The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers fight for first place while the rest of the Eastern Conference flails; NBA debates dropping Divisions; Nick Young and the Non-Play of the Year
Something needs to be done about the NBA's Eastern Conference. When the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers played each other in Tuesday night's marquee matchup it wasn't just a battle between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, it was a game between the only two good teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record. Not only is every team in the Atlantic Division currently under .500, they have gone winless against teams outside their division since the Toronto Raptors' Sunday night victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. What's going on here exactly, and are there any solutions here?
*The Indiana Pacers will not settle for second place*
While the rest of their Eastern Conference peers are not sure they even want to win games this season, the Indiana Pacers have been caring enough for the entire conference. After their previous season ended in their Game Seven loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, a road game for them, the Pacers have come to realize that home field advantage can mean the difference between a championship and disappointment.
So while the Pacers talked about how important it was to secure the top seed in the East, and win the regular season series against Miami, the Heat went the other way, going out of their way to treat their first game of the season against the Pacers as just one of 82 on the schedule. Despite essentially clinching the top spot in the East somewhere around the All-Star Break, the Heat had the unfortunate fortune to find themselves on pace for a historic winning streak. In an ideal situation, the Miami Heat would have preferred to give their starters extra rest during the regular season to avoid burnout, much like San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich does with his veteran stars. That's not really a choice you can make, however, when your team starts making a serious run at history.
While the Heat's attempt to set the new NBA record was great drama – they eventually won 27 straight games which was good for second longest – the effort left them somewhat sapped. For most of the regular season the Heat were an absolute juggernaut, one that looked like it would steamroll through the playoffs. By the time the postseason arrived, Dwyane Wade was limited by injury and Chris Bosh went through long stretches of ineffectiveness. The Heat unexpectedly struggled against a younger, healthier Indiana Pacers team, nearly nobody expected the Eastern Conference Finals to even reach a game seven, and Miami were a Ray Allen miracle three away from losing in six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
So, the Pacers came into Tuesday night's game red hot while the Heat were very clearly pacing themselves. Although the Miami Heat built a double-digit lead early, the Pacers made second half defensive adjustments and limited the Heat to just 37 second half points on route to a 90-84 victory. The Pacers (19-3) stayed three games ahead of the Miami Heat (16-6) for first place in the Eastern Conference and an early lead in the regular season series against their rivals. It looks like the Pacers have all the momentum, especially with Danny Granger expected to return to the court soon, but it still is only December. Can the Pacers keep up this emotional intensity for an entire season?
*The Atlantic Division: Do not look directly at it, it burns*
Maybe the Indiana Pacers know they can afford to treat every game against the Miami Heat as a must-win because, as a benefit for being in the Eastern Conference, they have plenty of games scheduled against opponents from the Atlantic Division which are the NBA's equivalent of half-days at school. The teams in the Worst Division In Professional Sports have been so lousy that a Least Worst Team hasn't even emerged when the teams play each other.
On Thursday night sports fans in the US were faced with two equally unappealing choices: Watching the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football or watching the New York Knicks take on the Brooklyn Nets in what was supposed to be a battle for citywide bragging rights. While viewers probably would have been better off watching the latest "Scandal" instead, the Knicks' 113-83 beatdown of the Nets at least established which fanbase should be slightly more embarrassed, right?
Things looked up after their 121-83 victory over the Orlando Magic and maybe around that point Knicks fans were wondering if they could at least remain respectable until the return of Tyson Chandler, a.k.a. the entirety of New York's defense. Heck, maybe these early season struggles were the result of the Curse of the Orange Uniforms. At the very least, the Knicks could clearly claim they had the momentum over the Nets, right?
On Sunday, the Boston Celtics beat the Knicks 114-73 for what was the third worst Knicks loss in Madison Square Garden history, snapping New York's season high two-game win streak. Then the Cleveland Cavaliers handed them a 109-94 loss on Tuesday night, dropping their record to 5-15, just a half-game better than the league worst Milwaukee Bucks.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics' Sunday night win capped off a three game winning streak that was threatening to bring them closer and closer to .500. They were going to face a Brooklyn Nets team that were embarrassed by the same Knicks team that the Celtics themselves had embarrassed. Following Spillgate and a increasingly public feud with demoted "assistant" Lawrence Frank (reportedly there was a thirteen-letter word involved), it looked as if Nets coach Jason Kidd was either on the verge of being fired and/or becoming Isiah Thomas 2.0. In other words, this was a perfect opportunity for the Celtics to separate themselves from the rest of the division.
So, of course, Boston ended up losing 104-96 but it's not all bad since their 10-13 record is currently good for first place in the Atlantic Division and thus fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Plus they won't have to worry about the team currently directly below them as the 7-13 Toronto Raptors are, well, changing direction.
*Rudy Gay got traded again*
On Sunday the Toronto Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings for Greivis Vasquez, Chuck Hayes, Patrick Patterson and John Salmons. The last time Gay was traded, fans and media members alike criticized the Memphis Grizzlies for "giving up on the year" by trading away their top scorer for spare parts in what was mostly a salary dump.
This time around, nobody is sad to see Rudy Gay go. The Memphis Grizzlies actually became a better team without Gay, as the trade allowed players like Marc Gasol and Mike Conley to blossom. The Grizzlies went on to reach the Western Conference Finals, while the Toronto Raptors played exactly the same with Rudy Gay as they did without him, leaving the team outside the playoff picture, a result which effectively cost Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo his job.
Despite some optimism that Gay's shooting would improve after off-season eye surgery, new GM Masai Ujiri, whose first priority has been to undo his predecessor's mistakes, was looking anywhere to trade the declining shooter before Gay could exercise the $19.3 million extension written into his contract.
Enter the Sacramento Kings, where new ownership had just extended their sole star player, DeMarcus Cousins, and were eager to make more waves. The players Toronto received are more valuable to them as expiring contracts than as human beings who can do things with a basketball that result in points. Oddly enough, the trade might have also been something of an addition by subtraction move for Sacramento, as moving Vasquez freed up space in the starting lineup for the promising, young Isaiah Thomas.
Although getting rid of Gay and his unwieldy contract was the Raptors' main goal this season, expect Toronto at least attempt to make more salary-clearing moves in the next few months. With the Rudy Gay trade the Raptors could unofficially be the newest members of those brave franchises attempting to tank in the untankable Atlantic Division. Or maybe they aren't. After all, Myles Brown did make a worthwhile point on Twitter the day of the trade: "Which team is tanking? The team who trades Rudy Gay or the team who trades for him?"
*Divisions could be a thing of the past*
So, here's the current state of the Atlantic Division: The two New York teams that are seeking to compete for a title are both doing just about badly as a Philadelphia 76ers team that came into the NBA season with a roster specifically constructed to lose as many games as possible. The Toronto Raptors have decided, less than two months into the season, to get rid of high priced players, but this could actually improve their team's record as easily as it could hurt it. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are leading the division despite the fact that they haven't sniffed .500 in a while and their fans don't actually want them to win. By current NBA rules one of these teams will be awarded not only the division but one of the top four spots in the Eastern Conference standings, even if they have a worse record than playoff teams which did not win their division.
If anything good is coming out of the complete mess that is the Eastern Conference right now, it's that it raises the question about whether or not the NBA really needs to be separated into divisions. Adam Silver, the man in line to replace David Stern as NBA Commissioner on February 1, discussed the idea with the Sirius XM NBA channel:
One thing I have learned from David over all those years…one thing he taught me and all of my colleagues at the NBA is every day we should wake up and take a fresh look at everything we do. And I think divisions fall into that category. Obviously historically, based on geography in terms of weighted schedule and convenience of travel, the goal was to enhance rivalries and I'm not sure if that's still what's happening and so that's something I'm sure that the competition committee, when it next meets, will be taking a fresh look at.
This seems to be an absolute no-brainer on the soon-to-be-commissioner's part, but if there's any resistance to the idea of a Division-free NBA, anyone who dissents should be forced to watch nothing but Atlantic Division games from the first half of this season. They will fall in line for sure after that, the ones that don't go mad at least.
*Other things we've learned*
• While the headline coming into Sunday night's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors was the return of Kobe Bryant, the highlight of the night was provided by the man known as Swaggy P:Yes Nick Young, had the play of the game. Well, sort of. With JaVale McGee currently injured on the sidelines, Young cemented his status as Basketball Twitter's "So Bad It's Good" Favorite with this failed 760 spin move to the basket.
The amusing thing, as SB Nation's Mike Prada points out, is that this 360 degree spin move is, in fact, a set play Young has in his back pocket.
• Jordan Crawford: Eastern Conference Player of the Week. This is what I was talking about with how watching Atlantic Division games may drive one to madness.
• This week's depressing season-ending injury: the Memphis Grizzlies' Quincy Pondexter, a huge part of the Grizzlies' postseason just a few months ago, is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left foot.
• Is there any proposal more pathetic, embarrassing and humiliating than the scoreboard proposal? Ladies and gentlemen: proposal via mascot.
• Deadspin asks: Is this the Worst Offensive Possession of the NBA Season? You know what the Washington Wizards could have used here? Some Swaggy P. I'm serious, he at least would have done something with that possession. Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 day ago.
Something needs to be done about the NBA's Eastern Conference. When the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers played each other in Tuesday night's marquee matchup it wasn't just a battle between the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, it was a game between the only two good teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record. Not only is every team in the Atlantic Division currently under .500, they have gone winless against teams outside their division since the Toronto Raptors' Sunday night victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. What's going on here exactly, and are there any solutions here?
*The Indiana Pacers will not settle for second place*
While the rest of their Eastern Conference peers are not sure they even want to win games this season, the Indiana Pacers have been caring enough for the entire conference. After their previous season ended in their Game Seven loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, a road game for them, the Pacers have come to realize that home field advantage can mean the difference between a championship and disappointment.
So while the Pacers talked about how important it was to secure the top seed in the East, and win the regular season series against Miami, the Heat went the other way, going out of their way to treat their first game of the season against the Pacers as just one of 82 on the schedule. Despite essentially clinching the top spot in the East somewhere around the All-Star Break, the Heat had the unfortunate fortune to find themselves on pace for a historic winning streak. In an ideal situation, the Miami Heat would have preferred to give their starters extra rest during the regular season to avoid burnout, much like San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich does with his veteran stars. That's not really a choice you can make, however, when your team starts making a serious run at history.
While the Heat's attempt to set the new NBA record was great drama – they eventually won 27 straight games which was good for second longest – the effort left them somewhat sapped. For most of the regular season the Heat were an absolute juggernaut, one that looked like it would steamroll through the playoffs. By the time the postseason arrived, Dwyane Wade was limited by injury and Chris Bosh went through long stretches of ineffectiveness. The Heat unexpectedly struggled against a younger, healthier Indiana Pacers team, nearly nobody expected the Eastern Conference Finals to even reach a game seven, and Miami were a Ray Allen miracle three away from losing in six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
So, the Pacers came into Tuesday night's game red hot while the Heat were very clearly pacing themselves. Although the Miami Heat built a double-digit lead early, the Pacers made second half defensive adjustments and limited the Heat to just 37 second half points on route to a 90-84 victory. The Pacers (19-3) stayed three games ahead of the Miami Heat (16-6) for first place in the Eastern Conference and an early lead in the regular season series against their rivals. It looks like the Pacers have all the momentum, especially with Danny Granger expected to return to the court soon, but it still is only December. Can the Pacers keep up this emotional intensity for an entire season?
*The Atlantic Division: Do not look directly at it, it burns*
Maybe the Indiana Pacers know they can afford to treat every game against the Miami Heat as a must-win because, as a benefit for being in the Eastern Conference, they have plenty of games scheduled against opponents from the Atlantic Division which are the NBA's equivalent of half-days at school. The teams in the Worst Division In Professional Sports have been so lousy that a Least Worst Team hasn't even emerged when the teams play each other.
On Thursday night sports fans in the US were faced with two equally unappealing choices: Watching the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football or watching the New York Knicks take on the Brooklyn Nets in what was supposed to be a battle for citywide bragging rights. While viewers probably would have been better off watching the latest "Scandal" instead, the Knicks' 113-83 beatdown of the Nets at least established which fanbase should be slightly more embarrassed, right?
Things looked up after their 121-83 victory over the Orlando Magic and maybe around that point Knicks fans were wondering if they could at least remain respectable until the return of Tyson Chandler, a.k.a. the entirety of New York's defense. Heck, maybe these early season struggles were the result of the Curse of the Orange Uniforms. At the very least, the Knicks could clearly claim they had the momentum over the Nets, right?
On Sunday, the Boston Celtics beat the Knicks 114-73 for what was the third worst Knicks loss in Madison Square Garden history, snapping New York's season high two-game win streak. Then the Cleveland Cavaliers handed them a 109-94 loss on Tuesday night, dropping their record to 5-15, just a half-game better than the league worst Milwaukee Bucks.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics' Sunday night win capped off a three game winning streak that was threatening to bring them closer and closer to .500. They were going to face a Brooklyn Nets team that were embarrassed by the same Knicks team that the Celtics themselves had embarrassed. Following Spillgate and a increasingly public feud with demoted "assistant" Lawrence Frank (reportedly there was a thirteen-letter word involved), it looked as if Nets coach Jason Kidd was either on the verge of being fired and/or becoming Isiah Thomas 2.0. In other words, this was a perfect opportunity for the Celtics to separate themselves from the rest of the division.
So, of course, Boston ended up losing 104-96 but it's not all bad since their 10-13 record is currently good for first place in the Atlantic Division and thus fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Plus they won't have to worry about the team currently directly below them as the 7-13 Toronto Raptors are, well, changing direction.
*Rudy Gay got traded again*
On Sunday the Toronto Raptors traded Rudy Gay, Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to the Sacramento Kings for Greivis Vasquez, Chuck Hayes, Patrick Patterson and John Salmons. The last time Gay was traded, fans and media members alike criticized the Memphis Grizzlies for "giving up on the year" by trading away their top scorer for spare parts in what was mostly a salary dump.
This time around, nobody is sad to see Rudy Gay go. The Memphis Grizzlies actually became a better team without Gay, as the trade allowed players like Marc Gasol and Mike Conley to blossom. The Grizzlies went on to reach the Western Conference Finals, while the Toronto Raptors played exactly the same with Rudy Gay as they did without him, leaving the team outside the playoff picture, a result which effectively cost Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo his job.
Despite some optimism that Gay's shooting would improve after off-season eye surgery, new GM Masai Ujiri, whose first priority has been to undo his predecessor's mistakes, was looking anywhere to trade the declining shooter before Gay could exercise the $19.3 million extension written into his contract.
Enter the Sacramento Kings, where new ownership had just extended their sole star player, DeMarcus Cousins, and were eager to make more waves. The players Toronto received are more valuable to them as expiring contracts than as human beings who can do things with a basketball that result in points. Oddly enough, the trade might have also been something of an addition by subtraction move for Sacramento, as moving Vasquez freed up space in the starting lineup for the promising, young Isaiah Thomas.
Although getting rid of Gay and his unwieldy contract was the Raptors' main goal this season, expect Toronto at least attempt to make more salary-clearing moves in the next few months. With the Rudy Gay trade the Raptors could unofficially be the newest members of those brave franchises attempting to tank in the untankable Atlantic Division. Or maybe they aren't. After all, Myles Brown did make a worthwhile point on Twitter the day of the trade: "Which team is tanking? The team who trades Rudy Gay or the team who trades for him?"
*Divisions could be a thing of the past*
So, here's the current state of the Atlantic Division: The two New York teams that are seeking to compete for a title are both doing just about badly as a Philadelphia 76ers team that came into the NBA season with a roster specifically constructed to lose as many games as possible. The Toronto Raptors have decided, less than two months into the season, to get rid of high priced players, but this could actually improve their team's record as easily as it could hurt it. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are leading the division despite the fact that they haven't sniffed .500 in a while and their fans don't actually want them to win. By current NBA rules one of these teams will be awarded not only the division but one of the top four spots in the Eastern Conference standings, even if they have a worse record than playoff teams which did not win their division.
If anything good is coming out of the complete mess that is the Eastern Conference right now, it's that it raises the question about whether or not the NBA really needs to be separated into divisions. Adam Silver, the man in line to replace David Stern as NBA Commissioner on February 1, discussed the idea with the Sirius XM NBA channel:
One thing I have learned from David over all those years…one thing he taught me and all of my colleagues at the NBA is every day we should wake up and take a fresh look at everything we do. And I think divisions fall into that category. Obviously historically, based on geography in terms of weighted schedule and convenience of travel, the goal was to enhance rivalries and I'm not sure if that's still what's happening and so that's something I'm sure that the competition committee, when it next meets, will be taking a fresh look at.
This seems to be an absolute no-brainer on the soon-to-be-commissioner's part, but if there's any resistance to the idea of a Division-free NBA, anyone who dissents should be forced to watch nothing but Atlantic Division games from the first half of this season. They will fall in line for sure after that, the ones that don't go mad at least.
*Other things we've learned*
• While the headline coming into Sunday night's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors was the return of Kobe Bryant, the highlight of the night was provided by the man known as Swaggy P:Yes Nick Young, had the play of the game. Well, sort of. With JaVale McGee currently injured on the sidelines, Young cemented his status as Basketball Twitter's "So Bad It's Good" Favorite with this failed 760 spin move to the basket.
The amusing thing, as SB Nation's Mike Prada points out, is that this 360 degree spin move is, in fact, a set play Young has in his back pocket.
• Jordan Crawford: Eastern Conference Player of the Week. This is what I was talking about with how watching Atlantic Division games may drive one to madness.
• This week's depressing season-ending injury: the Memphis Grizzlies' Quincy Pondexter, a huge part of the Grizzlies' postseason just a few months ago, is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left foot.
• Is there any proposal more pathetic, embarrassing and humiliating than the scoreboard proposal? Ladies and gentlemen: proposal via mascot.
• Deadspin asks: Is this the Worst Offensive Possession of the NBA Season? You know what the Washington Wizards could have used here? Some Swaggy P. I'm serious, he at least would have done something with that possession. Reported by guardian.co.uk 1 day ago.