Five Hot Takes on Day 5 of the NBA
For the past month, NBA fans have been caught in a whirlwind of not so breaking news. From players getting rookie contract extensions, and some notable players not getting one, to all the drama surrounding Kyrie Irving and new stories about Ben Simmons coming out every day, It’s been a lot to take in. A lot of nothing. We’ve been starved for some real professional basketball. So much so that we’ve been willing to listen to the same stories about the same players. Not anymore. We’ve got actually NBA action! A week into the season, and I already feel more like myself. It’s hard to care whether Ben Simmons is playing or not when every other healthy star is out their putting on a show. Instead of talking about anti-vaxxers and helping to spread misinformation, reporters actually have something of substance to talk about now. I think it’s great! With that being said, here are a few of the headlines I will be paying closer attention to myself this year.
1. Giannis will be the MVP- Opening Night couldn’t have gone better for the defending champions. They received their rings in front of a salty Brooklyn Nets team and then sent them home even more salty with a big victory to sweeten the deal. We had four of our key players sit out due to injury and we had to pull Jrue Holiday early in the second quarter. Didn’t seem to matter for the Bucks though. Giannis looked calm and in control the entire night. He seems to have made even more improvements in his game despite having the shortest off season of any player this past summer. He looks unbothered, unleashed, and unstoppable! Good luck to any team trying to slow him down. The Milwaukee Bucks will be a force this year with the proverbial monkey off their backs. The media loves a good storyline, and Giannis proving his doubters wrong and coming back even better because of it must be the feel-good story of the year. If the Bucks can match their success from seasons past and Giannis’ shot can maintain this current form, I can see him running away with the MVP award in a landslide.
2. The Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, and Charlotte Hornets will be amongst teams in the East to make the playoffs this year. Only question is who’s dropping out?- So many teams improved across the league this off season. Trades, moves in free agency, and the waiver market has put more than a few teams in a position to compete and go deep into the playoffs this year. In the east, you see major improvements from teams that were knocking on the door of the playoffs last year, and it makes you wonder. If these teams make it, which teams drop out. The Chicago Bulls are a shoe in to make the playoffs and might even be a top four seed when it’s all said and done. The Hornets seem like a much more matured team and the Wizards are already winning games without Bradley Beal. If these trends continue, I’m afraid the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, and last season’s darlings, the New York Knicks, may all miss the big dance at the end of this season.
3. Ja Morant is Allen Iverson 2.0- I love watching Ja Morant play! If you had any affinity for The Answer during his playing days, you absolutely will too! He’s lightning quick. His hand speed is comparable to that of a championship boxer. He puts together dribble combinations reserved for only the most skilled and creative ball handlers. While his shot is still a work in progress, he has improved consistently in that area and he can easily score in a myriad of other ways. His athleticism at his size is simply insane. Watching him put someone on a poster almost gives me déjà vu of young A.I. with the Philadelphia Sixers. Speaking of the Sixers, with all the drama going on with Ben Simmons right now, could you imagine if they were to trade Ben for Ja straight up? You could argue that both players are of equal value, although Ja has a ton more upside offensively. I think this trade would accelerate both team’s championship timeline. The Grizzlies could return to the old Grit’ Grind days with a defensive-minded star point guard. Ja Morant on the other hand would electrify the Philly crowd like only Allen Iverson every has.
4. Is Jaylen Brown better than Jayson Tatum??- Jaylen Brown has always been known more for his defensive prowess than his ability to score. The exact opposite applies for Jayson Tatum. For that reason alone, most people pegged Tatum as the better player with the more upside. However, each of the past off seasons, Brown has come into training camp with new offensive skills while maintaining his defensive presence. Tatum’s defense has improved marginally at best. This is especially glaring once you realize he has yet to take a leap on offense and expand his playmaking abilities as well as improving his efficiency. I’m going to go out on limb and say this year will be more of the same. Another noticeable improvement from Jaylen, more stagnation from Jayson. If this situation doesn’t improve, it won’t be long before the Boston Celtics notice the same pattern and are forced to ask themselves the same question. Who is more valuable, Brown or Tatum?
5. The Brooklyn Nets might be in trouble- Vegas may want to update their odds because the Brooklyn Nets look like they’re in a little trouble. They are missing their starting point guard and one of their key ballhandlers in Kyrie Irving. He’s more concerned with his liberal freedoms than public safety, let alone basketball at this point. LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Millsap seem to be further past their primes than we originally thought. Blake Griffin and his knees are a year older. Nick Claxton’s lack of experience and his lack of chemistry with James Harden is glaring. Their small ball line-ups with James Johnson are completely ineffective at exploiting mismatches. The defense was atrocious and the rim protection was non-existent. Head coach, Steve Nash, has seemingly benched Bruce Brown who was arguably their best defender last year and Joe Harris suddenly can’t shoot anymore. Unless Harden gets his groove back and a vaccinated Kyrie walks into their facility, Kevin Durant is going to need to average a triple-double for this team to hover around .500. Sounds unrealistic, but if KD’s up for the challenge, there will be no questions about who the MVP was this season.
