Good morning. Let’s basketball.
Good morning. The Warriors are clowning the NBA.
That and much more in Friday’s NBA newsletter.
THE ART OF BEING TERRIBLE: Paul Flannery survived an overtime game between the Pistons and Celtics the other night. He writes on how when you’re losing, everything is drudgery, with indistinguishable quotes and empty rhetoric.
GRIZZLIES DAY: No, that’s not a new holiday. (It should be.) Mike Prada and I wrote companion pieces on the rise of the Grizzlies. Prada looked at the nuts and bolts of Memphis’ powerful new offense while I traced the lineage of this spectacular Memphis team back to Pau Gasol’s era. Check them out!
NATIONAL MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE: The Blazers’ little in-arena blimp crashed into a section of fans at Moda Center on Thursday night. No one was hurt, unless you count Our Collective Faith In Unmanned Low-Altitude Coupon-Dropping Decorative Dirigibles.
NO ONE CAN STOP THE WARRIORS: They blew out the Pelicans and are a league-best 16-2. Steph Curry is clowning. Anthony Davis flexed his super-ridiculous-good muscles for everyone in a rare national TV opportunity, but the Warriors come at you in waves. (Just wait until 2022 when Ant Man is 8’3.)
KYRIE, THOUGH: Uncle Drew dropped 37 on Knicks as the Cavaliers have won five straight. Some babies are gonna get named Kyrie this weekend!
TALK IT OUT: Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley of course talked on TNT about the police debate they’ve been having on the internet.
ALL THREE RECAPS ARE YOURS: You know the drill: our NBA Scores hub.
DRAMA IN GUANGDONG: So Emmanuel Mudiay, a likely top-3 pick in the draft, might get cut by his Chinese team because he’s rehabbing an ankle injury.
MCHALE’S ARMY: How in the world does Houston have the No. 2 defense despite the injury absences of Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley?
AND CHRIS KAMAN IS THE A.C. SLATER: Why Nick Young is the Screech of the NBA.
LOL CP3: Chris Paul is trying to say “dictate” while answering a Clippers question but says a different word instead and we’re all going to giggle for a while, thanks.
AWESOME: Harvey Araton with Gregg Popovich.
INTERESTING: The Knicks are really good on after-timeout possessions this season. The Wolves are not. (Weird to see the Heat, Mavericks, Spurs and Blazers rate so mediocre in this realm.)
THE SHIMMY TORCH ... has been passed to John Wall. But DANCING ON A BASKETBALL FLOOR? That means he’s an unserious loser, according to my copy of Colin Cowherd Presents How To Spot A ClownFraud Athlete.
ABRAMS ALERT: This one is on Mike Miller. Must-read as always.
FUN WITH SPORTVU DATA: Seth Partnow does some really cool stuff. This piece on expected field goal percentage given location of shot and distance from defenders is especially great.
IN CLOSING: Rest in peace, Bryan Burwell.
Take care. See you next time.
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