Quick Thoughts

November 4, 2023 by Harlan Schreiber

1. The NBA Cup: I guess it’s time we weighed in on the concept of the in-season tournament to win the NBA Cup (and a large cash prize for winning teams). I had all but forgotten about this tourney until this week when the “Heist” NBA ads started. A refresher on the rules can be found here but the quick recap is as follows: -All 30 teams are subdivided into groups of five teams -The subgroups play each other in regular season games that count towards regular season … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts

All-Star Game Quick Thoughts

February 14, 2020 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. All-Star Game Stat Trend Update: Adam Silver’s attempts to tweak the All-Star Weekend make sense. The game is beyond stale and this point. It is harder and harder to care about this showcase when the effort on defense does not meet the basic baseline of caring. Two years ago, we reviewed the All-Star stats and documented the steady decline in defense (which wasn’t so hot years ago but is now putrid), as well the rise in the three-point shot attempts. Well, the 2018-19 All-Star game … [Read more...] about All-Star Game Quick Thoughts

Quick Thoughts

January 8, 2020 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. The Worst of the Last 20: As 2020 is upon us, there has been a lot written about the moments and teams of the last decade. Some of this is quite interesting but when I step back, I’m more interested in the larger picture. We are now 20% of the way through this 21st Century and I have watched/followed more NBA since 2000 than before (my NBA sentience started in the early 1980s). In other words, I’ve watched much more basketball without Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan than I have with … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts

Quick Thoughts (Melo’s Return Edition)

November 30, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. Melo, Requiem for a Chucker?: One of the bigger stories of the last few weeks was the return of Carmelo Anthony to the NBA. Melo’s ending with the Rockets last season was tough. He played poorly (as did the team) during his stint and he was put on hiatus by the team by early November 2018 (after a game that they lost to OKC by 18 and Melo shot 1-11 from the field) before being cut. The Rockets’ treatment was seemingly designed to make let him go softly but actually had the opposite effect … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts (Melo’s Return Edition)

Quick Thoughts (So Far)

November 13, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

With most teams having not played more than nine or ten games played so far, it is way too early to make many meaningful conclusions away. Having said that, premature judgments are what the internet exists for. So, let’s knock around some snap judgments…. Best Surprise: Phoenix Suns The Suns are clearly the biggest positive surprise so far. They looked like the worst team in the West on paper and that was before Deandre Ayton was suspended. Somehow, they are 6-3 and have the second … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts (So Far)

Quick Thoughts

January 7, 2019 by Harlan Schreiber Leave a Comment

1. Thibs Canned: Today, the Wolves did the unexpected and fired Tim Thibodeau as coach and GM. The Wolves have not been great so far (18-21, 11th in the West) but they haven’t been much worse than reasonable expectations, which pegged them as a lower seeded playoff team. According to Adrian Wonjarowski of ESPN, the firing came because the team didn’t like how Thibodeau handled the Jimmy Butler affair and because Thibodeau had a bad relationship with CEO Ethan Casson, who had “concerns on the … [Read more...] about Quick Thoughts