NBA Resurrection ???

Feelings of being unsure and worrying about unknowns is becoming all too common, it's hard with so many cultural norms having shifted. Uncertainty is bubbling up everywhere — public health and health care systems are shattering, financial markets nearing collapse and federal government appearing useless — there's so much heavy in the world right now. I need to remember to take a breath, to not be in a hurry.

Maybe this write-up can act as a brief escape from the news, statistics and daily press briefings. Creativity, reading, good music, puzzles, long walks, nature, delicious food, loving your loved ones, and preparing for whatever comes next will help us to focus on what truly matters. Because as O-Ren Ishii so boldly stated, "now's the fxcking time!"

Sports may not be the answer but it can be an elixir, even if we're all watching from home. I miss my favorite soap opera. Will basketball exist in 2020? Plenty of rumors swirl about the NBA returning. I hope there's a way to safely bring games back to life. Below are my thoughts on regular season awards and such. Thanks for checking in. Be safe and do your best.

All NBA

1st Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, James Harden

2nd Team: Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul

3rd Team: Pascal Siakam, Jayson Tatum, Domantas Sabonis, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry

The NBA stipulates that each team be comprised of two forwards, a center, and two guards. Thus my selections may not reflect the 15 "best" guys, but it does reward deserving players while assuaging the positional hooey. Prerequisites aside I favored winning over stats. For instance, a case could be made for Bradley Beal on third team with his robust numbers. I chose leadership and winning by selecting Kyle Lowry for the last guard spot. Lowry's numbers are solid on a Raptor's team with the third most wins. Another close call was whether or not to select Jimmy Butler (20.2pts 6.6rbs 6.1ast). I went with Jayson Tatum (23.6pts 7.1rbs 2.9ast). Tatum played in five more games than Butler plus the Celtics were ahead of the Heat in the standings. Gobert could easily be one of the centers; I rewarded Bam and Sabonis, assuming I can slot Sabonis in at center. I also think it's refreshing to see new names on this list.

COY

1. Nurse (TOR) 2. Donovan (OKC) 3. Jenkins (MEM) 4. Spoelstra (MIA) 5. Vogel (LAL)

This category was tough. My initial notes had eight viable choices. The five above plus Carlisle, Snyder and Stevens. Honestly a case could be made for any of these tacticians. I believe my top two coaches did the most with their rosters, especially when factoring in outside expectations versus on-court results. There was some masterful coaching this year and the talent of those calling the shots goes deeper than my list.

ROY

1. Ja Morant 2. Kendrick Nunn 3. Zion Williamson

Ja Morant as Rookie of the Year was the easiest award to give out. Memphis had the eighth spot out west. Morant draws most of the opposition's attention and Memphis relies on him to produce. I enjoy watching him attack, he's fearless. As amazing as he is athletically he also dissects defenses with his IQ. Ja's ability to make the right reads allows him to hunt opportunities and facilitate simultaneously. Speaking of playoffs, I put Nunn ahead of Zion because he started in 62 games for a Heat team that would have had home court in the first round.

6th Man

1. Dennis Schroder 2. Montrezl Harrell 3. Lou Williams

Schroder played in 63 games this year but started only once. He was on the closing unit that was clutch as hell. The Thunder had five winning basketball players and three of them were point guards. Their crunch-time lineup was winning games, OKC held the five seed. Schroder's numbers are equally impressive to that of the two Clippers and the Thunder have a lot less to work with. Hell, the Clipper's bench could probably grab a playoff spot in the east. This award goes to Dennis Schroder among a deserving list of elite reserves. 

MIP

1. Bam Adebayo 2. Brandon Ingram 3. Luka Doncic 4. Pascal Siakam 5. Malcolm Brogdon

Any one of the top four could win this award. I lean toward Bam and Ingram mostly due to the dramatic leap they took. Not to say that Luka didn't grow by leaps and bounds, he's an MVP threat. Siakam continues to grow his game year after year. How many times can a player win this award? Bam gets most improved in my book. Who had him on an all-NBA team at the start of the year? Adebayo took charge of his own destiny and in doing so he may have become Draymond 2.0. Should anyone doubt Bam's motor, defensive versatility, or play making skills, he'll be the first to shut that shit down. He's a glimpse into the future of the five.

DPOY

1. Anthony Davis (2.4b 1.5s) 2. Giannis 3. Gobert

Davis was the best defender I watched this season. He's a defensive cheat code who excels at erasing mishaps on that side of the ball. Not only is he athletically gifted with size, speed and strength, his instincts are uncanny as well. The economy of motion with which he wreaks havoc is unprecedented at his position. Steals, blocks, rebounds, clamping fools straight up, deterring shots, or being a help defender, the Brow is as good as anyone on the gritty side of the floor. Somehow Davis makes it look pretty.

MVP 

In my mind there were eight worthy candidates for MVP

Giannis - 29.6pts 13.7rbs 5.8ast 31.71 PER (1)

Harden - *34.4pts 6.4rbs 7.4ast 28.39 PER (2)

Davis - 26.7pts 9.4rbs 3.1ast 28.25 PER (3)

Luka - 28.7pts 9.3rbs 8.7ast 27.75 PER (4)

Kawhi - 26.9pts 7.3rbs 5.0ast 26.76 PER (5)

Dame - 28.9pts 4.3rbs 7.8ast 26.25 PER (6)

LeBron - 25.7pts 7.9rbs *10.6ast 26.08 PER (7)

Jokic - 20.2pts 10.2rbs 6.9ast 25.08 PER (8)

You may have noticed these players have the eight highest PER's (a cool coincidence realized after compiling stats). Harden led the NBA in *scoring, LeBron in *assists. I can safely say that these were/are the eight best players this year. Opinions will vary. Valuable became the key word in trimming my list down to five. The five players on my MVP ballot: LeBron, Giannis, Luka, Jokic, Dame.

There's an obvious and valid WTF no Harden argument to be made. His numbers continue to be video game-like. But is his team still his team? Kawhi's omission is due to two factors. First, he played in too few games (51). And second, the Clippers have perhaps the deepest roster and are really good even without him. Leaving Davis off was also difficult. AD leads the Lakers in every major statistical category except assists and is their leader on defense. LeBron's the engine that makes LA go — maybe they poach votes from each other — I went with LeBron.

MVP 

Let's examine the finalists.

LeBron, Giannis, Luka, Jokic & Dame 

Luka's the most unassailable choice other than the top two guys on everyone's list. His numbers are insane as the linchpin of the most potent offense (28.7pts 9.3rbs 8.7ast 27.75 PER). At 21 he's already proven himself to be a gift from the basketball gods. Face it Luka's an assassin, there's no telling how deadly Lone-star will become.

Jokic and the Nuggets had the third best record in the west. Who else takes Denver to these heights, the list would be small? Their roster is nice but it doesn't wow. The Nuggets without Jokic don't make the playoffs, period. That counts for something in my book.

Dame was on fire, as in, he was a human flamethrower unable to be extinguished by opponents. Lillard is probably the single most valuable guy to his team. The Blazers were mired by injuries all season and yet he kept them afloat and only three games out in the win column from the eighth seed. I relish watching Dame unload 35 footers in the face of his defender. He's a leader on and off the court, a good example for youngsters and adults. I was hoping he'd will this team into the playoffs. The Blazers could be mean next year when fully healthy.

Let's be real, the battle for MVP is a two man race. Giannis and LeBron are the only options. Giannis  is a deserving recipient, he had the best numbers on the winningest team.

How many less wins would Milwaukee have if they played in the west? A few things would happen; Milwaukee's point differential would go down, as would their winning percentage, and Giannis would play more minutes to account for a tougher schedule. His numbers could potentially go up in that scenario. It's perfectly fine if Antetokounmpo wins his second straight MVP.

How many more wins would the Lakers have in the east? LeBron's already doing what Giannis is trying to grow into. James controls entire games facilitating offense with maestro-like precision. The Lakers suffer far more when James is on the bench than when Giannis sits for the Bucks. LeBron had the Lakers in prime position to advance through the west. Maybe they'll meet in The Finals. Or maybe not. We might already have all that the NBA is capable of giving us this year. Crown the king. LeBron deserves MVP.

Only in the NBA, 

80choices

NBA 2020 ?

NBA Season Suspended...

This break in the action has already impacted the season. What about seedings? The Playoffs? I feel for the teams that had legitimate shots at winning the title. Meaningless questions really, when there's so much more to worry about. I hope everyone is as precautious as possible. We should all do our best to be safe. I realize sports is just one of many entities undergoing drastic measures to promote well being. With so much on our minds, sometimes a little escapism is okay. The NBA season is suspended yet my mind still gravitates toward hoops. Now the rest of the story.

East: * Bucks, * Raptors , * Celtics, Heat, Pacers, Sixers, (Nets, Magic)
West: * Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Jazz, Thunder, Rockets, Mavericks, (Grizzlies)
* clinched playoff spot | (losing record) | Standings when the season was suspended

Milwaukee was first in the east, but Giannis did suffer a minor knee sprain in the loss to the Lakers? Additional time away would obviously assist his recovery. Any extended break, especially one set to last at least thirty days, or longer, will surely disrupt team flow and continuity. Not just for the Bucks, but for all teams that were vying for the playoffs.

Toronto was second in the east. They, along with the Celtics and Heat, looked primed to challenge for eastern supremacy. Do the Sixers still matter? Sadly, injuries are again derailing success in Philly. Maybe this break will help them heal too. But will any of this even matter? Will the season be restored?

The west was still best. The top seven teams all had at least 40 wins. Two through seven would've been jockeying for position down the stretch. Only four games separated the six teams behind the Lakers in the win column. The six and seven seeds would be Houston and Dallas. Who wants to play either of them in the first round? No one, that's who. That Texas two-step could easily kickstart the playoffs with an upset. Some franchises will be extremely disappointed with first round exits. If there is a first round?

LA looked legit, especially when locked in. They're so physical and long. LeBron's orchestration of the offense bordered near unstoppable, while Davis anchored the defense. Their economy of movement has been fully weaponized. The Lakers had won 13 of their past 17 games. During that stretch they beat Denver, Boston, New Orleans twice, Philly, Milwaukee and Los Angeles. AD exploded for 97 points to go along with 29 rebound in consecutive wins over the Sixers, Bucks and Clippers. LeBron put up 87 and dropped 31 dimes in those same victories, outplaying both Giannis and Kawhi.

Davis and James were gathering some serious steam. Damn. Hopefully this break doesn't break up more than the action. I'm truly bummed for this team considering all that they've endured. They'd proven themselves to be true favorites for the title. How many more years does LeBron have to be the linchpin in pursuing a championship? The Lakers may have been robbed of this season mored than anyone else. As LeBron battles opponents and father time, I believe he has fuel to feed his flames.

LeBron also has a knack for racking up wins against other number one picks. He added two more this year when facing Zion. This generation should savor cutting their teeth against the crown. James is the planetary force of the NBA, the rest are whirring in his orbit. Zion could be next, he's definitely been impressive. But let me be clear, Ja Morant is the Rookie of the Year. He's been an energetic force, fearless and competitive, over a longer stretch of time. He even swiped a win from LeBron. If you come at the king, you best not miss.

Here's to hoping that the king and his men, and all the king's opponents, get their chance on the court. It would be a considerable disappointment if the season were lost entirely. Current circumstances may force us all into missing out on something special. As large social gatherings become forbidden and social distancing is expected, I'm not sure what to expect. But one thing's for sure, I miss basketball.

Be safe,
80choices

NBA 2020 (Visions)

A) Memphis has the best young core in the NBA. Give me Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and duck duck Brooks, over any other youth-filled roster. Their front office is not only drafting talented players, but assembling a roster that works in orchestra together. If given the opportunity, this is the team with the most long-term upside. Hell, they're a playoff contending team  right now, albeit in a weaker than expected battle for the West's final playoff spot. Still, the Grizzlies play a Western Conference schedule.

Memphis has a nice pace to their offense, while also fitting it to their talent. The youngsters also go hard at opposition. Coach Taylor Jenkins is both taking advantage of his own opportunity, and installing a competent brand of philosophies on both sides of the ball. Utilizing young player's gifts and skills is no easy task. They've assembled a roster that fits, while also creating units that showcase versatility on defense. The new Grizz have begun sharpening their claws. (Side note: Outlets backed by Disney or HBO may have beat me to this, but I swear this has been in my draft folder for over a week. I know, bad on me. I am but one man. A man who loves hoops.) 

B) For as good as OKC and Indiana are, both owners of winning records, I don't see either pushing their way into The Finals. Billy Donovan's a good coach who's finally able to showcase his ideas. The Thunder play smart, especially down the stretch of games in large part due to Chris Paul. OKC plays hard, team-first basketball, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is legit.

McMillan's another coach putting in work. Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis have really grown this year as players, both are performing at all star levels. These two teams play the right way. Maybe they do have a shot. Which leads me to this, are we sure we know who will make The Finals?

Most eyes are on LA. Milwaukee's path is still easier. What about Denver? Can Houston pull a rocket out of their ass? What if Utah's the dark horse we thought they were coming into the season? Can't Dallas represent the West with a top five player? Is Boston a David in plain sight? Why can't Toronto once fully healthy return to The Finals? Is Philly really this bad, or can the Sixers flip the switch? Why not Miami? That's what 82 games and three playoff rounds are for.

C) Is Erik Spoelstra the best coach in the NBA and the most underrated? Sure he has Pat Riley in the background pulling strings and dropping rings. But the two of them seem to work in concert with one another. They draft properly (Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro), spot diamonds in the rough (Kendrick Nunn), and target the correct high-end talent (Jimmy Butler). All players who mesh well within the culture of working hard and doing it the Heat way. Miami holds multi-million dollar athletes accountable. They also sometimes fleece teams. Getting rid of Whiteside and bringing in Meyers Leonard, another hard working, team-first player, helped to facilitate the acquisition of Butler. From the front office down to the bench, this team knows who they are.

The Heat do many things well; they play team ball, they buy-in on offense and defense, and more importantly, they play hard while playing to their strengths. Miami has guys who will go to war on the basketball court, guys with fire in their bellies—with the exception of Dion Waiters, who's a total imbecile. I'm intrigued to see how far this group can go in the playoffs.

D) Will there be any major trades made? Does a contender make a splash or wait for the buyout market? Does a team like Portland, who had extremely high expectations go all in, or just play out the season? What about the three-way battle between the Blazers, Spurs, and Grizzlies for the eighth spot? Memphis still has Iguodala to use as bait. Which really bad team, if any, will sell its parts? I'm looking at you Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, NY, Minnesota, Phoenix, Sacramento, and possibly Orlando. Whether or not trades will be made, they certainly spice things up. Only in the NBA!

80choices

NBA Qtr. Mrk.

Spicy Nugs are still available in the NBA. Certain players have been on fire; Dončić, Dame, Giannis, AD and LeBron. Other squads will soon decide on whether or not to tinker with the recipe. Secrets will be shared and trades will be made. What will teams do as the trade date approaches?

Spicy Nuggets (aka hot takes)

1. Luka Lone Star is the best young star. He already shoots and passes better than Giannis, and he's younger than any other guy you'd build around. Luka sees plays and makes passes on an elite level, reminiscent of LeBron. It's one thing to see a pass and another thing to make it. It's an entirely different pass altogether when delivered on time and on target. Hell, only a few players in the league can even make those type of reads and he's one of them. Not only does he make plays, he makes other players better.

2. Milwaukee's the best team in the east, but I'm not confident they make The Finals. Giannis is relying on his physical tools. His numbers are even more insane than last year. He may still need to refine his skills (i.e. dribble, pass, shoot), but Giannis dominates like a young Shaq who can handle the ball. Antetokounmpo undoubtedly has that killer mentality. His infectious pursuit, limitless effort and transcendent ability courses through the rest of the roster. The Bucks play extremely hard. He rubs off on them. They don't want to let him down. Their style of play doesn't tend to translate in the playoffs. Giannis probably still needs help, or maybe he doesn't. Could the Bucks make a trade without pissing off Antetokounmpo? 

3. The Blazers make a big trade. Whiteside, and sadly Bazemore, are the obvious choices with their salaries and expiring contracts. But what if the front office gets real spicy and explores the market for CJ? They should call Cleveland for Thompson, not Love. Then they should call Minnesota and ask about Covington. Maybe target Gordon in Orlando. Let me be clear, I'd prefer to keep CJ. However, if the Blazers could truly get better, I'd contemplate moving him.

CJ, Bazemore and Whiteside have salaries that total $71.5 million. For that much money anything is possible within the NBA trade world. To put that into perspective, Aaron Gordon, Robert Covington and Tristan Thompson total $50 million. Portland could trade Bazemore for Gordon straight up, the money matches. Another scenario could net the Blazers Thompson and Cedi Osman in exchange for Whiteside. Or they could try to pry Covington from Minnesota. The front office in Portland needs to explore deeper than Love and Aldridge. Everyone mentions those two players, though neither are what they need. They blew up their roster this summer, they could reset it again before the trade deadline.

Another option is for the Trailblazers to go small as I've noted before. Little should start due to his energy and size on defense. He literally flies around. Simons needs to get more run too. I want the coaching staff to get creative on offense and potentially make some hard choices in terms of their defensive schemes as well. Rip City could benefit from a shot in the arm. Portland has nine wins in large part because they have Dame. Unleash a lineup of Lillard, McCollum, Little, Melo and Simons. When they need a big call upon Skal. Run opponents into the ground and battle on defense with a more switch heavy scheme. Nurkić and Collins are obviously missed, and now Hood (DAMN). May the Force be with you.

4. For as much as Ben Simmons can do, he can't shoot. At all. For someone so athletic he looks uncoordinated. His game has remained too raw for too long. He's not a max guy. I'm less inclined to care about his plus/minus regardless of what those numbers suggest. Watch the game. Philly better come to grips with the fact that Simmons and Embiid are far from being a harmonious fit.  

5. Jaylen Brown > Jason Tatum. Jaylen has a higher on-court-IQ and a better feel for the game. He also has more internal grit and fire. As the rest of the NBA gushes over Tatum's potential, I'll ride with Brown. He appears less burdened by distractions. After all, he's an incredibly smart chess player who has his ego in check.

MVP: Antetokounmpo, Davis, Dončić, Harden, James (alphabetical)

Load Management, 

80Choices

NBA | Round 2

Blazers

Rip City put forth a strong team effort to even their series with Denver. In a night where Dame scored far less than is now expected of him, six Blazers scored in double figures, paced by McCollum's 20 points on 20 shots. CJ did have his mid range, herky-jerky jumpers and floaters going, thank god. He also led the team with six assists. It was indicative of a squad that just wanted to win. The most important stat is not a number, but rather a letter. Every playoff team is trying to avoid an L and Portland just chalked up a big W on the road. Sixteen big wins is what these guys are playing for.

A potential question surrounding the Trailblazers prior to game two may have been, who will help in scoring the ball other than Lillard? Dame's been an almost lock to score 30 and dish 6. Where were the other roughly 70 points going to come from? Well, in a game in which neither team hit a hundred, and the man who wears 0 only scored 14, the other Blazers scored 83. I guess my concerns were squelched. Kanter shooting over 50% helped Portland. Also interesting was the distribution of shots. The Blazers do need to box out with much more tenacity moving forward. Defense ends once you rebound the ball. 

Aminu played way better in game two on the offensive end and provided his normal glue guy intangibles. Harkless played limited minutes, he rolled his ankle pretty badly, yet still contributed. Rodney Hood played outstanding on both sides of the ball. He hit big shots that stabilized the second unit with productive and timely scoring. Hood also had a number of memorable defensive moments, including three blocks. 

I'll continue to monitor Al and Mo's willingness to take and make more jumpers, especially quick-window threes, where they need to have fast triggers. As the Nuggets load up on Dame and CJ out top in the screen and roll action, it's imperative that the Blazers take advantage of the four on three action once the ball has been kicked, especially if it results in a swing-it three. Also, Dame is a master of the late game drive and kick. His shooting ability opens up the drive, his ability to finish inside causes the defense to collapse, which signals Lillard to pass it to the corner shooters. It happened again last night as it did against OKC. As the defense ratchets up it'll be the more balanced team that perseveres. Portland also has the two best shot makers in the series, which is nice luxury to have as possessions slow down and the shot clock becomes a factor.

Is it fair to think of this match up as the battle to be The People's Champ? I mean, who wants to cheer for those other two teams in the west vying to be the bitchiest. Did you happen to see what Lillard said about pressure? The series is knotted up as it heads back to Portland. Rip City is ready to get lit for their favorite squad. I look forward to Friday night in the Rose Quarter.  

Nuggets

Jokić and his mile high men lost home court as they now travel to Oregon. Some interesting tidbits to think about while watching a point guard in the body of a not-so-chiseled center. First off, Nikola has more touches than anyone else in the playoffs, wow. Second, he's the assist man on the two top assist duos in the playoffs, as Murray and Harris benefit most from his genius level passing. Did you see him nutmeg Al? I'm also amazed by the plethora of ways in which he scores: off the bounce, at the elbow, catch and shoot, pick and pop, top of the circle threes, show and goes, mid post, low post, etc. He's such an enigma; there's nobody else who plays like him, let alone is built like him. As he ages into his body with a better diet and training regiment, look out. Just not this year Joker.

The B*tching Hour

Harden got got by the refs in game one. Then he got got by an eye rake from Draymond in game two. It's tough being an MVP not named Curry or Durant. What would happen if Steph was taking all of those "landing zone" fouls? Remember, his ankles are aided by the ligaments of cadavers. Quick aside, is anyone else tired of the antics and constant bitching in this series? On the other hand, there's truth to the notion that the Rockets are foul hunting instead of taking shots to make them. Maybe Houston should just try to beat the opponent rather than scheme the analytics. On to the Death Star.

Draymond is no longer fun to watch, even though he's a basketball Swiss Army Knife. He literally goes ballistic on refs like no one else in the league and should get booted from way more games. Iguodala has been the darling of metrics for his defense for quite some time now. I've watched him ample times over the past five years and here's my take. He's been gifted so many non-calls that it boggles the mind. He acts as though he's never fouled anyone, ever, every time he commits a foul. He's such a handsy player who also tends to be more flat-footed than most other "elite" defenders. I'm so over his bickering shrugs and ego-tripping flybys when he miraculously hits a three pointer because he's so wide open he could have had a ham sandwich and a soda to wash it down. He sure doesn't act a fool when he misses his fair share of lunch-break-jumpers. I too wish I could catch lobs from Green once he corrals the ball and dashes toward the lane after some screening action with Steph has left those two defenders orbiting around Curry, while the other two non-action defenders are instructed to stay attached to KD and Klay on the perimeter, leaving Dray and Iggy with a two on one at the rim. 

Last but not least, the arrogant nonsense showcased by Curry after his makes and sometimes even when he misses, pisses me off. It's one thing to celebrate a big shot, it's far less classy when showing off so frequently. Just imagine what he would've done had he made a series clinching dagger. Act like you've done it before. Act like the superlative star you are said to be. Because I for one am not a fan. Their collective sportsmanship is nearly nonexistent on the court. Unfortunately, those are not the role modeling antics I want young hoopers to be absorbing. Save your retinas the pain. Down with the Dark Side.

Back East

It's Milwaukee's east to lose, unless Boston wins. I think the Bucks playing at their best, is the best of those remaining back east. However they're unproven and their ultimate Grecian weapon is a shaky shooter, which allows the defense to sag tremendously and pack the paint when needed. The other Bucks showed up in game two, hitting a franchise record number of threes in a playoff game. Giannis can be unstoppable at times, yet Horford and the C's do as good a job as any defending him. The Bucks sorely miss the utility that Brogdon once afforded them, both as a creator who can make shots, and as defender. If Milwaukee isn't hitting threes, they're in trouble. 

Boston is like a box of chocolates. It's never a good thing when inconsistency is the constant. I was flummoxed by Kyrie's lackluster performance in game two. I'm not sure who has the best player in the series. Is it Kyrie or Giannis? Antetokounmpo is the most complete player on both ends of the floor, but Kyrie's a shot making magician who can also hit game winners when the onion sack is on the butcher block. I truly don't know which team will prevail, no one does, as neither team has grabbed control of the series yet. I expect this to go at least six, if not seven, only time will tell.  

Philadelphia and Toronto are Beyond Thunderdome. Kawhi's been the best player in the series, but Philly might have the next three or four best players on the court after Leonard. I love me some Pascal Siakam, but this is the first time he's had to be one of the guys. Siakam lit it up in game one, then the Sixers went back to the lab and made proper adjustments. I'm starting to waver on Lowry, this is just too many years in a row now, his game doesn't seem to translate well in the playoffs. He's still a fierce competitor and a good team defender. Marc Gasol cannot be so unengaged on offense and his defense has been a little less than. Toronto has some inefficiencies to correct.

The Raptors bench was supposed to be an asset, it hasn't looked that way so far. Philly has made some nice adjustments and actually went deeper into their bench surprisingly. The playoffs remind us that extra minutes that went to role players during the regular season, often go to the best players during the second season. With that being said, who is going to help Kawhi stave off the 76ers? Jimmy Buckets has reappeared and his name is not James. The east has my attention.

Only in the NBA,

eightychoices.

NBA | The Second Season

Lights, cameras, action, the NBA's second season is set to kickoff on Saturday, April 13th. First round match ups are looking like a blood bath out west in the varsity conference. Back east there appears to be two good battles early on, as Brooklyn faces Philadelphia and Indiana plays Boston. The second season is upon us. To the victor goes the spoils. Here's to hoping someone spoils it for the Death Star.

The West: The Western Conference is going to be a gauntlet. What sort of damage would the Spurs or Clippers wreak if they were in the east? The reward for LA is a series with the defending champs. San Antonio gets to travel to the Mile High City, where they will try to Popovich the feel-good Nuggets. I don't think the Clippers will win, but they will make it tough. In the event the Clip-joint do the impossible, kudos to them for reverse jinxing the Death Star after they wore the "we believe" jerseys at Oracle's finale. A team with three all-world players plus Green and Iggy, shouldn't wear anything that suggests underdog status. With that said, Doc Rivers has no love for Golden State and will most likely encourage a tribal ritual to further their chances. Good luck LA, I'm pulling for you. San Antonio on the other hand has a real shot in my opinion. They have all the pedigree and experience. Maybe Pop's squad can muster some early magic and advance to the second round against a two seed with very little experience. 

Two of the most interesting series are out west. The three six is gonna be fire. The bad news for my newest hometown team is that their diligence in securing a home seed brings them an opponent that swept them in the regular season. I'm a big Dame fan and he's one of the more unstoppable pick and roll maestros in the NBA. The flip side is OKC's defense, and if locked in, it can be smothering to say the least. Oklahoma has its own worries, George's shoulder, Westbrook's jumper, and their lack of outside shooting. I'll be pulling for Rip City regardless of my affinity for Westbrook and PG. I think the winner of this series ends up in the western conference finals. I wish the Blazers were whole, maybe "can't play Kanter" can fill the void left by Nurk's injury (if not, hello Collins). Portland's the deeper team with a solid second unit; Lil Curry, Hood, ET, and Collins can bring it. Dame and CJ versus Russ and PG should be good. Rip City was ready for a run, please basketball gods, look favorably upon the Trailblazers. This series, as well as Houston versus Utah, have the potential to be an all out slug fest.

Houston hosting Utah has the makings of a fiery feud, having faced each other last year in the second round only adds fuel to their fire. Differing playing styles will wage war during this series. I'm not sure which team has the better chance to upset the Death Star, probably Houston, but these two teams are both capable of clashing with the champs. You could easily argue that these are two of the hottest teams entering the playoffs. I'll be rooting for the Jazz, hopefully they can score enough, but there's part of me that feels like Harden is on a mission. The Rockets were a hamstring away in last year's western conference finals. The 3 through 6 seeds comprise the teams I thought could challenge Golden State. It's really any body's guess as to who will survive the first round. The Dark Side has to be the runaway favorite, duh. Will the west be represented by someone other than Golden State? Maybe the unthinkable can happen.

The East: There seems to be less drama in the east regardless of the dreamy potential for a chalked filled second round. The fact that a non-LeBron team will be represented in The Finals for the first time since 2010 adds some gusto to the journey. Honestly though, I expect chalk to win out. There are two teams that could play eraser. Philly will get all it can handle from Brooklyn, especially if they start the playoffs with Embiid in street clothes. I've wrote it before, the 76ers could be the biggest threat to the western conference champ (or the Raptors), assuming it's the Death Star. The big what if is Embiid's knee. If Joel is his normal destroying self, Philly should smash. However, if he isn't 100 the Sixers could get got by the Nets. Philadelphia has trouble containing crafty guards. That's exactly what Brooklyn throws at it's opponents. D'Angelo Russell has been trending seriously upwards, he's got game. Brooklyn's loaded with perimeter players who are multi-positional, both on offense and defense. Their spread, off-the-top attacking offense could spell trouble for Philly, especially sans Joel. And another thing, I think Brooklyn has the better coach if it comes down to that. I think the 76ers  should win, just don't be surprised if they get upset.

When Indiana lost home court to the Celtics it probably sealed their fate. This will still be a gritty contest between teams who trend differently in more than one way. Boston possesses talent and depth, while Indiana has heart, effort and camaraderie. Which will win out? I'll go with green. It's too bad Oladipo got hurt and the Pacers fell to the 5th spot. The other eastern series should be chalk. I'd be dumbstruck if Milwaukee or Toronto lose in the first round. Giannis is ready to ruin the east, he's wired differently and his only friends wear the same jersey. I expect the Bucks to come out clicking.

MVP: Giannis or Harden, Harden or Giannis? The debate will linger far beyond the presentation of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, that I'm sure of. Who's the more deserving candidate—a question that has two answers? The bummer is, one irreplaceable and transcendent star is going to be left empty handed. Antetokounmpo is the anti-Hollywood superstar who can do everything on both sides of floor, a gift to the NBA, a young man with humble roots, who's abilities are limitless. He has jettisoned Milwaukee to the best record and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Giannis played in 72 games and averaged nearly 28 points, 12.5 rebounds and 6 assists. His 30.9 PER and WS of 14.4 are eye-popping. Did I mention he's also a force on defense.

James Harden is an offense by himself. Say what you will, but the Beard just averaged 36.1 points per game, plus 7.5 assists (most of those assists are three pointers, the others are lob dunks and layups). Doing a little on-the-fly math, I came up with 19, those are the points/game that Harden generates via assist. That means he's accounting for, at minimum, 55 points per game. That's an all time number. He's a supernova on offense and single handily kept Houston in the mix for a top four seed. James averaged 36.1points, 7.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds over the course of 78 games. His PER was 30.6 and he had a WS of 15.2. Did I mention he totaled 2,818 points this year!

This will be one of those years where we actually have two supremely viable candidates for MVP. You can look at my rundown of predictions for awards here. I'm still leaning towards Harden, but damn if Giannis' game against Philly didn't make me think twice. Giannis does it on both ends, James is a cheat code meant to disrobe defenses, each is immensely valuable to their team. Is it who's better, or who's more valuable? Either way it's a difficult decision. 

All-NBA: Low and behold, I had to rejigger my selections a bit for the All-NBA team. Here goes...

1st team: Harden, Dame, Giannis, PG, Jokic

2nd: Curry, Beal, Durant, Blake, Gobert

3rd: Kyrie, Westbrook, LeBron, Kawhi, Embiid

The playoffs have been injected with some new blood. Whether we make predictions with our head or with our hearts, this should be fun to watch. I'll try and revisit some topics of interest as the playoffs unfold. Buckle up, the second season is about to begin!

Only In the NBA,

eightychoices.

NBA | Break

All Star Weekend | Charlotte, NC |

NBA All Star weekend has come and gone, and with it, some post-trade deadline laundry was aired out (Anthony Davis needs to be more tactful for his own sake and more mindful of the worker employer dynamic). I thought Diallo's repertoire of dunks were awesome. The three point shootout continues to be the best event, perhaps of the entire weekend. Who knew Joe Harris would take down the elder Curry? Then came the actual game in which Team LeBron fought back to win. The third quarter push with Dame and Klay was fun to watch. The fourth quarter was pretty good too, especially that final lineup of Bron, Kyrie, Harden, Dame and KD. Yikes! The only way that five didn't score was if they missed. Durant lead his team in scoring and was awarded his second All Star MVP. There were subplots for the rumor mill as well, the Kyrie KD whispers make me smile.

As the Association gears up for the last third or so of the season, I wanted to touch on a few topics before games begin again after the break. Below are some hoop thoughts bouncing in my mind.

Eastern Conference

The East is a top heavy foursome, sorry Pacers. Watching how the top seeds in the east shuffle into the playoffs is the second most fascinating storyline as the regular season winds down. More on the most fascinating in a bit. Two to three of these teams will go into the off season supremely disappointed. Their reward for the blood bath battle that will be the second round in the East, and then the ECF. Trying to predict which teams will enter the off season licking unsolved wounds, is anybodies guess. There will be some who will immediately try and rearm themselves, hey Danny Ainge! Either way, it's probably safe to assume that these teams will look different come next year. Maybe even the team that does make The Finals will reshape their roster depending on how their mission went to upset the Death Star. All scenarios are possible.

What is known, is that teams are going for it, just look at the trades made before the deadline. Certain trades in particular reflect the gravity of the post-LeBron era in the Eastern Conference: Gasol to Toronto, Mirotic to Milwaukee and Harris to Philadelphia. The tea leaves tell me that all four teams believe it's possible for them to make The Finals. I'll say this, I wouldn't be surprised by any combination of Philly, Boston, Toronto or Milwaukee in the ECF. I personally believe that the Celtics or Sixers are the only two who could give the Death Star something to worry about. 

MVP's

James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George, That's it...

Next two: Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard

RIP CITY

The Trailblazers are a dark horse threat to take down the Death Star. Rip City and OKC are the two teams out west I think can add some intrigue to the playoffs. It's time the Blazers got some more ink, or at least some more keystrokes. Dame gives the guards in Oakland trouble, he's like Kyrie in that fashion. He has no fear and is a threat from anywhere on the court to score. Al-Farouq Aminu plays hard and will make Durant work. Collins, Layman, Hood and Harkless all have different abilities offensively, and yet they possess enough size and athleticism to compete on defense as well. Plus they all kind of play with an attitude that could give two shits about the all time greatest team from the Bay. Nurkic can at least bang on Boogie and do some high screen and roll, making Cousins work on defense is ideal. Mix in some serious CJ playing out of his gourd, and we could have some drama in the west. There's no easy way to upend the champs, but teams with heart, chemistry and a known system stand a better chance than most. Rip City believes in Rip City.

LA LA LAnd

The NBA hasn't had a playoffs without LeBron since 2005. Think about that. Other than his first two years, he's always made the tournament. That's 13 straight years not counting this Lakers pursuit. Each time he's advanced to the second round at minimum. Nine of his 16 years has seen him competing in The Finals. Whether or not LeBron can get these Lakers into the playoffs, is now the most fascinating story in the NBA. Nothing else is as remotely interesting as how the Lakers regular season unfolds. 

LeBron and the Lakers have 25 games to right a shit ton of wrongs. Not only will he have to play at an MVP level, he may have to broker a peace deal. A negotiation that may, or may not, go over so well with those who were named in the trade. He will then have to motivate this same group as well. It sounds like a lot, because it is. This is the Western Conference, the path he chose. I have faith in him, he's overcome incredible obstacles before, but this one's pretty sticky. There may be a reason the saying is, go west young man. Until proven otherwise, I'll stick with LeBron. Besides, as much as I love Fox and what the Kings are doing in Sacramento, LeBron's capable of catching them and the Clippers. Whether or not he will is the million dollar question. If he can pull them to the seven spot in order to avoid the Dark Side in the first round, that would be herculean. Or maybe it's LeBron-like.

Luka Lone Star

Luka did Houston. His tour continues. The Force is strong in him. Only in the NBA.

eightychoices.