Volume 1. Episode 3
This season does not matter. I have seen June, and it is Golden. If you expect anything other than GS winning the title, check your drink, and call your therapist….Cos the Dubs will win number 4 in 5.
So why do we even watch? What’s the point? Isn’t this all just wasted time?
NO!
Case and point…I’ll still watch every single James Bond film that comes out from now till Kingdom Come. Yes, I know he’s gonna kill the bad guy and get the girl…but the fun is in the story. How is he going to do it? What other obstacles will he face? Will Q come up with something killer to get him across the finish line? Will M help or hinder…or hinder at first and then come back around to Bond’s aid…again?
Such is the 2018-19 NBA season. We all know in our heart that the Warriors are the champions. There isn’t even a close second. Think of it like this. They won the Finals last year in 5 games. Then they changed their center from some dude named Zaza…to Demarcus Cousins. A four time All-Star and career 20-10 guy. As VC said in the Dunk Contest so long ago…”It’s over…it’s OVER”
So what do we do now?
There is so much more to watch….
Question 1: What will happen with the Anthony Davis trade demands?
Answer: Due to the Derrick Rose rule the Celts can’t trade for AD till July 1st. The Pels will wait until then, drain as much cash from his presence as possible, and get the biggest haul. My guess, Jaylen Brown, 2 picks, and the STL’s Jayson Tatum for AD. It hurts to think of Tatum not in Boston, but if the Celts pull this off they will win the 2020 title.
Question 2: How Far will James Harden take this scoring streak?
Answer: I see no end in sight. Due to the shot clock reset change on an offensive board, possessions and scoring are at an all-time high. Basically, there are so many more points to go around, and Harden will get his. He will end the season with the highest PPG since Kobe had to choose between Smush Parker and Chris Mihm…or just shooting it himself.
And god…I beg you James…do this again
Question 3: What is the fate of the great Bradley Beal?
Answer: This is a thread that if pulled could results in endless possibilities. Beal is averaging career highs in points, boards, and dimes for the 21-28 Wizards…who are 3 games out of the 8 spot in the East. They may make the playoffs, but to what end. They will go out in the first round. The Wiz need to decide if Beal and Wall are still the future. Or, should they trade Beal and get younger, and load up on picks. In my opinion these numbers are his ceiling. I see his career possibly going the way of Ray Allen. He will toil in 1st and 2nd round exits until he is dealt somewhere he can be the 3rd best player and not the alpha.
Question 4: Who will win the East?
Answer: The Raptors. Seriously…the North Remembers…and it remembers that Lebron James is now as far West as he can get. Yes, my Celts are stacked with young talent and are battle tested, but I do not trust Irving to stay healthy, Tatum and Brown are too up and down, and Kawhi Leonard will be the best player in that series and any series in the East…no disrespect to Giannis…Leonard is a flat out better shooter and defender.
Question 5: Is this the last of Pop?
Answer: Kinda. He cannot win the title this year. He can look at the landscape of the league…his roster…his future picks and prospects…and he is smart enough to know that San Antonio will not hoist another banner in the coming decade. Also, he is 70 years old. Life on the road, no matter the accomodations, is as Robbie Robertson once said, “A god damned impossible way of life.” Pop is not a victory lap kind of guy. I see him making this last stand, coaching the kiddos in the Olympics, and retiring to a vineyard with his 5 rings. Enjoy the man while he lasts, there will never be another like him.
And if this wasn’t enough for you, we have the dunk contest, Dirk in the 3-Point contest, waiting to see how long it takes for Jimmy Butler to piss off all of Philly, will Vince Carter call it quits, leaving no player in the NBA older than me??? These are all incredibly important things to my hoops addicted brain.
So, like me, stay glued to the screen and soak up all of the hoops you can. Every single game has something of intrigue if you take a second and look. From Buddy Hield fulfilling his promise in Sac town…to Devin Booker (Son of Mizzou’s Melvin Booker) getting buckets in the Valley of the Sun…to who will tank for Zion…there is so, so much worth the time of your eyes.
The NBA in STL is strong…keep watching my fellow hoop heads…keep watching.
