Basketball Thoughts Diary #3
Quick thoughts on Klay, the Mavericks, injuries, and the NBA Cup.
Welcome to the third edition of my basketball thoughts diary! I’m still trying to get really excited by this season, but every time I’m getting there, another terrible injury happens, taking the wind out of my excitement. That’s not to say I’m not enjoying watching NBA games (because I am!); it’s just that there’s a lot of noise inside and outside the hoops world that factors into my level of enjoyment. Having said that, I still have hoops thoughts!
Klay returns to the Bay Area! Now feels like a great time to share my favorite Klay memory:
Lol.
My actual favorite Klay memory was when my wife and I went to a Warriors game at Oracle during the 2016-17 season. It was a late April game against the Wolves, and Klay dropped 41 points on Minnesota. The crowd at Oracle was wild and was hanging on every shot that Klay took. Also, it was an ESPN game, and Doris Burke was in the building. Bang Bang.
One more quick Klay note: The market for the captain’s hats that were given out at the arena as part of Klay’s return is insane! They are fetching hundreds of dollars on eBay. Good grief.
Moving on to more serious NBA matters.
We need to cool it with all the injuries, ok? Can we all play like we’re in a casual 40+ league at the local Y for a bit? It’s a long season, so let’s pace ourselves.
At this point, Trae Young, Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, Kristpas Porzingis, Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Aaron Gordon, Kawhi Leonard, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant, Jimmy Butler, Dame Lillard, Khris Middleton, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Bradley Beal, Scottie Barnes, and plenty others are all currently on the injured list as of writing.
Speaking of pacing, try telling Luka and the Mavs to pace themselves. They played a wild game against the Suns on Friday and another one against the Nuggets on Sunday. Both games had a playoff atmosphere and went down to the last few possessions. Are teams gunning for the Mavs? They also lost another close game to the Warriors on Tuesday. Combining the playoff atmosphere of that game with Klay’s return, the Mavs must be getting winded. Dallas’ inability to close out close games is becoming problematic.
It’s NBA Cup time! Shiny courts are fun! But does the Cup appeal to casual fans? I consider myself much more than a casual, but I still don’t truly understand the groups etc. (I mean, I do, but..) I watch a lot of hoops, and I know the NBA is pushing this tournament pretty hard, but I don’t think they are doing a good job of pushing why it matters, which is another problem altogether. I’m beating a dead horse, but I’m not sure any fan of any team is going to brag that their team won the NBA Cup (except for maybe the Jazz..or the Blazers). I guess my rambling point is that while the Cup is a fun idea, I’m not sure it matters.
And finally, here are a few things I’ve read/listened to this week that are worth your ears and eyes:
How to get out of the riptide / BASKETBALL FEELINGS
Is Cavalier dominance good for the NBA? / The Second Arrangement
Brian Windhorst on the Thanalysis Show
Until next time!