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I don’t are inclined to get jealous of anyone’s success or the issues they’ve, however that adjustments once I see Jimmy Butler’s wine cellar.
We Want Stability! A WNBA-inspired NBA playoff repair?
What occurs if Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and the remainder of the Spurs’ younger guys are a .500 or higher group this season? Assuming relative well being within the Western Convention, we’re 13 groups competing for 10 spots. That’s wild! We have now the ten groups from final season plus a Houston group that’s seeking to take an enormous step ahead, Memphis is wholesome and an issue for anybody, and possibly this Spurs group.
If you look over on the East, there are eight groups will belong. It’s the precise eight groups we noticed within the postseason final 12 months. Detroit, Washington, Charlotte, Brooklyn and Toronto will nonetheless be dangerous. Chicago is heading towards youth reasonably than substance for the time being. And we’re nonetheless ready for Atlanta to take issues extra significantly. However alas, somebody must fill out final two Play-In spots within the East.
As I watch the WNBA playoffs, which don’t observe convention seedings (the league solely has 12 groups presently), it makes me a bit of wistful for the concept of the NBA following one thing related. Because the league has revamped issues with the NBA Cup and the Play-In Event, possibly that is one thing for Adam Silver and firm to discover once more.
The East is never pretty much as good because the West in relation to depth of nice groups, and the imbalance is changing into extra pronounced this season. Right here is my half-baked concept of easy methods to repair the playoff format:
For those who end within the prime six of your convention, you’re in.
The eight groups with the perfect information exterior of these prime six in every convention can be relegated to Play-In Event standing to take part in a extra strong Play-In format.
The group with the perfect document of the eight would face the one with worst document, and so forth, in a single-elimination format.
So utilizing final season for example, your Play-In squads and brackets can be:
First spherical of (1) New Orleans towards (8) Chicago, (2) Philly towards (7) Houston, (3) Lakers towards (6) Sacramento and (4) Miami towards (5) Golden State. Let’s simply say the upper seed received every sport.
New Orleans then performs Miami. Philadelphia performs Los Angeles.
Winners get the No. 7 seed. Higher regular-season document will get to remain of their convention with tiebreakers in case of the identical document. Losers get the No. 8 seed with higher document staying of their convention.
In the end, is that this the perfect concept for the way this factor ought to play out? Perhaps not! Let me predict some gripes:
It may very well be spun as an overreaction to a robust West 12 months. I’d argue it’s nearer to this imbalance most of the time, although.
You possibly can argue this extends the Play-In Event longer than it must be. Perhaps we simply put the dang factor in Vegas or at a impartial website so we are able to make it faster?
You possibly can argue it ruins the East-West format the league loves. Solely a bit of! Perhaps by no means? We’ll see.
This received’t occur. However we are able to dream, can’t we?
Scott Wachter / Imagn Photographs
Welcome Again, Sophomores! Three to like, three to observe and three to fret about
They are saying that three is a fortunate quantity, and that so many issues within the stability of life occur in threes. Thoughts, physique and soul. Huge three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Demise, taxes and the Wonderful Sladek making me tremendous nervous throughout a halftime present. I additionally love the concept of checking in on issues in threes. This 12 months, we’ll be doing fairly a little bit of prime three, center three, backside three once we focus on the NBA. What higher technique to kick that off than three sophomores we love, three sophomores we’re watching intently and three sophomores we’re a bit of apprehensive about?
Three to like ❤️
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: We’re obsessed. Perhaps you’re already sick of the Wemby hype and take into account it hyperbole. Recover from it. He’s actual and he’s spectacular. I’ll imagine any state of affairs you throw at me. Wemby took the Spurs to the playoffs in Yr 2 and made the convention finals? Positive. Wemby averaged a quadruple-double? I purchase it. He defeated an alien invasion by himself? Write the script!
Chet Holmgren, Thunder: Holmgren was overshadowed by Wemby fairly a bit final season, which is loopy contemplating how good Holmgren was. He averaged 16.5 factors per sport with a 63.2 true capturing proportion, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a couple of.3 blocks? GTFOH. These are absurd numbers. He and Wemby are the one rookies to document 100 blocks and 100 3-pointers.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., Warmth: #HeatCulture was a bit of shaky final season, however Jaquez provides it loads of hope. I believe he’s already the third-best participant on the group at 23, and I’d count on his exterior shot to return round. The Warmth want his greatest all season lengthy, which is quite a bit to placed on a younger participant.
Three to observe 👀
Dereck Vigorous II, Mavs: He’s going to compete for a beginning spot. Whether or not he will get it or not, Vigorous has already proven he can have an enormous influence on the court docket. What else can he do? Will he be extra of an offensive risk? Can he be dependable on the line? Can he play-make extra because the roll man?
Brandon Miller, Hornets: I’m attempting to be open-minded in regards to the short-term way forward for the Hornets as a result of there’s a complete new regime. The No. 2 decide in 2023 was superior as a rookie, overshadowed by the bigs. It’s not solely on him, however how can he result in extra wins?
Brandin Podziemski, Warriors: Is Podz going to begin on the capturing guard this season? Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton make this a crowded backcourt. How does Podz proceed to carve out his function?
Three to fret about 😟
Scoot Henderson, Blazers: An especially disappointing rookie season ought to both gas him to make nice strides this 12 months or harm his confidence tremendously. I’m hoping for the previous as a result of he’s a enjoyable prospect.
Jarace Walker, Pacers: He barely performed as a rookie and the Pacers may actually use his protection subsequent to Myles Turner. If the 21-year-old can’t carve out minutes towards Obi Toppin, or play on the wing, then what?
Gradey Dick, Raptors: When the Raptors tanked the ultimate quarter of the season, Gradey scored OK (12.1), shot OK (41.5/35.1/80.8) and performed important minutes (29.9). How a lot will he be on the court docket if Toronto is wholesome?
Flashback Friday: The 1994 Nuggets made all people imagine in miracles
The passing of Dikembe Mutombo this week introduced again a ton of nostalgia for his spectacular and eventful profession. I believe most individuals’s introduction to him within the NBA was in the course of the 1994 playoffs. Denver had rebuilt for 3 years and was again within the playoffs as a 42-40 eighth-seed. It was a enjoyable, full of life squad. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was a bucket. Robert Pack was a degree guard with a flat prime frequently dunking on massive males. LaPhonso Ellis, Bryant Stith, Reggie Williams, Bison Dele (then generally known as Brian Williams) and Rodney Rogers rounded out that rotation as all of them surrounded Mt. Mutombo.
Regardless of how enjoyable they had been, they had been going up towards the unattainable — the 63-19 top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics. Second-best offense within the league. Third-best protection. Trying to win the West and stamp themselves as contenders and champions. They had been speculated to make fast work of the Nuggets in Spherical 1 earlier than dealing with Utah within the second spherical. They usually took the primary two video games of the best-of-five sequence. Finished deal? Not so quick.
The Nuggets dominated Sport 3 at dwelling behind 31 factors from Reggie Williams and a 19-point, 13-rebound, six-block efficiency from Mutombo. They went to time beyond regulation in Sport 4 and received once more behind 27 and 17 from Ellis with Mutombo getting 10 factors, 16 boards and eight blocks. However going again to Seattle for the decisive Sport 5 was supposed to finish Denver’s season.
Denver did the unimaginable. They took the sequence behind one other eight-block efficiency and time beyond regulation victory to drag off the primary eight over one upset in NBA historical past. Seattle was shocked. The NBA was dumbfounded. And Mutombo set the document for many blocks in a five-game sequence (31) whereas giving us this iconic second as the sport ended.
Relaxation in Energy, Dikembe.
Bounce Passes
Dan Brown went behind the scenes of Steph Curry’s “marathon” media day.
James L. Edwards III and Jon Krawczynski have an early take a look at the second likelihood between the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Cities and Tom Thibodeau.
Most-clicked in yesterday’s publication: John Hollinger’s take a look at 5 groups he thinks will fall in need of expectations.
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(Prime photograph: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Photographs)
