Sooner or Later
You’ll Hit the Deck, You’ll Get Found Out or I’ve Been Learning About Letting Go or It’s Okay, Make Mistakes or Not every day can be January 18th, but January 18th sure was
Warriors Record:23-23
Wizards Record: 6-39
Let’s be clear - these records are dismal and the forecast is for more of the same. The non-basketball news is an ever-increasing hellscape. On the personal front, I’ve been fighting some mighty administrative battles where it is clear that even if (no, when!) I win, they are doing their best to make sure I feel as worthless as possible.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between being patient and being stuck. Because it’s not always clear, right? Am I “after you’ve done all you can, you just stand” or am I covered in mud and pretending it’s chocolate? Today is a grumpy day, there’s no two ways about it. So let’s go back in time, to a less grumpy day.
In my head, it’s the evening of Saturday Jan 18th. A day I have had circled on the calendar since the start of the season. And lived up to all the hype I had in my head about it.
The Warriors played the Wizards - my two NBA teams, my two favorite players. I might be the only unpaid-to-do-it human who can instantly name their entire rosters, players 1-15 on both sides. I am overjoyed when these teams play, no matter the result. In this case, it was the best possible outcome. A Warriors win, a relatively close game, Wiggins is the star, Poole and the Wiz Kids play well. The strange thing about this game is for the first time in this meetup, I was rooting for the Wizards. My head knew the Dubs desperately needed the win but my heart kept rooting for the young team that loses so often and yet has so much heart, especially as the Dubs often lose heart in the middle of the game.
And I realized I have a niche career opportunity - color commentator for Warriors/Wizards games. If you are local you already know that the NBC team is not the best - this isn’t my opinion, they were rated the worst commentators in the league last year. The play by play guy relies on the same tired phrases in every game (fast breaks are always “running with friends”) and I know way more about his DoorDash orders than any person should. But in addition, during the Wizards game, their commentary and analysis was often wrong. I get it - they aren’t watching the Wizards on their off days. But I am. Here’s what I could have told them:
Yes, the Wizards are likely to lose - they have only won 6 games. But they are also likely to put up way more of a fight than you are expecting. The rookies are not scared of anyone and are capable of getting on a roll. Because they play the fastest in the league they take advantage of mistakes.
They have a losing record because they deliberately put in losing lineups. Recently, when they have been in close-ish game, Poole - their best scorer - has gotten limited or no minutes in the 4th quarter. They play their rookies more than any other team in the league - letting them make all the mistakes now and gain experience against vets. The Wizards win-loss record is deceptive. There is a paradox where the Wizards have a much worse record than last year but they are playing much better..
While playing the Wizards might be a night off for the Celtics or the Cavaliers or OKC, it is not a night off for a team like the Warriors, who are solidly mediocre. The Wizards don’t have an extra gear for a 4th quarter push, but neither do the Warriors.
The Wizards centers, Alex Sarr and Jonas Valančiūnas, are trouble for the short-handed and short of stature Warriors. Bub Carrington has a better handle offensively and better skills defensively than you expect from a rookie. Don’t call him Carleton Carrington.
And of course Jordan Poole is going to be a hot shooter on a court where he’s been very successful.
So there it is: anyone got a connect? Next year, when the Wizards are here, put me on the mic.
While we are on connections, if anyone has one to GM Mike Dunleavy, the trade is staring you in the face - Jonas Valančiūnas of the Wizards for….Gary Payton II? Moses Moody? It’s a pretty easy salary swap for either of them, though I would hate to see them leave. In the past week, the Warriors have learned a lesson that every other NBA (and college and high school team) already know. Having a tall center makes the game easier. The Dubs don’t have anyone on their team over 6’9”. Most teams have multiple people. Because of injuries, the Dubs had to bring up their two-way player from the G League - Quentin Post, who is 7’0”. Surprise! Steph is getting easier buckets and everyone can feed it to the big man. I mean…why is this news? And to put this load on Quentin Post as a rookie is asking way too much. Valančiūnas is right there for the taking. He would be great on the Warriors.
Because the Warriors are relentlessly mediocre. Hopelessly mediocre. Win one, lose one, win one, lose one. We know this. Steph knows this. This team does not have the ability to turn it on for the second half of the season - it is already on. The Warriors are 1-20 when they are losing at the end of the 3rd quarter.
That is the definition of a team that has no next gear. Because the Western conference is packed with mediocre teams, they could easily move up in the standings with a few wins. But let’s be clear headed about this - this is the 3rd season of .500 basketball. I love this team, or as Poole said recently “I love most of these guys” but they are who they are.
And as for me figuring out the difference between being patient and being stuck? These two teams are the difference - the Wizards are patient. The Warriors are stuck.
The bright spots are all in the women’s game. As usual, the UConn women are where I go to sustain my belief in basketball. On that same glorious Saturday, Jan 18th, Paige Bueckers became the fastest UConn player to get to 2000 points - that is no small accomplishment when you consider the likes of Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore. To be better than they were in college seems impossible but Paige has found a record to break. I don’t know if UConn can beat South Carolina, but I do know that finally seeing Paige, Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffith all be healthy at the same time and adding first year Sarah Strong - they wouldn’t need to be lucky to beat South Carolina, they would have to be focused.
And then there’s the start of the Unrivaled league which is a thousand points of light. It’s the best thing to happen to women’s basketball. I love everything about all of it. Unrivaled is a player-owned, player-developed league, founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, UConn alumni and the stars of the two teams in the WNBA finals this year. Unrivaled was founded to solve a problem - how to develop skills in a game setting in the off-season and make decent money without having to go overseas to do it. The league is specifically designed to meet players’ needs at every level. Everyone makes a six figure salary for 8 weeks of play, with six teams of six players, in 3x3 basketball playing full court, on a slightly shorter court. There are a few other rule changes that make play faster. Yes, there is a tournament and standings but that’s secondary - these games are fun. They are extremely fast and as the teams get to know each other there’s some chemistry happening - Chelsea Gray and Angel Reese? Napheesa Collier and Skylar Diggins Smith? Everyone is on a stacked team.
It’s the off-court stuff that’s truly impressive. The training facilities, weight rooms, hot and cold pools, hair and makeup rooms, childcare, nursing rooms, a list of screened nannies while they are there. Players, especially those with young families, get to do something they have never done - spend time with their family instead of months away so they can earn enough money in the off season. They are also doing a lot to market all the players individually as personalities so they can each build their brand. All the coaches are known for being player development coaches, so players can specifically work on what they need to get better for the season. And the care and thought of this league will push the WNBA and individual owners to do better. Some WNBA teams have excellent facilities - Seattle and Las Vegas and Phoenix while others are known for being shoddy - Chicago Sky. Unrivaled is on TNT on Friday and Mondays mostly, through March. Treat this as pure entertainment and check them out - especially the Laces and the Lunar Owls - these two teams already have it going.
The Timeout Books: (books I read during the timeouts, halftimes and commercials):
A Game At A Time Spotify Playlist (the songs that run through my head while writing this)