NBA 2024 POSTSEASON

Now that the first round of the NBA’s postseason is finally over, I figured it’s time for me to weigh-in on this season of the pro basketball playoffs a bit. I’ve just spent the last month watching every second—I repeat, every second—of the games, (including the half dozen first “play-in” ones,) so I have a lot of thoughts on all of the recent goings-on in the National Basketball Association.

For some sports, such as baseball, I’ve kept the same teams for most of my life. I will always be a Mets and Yankees girl. (Which is why I can never watch them play each other.) But for basketball, I go with the seasonal personnel of each team, (always a fluid situation,) which means my allegiance can change from year to year, as new guys come into the league, and players, (except for some stars,) always get traded. And I have my perennial favorites, (Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Trae Young,) so unless their teams are playing each other, I root for them all the way.

But the questionable behavior of some of the players I’ve witnessed this postseason has made me change teams mid-2024-play-offs, which is a new wrinkle for me.

For example, because of my intense dislike for the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant, I rooted for the Minnesota Timberwolves to beat them in Round One, (which they did.) But when I saw how creepy the T-Wolves star, Anthony Edwards, was while playing the Suns (whose star, Kevin Durant, has been Edwards’ idol his whole life,) I rooted for the Suns in Game Four, so that they would not be swept. Ant-Man is obnoxious enough—I didn’t want him to have the added conceit of sweeping a team. (But my rooting did not work.)

And to remind all the commentators and fawning analysts, who have never once mentioned what I’m about to tell you: Last year, when the T-wolves lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round, Anthony ran off the floor and did not stick around to shake hands with the opposing team, as every pro player is supposed to do at the end of a series! It’s called sportsmanship! It was so classless of Anthony. So I’d really like him to lose again now to see if he knows how to behave professionally this year. (But, so far, they’re beating the Nugs, and if they win this series, I can guarantee you that every Nugget will stick around to congratulate the younger team!)

So now, here are some of my random thoughts on all of the proceedings, including several predictions:

~ Mark my words about this: All year, I’ve been saying that the only reason LeBron James is still playing at almost forty years of age is that he’s hanging-on so he can live his dream of playing in the NBA with his son, Bronny, who is now eligible to play professionally next season, after one year at college. He’s not even close to being as great as his father, and would probably not even be considered to be drafted by a team, but I believe that LeBron is going to tell the Lakers that he’ll stay with them for one more year if they take his son, as well. It looks like LeBron is baiting the organization now by saying that he’ll decide his basketball future later. He’s also saying that his son is “considering” the draft, even though he already declared for it! If the Lakers don’t accommodate the Jameses, I predict he’ll tell them that he’s “taking my talents” elsewhere.

By the way, Bron should really talk to Giannis to find out how to get the nepotism going—Giannis somehow got the Milwaukee Bucks to bring his two not-very-talented bros onto that team with him.

Last thought on LeBron for now: When his team was losing very badly in Round One, in one of his post-game press conferences, he said, “It’s only basketball.” He is correct about that, but he doesn’t always indicate that he feels that way. If the Lakers had won, his quotes would have been very different.

~ Right now, I’m rooting very hard for the Denver Nuggets; they’re all nice guys. (But after going down 0-2 to the T-Wolves last night, I have to admit that it’s looking grim for the reigning Champions.)

~ One the flip side, as I said before, Anthony Edwards and some of his Timberwolves teammates are obnoxious. And that’s who Denver is playing right now, which makes me sick. In that same West grouping, the #1 team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, is also full of King Obos. I hate seeing creepy people do well.

~ So in the West, in addition to the Nuggets, I’m also rooting for Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks. (I was rooting for the Bucks in the East, but with Giannis being injured, so not able to play, they were a no-go.)

~ Back to the Lakers for a second. I’m far from a fan of D’Angelo Russell, but it was disgusting how the team threw him under the bus and kept blaming their first round losses on him. Their losing was definitely the fault of the entire team!

The other thing with them is that two days after their postseason ended, their two-year Head Coach, Darvin Ham, was fired. Even the analysts were aghast at that development, (which I predicted, by the way.) They said the Lakers’ lacks were due to the higher-ups, not Ham. (But I have a feeling the Bucks will fire Doc Rivers next season, and hire Darvin because he used to be their Assistant Coach who was very popular with the players.)

~ Speaking of the coaching carousel, the best thing that ever happened to Minnesota’s Assistant Coach, Micah Nori, is that one of their players ran into the Head Coach, Chris Finch, during a game last week, requiring immediate knee surgery, which means he can only sort-of coach on the side while Nori leads them in this round. His team is doing great, (much to my chagrin,) so I predict that Micah will get offered a head coaching position somewhere when the play-offs are over.

~ I went from rooting for Russell Westbrook of the Clippers to hating him because of his insane behavior near the end of Game Two in the first round against the Dallas Mavericks. He actually punched a player, and got kicked-out only because it was his second technical foul in that game, not because of his disturbing behavior in general. All of the commentators said the league should have suspended him for at least a game, as did I, but it didn’t happen. He has such anger issues that I’m always afraid he’s going to really harm someone, (an opposing player, referee, or even a fan,) one of these days.

~ Now here’s the most heartbreaking news of the year. The beloved mother of twenty-year-old Mavs rookie, Dereck Lively II, died of cancer just one week before his play-off career began. I remember that heartwarming duo on Draft Night last year, and loved them. Derek’s dad had died when Derek was only seven, so now he’s an orphan. My heart has been breaking for the young guy. I have no idea how he’s been playing so well this postseason.

~ There are a lot of other young players I like, as well, such as Zion Williamson, and even Ja Morant, and the Sacramento Kings.

That’s it for my basketball thoughts this week.

Mr. X is already sick of the games. I admit it is intense to watch them all. The competitors have thinned-out a bit since we’re now into the second round. (For those who don’t know—there are eight teams involved in the “Play-Ins,” and then sixteen in the first round of the actual play-offs, which means there are eight seven-game series to start. Each subsequent series is also a best-of-seven affair. Which means the play-offs are going on until the middle of June!

By the way—I am not even close to complaining about all my sports-watching—I love this stuff! I choose to stay in the house, and often be up all night watching the games I’m always behind on. On both of the first two week-ends of the play-offs, there were four games each day, from early (for me) morning until late at night, and I watch even when Mr. X just can’t do it with me.

I’ll have more thoughts on basketball next week. I already do, but you’ll have to wait for the non-time-sensitive ones.