1/82 L Phoenix Suns 104-108
2/82 W Sacramento Kings 122-144
3/82 W Houston Rockets 106-95
4/82 W New Orleans Pelicans 130-102
5/82 W Sacramento Kings 102-101
6/82 W Oklahoma City Thunder 141-139
7/82 L Cleveland Cavaliers 104-115
8/82 W Detroit Pistons 120-109
9/82 L Denver Nuggets 105-108
10/82 L Cleveland Cavaliers 110-118
11/82 L Minnesota Timberwolves 110-116
12/82 L Minnesota Timberwolves 101-104
Wizards record: 2-8
I know it’s been a while since I’ve written but I’ve been wrestling with the point of it all. What’s the point of writing about basketball when the world is filled with new (and not new) horror every morning when I wake and every night before I try to sleep. What is the point in writing about basketball when the heart is sore and the body wants to cry or scream or tear something down or build something new.
Writing about basketball is time not spent doing something that might further the world or my corner of the world or at least to have some space to be with the immensity of the world, of Congo, of Sudan, of Gaza, of the Tenderloin, of places I’m unaware of today and will learn about tomorrow. Maybe you are in a similar place. Of grief and anger and numbness. Of that cycle repeating.
But then I was reminded of what I wrote only a few weeks ago, when I pretended to be wise about what I learned. I said that one of my surprises was that writing about basketball made me feel better and not in an esoteric way, but in a very specific physical-ailments-vanish kinda way. It’s foolishness to deprive myself of this possibility. And any joy that can happen allows for bigger capacity to not only feel grief and rage and compassion but to act on it instead of hiding under the covers. Maybe that’s giving basketball too much credit. Maybe this is a rationalization. (Of course it is). Anyway, we can all agree that there is a lot to pay attention to and that basketball is not on the top ten of that list.
But if there were an eleventh thing…
The Warriors have been a fascinating ride-it’s not last year in nearly every way. All the things that were their downfall last year are their strengths. The second unit, which for as long as I’ve watched the Warriors, has been “just try to not dig too deep a hole for Steph to climb out of” has become a unit that is building leads. Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, Kuminga, Moody and Saric have been fun to watch. It is now clear that all of last year, GPII was recovering from his injury because the difference in his activity and his bounce is noticeable. His relentless joy and smiles are also a big change from last year’s bench energy. Kuminga and Moody have both taken big leaps this year, and Steve Kerr has taken a big leap as well in being willing to play them for significant time. You know that collective holding of our breath that we did when Steph was off the floor and Kuminga was on? That feeling that something great might happen but something ridiculous might also happen? The fear is gone.
And then there’s Chris Paul. Who is exactly who everyone said he would be for the Warriors except he’s even more of it. The steady presence on the court that allows the second unit to flourish. When he closes games, he allows the best parts of Steph and Klay to exist without allowing their demons to come out. Which is, in a word, turnovers. After 11 games, he has 80 assists and 12 turnovers. His difference on the floor is astonishing and he’s barely scoring. I’ve been watching his post-game press conferences and he’s winning me over with his no nonsense attitude. Steph is diplomatic, Draymond is a master teacher/over-explainer and Klay is Klay. Chris Paul is your friend who doesn’t suffer fools. His one word answers to lengthy media questions are a comedy show. Not that I didn’t want the Chris Paul trade to work out but I am surprised that it’s working so well so early.
The Warriors are winning. On the road. They are winning games when they aren’t playing particularly well. They are winning in dramatic ways with Klay scoring the game winner with .2 seconds left and then Steph scoring the game winner with .2 seconds left the following night.
And they have so much room to improve. They are strangely struggling at home so I can’t imagine that will last. Klay is having a slow start. Wiggins is having an even slower start--that won’t stay for long either. And all those silly basketball cliches seem true. The Warriors are locked in. They are there for each other. They seem connected.
I’m still salty at Draymond and his start hasn’t changed my opinion. They insist they can’t win without him but I bet they wish they could. He has been ejected from 2 games already. In the first game, you could tell Draymond was either going to foul out early or get ejected from the moment he took the court. In tonight’s game against the Timberwolves, he was ejected (along with Klay) in the first 90 seconds. Green had a player in an extended chokehold and I would imagine there is a suspension coming. Draymond is a problem.
A few other basketball thoughts. The In-Season Tournament has begun. It’s an attempt to have more competitive games early in the season. It’s working. The first night of the In-Season Tournament, there were seven games. Five of them were decided by five points or less and one in a buzzer beater and one in overtime. The tournament games (played on Tuesdays and Fridays in November) have been highly entertaining. It’s partially because of the new rest rules in the NBA so big name players are required to play during tournament games. But it’s more that these players are all wired for competition. They compete over dominoes, chess matches, over trick shots in practice, so of course they are going to compete over this. The November games are much better viewing for sure. Whether people are actually tuning in besides me I don’t know. And it remains to be seen if players will be rested enough at the end of the season. BUT, if you’re going to watch an NBA game this month, pick a Tuesday or Friday–these games are fought hard.
Next, the retirement of Andre Iguodala, the mentor to many, the best hands in the NBA. Thank you Andre for the titles, the joy, the way you stared at your hands after every steal or every time you were called for a foul, and the way you’ve shared your knowledge freely. Best of luck to all that’s next, which for right now is continuing his podcast with Evan Turner (Point Forward), leading his own venture capital firm and this week, he was named the acting head of the NBPA, the players union for the NBA. He has been a past president and representative for the players and has been a long time advocate for players’ rights, especially when it comes to compensation and setting players up for their career after the NBA. Andre is an original thinker. Keep watching what Andre does next.
And finally, congratulations to MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on their WNBA Championship over the New York Liberty, the two super teams of the season. The Aces are special. They are fun to watch. They make no apologies for their bravado and they shouldn’t. They dominate. In the middle of the playoffs, Kelsey Plum did apologize because she was quoted saying that the Liberty didn’t really seem like a team. But she’s right–they didn’t. They seemed like a bunch of extremely talented players who were getting used to each other. But the Aces? That’s a team. They are silly, they are powerful and they are gooooood.
If you’re wondering, yes, I’ve been watching Wizards games because watching the Wizards is the second half of my resolution for this year. As a fan, I’m not writing about the Wizards yet except to say it’s a little mystifying what’s going on there. And I can now name 10 players on the Wizards. And I believe in Jordan Poole.
This morning I was watching a movie trailer where Jon Batiste said “you have to confront the brutal reality and at the same time have completely unwavering faith.” Seems this applies to all my basketball and non-basketball thoughts lately.
The Timeout Books: (books read during timeouts and halftimes)
A Game At a Time Playlist (the songs that play in my head while writing this)
Beds are Burning: Midnight Oil
Things Can Only Get Better: Howard Jones
1 Thing: Amerie