The Grip -- Mon, 11.23.17

How far can the Celtics’ streak go?

November 22, 2017

11.22.17

MONDAY'S SCORES

Pacers 105, Magic 97Hornets 118, Timberwolves 102Knicks 107, Clippers 85Trailblazers 100, Grizzlies 92Celtics 110, Mavericks 102Nuggets 114, Kings 98Cavaliers 116, Pistons 8876ers 107, Jazz 86Pelicans 114, Thunder 107Wizards 99, Bucks 88Spurs 96, Hawks 85

LAST NIGHT'S SCORES

Lakers 103, Bulls 94

So, uh, when is this going to end?

Kyrie Irving dropped 47 points on a ridiculous 16-22 shooting, as the Boston Celtics on Monday night came back from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to win their 16th straight, just three victories away from tying the franchise’s all-time win streak.By no discernable metric should this team still be on this win streak, but that has become the theme here -- conventional stats and wisdom don’t seem to do this team justice.Gordon Hayward twisted into a pretzel on opening night. Marcus Smart is having the worst shooting season ever by a rotation player but is undeniably helping the offense. 19-year-old Jayson Tatum is playing like Andre Iguodala. Jaylen Brown went from a Jeff Green play-alike with a murky ceiling to the top-five of the 21-and-under list. Al Horford is the league’s shadow MVP.Of course, this streak could end at anytime, but the next several opponents are, to understate, beatable:At MiamiVs. OrlandoAt IndianaVs. PistonsVs. 76ersVs. PhoenixAre we looking at a 20 plus game winning streak? It’s certainly possible.

The shadow behind the 76ers’ uppity success

Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid again stole headlines on Monday in a flashy 107-86 win over the Utah Jazz. The game included:

There’s no denying it -- these Philly cats are fun to watch. But they have an awkward impending problem on their hands.

The third overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, Jahlil Okafor, is sitting on the bench twiddling his thumbs, wondering how he can get in on the fun or make his own fun elsewhere. Many players have expressed sympathy for his situation, including the Warriors.

YOU STAY AWAY FROM JAH.

While you may be on the #freeJahlil bandwagon, here’s why he’s ultimately stuck in purgatory:He’s proven to be strictly one-dimensional, capable of scoring only in the paint. He's not a passer or a shooter or a defender.He is very much an old school baller, but in a league where big men with multiple talents is becoming the desire, he’s very clearly a step in the wrong direction. Of course, he’s young and might be able to develop into a more-rounded player, but that isn’t now.He’s a free agent at the end of the season, thus has little value as a trading chip early in the season. The 76ers are looking to get something legitimate in return, but what rational management team would do that for a third year, limited center that can walk just six months later?The best option for everyone is to cut him and let him sign for the rest of the season elsewhere, so he can show some semblance of potential and set himself up for free agency.The Hinkie years have clearly paid off in some ways, but the butchering of human emotion will be a big part of its legacy.

  • Brooklyn’s own Bernard King rained praise on Kristaps Porzingis the other day, a refreshing take by an NBA senior citizen, because most old fellas like to hate on the new fellas.  

  • Ray Allen is involved in a very strange case of he said-she said that involves catfishing and stalking. Here’s Deadspin’s incredible lead:

“The day after a man named Bryant Coleman told a Florida court that he’s being stalked by Ray Allen, the former NBA player has responded with an emergency motion saying that he, in fact, is the one being stalked by Coleman. Their contact began, Allen said, after Coleman catfished him by pretending to be “a number of attractive women interested in Ray Allen.”

  • Remember Ben Gordon? Well, he’s not doing so hot. The former sort-of memorable high-volume scorer with the Bulls and some other teams has been arrested three times in five months, most recently for driving with a fraud license plate, which is apparently a thing you can counterfeit.  

  • Lavar Ball, off one of the most insanity-riddled live TV interviews ever, had more to say about the Lakers and how they’re mis-coaching his brick-laying son.  

  • Oddball Klay Thompson did an amazing local TV interview on his off day in New York -- not as a fan -- but as someone concerned about scaffolding.

  • Lebron James blessed Reggie Jackson’s unsportsmanlike play, saying, "I won a playoff series before doing that actually. So, I'm all for it."

  • Not very basketball related: A well-reported look at life post-layoff for six ESPNers. [Tap Here]

  • Here’s a very statistical look at why the Eastern Conference isn’t as bad you might think and could very well split the the season 50/50 in win/losses this year with the West. [Tap Here]

  • Here’s the breakdown of that aforementioned play from LeBron in an entertaining series against Gilbert Arenas’s Washington Wizards. [Tap Here]

  • Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles joins the Lowe Post and talks about his NBA journey, Gordon Hayward, Quinn Snyder and more. [Tap Here]

#THROWBACKEVERYDAY

November 22, 2001: 

As a rookie, Jamaal Tinsley puts up 19 points, 23 assists and 11 rebounds in a 110 - 103 Pacers win over the Wizards. [

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