From exemplary to ridiculous in the NBA, Draymond Green case. Is the golden age of the Warriors over? masterful movement by coach Erik Spoelstra; A week of records, great plays and a lot of injuries. These and more in the top 10…
1.- Now it turns out that you have to beg him. Last Saturday, the NBA announced that Suspension The veteran forward of the Golden State Warriors, Draymond Greenwas canceled and once he is in rhythm the player can rejoin the franchise to return to the court.
What was even more ridiculous (in my opinion) beyond the fact that the punishment was only 12 games (too short compared to this player’s violence) was that the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, met with him to almost beg. Not to retire.
According to the ‘repentant’ D-Green The situation was too difficult to handle and he considered retirement; However, Silver, words more, words less, said he would not allow it.
One thing is that Draymond Green Be a good player, but a bad competitor; His team needs him to come out of a bad moment, but the league needs players like him the least. With all the importance he had in the Warriors winning the title, his deplorable behavior is classified as an embarrassment to the NBA and it was even more embarrassing that Silver asked him not to retire.
If we count all the on-court assaults, violent plays and undisciplined acts during Green’s career, we add up to more than 12, but sure! So those 12 little games of ‘punishment’ were not even blows for the penitent. Do we believe it?
2.- End of the Warriors era? The aforementioned Warriors, who are in 12th place in the West with a 17-20 record, suffered an embarrassing 141-105 loss by the New Orleans Pelicans at the Chase Center last Wednesday. That was the last straw. According to camel back and journalist Shams Charania, the franchise is willing to listen to offers from all its players except Stephen Curry.
Will this be the end of the Warriors’ most successful era?
3.- Open your wallets. The NBA started in 2024 with everything and it doesn’t stop at money. If not, ask Kawhi Leonard and coach Erik Spoelstra, who signed juicy contract extensions this week.
The forward of the LA Clippers will sign for three years and $153 million, while the head coach of the Miami Heat will sign for eight years and $120 million. Thus, ‘Spo’ marks a record as his contract will be the most committed money in the history of a United States coach.
And this is the start of several other financial moves around the league between now and the trade deadline, so the numbers will come and go in the coming days.
3.1.- Coach Spoelstra, a genius on and off the court…
Coach Spoelstra is considered one of the best coaches in the NBA, but the movement he made off the court was genius level.
‘Spo’ and the Heat coach were waiting for him to complete the divorce proceedings so they could sign a million-dollar contract extension and not have to share it with his ex. Standing applause!
4.- Pacers 50 assists. Those who continue to give something to talk about are the Indiana Pacers, who not only stay in the top 5 of the Eastern Conference, as they did last Friday during their 150-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
At the end of that game, the Pacers had recorded a total of 50 assists, a record not only for the franchise, but also in the NBA.
5.- A week of many injuries and casualties. It wasn’t all good news in the league. Many teams will be without key players for a good while and for others, 2023-24 is over.
Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Halliburton and Jae Morant have all had to leave the court or miss games due to injuries in the past few days.
Hardest hit was the Memphis Grizzlies point guard, who will miss the remainder of the season as he undergoes surgery on his right shoulder.
The news is bad for Memphis, which had to wait 25 games to get its star and the recovery in the West started after his return.
6.- Wemby, with a strong move for Rookie of the Year. Since his thunderous and long-awaited arrival in the NBA, Victor Wembanyama has shown signs of his potential, giving glimpses of what he can be in almost every game, and despite the San Antonio Spurs’ lackluster campaign, the French center has stood out. .
And last Wednesday, Wemby took another step toward potential Rookie of the Year recognition by recording the first triple-double of his NBA career. During the game between the teams with the worst records in the league, the Spurs and Detroit Pistons, the Frenchman had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Maybe not the impact of the figure, but if we consider that he did it in 21 minutes of the game, this thing is already more relevant.
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Triple double by Victor Vembanyama against the Pistons!
In the Spurs’ 130-108 win, the French star finished his night with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in 21 minutes! Additionally, Keldon Johnson finished with 17 points.
7.- He who laughs last is always the ‘Joker’. After a crushing loss to the Pelicans and everything surrounding the Green case, it wasn’t a good week for the Warriors, who opened the week falling to the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets.
The news of defeat is not so important, but the manner is. The ‘creators’ of Tripler basketball were given a taste of their own medicine. The person responsible for this ‘joke’ was none other than Nikola Jokic…
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Really? Nikola Jokic seals the victory with a spectacular triple!
NBAxESPN
8.- It is here to stay. In his visit to Paris for the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets, NBA commissioner Adam Silver hinted that the in-season tournament, or NBA Cup, would return next season.
According to the manager, the long trousers of the league and the teams are analyzing some changes, such as the best date to hold it and the specific color of the court, but after the success of the first version, everything indicates that the competition is here to stay.
9.- And all for what! The Pistons are more lethargic than ever and in addition to their poor record (3-35) it seems like a team that doesn’t want to win.
Last Tuesday they set a franchise record by scoring 47 points, yes 47, in the first quarter of their duel against the Sacramento Kings. That first period ended 47-29 in favor of Detroit, which could not keep pace and eventually lost 110-131.
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The Pistons scored 47 points in the first quarter, the most in their history
Detroit broke a franchise record against the Kings.
10.- TD Garden Fortress. The good campaign the Boston Celtics are having must be given a little star, as the team is playing perfectly at home with an 18-0 record, which increases their chances of validating the predictions that place them as the best favorites for the championship.
Our best start on wood ☘️ pic.twitter.com/gQkY9VuLhp
— Boston Celtics (@Celtics) January 11, 2024
