Underrated NBA storylines before the rona'
It’s now been over a month since the NBA ceased play due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to put it simply; it’s sucked.
The playoffs were meant to start this weekend and to really get you down in the dumps in isolation, here is some of the fun matchups we could have been looking forward to if the standings stayed the same.
In the east, third seed Boston facing Philadelphia and fourth seed Miami facing Indiana (Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren’s feud would be a nice little side story to keep an eye on too). In the west, the two seed Clippers taking on Luka and the Mavericks and third placed Denver Nuggets taking on Houston, their contrasting game styles an interesting storyline.
Instead of preparing ourselves for two months on the couch and playoff basketball, we’re readying ourselves for months on the couch watching the same Netflix show we’ve been watching the past four weeks. The first instalment of “The Last Dance” documentary is being released this weekend though, so I guess that’s cool.
Anyway, until then, let’s look back to the regular season that was and pretend it doesn’t feel like a distant memory. Here are some of the underrated storylines from the 2019/20 NBA regular season.
1. Los Angeles Lakers (49-14; second best record in the league)
This probably seems dumb because the Lakers have the second-best record in the league and are the championship favourites in a lot of expert’s opinions. But what they did to begin their campaign and set up their season was outstanding.
They only bought back six players from their 2018/19 roster; LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo. Yet they started their season 20-3. In any sport when you welcome in seven new guys that can play solid minutes, it is hard to build chemistry that quickly.
James and Davis needed to work out their partnership and get the touches they both feel they deserved. Including guys like Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard who need to feel comfortable in their roles was important also.
Just to make it a little bit harder, all of this was done under the guidance of first year Lakers coach Frank Vogel. He gets a short period to work out a system with his team in the pre-season, but he is forced to figure most of it out on the fly.
I don’t care how much talent a team has or what the expectation is, a new head coach leading a bunch of guys who haven’t played together before is hard. Taking them to a 20-3 record to begin the season and eventually a 49-14 record before coronavirus hit, is an impressive feat.
The LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh initial Miami Heat season in 2011 didn’t get off to a hot start. Just eight wins from their first 13 games and 15-8 through their first 23 proved even with talent, chemistry takes a while to build.
The 1999 championship winning Spurs suffered a similar fate. Bringing back just six players from the 1998 season and including a rookie Tim Duncan into the rotation, San Antonio started 6-8. Give credit where credit is due, the Lakers have impressed in a situation which could have begun a lot worse than it did.
2. Trae Young (29.6 points, nine assists and four rebounds a game)
Some experts tried to play down Trae Young’s season and say he shouldn’t be an All-Star. Yes, their argument that he is leading a bad team is valid, but he has been historically good so far this season.
Atlanta are 20-47 and second last in the east. So, I thought hey, let’s have a look at every bottom three team in each conference since 2000 and see if anyone has had as good of a season in that time. The answer is no.
The closest anyone came to scoring at Young’s level was Tracy McGrady in the 2003/04 season when he put up 28 a game. Jrue Holiday came closest to matching his assists average with almost eight a game last season.
McGrady’s 04’ season was probably the best comparison to Trae, putting up 28 points, five assists and six rebounds. DeMarcus Cousins (24 points and 12.7 rebounds) and Karl-Anthony Towns (25 points and 12 rebounds) were two that came close, but ultimately no one has been better than Young.
Fourth in the league in scoring and second in assists in just in his second season. It’s impressive, especially given the fact that he lost his second-best player John Collins for 25 games due to a violation of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program.
This makes his almost double-digit assists each game jump off the box score because he is not surrounded by much. Some may say his scoring numbers aren’t impressive because he takes the most shots in a bad team. Fair. But you can’t average just under 10 assists a game in a bad team and not be a very, very good player. He is putting mediocre guys in a position to score while almost putting up 30 himself. I don’t care what anyone says, numbers may be numbers and it may not always lead to wins but averaging nearly 30 and 10 is ridiculous.
Imagine what he might be able to do throwing lobs to Clint Capela and John Collins. Pair that with some perimeter guys to dish to and draw the attention away from himself and he is a walking double-double on a potential contender.
3. Lonzo Ball (12.4 points, six rebounds and seven assists)
It may be bias because I love Lonzo Ball, but I think he’s had one of the most underrated seasons in the league, helping lead the New Orleans revival into playoff contention.
Going to a new franchise after two interrupted seasons and being able to produce at a high level is impressive and it has gone unnoticed. He has turned himself into a guy who is so valuable in the modern game. Can shoot the three, play defence and make plays for his teammates.
Watch any Pelicans game and when Ball is on the floor, he makes a noticeable difference on both ends. His playmaking, defence, pace on the fast-break and his shooting make New Orleans a dangerous outfit.
The partnership he and Zion Williamson have already built is promising for the Pelicans. Ball is a pass first point guard and always has been, which fits this team and Zion's game. He can run the offense to get Zion and Brandon Ingram their touches and when they’re double teamed and Ball is left open, he can shoot the three with confidence, going at 38 per cent this season.
He’s got a well-rounded game through three injury interrupted seasons, which tells me his scoring can only improve as he plays more games on a consistent basis and becomes aggressive for his own shot.
4. Boston Celtics (43-21; third in the east, fifth best record in the league)
NBA analyst and sports writer Bill Simmons has spoken a lot about the secret to basketball. He says through a chat with Isiah Thomas, the leader of the back-to-back NBA champion Detroit Pistons, Simmons learnt that the secret to basketball was not about the game itself, but about the people. All the talent in the world will get you so far but the people you bring in is the key to a winning basketball culture.
In 1989 the Pistons traded away Adrian Dantley for Mark Aguirre. Thomas admits Dantley was probably the better player, but Aguirre was the better fit for those Pistons. Unlike Dantley who wanted to get his minutes and stuff his stat line, Aguirre was about the team and playing his role within it. Sound similar?
This past off-season the Celtics let Kyrie Irving head to Brooklyn and signed Kemba Walker. There’s no doubt about it, Kyrie is a better basketball player than Kemba. He was bad for that team though and the Celtics are a better team without him. It's clear as day when you watch them play.
The system they’re running is obvious, there’s no “I’m going to get mine” mentality and lets’ be honest, it looks like they’re having fun. It’s the secret and it’s gone under the radar by the Celtics this season.
Boston is juggling three stars in Jayson Tatum (22), Jaylen Brown (23) and Kemba Walker as well as Gordon Hayward (30). None of them are about stats, so much so it almost cost Tatum an all-star spot and some may argue it did cost Brown a selection. 23.6, 20, 21 and 17 is what the four score a game.
Look back on Celtics history to one of their greatest championship rosters in 1986. Larry Bird led with 25.8 points a game, Kevin McHale with 21.3 and Robert Parish with 16. The 89’ Pistons I spoke of earlier; Isiah Thomas 18.2 points a game, Joe Dumars 17.2 and Mark Aguirre 15.5.
Are they all very talented teams? Yes, of course. But what they and this current crop of Celtics have proved is that it’s how everyone all fits in together that matters. Kyrie is going to give you 25 points a night but at what cost? Constant negative media attention, a tense locker room and a frustrated star. Kemba is going to put up 21 a night and compliment his teammates on the court and in the locker-room.
Toronto is another that has done the same and is stiff not to be featured here, but I like what Boston is doing and the culture they’re building. It may not be this season but they are in a position to be contending for a championship in the near future.