Merry Christmas to one and all! I didn’t watch any of today’s games in their entirety. That’d be too much TV, and none of them were close anyway. With that said, there were plenty of things to take away from today:
Pelicans-Heat
I had an epiphany about Brandon Ingram. His destiny is to become a giant, boring version of Jamal Crawford. He’s so smooth.
Jimmy Butler was already hurt by the time I tuned in, but the Heat’s offense didn’t miss a beat. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. Players fit their roles, work in concert, and are always moving.
In my 33rd orbit, I’ve definitely become something of a hoops curmudgeon. I was appalled by the flagrant foul call on Eric Bledsoe, and even more infuriated by the need to go to replay for it. It’s basketball, it’s a contact sport. Refs are human, their mistakes are a part of the game. As the NFL has proven time and time again, replay will not put an end to bad calls.
Play of the game: Avery Bradley, Tacoma’s finest, boxing out Steven Adams.
Warriors-Bucks
This game was practically unwatchable. The only thing that saved it was James Wiseman. He’s gonna be great. The stroke is real, and he’s huge and fast. The threat of him rolling opened things up for the Warriors. He’s a mess on defense, but that’s expected.
The Warriors obviously need Draymond, but even with him, this team is going to have a lot of work to do. It’ll be a true test for Curry, Draymond, and Kerr. We all know who Klay is - his absence makes that clearer every day.
The Bucks look good, obviously. Jrue is a wonderful fit. Middleton is an elite scorer. For some reason, I love Bryn Forbes on this team. The real drama is Giannis shooting free throws. He lost the first game of the year at the line, and he looked awful today. He has no confidence. He’s bouncing the ball six times before taking a long, frozen look at the rim. A free throw routine should be short, fluid, and minimize the mind’s intrusion on the physical process. Somebody get this man a copy of Free Throw by Dr. Tom Amberry, quick!
Play of the game: Steph hitting a bomb at the buzzer before half. He’s still got it.
Nets-Celtics
Oh my. The Nets look filthy. Kevin Durant is unstoppable. All you can do is laugh about that kind of slick dominance. Kyrie looks free and easy, and is unstoppable in his own way. The rest of the team are fitting in nicely. Everyone gets minutes when you’re blowing people out. How do they react when things get tough at some point? So far so good for Steve Nash.
Boston looks fine considering they’re missing Kemba, but if they’re going to get over the hump they need to either start playing way prettier, or start playing way uglier. Either way, I don’t think Payton Pritchard is the answer.
After today, it’s clear what we need: Nets versus Lakers in the Finals. Durant may very well be the best player in the world. What better way to prove it than by going head to head with LeBron? The stakes for both are higher than ever. LeBron has momentum in his quest to be the greatest of all time, and Durant is no longer front-running with the Warriors. This is his time to shine.
Play of the game: Kyrie Irving calling for Joe Harris to screen for him so rookie Aaron Nesmith would switch onto him, then welcoming Nesmith to the league with a cold-blooded 25-footer right in his eye.
Mavericks-Lakers
I don’t have much to say about this one. Luka may be the next big thing, but it’s a long road to a title for him. Maybe the Mavs make it to the second round this year. Whatever happens, I hope Luka keeps playing with the sense of fun and creativity that’s gotten him this far.
The Lakers continue to look great. They can play freely knowing they’ve already got a title, and LeBron is at his best playing carefree team basketball. He’s also rehabbing injuries by drinking wine, and he also plays with Anthony Davis. All good things!
My prediction: Talen Horton-Tucker challenges Dennis Schröder for minutes, and in the inevitable confrontation that ensues, calls Schröder a jabroni.
Play of the game: LeBron airballing a free throw and blaming it on all the wine he’s been drinking.
Clippers-Nuggets
Ugh. An ugly way to end an ugly game, with Kawhi taking an elbow to the face from Ibaka. Head injuries are no joke. Let’s hope he’s alright and the Clippers can continue their efforts to right the ship after last year’s embarrassing end. Stating the obvious, they look just fine under Ty Lue and they’re a contender.
The Nuggets seem to be searching for a post-Plumlee identity. Will The Thrill is back, Micheal Porter Jr. needs more touches, and they need to find someone who isn’t Paul Millsap or Gary Harris who can play some defense. Even in a losing effort, Jokic, as always, is a delight to watch.
J'aime bien the subplot of Nicolas Batum leaving the Hornets and immediately thriving, just like fellow Frenchman Boris Diaw before him. C'est quoi le problème, Charlotte?
Play of the game: Jokic faking out Batum so badly he ended up beyond the three-point line while Millsap strolled in for a dunk.
