Basketball from a fan’s perspective

130-109

The headline above represents the final score as the Pacers at MSG smoked the Knicks. My friend was wrong on Thursday, the Knicks definitely needed more than the trio from Villanova. All 5 starters for the Pacers scored in double figures with Miles Turner being the low man with his 17 points. The visitors shot a sizzling 67.1% from the floor and a scorching 68.8% from the three line. The only downside for the Pacers the anemic 68.8% they shot from the free throw line.

The poor shooting from the line is the only negative that can be communicated about the Pacers and their effort in this game. As for the Knicks prepare yourself for the aftermath. New York City being the media capital of the world we’ll hear plenty of wailing and gnashing of teeth for the next 2-3 weeks. He who shall not be named will be the leader of the pack, he will call for everyone associated with the front office be fired, he will have several players traded and will name their replacements. In any event the Pacer organization, the coach and players are to be congratulated for their hard-fought victory over the Knicks. They must now prepare to face Jayson Tatum and the Celtics for the Eastern Conference crown.

They are knocking on the door

Rest assured fans of the Thunder awoke Sunday morning with a playoff “hangover.” They were disappointed their team came up short in the game against the Mavs. On Saturday they lost against the Mavs 117-116 and the series 4 games to 2 just about as close as can be. I certainly cannot guarantee anything however “The Future Looks So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” My apologies I had to use the line from the 1986 rock classic by TImbuck 3 but everything looks good in OKC.

They have the 2024 NBA Coach of the Year in Mark Daigneault, the leadership of SGA, Chet Holmgren and a host of other positives Thunder fans can point toward. GM Sam Presti remains in place, he the assembler of talent through the draft or trade. The past problem for the Thunder has been retaining the talent acquired. In addition there is a new arena on the horizon for the team, it will not be completed by next season yet is closer now than it was a short 7-9 months ago. Yes, the future does appear quite bright in OKC if the Thunder can only close the door on the slight draft that exists.

Do they require two arenas?

Once the NBA expands to Las Vegas only one arena will be required. Despite my statement there are now two proposals in the works and both call for a 20,000-seat arena. I’m not going to go into detail however Oak View Group with Tim Leiweke steering the “ship” had the first proposal. At the end of April 2024 LXVP announced it would be offering its “NBA arena” for the citizens of Las Vegas. Even more interesting with the proposed arena construction currently in use is T-Mobile Stadium.

This multi-purpose arena can also seat 20,000 fans for basketball, it presently serves as home for the NHL Las Vegas Golden Knights. It should be of note T-Mobile was opened in April of 2016. This next portion is speculation on my part, why is it necessary to build an arena when there is one in operation the NBA has utilized in the past? Is this an effort simply to define which group becomes the owner or owners of the Las Vegas franchise? The details with the Oak View Group and LXVP is more involved than simply an arena there are casino’s and hotels part of the packages.

Perfect timing

Some might disagree with the headline regarding Chet Holmgren. Drafted by the Thunder, injured during summer league play and forced to sit out the 2022-23 season. He would have been Rookie of the Year with the numbers he displayed in the recently completed NBA season. This was the year of the alien, there was nobody within 100 feet of Wemby to challenge him. 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds on 53% shooting plus the block shots informs all Holmgren had an outstanding rookie year. The principal reason I say this was perfect timing is the team, he arrived on a youthful-veteran team if I can use that term. The Thunder were ascending their play and Holmgren arrived just in time to move into the lineup for them.

Unlike his counterpart in San Antonio there was no requirement for him to take the lead, the Thunder just had to infuse him into the existing lineup. A funny thought, Holmgren arrived in the NBA at 195 pounds not bad. If you stand 7 foot 1 as he does a large contingent of people point to you being too thin. By his rookie year Holmgren “bulked up” to 208 pounds still thin however his play negated any talk of his weight. As he matures I’m sure Holmgren, like other players, will acquire poundage. The only negative is to ensure his footspeed remains near the same level. The profile of Chet Holmgren, as I indicated any other season he’d be Rookie of the Year.