This is the Hangover. This is where I get drunk on the NBA as I recap last night’s action as well as a few things going on around the league. Here’s your word vomit.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, PEOPLE.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Williams/USA Today.)
12/31/2016
THE GAMES
-MEM 112 (22-14) @ SAC 98 (14-19)
MIL 116 (16-16) @ CHI 96 (16-18)
CLE 121 (25-7) @ CHA 109 (19-15)
NY 122 (16-17) @ HOU 129 (26-9)
PHX 86 (10-24) @ UTA 91 (21-13)
LAC 88 (22-14) @ OKC 114 (21-13)
THE STATS ARE OUT OF CONTROL
According to Charles Barkley, the NBA is at the worst it’s ever been. Before I get to that, let’s talk about the stats that were just outrageous.
Giannis Antetokounmpo went for 35 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 blocks. That’s pretty damn close to a quadruple-double, which has only been done four times in the history of the league.
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP.)
Russell Westbrook had his 16th triple-double this season. Well, he got it in the first half! When it comes to quickest triple-double, Westbrook is #2 in that department. A man named Jim Tucker did it in 17 minutes in a game in 1955. Russ got it in 19 minutes and 18 seconds.
James Harden went for 53 points, 16 boards, and 17 dimes! It was the first 50-15-15 in league history. It was also the second 50-point triple-double this season after the league had none of those in 41 years (guess who got the first one!). That’s just insane.
Man, does the NBA suck!
DOES THE NBA REALLY SUCK?
Of course not. Sure, there may be some bias in here since I cover the league. But I think I know what good basketball is. People tend to romanticize the NBA of the 80s and 90s but of course, they’ll only talk about the top tier teams. The mid-90s to even the mid-2000s was NOT pretty basketball. Most teams milked the shotclock as much as they could and it was a lot of isolation basketball.
These days, we’re getting a lot of freeflowing ball. Sure, some rule changes had to do something with that. And I’m curious how the game would look if hand-checking were allowed. But we’re seeing a lot of passing in basketball now and we’re seeing a lot of three-pointers. Basketball, in my view, has become a beautiful game in that way and this was what a lot of fans wanted when the NBA in the 90s had games that routinely wouldn’t hit 100 points (or even 90). Anyway, I digress.
So Barkley’s reasoning is that everyone is trying to be like Golden State and that there are only a few teams in contention these days, as opposed to the old days when there was “more parity.”
Well, it IS a copycat league. No one is denying that. Everyone decided to slow down basketball in the mid-90s and it was like that for a long time. Remember when the only two teams that showed offense were the Mavericks and the Kings?
And, yeah, there is no denying there are only a few contenders this year. I can say that the Cavaliers, Warriors, and Spurs are the only real contenders at the moment (and some will even say that the Spurs aren’t good enough but I’m not counting them out). The Clippers were a dark horse until this recent swoon. And no one believes the Raptors will beat the Cavs except Them The North.
But that’s how it’s always been! I can’t really remember which season had 8-10 contenders to the title. In Barkley’s heyday, it was the Lakers and the Celtics that dominated. Then in the 90s, the Bulls ruled. In different years, the Rockets, Mavericks, and Blazers challenged in the West in the 80s to around 1992. The Suns hung around in the mid-90s. The Jazz were looked at as maybe the Clippers of today and the Steve Nash Suns until they finally had a breakthrough in 1997 when they made the Finals.
Then in the East, the Pistons and the Sixers challenged the Celtics in the 80s. Then the Knicks and the Heat challenged the Bulls while the Magic and the Pacers had a couple of years in the 90s. The East might have been a little more wide open in the early 2000s but everyone said they couldn’t beat whoever represented the West, where the Spurs, Lakers, and the Kings were serving everyone. In the mid-to-late 2000s, the Pistons were perennial contenders with one or two teams as powerhouses.
Barkley can disparage the league if he feels that way (though I’m sure Adam Silver and Turner Sports aren’t thrilled). But, at least, do some damn research before sounding like a grumpy old man.
THE REST OF THE LEAGUE
So Rajon Rondo was benched against the Bucks. Now there’s talk about him possibly wanting a trade if he continues to sit out. Well, that didn’t take long, did it? And they were doing fine in November, too.
The Clippers have now lost six straight games. It’s a long season but they can’t fall too far off. They’re suddenly 7th to open up the new year.
LINE CROSSER
Again, James Harden:
53 points, 16 rebounds, 17 assists.
Try doing THAT on NBA2K without lowering the sliders and keeping the rules on. Again, shoutout to Westbrook and Giannis. And also to Malcolm Brogdon, who got HIS first career triple-double.
Speaking of Malcolm…
WATCH THIS PLAY
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
You can watch the Top 10 plays if you want but I agree with their #1. Malcolm adds to his highlight reel with this dunk on the break.
Let’s go have some fun in 2017, guys.
Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass for all tweets about the NBA. Also, check out his podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental.
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