Skyhook Sunday: The Brooklyn Nets have been a pleasant surprise

One team that has been a pleasant surprise this season is the Brooklyn Nets, who are currently the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference at 36-36. Led by Magic Johnson castaway D'Angelo Russell (20.2 points & 6.7 assists), this Nets team is quietly becoming one of the more dangerous teams in the NBA. They have a solid backcourt composed of Joe Harris (13.4 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie (17.5 points & 4.8 assists) in addition to Russell, a sound big man in Jarrett Allen (11.1 points & 8.4 rebounds), a versatile swing man in Caris LeVert (13.8 points), and some solid role players like DeMarre Carroll, Shabazz Napier, and Allen Crabbe.

What's most exciting about this Nets team is their youth. Just about all the guys I listed are either still in their mid-20s or younger. With plenty of time to continue to grow and gel, this Nets team is expected to get even better in the coming seasons.

The feel good story from this Nets team is Russell, who was the #2 overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2015. After having him for just two seasons, the Lakers decided he wasn't a legit franchise player and shipped him off to the Nets hoping to get back better assets. Rather than proving the Lakers right for giving up on him so soon, Russell is making the Lakers look like fools. He's having the best season of his career and was named an NBA All-Star earlier this season. When you consider the pedigree he had coming out of Ohio State (McDonald's All-American, Jerry West Award, and Consensus first-team All-American), it really is surprising that the Lakers wouldn't at least wait until his rookie contract is up before making a decision on him. Fortunately for the Nets, their decision to trade for Russell has paid off as they now have one of the brightest young stars in the league.

While the future looks bright, I don't expect this Nets team to do much in the playoffs this year, likely getting bounced in the first round by either the Raptors or the Bucks. Even if they do, this will still be a productive year for them. All teams have to take their lumps in the playoffs and the sooner they can take them the better.

The bottom line is that things are looking good for this Nets team. They have a star point guard, a talented young core around him, and plenty of years to develop. When talking about what teams to look out for in the coming the seasons, the Nets are definitely worthy of discussion.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Phoenix Suns are starting to find their groove

Currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 16-52 record, not a lot has gone right for the Phoenix Suns this season. T.J. Warren (18.0 points per game) went down with a right ankle injury and has missed 25 games and counting. On top of that, Devin Booker (25.1 points per game) has missed 15 games due to a hamstring injury. When you combine youth with injury, you have a recipe for a lot of losses.

Despite this adversity, this Suns team has found a way to stay together and it's starting to show in their most recent outings. In their last 10 games, the Suns are 5-5. Even more recently, they've won four of their last five games defeating the Lakers, Bucks, Knicks, and Warriors. That's right, they've defeated the top team in the Eastern Conference (Bucks) and the top team in the Western Conference (Warriors) in their last five games. If that isn't finding a groove, I don't know what it is.

What seems to be making the difference is Devin Booker going off and Kelly Oubre, Jr. starting to find his footing with his new team. In their 114-105 win over the Bucks, Oubre finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds. In their win over the Warriors, Oubre had 22 points and 5 rebounds while Booker finished with 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. Against the lousy Knicks, Booker scored 41 points while Oubre chipped in 18.

While not having as explosive of outings, Deandre Ayton has done a good job of being the brick of this team. He's missed hardly any time (6 games) while averaging 16.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He's always hovering right around his scoring average, providing the Suns with a lot of consistency.

If I'm a Suns fan, I would be feeling optimistic about the future. Booker, Oubre, Ayton, and Warren form a really talented core that is starting to figure out how to win basketball games. What's been particularly impressive about the Suns' recent hot streak is the fact that they've been doing this without Warren. Once he gets back, it should be really interesting to see what this team does.

The bottom line is that this year is all about growth and development with wins not being the main focus. What you want to see is improvement and the Suns are definitely showing that. Provided they keep this core together and everyone stays healthy, there's no reason to doubt this team's ability to become a force in the Western Conference.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Doc Rivers did a really cool thing for Dirk Nowitzki

                                         (Credit: Robert Gauthier-Los Angeles Times) 

During the closing seconds of Monday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers called timeout, giving the fans in the Staples Center a chance to applaud Dirk Nowitzki, who is on his goodbye tour. Thanks to having a 121-112 cushion, Rivers was able to make this nice gesture and Nowitzki seemed to appreciate it as did the fans. While these guys are really competitive during the heat of battle, there's also a ton of mutual respect among all who have played and/or coached in the NBA. It's a very elite fraternity and moments like this remind you of that.

Thanks Doc and Clippers fans! I will always remember this https://t.co/kzVfbt5S4E

— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) February 26, 2019

If there's any guy who is deserving of such a moment, it's Dirk Nowitzki. He's a 14x NBA All-Star, 4x All-NBA First Team, 5x All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Third Team, an NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, and #7 on the NBA's all-time scoring list (#6 Wilt Chamberlain isn't far ahead). Nowitzki is one of the greatest players to ever step on an NBA floor and he's done it all in a very unassuming, non-flashy way. He played for the same team his entire career, never was one to demand trades, and did things the right way.

In some ways, seeing Nowitzki retire marks the end of an era. He was drafted in 1998 with the 9th overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks and traded to the Mavericks that same day. He's played against John Stockton, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, and many others who are either retired or soon to be retired. As a matter of fact, of that group, only Carter is still in the league. He comes from a different generation and so to watch him play is really special.

While he's part of a different generation, Nowitzki also was one of the first big men to really stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting prowess. Given how stretch bigs are much more common in today's game, Nowitzki in a way was ahead of his time. His fadeaway jumper was almost impossible to stop and when left open from 3-point range, he was death. He's unique in that he's sort of a bridge between an era where bigs played strictly in the post and the modern era where they have much more freedom to play out on the perimeter.

The NBA will be different with him gone, but his legacy will live on forever. When we think about the greatest players in NBA history, we tend to think of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and several others before we think about Dirk Nowitzki. But the truth is his name absolutely should be mentioned in the same breath as those guys. When you look at his body of work, it's clear that it measures up pretty well. I hope more people will realize this and give him the same due respect that Doc Rivers did.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Could the Los Angeles Lakers miss the playoffs?

After failing to acquire Anthony Davis at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in a bit of a rough spot, sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 28-29 record and a full three games back of the 8th seeded Los Angeles Clippers. At the beginning of the season, the expectation was the Lakers would for sure make the playoffs. How far they would go was the only question. But now, the discussion has shifted to whether or not this team will even make the playoffs, making this season more disappointing than people expected.

While I think all teams like the All-Star break because of the rest and days off, the timing of it is better for some teams than others. As winners of 3 of their last 10 games, the All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time for the Lakers, who lost badly to the 76ers in Philadelphia and narrowly lost to the Hawks in Atlanta following their dramatic one-point win in Boston. The hope is that with some time off and a chance to regroup, they'll be able to get back on the winning track.

Given that they have LeBron James, it seems like a foregone conclusion that they will make the playoffs. I mean, he's carried teams on his back before so why should we expect anything different come March and April when that final playoff push comes? The answer is health. James has already missed some time due to a strained left groin and there's concern that it may bother him for the rest of the season. On top of that, Rajon Rondo has missed some time with a hand injury while Josh Hart (left knee) and Lonzo Ball (left ankle) are currently on the shelf. When you're a young team that is still trying to gel, such injuries can prove to be very costly.

                                         (Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) 

If the Lakers are able to get healthy down the stretch of the season, I have little doubt that they'll find a way to sneak into the top 8 of the Western Conference. However, if they're unable to stay healthy and the injury bug continues to plague them for the rest of the season, then odds are good they'll be on the outside looking in come playoff time. While James expected a rebuild when he came to Los Angeles, I don't think missing the playoffs was supposed to be part of the plan. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out in the second half of the season.

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Wednesday Windmill: The Toronto Raptors are willing to make some moves

With the NBA trade deadline approaching on Thursday at 3:00 PM EST, there are a lot of different stories swirling. One of the more interesting ones is the story involving the Toronto Raptors being willing to trade Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas to the Memphis Grizzlies for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated has more below: 

"Perhaps of greatest intrigue, the Toronto Raptors have called Memphis, offering Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry for both Conley and Gasol, league sources told Sports Illustrated. Memphis, sources said, would prefer to receive younger players such as OG Anunoby or draft assets in any exchange with Toronto that would send Conley north. The Grizzlies of course rejected Toronto's initial offer." 

While the Raptors' initial trade request was rejected, it's still interesting that they have been willing to move yet another key franchise piece as they seek to win their first NBA title. At 39-16, the Raptors are second in the Eastern Conference, playing really good basketball. I find it both unusual and interesting that they are willing to make such a radical move during the middle of the season.

                                          (Credit: USA TODAY Sports) 

What will be interesting to see as we head into the trade deadline is whether or not the Raptors actually move Lowry or Valanciunas and if they don't, how both players will respond in the second half of the season. The Raptors' biggest issue has been the mental side of the game and having your star players named in trade rumors could have an effect on team morale. Especially if those players don't get traded.

If I'm a Raptors fan, I'm definitely pleased that my team is willing to make moves, but I might worry they're overplaying things a bit. They've been in need of a guy who can lead them to a title and Kawhi Leonard appears to be up to the challenge. Rather than shuffling the deck, especially during the middle of the season, I might rather see how things go with Leonard before blowing up things even more. It's not like Lowry and Valanciunas have had no success in Toronto, and on the flip side, it's not as if Conley and Gasol have found the recipe for championship success, either.

Change can be good if it's the right kind of change. The kind of change the Raptors appear to be seeking seems to be more cut out of the "change for the sake of change" type of cloth, which isn't always the right kind of change. Sometimes it's better to just stand pat at the trade deadline. Especially when you just added a guy like Leonard into the fold.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Dallas Mavericks are back in business after getting Kristaps Porzingis

As many of you have already heard, the Dallas Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis in a trade with the New York Knicks, giving their gifted rookie Luka Doncic a legitimate sidekick. Porzingis, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL, won't play again this season but so far is saying all the right things about wanting to stay in Dallas for the long-term.

Before his injury, Porzingis was an All-Star averaging 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. He looked like a legitimate franchise piece for the Knicks, making it surprising that the Knicks would be willing to give him up without being ensured a super star in return. While it's no slam dunk Porzingis will return to his All-Star level form, odds are good he will given the advances in modern medicine and the way in which many guys have successfully rehabbed from torn ACLs. Assuming he does, the Mavericks have a future to be really excited about.

What makes a Doncic/Porzingis combo so scary is the way in which they compliment each other so well. Doncic (20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds & 5.4 assists) has already established himself as a player who is unafraid of the big moment, willing to shoulder a franchise on his back. When you give him a big man like Porzingis that can stretch the floor and protect the rim, you make his job so much easier and allow him to play his game even more freely.

                                         (Credit: Clutchpoints.com) 

With the Dirk Nowitzki era fading into the sunset, the Mavericks have been in need of a next chapter to look forward to and now they have that chapter with Porzingis and Doncic. I don't know if it will yield another championship, but if these two guys stay together, the potential to make several deep playoff runs is definitely there. It's a bummer we won't see these guys in action together until next season, but on the flip side, that gives us something to look forward to as we look ahead to the 2019-20 season.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: What should the New Orleans Pelicans do about Anthony Davis?

                                         (Getty Images) 

The big news in the NBA world over the last few days is the revelation that Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans and that he has no plans to sign an extension. The news came from his agent Rich Paul, resulting in a $50,000 fine for Davis since the league prohibits players or their agents from publicly requesting trades. Despite the fine, the cat is already out of the bag and now the whole league knows Davis wants to find a new home.

The big question on everyone's mind is what should the Pelicans do? The soonest he can opt out of his contract is the summer of 2020, so the Pelicans don't have to make a move before the Thursday, February 7th trade deadline. At the same time, why prolong the inevitable? If a guy wants out and isn't willing to change his mind, you might as well move the player and get as much back as you can.

One thing that is for certain is that the Pelicans are going to be fielding a lot of calls about Davis over the next few days as the trade deadline approaches. A lot of teams are going to want to roll the dice on Davis, even if it means having him for just a year and a half. If the Pelicans get an unbelievable offer, they have to pull the trigger and get back whatever they can for Davis.

If the Pelicans don't get an over the moon type of offer, they might be smart to hold on to him and see what type of offers they get next season. The only concern is there will be less teams willing to risk a big move to get him. Kinda like what the Raptors did to get Kawhi Leonard. Right now, a lot more teams are going to be interested in rolling the dice on Davis than they will in a year, making now the time for the Pelicans to move Davis if at all possible.

Regardless of whether or not Anthony Davis publicly requested a trade, I think it's safe to say we could all see this coming. The Pelicans have struggled to put together a winning team around him and given his talents, he's certain to want to go to a place where he feels he can contend for a championship. With that in mind, the Pelicans might as well not delay the inevitable. While they shouldn't be willing to accept any deal, they should be aiming to make a move before the February 7th trade deadline. If they don't, they'll just have their franchise hanging in some weird limbo state until they finally get rid of him. The sooner they can move on from him and start afresh around a new crop of talent, the better.

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