Wed, Jan 22nd, 2020

The always-OK Indiana Pacers — Zion’s back — LBJ’s scoring quest

January 22, 2020

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

  

  • It seems like we do the same thing every year with Indiana

  • Zion is making his debut tonight on ESPN

  • Tankathon update!

  • LeBron is going to pass Kobe on the all-time scoring list soon

 1. The Lead: When will we start taking the Indiana Pacers seriously?  

On Sunday, the Indiana Pacers beat the 30-13 Nuggets, 115-107. Domantas Sabonis put up a monster 22-15-10 statline, the first-triple double of his career, and Malcolm Brogdon had 22 points and eight assists.The Pacers, without Victor Oladipo, who is expected to return on Jan. 29, are: 

  • 28-16 and 2.5 games back of the second seed in the East. 

  • Getting a career season from Sabonis (17.8-12.9-4.3), who is turning into his father. 

  • Getting the same production from T.J. Warren (17.8 points, 37.5 from 3) that the Suns did. 

  • Getting the most out of Malcolm Brogdon, a potential All-Star.  

Plus, the alt uniforms they’ve been wearing are actually kind of cool.These are all facts we must confront.Some key components, for context:

  • Efficient shooting: They’re third in the league in field goal percentage and seventh in 3-point percentage.

  • Easy opponents: As of today, they’ve had the fourth easiest schedule.

  • Net-rating: At plus-2.5, the Pacers’ mark is only 2.9 better than the 18-25 Suns, which suggests they’re closer to a .500 team. 

Will this sustain? In the regular season, sure. They’ve won 48 games in each of the last two seasons, and will finish in that ballpark again.In the playoffs? Less likely, but that depends on who Oladipo is when he comes back, and which team can get that No. 2 spot in the standings.

 2. Zion’s back  

Zion Williamson, the league’s great young marketing hope, whose injury is the reason we’ve all had to sit through so many stupid national TV games featuring the Pelicans, is making his NBA debut tonight.And, yes, this one’s on national TV, too.The details: Spurs at Pelicans, 9:30 p.m., ESPNIn the meantime: Here are 38 minutes of Zion’s Duke highlights.P.S.: Note young and jubilant RJ Barrett in the left corner of the GIF above. He has no idea he’s about to go play for the Knicks. 

 3. Tankathon Update  

The Warriors beat the Magic over the weekend, which means there are no more teams left in the single-digits in wins. The 76ers’ 1972-73 82-game record of 9-73 is safe. Let’s take a look at the live standings, via our friends at Tankathon.com:

Notes:

  • ⬆️ Major props to the Warriors for their recent 10-game skid, which shot them right back to the top.

  • ⬇️ Major disappointment in the Hawks, who are a mediocre 3-7 in their last 10. Remember last year, when a 10-14 finish to the season doomed their chance at a great pick? It’s deja vu. 

  • 👍 Shoutout to the Hornets for taking their sleepy pill and losing eight of the last 10. They were starting to get a little frisky. 

  • ❓ At 14-28, Washington needs to ask itself what it wants to be. Does it want the eighth pick or the third pick? This stretch -- the Wiz are 4-6 in their last 10 -- will be big in dictating the rest of their season.

 4. Where LeBron stands on the NBA’s all-time points list 

Sometime in the next two to three games, LeBron James (33,578 points) will pass Kobe Bryant (33,643) for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.(The Lakers are playing the Knicks tonight, so...)From there -- once all the annoying Twitter pleasantries between LeBron and Kobe are exchanged -- the question will be whether or not he can flag down Karl Malone and Kareem for first all-time.With 43 games played by the Lakers this season, LeBron has 1,035 points. Say he scores 800 more, and he’ll finish the season with 34,378, roughly 4,000 behind Kareem’s 38,387.If LeBron, now 35, averages 25 a game over 70 games a season for the next three years (1,750 points a season), he’ll pass Malone midway through the 2021-22 season and Kareem midway through the 2022-23 season, at which point he’ll be 38.(Kareem scored 23.4 a game in his age 38 season; Malone scored 22.4.)If, or when, LeBron claims the top spot, and if he picks up another ring by then, the statistical case for him as greater than MJ will be hard to argue.

5.  Quick Hits 

  • Houston has lost its last four games. Russell Westbrook is shooting 23.5 percent from 3 on 4.6 attempts. 

  • “Harden’s shooting numbers look like tour dates lmao”

  • There was a legit brawl in the Kansas-Kansas State game last night, where a Kansas player almost nailed a dude with a chair. Check out the Jayhawk mascot staying in character. 

  • Here’sJaylen Brown’s dunk on LeBron.

  • Larry Fitzgerald is buying a small stake in the Phoenix Suns.

  • Chris Paul, on possibly relinquishing money to facilitate a deal: “No chance.” 

6.  Off the press

  • The best player in college basketball is named Sabrina [The Wall Street Journal]

  • Those closest to Delonte West say they’ve been trying to help him, but that ultimately more needs to be done [The Athletic]