NBA Bi-Weekly Recap: The First Two Weeks

We have had two weeks to watch the NBA. We know nothing yet about final playoff standings, the MVP race or All-Star voting. All there is right now is what’s happening in the games early on. For example, shout-out to Nets guard Cam Thomas. Keep getting them shots up, it’s your time. Let’s look at a couple stories from the first two weeks of the season.

“Power” Forwards…?
One thing I’ve noticed in a good number on starting and significant librettos 6 across the NBA is the lack of a power forward. As basketball has evolved, strength and power looks different now. Athleticism for basketball’s tallest players is not rooted in how well heavier bodies can move on a pivot. Instead of bruising fulcrums of frontcourt tandems, teams now employ an athletic traditional small forward at the “4” position. For example, the Golden State Warriors start Andrew Wiggins—who was drafted as a shooting guard. The same is true of the Indiana Pacers starting Bruce Brown, who is at least three inches shorter than Wiggins. Now, this does not mean that using a smaller frontcourt is totally ineffective. However, when the questions arise about rebounding and getting defensive stops, the lack of strength is glaring. It’s difficult to be an immovable object in hoop, but there needs to be some resistance to the opposition and their offensive advances. I’m also not saying that the NBA needs to revert back to the days of the rugged 4-man who fouled more than he scored—no. But maybe there needs to be more players willing to be tall and imposing in the paint more often.

The Scorpion and The Turtle
The NBA has finally seen the conclusion of the dreams between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers. In the wee early hours of Halloween, Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. The details of the trade are important in a basketball sense but not in the overall product of this section of the article. The feud between Harden and Sixers GM Daryl Morey ignited over the summer, culminating with Harden asking to be traded because Morey lied to him about a possible contract extension to stay in Philly. Now, the focus is understandably on the 34-year-old 10-time All-Star pushing to be moved for the third time. And sure, Harden is not blameless at all in his handling of this situation both on and off the court in Philly. But that does not mean the isn’t any credibility to his claim. Consider how boldly Harden stated that Morey is a liar. He said, into a microphone with a reiteration, “Daryl Morey is a liar.” Even in a world where more (but not many) trade requests are made among NBA superstars, that kind of public brashness never comes from the player. Conversely, think about how teams speak about players they’re trying to move. There is an expectation that a team can point out and amplify all the flaws in a player and then expect to receive the highest value in return for that which they’re trying to get rid of. Professionalism is required on both sides.

This situation between Harden and Morey is reminiscent of the tale of The Scorpion and The Turtle. The story goes: there is a scorpion looking to cross a lake. A turtle is getting ready to do so and the scorpion asks the turtle if it can ride on the turtle’s back for safety. The turtle is hesitant, stating that the scorpion will sting the turtle, causing both of them to drown along the way, because, “Scorpions sting. It’s what you do.” The scorpion desperately reassures the turtle, pointing out the fact that the scorpion won’t sting because it doesn’t want to drown. So then the turtle agrees. Asking the way, the scorpion stings the turtle, causing them to begin to drown. The turtle asks the scorpion, “Why? You said you wouldn’t sting me.” The scorpion replies, “in a scorpion. It’s what I do.” The reason why this story resonates with Harden and Morey is because both think they’re the turtle in this situation and see the other as the scorpion. The reality is they’re both scorpions. I’m the words of the late coach Dennis Green, “They are who we thought they were.” Hopefully Harden finds success with the Clippers and the Sixers are able to add more to the team to continue to build around Joel Embiid.

The In-Season Tournament is as Interesting as the New Courts
On November 3rd , the NBA launched it’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. That day, regular season games both counted towards overall standings, as well as group standings for the tournament. To celebrate and signify the games that are for the in-season tournament standing, the NBA had jerseys and arena courts drastically changed. The floors provide a more saturated look on TV and in person while watching players hoop. Similar to the overall schedule and layout of the teams, some games and players are harder to follow than others. However, the attempt at innovation is what’s to be respected here. Sure, one perspective is what Clippers guard Bones Hyland has, “Not knowing what’s going on.” But nothing is fully understood after one day of experiencing it. There is no guarantee the tournament is here to stay for years to come, but the notion that something must be done to make the games before the playoff push more interesting has been a topic since at least the beginning of the decade. If the regular season has lost its luster—and honestly, that is the fault of putting so much pressure on winning championships—then I do not fault Commissioner Adam Silver for trying to appease that. The courts are as hard to watch or as interesting to see a basketball game on as the games themselves are. We as a basketball realm will watch the games wherever they are played, as long as the conditions are fair. The real issue in the compromise between players and the league is the minimum of games needed for players to win awards, but let’s save that take for another week.

Speaking of, this section of each post will involved quicker opinions—call them, “Till Takes.” Let’s look at the first Till Takes of the season:

• A Players’ Only Meeting After the First Game? The Chicago Bulls lost their season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and head coach Billy Donovan told the Brits that his players told him they needed a few minutes to have a meeting without him. Now of course, the common first thought is, “What would players have to discuss after one game?” And while Idon’t know this answer to be true for certain, my guess is they discussed the coach. Nothing about one loss will rattle the confidence of a veteran-laden team like the Bulls other than whatever continued concerns they may have about Donovan. Sure, there may have been some accountability moments player to player. But also, sometimes employees discuss how to navigate dealing with the manager, too.
• The Steph Curry Highlight That Needs to Be Widespread. Steph Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-winning layup. Curry is a hit among younger fans with his dazzling displays of shooting and dribbling. While that is wonderful to behold both in real time and as highlights, the clip of this layup needs to be pushed just as much. Let’s look at the play. Curry is matched up with Lu Dort, one of the better NBA perimeter defenders. Dort has for sure studied Curry, recognizing the rhythm and tendencies he plays with. Curry knows that as well, and the crossover before the drive is him countering Dort counting his dribbles—something NBA veteran Iman Shumpert explained before. This game- winner is an excellent display of both study habits and reaction.

So that is the first in-season biweekly recap. Come back next time for the next installment.