With the NBA season on hold for the foreseeable future and the majority of us staying at home in isolation, we decided to run a Q and A with a few of our writers to talk about some of the loose ends from this season. Joseph Arthur, Curtis Lo, James O'Dwyer and guest Lachie Joe discuss some of the potential ways to end the season, the most rewatchable games from this year and in recent history, the end-of-season award nominees and our personal picks for who would've won the NBA championship. In addition, the crew also recommended a few of their most binge-worthy movies and TV shows to watch during isolation.
Hope you enjoy reading this Q and A and most importantly, stay safe, stay indoors and remember to wash your hands!
1. What's the best way to end the season?
Curtis: One of the main complaints that’s come from starting the playoffs with the current standings is that the 9-12 seeds are all within striking distance of making the 8th seed. My solution for this is a mini play-in tournament for the 7th and 8th seeds, between the teams in the 7-12 spots in their respective conferences. I’ll describe the tournament using the Western Conference as an example. The 7th (Mavericks) and 8th (Grizzlies) seeds would have a bye in the first round, with the 9th seed Trailblazers playing the 12th seed Spurs and the 10th seed Pelicans playing the 11th seed Kings in a 3-game series. The respective winners of these matchups would then play each other in another 3 game series to determine a winner from the 9 to 12 seeds. Also in the second round, the 7th seed Mavs would play the 8th seed Grizzlies in a 3 game series to determine the 7th seed. Finally, the loser of the 7th and 8th seed matchup (either the Mavs or Grizzlies), would play the winners of the 4 team bracket (one of the Trailblazers, Pelicans, Kings or Spurs) for the 8th seed. This format provides a clear advantage for the 7th and 8th seeds, whilst giving the 9th to 12th seeds a fair chance at a spot in the playoffs. At the same time, all of the other teams could play exhibition games to get back into rhythm, in preparation for the playoffs.
James: Unfortunately there is no ideal way to end the season without extending it way into the offseason time period, which has many negative implications for the NBA calendar going forward. However, the way Silver and co decide to finish the 2019/20 season is going to upset some fans, but it’s so unprecedented so I think we’ll all just have to accept it.
In my opinion, they should freeze the standings as is, and start playoffs immediately when play is allowed to continue. They could also shorten the rounds, making the first and second rounds best of 3 or 5. This solution will really only upset fans of those in the 8th seed race in the West, but as Howard Beck pointed out on Zach Lowe’s podcast last week, that’s like having a bad shooting first half, and then blaming the loss on the referees in the 4th quarter.
Joseph: Personally, I loved Spencer Dinwiddie’s March Madness style idea. It involves the bottom two seeds from each conference playing off for a spot in the first round of what’s essentially a league-wide playoffs, with the top two teams of each conference receiving a first round bye. What’s left is a first round with three-game series between the remaining 24 teams (split into conferences), before moving into a 16-team second round with regular playoff series from there. It sounds extremely complicated, but once you get your head around it the idea seems really fun. On another note, tournament style playoffs may give a good indication to the potential success of next year’s mid-season tournament, should the league go ahead with the idea.
Lachie: No matter the direction the NBA takes, to go straight into the playoffs wouldn’t be the right decision. This period of no NBA games will have completely changed the chemistry and rhythm most teams have. I think the best way forward is to attempt to play out as many regular season games as possible, which would allow for teams in playoff contention to compete for the last spot whilst top teams can rebuild their momentum and find their rhythm. Following this, the playoffs could be shortened to best of 3 or 5 games in early rounds while still trying to finish with the finals having standard best of 7 game format if possible, a very interesting decision to be made.
2. What's the most rewatchable game of the 2019/20 season?
Curtis: Being a Lakers fan that had Luka Doncic in his fantasy team, my eyes were glued to the screen when LeBron matched up with the Slovenian wizard on the 1st of November 2019. What resulted was a duel between the current and future face of the league that lasted into overtime, with the King ultimately claiming the win. LeBron and Luka left with a triple-double apiece; LeBron finished with 39pts, 12rebs and 16asts, while Luka ended with 31pts, 13rebs and 15asts.
James: As a Raptors fan, there’s a few. Beating the Lakers at Staples without Lowry and Serge, coming back down by 30 against Dallas and the team holding Embiid to 0 points. This season has had so many classic Raps games and its very disappointing to see it cut short. The short period where we had to run Rondae at center was also very fun, as we won a heap of games that we probably had no business winning without Marc or Serge.
I also think the Rising Stars game and the All-Star games are definitely worth re-watching. I usually don’t love revisiting All-Star weekends because of the lack of defence but all the players in this year's games didn’t hold back.
Joseph: For lowly Bulls fans like me, it’s been hard finding anything worth re-watching from this season but I tried. Zach LaVine’s 49-point outing and game-winner against Charlotte is basically all there is, but boy weren’t those last 55-seconds or so glorious.
For anyone lucky enough to not support Chicago, go re-watch Zion’s debut. I couldn’t fathom his sheer size at just 18-years-old and lost my mind when he hit all those three’s in the fourth. However, you need to remember Gentry takes him out right when things get interesting so mentally prepare for that, I’m still not over it.
Lachie: Having subscribed to NBA League Pass for seven years running with a grand total of one postseason appearance from my Lakers, I could say that every Lakers game this season is my favourite. One that comes to mind in particular was February 26th, when the Lakeshow took on the hyped up Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. The game was close the whole way through, but the Lakers handled their business, ultimately winning 118-109. Zion dropped an easy 29 points on 6’9” Amber Rose (Kyle Kuzma) but James had an insane season-high 40 piece to remind the kid and everyone at home who still runs the league. It was also enjoyable to see us remind the ex-Lakers why they were traded.
3. What's the most rewatchable game from recent history?
Curtis: Klay's 37 points in a quarter was some of the most electrifying shooting I’ve ever seen in my life. You could see the entire Warriors team look to feed Klay again and again, whilst the Kings could only look on in despair, praying for the nightmare to stop. The audacity of the shots Klay took cannot be understated. As the hot streak continued, I just remember thinking “This is the one. This is the one he misses”. But it never came. My favourite shot is when he caught the ball in the corner, inside the arc, in front of the Sacramento bench after shaking his defender. But did he take the open two-point shot? No. He steps behind the line, allowing the defender to catch up, then rises up and sinks it. He knew he was shooting it before he touched the ball. The defender knew. So did every person in the arena. Didn’t mean they could stop it.
Ironically, in 2011 the poor Kings traded for the 10th pick and selected college sharpshooter Jimmer Fredette. The 11th pick was none other than Klay Thompson. Oops.
James: The NBA is pretty much addressing this question every day as they put up archived classics on their social media channels. DeMar DeRozan’s career high 52 vs the Bucks on New Years day in 2018 is one of my all time favourites. That period of time was when DeMar was decently confident in his 3 ball, and he just let it rip against Milwaukee. He was pulling from deep, as well as carving up the Bucks defenders with his incredible footwork.
Additionally, I could watch Tracy McGrady and Kevin Durant highlights on repeat all day every day. They are just effortless scorers with killer hesitation jumpers that are just a joy to watch. Whenever I’m bored and want to watch some hoops, I just watch their classics. Never gets old watching those two get buckets in every way possible.
Joseph: Go back and watch Dirk’s Mavericks on their 2011 Championship run, arguably one of the most impressive all-around playoff performances by any team ever. Dallas ran into Kobe’s Lakers, the KD, Russ, Harden Thunder and of course the LeBron, Wade, Bosch Heat - Insane.
While Dirk was amazing throughout these entire playoffs, what makes it most enjoyable is the love those Mavericks teammates clearly had for each other. The likes of Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea, where all awesome alongside Nowitzki.
Lachie: A regular season game to most, a game that defined the Mamba Mentality to me. We go back to the 8th of March 2013, with high expectations for a Lakers team who had signed Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason. As this team sat outside of the playoffs, it’s safe to say this was a must-win game for the ball club. The game was very competitive all the way through, with the Raptors coming out of the gates hot leading by as much as 15, on their way to ending the 1st with a whopping 37 points. To their credit, the Lakers did not panic and slowly grinded their way back to be at striking range coming into the fourth. With just under 2 minutes left, Kobe, who had been distributing the ball for some weird reason, unleashed that Mamba Mentality we all know he possessed. I remember it like yesterday: he picked up his dribble, double pump faked, and with a man in his face, nailed the 3! Following this, Bryant drained another quick corner 3 to bring the game within a score. Finally, with his team down by 3, being double teamed on the inbound, Bryant cashed in on a tough 3 to finish the final period and force OT. Overtime was no different, as the Mamba put the game away by blowing past a double team and slamming it home for the win! Bryant finished with 42 points and 12 assists and a 4th quarter I could watch on repeat any day. RIP GOAT.
4. What're your picks for the end of season awards?
Curtis:
Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo – could it really be anyone else? LeBron started the conversation again in the final few games when he dominated in Lakers wins over the Bucks and Clippers, but at the end of the day, Giannis was the best player on the best team.
Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant – much like the case of Giannis and MVP, who else could it be? Ja has been a powerhouse for the young Grizzlies, leading them to the 8th seed in the wild Western Conference. Zion obviously is the other name up for consideration, but when you don’t play more than 20 games, you realistically shouldn’t be able to win ROY.
Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams – this is a tricky one, with Montrezl Harrell and Dennis Schroder the other most likely winners. However, once again, Lou Williams has been stellar in his 6th man role and deserves to win. The eye test certainly agrees with his season averages of 18.7pts and 5.7asts, as his shot-creating ability both for himself and others have been vital to the success of an inconsistent Clippers team.
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis – this answer may be slightly biased given the majority of games I watched this season were Laker games, but the difference in the defence from this season to last is immense. Credit for this partially has to go to Coach Frank Vogel for implementing his tactics, but Davis changed the team’s identity on defence. He covers so much ground on that end of the floor, allowing him to make momentum swinging plays on the regular.
Most Improved Player: Bam Adebayo – the departure of Hassan Whiteside opened the floodgates for Bam Adebayo, allowing him to flourish in a new role. A true jack of all trades, Bam is a fantastic defender, scorer and playmaker. The case for his main MIP competitor, Brandon Ingram, suffers due to the Pelican’s record and the dip in Ingram’s production that occurred once Zion returned.
Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse – The job Nurse has done with the Raptors this season is nothing short of spectacular. Despite losing their best defender and shot creator, the Raptors have not only managed to stay afloat, but exceed their win/loss record at this point last season. The next-man-up mentality of these Raptors, where players like Terence Davis and Chris Boucher seemingly come out of nowhere to produce, comes from Nurse and his obvious talent when it comes to player development.
James:
Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo - Pretty self-explanatory. And no, it’s not close.
Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant - It’s gotta be Ja. Even less of a case for Zion if the season is truly over. Leading his team to the 8th seed in true floor general fashion.
Sixth Man of the Year: Dennis Schroder - Spark off the bench for the surprisingly successful OKC. He has been consistent and cut out a lot of the unnecessary aspects of his game, and is just contributing to winning.
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis - Davis has been a monster this season. I can definitely see the argument for Giannis as these two dudes can hold their own against guards and bigs, but I’m taking AD this season.
Most Improved Player: Brandon Ingram - I know this is probably the incorrect choice, and it’s most likely Bam, but Ingram this season has figured out how to really score. Attacking mismatches and hitting at 3s at a decent clip has changed his game completely. There’s definitely an argument to be made that he has Booker-level empty stats considering his improvement didn’t really translate to wins, but he made the leap nonetheless.
Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse - Nurse is a wizard. His in-game adjustments and defensive schemes against star players are light-years ahead of other coaches.
Joseph:
Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo - As it stands, the answer is Giannis and that can’t be disputed. However, if/when the season gets back underway this conversation could get a lot more interesting. LeBron was doing some pretty damn special stuff for the Lakers just as Giannis got hurt. Honestly though, I think the Greek Freak will be hard to beat no matter what LeBron does from here.
Rookie of the Year: Ja Morant and it’s not close. He’s been unbelievable on a Grizzlies team currently holding onto eighth in the West. Morant is among the league leaders in fourth quarter scoring and Zion simply won’t play enough games.
Sixth Man of the Year: Dennis Schroder - He’s been brilliant on a surprisingly good Thunder team. Part of the league’s most devastating three-guard line-up and regularly closing games alongside CP3. The German has it for mine, sorry Lou Wil and Trez.
Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Simmons - Out of left field, yep. Injured for parts of the season, sure. But watch this guy defend in crunch time, it’s simply ridiculous what he can do. Simmons has been guarding the one through five and doing so with ease on a nightly basis. He wreaks havoc on opposing offences and I just love what he brings to that end of the floor.
Most Improved Player: Bam Adebayo for me. I don’t buy into the idea that he’s Miami’s most important player, but I do buy into the idea that he’s taken major leaps this season. His rebounding, passing, defence, IQ and scoring have all improved significantly, I love what this kid could become.
Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse. The Raptors lost Kawhi Leonard and are having a better regular season without him, there’s nothing else for me to say. The playoffs, we shall see what happens but they don’t mean anything with regard to this award.
Lachie:
Most Valuable Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo - Best individual player leading his team to the best record. It’s scary that this guy should win his 2nd MVP and he’s supposedly only just entering his prime.
Rookie of the Year: Zion Williamson - He isn’t going to win the award because he hasn’t played enough games, but when you actually look at the big picture, Zion has lived up to the hype and in the small sample size we have, is the best rookie to come out of this year's draft. In saying this, Ja is still a deserving winner of the award showing why he was taken 2nd overall.
Sixth Man of the Year: Dennis Schroder -This guy has matured and proven he can run an offense, with an average of close to 20 points coming off the bench. Schroder has played a significant role in the surprising play of the OKC Thunder.
Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo/Anthony Davis - I think this one is actually closer then we might expect, as Davis and Giannis have both been huge for their ball clubs on the defensive end of the floor and I wouldn’t be surprised if either of them won the award. Both guard 1 through 5 and are big reasons why their teams sit top of their respective conferences.
Most Improved Player: Bam Adebayo - The Miami heat have overachieved to most and a large reason for this is Bam Adebayo, this guy is a straight beast. He has developed in all areas of the game, shown by his improvement in key statistical areas - going from 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists last year to now averaging 16, 10, 5 assists as well as averaging over a block and steal a game.
Coach of the Year: Nick Nurse - It’s stating the obvious, but to continue to have his team play at the level they are playing at after losing your best player on a championship team is an extremely tough task, well done.
5. Who do you think would have won the 2019/20 NBA Championship?
Curtis: With Milwaukee, it just feels like they’re yet to prove it on the big stage. Whenever they’re in pressure situations, no one has stepped up to support Giannis. A weird factor that may be worth considering is that the Bucks played in the fewest close fourth quarters this season, according to NBA.com. Their overall dominance allowed them to cruise to wins while resting their key players late, and for a team that has already struggled in big playoff moments in years past, the lack of fourth quarter experience this year may be a negative side effect that comes from being so damn good. That being said, in the few "clutch" games they did play in the regular season, they were highly effective, with the highest Defensive Rating (87.0).
The Clippers appeared lackadaisical all year long, with the team never truly reaching the heights people expected. Not only that, but the sheer number of injuries they suffered meant their line-ups lacked familiarity. Who knows whether they could’ve banded together and found that next level in the ~20 or so games which have now been suspended?
The main issue with the Lakers is exactly what we expected it would be: who is their third best guy? Those hopes were pinned on Kyle Kuzma early on, but that ship has well and truly sailed. Their best bet now is that the third guy changes from night to night; Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have shown flashes of being that guy, but the lack of consistency is concerning. It doesn’t happen often, but when LeBron and Davis falter, this Lakers team struggles to get it done.
At the end of the day, I think it comes down to a battle between the LA teams. Flip a coin.
James: This will also be controversial. To be honest, I think it is still super wide open, but only between the top 4 teams. Clippers have all the scoring in the world but lack a playmaking creator. Kawhi and Lou Will iso’s will only get you so far, at some point you need a floor general to run the offence. And I’m sorry Clips fans, that’s not Reggie Jackson.
The Lakers, despite their record saying otherwise, aren’t that great outside of LeBron and Anthony Davis. For them to win the whole thing, AD and Bron could not afford to have nights off vs the West’s elite teams. Can you really see Kyle Kuzma holding the trophy?
The Raptors defence would have carried them to at least the ECF, but I think they would have fell short of the finals. They have a selfless offence but lack an iso scorer to close games out when the offence comes to a halt and the shot clock is off. But I’ve heard LA has nice weather.
I honestly think the Bucks were winning it all. 76ers are a mess, Miami lack scoring, Boston cannot contain Giannis and the Raptors lack a closer. Milwaukee have the defence to contain the Clippers and the Lakers, and the scoring to fire right bacl. If Middleton and Bledsoe showed up (big if) for the whole playoffs, it’s hard for me to see anyone else other than the Greek Freak claiming the Larry O’Bee.
Joseph: The LA...Clippers. I’ve always thought it would be one of the LA teams and I just can’t get past the Clippers. The Lakers are short on depth and the Clippers are not. Kawhi Leonard is on the Clippers and he’s the best playoff performer in the world. Even with LeBron on the Lakers, it’s hard to look past a Kawhi led team with more depth. As for the Bucks, I can’t get behind a team I’ve never seen properly threaten in the playoffs – sorry.
Side note: Not my pick, but for anyone who thought the Raptors had a chance at going back-to-back, you’re not crazy. My word they were fun and you could just see winning DNA in every single player and the coaching staff...damn I want the season to have a result so badly.
Lachie: Perhaps my judgement of this question is swayed since I am a huge Lakers fan, but in all honesty, who is actually going to stop Lebron James AND Anthony Davis. Yes they would have to be on their game every night as they carry the load on both the defense and offense, and okay, some of our role players would have to have above average games. But if you have watched the season and followed the Lakers, it’s difficult to remember a game when these things don’t happen. There’s a reason LBJ and AD are 2 of the best players in the NBA, because they are consistent and professional. And while the Clippers may have more overall talent, they haven’t gelled the same way the Lakers have on and off the court.
Any of the top 4 teams can win it, but with his legacy on the line and the events that have occured over the course of the season, this could be Lebrons best chance to get another ring in his career.
6. Best TV shows/Movies to binge while on Quarantine?
Curtis: When it comes to TV shows which are highly binge-able, entertaining and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, you simply can’t look past Fleabag. Phoebe Waller-Bridge steals the show as the hilarious and unfiltered Fleabag, who frequently breaks the fourth wall while going about her daily life in London. She negotiates her way through strained relationships with her family and partners, whilst trying to deal with the grief of losing a best friend. As soon as the first scene starts (with a brief cameo from the former President of the United States, Barack Obama), you’re instantly hooked and can’t look away. Absolutely loved it and would highly recommend to anyone.
A former Oscar nominee which went relatively under the radar is 2017’s The Big Sick, written by comedian (and now Marvel superhero) Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon. The Big Sick is a brilliant romantic comedy based on the true story of how Kumail and Emily met after one of Kumail’s stand-up comedy sets. Funny and genuine, this rom-com finds a way to explore the genre from a new perspective, and discuss the clash between love, family and traditional culture.
James: I have a couple of recommendations. I just finished a TV series called Justified. It’s a show set in the south of America and follows US Marshal Raylen Givens as he walks the line of right or wrong to bring modern day crooks in Kentucky and its surrounding areas to justice. The show gets brutal at times as some of the bad dudes are reaaally bad dudes, but the characters, story and action scenes are terrific. It’s essentially a modern day western, and it doesn’t disappoint.
I’m also planning on re-watching Arrested Development in full. One of the most intriguing and well written comedies. If you haven’t given it a chance, do so, you won’t regret it.
As far as movies go, I finally just got the chance to watch ‘A Quiet Place’ and it was a thrilling ride. Great mix of mystery and horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Joseph: Pretty simple here – Star Wars. Anything Star Wars, the franchise has both movies and TV shows so you’ve got all bases covered. From the original trilogy to the recently released show ‘The Mandalorian’, just grab a Disney+ free trial and you’re all set. Already seen Star Wars? Watch it again, you can never have too much. Never seen Star Wars? You’re in for a treat, welcome to the greatest TV/film franchise ever made.
Lachie: I’m not a huge fan of TV shows, unless it’s as many consecutive “How I Met Your Mother” episodes I can fit into a day. Movie-wise I would recommend watching Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” The sci-fi action film is still mind boggling and with Leonardo Di Caprio at the helm, you can’t go wrong. It follows a thief who enters the subconscious mind of his targets to gather information related to his wife's death, in order to gain a chance at redemption. A super exciting and entertaining film, make sure to watch this one whilst fully alert as there is a lot to keep track of - if you snooze, you lose.
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