The NBA. It’s a complicated league. We don’t know what we’re going to get. Especially with the West. This 15 team sector has been consumed by inconsistency and having terrible records outside the conference. Are there any of them that stand out?
Dallas Mavericks (The Jason Kidd Special): There’s a reason why I was less optimistic about the Mavericks as most people were. And it’s not because of Luka Doncic, if anything he’s the only reason why they aren’t headed for tank bowl territory. If there is one thing that this season has shown us it’s that Jason Kidd is falling into the same traps that doomed him in Milwaukee. Look at it, this is exactly what got him exposed in 2016. The lack of depth, failing to utilize Christian Wood properly, having one of the worst 3 point shooting teams in the West, and being carried by a generational talent to relevance. Not to mention there is a power struggle already beginning. When did Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr become so inconsistent? If they were in the East they would be on the outside looking in but since they are in a weak conference and have the wonders of Luka Magic, plenty of flaws are hidden. You know what I find ridiculous? No one is talking about their struggles because all they talk about is Luka and his dominant performances. Well they should because this team will get blown out by legit competition if they don’t get their act together. (“We told you that Kidd was this generations Mike Keenan” -Bucks fans)
Denver Nuggets (Finally, A Fully Loaded Machine): After nearly two years of dealing with the dreaded injury buy, the Mile High City gets to embrace these very words: The Nuggets are a fully fleshed out unit. It’s been some time since that statement has been proclaimed by the media, but with how they’ve played this season it’s obvious to make such a claim. Nikola Jokic is in his prime and they know that now is the time to strike. (Especially when he’s averaging a Triple Double per game this season. No Center has ever done that) The players that were out last year have proved to be the missing pieces. Jamal Murray has returned from his torn ACL, and has regained the form that made him a dynamo in the 2020 Playoffs. Michael Porter Jr has also fully recovered from injury and has continued his rise as an underrated 2-way player. It also helps that they have a solid supporting cast around their Big 3. KCP, Jeff Green, Aaron Gordon, and Bruce Brown have all made major contributions and the results have been successful. This may be the best team that Denver has trotted out maybe in franchise history. And it will be important for them to make another deep run in the playoffs. They have the coaching and talent to get to the top, but will the Basketball Gods have plans for them? That’s always the tough part about this.
Golden State Warriors (Trying to Turn On the Switch): It kinda feels like the Warriors have taken a small step back. They are still a good team, but compared to seasons past it’s a complicated opinion to say they are on the downswing. Golden State does have the 2nd best home record in the West, but it’s going to take more than the daunting atmosphere of the Chase Center to get them back to the top. Their SmallBall lineup, having to rely way too much on Lethal Weapon 3 each shooting an unsustainable 60% from the 3 point line, as well as their record away from the Bay Area has been their achilles heel this year. The problem has never been Curry, Thompson, and the rest of their starting five. It’s been the bench. For the moment their Strength in Numbers motto has been taken away from them. That’s mostly due to James Wiseman having trouble recovering from knee surgery, Andre Iguodala being at the end of his career, and Kevon Looney having a rough campaign. The only reason that they aren’t considered an afterthought is because they’re a dynasty and the Chase Center is becoming as intimidating as a certain Oracle Arena once was. If they don’t have home court in a Best of 7 series, it could be a serious uphill climb. (Knowing DubNation, they’ll have the #3 spot going into the playoffs)
Houston Rockets (Astros Country): The tanks are still rolling along no surprise. Just like they did in the 80s, the Rockets are searching badly for their next savior, although I’ll give them credit for at least trying to find that I like their infusion of youth into their lineup over the past few seasons but it’ll still be some time before they can take that next step towards contention status. But that still won’t stop the fact that this team is still trying to recover from the lost era of 4-5 years ago. Just like Detroit, Houston is one Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson away from turning this thing around. If they don’t finish in Top 2 in the lottery you may as well make a conspiracy towards the league about how they don’t like you. (How is Eric Gordon still here?)
Los Angeles Clippers (That New Arena Can’t Come Soon Enough): Why do I have the feeling that this year is critical for the Clippers? They have a roster that has championship ambitions. But it’s hard to judge them because what have they done lately when it matters. Injuries have doomed them but even then they would have had their backs to the wall regardless. With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George returning to form after being out all of last year it should be smooth sailing for them right? Well the Clips haven’t made it easy on themselves. The issue isn’t depth or coaching but consistency. When they are firing on all cylinders, they have a chance to win the Western Conference, if not it’s the San Diego Special. Agonizing mediocrity and throwing a pie in the face of the celebrities that show up to CRIPTO Arena. (Or the fans that dwarf in comparison to the Lakers) There’s still time for them to right the ship, but in order to do that, they will need the entire roster to play up to their abilities. They know what they can do, it’s just that they can realize it. Also why does Tyronn Lue not know what lineup he should use? Isn’t that the main responsibility of the coach? He’s learned nothing from Cleveland hasn’t he?
Los Angeles Lakers (The Boys Club): Watching the Lakers is like watching the entirety of the movie Groundhog Day. Whenever ESPN or FS1 talks about them it’s the same damn narrative every time. LeBron this, LeBron that, AD this, AD that. Whenever they win it’s like this team will make a deep run, when they lose everyone will demand them to make moves for more star players. And worse there are plenty of narratives saying that they have the most talented team in the league. In terms of name brand players, yes. When it comes to on court success, and execution hell to the no. Other than 2020 it’s been the same story involving the Lakers over and over again. And I’m getting tired of the fact that they get more talk than other contenders, some of them even combined. (They think Russell Westbrook still has potential. LOL!) That’s because they’re the Boys Club of the NBA and they have LeBron. Who by the way is about to become the league’s all time leading scorer. (And all of the media clowns won’t shut up about it) The only reason why they have a chance to go far is because the Western Conference is a gong show, especially Seeds 4-13. Knowing what I just said they’ll make the playoffs, and make me eat a massive amount of crow. Even Darvin Ham doesn’t deserve this soap opera. At least it’s better than last year. (He went from peaceful Milwaukee to THIS!)
Memphis Grizzlies (Fine Targets for Everyone): I thought the Brooklyn Nets were clearly the most unlikable team in the NBA. Well they may have some company in that department. It’s no wonder why the Grizzlies are cocky. It’s because they love the spotlight and love to be brash. Early on it worked to their advantage. Memphis was clear and away the best team in the West for the first two months. Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Tyus Jones were putting up career numbers. Steven Adams was still producing even if age has started to get to his abilities. And even if Jaren Jackson missed time they still found ways to win. But then on December 21, Ja Morant made the “Declaration of Doom”. BOOM! (Morant tells Malika Andrews that the Western Conference is fine, only worries about Celtics) Uh, okay. First of all, overlooking the rest of the NBA, especially the entire Western Conference no matter how terrible it has been this year is one thing that itself makes you an immediate target in its own right. (Also Dillon Brooks made comments over how weak the West is as well. But he at least told a local Memphis reporter.) But also, DON’T SAY THAT TO SOMEONE WITH CONNECTIONS TO YOUR GREATEST RIVAL WHO IS THE DEFENDING CHAMPS AND YOUR HEAD COACH’S OLD BOSS! (I can’t wait for Coach Bud and Giannis’ response when the two teams play in April at Fiserv Forum) Ja would suffer the punishment from the Basketball Gods. To the surprise of no one, the Warriors destroyed Memphis twice since Christmas thanks to said extra motivation, and Morant has been bullied by stronger teams ever since. The only reason why they haven’t completely collapsed since that statement has been the fact that they are almost unbeatable at home. I said this about the Bengals and I’ll say it with you. If you’re going to open your mouths and talk endless smack towards the rest of the league YOU BETTER BACK IT UP! And the NBA isn’t forgiving about teams with numerous whiners on their roster. They call this crew the Dark Side for a reason and I don’t blame them one bit. How can things get more crazy? (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (Ja Morant and Shannon Sharpe exchange words at halftime Lakers Grizzlies game, both separated) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Fun fact: The Grizzlies have not won a game against a team in the West since)
Minnesota Timberwolves (The Slump): I definitely expected more out of the Timberwolves than what I’m seeing. Yes they are stuck in mediocrity from a record standpoint but yet again they are one hot streak away from being a lock for the postseason. The talent on this squad is certainly not the problem although the Rudy Gobert experiment hasn’t really worked out. It’s not because of how he’s playing, he’s still solid for what he is. Considering that they traded five 1st Round picks to Utah for a player at a position that they didn’t need, this may set the team back for years once again. Anthony Edwards for the moment is the only reason why this team is even watchable. Why do I say that? CRACK! Karl Anthony Towns was struck down by a calf strain. He’ll be out for a little bit. Oh god this was supposed to be their year to become a legit title contender. That might come once Towns gets back, but they’re gonna need something at the deadline to get them over the top. I wonder what Alex Rodriguez and his crew are going to do. Do they go big game hunting, or add more depth pieces. Knowing A-Rod he’s going for Zach Lavine.
New Orleans Pelicans (Roast Pelican): Things were looking very promising during the first three months of the season. The Pelicans were off to the best start in franchise history. Zion back in peak form, CJ McCollum was enjoying the highest plus-minus rate of his career, and Brandon Ingram was enjoying what could be the beginning of his prime. They had the 3rd seed in the West by MLK Day. There was one issue. CRACK! (Pelicans, Williamson out 5-8 weeks with a hamstring injury) Zion got injured, AGAIN! And it keeps on going. Ingram also would be sidelined with the same injury Williamson had. All this leads to (BOOM!) the longest losing streak of the season. In their defense most of them were against top contenders so even if Zion, and Ingram were healthy they still would have had an uphill climb to win those games. They better be thankful that McCollum and Jose Alverado are the only reasons why they are even in playoff contention despite everything that’s hit them. This should be the year where New Orleans ascends into the conference’s elite. Instead the Basketball Gods gave them another lost cause. That city loves lost causes don’t they?
Oklahoma City Thunder (Somehow Making Progress): The rebuild has gone according to plan. Last year was the tank year, and this one just happens to be when things start to improve. That being surpassing their win total from last year by the All Star Break. The Thunder have shown flashes of promise and that’s all you can really hope for. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is becoming one of the most underrated stars in the game. The fact that this guy is not a headliner when he’s averaging over 30 PPG this season is a travesty. That’s probably because OKC isn’t a contender yet. You know what’s just unfortunate? If Chet Holmgren hadn’t gotten injured in the preseason, the Thunder could be even better. All they can hope for is that he doesn’t become as injury prone as Zion. They’ll need Holmgren if they want to compete for championships in the future. But hey things are coming up am I right?
Phoenix Suns (Change is Coming): I think it’s unfair to really judge the Suns at this point of the season. They are still one of the best teams in the West when healthy. However it’s been a rough go for them this year. Early on they were right in the thick of the top spot in the conference. Then Devin Booker went down. (The 2K and Kardashian Curses show no mercy) Once that happened, all the pressure was put on Chris Paul to carry the team and its been mixed results over the span of the past few weeks. That won’t stop the fact that Phoenix has even bigger problems to deal with. DeAndre Ayton hasn’t played up to the expectations of his new contract yet, Jae Crowder has been holding out since the summer, and the NBA forced Robert Sarver to sell both the Suns and the Mercury due to those racial allegations he was charged with last year. (I could be wrong about this but the Sarver situation may have had some role in the Britney Griner fiasco) Fortunately the new ownership crew coming in does have a plan to keep this team in contention status for the next several years. Even if Crowder is gone at the deadline as long as they get a good return for him, or add other quality pieces around CP3 and Booker, they should be able to make another push towards a deep run. Just don’t mess around please.
Portland Trail Blazers (Searching For Answers): I don’t think I’ve seen a team that has been both frustrating to watch yet show flashes of their outstanding potential. One moment it appears as if the Blazers are headed towards a free fall with bad losses aplenty. The next they trot out a Big 3 that can rival anyones in talent. Damian Lillard is back from injury and is leading the charge once again. It doesn’t matter how many rumors of him leaving, he’s staying in Portland no matter what happens. I would say he’s the only reason they’re even in contention but Jerami Grant, Anferee Simons have enjoyed outstanding breakout campaigns. The depth like the big guns at guard is the definition of musical chairs. We either get Jusef Nurkic and Josh Hart putting up Double Doubles, or Gary Payton II getting completely exposed and going back to being a scrub. It appears that they are on track to make the playoffs again, but they have a hard schedule in the 2nd Half, and most of them are against the league’s elite. Also why did people think hiring Chauncey Billups to replace Terry Stotts was a good idea?
Sacramento Kings (Ranadive’s Revenge): I think I can say it. I never thought I would but I’m going to. After years of mediocrity and terrible front office decisions, Sacramento gets to hear three words they haven’t heard in nearly two decades. YOU DON’T SUCK! The Kings are a playoff contender again. Some of it is due to the West being a crapshoot in the middle, but I must give credit where credit is due. Most of their big moves over the past two years have worked out even if it took some time to get up to speed. Damantas Sabonis has become the 5 tool franchise big man they’ve lacked since Chris Webber. De’Aaron Fox is one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. Plus their top offseason acquisition in Kevin Huerter has exceeded expectations. (There’s also Harrison Barnes back in 2015 form) It comes to show you what good coaching can do for a team. Mike Brown like he did as a fill in for Steve Kerr in Golden State during 2017 has had those guys locked in. For a franchise that has lacked a coach like that for nearly 20 years, it’s a major improvement. Expectations aren’t super high come the postseason, but the Kings will easily be playing with house money. And that’s always a deadly weapon to have.
San Antonio Spurs (The Red Wings Under Ken Holland): For the first time in Greg Popovich’s career he must suffer through one of the biggest tanks of the modern era. Everyone is gone and whoever is left will probably be traded for pennies on the dollar. The result is quite possibly the worst defensive team in NBA History. San Antonio is on pace to shatter the record for most points given up in a season. You better win the lottery or have the #2 overall pick. If you don’t end up with one of those rewards it’s going to be a long road for them back into playoff contention. Sorry Pop, this is the period that all the greats go through. Being past their expiration date is something no one wants to deal with, the Spurs have come to that point.
Utah Jazz (The Windhorst Meme): Danny Ainge is back to his old tricks. Just like he did in Boston he traded away franchise icons for a boatload of future draft picks, yet instead of going into a tank they’ve remained in playoff contention. That’s the case right now with the Jazz. Even if Mitchell and Gobert are gone, the returns they’ve gotten have panned out so far. Lauri Markkanen right away has become the face of the franchise and has put together an All Star caliber season. Jordan Clarkson has reached his full potential, and Mike Conley even in his early 30s is still producing. Even if they don’t make the playoffs, this will still be considered a successful season especially when everyone expected this to be the biggest tank Utah has seen since the 80s. But to be fair when you have one of the biggest home court advantages in the sport (Which is hosting the All Star Game) it doesn’t matter who you have, it allows those players to gel quickly. That’s been a trademark of theirs for a while hasn’t it?
Bragging Rights Sports 