In this weeks 13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts Steve dives into random NBA thoughts from Week 15 NBA games – NBA Trade Deadline Drama: Giannis, Lakers, and League-Wide Impacts. Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast the Shot Clock Pod to your list!
NBA Trade Deadline Drama: Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks’ Breaking Point
The long-awaited divorce proceedings between the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo have begun. Word is, if the Bucks don’t receive what they want—draft picks and young players with futures—before the trade deadline, the trade talks will continue during the summer. I understand the Bucks have demands, but not completing the trade before the deadline will keep the team in flux and make the season a truly lost one. Get the trade done and move on.
While the Antetokounmpo trade goes on and teams are lining up to make offers, it means there probably will not be any major trades because teams won’t look to deal for the Morants, Davises, or Sabonis types until the Giannis decision is made. BTW, no doubt Giannis is an all-time great, but any team trading for him and paying him must understand he has averaged playing in 65 games a season over the last six years. This year, he has played 30 of the 46 games the Bucks have played.
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks’ Trade Dilemma
The benching of Karl-Anthony Towns down the stretch against the Sacramento Kings does not help his trade value. If the Knicks are hoping to dangle him as part of a deal with the Bucks for Giannis, they can’t sit him at the end of close games.
Toronto Raptors’ Frontcourt Problem
The Toronto Raptors are in an interesting situation. Coming into the season, they only had one real big man, Jakob Poeltl. Poeltl has already missed thirty games this season. They also had Sandro Mamukelashvili, a 6’9″ backup. Word is the Raptors are trying to acquire another center at the trade deadline. The shame of it is the Raptors finally have some talent in Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and others, and with a big could have made real noise in the Eastern Conference. Toronto should never have gone into the season with one true, experienced big.
Sacramento Kings: Talent That Doesn’t Click
The Sacramento Kings have talent, but they don’t work well together. Players like DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk, and Keegan Murray can play. They also have Max Raynaud, Keon Ellis, and Nique Clifford—young players with potential. There is no way they should be 12-38. I know their owner, Vivek Ranadivé, can meddle and that’s a problem, but he needs to step back and let Scott Perry, their general manager, try and figure it out.
If he isn’t confident in Perry, he should go out and get the best person he can and let him make all decisions. The franchise has great fans, a new arena, and just needs a team that makes Sacramento proud like they did a few years ago.
Lakers Winning the Close Ones Under JJ Redick
The Los Angeles Lakers are an interesting study. Presently, they are 29-18 and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference. What makes it interesting is they score 116.5 points per game and give up 116.4 points per game. A team with a near-even point differential should be around .500. This means they are winning the close games with a 14-2 record in games that have, at most, a five-point difference in the last five minutes. It seems to indicate JJ Redick is doing a great job coaching them.
Denver Nuggets Stay Strong Despite Injuries
The Denver Nuggets are 33-16 and third in the Western Conference. They recently lost Nikola Jokić for 16 games. In that stretch, they went 10-6. What makes it more interesting is the number of games other rotation players have missed: Jamal Murray 5, Aaron Gordon 26, Christian Braun 35, Cam Johnson 21, and Jonas Valančiūnas 12. Valančiūnas has missed most of those games while Jokić has been out, leaving Denver without a true big. Denver, with a healthy Jokić, is a team to watch come playoff time.
