The Moast

The same ones (probably) lamenting how noone takes All-Star seriously anymore not seeing the irony of whining about players’ lack of competitive drive in a thing that genuinely doesn’t matter versus a thing that does have stakes is weird.

So what if “they just made it up?” It’s all made up.

I’m confused by those who can’t get in to the NBA Cup. Having something else to compete for has led to better games and, not for nothing, the In-Season Tournament has actually been a decent predictor for the playoff success.

80+ free throws. Eight- Zero.

What a harem scarem ending to this game and of course there’s a foul right at the end.

Marcus Smart flopping definitely isn’t helping. The referees seem determined to fall for every ounce of exaggerated contact.

The NBA needs to do something about these free throws. There have been like 80 free throws in this game. For a national TV game, that’s too damn many.

On the topic of Victor’s, do you ever just sometimes think about how The Penguin killed Victor for no other reason than to be a scumbag? I could tell that it was coming and it’s still devastated me.

Bastards…

Wemby seemed like he had gotten over this weird aversion he sometimes has to using his ridiculous size to start this season, but these last two games, he’s been falling back on old habits.

This interview with Jorge Sedano between the third and fourth quarter is, I’m pretty sure, my first time ever hearing DeAndre Ayton speak. Pretty eloquent guy. He’s got the Tim Duncan going on where you’d expect him to have an accent given where he’s from, but he has non-regional diction.

The defensive value of players like Gobert or Wemby will never fully be captured. None of the counting stats capture just how much of a deterrent these guys are. They alter the opposing teams offense to the degree that it greatly reduces the number of potential defensive failure states.

Jared Vanderbilt: Professional Basketball Player

Hachimura is a perfect example of why sports fans need to learn patience. Rui is a great player and both Lakers’ fans and Wizards’ fans before them have wanted to vote him off the island at various points. Sometimes, it takes a few years for a guy to become the best version of himself for the team.

People are very lucky that Wemby is such a fluid player. His elbows are constantly at knock-a-tooth-out-height.

Harrison Barnes: Professional Basketball Player

Luka’s court vision is so outrageous.

If the shooter can drift forward as a part of a natural shooting motion, why can’t a defender drift forward on a contest. Both are rising up in the direction of the other. Much of the time, the shooter drifts further towards the defender than the defender drifts towards the shooter.

By the letter of the law, the flagrant one in the first on Smart was a reckless closeout, but by how most people understand basketball, I would defy any person to explain exactly how you closeout better in that situation.

#Spurs vs #Lakers

Probably the most surprising aspect of Wemby‘s comical proportions is his completely normal shaped and sized head.

I’ve been seeing rumors about Morant to Miami. Ja’s personality and general knuckleheadedness clashing with Pat Riley’s iron-grip on “Heat Culture” and any hint of a distraction would be one of the top three funniest things to happen in sports this century.

Random basketball thought that I’ve been mulling over today is “Which player’s #NBA career would be most impacted if they were +/- 3” taller/shorter?” Currently, I think Dennis Schröeder easily would be the most impacted. Schröeder +3” could be a top 10 player, -3” and he wouldn’t be in the NBA.

#Nuggets vs #Trailblazers

My first ever in season tournament game. I 100% thought that Jokić was about to hit that shot. The guy is unbelievable. Great atmosphere and a good win by the Blazers. This team really fights.

Complaints about Ant shooting too many 3s early in last season seem really silly by the end when he shot over 40%, meaning that he shot very much higher than 40% for the latter half of the season.

Being good enough to actively workshop a new skill during a professional basketball game is bonkers.

Two games in, both commentary teams keep going on about how Anthony Edwards is no longer taking so many step-back threes as though he weren’t making a concerted effort to get better at that shot. He decided that he was going to be a good distance shooter and kept shooting until he got there.

Some people have the head shape for going bald and some people don’t. I think Rudy Gobert looks pretty good with the baldy.

Marcus Smart: Chaos Agent

Both LeBron and DeAndre Ayton look like Delroy Lindo, but a different ages.

Naz Reid: Professional Basketball Player

Jaden McDaniels: Professional Basketball Player

7’13” DeAndre Ayton just got blocked, trying to lay the ball up against Jaden McDaniels, instead of dunking him into the basket like he should’ve.

There are random NBA sounds that have nothing really to do with the game that I unironically love. The way that Lawrence Tanter says “Laker Girls” is near the top of that list.