Tag: Joel Embiid

With each passing day, narratives continue to get worse

Just when we think the highest level of buffoonery is reached, people are there to prove us wrong

In life, everyone has an opinion, and changes in narratives almost equal the amount of viewpoints. It’s all subjective who is believable or not, but no matter what side of the equation one is on, there’s no arguing with hard facts. Despite that, there are many who will try, due to the fear of having to admit they’re wrong about something. Therefore, it’s time to crush the garbage narratives that are (or was) out there about a few players, using the NBA Finals as the basis. Before we dive in, it’s keenly understood basketball is a team sport, and nobody can win championship or other awards by themselves. With that said, the culture is one that loves to look at what individuals are doing, especially when it comes to discussing anything best of. So because of said culture, let’s embrace instead of fight against, and do a deeper dive into the cesspool of word salad.

Let’s start with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who just led the club to their first ever league title, and won the NBA Finals MVP in the process. Before this season, Jokic won the previous two regular season MVP awards, asserting his status as one of the best players in the world. It’s hard to please everybody, but the narratives that came Jokic’s way is comical and sad at the same time. We had people saying he was “stat-padding,” and the awards he won were due to some sort of a racial bias supporting international players. We even have many saying Jokic should not have won the MVPs because the Nuggets didn’t have much postseason success in those two seasons, despite the fact the playoffs have nothing to do with the voting. Objectively speaking, Jokic has been a great player for a while in the NBA, long before he was an MVP candidate. What happened this season is the casual fan (and the haters who support these claims) got to see the 28-year-old center do what he’s been doing on a national and worldwide spotlight. With an NBA title now under his belt, there isn’t much for people to hate on, and the ironic thing is Jokic didn’t win the regular season MVP award this year (that went to Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid). To those people who said Jokic didn’t deserve those MVPs, does that mean Embiid doesn’t deserve his, since the 76ers blew a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics? This isn’t intended to be a campaign for Jokic, but if we’re in the business of looking at things fairly, let’s do so. It’s understood that probably won’t happen, but Jokic has done more than enough to make the case.

Staying with Denver, let’s discuss the narrative surrounding Jokic’s teammate and potent sidekick, guard Jamal Murray. Before discussing Murray in detail, let’s remember what he had to endure to get back to playing at a superstar level. On April 12, 2021, Murray tore the ACL in his left knee, and missed the next two postseasons due to the injury. Even this season, there were worries about his durability going forward, with questions surrounding if he would be fully available for the Nuggets’ title run. As we now know, Murray was arguably the second best player in the playoffs behind the aforementioned Jokic. With that in mind, the narrative on what the 26-year-old did during Denver’s run being a surprise is beyond wild. When Murray is right, he’s one of the games best scoring threats. In the playoff bubble closing out the COVID-plagued 2020 season, he had two 50-point games and the same number of 40-point games. With Murray suffering the torn-ACL, the guess is many forgot how good he is capable of being, but if people are historians of basketball like they claim to be, the performance the guard put on shouldn’t be much of a surprise. It also verifies how good Denver is when they have their two stars playing together. The last time Murray was healthy for the playoffs (prior to this year), the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals. The proof says he can play with anyone in the league, and put up big numbers doing it. For those who forgot, Murray properly reminded them.

For the final case of trash narratives, let’s go to Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler. In general, the Heat are an interesting case. On one hand, Miami was the eighth and final seed in the East, barely getting into the dance after surviving the play-in tournament. They turned the birth into an improbable run to the NBA Finals before losing to Denver in five games. On the other hand, this is primarily the same squad that has advanced to at least the Eastern Conference Finals three of the last four seasons (twice making it to the NBA Finals). Knowing that bit of info might make one believe the Heat’s run shouldn’t be a shock, but it would be logical to think otherwise given how bad Miami looked at times. One thing that has been consistent is the play of Butler, and that reaches another level come playoff time. Bottom line, the Heat are nowhere close to this level without Butler’s leadership and energy, but losing brings criticism and narratives that weren’t even thought of the day before. Now, questions about being whether or not Butler can be the best player on a championship team are simmering. Remember when everyone was praising “Heat Culture?” Those praises have disappeared into the Rocky Mountain air. Taking the big picture view, it’s a minor miracle Butler and Miami have been as successful as they have been. They have never had the most talent, but it’s hard to match them in consistent effort and passion. Even still, people have to make up narratives to fill blocks on the debate shows that cover the airwaves.

Jokic, Murray and Butler are not the first people to find themselves in the narrative cesspool, and they definitely won’t be the last. No matter how hard someone may try to avoid them, opinions will be out there, left to be found in some way, shape or form. All of that is fine, but let’s at least be sensible and objective about the views. Nowadays, it’s easy to wonder if the ones who paint these narratives even believe what they’re saying, or is it all about selling hot takes in an attempt to maximize click bait. These three players don’t need me to have their backs at all, but it does feel good to call the BS out in their favor.

It’s time for the game show that’s taking over the sports world

These teams face many questions after getting eliminated from the NBA’s conference semifinals.

In sports, every team has stuff they have to address after a season of games. Some have more questions to answer than others, but the goal is to be in the best position to compete for a title in the next campaign. For teams in the NBA, there seems to be a point where those decisions hit a critical stage, and that’s if said team is eliminated from the playoffs after the conference semifinals. With that in mind, it’s time to play “Run It Back or Break It Up?,” the game where we decide whether the squad in question is better off keeping things together for another run, or blowing things up to start over. There are four teams who have major evaluations to conduct after being bounced out. As this game moves on, I’ll decide what I think should happen with the clubs going forward (your feedback is strongly encouraged as well). Without further or do, it’s time to introduce the contestants:

New York Knicks

If we are to listen to Knicks fans and a good amount of the media outlets in the northeast, they would have us believe the sky is falling with their team, and losing to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in six games could certainly qualify for a disappointing finish. The reality is not many people had New York getting to this point in the first place, and until the team started to make moves in the regular season, they were seen as somewhat of a laughing stock. After signing point guard Jalen Brunson to a long-term contract last summer, large numbers of NBA followers (including myself) questioned why the Knicks would make such a move. Brunson would go on to give a resounding answer why he was brought to NYC, forcing some of those naysayers to call the acquisition the best signing of the year. In other words, there’s more reason to be optimistic than pessimistic in New York.

Having said that, there are hard choices for the Knicks to make if they want to continue the ascension. They found a gem in Brunson, but the rest of the roster has shown significant chunks of inconsistent play, particularly forwards Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. To answer the question, I believe they should run it back with a couple of caveats. Barrett caught a lot of criticism from the masses, and it was much deserved based on his poor shooting against the Heat. From my evaluation, he looked like a player who lost confidence, and the moments got the best of him. If there’s a next time at this stage, Barrett should be better prepared. The other caveat has to do with Randle, because there’s rumblings about trading the league’s Most Improved Player in 2021. That’s an option, but who would be the other trade partner? Of course, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been mentioned as a potential target, but that wouldn’t come cheap. A trade for Lillard would probably gut the team of any depth they had before a potential deal, resulting in more heartache for the Knicks and their fans. All that considered, it’s probably best for New York to stay intact for now.

Decision: Run It Back

Philadelphia 76ers

Unlike the expectations for the Knicks, the 76ers were looked at as a team that could take the next step, with that being an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals. Up until a few days ago, there was reason to believe that would happen. Philly had the newly-crowned MVP in center Joel Embiid, a former MVP in guard James Harden that showed signs of that form, and they had a 3-2 series lead over the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics with a closeout opportunity at home. That’s when disaster struck, as the 76ers collapsed in the fourth quarter of Game 6, and followed that up with a blowout loss in Game 7. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and in this case, it’s Philly who once again came up short at the most critical moment.

So where do the 76ers go from here? The answer to that is anyone’s guess, but here’s what we do know. Under the watch of head coach Doc Rivers, this is the third straight season the team has went out in the conference semifinals, and Embiid should no longer get a pass on the blame (that’s for the people who want to find other places point fingers). He and Harden have a detailed history of disappearing over and over again, and it’s apparent this current batch of players has reached the ceiling. Therefore, it’s probably time to see another shift in strategy for Philly, and judging off of Tuesday’s move to relieve Rivers from his head coaching duties, the 76ers agree with this settlement. Don’t be surprised is Harden is the next to leave. In fact, Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey are probably the only ones who would probably be considered “untouchable,” and everyone else is for sale. I don’t know if this is still considered part of the “Trust The Process” era, but the time to end the whole thing has arrived, and is probably overdue.

Decision: Break It Up

Phoenix Suns

Before diving into the state of the Suns, lets give full disclosures. Phoenix was already on the way to a steep decline. Back in 2021, they had a 2-0 lead on the Milwaukee Bucks before losing four straight in the NBA Finals. When that occurred, the feeling that ran through my thought process was this group of Suns players would never have as good of a title opportunity as they had at that moment. Yes, Phoenix had the best regular season record in the league the next season, but imploded in a lifeless Game 7 loss at home to the Dallas Mavericks in the semifinals. With the team feeling desperate for a championship, the Suns decided to go all-in, trading with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire forward Kevin Durant. The result was a big four that added Durant to the trio of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, but not much else behind that. The lack of depth and defense was exposed in their loss to the Denver Nuggets in this year’s conference semifinals. Yes, I know Paul was injured (which is the case most playoff runs), and Ayton missed Game 6, but there’s not much reason to believe that would have made a difference in the result.

The other disclosure is there’s an understanding Phoenix doesn’t have much choice but to Run It Back, because they’re pretty much stuck with what they have. There are no assets to trade, and not much money to bring free agents in. That doesn’t mean the Suns aren’t trying to change things, and the release of head coach Monty Williams verifies that. Whoever takes Williams’ place won’t have much to work with. Durant and Paul will be a year older, and they have already shown signs of gassing out during the playoffs. Maybe Ayton can start to show more signs of dominance, but it’s questionable where the hope of that happening is. This is my way of saying it’s probably better for Phoenix to tear down, but because of the top-end talent they do possess, they’ll believe they have a chance to bring a title to the desert.

Decision: Break It Up (but I know they’ll Run It Back)

Golden State Warriors

Out of the four teams being discussed, the Warriors are probably the hardest to dissect. Golden State has won four titles since Steve Kerr became the head coach before the 2014-15 season, with a core that includes Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. After getting eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, questions about the end of the dynasty are circulating around the NBA and sports media airwaves. While Curry, Thompson and Green have met the challenges and doubts more often than not, the signs of age and years worth of battles taking their toll stuck out like a sore thumb. All season, even through the Warriors’ struggles on the road, they got the benefit of the doubt because of their championship pedigree. The combination of the Lakers’ depth, and their own shots not falling, solidified Golden State’s first series loss against a Western Conference opponent in Kerr’s tenure.

It’s widely understood Curry is going nowhere, but the same can’t be said with as much certainty for Thompson and Green. The other splash brother has an expiring contract, and Green can opt out from his current deal this summer. Even the general manager, Bob Myers, might be on the way out. If Myers is gone, the person who takes over will have a monumental task to retool around Curry. A good place to start is the inside positions, because L.A.’s forward/center, Anthony Davis, destroyed Golden State in the paint. Many times before, the Warriors were able to overcome the lack of height with their pinpoint shooting from distance, but not this time. Even with all of the doubts and questions, I can’t help but believe Golden State will tune things up for one more run at a championship, with a lot of the same cast of characters.

Decision: Run It Back

Don’t be shocked if these three NBA teams fall short of expectations

Hope springs eternal, but reality will set in as the playoffs approach and move on

At the start of any sports season, there’s always hope of having a special year that can lead to a title. Some teams have reason to believe, while others are counting on delusional faith. Such is life in the NBA, and in the case of a few clubs, the hope that’s lost in the shuffle of a underwhelming beginning are rekindled by a trade to acquire said superstar player. Whether it’s a decision to stand pat, or go all-in, the expectations to win (and win big) is the driving force behind them. It’s understood there’s only one that will call themselves champions at the end, and I’m confident these three teams won’t be at the top of the mountain when it’s all over.

Let’s start with the Phoenix Suns. Yes, I know the Suns have forward Kevin Durant, who they received via trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Pairing Durant with the trio of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton looks scary for opposing defenses in the Western Conference. There’s no doubt Phoenix will score points, but they are left with no depth behind the four stars, and the defense is even more of a mess than it was before the Durant trade. In other words, many fans and media members alike were quick to anoint the Suns as the favorite to be in the NBA Finals after KD was added, which was expected given the environment that favors everything offense. What’s being ignored is it takes more than scoring (because every team can score), and the lack of defense and depth will come back to haunt them in the playoffs. Exactly where is a question, but I can say with confidence an early exit will happen before Phoenix gets too far into a run.

Speaking of no defense, that explains the Dallas Mavericks to a tee. Things looked so promising for the Mavericks coming into the season. Last year, they made it to the conference finals before going out to the Golden State Warriors. Things haven’t gone as well as they thought, and much like the Suns, Dallas became desperate, reaching out to the Nets to acquire guard Kyrie Irving. The move severely depleted the team’s depth, but the chance to pair Irving with Luka Doncic was too much for the Mavs to pass on. Going back to the defensive end, Dallas was already bad in that department, and bringing Irving to the squad is far from the improvement needed to become complete. The results are as of Sunday night, not only are the Mavericks going down in spectacular fashion, they’re in danger of missing the playoffs altogether, and if that happens, expect more changes with the roster (and maybe the front office).

For the third team destined to fall short of expectations, look no further than the Philadelphia 76ers. This choice was actually more difficult than the Suns and Mavericks, partly because the 76ers are in the Eastern Conference. As tough as that East is, it’s probably not as rugged as the West. Having said that, Philly has a few things that tell me I have to see it to believe they make it past the conference semifinals. I know they have center Joel Embiid, who is a favorite to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, but there is a question about Embiid’s durability for a long playoff run. They also have guard James Harden, who notoriously disappears at the crucial moments. Finally, Doc Rivers is the team’s coach, and that’s no longer a good thing like it might have been before. The combination equals more playoff disappointment, most likely going out to either the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics.

Keep in mind this is merely my opinion on how I feel about the upcoming playoffs, and if I’m proven wrong, I’ll be all too happy (okay…maybe not) to admit as much. Because of the splash moves the Suns and Mavericks made, they became trendy picks, and people have been waiting on the 76ers to breakthrough for at least a few seasons. The problem is sizzle and style doesn’t equal substance, which is the main ingredient for championship teams. None of these three clubs are complete, and it will be exposed before too long. If you’re a fan of Phoenix, Dallas or Philadelphia, I would love to hear why I’m crazy for thinking this way. I just believe crazy isn’t the word to describe my feelings.

Cutting through the created clutter of the NBA’s MVP discussion

In the wide world of sports, there hasn’t been too many topics generating more buzz than who this season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the NBA should be. The discussion is everywhere, and it’s the type of conversation all of the fake-debate shows dream about. As usual, there is a lot of disagreement in terms of who should win the award, but there is agreement on the three contenders, who are all bigs. The three players (in no particular order) are Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid and Milwaukee Bucks swingman Giannis Antetokounmpo. On the surface, deciding a winner should seem more cut-and-dry, but it never is, and it’s because the voters make up their own criteria in picking first place. Opinions are what make us unique, but they can also create unnecessary complications, which leads me to this conclusion. No one (including myself) knows what the MVP, in any sport, represents, but I believe I can tell you what the award isn’t.

It’s not a lifetime-achievement award. From reading articles and hearing viewpoints on television and radio shows, it appears some of the voters want to give the award to the best player in the league. That sounds good, but what if said best player is on a team that struggled to make the playoffs? There’s no denying what a person has done in his or her career, but that shouldn’t have any bearing on what happened for a particular year. If lifetime accomplishments is what the MVP is measured on, then there wouldn’t be a need to have this award given annually. For an example, let’s look at the 2017 season. At that time, most people would have said LeBron James, then a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was the best player in the world, but Russell Westbrook, who was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, won the MVP. There aren’t many who think Westbrook is a better player than James overall, but that didn’t stop voters from giving the award to him (it’s funny these two are teammates on a dysfunctional Los Angeles Lakers squad that’s at home with us). In other words, best player is different from most valuable.

The MVP is also not a who has the best stats award. Since the glamour stat is scoring in the eyes of many, that would mean Embiid is the winner, since he won that title during the regular season. Even with that feather in the cap, the 76ers finished fourth in a rugged Eastern Conference, which is a spot behind Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the standings. It’s one thing to see stats, and it’s another to see how it happened in game action. This is important because Jokic and the Nuggets, a team that plays in the Western Conference (and finished sixth and those standings), might not get as many eyes on him simply because of where he resides. There are a lot of players who put up empty stats that don’t lead to team success. I’m not trying to call the stats these three great players empty at all. I’m just saying while numbers never lie, they don’t always tell the whole truth.

Finally, the MVP is not a playoff-projection award. Ideally, it would be better if the postseason was included in the voting, but with the system we currently have, the playoffs have nothing to do with anything. Therefore, how people and voters think a player’s team is going to do during money time is completely irrelevant. With Denver facing the Golden State Warriors in the first round, not too many people like the Nuggets’ chances of advancing. Philly has a scrappy Toronto Raptors squad to deal with, and while Milwaukee should be able to get by the Chicago Bulls, nothing is a guarantee. The overall point is there’s a possibility the Nuggets, 76ers and Bucks can go home early. Are we going to say Jokic, Embiid or Antetokounmpo are all of the sudden not worthy of MVP consideration if their respective teams fall short of supposed expectations? Of course, there are some voters who will say that, and ultimately regret choosing the way they did. If and when they have this viewpoint, one can wonder where the meter of understanding lies with these individuals.

Ultimately, the MVP is a regular season award. What standards are used to choose the winner is up to the person with a vote, but there’s no denying that fact. Nothing else matters, and if people want to include the playoffs in the voting, then change the rule, so voting doesn’t start until the NBA Finals conclude. Until that happens, all of the clutter created by voters, and the stats, should cease. Pick the winner for this particular season (not an accumulation of seasons), the person who is most valuable to their team winning games, given the situations they’re in. This includes availability for the team, and the potential lack of availability with other key players on their squads. The three players on the ballot are all deserving, considering this is (again) a regular season award. Let’s keep it there, and I’m confident most of the complications will go away.