• The Grip
  • Posts
  • Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The turnover disease sweeping the NBA

October 30, 2019

Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

  • Kristaps Porzingis is back to balling

  • The Celtics had a cozy night out

  • Anthony Davis had himself a career night last night

Tonight's must-watch games

Tap the box to set a reminder

 

1. The lead: Tell your kids about stat-dumping

(Teammates react to Semi Ojeleye getting stat-dumped.)In the first day of journalism 101, a crotchety old teacher will be wheeled out in front of your class, and one of the first things he or she will tell you is that, in reporting: Two is a coincidence and three's a trend. In other words: Three examples makes a story.But new-school journalism is about rewriting the rules, so we are here to tell you there is a way of thinking: One is a coincidence and two is a trend.Coincidentally, there is a new trend that we -- and others -- have noticed, which @WorldWideWob aptly calls the ballbonic plague, which we’ll call stat-dumping, which we have seen twice already during this young season.Stat-dumping, defined: In the closing seconds of a blowout game, the teammate dribbling the ball will toss to another teammate, thus dumping a negative stat on the victim. It happened on back-to-back nights this past weekend.First, on Saturday in Boston, a cross-court heave from a rookie to a third-year player:

The offender: Carsen EdwardsThe victim: Semi OjeleyeTime of pass: 1.9 left on the shot clockSecond, on Sunday in Los Angeles, in what Kyle Kuzma called “the craziest friendly fire grenade I’ve ever seen:”

The offender:

Miles Bridges

The victim:

Cody Martin,

Time of pass:

.4 left on the shot clock

2. Who's hot, who's not

Kyrie Irving [BKN]37.7 PTS | 5.7 REB | 6.3 AST | 1.7 STL

Karl-Anthony Towns [MIN]32 PTS | 13 REB | 5 AST | 2.7 STL | 2 BLK

Anthony Davis [LAL]28.8 PTS | 12.5 REB | 3 BLK

Eric Gordon [HOU]11.3 PTS | 30% FG | 21.4% 3-PT | 3.39 PER

Jayson Tatum [BOS]20.3 PTS | 34% FG on 20 shots

Buddy Hield [SAC]14.3 PTS | 35.1 FG%  on 14.3 shots | 7.06 PER

3. A reminder to New Yorkers: Kristaps Porzingis exists

If it feels like the ground-breaking whiff that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks was years ago, that’s because the Knicks are mind-controlling you to think as such. (Not yet proven.)We’re here to remind the world that the sacred, fragile unicorn is playing basketball again. In four exciting games in Dallas, he’s averaging 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3 assists per game.He also had a career-high five assists against the Blazers Sunday night (but definitely didn’t earn all five assists).He hasn’t changed much -- still less efficient than you’d like (42% FG on 17.5 attempts per game) -- and, at 7-foot-3, should be getting more than eight rebounds a night. But he’s the same promising talent that is now paired with soon-to-be All-Star Luka Doncic, plus seven other players who are all averaging between 7.5 and 11.3 points per game.The Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets on the road last night, 109-106, and are 3-1 on the season.[READ: The Mavericks are putting all the right pieces around Luka and Kristaps]

4. Kemba Walker is really helping the Celtics mellow out  

As an unrelated aside, recreational marijuana is now completely legal in Massachusetts. 

  Quick Hits 

 Concrete Reads 

  • Kawhi Leonard’s only weakness has become a strength [The Ringer]

  • Bradley Beal is a big fan of Juan Soto -- and his bat-carrying antics [The Washington Post]

  • The no-All-Star superteam? Utah's unique challenge in the loaded West [ESPN]

  • “This should be a wake-up call to the whole world”: Inside the Hong Kong protests [The Ringer]

  • KD, Kyrie and what comes next for the Nets [ESPN]

  Podcast Pick

Luka vs. Trae and Kyrie vs. chemistry [The Bill Simmons Podcast]