In the ever-escalating war of the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award, Donovan Mitchell wore a hoodie with the literal definition of “rookie” on it, furthering the theory presented from some Jazz fans that Ben Simmons is not, in fact, a rookie, and therefore is not eligible for Rookie of the Year.
Donovan Mitchell is a rookie truther
We have that and more in Wednesday’s NBA newsletter.
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve got a Rookie Truther movement on our hands.
This is all funny and ridiculous in that special way that the NBA can be. Mitchell wouldn’t be out here like this had Simmons not blatantly disrespected the Jazzian in a recent interview. This is a beautiful example of mutual escalation. And hey, I’d watch rather that here where it really doesn’t matter instead of, like, in consequential foreign policy or something.
Of course, Simmons is a rookie by the NBA’s definition, which is all that really matters. If we used Mitchell’s criteria, the league might have to take ROY trophies away from Jerry Lucas, Larry Bird, David Robinson, and Blake Griffin, all of whom won the award at least a year after being drafted into the NBA.
We’ll know if Mitchell is serious about this crusade if he starts yelling at publications who herald Andre Ingram’s huge night for the Lakers for calling him a rookie.
Playoff Picture Update
Wednesday is the final day of the regular season. There is a lot at stake. Thankfully, Kristian Winfield broke it all down. I’m going to try to dispense with this quickly and clearly.
EAST
The Raptors are the No. 1 seed.
The Celtics are the No. 2 seed.
The Sixers win No. 3 seed with a win (vs. Milwaukee) or a Cavaliers loss (vs. New York). Cavaliers win No. 3 with a win and a Sixers loss.
The team that doesn’t win No. 3 according to the above circumstances will be the No. 4 seed.
The Pacers are the No. 5 seed.
The Bucks are the No. 6 seed with a win (vs. Philadelphia) or losses by the Heat (vs. Toronto) and Wizards (vs. Orlando). If Milwaukee loses, the Heat can claim No. 6 with a win. If the Bucks and Heat both lose, the Wizards can claim No. 6 with a win.
The Heat are the No. 7 seed if the Bucks win and either the Heat win over Wizards loss. The Heat are also the No. 7 seed if the Bucks, Heat, and Wizards all lose. The Wizards are the No. 7 seed if the Bucks win, Wizards win, and Heat lose.
The team that isn’t No. 6 or 7 under the above circumstances will be No. 8.
WEST
The Rockets are the No. 1 seed.
The Warriors are the No. 2 seed.
The No. 3 seed will be the winner of the Blazers vs. Jazz game (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The No. 4 through No. 8 seeds are crazy convoluted. Suffice it to say there are layers of tiebreakers and a high probability of a three-way tie. The Thunder face Memphis and a win guarantees no lower than No. 6 but leaves No. 4 possible. The Spurs play the Pelicans (8 p.m. ET, League Pass). That guarantees no lower than No. 6. The loser of Jazz-Blazers can’t fall lower than No. 5. But ... it’s messy.
The final playoff spot in the West — which won’t necessarily be the No. 8 seed after the dust settles — will go to the winner of Timberwolves vs. Nuggets (8 ET, League Pass).
Scores Galore
CHA 119, IND 93
PHI 121, ATL 113
BOS 101, WAS 113
PHX 124, DAL 97
GSW 79, UTA 119
HOU 105, LAL 99
... And So Much More
Tim Cato interviewed Rockets general manager Daryl Morey about James Harden’s rise and the future of the NBA. Speaking of which, Shea Serrano reviews Morey’s new musical about a tiny basketball team.
This Andre Ingram business is really special. Ingram spent a decade in the D-League/G League and made his NBA debut at age 32 on Tuesday. He dropped 19 points on Houston. Kudos to him for staying ready all these years.
Phenomenal Louisa Thomas piece on Becky Hammon’s past, present, and future in the New Yorker.
Really fun Yaron Weitzman story on the little agreements between players to take certain plays off.
Great Kofie Yeboah piece on how the creation and launch of the NBA 2K League builds a new reality for pro gamers.
Kevin Durant is going to opt out this summer! Apparently, he’s just doing it to restructure his contract. We’ll see. #KDLBJSuperTeam
Zach Lowe has the key details of the Grizzlies’ franchise buy-out, including the big valuation: $1.3 billion. Sheesh.
WNBA stars like nice cars, too. Need evidence? Hypebeast Breanna Stewart showing off her shoe game and her new Maserati.
A’ja Wilson is going to take over the WNBA. Get ready.
This New York Times story on the treatment of pro sports teams’ cheerleaders and dancers largely revolves around the NFL, but there’s one disturbing NBA story about a handsy 12-year-old grabbing a 19-year-old Cavaliers dancer ... and the team apparently doing nothing about it.
Brian Windhorst sets up the ongoing drama between NBA referees and players heading into the playoffs.
Be excellent to each other.
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