Why would you, right? Those wildcards went from completely irrelevant in 2014-15 to slightly less so in that ‘16 campaign, staying consistently OK for an entire season to finish with 48 wins in a typically porous Eastern Conference.

They won a few playoff games, eventually losing to Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat in seven, the most memorable moment in that series being when #PurpleShirtGuy got his 10 minutes of fame.

The next season, they maxed out Nic Batum and had high aspirations, only to fall to a supremely mediocre 36-46. This year, they added Dwight Howard and went to battle with an uninspiring roster whose peak came two years ago and two wins short of 50.

That team had a pretty good coach (Steve Clifford), a high-volume leading scorer (Kemba Walker), and some frisky role players (Batum, Jeremy Lin, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Courtney Lee).

This worthless trove of trivial basketball information is all to confront the 41-31 Indiana Pacers, who will finish with more wins this year than in any of the previous two with Paul George.

Victor Oladipo has been legitimately good, Myles Turner is 21 and throwing up 14 points and seven rebounds, and…that’s about it. No one else on that roster has anything resembling an all-star level ceiling.

So, it’s fair to say that unless they land a big name free agent (has never happened) or score a high pick (they’ll be in the mid-teens to high-twenties), it is much more likely than not that this team will flame out in the first round and revert to the median next year, probably with a losing record.

Depressing, right? Moving on. No more Pacers talk on The Grip.

Let’s talk LeBron

LeBron James is 33 and throwing up an absurd 27-9-9 every night in year No. 15. When he was 22, in 2007 (his first Finals run), he threw up a 27-6-6.

For those 10 seasons sandwiched in between, he’s averaged a 27-7-7. Statistically, at least, he’s still getting better. In year No. 15. He’s also played in every game this year, and 1,132 out of a possible 1,219 regular season contests for his career.

He recently acknowledged that he doesn't care what seed he is, and that he’ll be a problem to whoever he faces. Arrogant, yet accurate, considering the way he’s owned the Eastern Conference. (He hasn’t lost a first round game since 2011.) On Wednesday he proved his point. In a comeback win against the first-seeded this-year-is-different-we-swear! Toronto Raptors, Lebron put up more statistical line eye candy. Here’s his official line:

35 PTS | 11/19 FG | 12/14 FT | 7 RBD | 17 AST | 0 TO

Of course assist No. 17 came in dramatic fashion:

You best check out his full highlights here.

2018 Carmelo Anthony is frustratingly bad

If you watched Boston vs. Oklahoma City on Tuesday then you may have noticed this, too.

Up two points with eight seconds left in the game, Carmelo “Three Time Olympic Gold Medalist” Anthony missed two free-throws to keep his team’s lead at two. On the ensuing play, Marcus Morris hit a three-pointer and the Thunder lost after a failed game-winner by Russell Westbrook. It was the first loss for a team leading by six points with less than 25 seconds left in almost two seasons, according to our friends at r/nba.

For Knicks fans, the nostalgia came rushing back. We know that feeling! Melo is producing a career-low in field goal percentage and free-throw percentage.

And the worst part? Should he opt in next season, he’ll be making a ridiculous $28 million next year, or more than 28 percent of OKC’s salary cap.

At this point in his embattled career, Carmelo Anthony is like microwave pizza. At best, serviceable. At worst, devastating. His inefficient 16.6 points per game come with sides of bad defense, no passing and an abnormal number of block attempts where he yells shit-outta-here only to have the offensive player finish.

Wait, we’ve got it. Carmelo, you are

2006-07 Corey Maggette

with $21 million more in salary and 5.8 less in Player Efficiency Rating.

Thousands of fans were denied entrance to the Kings game last night, because of a protest in the wake of the shooting of 22-year-old Stephon Clark. Not to politicize The Grip, but it was the Atlanta Hawks against the Sacramento Kings, so.
The Kawhi Leonard saga continues with another Woj Bomb about a players only meeting.
The Pelicans won their third game in three nights last night against the Lakers. They combined for 84 points in the first quarter. Anthony Davis dropped 33.
Dwight Howard put up a 32-point, 30-rebound game against the Brooklyn Nets two nights ago. Kevin Love in 2010 was the last player to put up a 30 & 30 game.
Kemba Walker dropped 46 points in a 61-point victory over Memphis last night. He hit 10 threes and didn't play the fourth.
A courtside fan caught Vince Carter mocking Blake Griffin a few nights ago as he complained about a call. In the same night, Carter passed Patrick Ewing for 22nd on the all-time scoring list.
Kelly Olynyk dominated the Knicks on Wednesday, putting up 22 points and 10 assists, including this gem of a pass:

There have been more Nor’easters than Knicks wins in New York in 2018.
The 76ers actin’ like they're just fans at the game.
Raptors bench player Fred VanFleet finally got to dap up his idol in the dying seconds of the Raptors-Cavaliers game.
We don’t have many opportunities to show you Dirk highlights these days, so here’s a fuck it three just 13 minutes into the Nets-Mavericks tank-off:

Zach Lowe on what’s gotten into the Trail Blazers:As the calendar flipped to 2018, the Portland Trail Blazers found themselves facing an existential crisis. They were barely over .500, the same place they had been stuck ever since Wesley Matthews' Achilles tendon ripped and LaMarcus Aldridge bolted. Their once-flowing offense had sunk to 27th in points per possession. Something elemental was off, something beyond numbers. The veterans knew what it felt like when the offense hummed. It didn't feel that way anymore. It forced the level-headed among them to contemplate a worst-case scenario: What if the Blazers were just mediocre? What if they had capped themselves into oblivion to win 44 games every season?To keep reading, Tap Here.
A profile of Klay Thompson, who mourned the loss of his friend’s 13-year-old boxer before going off in game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals [Tap Here]
Kevin McHale chops it up on the Celtics' chances this year and next, plus some great stories about Danny Ainge [Tap Here]
If you were ever interested in how NBA TV’s The Starters got to where they are now [Tap Here]
An analytical breakdown of how important Andre Roberson is to the Thunder’s defense, and why they miss him dearly [Tap Here]

Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo talk about the NBA and the Celtics, plus a Gabe Pruitt reference [Tap Here]
Tim Legler joins the Woj Pod to talk about various basketball things [Tap Here]

A LOOK AHEAD Here are the must-see games of the weekend.

Friday 3/23

The Boston Celtics (48-23) visit the Portland Trail Blazers (44-27).10 PM EST - NBATVThe Houston Rockets (56-14) visit the Portland Trailblazers (44-26).10:30 PM EST - TNT

Saturday 3/24

New Orleans Pelicans (42-30) visit the Houston Rockets (57-17).8:00 PM EST - NBATV

Sunday 3/25

The San Antonio Spurs (42-30) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (37-34).3:30 PM ESTPortland Trail Blazers (44-27) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-30).7:00 PM EST

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