Friday, July 31st, 2020

Basketball, today, tomorrow, yesterday

July 31, 2020

Friday, July 31st, 2020

  

  The Opening Tip

  • The return of COVID-free sports

  • Thoughts on last night’s games

  • ESPN’s report on NBA China

Today's must-watch games

1. The Lead: It was nice to watch basketball yesterday, (semi-)guilt free 

Nothing in this world is guilt-free. Your latest internet purchase probably helped fund Emperor Bezos. Your favorite sports league is probably turning a blind-eye toward human rights violations for profit (more on that later). Your cage-free egg’s great grandfather was probably raised where Napoleon Dynamite used to work. Even the Alexa in the corner of your kitchen syphoning off your conversations for ad data probably has a few fleeting moments of self retrospection.But, as baseball’s rushed return plan descends deeper into quicksand, it was nice to watch basketball yesterday knowing: 

  • There are zero positive tests in the NBA’s Orlando bubble -- despite Lou Williams’ best efforts -- which is a result of thorough planning, a complete willingness to spend, and overall buy-in by the vast majority of the league and its players. 

  • This plan is here to stay, so, unlike the uneasy feeling you might have while watching Yankees-Red Sox tonight, you can wonder about the Celtics’ playoff matchup, or the Clippers’ ability to match up with Anthony Davis, and not whether a player or an entire team might catch COVID-19. 

Now, stop worrying that world-class health resources are being spent on a technically-meaningless sports league. Celtics-Bucks is tonight.

2. Five thoughts from last night 

  1. Bettors take note: Both games comfortably hit the under. Jazz-Pelicans was 220.5 and finished 106-104, Jazz. Lakers-Clippers was 220 and finished 103-101, Lakers. 

  2. Both games felt and looked real. The league did an awesome job of shrinking the court and its surroundings so that it didn’t feel like a Kings-Timberwolves game in mid-April. Watch LAL-LAC highlights for an idea. 

  3. You couldn’t help but laugh at the other NBA players from other teams hanging around the court, half watching the game, half on their phones. As many have pointed out, it felt exactly like: 1. An AAU tournament; or 2. When the JV team is playing and the too-cool-to-pay-attention varsity squad is chilling in the bleachers. 

  4. With the justice-related phrases instead of names on the jerseys, the kneeling during the anthem and the pregame promos, the players sent the desired message: The NBA’s return and their promotion of (American) civil justice are intertwined. 

  5. Rudy Gobert scored the first basket of the game and made two free-throws that ended up being the game-winners. We will avoid turning those facts into a tale of redemption. He still acted like a doofus in March.

3. This is what happens when you don’t box out  

Before LeBron locked up Paul George on a 3-pointer for the win, the putback above gave the Lakers a two-point lead with 13 seconds left.LeBron’s line: 

  • 35 minutes, 6-of-19 shooting, 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 turnovers. 

Anthony Davis’ line (aided by the Clippers having no Montrezl Harrell to guard him): 

  • 35 minutes, 8-of-19 shooting, 34 points, 16-of-17 shooting from the line. 

 4. ESPN report: NBA China academies were rife with abuse, lack of promised schooling  

ESPN, which pays the NBA billions of dollars for the right to broadcast its games, released a detailed report on Wednesday on the mistreatment of children at NBA China academies, and the league’s lack of urgency in dealing with related complaints. 

, and further drives home the reality that the NBA has a massive looming decision to make regarding their extremely lucrative partnership with China.

 5.  Quick hits 

  • Zion Williamson played only 15 minutes last night because of a minutes restriction. A lot of people think Alvin Gentry cost the Pelicans a win because of it. 

  • JJ Redick, on Donald Trump’s disapproval of players kneeling: “I don't think anybody in the NBA cares if President Trump watches basketball.” (Regardless of your politics, that isn’t a controversial statement.)

  • New York Liberty rookie Sabrina Ionescu, in her second career game on Wednesday night, put up a 33-7-7. 

  • Charles Barkley, on Inside the NBA last night: “If people don't kneel they're not a bad person."

 6.  Off the press 

  • Amid crisis, Pac-12 signed agreement to fund news coverage from Los Angeles Times [The Oregonian]

  • A momentous first night for the NBA [The New York Times]