3 thoughts on a wild night in the NBA, starting with Donovan Mitchell’s 71-point overtime win over the Bulls…
1. The Cavaliers look like geniuses
OK, I guess you could say I look like a genius too. Because I was a big fan of the Donovan Mitchell trade with Cleveland. Not only did the Cavaliers acquire him one of the game’s greatest scorers and a top 25 player before he entered his prime. Mitchell solved the exact problem that plagued Cleveland last season. . Darius GarlandObviously any team could use Mitchell’s talent scorer, but the Cavaliers, already a capable team, were desperate for more scoring punches. Garland struggled last year, especially as the defense piled on him, when he was asked to create himself over and over again in the late game. It’s a tough job for anyone, and playing that style of basketball isn’t Garland’s forte.
Mitchell appears. He’s a one-man offense, dominating pick-and-rolls, involving teammates, and throwing threes when he can. I don’t want to be like, “Did you see the assist?” After someone scored his 71…but did you see the assist?Mitchell still had 11 helpers on the plate in addition to the scoring binge. (Garland did not play in this game, by the way.) Whether Cleveland is a true contender is still uncertain due to its youth, relative inexperience and slightly unstable roster composition. can’t have Still, Mitchell definitely gave the Cavaliers the dimension they lacked last season. It’s hard to meet a need more fully than a franchise has done without jeopardizing the team mix, so don’t be surprised if a big Mitchell scoring night rocks his series in the playoffs in the spring.
2. Warriors keep finding a way
probably both Stephen Curry When Andrew Wiggins bystander, Warriors They are breaking the record for the longest winning streak of the season. 500 in his two games for the first time all season. on monday, Klay Thompson He was a hero, scoring 54 points thanks to shooting 10 out of 3-20.The competition hasn’t been great and all the wins have come at home, but this is a nice stretch from Golden State. Grizzlies, blazer, jazz, Hornets When hawks— four of which are impressive wins.
It’s tempting to say that Clay is back after a 54-point blowout, which may or may not be true. Consistency is the true hallmark of greatness, and Thompson still needs time to get closer to the player he once was. More importantly, find a way for this team to win without Steph. This makes rotation much more reliable. It’s more promising if teams have to survive without him in the postseason, even if it’s minutes instead of minutes. game. The Warriors were poised for a comeback after Steph suffered an injury, with him losing three in his next four games. Now they have five straight wins at this homestand and he could win three more. This is the kind of stretch of his January that can pay big dividends down the road.
3. LeBron keeps the pressure on the Lakers
lebron james Currently playing MVP level basketball. Against Charlotte on Monday, James scored his 43 points and had 11 rebounds and he had six assists. LeBron made 16-of-21 shots inside the 3-point line. It was a great performance considering that every other Lakers starter either a) decided the old team was expendable or b) was a player that basically anyone could sign this summer. Seriously, going down the list of Lakers players who played last night, is there perhaps a playoff team other than Juan Toscano-Anderson and Austin Reeves to floor LeBron teammates?
This is not meant to be an insult to a player who could make a definite impact in the right role. Every time LeBron drags this team into the absence of Anthony Davis, a win is a reminder that the longer the front office keeps Pat, the better James needs to find himself when the opportunity presents itself. Even if it’s just a mid-season win in Charlotte in January. The Lakers cannot ignore their incompetence.