Mon, Dec 10th, 2018

An NBA-obsessed newsletter for the info-craved basketball mind.

Written while listening to Digable Planet's Rebirth of Slick

Appreciate the Memphis Grizzlies while you can

We have a soft spot for this hard-working, old school basketball team, which should've been detonated three years ago but despite age, a new coach every year, a terrible 2017-18 season, a small market, and a guy who dances like this, are 15-10 and nestled comfortably in the playoffs race.A year ago we were saddened by the departures of both Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, which seemed to mark the end of this era. The team could have (should have?) firesold Mike Conley and Marc Gasol during last year’s 22-win season, but they remained “untouchable.”And now we are living the Grizzlies Renaissance. Gasol is 34 years old and shooting the 3 ball at around 40 percent on four attempts per game; in 2015-16, he shot three 3s all year.And Good Guy Mike Conley, who still doesn’t have a technical foul in 743 games, is finally healthy, leading the team with 20.3 points per game. They have a 19-year-old rookie named Jaren Jackson Jr. who's already exuding talent, and is 1A-1B with Luka Doncic for Rookie of the Year.[READ: The Grizzlies are back to their ugly -- and winning -- ways]But most impressive is that Memphis’ basketball style and culture are still intact. In a 3-heavy, high-scoring league, the Grizzlies are last in pace (96.71), according to NBA.com/Stats, fifth in defensive rating (104.3) and 27th in offensive rating (105.4).In other words, they’re very slow on offense and very good on defense, and, if we want to be Debbie-downers, their net rating (1.1) is that of a .500 team, but c’mon, this is an appreciation post.Oh, and they added Joakim Noah? Who knows why, but he’s back to nailing comically ugly jumpers. 

The Spurs’ high is wearing off

With the Kawhi Leonard saga over and with another all-star in DeMar DeRozan, the Spurs looked very Spurs-like in a 6-2 start to the season.  But things have gone south quickly. They’re 8-12 since -- winners of three straight, to be fair -- and are currently 29th in defensive rating (112.9).If you haven’t looked at the Western Conference standings in a while, it’s a madhouse.Six games separate the first and 14th seeds. And right now the Spurs are on the tail-end of it, flirting with missing the postseason for the first time since 1997.Our unsolicited advice to Pop: Tank, and tank fast -- you know, like you did in 1997 to get Tim Duncan.(The Spurs won 59 games in 1995-96, had a few injuries and hit the self-destruct button with 20 wins in ‘96-’97, stealing Duncan from the also-tanking 17-win Celtics, which launched this modern era of Spursian winning starting with a 59-win ‘97-’98 season.)[READ: The Spurs need to tank the season]

Debacles involving young 76ers in The Process Era, ranked

7. Michael Carter-Williams going from Rookie of the Year to unplayable6. Ben Simmons’ foot injury that costs him his first year5. Jahlil Okafor being passively marooned4. Nerlens Noel being passively marooned3. Joel Embiid playing 31 games in his first three seasons2. Zhaire Smith’s food allergy that’s cost him all of 2018 (ongoing)1. Markelle Fultz’s ‘thoracic outlet syndrome,’ which will keep him out ‘3-to-6 weeks’ (very much ongoing)

Oh, the Bulls

• A week after firing Fred Hoiberg, things aren’t going so well in Chicago. The Bulls lost by 56(!) to the Celtics over the weekend, and reportedly started a players-only group text debating whether or not to show up to practice Sunday. They did in the end.

• During that loss, new coach (no interim label) Jim Boylen yanked all five starters after a 13-0 run for Boston to start the game. He said: “This is about honoring the game and doing the right things. I worked for Gregg Popovich. He subbed five guys a ton of times. Nobody says a word to him about it.”

• Pro tip, Jimmy: Comparing yourself to Gregg Popovich three games into your head coaching life is not a good move.

• READ: Bulls pushing back on Boylen only three games in

  Clutch 3 from the rookie 

Luka Doncic against the Houston Rockets on Saturday, part of an 11-0 solo run

   Quick Hits

• Steph Curry’s PR Stunt Update: When asked about responding to the fan’s letter in a press conference, he said it opened his “and the company’s” eyes. Yeah, well it rolled ours.

• In an oxymoronic twist, the Warriors today were named Sports Illustrated's 2018 Sportsperson of the Year.

• DeMarcus Cousins is practicing with the Warriors’ G-League team today.

• The Knicks, in tank mode, were all laughs after Courtney Lee missed a recent wide open layup.

• The 16-9 Clippers are very watchable and one of the reasons is Tobias Harris. He’s putting up 21 a game on 50-40-85 shooting in a contract year.

• After just 24 games with the 4-22 Suns, the Lakers are going hard after Trevor Ariza. (It’s almost like James Jones, Phoenix’s general manager who has three rings thanks to LeBron, owes his old pal some favors.)  

• Malcolm Brogdon kind of sounds like Barack Obama.

• Here is some very good Pascal Siakam (14-6-3 for the Raptors) Twitter content.

 Concrete Reads

• ‘Clearly, there is something wrong with us mentally’: Life as a Wizards season ticket holder [The Washington Post]

• ICYMI from Bleacher Report: Why doesn’t anyone want to play with LeBron?  (The story includes this quote from Kevin Durant: "[LeBron] has so many fanboys in the media. Even the beat writers just fawn over him. I'm like, we're playing basketball here, and it's not even about basketball at certain points. So I get why anyone wouldn't want to be in that environment because it's toxic. Especially when the attention is bullshit attention, fluff. It's not LeBron's fault at all; it's just the fact you have so many groupies in the media that love to hang on every word. Just get out of the way and let us play basketball.")

  Podcast Pick

Zach Lowe and Tim Bontemps discuss the Fultz situation, among other topics [ESPN]

Four must see games

Tonight, "League Pass" A.K.A. Reddit

Tomorrow, NBATV