J.D. Crabtree: Cooks,
I looked high and low, even in the mid range, and failed to find a song about Orlando. But in these unprecedented, tumultuous times we must find meaning in the face of adversity.
So here we are. Basketball has been paused, and now unpaused. We are hopefully going to see an end to the 2019-20 season in the next few months.
I don’t have a script, but I do have a talented writer on the other end of this message. Talk to me about your Orlando feelings. And I shall return the favor.
Carter Pearson: John – first of all. There’s this from a very vulgar play that we saw with your mother and drank too expensive red wide. OR-LAN-DOOOOOOO. I’m sad there’s not actual footage.
My thoughts: unpaused is way better than paused. I’m very stoked to see very strong and talented humans jumping and shooting and generally doing cool stuff. The bubble content thus far has been strong.
My favorite things thus far:
- NBA players like to fish way more than I anticipated. I know people are bored and you can’t do much, but I was really shocked to see Ben Simmons fishing. It’s about 110 degrees anywhere in the South right now. And he is from Australia and was a world class basketball prodigy who came to the States as a teenager. It strains credulity to think fishing was such a large part of his childhood that he would brave the heat to do it. But, c’est la vie. Congrats on the fish, Ben.
- NBA players like to chug beers way more than I anticipated. For world class athletes, these guys can shotgun some lagers.
- NBA players are in a position to have an incredible effect on society. I know baseball is coming back (whatever), but these NBA regular season and playoff games are going to do incredible big numbers (ratings, highlights, ESPN coverage, etc). If done smartly, which I think it will be, I honestly believe that the players can continue to create an incredible amount of social change in a short period of time. For instance – many players are choosing to wear “VOTE” or “Education reform” on their jerseys. Without getting into too much politics and lived experiences of people I do not have – these messages are non-controversial and easy for a super-wide swath of the viewing public to agree with. If focused correctly, I don’t think it’s a stretch that NBA activism could swing a key state or Senate race (hi, Georgia) this November.
Last but not least: I’m rooting for LeBron to win a fourth NBA title. *ducks*
Hear me out – since we paused basketball (and society), the most unifying piece of American culture was “The Last Dance”. Coming out of that, I think MJ as the GOAT is clearer to the youths. But, arguing about basketball is fun. And the GOAT argument heats right back up if LeBron skivvies on down to DisneyWorld and comes back with a fourth championship on a third team as their undisputed best player. LeBron is not the best player in the game anymore (Χαίρετε, Giannis) but he is the queen on the chessboard. He averaged 26 and 11 (assists!) this season, took off fewer plays on defense, and now has added and additional 3 months off to his extended offseason from last year. Put me down for LeBron and AD to rain fire on the West, and for us to get a Giannis/LeBron matchup in the Finals. We never got LeBron/Kobe. We deserve Giannis/LeBron.
JD: How could I forget theater with loved ones – great catch Cooks.
And you are correct on the fishing observation. I am overly concerned that we haven’t been promoting or collaborating enough fish content to date. Loyal readers, expect dual coverage of the Bass Pro Tour moving forward. We apologize for this narrow-minded approach to The Mid Range.
Let’s talk basketball and bubble bursts.
Hey now hot LeBron take. And you aren’t going to have a Yeezy thrown at your head from me with that prediction. I agree with your on-court analysis of improved performance, however I still believe there is a destiny/save us from 2020 angle to the Lakers title that can heal a few of the Kobe Bryant wounds. I don’t want it to be manufactured but we really need some greater wins for society. LeBron getting one for him can be that.
The Lou Williams hot wings strip club saga is a perfect start to the league-wide anxiety of trying to complete this season. Nothing like a lovable volume scorer having to be quarantined for the other favorite in the West. This is not the end of forced retreats to lonely Orlando hotel rooms. I know everyone wants to bet on the easy ones such as Harden, just don’t be surprised if a Plumlee brother forgets about the global pandemic and is caught at a Panera Bread.
Since we are already talking titles, how do we view the champion of the season? Is it the best we could do with circumstances?
Will it change depending on the winner? An example being a 7 or 8 seed somehow wins the title because of a mix of COVID and no home-court advantages.
CP: I think the NBA should be applauded for going with a bubble. As the Marlins’ outbreak shows, there is a close to zero chance to play sports in America any other way, especially the Playoffs. During a 60-game regular season, you can postpone a game or two and get away with it. What happens if Giannis picks up a cough traveling to LA for Finals Game 3, up 2-0, and the Lakers come back to win the Finals? In that (admittedly farfetched) scenario, I think the title comes with much more of an asterisk than anything due to a bubble.
You bring up a good point about lower seeds. If Dallas gets hot and wins it all, then you give more credence to a lack of fans, a lack of the other comforts of home, and the condensed schedule. They’re a young team and (theoretically) should have an advantage playing in the faster-paced but, perhaps, calmer environment of Orlando.
A counterpoint to this – have you ever played an actually competitive basketball game in a gym that is too big for the amount of people in it? It is really unnerving. All the squeaks are audible, you can hear conversations, and buildings are super cavernous and angular without people in them.
This is the “Final Four Effect”. Do you remember the championship game that Butler and UCONN played at Reliant Stadium in 2011? It was one of the worst basketball games I have ever seen. 53-41 UCONN. Butler shot 18.8% from the field. UCONN shot 9.1% from three and won. Based on the scrimmage scores, I don’t think this will happen in Orlando, but I’m ever so slightly nervous about it.
I think this NBA champion will be extremely worthy, whoever it is. All the teams have had to overcome roughly the same amount of adversity. I’m sure whoever wins, you’ll be able to make an equal case that they were helped and/or hurt by the bubble.** Let’s just play basketball and figure it out.
**disclaimer: if LouWill suddenly forgets how to run the pick and roll, we can attribute that to a lack of club-time directly attributable to the bubble**
Would love your asterisk thoughts as well. And also – who do you see making a Kawhi-leap this bubble season?
JD: Don’t let the squeaks get in your head – my only advice for future generations.
Agreed in the NBA champion being extremely worthy. After thinking about it whether there is a packed stadium or only water boys spectacting, it will always be difficult to beat LeBron/AD/Giannis/Kawhi at the thing they want to beat you at.
My concern has less to do with the degree of a difficulty and more with the annoyance of talking heads and twitter hordes that will overanalyze the champion and refuse to give them the typical throne. So it sounds like I am too concerned with 2020 hot take media rather than the actual production, which is exactly what 2020 hot take media wants from me. O Cookie, what a mess I am in.
A Kawhi-leap?! I thought you would never ask.
I’ve got a wild card pick if he decides to play: Victor Oladipo
He’s got the physical assets. He’s in the East. And Indiana has a knock for launching players before they get an oversized paycheck from other contenders.
My safer pick (and on the same team!): Malcolm Brogdon
He keeps trending in the right direction and is too solid on the fundamental front. His ceiling is lower than Kawhi or past leaper Siakim, but you are leaping in my mind if you start averaging 20+ and can lock down opposing all-star guards.
Who’s leaping for you? And closing thoughts before we are full bubble? We’ve got some basketball to watch.
CP: Mine has already begun leaping towards the end of the regular season: Jayson Tatum. Since he found out he made the All-Star team, Tatum has averaged around 29 a game. And, perhaps more impressively to me, he has become one of the best wing defenders in the league. His wingspan is “only” 6’11”, but he averaged 1.4 steals and almost a block a game. He is an incredible helpside defender and seems to get his hands on everything. Jaylen Brown and JT have a bit of a Kawhi/PG-lite thing going, so I think it is only fitting for him to ascend to full Kawhi-dom this postseason.
I also love that it just took him finding out about All-Star to stop pressing and play. That is such a human reaction. He had worked his whole life and obviously written “become an NBA All-Star” over his bed at 14. This year he knew he would be close to that goal. He pressed for the first few months of the year (approx 21 a game, so-so shooting). From the date it was announced he made the team (January 30) he averaged 28.5 a game. Not to get too advanced metric-y, but his Offensive Rating/Defensive Rating for February was 122/108. For the year, Kawhi is 117/104.
Also, he has been doing shit like this: https://media.giphy.com/media/2x0UIgEh7M57188zVu/source.gif
I don’t think he will have to worry about making the All-Star game for about 10 more years.
My closing thoughts:
Pelicans get the 8-seed. Then win one game off the Lakers in Round 1. Things are fun, but not a serious challenge.
The Bubble works, but there is a scare with at least one team.
The Bucks win the East at a relative canter (sweep, 5 games over Miami, 6 games over Celtics).
Brett Brown gets fired.
Lakers win the West over the Clippers in 6.
Lakers win the Finals.
LeBron is Finals MVP.
Yours? Let’s ball.
JD: We almost made it through an edition without a positive Duke comment, almost. I guess leaning on those that accrued 3 credits total is the state of Blue Devil nation.
Good for Jayson though.
My closing thoughts:
Grizzlies get the 8-seed. And Ja has a similar coming out party like the end of his college career. Lose every game.
The Utah Jazz are again on the leading edge of COVID incompetence.
Brett Brown gets fired (x2).
The Heat make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Grant Williams is the best Celtic.
The Clippers underperform in the bubble in comparison to other favorites (e.g. semi-conference bounce or get swept in conference finals).
Lakers win the Finals.
LeBron is Finals MVP.
Welcome back to basketball everyone.
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