I mean last night was an NBA night we should all remember for quite some time.
Nico Harrison, the beleagured Dallas Mav GM, with a 1.8% chance of landing Cooper Flagg in the NBA lottery…went yard. And I would have to say if there was ever a sign that the Peter Principle is still very much in play in current America…this was that time.
Through his complete incompetence in handling the Luka Doncic trade which he mangled…he now has the new next best thing as the face of his franchise through sheer blind luck.
If only the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors had had such luck on Monday night in their respective games.
It was a sad night for the NBA. Jayson Tatum seriously injured his lower right leg and is now apparently done for this season as it appears the Celtics might be as well as they now trail their series with the NY Knicks by a 3-1 count.
What we now have in the East is the probable look of an Indiana Pacer-NY Knick Eastern Conference Final. Who would thought four weeks ago? It shows you nothing in life is certain. It shows that in basketball…like life, you better be able to flow with the unexpected and show some dignity, grace, and thoughness.
In the West…what I saw last night was a very dangerous Minnesota Timberwolf team destroy the Steph-less Golden State Warriors and in effect end that series.
So from MJ’s prism…this is what we now have in play with one last piece of the NBA’s Final Four puzzle still to be decided. We have Indiana, the NY Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the survivor of the OKC-Denver war still left in play.
What we really have though, in my humble mind, is the end of a basketball generation where neither LeBron, Steph, Giannis or Kevin Durant made it out of the conference semi-finals.
Giannis is thill in play though. And I’ll get ti him in about a week or so.
Denver is the oldest of the five teams left standing, but not what I would consider an old team. What we see is the future of the NBA and the stars who should dominate the game in the coming years.
Jokic, Shai, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Mychal Bridges* and perhaps Tyrese Haliburton. Yes, for certain, MJ has Mychal Bridges slated for stardom. I love that kid and what his game is about.
So who am I pulling for tonight in Game 5 between OKC and Denver?
I’m for Denver. My son, my daughter-in-law, and my two grandchildren live just south of the University of Denver. They recently moved from Bonnie Brae to Gatewood, which is pretty cool itself. I’ve come to love the city of Denver through these years and it is my refuge to escape the fake Christian radical right redneck culture of Oklahoma City. Call me Pau Gasol if you want. We’re both Italian so that’s fine with me as well.
I would also add…being in Denver as much as possible has definitely been a substantial part of my Stage 4 cancer survival journey. A part which often makes me pause… give thanks, and do one of my private mini-cries of joy.
What can I say…I’ve become a Denverite.
I will add this though…I genuinely respect the current Thunder players and what Sam Presti has done. I also respect what the people involved in the MAPS Program have done with Oklahoma City. My suggestion to these people is take the next step and create an Oklahoma MAPS Education Program in which the state seriously addresses the issues with its abysmal educational system…which now ranks dead last even behind Mississippi, Alabama, Lousiana, and West Virginia.
I would also think if OKC advances, I’ll be pulling for them in the next round opposite Minnesota even though I love Anthony Edwards.
So…good luck to both my Denver Nuggets and the OKC Thunder tonight in Game 5.
A song to meditate with today would be nice.
Maybe two songs would be even better on this gameday. I almost forgot how great these guys were.
Mike J