Wednesday Windmill: Without Gordon Hayward, the Boston Celtics need Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to deliver

On opening night at Cleveland, Gordon Hayward, the Boston Celtics' big free agent acquisition of the summer, went down with a dislocated and fractured left tibia. Hayward underwent surgery on Wednesday and could be done for the season. Given the severity of his injury, the Celtics have to expect the worst and plan on playing the entire season without their star small forward. With this being the grim reality, the question that is on the minds of everyone is whether or not the Celtics can survive the season without him.

Gordon Hayward has a message for Celtics Nation. pic.twitter.com/H6RHeGgios

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 18, 2017

On the surface, there's no way to paint a pretty picture of this situation. Hayward averaged a career best 21.9 points per game last season and is just starting to enter his prime. Given how badly the Celtics fared against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, it's hard to see them reaching the NBA Finals with Hayward on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

If the Celtics want any chance of making a run for the Eastern Conference crown, they'll need to get big production from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, two small forwards who they selected third overall in the 2016 and 2017 NBA drafts respectively. Given that Brown is in his second year and Tatum is a rookie, there will be more expected of Brown this season to deliver the goods, especially in the early portion of the season.

The good news for the Celtics is that so far, both guys, especially Brown, are stepping up in Hayward's absence. On Tuesday night against the Cavaliers, Brown scored 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and got 2 steals. On Wednesday night against the Bucks, Brown had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. As for Tatum, he finished with a double-double against the Cavaliers with 14 points and 10 rebounds while finishing with 8 points and 9 rebounds against the Bucks.

                                         (John Tlumacki. The Boston Globe) 

If both Brown and Tatum continue to produce like this, the Celtics could find a way to make things interesting in the Eastern Conference. As #3 overall picks, they definitely have the talent to do so. It's just a matter of them finding a way to consistently play up to their maximum potential four out of five nights.

While Kyrie Irving and Al Horford are going to have to carry the load as the two experienced stars on the team, the Celtics' season really comes down to how well Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum step up. They'll be getting the bulk of the minutes at the small forward spot and will need to make up for Hayward's absence. If they are able to do so, the Celtics' season isn't lost. If not, we might as well pencil in the Cavaliers as Eastern Conference champions assuming LeBron James doesn't go down.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Houston Rockets get a huge win in Golden State

On Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 122-121 to spoil their home opener and championship ring ceremony. James Harden led the charge for the Rockets with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists while Kevin Durant finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, having his game winning bucket waived off upon further review. 

Not so fast 😱 KD's bucket is just late.

Rockets escape Oakland with the W! #KiaTipOff17 pic.twitter.com/Nm6MWcbRev

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 18, 2017

The fact that this game took place in mid-October doesn't take away from the significance of this win for the Rockets. They're a team that is trying to prove themselves as a legitimate threat to the Warriors and doing what they did on Tuesday night isn't a bad start. They could have packed it in when they were down 101-88 at the end of the third quarter, but instead they chose to keep fighting and not give up. James Harden stepped up big time as did Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute off the bench, who combined for 58 points. A gritty win like this took a real team effort.

As far as the Warriors are concerned, I wouldn't worry too much about this loss, but it definitely doesn't feel good to lose on your home floor after receiving your championship rings. These are the kind of games you want to come out and win wire to wire for the purpose of entertaining your fans and sending a firm message to the rest of the league. A lot of what makes the Warriors tough to stop is the mental advantage they have over other teams who believe they have no shot at taking them out. By losing tonight, the Warriors gave their opponents a little bit of hope and sometimes a little bit of hope is all a team needs to pull off an upset.

While the Rockets have 81 games to go before the playoffs begin, tonight's win is still a huge win for them. They came into this game eager to prove that they are the real deal after acquiring Chris Paul and I think they proved that they are, even though Paul himself didn't have as good of a game as he was hoping for. The bottom line is that when it comes to defeating the defending champions on their home floor, you'll take that win and use it as motivation whether it comes in October, December, or March. The timing of the win isn't nearly as important as the win itself.

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Skyhook Sunday: Locking up Andrew Wiggins helps ensure a bright future for the Minnesota Timberwolves

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Timberwolves inked Andrew Wiggins to a five-year contract extension worth approximately $148M, which is the designated rookie scale maximum. Since being acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Kevin Love, Wiggins has lived up to the hype, averaging 20.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game during his first three seasons, missing only one game. Wiggins' durability and consistency have earned him this extension and in the process has helped to ensure that the Timberwolves have a bright future.

What's especially exciting for the Timberwolves is the roster they've put around Wiggins. Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best young big men in the league, Jeff Teague is one of the most underrated point guards, and Jimmy Butler is one of the top slashing wings in the game. The Timberwolves should be a playoff team this season and eventually evolve into one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference with more seasoning.

Next season, the Timberwolves will have the chance to extend Towns as well, which means they could have almost $300M invested in two players. While that is a lot of money to invest in two guys who are yet to play in a playoff game, both guys have proven to be worthy of such an investment. They've played up to their expectations and been good representatives of the organization both on and off the court.

Assuming the Timberwolves lock up Towns as well, they're going to have two of the best young players in the league for the next several seasons, giving them plenty of chances to get to the playoffs, win a series, and get the seasoning that is needed to make them a championship contender. While they haven't been a very successful franchise over the years, the foundation for success is finally being put into place. They've drafted the right people, they've brought in the right free agents, and they've trusted the process. It's all finally starting to come together for them.

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Saturday Slam: How big of a risk are the Philadelphia 76ers taking on Joel Embiid?

                                          (AP Photo) 

The Philadelphia 76ers inked Joel Embiid to a five-year, $148M extension this week, which is the designated rookie scale maximum. Given that Embiid didn't play during his first two years in the league and only played in 31 games last season, many people saw this news and scratched their heads. However, upon closer examination of Embiid's contract, this actually appears to be a pretty low-risk high-reward type of move for the Sixers.

ESPN has the details of his contract below:

"Here's how a perfect storm of calamity would have to unfold for Embiid to earn any less than the full $146.5 million: Across each of the final four seasons of the extension, ending with the 2022-23 season, the 76ers could waive Embiid for a financial benefit if he's lost because of a contractually agreed-upon injury that causes him to miss 25 or more regular-season games and if he plays fewer than 1,650 minutes, league sources said.

Specific injuries are laid out in the contract and include only past problem areas with Embiid's feet and back, sources said. Embiid has to miss 25 or more regular-season games because of injuries to those areas, and play fewer than 1,650 minutes, for Philadelphia to have the option of releasing him for cost savings."

What's important to note about his contract is that the Sixers can only waive him because of injuries to specifically his back and feet. If he were to tear his ACL, they wouldn't be able to waive him. That may sound a little weird, but it makes sense if you consider the fact that no player, no matter how healthy they've been, can guarantee to avoid serious injury.

If Joel Embiid can stay healthy, he'll be worth every penny. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game last season in the 31 games that he played in, already making him one of the best big men in the league. Injuries aside, he's for real.

Given that the Sixers need someone to build around and put their faith in for the future, this deal makes sense for them. If Joel Embiid lives up to the hype, they could be contending for championships. If his feet and back continue to let him down, they'll be able to waive him and move on. This is a deal that truly makes sense for both sides.

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NBALord.com Podcast: Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins get contract extensions

On this week's episode of the NBALord.com Podcast, I address the contract extensions given to Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins. I also talk about the Golden State Warriors. Click here to listen to the podcast.





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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Golden State Warriors are virtually unstoppable

As we head into the 2017-18 NBA season, we see a league that looks very different than it did last year. The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves all have new looks and should prove to be very exciting teams. However, none of these teams made moves that should take the Golden State Warriors off their perch as the top team in the league.

The Warriors' only obstacle to defending their title is health. So long as they stay healthy, they will win the NBA championship again. They simply have too many weapons. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Draymond Green are good enough to be the go to option on nearly every other team in the league. Collectively, they form a unit that is virtually unstoppable.

What makes these five guys so tough to stop is their versatility and ability to play elite basketball on both ends of the floor, both inside and out. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson form the most frightening three-point shooting duo the league has ever seen and Kevin Durant is one of the most lethal scorers the league has ever seen due to his combination of size, skill, and athleticism. As for Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, those guys are some of the best defenders in the league, capable of making things tough on the best of players in the league. They're also guys who you can't leave open on offense.

Outside of those five guys, the Warriors have some very solid role players like JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia, Nick Young, Shaun Livingston, etc. They don't just have a ton of talent. They have a ton of talent with depth. It's not like you can easily make up ground when their stars are resting. They have a second string that is good enough to hang with most starting lineups in the league, allowing them to give their stars ample rest and not wear them out too much during the grueling regular season.

Unfortunately for the Warriors' opponents, it's highly unlikely the injury bug derails their season. When you have a team as deep as the Warriors, you can keep your stars fresh and still win games handily. That's what makes this Warriors team close to unbeatable. Nobody can beat them in a seven game series when they are at full strength and even if a couple guys get hurt, they're still probably the favorites.

This upcoming NBA season promises to be very exciting due to all the moves that have happened, but make no mistake; there should be very little drama when it comes to who wins it all. The Warriors are way out in front of everybody else and will practically need to hand the Larry O'Brien Trophy to another team to not come out on top.

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Skyhook Sunday: Keep an eye on the Denver Nuggets

Going into Sunday's preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets are 3-0, notching road wins against the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers (twice). Normally I would say not to pay much attention to preseason results, but having watched the Nuggets play courtside against the Warriors last week, I have to say that I was really impressed with how well they played.

And here's Paul Millsap and Stephen Curry... #NBA #Warriors #Nuggets pic.twitter.com/6IZqeQi2jx

— NBA Lord (@nba_lord) October 1, 2017

What impressed me the most was how tough they played. They did a good job on the glass and battled for 48 minutes. They didn't back down against the champs when playing on their turf.

Personnel wise, the Nuggets have a solid backcourt led by Emmanuel Mudiay and Gary Harris as well as a quality frontcourt featuring Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic, Mason Plumlee, and Kenneth Faried.  In their 108-102 win over the Warriors, Millsap started a bit slow but found his groove, finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds on 7-11 shooting from the field and 4-6 shooting from three-point range. Emmanuel Mudiay finished with 19 points and 4 assists on 6-10 shooting from the field, putting together a very quality game of his own.

While the Nuggets haven't made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, I have a feeling that this might be the season they get back there. They have a quality core and a head coach in Michael Malone who seems to know what he's doing. He has them competing and playing as a team.

To a certain extent, my high hopes for the Nuggets is a gut thing. The sample size is too small for it to be anything more than that. That said, Paul Millsap does have a track record of making teams he plays on better than they were before he got there. He helped the Utah Jazz become a consistent playoff team and he helped the Atlanta Hawks reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Millsap is a really good guy to build around and the Nuggets really do appear to have the pieces around him to be successful.

ESPN story on Gary Harris' lucrative contract extension with the Denver Nuggets. https://t.co/uDBn8vZdph

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 8, 2017

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