was feeling as he began his journey as an NBA rookie, coming face-to-face for the first time with all these NBA stars he had only previously seen on TV.
Images and idols now materialising into real, flesh-and blood people.
...The awe he would've felt while being guarded by LeBron.
...The challenge of trying to contain Chris Paul.
...The amazement at the shooting clinic provided by Dirk Nowitzki.
...The thoughts of fear as Kyrie Irving crept forward, ready to delve into his bag of dribbling tricks during an isolation play ("Please don't embarass me, please don't embarass me...")
As it turned out, the most embarassing moment for Exum came in Utah's first game of the week against the Clippers, when Jordan Farmar fooled Dante with a shot-fake and crossover which left the Jazz rookie spinning around in confusion as Farmar casually knocked in the jumpshot.
Then in yesterday's Dallas-Utah game we saw Jameer Nelson hit a step-back 3 over Exum's outstretched arms and J.J. Barea blow past the rook for a layup.
And thus another lesson was learned: Everyone in this league has serious skills.
Of course, the superstars had their own moments against Exum as well. Despite some solid defense, Irving hit a tough end-of-quarter buzzer beater right in the rookie's face.
Similarly, Exum was left helpless and alone against Dirk at the free throw line area. And as the saying goes: "Nothing is certain but Death, Taxes and a basket by Dirk Nowitzki when faced with a mismatch at the top of the key."
And so Nowitzki inevitably scored over the helpless rookie, another end of quarter buzzer beater scored against Exum.
The Best Rookie Class Since...
Of course Exum wasn't the only 1st year player to suffer at the hands of a wily veteran in the past 7 days.
It's been a while since I've seen a rookie being taken to school the way Andrew Wiggins was by Joe Johnson in the 4th quarter of their meeting this week: Post ups, shooting off curl cuts, taking it off the dribble...Wiggins was subjected to the total Iso-Joe experience.
This is not a knock on Wiggins by any means - his effort and endeavour never wavered. It's just that he was completely overwhelmed by Johnson's veteran craftiness.
Two rookies who did impress me this week, not necessarily with their play but with their demeanour, were Elfriid Payton and Marcus Smart.
In the battle of the 0-fers between Philly and Orlando, the drive and quiet determination that Payton showed in the final quarter was eyebrow raising as he made some big plays (particularly on defense) to help the Magic win a tightly contested game that was ultimately decided on Tobias Harris' game-winner.
As his teammates leapt in joy at the buzzer beater, Payton simply did a silent fist pump. A revealing celebration in its assuredness.
Marcus Smart may not have been able to help his team avoid close losses to the Mavs and Raptors, but he too played with a lot of passion (and unfortunately, one blatant flop) in those contests.
This moxie, this conviction, was awkwardly summed up by Tommy Heinsohn after Smart hit a late game-tying 3 against the Raptors.
As Smart showed his expressiveness by shouting and celebrating his big shot, Heinsohn screamed into the mic: "I loooooove the spunk!!!"
Yes, the play of both Payton and Smart isn't perfect at this stage; they'll continue to make a lot of basic errors. But in the words of the immortal Luke Darcy: "I like the way they go about it."
"Get Up For The Downstroke!" Play of the Week
Despite all the talk of the above rookies, my favourite 1st year player thus far would have to be K.J. McDaniels who had an array of spectacular dunks and blocks in that aforementioned game against the Magic, none better than this one:
LeBron: The Long View
The Cavs are 2-3 and the hand-wringing has begun. Talk of LeBron and Kyrie "exchanging words" after a loss were reported by ESPN and later denied by the Cavs duo.
The scrutiny extended to BigFooty with posters expressing concerns over James' indifference and poor body language on court.
I agree to certain extent.
Yeah, perhaps LeBron is looking a bit too glum out there. Sure he doesn't have to be a rah-rah cheerleader but he doesn't have to be "woe is me" whenever his team turns over the ball either.
How should he act? Well it's a difficult question for LeBron, but when seeking guidance in all basketball-related matters one must ask themeselves "WWJD?" (What Would Jordan Do?)
MJ would no doubt get in his teammate's faces and berate them for not being up to his standards. So perhaps LeBron should get angry, get mad. Punch a teammate during practice or call them a "flaming f*****".
Imagine what Jordan would say about Carmelo's hat!
An alternate question would be "WWKD?" (What Would Kobe Do?), but we all know the answer is always "Shoot more.", perhaps not a good idea for LeBron who is currently shooting a paltry 42% from the field.
His one-on-one game has looked surprisingly weak. Blocked by Dunleavy in one game and struggling to shake Mozgov off the dribble in another.
His finishing inside is uncharacteristically lacking: After making a scorching .792% at the rim last season (his 7th straight season above .700%), he's down to a mere .581 this season. Just by watching you can tell he isn't quite getting the same lift he used to.
Then there's the ineffectiveness of the Cavs bench. Waiters is struggling to find his niche, becoming an early nominee for this season's Roy Hibbert-memorial "Guy we love to hate" Award. Mike Miller is out there on the court for 15-20 mins a game but is barely getting his hands on the ball, let alone hoisting up shots.
And let's not mention Kevin Love's interior defense.
Yep, legitimate concerns exist but LeBron ain't worried, tweeting out a simple repsonse to everyone's concerns:
(I'm kinda disappointed he didn't write "In the words of the great 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood'...")
It's clear that LeBron is looking at the bigger picture as opposed to the media and fans who tend to be reactionary and narrow their focus to the here and now.
James knows from firsthand experience that things will take time to gel and growing pains will need to be endured along the way.
Who knows, by week 6,7,8 LeBron will tweet "I told you so" and all these early season struggles may be nothing but a distant memory.
Overlooked Play Of The Week:
This was a big crunch-time play that didn't get much attention...
Random Quiz Question:
Dirk Nowitzki sits at 10th on the All-Time Scoring List. As it stands right now, here is the list of the top 10:
1. Kareem
2. Karl Malone
3. Jordan
4. Kobe
5. Wilt
6. Shaq
7. Moses Malone
8. ???
9. Olajuwon
10. Dirk
By week's Nowitzki will be at #9 and by season's end he could be as high as #6. But can you name the Player who currently sits at #8?
And Briefly...
What To Watch For This Week...
Mon: Golden State @ Phoenix. Will The Warriors remain unbeaten? League Pass was made for exciting matchups like these.
Tue: Spurs @ Clippers. The fabled San Antonio offense is not exactly clicking at the moment. This is a chance to kickstart their season.
Wed: Sacramento @ Dallas. The Kings are a surprising 5-1 and Cousins is in permanent Beast Mode. Can it continue against the NBA's best offense? A high-scoring game is guaranteed.
Meanwhile, the education continues:
Last week Exum got his first taste of the dizzying highs and numbing lows of the NBA season, with the Gordon Hayward buzzer beater quickly followed by a home blowout loss to the Mavs.
This week's lesson is "The Road Trip", as the Jazz go on a 5-game, 7-day tour of the Eastern Conference.
An Exum weakness to keep an eye on: The difficulty with fighting through screens on pick and rolls.
An Exum strength to keep an eye on: The crafty off-ball cutting.
This "NBA Points of Interest" roundup might become a regular part of the weekly thread if I can be bothered putting the effort in and if others thought there was actual value in having these tl;dr posts.
Anyway, here are last week's Points of Interest as we start another week of NBA action...
Dante Exum: A Continuing Education
Earlier this week I found myself wondering how Dante Exum was feeling as he began his journey as an NBA rookie, coming face-to-face for the first time with all these NBA stars he had only previously seen on TV.
Images and idols now materialising into real, flesh-and blood people.
...The awe he would've felt while being guarded by LeBron.
...The challenge of trying to contain Chris Paul.
...The amazement at the shooting clinic provided by Dirk Nowitzki.
...The thoughts of fear as Kyrie Irving crept forward, ready to delve into his bag of dribbling tricks during an isolation play ("Please don't embarass me, please don't embarass me...")
As it turned out, the most embarassing moment for Exum came in Utah's first game of the week against the Clippers, when Jordan Farmar fooled Dante with a shot-fake and crossover which left the Jazz rookie spinning around in confusion as Farmar casually knocked in the jumpshot.
Then in yesterday's Dallas-Utah game we saw Jameer Nelson hit a step-back 3 over Exum's outstretched arms and J.J. Barea blow past the rook for a layup.
And thus another lesson was learned: Everyone in this league has serious skills.
Of course, the superstars had their own moments against Exum as well. Despite some solid defense, Irving hit a tough end-of-quarter buzzer beater right in the rookie's face.
Similarly, Exum was left helpless and alone against Dirk at the free throw line area. And as the saying goes: "Nothing is certain but Death, Taxes and a basket by Dirk Nowitzki when faced with a mismatch at the top of the key."
And so Nowitzki inevitably scored over the helpless rookie, another end of quarter buzzer beater scored against Exum.
The Best Rookie Class Since...
Of course Exum wasn't the only 1st year player to suffer at the hands of a wily veteran in the past 7 days.
It's been a while since I've seen a rookie being taken to school the way Andrew Wiggins was by Joe Johnson in the 4th quarter of their meeting this week: Post ups, shooting off curl cuts, taking it off the dribble...Wiggins was subjected to the total Iso-Joe experience.
This is not a knock on Wiggins by any means - his effort and endeavour never wavered. It's just that he was completely overwhelmed by Johnson's veteran craftiness.
Two rookies who did impress me this week, not necessarily with their play but with their demeanour, were Elfriid Payton and Marcus Smart.
In the battle of the 0-fers between Philly and Orlando, the drive and quiet determination that Payton showed in the final quarter was eyebrow raising as he made some big plays (particularly on defense) to help the Magic win a tightly contested game that was ultimately decided on Tobias Harris' game-winner.
As his teammates leapt in joy at the buzzer beater, Payton simply did a silent fist pump. A revealing celebration in its assuredness.
Marcus Smart may not have been able to help his team avoid close losses to the Mavs and Raptors, but he too played with a lot of passion (and unfortunately, one blatant flop) in those contests.
This moxie, this conviction, was awkwardly summed up by Tommy Heinsohn after Smart hit a late game-tying 3 against the Raptors.
As Smart showed his expressiveness by shouting and celebrating his big shot, Heinsohn screamed into the mic: "I loooooove the spunk!!!"
Yes, the play of both Payton and Smart isn't perfect at this stage; they'll continue to make a lot of basic errors. But in the words of the immortal Luke Darcy: "I like the way they go about it."
"Get Up For The Downstroke!" Play of the Week
Despite all the talk of the above rookies, my favourite 1st year player thus far would have to be K.J. McDaniels who had an array of spectacular dunks and blocks in that aforementioned game against the Magic, none better than this one:
LeBron: The Long View
The Cavs are 2-3 and the hand-wringing has begun. Talk of LeBron and Kyrie "exchanging words" after a loss were reported by ESPN and later denied by the Cavs duo.
The scrutiny extended to BigFooty with posters expressing concerns over James' indifference and poor body language on court.
I agree to certain extent.
Yeah, perhaps LeBron is looking a bit too glum out there. Sure he doesn't have to be a rah-rah cheerleader but he doesn't have to be "woe is me" whenever his team turns over the ball either.
How should he act? Well it's a difficult question for LeBron, but when seeking guidance in all basketball-related matters one must ask themeselves "WWJD?" (What Would Jordan Do?)
MJ would no doubt get in his teammate's faces and berate them for not being up to his standards. So perhaps LeBron should get angry, get mad. Punch a teammate during practice or call them a "flaming f*****".
Imagine what Jordan would say about Carmelo's hat!
An alternate question would be "WWKD?" (What Would Kobe Do?), but we all know the answer is always "Shoot more.", perhaps not a good idea for LeBron who is currently shooting a paltry 42% from the field.
His one-on-one game has looked surprisingly weak. Blocked by Dunleavy in one game and struggling to shake Mozgov off the dribble in another.
His finishing inside is uncharacteristically lacking: After making a scorching .792% at the rim last season (his 7th straight season above .700%), he's down to a mere .581 this season. Just by watching you can tell he isn't quite getting the same lift he used to.
Then there's the ineffectiveness of the Cavs bench. Waiters is struggling to find his niche, becoming an early nominee for this season's Roy Hibbert-memorial "Guy we love to hate" Award. Mike Miller is out there on the court for 15-20 mins a game but is barely getting his hands on the ball, let alone hoisting up shots.
And let's not mention Kevin Love's interior defense.
Yep, legitimate concerns exist but LeBron ain't worried, tweeting out a simple repsonse to everyone's concerns:
(I'm kinda disappointed he didn't write "In the words of the great 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood'...")
It's clear that LeBron is looking at the bigger picture as opposed to the media and fans who tend to be reactionary and narrow their focus to the here and now.
James knows from firsthand experience that things will take time to gel and growing pains will need to be endured along the way.
Who knows, by week 6,7,8 LeBron will tweet "I told you so" and all these early season struggles may be nothing but a distant memory.
Overlooked Play Of The Week:
This was a big crunch-time play that didn't get much attention...
Random Quiz Question:
Dirk Nowitzki sits at 10th on the All-Time Scoring List. As it stands right now, here is the list of the top 10:
1. Kareem
2. Karl Malone
3. Jordan
4. Kobe
5. Wilt
6. Shaq
7. Moses Malone
8. ???
9. Olajuwon
10. Dirk
By week's Nowitzki will be at #9 and by season's end he could be as high as #6. But can you name the Player who currently sits at #8?
Elvin Hayes
And Briefly...
- Marcus Smart was carried off on a stretcher in Boston for his ankle sprain. Why no wheelchair? Did Paul Pierce take it with him when he left the city?
- Ingles, for the love of God, please make a 3-pointer sometime soon!
- Shout-out to Donald Sloan...stepping it up on an injury depleted team
- So much talk of the Triangle Offense. I don't think I've ever heard the term "Blind Pig" so often.
- Philadelphia 76ers: Above or below 15 wins this season?
- LA Lakers: Above or below 15 wins this season?
- Speaking of the Lakers, congratulations to Dear Leader peternorth on 47,000 posts. No doubt a few thousand of those posts extolled the Warrior-like virtues of a certain NBA Player.
- Watched a Spurs broadcast early this week and with the proximity of the courtside mic to the action it felt like being at the actual game...and being stuck sat next to a screaming, middle aged woman. The Spurs broadcasters really need to move that mic further away from the crowd.
- No offense Sacramento fans, but it's odd seeing a gold tab (indicating a Championship) on the back of Kings jerseys...in case you're wondering, the tab in this case represents the Rochester Royals title of 1951.
- We've seen it referenced dozens of times during NBA games this season: The glorious Replay Review Centre in Seacaucus, New Jersey. 90 Monitors! 27 stations!
- But the NASA-like Centre doesn't act as a 4th umpire since the people there can't make decisions...so in essence the whole "Replay Review Headquarters" setup is basically just a glorified tape rewinding centre that shaves off only a few seconds on video reviews.
- Is it worth spending that much money on all that Audio-Visual technology??? I mean, there are some poor kids out in Africa who don't even have HD TV!
What To Watch For This Week...
Mon: Golden State @ Phoenix. Will The Warriors remain unbeaten? League Pass was made for exciting matchups like these.
Tue: Spurs @ Clippers. The fabled San Antonio offense is not exactly clicking at the moment. This is a chance to kickstart their season.
Wed: Sacramento @ Dallas. The Kings are a surprising 5-1 and Cousins is in permanent Beast Mode. Can it continue against the NBA's best offense? A high-scoring game is guaranteed.
Meanwhile, the education continues:
Last week Exum got his first taste of the dizzying highs and numbing lows of the NBA season, with the Gordon Hayward buzzer beater quickly followed by a home blowout loss to the Mavs.
This week's lesson is "The Road Trip", as the Jazz go on a 5-game, 7-day tour of the Eastern Conference.
An Exum weakness to keep an eye on: The difficulty with fighting through screens on pick and rolls.
An Exum strength to keep an eye on: The crafty off-ball cutting.
