Like most NBA fans I’ve been watching the Play-In games this week. My suggestion to Adam Silver would be to change the format. Give No. 7 their spot after the regular season. Do away with having the No. 10 seed involved, and just have No. 8 and No. 9 play the best two out of three to determine the eighth team.
Teams like San Antonio and Charlotte and maybe New Orleans shouldn’t even be playing at this juncture. But I will say this about New Orleans…they are 9-2 since the CJ McCollum trade and for that reason I want to see them play another game.
Once we get to the play-offs this week-end, it should be pretty good basketball. What I’m going to do is follow one series in both conferences as we work our way to the NBA Finals.
I’m going to follow Memphis vs. Minnesota and Boston vs. Brooklyn in the first round. I would think OKC Thunder fans in particular should be interested in watching the Grizzlies vs. the Timberwolves because it should give them a realistic view of where the Thunder are in their rebuild to date.
Watching the Spurs tonight made me sad. I love Popovich. He’s been an iconic coach, but he hasn’t had a relevant team since Tim Duncan retired.
I say it on here all the time… Player makes the Coach. Even with a Hall-of-Famer like Gregg Popovich. Player makes the Coach.
If you don’t have a superstar in the NBA, you’re going to have trouble getting out of the first round.
Same thing with the Thunder once Kevin Durant realized he was never going to win anything in Oklahoma City. Player in this case not only made the Coach, but made the city relevant in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook is not a superstar. He’s paid like one, but he isn’t one in reality. He never was. Superstars are revealed in post-season when the level of competition is elevated and when the bright lights come on…the real stars show up to play.
I would love to see Popovich coach two years in Oklahoma City. You would think there’s some sort of connection there since both Clay Bennett and Sam Presti came from San Antonio.
I don’t know how far his political views would take him in rogue red Oklahoma. But I would love to see him here. Maybe he’d make the entire state grow up a little and come to terms with some of their issues.
Probably not though.
Congrats to Coach Gregg Popovich for a wonderful career and hope you find inner peace as your life moves forward. I wouldn’t worry about the age. Age and experience are assets in reality as long as you feel well.
Good luck, Coach.