Basketball has arrived, and just in time to remind us that this is still the Celtics world, we’re just living in it. Or wait, is it just LeBron’s world and we’re just leliving in it with his son? So much existential crisis, so little time.
Anyways, Opening Night (does it need to be capitalized?) seemed like it was going to start with a bang (just like your mother) with the new-look (Now just 80% Nova!) Knicks taking on the World Champions. What was a close game in the first couple of minutes, the Celtics went onto to establish that they are once again the team to beat in the East and confirmed, at least with what one game can do, a separation between themselves and perhaps one of the two teams that could feasibly take Boston on in a playoff series.
Jayson Tatum, playing with a chip on his shoulder and a new shot, pretty much was flawless, scoring 37 points and going 8-11 from 3-point. The Celtics actually ended up tying the NBA record for most team threes in a single game, which is definitely noteworthy, but they missed their last 14 attempts to end the night at 29-61. At that volume, I don’t know whether to feel impressed or nauseous.
I know a lot can be said about Karl-Anthony Towns debut, I know a lot of analysis was coming out that he wasn’t being aggressive enough and playing a bit lost. I’ll only say that just they way the Knicks were operating on the offensive end of the floor, Tom Thibodeau was intentionally putting KAT into the post on mis-matches and it was up to KAT to take advantage of those situations. And I agree, if you are a 7-footer getting 6-footer match-ups, don’t finesse it. Still, Jalen Brunson looked great at times, even at a -23 on 22 points and 9-14 from the field, but they need more than 4 points from OG Anunoby and of course, 12 points from the aforementioned Towns would go a long ways. The offense didn’t look great, and matched Bridges clunky start.
Miles McBride certainly deserves credit for keeping the Knicks in this, well, as much as you can stay in a 30-point blow-out, but 20+ off the bench is always going to wanted.
And of course we arrive at LeMoment.
I won’t wax poetic too much about the Bronny thing-a-ma-jig… this is, after all a fantasy site, and unless you think he’s a legitimate 3-and-D option that you can stream, there’s just not much fantasy anything to speak of.
But the moment was there, it’s been brewing, and it is/was something to see, LeBron James (16 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK, -6), one of *the* (see what I did there?) GOATS, for the first time ever in a game of basketball, checking in and playing with his son, Bronny James. LeHistoric.
And that’s all I’ll generally say about that, which I think is a job well done coming from a Lakers-hater. Well, since I marked myself as a hater, one short bullet point I guess, wait, let me literally do it since it’s within my power…
- I get the argument about trying to utilize your NBA roster completely and not wasting a spot on a “glamour” choice. But I see it a different way… you know, these teams are all run in different ways, based on governorship, market, personality, etc. and I think you’ll see a lot of range on what these front offices and coaches do with that last spot based within that context. I think of Haslem with the Heat, dude is going to have his funeral on that last roster spot. What about Thanasis? (Not the Marvel character.) Long bullet, I know, but we are in America, so we like that. But I’m just saying, don’t make it weird, it’s LeBron and the last roster spot. If he wanted ham sandwich in that spot, let the Lakers go to Giant and grab some meats and bread, ya know? LeGM already made you trade for Westbrook, is a good sandwich really that much worse?
Annnnnd I don’t really like defending the Lakers, so let’s not let that happen again, yeah?
Besides the LeLegacy moment, Anthony Davis put up a very Anthony Davis (when healthy) line of 36/16/4 and 3 blocks. Rui Hachimura had a breezy +19 night on 5 rebounds and 18 points and Austin Reaves 24-25 continues to pick up where 23-24 left off, basically beating up on the corpse of 22-23 going 6-14 from the field, but showing hustle with 9 rebounds and 1 block.
Another quick note, it’s been a preseason story-line that Reddick had wanted the Lakers to shoot more threes, which on paper seems like a good idea, but that’s not one of my pieces of paper and I’ve never seen it or read it. Going 5-30 is certainly not a good start, so I’m fascinated to see where this can go, much like how a dumpster fire fascinate me.
So the Timberwolves are another interesting lineup to watch, but as we know, whatever Anthony Edwards does, that’s how the team does, essentially. And so with a mediocre ANT-type performance (27 points on 10-25), the offense seemed pretty much like the Knicks, just clunky and no flow. To their credit, the Lakers were very physical and high energy on defense, but Joseph Randle (16 PTS, 5-10) and Mike Conley (5 PTS, 1-7 and -22)needs to show more.
Jay is a longtime Razzball everything who consumes an egregious amount of Makers Mark as a vehicle to gain wisdom and augment his natural glow. Living in the D.C. area, he also likes spending time visiting the local parks and feeding lettuce to any turtles he encounters, including Mitch McConnell.
