NBA winners and losers: Gregg Popovich as a voice of reason
The NBA season is less than a month away, but the first week of training camp has already given us plenty to talk about, because, well, this is the league in which everything becomes a talking point. Soon the preseason will start, and we can scrutinize the limited minutes of superstars and get excited about potential breakout candidates at the back end of every team's rotations. For now, we have winners and losers from this week.
Winners
Gregg Popovich
With most teams holding media day on Monday, the central topic of conversation surrounded San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protest and what players would do, along with how coaches would react if their players wanted to make a statement themselves. Gregg Popovich, the same man who has become a cult figure for his curt sideline interviews, was direct and thorough in his response when asked about the topic.
"I think it's really dangerous to answer such important questions that have confounded so many people for hundreds of years, to ask me to give you my solutions, as if I had any, in 30 seconds," Popovich told the media. "So if you want to be specific about a question, I'll be more than happy to answer it because I think race is the elephant in the room in our country. The social situation that we've all experienced is absolutely disgusting in a lot of ways. What's really interesting is the people that jump right away to say, one is attacking the police, or the people that jump on the other side. It's a question where understanding and empathy has to trump, no pun intended, has to trump any quick reactions of an ideological or demagogical nature. It's a topic that can't just be swung at, people have to be very accurate and direct in what they say and do."
Popovich also went on to illustrate exactly why keeping an open mind about the nature of the protests and the points being raised is pertinent, saying, "It's easier for white people because we haven't lived that experience. It’s difficult for many white people to understand the day-to-day feeling that many black people have to deal with. It’s not just a rogue policeman, or a policeman exerting too much force or power, when we know that most of the police are just trying to do their job, which is very difficult. I’d be scared to death if I was a policeman and I stopped a car. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. And part of that in our country is exacerbated by the preponderance of guns that other countries don’t have to deal with. It gets very complicated."
If the NBA was looking for a definitive statement or voice on that matter, Popovich provided it.
On a lighter note, it was revealed throughout Tim Duncan's career, Pop used to leave carrot cake — possibly the Tim Duncan of desserts — at Duncan's hotel room door:
On Wednesday, Duncan — who has a yet-to-be-determined front office position with the team — showed up to the team's practice facility, prompting Pop to joke he should have fined him for missing the first two days of training camp. It appears Duncan will be around the team for most of the year:
More carrot cake for everybody!
Philadelphia 76ers fans
The 76ers have won 47 games in the last three seasons. Combined. If they even hit half of that win total this year, the fan base will rejoice. Actually, wins and losses might not matter. All 76ers fans want to see is Joel Embiid actually on the basketball floor and Ben Simmons blossoming into the next superstar of the league. Both are possible, because anything is in September, and because neither player has played a single NBA minute yet.
For Sixers fans, who have waited and sat through all the "trust the process" jokes and seen their savior Sam Hinkie cast to the sidelines in favor of a more ordinary-thinking general manager in Bryan Colangelo, anything Embiid does is cause for celebration. So I can imagine the entire city of Philadelphia going crazy this week when this photo from Sixers scrimmage surfaced:
It's setting up to be an exciting year in Philadelphia. Finally.
James Harden
At 27, James Harden is heading into the most important season of his career. The referendum on whether you can win with Harden as your main guy is ongoing and will only intensify this season.
Harden's skill set is clear. He's among a handful of guys in the discussion for best one-on-one offensive players in the league, capable of scoring 30 points a night with his array of jump shooting, ability to attack the basket and a savant-like ability to draw fouls. His effort on the defensive end leaves a lot to be desired and often becomes the counterpoint to anyone suggesting you can win a championship with him.
Harden enters this season with a head coach in Mike D'Antoni whose singular goal appears to be to maximize Harden's skills on the offensive end. There's been some back-and-forth about whether Harden will actually be the point guard on the team by designation, but by design it's clear the ball will be in Harden's hands as much as possible. D'Antoni's had uneven stops in New York and Los Angeles, and this is the roster that has a chance for him to recapture some of the Seven Seconds or Less magic that catapulted him to stardom in Phoenix.
Harden is the perfect player for it, and by all accounts, there's no other coach in the league who seems as determined to make sure his superstar player surpasses expectations on the floor. It's September, but this has the feel of a perfect player and coach tandem. Now, about that defense...
Tyronn Lue
Tyronn Lue told a great story this week about how he collected money from players and coaches after Game 5 of the NBA Finals and hid it in the ceiling in the coaches office at Oracle Arena, to show confidence in his players that they would come back and get it in Game 7, which they did.
The Cavs' comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals helped cement many careers, including those of LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and even J.R. Smith. And you know what else it did? It gave Lue a championship before he's even coached a full season in the NBA. Add to the fact he's got LeBron squarely on his side — something David Blatt and other past coaches haven't had — and I have to say Lue is living a pretty nice life in Cleveland right now.
Losers
Carmelo Anthony
This was the summer of Carmelo. He was the leader of the gold medal-winning team in Rio. He became the league's leading force in social activism. He was spotted in New York (more accurately, recorded by his wife LaLa) to his local bodega in a robe wearing an Olympics hat. He was the people's champion, a care-free superstar who was growing up before our eyes and living life to the fullest.
And then, he returned to the Knicks this week:
Welcome back to real life, 'Melo.
Anderson Varejao
Anderson Varejao has what I would term a conundrum. He said earlier this week the Cavaliers — the team he spent his entire career with until the middle of last season — have offered him a championship ring for being part of the team for a portion of their championship run, but he has yet to decide whether to accept it. The conundrum: Varejao ended up joining the Warriors, the team that came within a game of winning the title before losing three straight to the Cavaliers.
Some pros and cons.
Pro: Varejao — one of LeBron's closest friends — spent many years putting his body on the line for the Cavs. Even if it's an honorary ring, he should accept it.
Con: Once the news comes out that he accepted the ring offer, Warriors teammates might shun him in the locker room for accepting a gift from the enemy.
Pro: You play the game to win a championship, and regardless of the circumstances, you should totally take the ring. Worst-case scenario it has no sentimental value and you can pawn it in 20 years.
Con: You're accepting a ring from the team that came back from 3-1 down to beat you in the Finals and the team you're likely going to face in the Finals again this year.
I could go on. If I had to choose, I would accept the ring and deal with the awkwardness and guilt later. It's still a championship ring.
Every point guard who has ever played with Dwyane Wade
A healthy dose of disrespect to Rafer Alston, Bimbo Coles, Damon Jones, Keyon Dooling, Gary Payton (OK, way past his prime), Jason Williams (same), Mike Bibby, Mario Chalmers and Goran Dragic.
OK, maybe Wade has a point...
Video of the week
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