NBA 2024 POSTSEASON PART II

I had meant for last week’s NBA 2024 Postseason article to be a one-off, but as we get further into Round Two of the NBA play-offs, there’s more and more to say about them. And about basketball in general this year. (If you missed it, and would like to get caught-up, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/basketball-nba-2024-postseason.)

So here we go with the second installment of my thoughts on the proceedings:

~ Before I get into some of my most recent basketball play-offs notes, I must first ponder something head-scratching about this past week-end’s NBA Draft Lottery. And that is: Why are some of the draft prospects invited to it??? (They were last year, as well.) This wasn’t the draft itself—it was just the half-hour show deciding the order that the NBA teams will get to choose their new young players in June when the actual draft will be held. And some of the guys’ parents were there, as well! What for? I don’t get it. Just do the ping-pong balls and let us move along! (Perhaps they have the guys there for the purpose of interviewing them on TV in order to get the public more interested in the sport. But it’s still stupid.)

~ Laker LeBron James and his wife showed-up in Cleveland last night, sitting in the front row of the Cavs-Celts game, which is very unusual for him to do—watch the play-off game of another team, especially after his has been eliminated. He’s from that city, and has always loved it, (except, of course, when he flat-left his first team, the Cavaliers, and famously “took” his “talents to Miami” years ago, in order to win his first Championship!)

But what’s interesting about his very public appearance there is that I feel it was to basically “threaten” the Lakers into signing his son Bronny for next season, in order to keep LeBron on the team. I feel he was letting the Lakers higher-ups know that he’d be happy to end his career back home, if the Cavs would sign the kid. That’s what I feel he should anyway. (Remember–I predicted this scenario first!)

~ I totally disagree with Charles Barkley on something he complained majorly about during the first round between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Chuck had a major issue with the fact that so many New York fans got tickets to the Sixers arena, (which they were able to do because the two cities are so close.) I agree that it was annoying to the Sixers team and organization, in general, to have people there loudly cheering their opponents on, but my take on the situation is totally different. I feel that it was good to have so many Knicks fans in Philly because it balanced-out the screaming, which is so much easier to hear, no matter for whom you’re rooting. It would be nice if all sports arenas could have a smattering of people cheering for the opponents.

~ In addition to predicting the recent firing of Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, I also predicted that Phoenix Suns’ coach, Frank Vogel, would be next. (But I have a feeling that everyone did!) And, of course it came to pass pretty quickly after the team got swept in the first round of the play-offs. They already hired the Bucks’ old coach, Mike Budenholzer, who will be a much better fit for the Suns. (That’s yet another prediction of mine that I expect will be correct.)

~ Speaking of coaches, I’ve noticed recently just how lovely the Nuggets’ Michael Malone is to his players. During a game or two, I’ve seen him tell a couple of them individually to not worry—that they’ll get rolling, and that one thing or another is not their fault. He’s so different from the coaches who get in their players’ faces.

~ I’m absolutely flabbergasted by the number of people associated with the game—players, commentators, coaches, sideline reporters—who have awful teeth! They all possess the money needed to get new chompers, (mainly veneers,) yet they choose to have their mouths ruin their looks! How do they not know better??? Even recent convict Gypsy-Rose Blanchard, who was just released from prison after eight years, had hers fixed as soon as she could! (If you know any of those British-peeps-wannabes, please pass my sentiments along. And perhaps add the phone number of a cosmetic dentist!)

~ So they don’t seem to care about their teeth, yet some of the players shave their armpits!!! (For which we’re all grateful, actually.)

~ Speaking of looks, some of the players show up to the games looking like idiots. They may as well just eschew their game that night and start planning for next year’s Met Gala! (Which I’ll finally be discussing in this space at the end of this week.)

~ I get such a kick-out of this: The trio of Knicks’ stars—Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo—all played together, and won multiple college Championships, at Villanova. So they’re especially in sync in the play-offs. They’re even referred to as the “Nova Knicks.”

~ I didn’t get a chance to discuss the Olympic team in my last NBA article, so all I want to say about it now is that I think that, as sad as it would be for him, Kawhi Leonard should bow out soon if his knee isn’t getting significantly better. He would not be doing himself or the team any favors if he can’t really play.

Since we’re only in the middle of the second round, with two more full rounds to go, I have a feeling that I may have Part III, and maybe even Part IV, in me before all is said and done. (After all, I do have to discuss the meaning of “MVP,” and share more thoughts about the Olympic team.) And why not? I eschew all my usual activities during the play-offs, so there’s nothing else to review for you right now!