NBA: 25 thoughts, musing and observations from night 2 of the 2017-18 season
Twenty-five thoughts, musings, and observations from night 2 of the 2017-18 NBA Season
1. For as great as guys like Towns, KP, D’Angelo Russell, Myles Turner, and Devin Booker are, much of the top half of the 2015 draft continues to stink. Jahlil Okafor, Mario Hezonia and Trey Lyles were all DNP-CD’s, Stanley Johnson and Frank Kaminsky combined to go 1-22 from the field, and Justise Winslow was a a team worst -13 in 23 minutes.
2. Tony Allen got a long, loud, standing ovation from Grizzlies fans when he checked into the game. In a sports world where teams rarely have identities anymore, this was really, really cool to see from a fanbase who clearly appreciated what Allen brought to their city.
3. Dillon Brooks, the 45th pick in the 2017 Draft, is legit. The three year starter at Oregon was a team high +17 in 29 minutes, and hit some big shots down the stretch. After one night, he looks like this year’s Malcolm Brogdon.
More from Sir Charles In Charge
- LeBron James working to assemble super team for USA Basketball in 2024
- Dillon Brooks proved his value to Houston Rockets in the 2023 FIBA World Cup
- NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Player from each team most likely to be traded in-season
- Golden State Warriors: Buy or sell Chris Paul being a day 1 starter
- Does Christian Wood make the Los Angeles Lakers a legit contender?
4. The Jazz were getting thoroughly outpaced by the Nuggets for the entire game, and then went on a 20-3 run to start the fourth quarter. Much like Staten Island’s own Wu Tang Clan, the Utah Defense is nothin to f*** wit’.
5. DeMarcus Cousins, for roughly a half, looked locked in and focused. Then Boogie showed up. With games coming up against Golden State, Cleveland, and at Portland, things are likely to get worse before they get better. (Jrue Holiday was also 2 for 11 in this one, probably feeling some pressure to perform to his new max contract. Even putting aside his night, what does New Orleans do with him if this year goes to hell? No one is touching that deal)
6. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play a different sport from the rest of the league.
7. Doubt the 0-2 Celtics at your own risk. Boston is going to angry its way to 46 wins, somehow, some way.
8. Malik Monk is running a distant third behind Dennis Smith Jr. and Donovan Mitchell on the list of players most likely to keep Knicks fans up at night five years (or five months) from now.
9. Chandler Parsons looked hesitant to shoot early on in the game. Ended up making both of his attempts in 15 minutes.
10. The Hawks – who played the game of the night against the Mavs – are going to be competent and a pain in the ass to play on most nights.
11. The Sixers now have two of the top 15 must-watch players in the league in Embiid (obviously number 1, in a category of his own) and Ben Simmons. No one else in the league is quite like either of them. (Joel Embiid’s face-up game looked particularly unstoppable on this night)
Live Feed
Wiz of Awes
12. The most entertaining part of the Pistons Hornets game, easily, was Eminem welcoming fans back to the downtown Detroit area. After that, it was tough to watch. Both teams looked like they needed another two weeks of camp.
13. If you can still get in on the ground floor of any D’Angelo Russell MIP stock, run, don’t walk, to your local bookie. The Nets are going to let him shoot until his arms fall off (because even if they did, Brooklyn’s defense cannot get much worse).
14. The Pelicans and Grizzlies – quite possibly the 10th and 11th best teams in the West – looked solid, while the Heat and Hornets – the East’s presumptive 5 and 6 seeds – looked iffy at best. Life isn’t fair.
15. Every kid should have at least one parent as partial to them as Tommy Heinson is to the Celtics.
16. Hassan Whiteside hit a three. Intentionally.
17. Eric Moreland – who is apparently an NBA player – got backup center minutes over Boban. Clearly at this point, Stan Van Gundy is just screwing with us.
18. For reasons unknown, Evan Fournier cut his hair. Best guess: he was ok having the second best hair on the team, but not the third, so he just folded his cards and went home. (Of less importance, Fournier was the only reason the Magic didn’t blow a 17 point fourth quarter lead, hitting some big shots late.)
19. This summer I bet a buddy of mine one adult beverage that Robert Covington was going to sign a nine figure contract. I’m still going to owe him a beer, but it seems slightly less ridiculous now.
20. The Grizzlies will outlast a styrofoam cup.
21. The odds on Hassan Whiteside leading the NBA in rebounding should be higher than the Warriors’ odds to repeat.
22. The couple of seats that were left on the Jaylon Brown Hype Bandwagon after the Cavs game have been taken. There is limited standing room that should be gone by the weekend.
23. Not a great sequence for Kyrie Irving late in the fourth, when he missed a wide open three, then allowed noted speedster Matthew Dellavedova to blow by him for what would have been an uncontested layup had it not been for a goaltending call. (BTW, no one likes Matthew Dellavedova. Maybe his parents do. But I doubt it.)
Must Read: Are The Miami Heat Shopping Hassan Whiteside?
24. Jusuf Nurkic lost so much weight, I had to double check the box score to make sure Myers Leonard wasn’t starting. Damn.
25. Ricky Rubio is not allowed to cut his hair or shave his beard. Ever.
Bonus: Nikola Jokic’s passing is a cheat code. That is all.
#FreeEricBledsoe