The Mavericks are here

The Warriors had their own response to the game against Chicago, which of course had to cope with Jacques Lavigne’s early exit from the game. It’s been rewritten, but the problem with these warriors is that this season they’ve got roles again that know how to play alongside Carrie and Green. Rookie Jonathan Kuminga (25 points) and Jordan Poole (22 points) caught the eye against the Bulls. But all the money was Otto Porter, who finished the game with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in a look reminiscent of τρέ Dreymond Green.

The Hornets need…maturation

The hornets are a nuisance. They are thrilled. They can face any opponent, they’ve beaten the Bucks twice this year and the Warriors once. And they just lost at home to the Magic (109-116), which confirms their two main disadvantages in the same game: 1. They don’t have the maturity to focus fully on “bad” teams. 2. Their defense has serious problems and they are not always able to be saved by their attack.

Charlotte came from a streak of 4 wins. Against the worst team in the NBA, however, a team without their tall duo (Carter, Dad) looked a little bummed. But in the NBA, even on the worst team in the league, there are players who can hurt you if you give them space. And the Hornets understood that well and hoped to learn their lesson.

Bagley hopes to play in his place

Marvin Bagley will always be the player the Kings picked ahead of Luka Doncic in the NBA draft. This label will never leave him. In his case, of course, the worst thing that happened to him was getting drafted by the Kings, a team that has proven to be a bit…YOLO in the process over the past few years. But Bagley is not a bad player. He’s just unlucky and has been offside since his rookie year (power forward).

The Kings’ injuries have put the former NBA No. 2 draft in the spotlight, with Sacramento using him in the middle position, which suits him better. Against the Rockets (126:114 win for the Kings) he made his best performance of the year with 26 points and 13 rebounds. With that, he confirmed he’s in a form phase, having scored 16 points and 9 rebounds in the Kings’ 125-116 win over the Lakers two nights ago.

Bagley has many problems. He’s short for center and doesn’t have enough good shots to play as a power forward. She is prone to injury. It is unstable in its performance. But he has some very good elements (athletics, he’s good at pick and roll, he’s a good rebounder) that when he gets the chance, he shows. With Rison Holmes expected to be back soon, Bagley must either return to the power forward position or go to the bench, and all that that entails. He just wants to find his place.

The Suns have the cynicism of a good team

The Suns are so confident they can turn a “suspicious” game into a walk with a simple outburst. As happened in Indiana, where they suddenly ran a 23-2 split and escaped the score against the Pacers to eventually claim the win 94-112. It was a cynical victory that only a really good team with that much comfort can endure.

The Phoenix leads the West and the NBA with a 32-9 record. The trio of Paul, Booker and Eaton lead them as Bridges, Crowder, Johnson, McGee, Samet and Payne continue to give things. Jalen Smith left Naphthalene after 1.5 years and offers close-to-basket solutions. This is a 10-player rotation, reducing to 8 in the playoffs. Phoenix isn’t kidding.

The Cavaliers continue to charm

The Cavaliers went through San Antonio and edged out the Spurs 109-114. A few days earlier they beat Utah and a few days before Sacramento and had three straight away wins but also four in their last five games. Only the Warriors – in Clay Thompson’s debut – managed to bend them during that time.

Since the start of the season, the Cavaliers have heard constant rumors that they will eventually lose air. They were not deflated when Colin Sexton was injured. They were not deflated as the coronavirus spread to the group. They didn’t let up when Ricky Rubio got injured. The Cubs have a 25-18 record and are 6th in the East. Maybe someday they’ll actually make tummy. But they are fascinating nonetheless.

The cobs are…nice

Detroit threw a flip-flop over the Raptors, easily beating them 103-87 and now has a 10-31 record. But since 2022 came into our lives, the Pistons have a 5-3 record. In that time, they’ve beaten the Bucks and the Jazz, among others, and are no longer the worst team in the NBA, but the… second worst.

Something strange is happening in Detroit. The injury of (the team’s best player) Jeramy Grant and the… coronavirus surge seem to have done the team well with the emergence of Sadik Bay and Hamidou Diallo who are now key players. Cade Cunningham is great. Trey Liles seems to find himself. The smiles would have been bigger were it not for the disagreements with Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes. The Pistons play basketball regularly. They are beautiful.

Iguodala, even though he was getting old

For years, Andre Iguodala was known for being able to fly. But in reality, while many drew attention to his athleticism, what set him apart was his all-around game and high-IQ basketball. One bargain he grabbed — he made one of the passes of the year to Damion Lee.

Even at basketball age, Iguodala finds a way to be efficient. He might not jump on god, he might not be able to tag the rival star for 30 minutes, but he can always offer something. Sometimes a magical moment.