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, May 3, 2021 9:34 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: IMHO
So we are in that part of the season where there are two races happening simultaneously. The top six teams in each Conference are clinging to an assured postseason spot as best as they can, meanwhile teams 7-10 are hoping to either get into the top six, or hang around in their current tier as best as they can to be part of the Play-In Tournament. And while some players who used to be in favor of the play-in now aren’t so happy to have to go through the entry tournament – cough, cough, LeBron – it seems like most people are good with it. It is what it is, right?
And then there’s the teams that have no chance, who are either playing to improve their draft status as much as possible, or to develop younger players, or, perhaps, both? Which brings us to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The L-Wolves are currently a dozen wins out of the 8th spot, and have been mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. The Wolves have a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which most experts agree is pretty loaded. For a team like the Wolves, who need talent, this is a good thing, right?
Well, not so fast. If the Wolves pick does not finish within the top three, it conveys to the Golden State Warriors, shoutout Andrew Wiggins, which means the rich will get a little richer. But if the pick finishes within the top three, it stays with the L-Wolves.
So Kelcey, you’re the GM of the Minnesota Timberwolves. You’ve got a dozen games left with this young roster of players. Do you try your very best to win and establish a championship culture, perhaps at the cost of that first round pick? Or do you sit KAT and Anthony Edwards the rest of the way and do your best to play your way higher into the lottery odds, perhaps at the cost of angering the basketball gods?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Monday, May 3, 2021 9:53 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Lang,
First thing I do as the GM of the Timberwolves is buy a new car and a cute pair of shoes. Second thing I do is sit (*rest*) KAT and Edwards.
I’m tanking, for sure.
Now don’t get me wrong; I understand establishing a winning culture BUT as I write this, Minnesota has seven regular season games left (all of which are against teams with better records then them) and they’re 20-45. So even if they pull a Suns-in-the-bubble and go undefeated the rest of the year, they still only end with a record of 27-45. What good does that do? Does that establish a winning culture? Does that make the basketball gods happy?
There’s no guarantee there and I don’t quite love the idea of putting things up to chance. Let’s just lose the rest of the way (pull a 2003 Cavs – yikes), grab a top pick for next season, and establish our winning culture to start 2021-2022.
I just think sometimes it’s too little too late – why not reap the benefits of being bad?
Let me make you the GM of a team now. You’re now the GM of the Houston Rockets…what’s the plan, man?!
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Tuesday, May 4, 2021 9:51 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
So as a GM, one of the things you’re trying to find/create is certainty, right? Running a team is stressful! So you want to eliminate as many of the tough decisions as possible. Different people have different names for this — “the process”; “sustainable success”; etc — but at the end of the day you want to put a system in place that helps make your job easier.
The Rockets may have been a mess this season, but you have to bottom out before you build upward, and they’ve certainly done a good job of that, and there are some things they can take from this season. I would double-down on coach Stephen Silas, who was dealt an awful hand but has kept competing and fighting to get as many wins as possible. You’ve got a few more years of John Wall, who has shown (when healthy) that he still has the ability to take over games. And then there’s a nice group of younger players, from Christian Wood to Kevin Porter Jr., that the Rockets can look at as their core for the next few years. The Rockets also have a bunch of draft picks coming up, including possibly the second overall pick in the 2021 Draft.
So there’s a lot of good there! It wasn’t a fun ride to get to this point, clearly, but the Rockets should be able to build up don’t have anywhere to go but up.
Meanwhile, Kelcey, have you seen what’s happening in LA? The Lakers, the mightiest of franchises, the defending champs, have started looking mortal. Yes, it’s partially (OK, mostly) because LeBron is hurt, but they’ve also been without AD, and now Dennis Schroder looks to be out for the stretch run, just as LeBron appears to have re-injured his ankle.
Kelcey, should Lakers fans be worried??
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, May 4, 2021 9:23 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Lang,
Not only should Lakers fans be worried, Lakers players should start to get a bit worried too. They’re only a half game above the Mavs in the sixth spot, and only one game ahead of the Trailblazers, who are in the seventh spot — which is part of the play-in tournament. They’ve lost three of their last four games and we saw LeBron’s comments on how he’s not a fan of the play-in schedule now that he *may* be a part of it this season.
The Western Conference is also not what it was last season. The Lakers didn’t have a playoff series more than five games until the finals — it’s not going to be a cake-walk this year.
There are a full handful of teams that are legit championship contenders. Suns, Jazz, Nuggets and Clippers are not going to be walked all over … especially if they have the higher seeds in the playoffs. If LeBron and AD don’t get healthy, and soon, I would almost be pretty confident in taking anyone else but the Lakers in the finals.
Even the Portland Trailblazers; they lost in five games to the Lakers in the first round last season. I don’t think that’s a series that Lakers could win in five this year.
Everything has changed. The Western Conference continues to improve. And the Lakers’ injuries don’t give me confidence to keep them at the top.
So, if the Lakers aren’t “the team to beat” this year. Who is?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 9:35 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
Well, that’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Because the truth is, even as bad as things are going for the Lake Show at the moment, there is no athlete I trust more than LeBron James. Despite age, injuries, whatever, the dude always seems to come through. And even now, as he battles all that stuff I mentioned, I trust him more than I do anyone else to figure out a way to the Finals and to another title.
Except for maybe the Nets. Because with the Nets, even if you don’t fully believe in Kevin Durant, say, there’s also Kyrie Irving! And if you think Kyrie might flake and go burn sage or something, there’s James Harden! And Blake Griffin! And Steve Nash! And assistant coaches like Mike D’Antoni! There’s a million ways it could go, but there’s a million options in Brooklyn that could come through in any given situation.
So, I guess the question is, in whom do you believe? Who can figure out how to get to the Finals? Giannis? Paul George? Erik Spoelstra? Brad Stevens? Rudy Gobert?
There are plenty of options, I know. But I’m still rolling with the King.