Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
The Pistons are riding the tank hard.
(PHOTO CREDIT: David Zalubowski/AP.)
If you ask me which team I pay the least attention to, it’s probably the Detroit Pistons. I am making a lot of good friends mad at me right now.
If they lost more from the beginning, I would probably pay more attention to them because, hey, if you’re going to be bad, go ALL THE WAY bad (like the Process Sixers and the early 90s Dallas Mavericks). But they were still somewhat lurking in the playoff picture last month at 17-28. They’ve gone 2-13 since in a spectacular downfall.
They probably felt they couldn’t win with Andre Drummond as an expensive centerpiece. He essentially became a salary dump for them when they dealt him to Cleveland for like a PlayStation ONE. Drummond had been with them since 2012 and had only made the playoffs twice in his tenure.
Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris were also let go. Jackson didn’t have the greatest stay in Detroit as their starting point guard. And Morris is still a solid player (he actually played his first game as a Laker on Tuesday night). Both getting bought out was a bit of a surprise but now it makes total sense. Detroit just wants to start over.
I suppose Derrick Rose (yeah, I know) being one of the building blocks isn’t too bad. He’s still got some game in him. Not sure what they’re going to do with Blake Griffin, who has played only 18 games for them this season. He’s got a very expensive deal, too. What are they gonna do with him next season?
Yes, tanking is one way to get the team better again. Sure, it has worked in the past (again, the Sixers). But if I was general manager of a team, that wouldn’t be the first thing I would do. This is where the Pistons are seemingly headed, though. Even though they’ve only made the postseason twice in the last decade (and looking like 2 out of 11 now). Sure, they got Griffin in a trade and Rose has panned out pretty well for them (their trade for Brandon Jennings seemed to be good, too, until his Achilles was ruptured). But the only first round pick that has done well for them is Drummond. They did draft second round picks that did well… except they did well for other teams. Khris Middleton has become a two-time all-star for Milwaukee and Spencer Dinwiddie has thrived in Brooklyn.
So I don’t know. Everything looks bleak for Detroit at the moment. I hope they do somehow draft a player that has the potential to be great, hope their players grow (Christian Wood, Sekou Doumbouya, etc.), and acquire some good role (or even star?) players. Some people don’t realize how difficult it is to get out of the abyss (hi, Sacramento, Minnesota, and Phoenix). Hell, Detroit’s in one right now with their not-so-impressive current run and it’s not getting any better.
Even the Lakers took 6 years to get out of their rut. The Pistons actually made the postseason more recently than the Lakers. Basically, being near or at the bottom sucks and they’d better hit the right moves to get back up again.
Bullet Passes
I got to thinking about the Bucks, who are having quite the season at 50-8. I’m NOT saying this is going to happen but if they fail to win the championship, are they just the 2009 Cavs?
What I’m saying is that people are NOT kind about the 2009 Cavs when, during that time, we all thought they were nearly unfair and unstoppable. Obviously, LeBron James was amazing; he won his first MVP award that season. Mo Wiliams was a good second banana (not great but made the all-star team, nevertheless). Delonte West was steady at the 2. Zydrunas Ilgauskas was still a handful even though he was slow of foot. Anderson Varejao was a bruiser. Ben Wallace was still a good defender. And they had good three-point shooters in Wally Szcezerbiak, Sasha Pavlovic, and Boobie Gibson. Everyone thought it was a SHOO-IN for the 66-win Cavs.
Until the Orlando Magic beat them in the East Finals.
So if the Bucks lose, I kind of wonder if the people will be kind about that team after 3 or 4 years. “OH, GIANNIS CARRIED THEM.”
We had our first LeBron vs Zion game. Of course, LeBron came through with a 40-piece in that game. Zion wasn’t bad at all, scoring 28 points. But man, Zion’s strength is terrifying.
Zach LaVine being irritated at Jim Boylen is my favorite NBA feud right now.
Zach Lavine to a yelling Boylen
“i have fuckin 40 points” pic.twitter.com/anMhfgnTjS— Kenny Beecham (@KOT4Q) February 26, 2020
If you must ask, yes, the Bulls lost again.
Jayson Tatum scored 36 points and it is turning out that he could be the MAN in Boston. I’m sure Jaylen Brown doesn’t mind being the #2 option in the years to come.
How do you come back from losing by 46 points? By thrashing another team by 39 points. Good job, Pacers.
Here’s a fantastic article about NBA coaches that played in the league who played some pick-up ball after their playing days were over. Only Scott Brooks of the Wizards still plays ball. He’s 55 in the summer.
I stopped playing ball myself regularly at 29 after I rolled my ankle. I hesitate every time someone asks if I want to play because my body just feels so broken. Yet I still yearn for one last run. That run may never happen.
The Scoreboard
CHA 80 (19-38) @ IND 119 (34-24)
MIL 108 (50-8) @ TOR 97 (42-16)
OKC 124 (36-22) @ CHI 122 (20-39)
DET 98 (19-41) @ DEN 115 (40-18)
NO 109 (25-33) @ LAL 118 (44-12)
BOS 118 (40-17) @ POR 106 (26-33)
SAC 112 (24-33) @ GS 94 (12-46)
Watch This Play
We always want Zach LaVine in the dunk contest because of throwdowns like these.
LaVine makes every dunk look effortless 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QArxviXesP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 26, 2020
He really should do it one more time.
GG.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.
I sign off “GG” which means “good game” but also to honor Gianna “Gigi” Bryant.