Five takeaways from the NBA's Christmas Day action

 

                           (Victor Wembanyama taking a 3-pointer-Credit: Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports) 

On Christmas Day, the NBA continued their tradition of playing five games: Knicks 117 Spurs 114, Timberwolves 105 Mavericks 99, 76ers 118 Celtics 114, Lakers 115 Warriors 113, and Suns 110 Nuggets 100 were the final scores. Below are five takeaways I have from the holiday's NBA action. 

#1. The Knicks appear to be improved from last season: The Knicks took a step forward last season with their 50-32 record, finishing second in the Atlantic Division and reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season. After their win over the Spurs on Christmas, they are now 20-10 overall with a better winning percentage than they had last season. Two players the Knicks have that they didn't have last year are Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, both whom they acquired via trades. 

Bridges had 41 points and four assists while Towns had 21 points and nine rebounds, helping the Knicks overcome a phenomenal performance by Spurs' center Victor Wembanyama, who had 42 points, 18 rebounds, and four blocks. Even though the Spurs are now 15-15 and the Knicks were favored by 8.5 points, this game I think can serve as evidence that the Knicks are better than a season ago. Towns and Bridges appear to be really nice pieces around Jalen Brunson, who has become the star of the Knicks. Adding both of them seems to have made the Knicks better. 

#2. Will the Timberwolves finally get going: The Timberwolves had a huge 105-99 win on the road against the 4th place Dallas Mavericks. Anthony Edwards was fantastic with his 26 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, helping the Wolves stave off an impressive run at the end by the Mavericks, who outscored the Wolves 31-15 in the 4th quarter. The Wolves are coming off a season in which they reached the Western Conference Finals and yet as of now, they are 15-14 and 9th place in the West. Perhaps this win will light a fire in them and get them going. 

#3. Tyrese Maxey is the real McCoy: I first heard of Tyrese Maxey back when he was playing at South Garland High School in Garland, Texas. I was covering Cal for Rivals.com at the time (now I cover Stanford for Rivals) and the Golden Bears were recruiting him. He of course ended up going to Kentucky and the rest is history. Maxey would go on to get selected in the 1st round of the 2020 NBA Draft with the 21st overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers and from there, he has become one of the top talents in the NBA averaging 25.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game. 

Maxey's talent was on full display on Christmas as he led the 76ers to a 118-114 victory on the road against the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Maxey finished with 33 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, and three steals. He was simply sensational. The 76ers might be having a down season at 11-17 overall, but Maxey's performance was a reminder that with him on their team, they have a very bright future. 

#4. LeBron James will play as long as he wants: LeBron James turns 40 at the end of December and he's still putting up all-star level numbers with 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. In a 115-113 win at Golden State, King James had 31 points, four rebounds, and 10 assists. It's ridiculous what this man is doing at his age. 

I'm still in the camp of Michael Jordan is the GOAT, but James is putting up better numbers than Jordan was putting up at the same age and James has more mileage on him having played in the NBA for more seasons. If there's a case one wants to make for James being the GOAT, it's the longevity card for sure. With the way he's playing, James could probably play in the NBA for at least five more years. The only question is does he want to? 

#5. The Phoenix Suns showed they have some depth: Despite their number two scorer Devin Booker (25.1 points) being out due to a groin injury, the Suns were still able to beat a good Denver Nuggets team 110-100. Kevin Durant of course led the way with his 27 points, four rebounds, and six assists, but other guys like Tyus Jones (17 points), Bradley Beal (27 points), and Monté Morris (11 points) all scored comfortably above their season averages. 

At 15-14, the Suns are squarely in the mix for a playoff spot and they showed in this game that when one of their top two players is out, they can rise to the occasion and still come out on top against a quality opponent. That should give them a lot of confidence going forward the rest of the season. 

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Saturday Slam: The Los Angeles Lakers probably wish they could tank this season

 

                                             (Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn/USA TODAY Sports) 

The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-5 with road losses to the Warriors, Nuggets, and Timberwolves and home losses to the Clippers and Trail Blazers. LeBron James is averaging 25.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while Anthony Davis is doing his part with 24.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. However, the rest of the team is pretty weak. Lonnie Walker IV is averaging 13.4 points per game on 41.5% shooting from the field, which isn't bad, but Russell Westbrook is really stinking it up, averaging 12.3 points per game on an absolutely horrible 30.9% shooting from the field. It's just bad. Like really bad. 

And then after Westbrook, there just isn't much. Westbrook was supposed to be the third part of a "Big Three" and he's far from fulfilling that role. He's weighing them down like a really big paper weight. 

The easy answer to this problem of course is to trade Westbrook. But he's turning 34 in a few days and he has a contract paying him $47M this season. Nobody, even in today's NBA, will want to take on that contract. He'll also be an unrestricted free agent next season, so teams will be able to pick him up for a lot less money assuming he continues to build a house of bricks in Los Angeles. 

The Lakers are in a bind. Trading Westbrook is a long long put and yet so long as they have him, they're going to continue to struggle. If they had a lottery first round pick available for next season, they could at least entertain the possibility of tanking for this season. Letting Westbrook brick their way into the NBA draft lottery where they could get a high pick and use that piece to build around for the future. 

But given all these win-now moves that they've made, the Lakers don't have that option. If they were to win the NBA draft lottery after the season, the pick would go to the New Orleans Pelicans, who as part of the Anthony Davis trade, have the rights to swap first round picks with the Lakers in 2023. So that option, as attractive as it looks right now, is off the table for them. 

If the Lakers do want to turn this around, they need to do so like now. They have a home stand starting Sunday that begins with the Nuggets followed by the Pelicans, Jazz, and Cavaliers before making a return trip to Utah to face the Jazz. This upcoming home stand is crucial. They need to at least post a .500 record on this home stand (2-2) to stay afloat. If they go 1-3 or heaven forbid 0-4, they could be looking at a really really bad season without having any of the benefits of tanking. It can't get any more brutal than that. 

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Saturday Slam: 10 things to look for in the 2021 NBA Playoffs

 

                                                (Credit: NBA.com) 

The 2021 NBA Playoffs are now here. After a fun and exciting play-in tournament, the bracket is fully filled in. Out West, the #1 overall seeded Utah Jazz will take on the #8 Memphis Grizzlies, the #2 Phoenix Suns will take on the #7 Los Angeles Lakers, the #3 Denver Nuggets will face the #6 Portland Trail Blazers, and the #4 Los Angeles Clippers will face the #5 Dallas Mavericks. In the East, the #1 Philadelphia 76ers will face the #8 Washington Wizards, the #2 Brooklyn Nets will face the #7 Boston Celtics, the #3 Milwaukee Bucks will face the #6 Miami Heat, and the #4 New York Knicks will face the #5 Atlanta Hawks. Action will start on Saturday. 

I'm starting something new this year by writing 10 things to look for in the NBA playoffs. I've done this over at my tennis blog ATPGuy.com (click here to check that out) to preview grand slams and I think it's been a pretty effective type of blog post. So now I'm going to start doing it for the NBA playoffs as well! Enjoy! 

#1. Can the Utah Jazz silence the haters? Despite having the best record in the NBA, the Utah Jazz still have plenty of doubters and haters. Part of this has to do with the fact that the Jazz have never won an NBA championship and also the fact that relative to other superstars, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert kinda fly under the radar. This is in part because they play in Utah but also because a big reason for the Jazz' success is the fact that they don't overly rely on Mitchell and Gobert. This is why they were able to hang onto the best record in the NBA despite Mitchell being out for approximately one month due to an ankle injury. 

While they lack the star power that most top seeds usually have, the Jazz do make it up with their depth and unselfishness. They know how to play as a team and how to play off each other's strengths to maximize what they have. 

Donovan Mitchell has been averaging 26.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on the season, so by no means can they win the title without him. They absolutely need him healthy. If he's able to go with little issues, the Jazz could shock the world and win the NBA title. They play basketball the right way, have a great home court advantage, and I also think they're motivated by the fact that everyone is counting them out. 

Note: I also shared this on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check that out if you are a Jazz fan. 

#2. Can the Philadelphia 76ers back up their #1 seed out East? I feel like the 76ers have more respect than the Jazz because of the presence of Joel Embiid (28.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks), but they too have a lot to prove. They haven't been to the NBA Finals since the 2000-01 season in which Allen Iverson disrespected Tyronn Lue in Game 1 and in general, have found ways to fold in the playoffs over the years. 

Given that Joel Embiid is considered by many to be the best player in the game right now, one can actually argue there's even more pressure on the 76ers than the Jazz. The good news for the 76ers is their draw is pretty friendly. They get the Wizards in round one and then the winner of the Knicks/Hawks series in round two. There's no reason the 76ers shouldn't at least reach the Eastern Conference Finals and in that series, they would have home court advantage. So, count me in as picking the 76ers to win the East. I do think if they faced off against the Brooklyn Nets, they'd find a way to pull it out. Assuming everyone stays healthy of course. 

#3. Can LeBron James will the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship again? The Lakers do not have any easy path to the NBA Finals at all. They are the #7 seed and have to face a very difficult Phoenix Suns team in round one. Even if they win that series, they'd still have to go through the Nuggets and Jazz assuming the brackets hold to get back to the NBA Finals. 

Honestly, I think the Lakers should feel reasonably confident in their abilities to go the distance since they won it all last year and also the fact that the only reason they're seeded so low is because LeBron took a lot of time off to rest his ankle. With everyone now back, they should feel ready to rock and roll. 

As for the part about LeBron willing them specifically, I do think LeBron will need to get a little help from his friends. Namely Anthony Davis, who is the #2 option on this team. LeBron will need to play a big role of course, but he can't do it all by himself. It'll take a team effort like it did last year. 

#4. Can the Brooklyn Nets stay healthy? If they can stay healthy, the Brooklyn Nets should be favored to come out of the East. I mean, they got Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. That's a killer trio to go up against. The issue though is health: Kevin Durant played in just 32 games this year, James Harden played in 44 games (36 with the Nets), and Kyrie Irving surprisingly played the most out of the bunch at 54. The fact that they still found a way to finish #2 in the East is pretty impressive when you consider the lack of cohesiveness they've had all season. If the Nets can stay healthy, one has to like their odds. If not, it'll likely be the 76ers or some other team. 

One other question mark for the Nets is their defense. Durant, Irving, and Harden are known for their offense, but not their defense. While their defense has been good enough in the regular season, they'll have to step it up a notch come playoff time. It'll be interesting to see if that part comes together for them as well. 

#5. Can the Los Angeles Clippers figure it out? On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers are really dangerous. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George form a really good one-two punch and they have plenty of depth with Marcus Morris, Lou Williams, Serge Ibaka, Rajon Rondo, and others. But for whatever reason, these guys finished 4th in the Western Conference and weren't able to have a more productive regular season. It'll be interesting to see if they'll be able to hit the reset button in the playoffs or if they'll once again disappoint. 

#6. Can the Miami Heat recapture the magic from last year? The Miami Heat had a pretty improbable run to the NBA Finals last year and once again, they find the odds stacked against them as they are the #6 seed in the East. It'll be interesting to see if the Heat can find their mojo once again and recapture the Eastern Conference crown as a lower seeded team. So long as Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro stay healthy, they got a shot. 

#7. Can the Phoenix Suns prove that they're for real? The Phoenix Suns find themselves in a similar situation as the Utah Jazz. They have the second best record in the NBA and yet nobody thinks they got much of a shot to go all the way. Chris Paul has had an MVP worthy season (click here for my blog post on that) while Devin Booker (25.6 points per game) is one of the most dangerous scorers in the game. If they weren't in a small market, more people would take them seriously. Just like the Jazz. Hopefully they too will be able to prove their fantastic regular season was no fluke. 

#8. Can Jayson Tatum carry the Boston Celtics past the first round? Without Jaylen Brown, the Boston Celtics are in a lot of trouble right now and yet they still got a pulse, even if it's very faint. We've seen Jayson Tatum have some big nights and carry the Celtics on his back. Doing that in the playoffs is a different animal, but I think Tatum is eager to find out how far he can push himself. While I do see the Nets winning the series, Tatum could give them more trouble than they bargained for. 

#9. Can the Denver Nuggets make a deep run without Jamal Murray? With Jamal Murray done for the season due to a torn ACL, many people have written the Denver Nuggets off, though the team hasn't exactly gotten the memo. They are third in the West and Nikola Jokic is the front runner to win MVP. It'll be interesting to see just how far Jokic can lead this Nuggets team and whether or not they'll be able to sneak into the Western Conference Finals. Or maybe deeper. 

#10. Are the Milwaukee Bucks still contenders? With Giannis Antetokounmpo, one has to think the Milwaukee Bucks are serious contenders once again. The Greek Freak is averaging 28.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game, doing everything for his team as always. And yet, they took a step back this year, finishing third in the East after having the best record in basketball a year ago. It feels like people are sleeping on this Bucks team when perhaps they shouldn't. It'll be fun to see if the Bucks are able to make some noise and finish the job they should have completed a season ago. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: How concerned should the Los Angeles Lakers be right now?

 

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 5th in the Western Conference standings, 8 games back of the top seeded Utah Jazz, 7 games back of the Phoenix Suns, 6 games back of their inner city rivals Los Angeles Clippers, and 4 games back of the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers have slipped back in the standings due to LeBron James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (calf) missing extended periods of time. James has played in 41 games this season while Davis has played in 26. Fortunately for the Lakers, Davis is now back, having played three games since his return. But James' return date is still up in the air. 

To the question at hand, the Lakers should be moderately concerned right now, but there's no reason to panic. They're the defending champs and at full strength, they should be favored to come out of the Western Conference. All four of the teams ahead of them are teams that have never won an NBA championship, which means all four of those teams still have a lot to prove. 

On top of that, some of those teams ahead of them are dealing with injury issues of their own. The Jazz have had to play without Donovan Mitchell for the past 10+ days or so due to his ankle injury and the Nuggets have lost Jamal Murray for the season due to a torn ACL. The Suns' Chris Paul has had injury issues in the past and the Clippers' Paul George likewise has found ways to get hurt in the playoffs. So, everyone is dealing with injuries right now or at least has the threat of injuries hurting their seasons. 

That all said, the Lakers still find themselves in a tricky spot. If they stay at the 5 spot, they'll likely have to win the championship without home court advantage in every series they play in. Home court advantage is crucial in the NBA and to not have it puts your team at a real disadvantage. Plus, they have no shot at winning the title without James and Davis healthy. If those guys go down again come playoff time, it's game over. 

I'm confident that James will be fine in the playoffs. He's rarely shut down like this and I suspect part of this is just being overly cautious for the playoffs. But Davis has had real injury issues for his entire career, which is why I was skeptical of their title chances a year ago. So, he's definitely one to watch throughout the duration of the season. 

The bottom line is the Lakers still are the slight favorites to come out of the Western Conference in my book, but they have their work cut out for them and none of the teams ahead of them are going to back down without putting up a real fight. The Jazz, Suns, and Clippers in particular see an opening here and have to be motivated to see a wounded Lakers team currently chasing them. It'll be interesting to see how they finish the season and whether or not the Lakers will be able to gain some ground before the playoffs start. 

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Saturday Slam: Where things sit at the 2021 NBA All-Star Break

 

2021 NBA All-Star Weekend is here, which means we are at the unofficial halfway mark of the 2020-21 NBA season. I have never done this particular blog post before, but here's to new beginnings! In case you have been out of the loop up until this point, below is a quick breakdown of where things sit in the NBA at the All-Star break. 

Out East, the Philadelphia 76ers are the top ranked team with an impressive 24-12 record. Joel Embiid is getting MVP consideration for the way he's guiding the Sixers and deservedly so. The Brooklyn Nets led by Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving are in the #2 spot at 24-13, just a half game back. The #3 Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo are at 22-14, just 1.5 games back of the Nets and 2.0 games back of the Sixers. Those three teams are leading the charge out East and honestly, it is anyone's guess of as to which of those three teams will get the top seed in the conference. 

Seeds #4-10 are really close: Boston Celtics (19-17), New York Knicks (19-18), Miami Heat (18-18), Charlotte Hornets (17-18), Toronto Raptors (17-19), Chicago Bulls (16-18), and Indiana Pacers (16-19). This grouping is key because the top six seeds overall in each conference will clinch an automatic berth to the playoffs while seeds 7-10 will play in a wildcard tournament of sorts to determine the final two seeds. 

The rest of the East #11-15 goes as follows: Atlanta Hawks (16-20), Washington Wizards (14-20), Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22), Orlando Magic (13-23), and Detroit Pistons (10-26). Honestly, all of those teams still have a pulse to perhaps get the #10 spot. So, it's going to be interesting to see who out East gets that #10 spot and gives themselves a shot at making the playoffs. 

Out West, it's also looking pretty interesting. The Utah Jazz occupy the top seed and best record in the NBA at 27-9. Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley are the three All-Stars from that team. Conley being an injury replacement for Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker. There was a bit of a controversy this week with Mitchell and Gobert being the last two picks of the All-Star draft despite being on the best team in the league. Personally, I think this will just give those guys more of a reason to be motivated in the second half of the season. 

The #2 seed belongs to the Phoenix Suns at 24-11. I wrote about the Suns earlier this year on here and felt they could be serious contenders, so I'm not at all surprised about them being this high. In addition to Devin Booker, Chris Paul has been a major part of their success. 

The #3 team is the Los Angeles Lakers at 24-13. Many have them as the favorites to come out of the West because of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If those two guys stay healthy, it's tough to pick against them. 

Seeds #4-6 aren't far behind: Los Angeles Clippers (24-14), Portland Trail Blazers (21-14), and Denver Nuggets (21-15). Honestly, I feel a little bad putting them in a different group. They're right there and certainly could come out of the West. Once again, as a I said above, seeds 7-10 are battling for those two wild card spots if you will. So being #6 is key as it guarantees a playoff spot. 

Seeds #7-10 seem to be in a pretty comfortable spot in terms of at least securing a spot in that wild card tournament: San Antonio Spurs (18-14), Dallas Mavericks (18-16), Golden State Warriors (19-18), and Memphis Grizzlies (16-16). It's even possible one of them or two of them jumps up to the #5/6 spot and avoids the play-in tournament. 

Seeds #11-15 are a bit removed from the rest: New Orleans Pelicans (15-21), Oklahoma City Thunder (15-21), Sacramento Kings (14-22), Houston Rockets (11-23), and Minnesota Timberwolves (7-29). 

In terms of what to watch for and how to make sense of all of this, I think with the East, it's going to be really interesting to see who gets that top seed in the conference. The 76ers, Nets, and Bucks could all get it and whichever team secures that spot will have the inside track to reaching the NBA Finals. 

Many people are picking the Nets to go the distance, but I have some reservations based on the fact that it's tough to elevate yourself into contender status in one season. Let alone win the whole thing. A team that has been gelling more over the last couple of seasons like the Bucks or 76ers is probably a more safe bet at this point, but hey, maybe the Nets will surprise me and get it done. 

Out West, it's all about the Jazz right now and whether or not they can hang onto that top seed and go the distance. A lot of people see them as a great regular season team but are skeptical of their chances to win it all. For the Jazz, it's paramount that they finish with the best record in the league if they want to win the championship. Just because of how tough of a place Salt Lake City is to play in. 

If the Jazz can lock up that home court advantage, they're going to be a really tough out. On top of that, they wouldn't have to see the Lakers until the conference finals in all likelihood. So that's another benefit. Perhaps the Suns knock out the Lakers and they don't see them at all? A lot of what happens out West hinges on whether or not the Jazz can hang onto that top spot. If they do, look out. If not, they're still dangerous, but I wouldn't call them the favorites. 

The wildcard in all this is the Clippers. We know the Lakers are going to be right there and I think the Suns are showing what they can do and are playing up to their max potential. But the Clippers are kinda flying under the radar and not playing as well as they could. If they get their act together, maybe they're a team that can go the distance. 

One other thing to keep an eye on is where Blake Griffin ends up now that the Pistons have released him and bought out his contract. If he indeed ends up with the Nets, that could shake things up even further. You know I'll do a blog post about that if that indeed comes to fruition. 

On that note, enjoy NBA All-Star Weekend and enjoy the second half of the season. It's shaping up to be a wild ride! Lots to look for and get excited about! 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Are the Utah Jazz really for real this year?

                                             (Credit: Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) 

The Utah Jazz are currently 15-5, just half a game back of the 16-5 Los Angeles Clippers for best record in the NBA. They are also tied with the 16-6 Los Angeles Lakers, currently ahead of them in the standings via winning percentage. Before Sunday's 117-128 loss at Denver, the Jazz had won 11 straight games and were absolutely on fire. This isn't the first time this current Jazz squad has put together a hot run and it won't be the last. However, come playoff time, they historically have been unable to put it together. The question that I am going to address is whether or not we can realistically expect this year to be any different than what we've seen in the past. 

On the positive side, everyone on this Jazz team seems to be getting better. Donovan Mitchell (22.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists) is getting more comfortable in his role as the alpha dog on this Jazz team and the pieces around him likewise have improved. Jordan Clarkson (17.7 points) has become the #2 scoring option on this team, Mike Conley (16.6 points and 6.2 assists) is averaging more points and assists per game than he did last season with the Jazz, Bojan Bogdanovic (14.7 points) is healthy, and while his scoring is a little bit down from years past, Rudy Gobert (13.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks) is averaging career highs in both rebounds and blocks per game. So long as they continue to get better, it stands to reason that they in turn should do better in the playoffs. 

To be skeptical, it's still really early in the season. The Western Conference is stacked and while everyone on this Jazz team is getting better, it's hard to pick the Jazz to do better than the Lakers, Clippers, and even Nuggets, who are all further down the road in their development while also possessing more talent at the top. Odds say that when we look at the final standings, the Jazz will probably be a top four team, but unlikely to be the top team in the Western Conference. And even if they do finish at the top of the standings, if push comes to shove, I'd still likely pick the Lakers to beat them in a seven game series. 

That all said, if the Jazz can secure home court advantage through the Western Conference Finals or better yet, NBA Finals, the only team out West who I think would be slightly favored over them is the Lakers. I do think that the Jazz would be favored to beat the Clippers and Nuggets should they finish with a better record. The Nuggets are in a similar boat as the Jazz, eager to take that next step, but yet to do so. The Clippers, for all their talent are still the Clippers and unproven as a squad in terms of their championship resolve. The Lakers on the other hand are the defending champions and LeBron James has shown he knows what it takes to win a championship. 

Ultimately, are the Jazz really for real this year? I think it's still too early to say. There's obviously a lot of reasons for optimism, but given where we are at in the season, there's still a lot of basketball to be played and we are far from seeing how the final standings will shake out. 

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Saturday Slam: NBA players react to riots at the United States Capitol

 

                                             (Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters) 

The big news from this week is the horrifying riots that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, January 6. On the day that the U.S. congress was set to ratify the 2020 presidential election results, a clan of wild-eyed Trump worshiping ruffians stormed the U.S. Capitol building in a mad panic, calling for the head of Mike Pence and desecrating everything in sight. As this barbaric scene was unfolding, Donald Trump was rooting it all on from the comforts of the White House, perplexed that more people around him weren't having fun watching the terror. 

What happened has elicited some strong reactions from members of congress, the media, everyday Americans, and people around the world. NBA players have also weighed in on what happened. Below are some of their reactions. 

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW???!! I know the answer to that. You still don't cause no matter what happens you still won't be judge, looked at crazy, chained, beaten, hung, shot to death cause of the color of your skin!!!! 2 AMERIKKKAS we live in and it was at FULL CAPACITY LIVE IN DIRECT yesterday in our Nations CAPITAL AT THE CAPITOL!! #IPrayForBetterDaysForMyPeople"-LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)

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"An absolute disgrace what's happening at the U.S. Capitol right now. And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved." -Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers)

 

An absolute disgrace what’s happening at the US Capitol right now. And a blatant example of inequity in how law enforcement chooses to deal with those involved. 🗑🗑🗑

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) January 6, 2021

 

 "Smh....."-Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)

Smh.....

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) January 6, 2021

"I scan my timeline and keep seeing the word "embarrassing." I'm not embarrassed, I'm not surprised, or shocked even. Embarrassed would mean that I feel a sense of shame by what is going on. I have no such feeling. These people do not come close to being a representation of me. This is the epitome of white privilege and Trump's ideal ending to his presidency!!"-Garrett Temple (Chicago Bulls)

I scan my timeline and keep seeing the word “embarrassing.” I’m not embarrassed, I’m not surprised, or shocked even. Embarrassed would mean that I feel a sense of shame by what is going on. I have no such feeling. These people do not come close to being a representation of me 🤷🏾‍♂️

— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 6, 2021

This is the epitome of white privilege and Trumps ideal ending to his presidency!!

— Garrett Temple (@GTemp17) January 6, 2021

 

"There is literally a tweet for everything. Cat got your tongue today huh?" -Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

 

There is literally a tweet for everything. Cat got your tongue today huh? https://t.co/yKd8dgm2wn

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) January 6, 2021

 

"Taking a knee is disrespectful to America but storming the capital is not. What defines an act of terrorism? What's more un-American than storming the capital"-Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics) 

 Taking a knee is disrespectful to America but storming the capital is not

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 7, 2021

What defines an act of terrorism ? What’s more un-American than storming the capital

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) January 7, 2021 

 

There were more Twitter and social media reactions than the just the ones I shared. Many other players as well as coaches expressed frustration, but I feel like the above quotes should give you a pretty good snapshot of what was said. The NBA is a league that is really trying to make a difference in terms of social justice, so it comes as no surprise that players would react as strongly as they did. 

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Saturday Slam: How will the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers be remembered?

 

                                             (Credit: LakersDaily.com) 

One year after starting their journey for a title in October of 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers finished the job in October of 2020, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. This is the Lakers' 17th title in franchise history. LeBron James won his 4th NBA championship and 4th NBA Finals MVP while Anthony Davis won his first NBA championship. It was a strange season given the time off due to COVID-19 and the return to the bubble in Orlando, but as they always say, a win is a win and the Lakers found a way to get it done despite all the adversity. 

There will be some who will put a bit of an asterisk next to this championship, but I find that to be unfair. Especially since the Lakers came in as the top seed in the conference. The way this season was set up being in a bubble and played on a neutral court favored lower seeded teams and put higher seeded teams who earned home court advantage at a bit of a disadvantage. To win this title despite losing out on home court advantage is just another feather this Lakers team can put in their cap. 

More broadly speaking, this Lakers team will be remembered as the team that brought a title back to Los Angeles after a decade. The Lakers went through some dark times after their 16th championship in 2010. Giving Kobe Bryant an excessive contract, a lack of real identity or future, and tragically, the death of Bryant and his daughter earlier this year. To the credit of James, he came to Los Angeles firmly believing he could win a title and believed that Anthony Davis, a guy who has had injury issues over the years, could be his sidekick. 

In addition to James and Davis, this Lakers team truly embodied what it means to be a team. Head coach Frank Vogel did a really nice job of bringing everyone together and getting everyone to buy in. Rajon Rondo, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dwight Howard, and others played their roles and made sound contributions. Unlike other teams that won due to superior star play, the Lakers won by their depth and unselfishness. This was the most likable Lakers team I've seen win a title for this very reason. 

Ultimately, there's a lot to like about this year's Lakers team. LeBron James showed why he's an all-time great, Anthony Davis proved he could deliver in the NBA Finals, and everyone came together to get the job done. It'll be interesting to see if this team can defend their title and bring an 18th banner to the Staples Center. 

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Saturday Slam: Can the Miami Heat go the distance?

 

                                                (Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)  

The Miami Heat are currently up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals with Game 3 coming up later tonight against the Boston Celtics, who will be looking to get a boost from Gordon Hayward's return. At the moment, the Heat have definitely been the biggest surprise of the playoffs, sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round, taking out the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, and now possessing a 2-0 lead on the Celtics. Their lone playoff loss to the Bucks was in overtime 115-118 and their average margin of victory in the playoffs is 7.64 points per game. Basically, they're on cruise control. 

At this point, they have to be favored to come out of the East, but the big question is do they have what it takes to beat whoever comes out of the West. It's early yet, but judging by last night's Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, it looks likely that the Los Angeles Lakers will take care of the Denver Nuggets, another team who has had an impressive and surprising post-season. The Lakers would no doubt be the toughest opponent the Heat have faced in the playoffs, but given how easily they've dismantled their opponents thus far, there's no reason to think the Heat aren't up to the task. 

What makes this Heat team dangerous is their depth and unselfishness. Jimmy Butler is the heart and soul of this team, averaging 20.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He gets after it on both ends of the floor and isn't afraid to have others share the spotlight with him. Goran Dragic is leading the team in scoring with his 22.2 points per game while Bam Adebayo is taking care of business inside with 16.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. In addition to those three guys, the Heat are also getting solid production from Jae Crowder, Duncan Robinson, and Tyler Herro. An added bonus is the presence of veteran small forward Andre Iguodala, who knows a thing or two about guarding LeBron James. 

While they don't have that one singular superstar that leads them, the Heat have really good pieces that come together to form a very balanced and dangerous team. They remind me of the 2004 Detroit Pistons, who defeated a more star laden Lakers team in the NBA Finals. Even though they have more business to take care of, I see no reason to doubt the Heat's ability to win it all. They are clicking at the right time and don't seem afraid of taking on teams that have more talent. 

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Saturday Slam: The NBA is taking social justice to another level

                                            (Credit: Ashley Landis/Pool/AFP)

 The Milwaukee Bucks' audacious decision to not play against the Orlando Magic in Wednesday's playoff game in protest of police brutality, specifically the lack of justice for Jacob Blake, sparked even more conversation about the Black Lives Matter movement and the need for change when it comes to better policing and racial equality. After a league-wide meeting, the league decided to resume the playoffs on Saturday, but there was reportedly serious talk about cancelling the season. As a matter of fact the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers were united in their vote to cancel the season. 

What prevented a cancellation was the overall consensus that the best way for the NBA to use their platform was to keep playing. Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown reportedly pressed players on this, saying that if they were to cancel the season, they better be willing to go in the trenches and not just head home and chill in their gated communities. President Barack Obama also advised players to finish the season for the same reasons. 

Personally, I think finishing the season is the right move for the NBA for all the reasons that Obama and Brown said. However, I do think it's pretty amazing that LeBron James and other players were willing to not finish the season because of how fed up they are with what's going on. The fact that a conversation had to take place on the matter says a lot.

For the first time in NBA history, players are starting to see themselves as more than just basketball players, but as agents for change. They recognize that they have an influence over society and they want to use their platform to the best of their abilities. I think this is great. 

At the same time, NBA players need to remember that without basketball, they have no platform to be agents for change. If they stopped playing basketball, they would also lose the megaphone that they are trying to leverage as much as possible. It's a tricky line to walk, but so far, the NBA seems to be walking it pretty well. It'll be interesting to see how the season finishes up and how players will use their platform going forward. 

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Tomahawk Tuesday: How should the Los Angeles Lakers approach the rest of the regular season?

                                             (Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The NBA restart season begins on Thursday with two games: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz followed by Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers. Both games will air on TNT with the Jazz and Pelicans tipping off first (6:30 PM EST). In case you are unfamiliar with the format, each of the remaining 22 teams will play eight seeding games and if the ninth seed in each conference is within four games of the eighth seed, then a play in series will be triggered. That's the skinny.

While some teams are fighting for their playoff lives or jockeying for position, the Lakers pretty much have the #1 seed in the Western Conference locked up. They need just two wins to clinch. This is overall a good position to be in as the Lakers can more or less view the eight seeding games as tune up games and bonus scrimmage games to get themselves back in shape. However, there is the challenge of balancing rest versus rust. Obviously, the Lakers want to make sure their players stay fresh for the playoffs, but given the amount of time guys have had off, they also don't want guys to get too rusty.

Personally, I think the Lakers should err on the side of avoiding rust. There are only eight seeding games to play and they still do need to clinch the top seed. If they had everything wrapped up right now, that might change things a bit. But, given that they still need to secure the top seed and the fact that the number of seeding games is so few, the Lakers should use these final games to establish a good rhythm and make sure they're all ready to go come playoff time. Opening up against the Clippers is a great way for them to get their juices flowing as the Clippers are one of the teams in the West that is seeking to topple them off their perch.

LeBron James is also a workhorse and rarely gets injured, so I think the Lakers should feel pretty confident in his ability to log significant minutes with little risk. The only guy who I might be cautious with is Anthony Davis. He has a fragile history and the Lakers would probably be wise to not overwork him. If there's a guy who they should be careful with and mindful of, it's Davis. If he goes down, their road to an NBA championship becomes a lot tougher.

Outside of that, it really should be all systems go for the Lakers. They have the top record out West and have the luxury to view these eight seeding games as additional tune ups. As we look at the Western Conference, they're definitely the team to beat.

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Saturday Slam: Five players who challenge Michael Jordan as the GOAT

                                         (Credit: USA TODAY Sports) 

Given that ESPN's 10 part series "The Last Dance" about Michael Jordan's career is the most exciting thing happening in basketball right now, I thought I would do a blog post about his Royal Airness and those who tried or are still trying to knock him off his perch as the greatest basketball player of all time a.k.a. the GOAT.

In this blog post, I'm not going to argue that someone is the GOAT instead of MJ. I think MJ's career speaks for itself. He led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships, is #1 all-time in points per game (30.1), is #3 all-time in steals (2514), won six NBA Finals MVPs, five regular season NBA MVPs, is a 10x scoring champ, 3x steals champ, 9x All-Defensive, was the 1987-88 Defensive Player of the Year, 11x All-NBA, 14x All-Star, the 1984-85 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1984 Naismith College Player of the Year, 1982 NCAA champion, member of the NBA's 50th anniversary All-Time Team, member of the 1992 Dream Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jordan is the GOAT. I don't dispute that. However, I think there are five players who legitimately challenge him in their own way. My list may shock you and that's ok. I'm not about writing what's always popular.

                                          (Credit: NBA.com) 

#1. Magic Johnson: The guy who I feel challenges Michael Jordan the most in the GOAT conversation is a guy who also has the initials "MJ." Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships, is a 3x NBA Finals MVP, 3x NBA MVP, 4x assist champ, 10x All-NBA, 12x All-Star, an NCAA champion (1979), member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, member of the 1992 Dream Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Magic Johnson: The reason why Magic Johnson challenges Michael Jordan is because he was a more complete player. Magic Johnson is #1 all-time in assists per game at 11.2 and also averaged 19.5 points per game along with 7.2 rebounds. At  6'9", 215 pounds, Johnson could play the point guard position as well as anyone who played the game and could also play the other four positions on the court as well.

When you watch highlights of Magic, it's not hard to see how he earned the nickname "Magic." He was literally like a magician out there on the court with his passing, court vision, and ball handling. There's probably never been a more complete player than Magic. To top it all off, Magic has five NBA championships, something that is big in the GOAT discussion.

Why not Magic Johnson: The number one reason why Magic Johnson is not the GOAT is because he doesn't have six NBA championships. If he had six rings and had beaten Jordan in the 1991 NBA Finals, then I think the debate would be much more fierce. Also, Magic played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who is also in the conversation for GOAT. It's not really fair to dock Magic because he played alongside another all-time great, but one can ask if Magic would have won five rings if he didn't have Kareem alongside him.

One other reason why Magic isn't the GOAT is because the overall accolades don't match that of Jordan. He didn't win as many NBA Finals MVPs or NBA MVPs or All-NBA teams. If he had more MVPs under his belt, that would help his case a lot more.

                                               (Credit: NBA.com) 

#2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The second player on my list is Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem is the NBA's all-time leading scorer (38,387) and is arguably the greatest center in NBA history. Alongside Magic Johnson, he led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships and before arriving in Los Angeles led the Milwaukee Bucks to their lone NBA championship. Kareem is a 19x All-Star, 6x NBA champion, 3x NCAA champion, 6x NBA MVP, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 11x All-Defensive, 2x scoring champ, 4x blocks champ, 15x All-NBA, 1969-70 NBA Rookie of the Year, 1969 Naismith College Player of the Year, a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Right off the bat, one has to acknowledge that Kareem has six NBA championships and won one of his titles without Magic Johnson. That's always the number one argument people use to say Michael Jordan is the GOAT, conveniently forgetting that Kareem also has six. If you look at the accolades, Kareem stacks up pretty well, too. He has more MVPs, more All-Star appearances, more All-Defensive nominations, more NCAA championships, and has four blocks championships to Jordan's three steals championships. Plus, no small thing, Kareem is #1 all-time in scoring.

When you look at the whole package that Kareem brings to the table, one could actually argue he's an even bigger challenge to Jordan than Magic Johnson. Especially when you consider his college career.  He played a different position than Jordan, which I think helps him and in his prime was nearly as dominant with that patented skyhook.

Why not Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The first reason why I think Kareem doesn't surpass Jordan is he had more help around him when he was with the Lakers. He played alongside Magic Johnson, who has already made my list of guys who challenge Jordan as the GOAT. If he doesn't play with Magic Johnson, I don't know if he has six NBA championships. I hate to hold that against him, but it is something to consider. Especially since as I mentioned earlier, he won one title, his first, without Magic in Milwaukee.

Secondly, Kareem wasn't as dominant offensively as Jordan. While he does have more total points, he ranks 15th all-time in points per game (24.6). Considering he spent all those years playing alongside Magic Johnson, who is #1 all-time in assists, one could argue that Kareem should have averaged more points per game for his career. If Kareem had more points per game and was a bit more dominant on offense, the gap between him and Jordan would be much closer.

                                         (Credit: Mark Duncan/AP) 

#3. LeBron James: LeBron James is the modern challenger to Michael Jordan in the GOAT discussion as his career is still unfolding. LeBron is a 16x All-Star, 3x NBA champion, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 4x NBA MVP, 15x All-NBA, the 2003-04 NBA Rookie of the Year, and future member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ever since he entered the NBA, LeBron has been compared to Jordan and so far has done about as good of a job of living up to the hype as possible.

Why LeBron James: The number one reason why LeBron James challenges Jordan is that he was a better and more complete player at a much younger age and also played a more complete game. James was a phenom in high school and was drafted #1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, skipping college altogether. Jordan in contrast played three years of college at North Carolina and had to spend more time polishing his game.

To a certain extent, the fact that Michael Jordan played college is also reflective of the era he played in. Had he come up in today's era, he probably would have been a one and done player. But that notwithstanding, James was pound for pound a more complete and better player out of the shoot. Remember, Jordan was selected #3 overall in the 1984 NBA Draft behind the infamous Sam Bowie and Hakeem Olajuwon, who while not making my GOAT list, was definitely the better pick at the time.

On top of being the better player out of the gate than Jordan, LeBron also has put together a pretty impressive resume of his own with three NBA titles, three NBA Finals MVPs, and four NBA MVPs. If the eye test matters at all, it's hard to imagine anyone being better than LeBron James. He's a 6'9", 250 pound freak of nature that can do it all on the court with Jordan-like athleticism.

Finally, LeBron led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship. The freaking Cavaliers! One championship in Cleveland is arguably worth several in another city. The fact that he delivered the goods for his hometown team and brought them a title against a Golden State Warriors team that won a league record 73 games absolutely puts him in the GOAT discussion. That might be the greatest NBA Finals performance of all-time, putting up a triple-double on the road in a Game 7 to beat a 73 win team.

Why not LeBron James: The first reason why LeBron isn't the GOAT is because of the whole "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" thing. While he did deliver a title to Cleveland, one cannot ignore the fact that he bailed on Cleveland for the Miami Heat where he won his first two titles with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Michael Jordan never bailed on the city of Chicago when the going got tough against the Bad Boy Pistons. Instead, he kept getting better and had the patience to figure it out.

Secondly, LeBron doesn't have as many rings as Jordan. He's got three to Jordan's six. That's a problem if you are arguing that he's the GOAT. While his accolades and personal achievements are amazing, they don't quite stack up to Jordan.

Finally, this is a super technical thing, but LeBron has never been a good foul shooter, shooting a career 73.5% from the line. LeBron has shot less than 70.0% from the foul line in four of his 17 seasons. LeBron's best foul shooting season is 78.0% in his sixth season. Jordan in contrast shot 83.5% from the foul line for his career with his worst foul shooting season being 78.4% in his final year in Chicago. That's right, Jordan's worst foul shooting season was still better than LeBron's best foul shooting season. If you had to have Jordan or LeBron at the foul line to win a game, you would have to take Jordan for sure.

                                            (Credit: NBA.com)

#4. Bill Russell: When talking about the greatest basketball players of all-time, Bill Russell absolutely deserves to be in the conversation. Russell is an 11x NBA champion, 12x NBA All-Star, 5x NBA MVP, 11x All-NBA, 4x NBA rebounding champion, 2x NCAA champion, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Bill Russell: The first reason why Bill Russell challenges Jordan is the simple fact that he won 11 NBA championships and was the anchor of those Boston Celtics teams. He is the greatest team player of all-time. 11 NBA championships plus two NCAA championships. In his last two championships in the NBA, he was player-coach!

Russell knew the game better than anyone and understood better than anyone that basketball is a team sport. He said the happiest he's been was when he was on a team in middle school that won a title even though he didn't play much. It was his first taste of success and he was happy to be on a winning team above anything else. If that doesn't say how great of a team player he was, I don't know what does!

On top of the consummate team success, Russell was an amazingly gifted player who averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. We don't know how many blocks he got because they didn't keep track of that stat back then, but if they did, that would just add to his already impressive stats. If you put him in today's NBA, Russell would be one of the top players in the league. Period.

Why not Bill Russell: This is mostly due to being a victim of his own era. In his last season (1968-69), the NBA had 14 teams. For most of his career, the NBA had 10 teams or fewer. It's a lot easier to rack up championships when there's only nine other teams to compete against. If you put him in today's NBA, Russell wouldn't have won 11 titles and I'm not even sure if he would have won six.

If you want to put a modern comparison to Bill Russell, it's probably Tim Duncan. Russell in today's NBA probably wins 4-5 titles if given the right system and pieces around him. Duncan was a fabulous team player who learned how to maximize his talents by buying into Gregg Popovich's system and putting the team above individual accolades. That sounds just like Russell.

By the way, Tim Duncan, I'll quickly slip in as a bonus honorable mention for the GOAT discussion: 5x NBA champion, 15x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 15x All-Defensive Team, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 1997-98 NBA Rookie of the Year, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. If I'm going to say Tim Duncan is a modern day Bill Russell, I kinda can't leave him out of this blog post.

The reason why Duncan isn't #5 on my list is because of his individual statistics. He led the NBA in total rebounds just once (2001-02) and never led the league in any other major category in any other season, whether it be totals or per game. As great as he was, you would think he would have led the NBA in rebounds per game and blocks per game at least a few times.

                                            (Credit: NBA.com) 

#5. John Stockton: I said at the beginning that I would have a controversial choice and that choice is John Stockton. Stockton is #1 all-time in steals (3,265) and #1 all-time in assists (15,806). He is a 10x NBA All-Star, 2x steals champion, 9x assist champion, 5x All-Defensive, 2x Western Conference Finals champion, member of the 1992 Dream Team, member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why John Stockton: If you want to talk about who the best pure basketball player is of all-time from a technical/IQ standpoint, it's hard to find a better player than John Stockton. At 6'1", 170 pounds, Stockton was as well-rounded as they come. He could shoot, pass, rebound, and defend at an elite level. He is the consummate point guard. No one in NBA history knew how to run an offense better than Stockton. His assist numbers reflect that.

Stockton was also an amazing defender as is evident by his all-time steals record. He wasn't afraid to guard the team's best player and had many fierce battles with Michael Jordan over the years, giving him as tough of a run in the NBA Finals as anyone else. As a matter of fact, Hall of Famer Gary Payton said Stockton was the toughest player he ever had to go up against. Not Michael Jordan:

"It's not Michael Jordan because it's fun to play against Michael Jordan. It's a fear to play against him [Stockton] because I had to guard him 94 feet every time. He had the ball all the time. When a guy can shoot 10 times and make eight, he shoot 10 free throws and make nine, he has 16 assists, he has five rebounds, and five steals. You do the math of that."

If you got Gary Payton saying you were tougher than Jordan and you're 6'1", 170 pounds, that's pretty amazing. One other thing Stockton has going for him is his durability. He played in 1504 games in his 19 year career. He played in all 82 games in 16 of his 19 seasons. One of those seasons was the 1998-99 lockout season in which the NBA played in 50 games. In case you were wondering, Stockton played in all 50 games that season.

As a result of his durability, Stockton is way out in front of the rest of the field in steals and assists. #2 in steals is Jason Kidd (2,684) and #2 in assists is also Jason Kidd (12,091). I don't know if either of those records will ever be broken. To be #1 all-time in two of the five major statistical categories has to put you in the GOAT conversation. Especially when you hold those records by miles and miles.

Why not John Stockton: Considering that he's a controversial pick, I feel I had to say a little more about Stockton and why he deserves to be on this list. The reason why Stockton is not the GOAT starts with the fact that he never won an NBA championship. It's somewhat unfair because he was so amazing, but you can't be the GOAT without a ring. He also played alongside a phenomenal power forward in Karl Malone, who was responsible for a lot of those assists. Without the Mailman by his side, one has to wonder if Stockton has the legendary career that he has. And vice versa. Without Stockton, Malone may not have reached #2 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Also, Stockton wasn't as physically gifted as Michael Jordan. He could barely dunk and while being lighting quick and possessing hands the size of frying pans, Stockton wasn't anything near the physical freak that Jordan was. What makes Stockton amazing is that in spite of not being a physical freak like Jordan, he was able to hang with him and give him a run for his money. But, at the end of the day, not being as physically gifted as Jordan is what prevents him from being the GOAT. But, as I said earlier, you wanna talk pure technique and basketball IQ, no one was better than Stockton.

                                         (Credit: Blazersedge.com) 

Honorable mention-Arvydas Sabonis: An honorable mention in this discussion is Arvydas Sabonis. Born behind the Iron Curtain in Kaunas, Lithuania, Sabonis was truly a victim of his own era. When he finally reached the NBA in the 1995-96 season with the Portland Trail Blazers, Sabonis was past his prime by quite a bit. Sabonis had his best years from 1981-1989 with his hometown team BC Zalgiris based in Kaunas, Lithuania. Sabonis was 1995-96 NBA All-Rookie, FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991), 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Why Arvydas Sabonis: When he was coming up, Sabonis was arguably the best player in the world. There were articles written about how the best basketball player in the world (Sabonis) wasn't even in the NBA. At 7'3", 292 pounds, Sabonis was truly ahead of his time as a versatile big man that could score, rebound, defend, and facilitate. He had guard like skills at 7'3" in an era when most guys his size were just there to block and rebound. Had he played in the NBA since the 1980s, he may have won several NBA championships and given Jordan a real run for GOAT.

The fact that Sabonis was as productive as he was when he did finally reach the NBA (16.0 points and 10.0 rebounds in his third NBA season) just shows how gifted he truly was. To be that productive at age 33 is remarkable. Especially when you've had all the mileage that he had.

Why not Arvydas Sabonis: This one goes back to the simple fact that he wasn't allowed to play in the NBA until later due to being a citizen of the USSR. The Iron Curtain held him back. While he could have played in the early 90s, he was such a rock star over in Europe that it makes sense why he didn't play in the NBA earlier. Had he played a full NBA career in his early 20s as well as his late 30s, we might be talking about him as the GOAT instead.

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Mock Draft Monday: Kobe Bryant helped pave the way for high schoolers choosing to go pro

                                          (Credit: Eileen Blass-USA TODAY Sports) 


Last week I wasn't much in the mood to blog about the NBA after the death of Kobe Bryant. I just needed some time to regroup a bit and think about how I wanted to remember Bryant on NBALord.com. I was planning on doing my Saturday Slam piece to remember his whole career, but I needed a bit more time to think about what my next blog post would be. Considering that I have my different themes on here, I figured I would use those themes to address Bryant's career through several different lenses. Up first is through the lens of his high school career and more specifically, what impact he had on high schoolers thinking of going straight to the pros.

Leading up to the 1996 NBA Draft, Bryant wasn't sure what he was going to do. He was genuinely torn about whether to go to college or go straight to the NBA. Both had their pros and cons. In the interview I've attached below, Bryant talks about weighing those options and not yet being sure what decision he would make. The pros of going to college was to get a year or two to grow as a basketball player without the pressures of being a professional while also getting to enjoy the college life. On the other side of the coin, going to the NBA meant the chance to get paid right away, something that also appealed to Bryant. Even though it meant more responsibility.



A year earlier, in the 1995 NBA Draft, Minnesota Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett went 5th overall out of high school as well, becoming the first player in two decades (Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby) to go straight from high school to the NBA. One major difference between Garnett and Bryant was the fact that Garnett had horrible grades and test scores, making division one college basketball a non-option for him. The only colleges Garnett could attend were junior colleges, sort of forcing his hand into going pro. Bryant on the other hand was a good student in high school and took his education seriously. College was an option for him and he knew that if he went straight to the NBA, some may second guess his commitment to getting a quality education.

In the end, Bryant chose to go to the NBA. When the Lower Merion High School Class of 1996 listed what colleges they were attending (in the school yearbook or newspaper), Bryant wrote "NBA-nuff said!" Bryant's decision resulted in him getting drafted 13th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers via the Charlotte Hornets. By choosing to go straight to the NBA when college was an option for him, Bryant helped legitimize that path for the likes of LeBron James and others who felt they were ready out of high school.

Flash forward 25 years later, the NBA is likely to once again allow high schoolers the option to come straight out instead of having to spend a year in college or overseas. When the NBA does formally make the switch back, it will be a nod to Bryant and all that he accomplished. Bryant proved that if you are ready to go pro, you should do so. He also showed that such a decision requires a lot of thought and shouldn't be taken lightly.

When looking back on the 1996 NBA Draft, what is a bit crazy is to see Bryant selected 13th overall. In hindsight Bryant would have gone #1 overall to his hometown Philadelphia 76ers instead of Allen Iverson. At that time, coming out of high school was so rare that a lot of teams were afraid to gamble on him. Especially since he was a guard. To the Lakers' credit, specifically Jerry West, they recognized Bryant had a lot of talent and was capable of being their next franchise player. Their decision to take Bryant changed the course of basketball history forever. Bryant went on to become a five time NBA champion and arguably the greatest Laker of all-time.

If you're going to look back on Kobe Bryant's career, it's impossible to not reflect on his high school career and how amazing it was that he took that leap into the NBA without playing in college. Such a bold and brave decision is truly fitting for one who would give birth to "Mamba Mentality."

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