Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily, even when COVID has ravaged the league.
Kyrie Irving scored 35 in their win against the Pacers.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Franklin II/AP.)
Well, you see the title. At present, the short answer is no. But let’s dive further into this.
So earlier in the year (even before James Harden got dealt to Brooklyn), we mostly thought that maybe the Nets could be a juggernaut. They looked dominant in their first two games after they obliterated the Warriors and the Celtics.
And then we saw problems trickle in. Spencer Dinwiddie was out for the season. The ongoing COVID problem hit the Nets (and it still is). Kyrie Irving took a bit of a sabbatical. And the defense was NOT great. It still isn’t; they’re in the bottom five of defensive rating (that is points allowed per possession).
Normally, teams that win the championship are in the Top 10 in both offensive rating and defensive rating. The last one to have a porous defense in the regular season was the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001, when they finished 21st. But they also had two otherworldly stars in Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant; they ran through the postseason with a 15-1 record.
If the Nets’ game against Indiana was any indication, we could be headed towards that?
The thing is the Nets COULD defend better if they fix some fundamental mistakes. DeAndre Jordan was a monster when he was younger but he hasn’t been great the last few years. However, he was great against the Pacers. Harden’s reputation on the defense is a little unfair but he’s always had great anticipation on the passing lanes and he can be a good on-ball defender. It’s just that he would get caught ball-watching and, sometimes, the effort just isn’t there. Kyrie Irving is a spectacular scorer but he also doesn’t have a sparkling reputation on defense. But when he’s focused, he can be tenacious on that end. Kevin Durant is a really good defensive player and he’ll certainly help when he’s back on the floor.
They played their best defensive game yet against Indiana as they seemed to be making the right reads, directing traffic on that end, and, check this out, the best effort on defense. We’ve seen way too many times where the Nets are just letting their man blow by or/and standing around.
It certainly doesn’t help that some of their coaching staff isn’t known for defensive play. Steve Nash is a two-time MVP but he was certainly not a defensive stopper. Mike D’Antoni is an offensive wiz but he doesn’t have a rep as a defensive coach; he always let his assistants in the past do their thing. They do have Jacque Vaughn, who helped the Nets to a Top 10 rating last year so there is that. But for Brooklyn to have a chance, they need to focus on stopping teams.
Indiana was a great example of what they could do. Is this a start of something good for the Nets? Or is this going to be one of their few outliers for the season? If it’s the latter then I’m not sure that, even with their offensive powers, the Nets can win it all.
Bullet Passes
The Lakers know that they don’t get paid extra, right? This is their third straight game with an overtime session. It’s LeBron James‘s third straight game of playing 40 minutes or more. But then again, LeBron is an android so he’ll probably be just fine.
However, Wesley Matthews came up big for the second straight game. What an acquisition he has been.
The Raptors are almost at .500 as they have won 5 of 6 games. Norman Powell has started the last 9 games and is averaging 23.4 points per in that stretch. I’m so glad he’s become a consistent scorer in the league.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 points. An encouraging stat is that he went 17 for 21 from the line. But he missed the game-winner against the Suns, who have won 7 of 8.
Memphis snapped their four-game skid. I had talked about their depth before and they showed it again; 7 players scored in double figures.
Zach LaVine scored 46 while Coby White made 8 threes on the way to a 30-point game. The Bulls aren’t doing TOO bad at 10-14.
In the latest Trae Young/Luka Doncic match-up, the Mavs won by one. Trae went for 25-7-15 while Luka had a trip-dub at 28-10-10.
I had mentioned Collin Sexton being quiet. Well, it seemed like he was in the library against the Nuggets; he was silent with four points in that game.
Karl-Anthony Towns returned to the floor after missing the last 13 games. Continued well-wishes for him as it has been such a tough, tough year for KAT.
NBA Scoreboard
Feb. 10, 2021
Watch This Play
The Cavs got smashed but rookie Lamar Stevens was going to embarrass a couple of Nuggets before it was over.
LAMAR STEVENS HOLY SHITTTT@LamarStevens11 pic.twitter.com/s3Pz610sp4
— NBA Quick Highlights (@NBA_QHighlights) February 11, 2021
That’s as stylish as you can get being down 40.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the NBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.