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 10, 2021 5:20 PM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: IMHO
Kelcey! Can you believe we made it? We did! We made it to the end of the NBA regular season! Well, almost? The season ends this week, how about that for a way to look at it?
Anyway, as I write this there are just a handful of games remaining the 2020-21 NBA Season, a season many of weren’t sure we’d ever even get around to seeing. But here we are, and despite a few bumps in the road early on, and a lot of games that were rescheduled by the health and safety protocols, we got to the finish line.
But before we turn the corner and head into Play-In SZN, I want to see your postseason ballot. We talked about our Most Improved players last week in our video segment, so let’s start this week’s column with this: Who is getting your vote for the following categories: MVP, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 6:02 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
What’s up, Lang?
As I sit here and type this, it sounds like Kyle Anderson is getting “MIP” chants as he shoots his foul shot at FedExForum. But that’s not what you asked…
My MVP vote would go to either Embiid or Jokic, and I lean more toward Jokic. I still kind of want to give it to Chris Paul but people seem to look at me funny when I say that…Jokic is INCREDIBLE to watch and I don’t mean that in any sense of hyperbole. He does it all; scores and defends in the paint, shoots the three at a good clip and passes like John Stockton (ok, there’s the hyperbole). But honestly, he’s a point guard and a center averaging averaging 26 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists per game shooting over 50% from the field. That may be one of the best offensive seasons…like ever. And that’s not even getting me started on the defensive end for him; no, he’s not a defensive stopper, but he’s improved his D a lot since last year and is always making those hustle-plays that don’t necessarily show up on the boxscore.
I don’t know a lot a lot a lot about coaches but it’s got to go to either the Suns coach or the Knicks coach, right? Monty Williams took over the Suns in 2019 and went from not making the playoffs to leading the Western Conference. He’s been named the conference’s coach of the month this season and the evidence speaks for itself. And then the Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau did the same type of thing in one year, alone. Now the Knicks aren’t leading the Eastern Conference but they’re 4th and they were 12th last season and 15th the year before.
And lastly, Rookie of the Year…My bet would be LaMelo Ball. I personally like Tyrese Haliburton on Sacramento, but I think there are a few names ahead of him in the race unfortunately.
Lang, can I make up some awards now? Who would you give “The Biggest Sophomore Slump”, “Most Underrated”, and “Where did this guy come from?!” awards to?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 7:26 PM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
The “Biggest sophomore Slump” one is tough. I just scrolled through the players who finished last season atop the Rookie class and the first names that jumped out at me were Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, but they’re both right around the numbers they posted a season ago. Terence Davis? Jarrett Culver? I don’t know who I’d go with, TBH.
As far as Most Underrated player, it’s hard to find anyone who is underrated these days, considering how the NBA is covered so obsessively — anyone under the radar immediately pops up on the radar, lol. But if I had to pick, I might go with someone like Devin Booker, who ended up barely squeaking onto the All-Star team, despite averaging 25 ppg, basically being a walking bucket and having the Suns atop the Western Conference all season.
The “Where Did This Guy Come From” award has some similar issues — tough to come out of nowhere when everyone is scouting everywhere, but I’d give it to Desmond Bane. I remember on draft night when the Grizz traded up for him, and I had never even heard his name before. I think we can say he turned out OK for the Grizz.
Kelcey, during the time we’ve been emailing back and forth this week, Russell Westbrook went and set himself a dang record, breaking the triple-double mark set loooooong ago by Oscar Robertson. I know some people will say it’s a bunch of empty numbers, blah blah blah, but with both of us being retired ballers, I feel like we understand just how hard it is to not only get a triple-double, but to do it night after night.
The people who downplay Russ’s triple-doubles are basically just a bunch of haters, right?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 8:52 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Empty numbers, shmempty numbers. Let me tell you — in my college career, the most rebounds I ever got was eight and the most assists I ever recorded was seven; I would have loved to get some of those ’empty’ numbers. And hey, you think everyone else isn’t trying to reach that too? But Russ is the only one to do it in almost 50 years. So, yes, someone getting double-digits in ALL THREE of those categories in the NBA on a consistent basis…it’s truly an iconic achievement.
I thought this was a pretty cool stat that Chris Vernon talked about on his show today; just shows how seriously dominating this stat really is.
But we know all too well that the Twitter-verse is full of lots of haters. I scroll through the keywords ‘Russell Westbrook‘ and half are love and half are hate. But you know I’m always here to spread the LOVE, Lang! Who is one player that you’d love to see climb the triple-double ladder? LeBron, Harden and Jokic are the next active players on that list, albeit very far behind still.
*hint* my answer is Ja Morant (is that bias?????)
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 9:41 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
Yes, that’s biased! But it’s also not unreasonable! Just last night, for instance, Ja finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the Grizzlies’ demolition of the Dallas Mavericks.
The thing about triple-dips, though, is that amassing those kind of numbers requires a unique combination of size and strength. I don’t think it’s a coincidence, for instance, that the players who have posted a bunch of triple-doubles—Westbrook, JKidd, Oscar, Magic Johnson—were all sturdy guys who could get inside and fight for boards but also see over defenses and create offense for themselves. Which makes me wonder if the next triple-double machine might not be a bigger player, someone like Nikola Jokic, although I don’t know if he can stay locked in enough to post those kind of digits.
Ja has the height and the vision, and maybe the muscle comes with age (#MUSCLEWATCH)? I don’t know, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how much fun it would be to watch.