Basketball from a fan perspective

The best NBA team (on paper)---Questions have been raised since the exit of the Clippers from the playoffs, racing to a 3 games to 1 lead the Clippers managed to lose their series versus the Nuggets.  How and why did this occur, were the Nuggets a better team or were there other factors?  At least one of those other “factors” may have been a rupture beneath the surface manifesting itself once the playoffs began. 

The Athletic website claims there were problems between veteran Clipper players and Kawhi Leonard.  It was alleged Leonard received special treatment by the departed Doc Rivers.  One of the issues, Leonard’s residence was in San Diego his childhood home.  It was stated Leonard was always late for games home or away prior to the pandemic.  He would be tardy for flight departures and accommodations were made for Leonard. Drive time between Los Angeles and San Diego is about 2 hours, this fails to consider in several instances there might be traffic related issues. 

So, you get the picture with travel as for play Leonard was in action for 57 of the team’s 72 game total, the missing games were not injury related rather “load management.”  Others claimed the Clippers never gained any cohesiveness with Leonard and Paul George missing countless numbers of games.  Tyronn Lue and staff have a job in front of them, not an impossible undertaking but one that will require communication between a star player and coaching staff. 

Money---This is no connection to the 1981 hit tune by Pink Floyd although it references money…NBA money.  Chase Center cost $1.4 billion to construct when it opened in 2019, can we imagine the cost of the Inglewood Clippers Arena in 2024?  Could it possibly top $2 billion, probably depends on the amenities included?  Knicks owner James Dolan claims he is interested in selling the team if the right owner (money) comes along.   

With a reported worth north of $4 billion what do we suppose the amount Dolan would entertain?  As this is written we have no idea the $$ amount the Lakers intend to pay Anthony Davis, with AD being a key to the championship will there be a blank check sat in front of him?  The last portion of the 2019-20 season was a loser at the box office, NBA teams are likely drowning in red ink.  We probably will never know the figure.  Finally consider this tidbit, I read an article which sounded feasible to a non-math person like me.  The NBA might benefit financially from expansion, interesting.  

G.O.A.T.---I say and often don’t follow through on my intentions, I inform you the reader a particular thing or issue will not be discussed.  Guilty, I plead to the charge because I’ve found myself back on that street.  This is my intention, you become the judge if I stick to the plan.  Since the NBA Championship was won LeBron has one more MVP and one more championship with one more team. 

The talk begins again is the greatest of all time Michael Jordan or LeBron or someone else.  We really have no effective method to resolve this matter.  We exercise our lips or our laptops but that’s about all.  Athletes playing in different eras impossible to compare, we have even seen Bill Russell’s championships discounted.  So here it ends for me, I will attempt to refrain from discussions of this nature.   

Where are we…. ---About the only NBA date to this point set in stone is the NBA Draft.  Exactly how it will be conducted is unclear, this we know it will be held November 18 exactly one month from this date.  This draft is a mystery to someone who’s followed the NBA for several years.  We know the names we just don’t know the order so standby for a few surprises.  This is a true statement, one of the mock draft sites had picks 1-10 correctly all not in order but you get the point here.  Anthony Edwards Georgia shooting guard has probably spent the most time at number one but even he’s not a lock. 

We’ve seen LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman and even Deni Avdija from Israel at number one.  To date we’ve read no assessment of the 2020 draft by the experts, is it weak, is it strong or somewhere in the middle.  Even the rating might not be fair if we take into consideration several rookies must adjust.  There are cases of a struggling rookie year and a burst out sophomore or third year.  We could make a case for Heat forward Bam Adebayo who came on strong in the 2019-20 season, especially in the playoffs.  As for the structure of the draft it will likely follow the path laid out by the NFL in their draft, it will be remote with Adam Silver and Mark Tatum deputy NBA Commissioner in place.  The athletes will likely be at home, a hotel room, or some other facility.