Luka Doncic’s LA debut and different ideas over the All-Star break

Despite the fact that I reside in Los Angeles, I don’t go to many Laker video games until the Spurs are on the town. As recounted right here final month, I had tickets to each of what had been purported to be back-to-back Spurs video games in January. The primary of these was postponed due to the LA wildfires, and the Spurs “smoked” the Lakers in what would have been the second recreation. I shall be attending the postponed recreation. which is ready for St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. I cannot be carrying inexperienced, and I don’t count on any Laker followers shall be carrying inexperienced both, for apparent causes.

It is a long-winded manner of claiming that I attended a Laker recreation this week that didn’t contain the Spurs: the debut of Luka Doncic in a Laker uniform final Monday, one thing that neither Luka nor Laker followers may have predicted only a week earlier. The one factor that might have been predicted was that Anthony Davis would undergo one more damage.

We simply didn’t know the damage would occur whereas AD was in a Mavs jersey, making the worst commerce ever even worse. Though I’ve referred to him as FI-AD (Ceaselessly Injured Anthony Davis), I really feel genuinely unhappy that AD’s profession has been marred by damage. Not like different gamers whose conditioning has seemingly contributed to their accidents (the middle for the 76ers, for example), I don’t consider that has ever been a problem for Davis.

Talking of conditioning, Luka’s lack of conditioning apparently contributed to the Mavs’ resolution to commerce him, I notice that anybody who averages 30/9/9 whereas not in form have to be one heck of a participant. However as a former coach, I perceive the frustration that a corporation should really feel when the group’s finest participant can also be not the toughest working and most targeted, versus gamers like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and so on. That doesn’t excuse the commerce, it simply helps clarify it — that are two various things.

Laker followers had been understandably thrilled that Luka fell into their laps, although maybe relieved that the 265 pound Slovenian didn’t achieve this actually. His debut in LA was the primary non-playoff Laker recreation I’ve ever attended during which everybody arrived on time. After we arrived, every of was gifted a Laker gold Doncic 77 shirt. Many followers (not this one) instantly put the shirt on and wore it for the sport. (I’m giving mine away.)

For the pre-game introductions, LeBron graciously moved to the fourth spot, leaving Luka’s first introduction as a Laker to final. There was a groundswell of noise as the group heard “Beginning at ahead carrying quantity 77, Luuuuuka Doncic!!”, however that groundswell didn’t flip right into a wave. My buddy Marc, a Knicks fan who was sitting subsequent to me, leaned over and stated {that a} Madison Sq. Backyard crowd in the identical scenario would have been so loud the sport can be delayed. Alas, laid-back LA followers didn’t delay the sport with their cheering. Sadly, a bit extra delay would have been good, as the sport itself was a nap, with the Lakers going up 20 factors over the outmanned Utah Jazz within the second quarter. The sport by no means received any nearer, Luka didn’t play properly (5 for 14 for 14 factors, 5 boards, 4 assists) and lots of the early arriving Laker followers left early too.

Curiously, 1. the Jazz had been additionally the opponent for Kobe’s final recreation and a couple of. didn’t look all that undermanned two nights later after they beat a full-strength Laker squad 131-119. In that recreation, Luka was once more not nice (16/5/5). Maybe his conditioning is a matter.

Different ideas, together with some concerning the Spurs!

Nate Silver, poll-taking maven, additionally drifts into sports activities, together with the NBA. A latest column entitled “NBA Way forward for the Franchise Rankings” is fascinating. Many NBA followers, together with Spurs followers, assume that the Spurs’ future is the brightest due to … properly, you realize. Nate disagrees, although he does place the Spurs at quantity two. He opines that Victor, if he stays wholesome, might be within the MJ/Lebron/Kareem pantheon because the 4 finest gamers ever. Some might recall my article predicting that Victor is more likely to comply with the Kareem well being path than these like FI-AD. Nate additionally likes Stephon Fortress (together with everybody else who has seen him play) and the Spurs’ treasure trove of draft picks. Nonetheless, he places OKC within the primary spot, and it’s tough to argue with the conclusion. Not like the Spurs, OKC is already nice, with nice younger expertise (together with a Victor-lite 7-footer in Chet Holmgren) and extra draft capital than anybody within the league. Spurs followers have to keep in mind that having a generational expertise doesn’t assure a bunch of crowns, and even one.
I used to be taking part in in my very own recreation Wednesday night time for the Spurs’ final recreation earlier than the break (and raining threes from throughout) and due to this fact needed to speed-watch the Spurs-Celtics recreation. Whereas that was a foul recreation on which to finish the “first half”, it was additionally simply bizarre. The Celtics has 16 offensive boards, and it felt like 15 of them got here after bricked three-pointers that ricocheted off the rim to a one other man in a inexperienced jersey — who in fact nailed the second (or third) alternative at a 3. Yelling “field out” on the TV display screen doesn’t ever assist (particularly on tape delay), however typically boxing out simply doesn’t matter. With the Spurs lacking an enormous chunk of their very own threes, this was simply not a recreation the Spurs had been destined to win.
I ended the week by going out to Claremont McKenna School for his or her second rivalry recreation in opposition to Pomona Pitzer. As a reminder, I coached basketball for eight years at Claremont. For many of these years, Gregg Popovich coached Pomona. It stays an amazing rivalry and the home was packed. Even higher, Claremont prevailed 90-77, taking pictures 60% from three. Pomona selected to double-team the excellent Claremont put up man (averaging 21/10 on 68% taking pictures) who had 8 assists out of these double-teams. It felt like all of these assists went to three-point shooters. The simplest three to make comes from an in-to-out move, because the shooter is going through the basket together with his toes already set. As a result of Claremont has two such Shooters (they went 7/10 and 5/7 from three), these put up to shooter passes had been the important thing to the win. The Spurs ought to do extra of that.
I’m wanting ahead to the remainder of the common season. Whereas the dangerous final week with the 2 very robust shut losses damage, the Spurs stay barely within the playoff hunt. Even when they don’t make it in, I need the younger guys to expertise the sensation of being within the hunt, when each recreation, and each play, issues.