Jokić's Dominance, Curry's Turn to Win It & In-Season Tournament Takes - 11/4/23

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What Stood Out to Me Last Night (11/03/23)

1. Jokić is, hands down, the best player on the planet right now—putting up 33/14/9 on an unreal 14-16 shooting. He is the perfect offensive player - he was deadly as a cutter today. He got a number of points off quick slips into the paint with nice quicker floaters or nifty finishes around the rim. He had buzzer beating 3’s, off balance middies on a quick turn, unbelievable passing, elite rebounding on both the offensive and defensive glass.

2. The Warriors have now pulled off back-to-back game-winners, with Curry clinching this one. His drive to the hoop culminated in a layup off the glass—initially dismissed for basket interference. Yet, upon review, the call was overturned, sealing the win for the Warriors.

3. While Curry's game-winner is the headline, the real narrative might just be the Warriors' bench. CP3, GP2, Moody, Kuminga, and Šarić might form a small lineup, but don't let their size fool you—Šarić is on a roll. They're quick on the defense, fast on the break, and their shooting is on point, especially if Moody and Šarić maintain their streak. The juxtaposition of Poole and CP3's play styles is like day and night.

4. Despite missing SGA, OKC played a good game with some serious shot-making. Chet made his presence known with a 24/8/5 stat line—sans Wembanyama, he'd be dominating the Rookie of the Year discussions. Not to be overlooked, Cason Wallace is proving to be a standout rookie this season for the Thunder.

5. Brunson dropped a whopping 45 in a loss, but the Bucks managed to bounce back from recent stumbles.

Who I’m Watching for Tonight (11/04/23)

• I'm looking at the sophomore matchup with Jabari Smith Jr. and Keggan. So far, Smith (nor Jalen Green) have shown significant statistical leaps—Sengun is the only Rocket who's elevated his play to start the season this year. Jabari had a great pre-season and a good close to the season last season.

• The Kings, led by Sabonis put up a formidable fight against the Warriors, only to be edged out by Klay's buzzer-beater. They proved they are becoming a better and better team being able to stay competitive with their depth despite key injuries.

• Keegan Murray has expanded his role in the Kings' offense, taking an average of five additional shots per game compared to his rookie year. However, his shooting accuracy has seen better days—36% from the field and a mere 28% from beyond the arc, translating to a true shooting percentage (TS%) of 46%, which is a steep 13% drop from last season.

Random NBA Thought

With the NBA in-season tournament underway, it's worth evaluating its aesthetic and purpose. Its goal seems to be injecting excitement into the typically less thrilling November and December games. As the season progresses, it will likely gain momentum, becoming more engaging as we track potential matchups. Initial skepticism is expected in its inaugural year, but the tournament barely alters the regular season at all—adding just a touch of high stakes to one weekend - otherwise it’s games like today are business as usual with a overly colored court.

The debate on how to engage fans is ongoing. Haliburton's idea of a guaranteed playoff spot is intriguing, but it may be redundant as the cup winner is likely playoff-bound anyway.

One amusing suggestion was a million-dollar pizza party for the winning city—a quirky incentive that could add a fun element. This has my vote. Could you imagine watching the reaction parties to an entire city missing out on a giant city-wide pizza party? The fans, specifically the commentators love pointing out the moments

Bones Hyland's bemused reaction, "I don’t even know what’s going on rn," captures the current mood among players, which is expected to evolve as the tournament progresses and starts to affect the dynamics of mid-tier teams more tangibly. If there’s one run of a team that isn’t expected to be there make a run, it’ll be fun to root for that team.

While it may never match the Finals in impact, it’s not designed to.

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