NBA 2023-24 Season Bi-Weekly Recap: The Look Back

I will be giving a recap of things that have happened every couple weeks of the 2023-24 NBA season. But why wait until the season has already started to do that? In order to see where we are headed, let us first look back on last year and highlight some things that stood out. The reason why I’d like to do this is because each season is its own unique journey, similar to seasons of a TV show. Sure, we would like every episode to be incredible and we often look forward to finales. But there are memorable moments scattered throughout the season, and those should always be celebrated. So let’s look back with a quick list of standout moments.

• Patrick Beverley Showed a Ref His Missed Call On a Camera. To me, it was worth the technical foul Pat Bev got to start overtime of the Lakers-Celtics game after the refs seemingly missed a foul call late in the fourth quarter. Hey, missed calls do happen, even in game-altering moments. But to get a camera from someone (who we should praise for understanding the moment) and then go to the official in the name of all that is petty is absolutely perfect. It’s certainly better than officials riding ATVs.
• The Brooklyn Nets Fired Steve Nash Before Trading Its Two Superstars. I actually went to double-check the dates to make sure it lined up—because time is a blur these days. Steve Nash was removed as head coach on November 1, 2022, and was months before both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were traded to Phoenix and Dallas, respectively. While most would look to the time both of those players asked for trade demands as the beginning of the final chapter of their era there, the team did not start with Jacque Vaughn at the helm.
• Aaron Gordon Commemorated An Offensive Foul As A Diamond Pendant. Now, when you read that sentence, it might seem like I’m hating. I promise I’m not. Aaron Gordon dunked on Landry Shamet during a very close overtime game between the Nuggets and the Suns. The game was on Christmas Day and the referees, once again, get involved in a way that robs us of some Yuletide joy—calling that an offensive foul on Gordon. Well, that didn’t stop various basketball outlets running with the highlight itself, nor did it stop Gordon—who has been on the wrong end of questionable judgments of his dunks before—from commemorating the moment in diamonds.

And now, we look forward…

What Will Be This Year’s ‘Light The Beam’? Last season, the Sacramento Kings were one of the NBA’s most surprising teams, rising ask the way to the third seed in an incredibly crowded Western Conference. A large contributing factor to their winning was their home crowd at Golden 1 Centre. There, after every home win, a Kings player would be counted down to push a button. Then, a bright and large purple beam would burst from the top of the arena or into the sky for everyone to see. This led to a 23-18 record and propelled then into the playoffs. Who will be this year’s surprising team that captures a piece of the NBA realm’s heart? We will find out.

Who Will Be The First To Dunk on Victor Wembanyama?

Number one overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s regular season NBA debut is near. At well over seven feet tall, his basketball skill set and coordinationis as if he’s a foot shorter. He moves like a guard with a video game created player’s dimensions.But the fact remains: he is very tall in a world of tall people, in addition to the added spotlight of being the top pick. So what that means is players will eventually try to dunk on him.

For context, when Hall of Famer Yao Ming came into the NBA in 2002, players wanted to posterize his 7’6” frame. Most remember the late Kobe Bryant’s dunk over him. But my favorite is when Michael Finleythrew one down on the big man. So when Wembanyama goes throughout this season and his career, be sure that there will be a few attempts to turn him into a highlight.

Any Awards Conversation Before Christmas Is Disingenuous

This one is specifically targeted at the MVP discussion that seemingly starts a week into the season. The reason why these conversations aren’t as fruitful early is because there appears to be a dialogue filled with convicting, concrete opinions—that change every day. Look, Domonique Foxworthonce tweeted, “The beautiful thing about being wrong is you don’t have to stay wrong.” And we should all hold space for our minds to change when presented with be information. But that’s my reasoning for why there is no need to have awards discussions in November. Every season is its own, and that means those worthy of awards consideration will change. Factor in how subjective and individualized the concept of “value” is, and it would be better served to simply wait a while before discussing who we deem “most valuable.”

For example, the most common MVP winner is a superstar player on one of the best teams that year. Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets were the best team from January on, yet Jokic finished second to Joel Embiid. This is not about Embiid being undeserving—he was a rightful winner and contender. Instead, the award and its surrounding conversation must always be about the totality of that season. If there were a concrete formula for any of these awards, then there wouldn’t be a 100+ person panel with different opinions and every MVP would be unanimous.

In short and to conclude, the beauty of the season is in the journey and the unique moments we experience along the way. Let’s look forward to whatever this season unfolds to be.