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, October 26, 2020 10:00 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: IMHO
Kelcey!
Well, we are less than two weeks from the end of the 2020-21 NBA season, and…maybe we’re about to start again? Reports from several outlets late last week have pointed toward the NBA trying to start a new season by Christmas, which is in like…*checks watch*…eight weeks!
So how do we feel about this? I kinda feel like all the usual constraints of time and space are already out the window since this whole COVID situation started. (As I wrote it, I realized that that previous sentence sounds a lot like something Kyrie might say as a guest on a podcast we’ve never heard of.) Normally, as we enter into fall and begin closing in on Halloween, the new NBA season is starting. I remember many nights heading out to cover NBA season openers in New York City, and returning home through some wild Halloween parades. As the NBA has tried to stretch out the seasons the last few years to cut down on back to backs, we’ve seen training camps start toward the end of September and games start in the middle of October.
Should the NBA try and get this thing tipped off by Christmas? It sure would be a nice gift for those of us who love this game…
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 5:09 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Hey Lang!
There’s a lot to dive into when it comes to the league starting in December or not; the first thing is obviously money. After all, money is what makes the world go ’round, right? (ugh, I hate myself for even writing that). But having games on Christmas Day is a big deal for the NBA’s TV deals, partnerships, sponsors and so on. Does that mean there will be zero to limited fans in most, if not all, cities? Most likely. Except for maybe the Hawks … Didn’t I read that Atlanta was like, open? Yikes. Anyway, I digress.
For you and I, starting the league tomorrow sounds like a good idea because we just miss games and miss live basketball and miss covering our team — but from an objective position, I think it’s early.
From a players’ perspective, I’ve talked to a few and I’ve gotten mixed reactions. Some guys want it to start on December 22, but don’t want training camp to start December 1 because they feel as though they still need rest and a two or three week training camp away from their families (again) isn’t appealing. Others just want to get going again so they can either play in the Olympic Games, or have their regular summers off again over the next few years. And then some of the older players that I’ve chatted with, just finished playing a few weeks ago and the thought of getting back onto the court in less than two months is physically unrealistic.
And then, on top of all of that, there’s the CBA. And things like the ‘potential’ Chris Paul deal or no deal, which I don’t even think I can get into. But all that to say, there are SO many moving parts to the NBA getting going again in 8 weeks. However, I don’t think any one can be critical of the league’s ultimate decision after seeing how well-run the Orlando bubble went with COVID cases and virtual fans and everything that went into making it a good experience — we know that the league is in good hands and will think of EVERYTHING possible.
Lang, I’m sure you’ve seen Danny Green’s interview where he said if the NBA starts December 22, he doesn’t think we’ll see LeBron on the court for a month or so. If you’re LeBron, how do you feel about the league restart?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 7:30 PM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
Well, if the season reboots in a few weeks, I don’t think LeBron will be the only one taking some time to report. There’s a lot of players and teams that I think will take their time showing up, or at least testing the limits of load management, which I would assume the league would have to relax a bit.
But if anyone deserves a break, it has to be LeBron, who has played well over 100 games in almost every season over the last decade. It kind of reminds me of that one season the second time with Cleveland, where LeBron started slow, and then took some time off to rehab his back down in Miami, then returned and was back to his usual terrorizing self.
At the same time, LeBron is in such good shape, and never really allows himself to get out of shape, that maybe he won’t want to take some time off? Actually who am I kidding? I ran three miles two days in a row and could barely get off my couch the next day. Bron deserves a break. I’m sure he’ll get one, one way or the other.
And if we are going to start the season early, that means we better get the NBA Draft going, right? One report today said the Atlanta Hawks are working hard to trade the sixth overall pick, looking to get a veteran player and make a playoff push instead of continually adding younger players. I like the move for the Hawks. Is there another rebuilding NBA team you think could flip their pick for a proven talent and make a postseason push right away?
From: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 10:07 PM
To: Lang Whitaker
Subject: Re: IMHO
Well, during my Talkin’ Grizz interviews where I talk to media from around the league about what their markets’ teams could potentially look to do next month; a few have mentioned trading that pick in some sort of deal.
I think one that may be a bit of a shock is the Timberwolves could benefit from making some sort of deal and trading away that number one pick — especially when this draft doesn’t have a Zion or Ja-like talent at the top. They could potentially get a great young (but more veteran) player to pair with Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell. Let me throw the names Ben Simmons and Bradley Beal out there… just for kicks!
I don’t think either of those players will be available, but possibly a team that wanted that number one pick could pair a lower-tiered player with future assets or picks later in the draft and the Timberwolves could benefit from a solid player who is just a little further along than a teenager who didn’t even get to play a full year in college.
If, in a magical world, every player was in free agency this off-season… who would be the ideal fit to play alongside Towns and Russell? And on the flip side, what do you think could realistically entice the Wolves to hop off the number one throne?
From: Lang Whitaker
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2020 8:18 AM
To: Kelcey Wright Johnson
Subject: Re: IMHO
You mentioned Ben Simmons as an interesting fit for the Wolves, let me go another direction in the same trade route: Joel Embiid. That way you have two bigs to attack the boards, they can both stretch the floor, and you can run a heckuva Horns set with the two of them at the elbows and Russell bringing up the ball.
The thing about the Wolves, as you know, is they aren’t the typical team with a number one pick. They’ve already got a few stars, and they don’t really in desperate need that foundational-type player. If I was them, I’d just draft Anthony Edwards out of UGA (go Dawgs!) and slot him in at the wing, which is always a position of need for every NBA team, and let him kinda connect the perimeter to the post players. I get it, the Wolves are probably still a little shook from their whole experience with Andrew Wiggins, who is pretty similar to Edwards, but to me Edwards is the right choice.
One other thought I had as I was writing this: If you’re the Wolves and you’ve got this number one pick burning a hole in your pocket, isn’t it worth at least a call to the Houston Rockets to see if they’d be willing to flip either Harden or Westbrook? I’m guessing the latter would be more available than the former, but either one would be an interesting fit on a roster that could use a veteran who can score, and Westbrook might be a really neat fit considering his motor.
I dunno…just throwing it out there…