Grind City Media’s Lang Whitaker and Kelcey Wright Johnson weigh in on the most pertinent news from around the NBA. What’s lit? What’s lame? Find out each week right here.
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2020 at 3:52 PM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: IMHO
Kelcey:
The NBA is allllmost back! We’ve had scrimmages and training camps and press conferences, even a brief Magic City interlude, which was the most Lou Williams moment possible. Still, as I write this, we are just a few days from the start of the seeding games, a.k.a. the games that count. And I can’t wait to see them.
But you know what did start last weekend? The WNBA! Now, I’ve never been more than a sorta cursory follower of the W, mostly because I’ve never had time to dig in and actually watch the games. I know you’ve been watching for a while now, so before we bounce around the Association, let’s start this week’s column with this: Give me three WNBA players to keep an eye on as this new season gets started.
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2020 at 5:14 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
What’s going on, Lang?
Yes – I spent the entire weekend skipping between NBA scrimmages and WNBA games. We went from zero basketball to what feels like non-stop basketball (and that is not a complaint!). I was so happy to see all the support of the WNBA from tons of NBA players in the bubble right now, and I’m excited that hopefully I can get you to take in a few games this summer too.
Three players is so difficult because there are OG’s like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Candace Parker—but there are also the big time young players like Breanna Stewart, Kia Nurse and Arike Ogunbowale.
But if you’re only tuning in to a few games: keep an eye on Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty. She broke records in Oregon last year in the NCAA, and just began her pro career this weekend—plus, one of her main mentors was Kobe Bryant, so you know she’s going to embody that Mamba Mentality.
Another player to watch for is A’ja Wilson who missed a portion of last year’s season due to an ankle injury after scoring 39 points in a big regular season win. You’ll like her because she’s a bit like Ja Morant… she’s got tight handles and is a walking bucket!
Lastly, former MVP Breanna Stewart is back! Yes – the Breanna Stewart who won four national championships with UCONN and then a WNBA championship in 2018. She sat out the entirety of last year with a ruptured her right Achilles’ tendon but she is back and looking better than ever; she had 18 points and eight rebounds in her first game back this weekend.
As much as I’m excited to watch these women all summer, I am equally as excited to see the Grizzlies’ regular season resume this week. After watching the scrimmages, who do you think is going to have a big opening night for Memphis?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2020 at 9:54 PM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
I’d love to catch some W games this summer. I’ve always been a Sue Bird fan and actually have a pair of her player edition Nikes with her initials on the back in my size tucked away in a closet somewhere, a remnant of my old SLAM days.
The more I watch the Grizz at training camp 2.0, the more I think that what we really need is that third wheel. Like, for the most part, we know what we’re going to get from Ja and Jaren. (And I throw in the “for the most part” because they are both still kids and we know they are gonna have nights (or afternoons, I suppose) where it just isn’t there.) So then the question the Grizzlies and Taylor Jenkins have to find an answer to, is this: Who can you count on? Game after game, who can you consistently count on to produce?
For most of the first half of the season, that person was Dillon Brooks, who was the team’s best wing defender and regularly posted 20-point games. But that production—especially offensively—started to waver as 2019 gave way to 2020, and thus far in the O-Town scrims what we’ve seen, Dillon hasn’t scored like that. As the regular season ticked along, Jonas had games where he was serving more barbecue chicken than The Rendezvous, but that is also largely match-up driven and based on the games where he’s able to stay on the floor. I’ve also got an eye on Kyle Anderson, who really found his role with the Grizz as the season progressed, but he’s something of a Swiss army knife who just takes what is given to him.
All that to say, I think Dillon is the one to keep an eye on. If he’s able to average 15-plus points per game, that’s going to make all the difference in the world.
One fun thing about this bubble reboot has been seeing players—like Brandon Clarke—who were injured and out the picture when the shutdown happened, come back and play big parts for their teams. Kelcey, is there a player you’ve seen return in the bubble that gave you a flash of excitement?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 6:19 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Yes, Lang! It’s been so good to see Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr., and even Grayson Allen back on the court. All three of which were injured before the NBA’s suspension, so it feels like forever since we’ve seen them play.
The person who is bringing some extra excitement into my life watching the Grizzlies scrimmages is Kyle Anderson. Heading back into the restart, there were questions surrounding that four-spot in the starting line-up. The Grizzlies were looking for a player who would spread the court a bit to open up the middle for Ja Morant, and Kyle has nicely stepped into that role with a brand new jumpshot.
Over the quarantine, he says he worked a lot on his shot (he was shooting about 25% from the three before the hiatus, and then almost 80% in the three scrimmages in Orlando). His shooting form and release point seems to have been altered slightly and it’s made the world of difference — scoring 14, 15 and 13 points in the three scrimmages, including going 4-for-5 from the three against Philly and 3-for-4 against the Heat.
We talk a lot about Dillon Brooks being that third scorer on the team, and on days when his defense is needed but his offense is lagging, I think Kyle will be able to relieve some of that scoring pressure now that he’s a legitimate threat from beyond the arc. And that makes me excited!
Talking about being excited; look ahead at the eight seeding games for the Grizzlies. Which one are you most looking forward to watching, and why?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at 12:42 PM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
Totally agree on Kyle—he looked fantastic in the three scrimmages, and I think it was the best three-game stretch he’s had in a Grizzlies uniform. After battling injury his first season and then recovering from surgery coming into last season, maybe the quarantine was the break Kyle needed. He looks like he’s finally able to shoot the ball freely, which should not only benefit him but everyone else, as well.
As for the game I’m most excited to see, I’ve gotta go with three games, and it’s the first three games on the schedule. The Grizz open on Friday against Portland, then play the Spurs and the Pelicans, all three teams that are breathing down our necks in the standings, sweating us for the number 8 spot. Three games in four days, and every play matters. If the Grizz can win all three, I think you can breathe a little bit easier. Going 2-1 probably also helps get you a little wiggle room. But go 0-3 in the opening stretch, and suddenly it’s really gonna be Memphis vs. Errrbody.