Are We Sure That The Lakers Are Ok?
Last night we had some more craziness in the NBA. The Nets and 76ers, two contenders in the East, battled down to the wire. The Suns and Lakers met for a rematch of their first-round series last season and it was a circus. The Pacers and Wizards went to overtime and we had some more impressive rookie performances.
There was a lot to unpack from last night and I covered it all. You’d better sit down for this one.
Brooklyn Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers
This was a very good game between two excellent teams. While the Nets don’t have Kyrie and the 76ers don’t have Simmons, this was a very hard-fought game.
The 76ers jumped out to a lead early and it looked like they would cruise to a win. They looked unstoppable on offense even with Joel Embiid hobbled by a knee injury. But in the 4th quarter, the offense stalled as the Nets slowly crept back into the game.
The Nets got big contributions from Joe Harris and LaMarcus Aldridge as they took the lead for the first time down the stretch and were just able to survive, somehow escaping the city of brotherly love with a win and leaving Philadelphians wondering ‘what just happened?’
Brooklyn Nets
This was a very 2017 Warriors-like game from the Nets. They didn’t have the lead for the entire game. Every time they chipped away at the lead, the 76ers responded and gave themselves more of a cushion. Even with KD doing everything in his power to keep the Nets in the game, they couldn’t take the lead.
Then in the 4th quarter, the defense stepped up. The 76ers hardly scored for the final 5 minutes and the Nets took advantage, finally taking the lead and holding to win. It was a great bounce-back win after that blowout to Milwaukee and a great way to show that their defense does exist.
LaMarcus Aldridge Looked Like His Old Self
LaMarcus Aldridge retired abruptly last season and we thought that would be the end, a weird ending to one of the better players of the past decade. But Aldridge was medically cleared to rejoin the team and his first game against the Bucks wasn’t very good.
He looked slow, old, and out of place. Retiring looked like a good decision when Aldridge was on the floor for the season opener. The same cannot be said about this game, however.
Aldridge turned back the clocks and helped the Nets come back in this game. Aldridge hit shots from all over the floor, but he came up huge in the 4th quarter. He made some gritty baskets down low and that mid-range jump shot is still one of the prettiest in all of the NBA.
Aldridge finished the night with stats you would expect from his days with the Blazers (pain);
23 points – 5 rebounds – 10/12 FG – 22 minutes – +21 plus/minus
Aldridge gave the Nets the lead down the stretch with an incredibly strong and one dunk. He also hit two late clutch free throws to help the Nets inch away. The mid-range shots were falling and if Aldridge can contribute just 15 minutes a game giving this type of production?
Other than Patty Mills, I questioned where the offense would come from off the bench. If Aldridge can play like this most nights, the bench becomes far less of a worry. Good to see LaMarcus Aldridge playing well again.
They’re Still The Nets
They’re the same way as the Warriors were in their dynasty. The same way the Spurs were for all those years. Like all the dynasties that came before them, the Nets just find ways to win.
When you don’t lead until there are 49 seconds left in the game, that isn’t something that happens often. If a team leads for that long in a game, how is it possible to win? Don’t ask me, ask the Nets.
Kevin Durant looked unstoppable in this game, per usual. He had a very pedestrian night against the Bucks to open the season but he made sure his presence was felt in this game. He hit some tough shots, got to the free-throw line a lot, and scored 29 points. That alone is a good game for KD, but he did so much more to impact the game.
KD also collected 15 rebounds and 12 assists, nothing his 13th career triple-double. Even when the Nets were down and needed points, KD didn’t force anything. He made the right pass and his teammates delivered. Both Joe Harris and Patty got multiple 3-pointers because of KD’s unselfishness.
If that wasn’t enough, what about James Harden? Harden had a quiet 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. Again, Harden wasn’t looking to score but he did a better job not forcing passes when they weren’t there. He is still such a great manipulator of defenses and when he gets things going, lookout.
We already talked about Aldridge and his great game off the bench, but what about the other role players? Joe Harris had 14 points, Patty Mills had 11 points, Jevon Carter looked halfway decent off the bench.
Even with Kyrie out, the Nets are still a great team. This game shows that they can just find ways to win, that they’re not going to lie down and die when the going gets tough. Their defense was excellent in that 4th quarter and if their defense can give that offense just a quarter where they can slow down opposing teams, the Nets become unbeatable.
Now only if Kyrie would start playing…
Philadelphia 76ers
How did the 76ers lose this game, exactly? They led for basically the entire game and then all of a sudden, they just stopped making shots. I know Embiid was hobbled by a knee injury, but what’s the excuse for the 76ers this time. Last year it was Ben Simmons, but now?
Maybe the 76ers are just the Karl Malone of late-game situations. Great for 46 minutes but they just can’t finish the job.
Late-Game Ineptitude
After scoring with ease for 3 quarters against a porous Nets defense, the 76ers just shut down in the 4th quarter. Embiid was hobbled by that knee injury and only played 4 minutes in the 4th quarter. But for a while, the bench unit held up.
Andre Drummond gave them surprisingly good minutes and the 76ers led 108-98 with 5:33 left. Here’s how the offense fared the rest of the way;
76ers vs Nets In Last 5:33 of 4th Quarter
Nets: 16 points
76ers: 1 point
Nets: 56% FG
76ers: 0% (0/9)
Nets: 6/7 FT
76ers: 1/2
Nets: 0 Airballs
Danny Green: 3
I couldn’t help myself with that last one, but you get the point. Doc Rivers said that the 76ers offense struggled late in the game due to lack of ball movement. I kind of get what he means, but aren’t you the coach? That sort of thing should be fixed after two bad possessions in a close game, not when you’re answering questions after the game.
You can always count on Doc Rivers to screw up a close game then say something obvious after the fact. If it wasn’t for 2008 with the Celtics, would he even be a coach? It’s a fair question, to be honest.
Ben Simmons was the 76ers scapegoat last year. While he deserved blame, so did Doc Rivers. Just saying.
The 76ers Finally Scored Without Joel Embiid
Just so that 76ers fans can go to sleep tonight without eating their pillow, there were some good things in this game. The offense looked good for 42-ish minutes without Joel Embiid doing all that much. He was hobbled with a knee injury and other guys stepped up.
Seth Curry had 23 points on 75% shooting as he continues to be lights out whenever the 76ers play.
Tobias Harris had 23 points and 7 rebounds, another solid game offensively for Harris as the 2nd option.
Tyrese Maxey had a slightly inefficient night but still finished with 15 points.
The only thing you’re mad about is that those 3 guys combined for 8 points on 3/9 shooting in the 4th quarter. It’s a good sign that the 76ers might be slightly less reliant on Joel Embiid than they were last year, which is good because you know Embiid is going to miss games because of injury.
That’s just who he is as a player and it’s good to see the 76ers having a little less reliance on Embiid.
But god, this game was disappointing. They had this game in hand, a chance to make a statement in the East when most had cast them out as true contenders. Instead, they proved everybody right and continue to show why they’re just not ready yet.
Oh, and you still haven’t traded Ben Simmons. Get ready for hell this season Philly!
Rookie Watch
It’s the 2nd edition of Rookies Watch and we had some more rookies continue to play their first few games in the NBA. I liked what I saw from some and others continued to baffle me. Let’s see what the youngsters got into last night.
Davion Mitchell
The Kings’ new draft pick is already one of the best defenders in the NBA. While I loved Mitchell coming out of the draft, it seemed like the Kings weren’t looking at their needs. Yes, they needed defense, but they already had a crowded, young backcourt. While I thought Mitchell would get minutes regardless, just because they need his defense, I figured it would be awkward.
Well, I was right about one thing, and it sure wasn’t the awkwardness. Mitchell hounded Damian Lillard in the Kings season opener, doing about as good of a job as you can do against one of the 75 best players ever. Mitchell followed that up by locking down another premier Western Conference guard, Donovan Mitchell.
Trying to describe the defense Mitchell played in this game wouldn’t do things justice. Just roll the clips;
All of that was in the 2nd quarter by the way. But wait, there’s more.
Ok, this is the last one, I promise.
The Kings lost this game because Richuan Holmes dealt with foul trouble and they couldn’t make shots to save their lives down the stretch, but Mitchell was not part of the problem in this game. Mitchell played 31 minutes off the bench and while he shot just 1/8 from the field, you see the reasons why he’s on the floor.
He’s easily the Kings’ best defender and he is going to make opposing guards’ life a living hell every single night, something that the Kings desperately need.
Josh Giddey + Tre Mann
While the OKC Thunder suck tremendously, they have some exciting rookies worth looking out for. The Thunder took Giddey 6th overall and they took Mann 18th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. While the Thunder got their kidneys and livers switched around in this game, let’s see how their rookies did.
Josh Giddey
Giddey is a supersized point guard at 6’8″ who can handle, pass, and rebound very well for being a 19-year old. The shooting/overall scoring is still a work in progress, but he’s similar to now-disgraced 76er Ben Simmons.
Giddey shot just 2/6 from the field in this game, both of his makes coming from the perimeter. As I said, the jump shot still needs a lot of work. It looks awkward and clunky. He can’t get the shoot up quickly, so at best it’s a set shot for right now.
Giddey had 4 assists in this game as well. Two of them were good downhill attacks into the defense, both times finding an open shooter on the perimeter. His 4th assist was a beautiful back-door cut to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for an easy dunk.
Giddey’s scoring needs some work, but he is already an advanced playmaker and that is likely his biggest strength as a player right now.
Tre Mann
The Thunder took Mann 18th overall out of Florida in this year’s draft. Mann can shoot the ball well, he’s a good ball-handler and a solid overall offensive player. Like Giddey, he’s taller than your average guard at 6’5″, so he too has the ability to see over defenses.
Mann finished the night with 8 points on 3/5 shooting off the bench. Not a bad outing and considering how badly the Thunder lost this game (by 33 points), Mann was one of their few bright spots.
His first field goal was a beautiful floater off the dribble. He attacked to the middle from the corner and just stopped on a dime with a behind-the-back move. He went back to the baseline and softly banked it in from 7 feet away.
Mann also made 2/3 of his 3-PT shots. Mann looks comfortable shooting the ball and he should be a good shooter throughout his rookie season. This is perhaps his biggest strength as a player and I think it’s a good building block for him offensively.
I like Tre Mann a lot. He’s a better scorer than Giddey and with that 6’5″ height, he could develop into a good playmaker. The question is, is he a point guard or a shooting guard? I’m leaning towards a shooting guard as of right now, but it’d be good to know about that stuff sooner rather than later.
Jalen Suggs + Franz Wagner
While the Magic are perhaps the worst team in the NBA, they have some rookies that could lead them in the future. They took Jalen Suggs #5 overall and they took Franz Wagner #8 overall. Let’s see how their two top-10 picks fared against the Knicks.
Jalen Suggs
Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening with Jalen Suggs. Suggs was one of the safer picks in the draft because he could do it all. Defend, shoot, handle, pass, the whole 9 yards. He’s a team player and seemed like the right pick for Orlando, given that they need to find a leader going forward.
But Suggs again struggled in this game. He shot just 4/17 from the field and he was 0/11 when he wasn’t inside the paint. He air-balled two of his six three-pointers and then badly missed on another mid-range shot. His shooting mechanics look good but he just can’t shoot the ball right now.
He had a few nice drives and attacks to the basket, but the scoring has been a struggle for Suggs thus far.
But Suggs did some good things other than score. He had 7 rebounds, and 8 assists, and 2 steals. Suggs made a couple of good passes to Mo Bamba and Robin Lopez down low. Of his 8 assists, 6 of them resulted in a 3-pointer.
Suggs had a couple of steals and even though he shot just 4/17 from the field, he had a plus/minus of just -4 in 31 minutes. He still found a way to make an impact even when his jump shots weren’t falling, which is impressive for a rookie to be able to do.
If his jump shots can fall with more consistency, then Suggs will be in business.
Franz Wagner
Wagner comes into the NBA as a very weird prospect. He’s very young (20 years old), but he’s a really good defender and rebounder. Shooting/scoring isn’t his forte just yet, but he does the little things right.
But Wagner was 4/5 from distance in this game and even hit a 3-pointer off the dribble. Again, he wasn’t supposed to be a good shooter, but here we are.
He had a nice drive into a floater as well, finishing the night with 16 points on 50% shooting. He led the Magic in scoring and had a really good all-around game.
If he can score this well and provide good defense, he’ll be able to provide really good minutes in that starting lineup for the Magic.
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers
I’m kind of at a loss for words because this game was so awful. You know it’s bad when you have to watch the Sacramento Kings play instead of the Lakers. The Lakers continue to just not look right. The defense looks poor, the chemistry is off, and nothing is working.
On top of that, the players are getting frustrated. AD and Dwight Howard exchanged words on the bench. Rajon Rondo was doing stupid stuff with the fans. Lebron James was crying all night long. Anthony Davis continues to struggle shooting. It was just a mess. Did I mention that the Lakers lost this game?
Phoenix Suns
The Suns just looked a lot better. They didn’t cry about every single call, they didn’t try and do anything flashy, they just came in and played. After getting dominated by the Denver Nuggets to open their season, the Suns played more like a team and the results showed for themselves.
This was a dominating game and shows why the Suns are, believe it or not, still contenders in the West. Now only if their owner wasn’t Donald Sterling 2.0.
Balance + Passing
Monty Williams said that the Suns didn’t move the ball as well as they should have against Denver. That message was relayed to the troops because the Suns moved the crap out of the ball in this game.
Of their 42 made field goals, 31 of them were assisted (74%). 3 out of every 4 made shots for the Suns came off of passes, which is pretty hard to do in the NBA. The Suns passing is similar to what the Warriors have been doing to start their season.
Then there was the balance. While only 4 guys were in double figures, nobody controlled the game. The Suns didn’t go to one single guy continuously, it was just a free-flowing offense and everybody thrived.
Mikal Bridges had an efficient 21 points and 3 steals. Crowder and Ayton were great safety blankets offensively and Ayton grabbed 15 rebounds. Devin Booker still can’t shoot threes but he still had 22 points.
And there’s Chris Paul. CP-3. The Point God. The Skate Instructor? Where does basketball-reference get these nicknames? Anyway, whatever name you want to call Paul, it’s well deserved. Paul became the first player in NBA history with 20,000+ points and 10,000+ assists in a career.
Paul finished the night with 23 points and 14 assists, something he’s been doing for over a decade. If CP-3 remains like this, at an All-Star level, the Suns are going to remain contenders in the Western Conference.
Defense
The Suns’ defense in this game was excellent. They held Lebron and AD in check for most of the night and didn’t let the Lakers’ offense get into any kind of rhythm.
James was hitting his outside shots, but the Suns held him in check when he was inside the arc. They played great defense the few times that Lebron was in transition, causing him to miss two-point blank layups. Mikal Bridges played good defense in the post against Lebron a few times. Overall, James shot just 8/18 from the field.
Anthony Davis was even worse. The Suns were physical with Davis down low and he missed some shots that he should be making. Jae Crowder did a good job defending Davis in the first quarter. The Suns just put Davis outside of his comfort zone and made him a jump shooter. AD shot just 6/18 from the field as a result.
The Lakers shot below 40% from the field as a team. They shot just 32% from the field in the 2nd quarter and just 25% in the 3rd as the Suns defense just controlled the game.
It’s good to see the Suns playing playoff-level defense this early on in the season. Defense was a strength for them last season and it should be the same story this season. If they’re able to shut down a dominant duo like Lebron and AD, their chances against other elite duos aren’t too shabby either.
The Suns looked like the better team. They just kind of watched as the Lakers shot themselves in the foot repeatedly and reaped the benefits. They dominated the 2nd half and didn’t get ahead of themselves.
It’s a great bounce-back game after that terrible loss to Denver. Later today, these very same Phoenix Suns are likely going to obliterate my Blazers and I’m not going to have a fun time.
Los Angeles Lakers
What the f*** was that? After a tough loss to the Warriors to open up the season, you expected the Lakers to look sharper in their 2nd game together. Westbrook would be used better, Lebron and AD would be aggressive, the others would hit shots, etc.
But that just didn’t happen. The Suns led for most of this game and the Lakers looked like they didn’t want to be there by the 3rd quarter, where the Suns just outworked them, plain and simple. The Lakers trailed by 32 points at one point and nobody was having fun.
On top of that, you have an argument on the bench and Rajon Rondo doing more stupid stuff with fans on the sidelines.
On the left, you have Frank Vogel trying to control everybody. Lebron has passed out due to crying too much and the Lakers are trying to revive him. Rajon Rondo is just standing off in the corner, not helping, about to do something really stupid.
Who would the guy with the pizza be? Sanity? Chemistry? Not being a circus? Any of those 3 options would work.
“Chemistry”
The best of this clip was the lady on the right in the black tank top reaching down for her drink in case things got out of hand.
Also, what was the argument even about? What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on Avery Bradley’s head at that moment.
I don’t need to tell you why Rondo crossed the line here. Even if the fan said some straight-up awful things, you just don’t do that. Reminds me of when Rondo sat in the first row of Staples Center instead of the team’s bench back in 2019. Similar to that season, everything was a mess and Rondo didn’t care.
And of course, I have to flame Russell Westbrook. What, you think I could last one whole Lakers game without doing it?
lol. I know the Lakers will still be good unless this goes on for the whole season, but it is funny to watch them implode after all the smack Lakers fans were talking this offseason. We should all enjoy this while it lasts.
The Toronto Raptors DOMINATED The Celtics
The Toronto Raptors played their first game at home in over 600 days and got embarrassed by the Washington Wizards, who are somehow 2-0 (thanks to Indiana choking), to start their season. Now on the road in Boston, they looked a lot better. Maybe coming home to Canada wasn’t the answer.
The Raptors looked good in this game, but they pulled the plug on the game in the 3rd quarter. After the Celtics rallied to cut the lead to two with 7:18 left in the 3rd quarter, the Raptors dominated;
Last 7:18 of the 3rd Quarter
Raptors: 24 points
Celtics: 6 points
Raptors: 64% FG
Celtics: 18% FG
Raptors: 0 TO
Celtics: 5 TO
The Raptors just dominated the end of the quarter and burst open the game. They easily won this game and just completely shut down the Celtics who had no problems scoring in their season opener against the Knicks. Other than Jayson Tatum, the Raptors didn’t allow any other Celtics to get going. Jaylen Brown was held in check and the Celtics scored just 83 points.
After a disappointing first game, Scottie Barnes was much, much better in this game. He led the Raptors in scoring and showed just why the Raptors took him with the 4th overall pick in the draft.
Barnes had a great all-around game. He scored in transition, showing off that great athleticism. He hit a 3-pointer and a few mid-range shots, displaying that he same some sort of jump shot in the works. He dominated the boards and just bullied the Celtics for 2nd chance points.
All of that results in Barnes having himself quite the night;
25 points – 13 rebounds (6 offensive) – 65% FG – +29 plus/minus
I didn’t think Barnes would be able to do these types of things this early on in his career. His struggles in the half-court were well documented in college, but he looked comfortable in this game. When the defense gave him space, he wasn’t timid.
He was also a monster on the boards, as his offensive rebounding ability was very impressive, although I think the Celtics might have to do a better job at boxing out from now on because that was an embarrassing showing on the boards.
Nonetheless, Barnes had an excellent game and the Raptors got their first win in dominant style. Meanwhile, Jalen Suggs has yet to have a good game in the NBA. Maybe the Raptors made the right pick after all.
The Chicago Bulls Are Back
It’s good to see the Bulls playing well again. They haven’t been relevant since 2016 and they haven’t been contenders since the start of the 2010s. But for the first time in a long time, Bulls basketball is back to being fun and exciting.
I know that they’re playing the Pelicans, but their new acquisitions just mowed throw the Pelicans, who are, no nobodies surprise, a mess.
DeMar DeRozan had 26 points and 6 rebounds. He was aggressive and he got the FT line a lot (8/9). DeRozan is going to be that reliable scorer behind Zach Lavine this season, a role that he fits very well in. And people thought he was a bad signing.
Speaking of Lavine, he’s had a hot start to the season. He poured in 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on a scorching 58% from the field. Lavine hasn’t slowed down since his All-Star appearance last year and remains one of the best scorers in the NBA.
Then there’s Lonzo Ball. Ball, facing his former team, certainly did not hold back as he unleashed just what the Pelicans were missing. Ball had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, his first career triple-double with the Bulls in just his 2nd game with the team. Ball also played good defense and that signing is already showing it’s worth right now, as Ball was exactly what the Bulls missed last season.
On top of that, the bench looked good. Alex Caruso was a +22 in 29 minutes off the bench and Javonte Green was a +20 in 17 minutes off the bench. If you’re getting that much impact from your bench, then it’s really hard to beat you.
I was less critical of the Bulls’ offseason than a lot of people and so far, they are proving me right. Sure, their two wins are against the Pistons and Pelicans. But, they have looked sharp and the chemistry, which is something I thought would be a problem, doesn’t look half-bad.
The Bulls are going to be a really fun team to watch this season as they push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
What Are Your Thoughts From Yesterday’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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