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The NBA Play-In Tournament starts tomorrow, and there’s a lot of potential for pandemonium. This week, I enlisted the help of some of the brightest minds from The Step Back and FanSided’s NBA network to decipher some of the most pressing questions in the NBA this week.
1. Have some Nets schadenfreude: Would you prefer to see them lose in a play-in game or in the first round of the playoffs?Who do you want to see perform the deed?
Dan Gilinsky’s King James GospelPersonally, I’d want to see the Cavs knock off the Nets in the play-in round. Unfortunately for Wine and Gold, I don’t think they’ll be able to pull it off. However, it would be ironic if Kyrie were to be bounced. Although I doubt it will play out that way, a man can hope… and laugh… sort of.
If the Nets are going to lose, I’d like to see them lose with a bang against one of the league’s finest teams. Any squad, no matter how deep, may have a two-game losing streak. It’s better to lose in six or seven games to Miami or Milwaukee than to play two weird elimination games.
The Step Back’s Ian Levy: I’d love to see the Celtics beat them, but that would require the Nets to beat the Bucks in the first round, which is a little too much emotional gymnastics for me. Let it be the Cavs, with Kevin Love performing the worm as the final buzzer sounds at center court.
2. In the play-in game, Patrick Beverley has a chance to get revenge on the Clippers. What would be the wildest, but still possible, scenario?
On this one, it appears to be very clear to me.When PG sizes him up for a jumper, tries to get into the mid-range game, and Pat Bev gets somewhat beat, trips a bit, and pulls a Rajon Rondo, I imagine Pat Bev yelling at him.
As he falls, he grabs George’s shoelaces, unties one, and things between the two clubs get extremely physical from there. After that, Bev claps away from the brawl between the two teams, sparking a Timberwolves run.
Some men thrive on being the catalyst, and he’s certainly one of them.
Beverley hit six of his seven three-point attempts before being ejected in the third quarter for two technical fouls.Minnesota, I believe, will rely heavily on him offensively. It may be difficult for Anthony Edwards, who is only 20 years old, to succeed in this high-stakes circumstance.
However, we all know Beverley can’t turn down the volume or keep his mouth quiet, so he’s going to get himself into some trouble and ruin his good night.
In Ian Levy’s “The Step Back,” in the first half, Beverley tweaks his ankle and goes to the locker room. The game comes to a halt in the third quarter as all of the lights in the arena go out.
A blue light shines down on Beverley, who is lying on his back with his eyes closed at the scorer’s table. She stands up like The Undertaker, reborn and ready for vengeance, as an electric guitar chord comes on.
3. Who will take home the MVP award for the play-in tournament? If such a thing existed,
Dan Gilinsky’s King James GospelI’d have to go with Trae Young if it was an actual thing. He’s one of the league’s hottest players right now, averaging 30.4 points per game on 64.9 percent true shooting with 11.0 assists in his previous 14 games. That’s the one I’m going with.
Kevin Durant is the obvious choice, but I’m going with CJ McCollum. Raptors Rapture, Mike Luciano:Kevin Durant is the obvious choice, but I’m going with CJ McCollum. Because McCollum has taken over as the primary scorer, the Pelicans have a legitimate chance of making it out of the tournament without Zion Williamson.
In New Orleans, he’s hitting nearly half of his shots and 40% of his 3-pointers. If McCollum goes hot, beating the Spurs and one of Minnesota or LA isn’t the craziest thing in the world.
The Step Back: Darius Garland, by Ian Levy. He dropped 40 points against the Nets, making Kyrie Irving look even worse in comparison, and adding another gleaming gold star to his remarkable season. Then he goes to halfcourt to do his worm while fanning Kevin Love with a towel.
Other NBA stories include:
Last Monday, a quadruple dosage of The Long Two arrived. Ben Ladner revealed the first half of his NBA Awards ballot on Monday, which included the All-Rookie team, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Most Improved, and Sixth Man of the Year.
He went off on defensive player of the year and the all-defense team on Wednesday. You saw his MVP and All-NBA team picks on Friday.
Our WNBA Mock Selection looks at a great group of prospects and a draft order that has changed a lot after a lot of trades.
This is a play that James Harden and Joel Embiid haven’t used much in the last few years. The pick-and-roll will be used to get the most out of the 76ers’ combination of these two players.
Scottie Barnes may not be the Rookie of the Year, but he’s far from a one-dimensional player.
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