Warriors beat writer Danny Emerman shares his thoughts on the NBA
The NBA’s Christmas Day slate delivered, and the league should let all the naysayers know.
All five games were tight, and the Warriors-Lakers classic was the most-watched regular season game in five years.
Then one night after Christmas, with everyone’s bellies still full and wrapping paper filling up recycling bins, just about every game delivered, too. Tyler Herro, Scoot Henderson and Jordan Poole each nailed game-winners. Sacramento melted down, giving up an excusable four-point play while up three points, ending the Mike Brown era. The Hawks scored 50 — fifty! — points in the fourth quarter to come back against the Bulls and the plucky Nets upset the Bucks.
The two-day stretch was like following up Avenger’s Infinity War with Endgame.
Although the outrage over the league’s purported ratings crisis has been mostly overblown — and the discourse around it unproductive — the health of the NBA is important. Just ask steward of the game Kevin Durant.
“I take this serious,” Durant told ESPN. “And I’m locked in as to why people don’t want to watch us play no more or why they don’t like the 3-point line or what the real problem is,” he said. “I’m trying to think about and understand it. I love this game. I want to see it keep going.”
The NBA needs its next generation of stars to restore its place in the national culture. Replay reviews and other factors can make ends of games sluggish at times. The schedule is too long and some media coverage delegitimizes the actual games. The new CBA is an issue. Even with schedule reform and the player participation policy, load management is still in issue.
But the actual basketball — the sport played on the court — isn’t the issue.
The league has never been more talented. Nikola Jokic is one of the most dominant offensive forces ever and is a complete joy to watch. Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t too far behind him. Victor Wembanyama puts up statlines previously unthinkable. The Celtics are a machine. Young players across the league are slow-stepping at the rim, showing off both athleticism, balance and skill.
And yeah, Steph Curry and LeBron are still beating Father Time. Well, more often than not.
Since last year’s All-Star Game, games have had much more flow as referees let more marginal contact slide. The video game-scoring foul-fests are mostly gone.
The NBA Cup, while it has its faults, has for two years now generated interesting, intense basketball before Christmas.
Commissioner Adam Silver has created a culture of complaining by puppet mastering league rules, All-Star formats and the like. But the end result has been an overall win. The $76 billion media rights deal is proof.
The league has been in good hands with James, Curry and Durant for the past 15 years. Whenever they walk away, they’ll do so leaving the league in a better place than when they joined it.
The Kings fired Brown 15 minutes after they let him run practice. They fired him six months into a three-year contract extension and after he led them to their first playoff berth in 17 years a couple years ago. They fired him two months into a season that anyone knew would take time to figure out the DeMar DeRozan fit.
As if anyone needed more evidence about how poorly run the Kings have been since Vivek Ranadivé bought the franchise.
Now De’Aaron Fox is going to get his fifth head coach in eight seasons as rumors about his commitment to the organization swirl.
At least Brown can keep cashing checks until 2027 if he wants. Maybe he can ask Luke Walton for Lake Tahoe recs.
Watching these guys hit the B button is always fun.
This being the 34th edition of Dimes, a celebration of the number 34.
Michael Jordan is the greatest player ever, but the three best jersey numbers ever are 32, 33 and 34.
No number has been retired more often than 32. It’s tough to beat Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Bill Walton, Shaquille O’Neal (twice), Karl Malone and Kevin McHale.
As for 33, you’ve got Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scottie Pippen and Patrick Ewing.
The retired 34s include Charles Barkley, Shaq, Hakeem Olajuwon and Paul Pierce (a personal favorite). Ray Allen didn’t wear 34 for most of his career, but did when he hit the iconic shot in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s carrying the 34 torch among active players.
