This hasn’t been the easiest week to be an NBA fan but there are still some things to bring joy amid all the scandals.
As an NBA fan, this was one of the most frustrating weeks I can remember. Tottenham’s promising young winger Josh Primo released over the weekend of what turned out to be repeatedly exposing himself to the same team’s specialist – a story that somehow worsened as the week went on and more details were revealed. On Thursday, Miles Bridges was sentenced to three years in prison with no prison sentence for a brutal domestic assault that took place in front of his two children and put his then-girlfriend in hospital.
Then there was the blatant anti-Semitic behavior by Keri Irving, his frequent lack of apologies and subsequent suspension. In all this chaos, the Nets and Steve Nash have parted ways with the team seemingly poised to replace him with Ime Udoka, who is currently serving a year-long suspension from the Celtics for an inappropriate relationship with an employee.
All of this means it’s been a tough week to focus only on basketball and find a little pleasure in the beauty of the best players in the world doing their thing. But here are a few things that helped make basketball fun this week.
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland make sweet music
The Cavaliers were able to see their new All-Star backcourt for exactly 13 minutes on opening night before Darius Garland left with a tear in his eye that sent him out for the next five games. These five games were all victories for the Cavs, as Donovan Mitchell exploded, taking on offensive construction responsibilities and establishing himself as an early MVP candidate.
As the season approached, there were questions about how well Mitchell and Garland would do, both in sharing offensive responsibility and in self-defense as a pair of 6-foot-1 guards. These questions, especially regarding offensive balance, seemed even more pressing after Mitchell’s absolute dominance in Garland’s absence. .
I am happy to report that, at least in one match, there appears to be nothing to worry about.
In their first full game together, Wednesday’s 114-113 overtime win over the Celtics, Garland and Mitchell combined with 54 points, 18 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Cleveland was plus 6 in the 33 minutes they were on the field together and 3 in the combined 15 minutes during the fourth quarter and overtime.
There was still a lot of action that felt like “my turn, your turn” and only one of Garland’s four passes that went to Mitchell really felt like it relied on purposeful synergy. But that help was so amazing.
I’ll admit that at this point in the adult NBA, my primary interest in rooting is less for any particular teams or players and more for everyone to play their best, in settings that maximize their potential and seem to make them happy. From that perspective, it’s hard to be rooted for the Cavaliers now.
Orlando Magic’s Very Big Squad
Bol (7ft-2) has become a feature of Magic’s Frontcourt spinner, often playing with Wendell Carter Jr. (6ft-10 center), Paulo Banchero (6ft-10) pushes the nominal little forward and Franz Wagner (who is 6ft 10, would play a lot of minutes as a small 4 on many other teams) to shoot the goalkeeper or guard point.
So far this season, I played magic 82 minutes With at least four of that group and/or support post Mo Bamba (7 feet) on the field together. In those minutes, Orlando outperformed his opponents by 17.2 points per 100 possessions. That’s a huge bright spot for a team of 2-7 and he’s outdone by 4.3 points per 100 possessions overall.
These formations were especially strong in defense. Although they benefited from some unusually cool opponent three-pointers, they also dominated the coating with their size, allowing opponents to shoot just 49.4 percent within 10 feet of the basket and limiting their offensive rebounds to just 19.1 percent of their errors.
Paul is the only real threat holding back shots in that group, but his ability to move and defend into space, shutting down indoor scoring opportunities without having to be tied to the paint, has changed the rules of the game.
The Magic still has a lot of issues to work on and my pre-season expectation that they will fight for a place in the playing cycle seems naively optimistic. But watching them discover creative and unconventional ways to maximize their numbers was a reliable source of happiness in the early part of the season.
Nikola Jokic to Aaron Gordon is the best connection in the NBA
The Jokic pass has always been a trusted source for basketball but he’s been working on a different level this season. With the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. and the addition of multiple offensive contributors such as Kentavius Caldwell, Bob and Bruce Brown, Jokic has averaged a career-high 9.1 assists per game this season.
With Jokic you can pretty much choose what you want – Rebounds for the entire fieldAnd the Fine threads for cuttersAnd the precision lube From the 3-point line. But this year, I’ve particularly enjoyed his inner connection with Aaron Gordon, allowing one of the NBA’s best assholes to really unleash some power.
Jokic has already scored 15 assists for Gordon in shots on the edge so far this season, more than any other group in any team in the league.
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Kyrie Irving’s conversations are suspended, then she apologizes
- Kerry press conference: In the afternoon, Keri Irving spoke to reporters and answers to questions about whether he held antisemitic beliefs were not answered conclusively. Here is all he said.
- Kerry’s donation is denied: Later Anti-Defamation League He refused to donate $500,000 which was announced the night before at a joint press conference with Irving, the Nets, and ADL. “We were optimistic but after witnessing the debacle of a press conference, it is clear that Kerry feels no accountability for his actions,” the ADL CEO said.
- Irving suspension nets: The Nets suspended Irving for at least five games. In a press release, they said Irving failed to live up to the organization’s values.
- Conditions for Kerry Irving’s reinstatement: The The statement went on to say: “We have determined that Kyrie will serve a suspension without pay until he meets a series of objective remedial actions that address the harmful effect of his behavior and the suspension period provided is a minimum of five matches.”
- Keri Irving’s apology: Irving Posted late on Instagram Blank black photo with a lengthy apology.
- Finance: Kyrie Irving will lose at least $251,747 in the five games he will miss.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the reaction or lack of other NBA players
The NBA players’ reaction to Kyrie Irving’s situation has been shockingly calm.
- Karim and other NBA retirees speak out against anti-Semitism: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote about Keri Irving – and what Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley said on the matter – in Substack. Abdul-Jabbar praised Shack and Barclay for condemning Irving’s anti-Semitic comments.
- Current NBA employees: Steve Kerr spoke about the importance of “vigilance as a society” and not accepting “destructive” and “offensive” comments.
- Lack of vocal condemnation from NBA players: Robin Lopez retweeted Abdul-Jabbar’s Substack link. Otherwise, the NBA players remained largely silent on the matter.
- Diversity in the league: Denny Avdega is the only Jewish player in the NBA.
James Harden will miss a month due to injury
James Harden suffered an injury.
- the wound: hardening He suffered from a tendon strain in his right foot According to Adrian Voinarovsky.
- timetable: Harden will be out for a month.
- Harden effect: Harden averages 22.0 points per game, the third most on the team behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers are 4-5, good for eighth in the Eastern Conference as of Friday morning.
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