Basketball is back, and we have the dunk to prove it

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

TO CELEBRATE RAMPANT BASKETBALL HERE’S A VICTOR OLADIPO DUNK OVER TWO REAL MADRID DEFENDERS BASKETBALL IS BAAAAACK BABY (via r/nba)

IT GETS BETTER: Not only is Ben Simmons going under the knife to repair a Jones fracture on his foot, but reports suggest his agent wants Philadelphia to sit him all season. How life can change for a team in one bloody team. Here’s Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer on the ripple effects.

WATCHING: Harrison Barnes went 1-for-10 for the Mavericks on Monday. Don’t do this, Harry. Don’t.

PREVIEW PARTY: Professor Flanns and I agree that if LeBron stays healthy, the Cavaliers are poised to return to the NBA Finals. No offense to the Raptors or Celtics. Out West, we’re cautiously excited by the Blazers’ moves. Plus we have a Cavs preview from Fear The Sword and a Portland preview from Blazers’ Edge. While we’re here, Limited Upside talks Pacers.

WELL THAT’S INTERESTING: Brandon Knight will begin the season coming off of the bench as Earl Watson goes with the Eric Bledsoe-Devin Booker duo in the starting five. Knight is a good dude so he might take this move and run with it. But there are teams with serious point guard needs out there, and Knight has a pre-boom contract.

WHERE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE? Should TV networks and league panic about the awful sports viewership numbers this year? (For what it’s worth: college football and the NBA had have great ratings in 2016. This is mostly an NFL, Olympics and college basketball story.)

HARDEN WORK PAYS OFF: Woj on James Harden’s drive to erase last season. (I think Harden is a solid preseason MVP choice.)

LUE’S DRIVE: What fuels Tyronn Lue now? It’s still emotion, writes Michael Lee.

FASCINATING: C.J. Miles based his offseason program around a copy of a scouting report he acquired. The scouting report lists Miles’ three weaknesses — three ways to make Miles less dangerous. So Miles fixed them this summer.

BUMMER: Hot prospect Harry Giles will miss six weeks for Duke due to knee surgery.

SHOWTIME, SYNERGY: Our League of Legends blog The Rift Herald talks to Sixers CEO Josh Harris about his team’s dive into esports.

NICE TRY SAYING ‘ANTETOKOUNMPO’, STACEY KING.

NICE TRY TURNING YOUR ROSE JERSEY INTO A RONDO JERSEY.

IT’S PRESEASON FOR THE COACHES, TOO: All of the Rockets’ coaches are hilariously bad at giving handshakes to each other on the bench. Practice, y’all! Dap doesn’t just happen.

A B1G TEAM?! The most physical college team in the land this year is ... Purdue. Here’s Ricky O’Donnell’s preview.

COOL: The NBPA’s health screenings for retired players are getting good buy-in from said retired players so far.

AND FINALLY: Alvin Gentry has a practical, frugal reason to like the Pelicans’ sojourn to China.

Happy Tuesday. Be excellent to each other.