Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the NBA daily, even when COVID has ravaged the league.
James Harden returns to the Nets and leads them to a win over the Spurs.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post.)
Two different situations happened on both coasts.
James Harden returned to the Nets and went for 18 points and 11 dimes. He’ll have a couple games left in the regular season. It won’t completely shake off the rust although you wouldn’t know it the way he played against the Spurs.
Still, he’s got a lot of help. We know how deep that Nets team is. Sure, Kyrie Irving didn’t play in that game but he’s due back soon. And the Nets got motherfriggin’ Kevin Durant. So Harden can work his way back slowly since he doesn’t have to be the centerpiece of the offense every single game. The Nets will be okay.
Now it’s a bit curious that LeBron James still hasn’t returned to the Lakers.
The Lakers REALLY feed off LeBron and Anthony Davis. And this may be the first time LeBron has looked mortal in the league. His ankle may be worse off than the team is letting on. And Davis is gimpy himself with a hurt groin (the very same injury that took LeBron out of the 2018-19 season).
The problem is that we KNOW LeBron HAS to be the centerpiece for the Lakers all the time. Yes, Davis has played extremely well and, in the past, has done some eyepopping lines. But he hasn’t proved to affect the game like a LeBron has time and time again.
So LeBron can’t really work his way back slowly with two games left in the regular season. And with Portland and Dallas winning their games, there’s a big chance the Lakers are playing the play-in game. And as it stands right now, they would draw the 8th seed Golden State Warriors and that might be a really dangerous game with Stephen Curry playing out of this world and the Warriors’ defense being on top of their game.
The Nets will be just fine with Harden coming back in slowly. The Lakers can’t afford to do that with LeBron as they have very little room for error at the moment. Sure, the Lakers can still win and get to the postseason outright. But right now, the Lakers are barely avoiding the coals placed on the ground.
We’ve seen the response from Harden. Let’s see how LeBron does on his return. Whenever that is.
Bullet Passes
As I’ve said before, I think Portland is good again. They’ve won 9 of 10 and buoyed themselves to the 5th seed. You want to talk about match-ups? They would draw the Nuggets as of now and, well, we know what happened in 2019.
The Top 10 fields are nearly set for both conferences. The Bulls are still trying to hang on while the Kings don’t have much room for mistakes themselves. So, yes, the Pelicans are out. There goes the potential Zion Williamson box office draw in the play-in or postseason.
Speaking of stars trying to return, Donovan Mitchell is out for the rest of the regular season. Obviously, he has to work his way back, too, but his scenario is more similar to Brooklyn’s than the Lakers.
Those are deep teams. They’re gonna be fine.
I think it’s silly that Trae Young didn’t make the all-star team this season. I think it’s also silly not to consider him for an all-NBA team. The guy has really proven to be the leader of this resurgent Hawks team. They’re going to be in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and they will have a chance at home court in the first round.
Boston losing has them stuck in the play-in. What a fall from last season.
Boston clinching that spot meant the New York Knicks are in the postseason for the first time since 2013. I cannot be happier for Julius Randle, a former Laker who probably had to go somewhere else to shine. And somehow, he shined at the biggest market in the league.
Talen Horton-Tucker just continues to impress for the Lakers. 23 points and 10 dimes in a tough game against Houston. The game before that, he made the go-ahead three.
We forget he’s still only 20.
NBA Scoreboard
May 12, 2021
Watch This Play
Jaxson Hayes puts this in reverse.
JAXSON HAYES WITH THE SHOWMANSHIP 😳@PelicansNBA | #WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/dMXT1EVV5M
— Bally Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) May 13, 2021
It’s too bad that the Pelicans are eliminated from going further than the regular season. Better luck next year with a healthy Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
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.
R.I.P. Nala.