Perspectives are a funny thing. While we’re all out here dissecting the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first round exit from the NBA playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets are getting widely praised for… a first round exit from the NBA playoffs.
Last play of the fourth quarter, scores are tied 113-113, and Damian Lillard has the ball in his hands following a miss from Russell Westbrook. Paul George steps up to guard him as he takes it into the halfcourt. Dame stands there. Time ticks down.
As the fourth quarter in Oklahoma went on, the telly cameras made a point of focussing in on Steven Adams a few times as the Big Kiwi sat quietly on the bench. Towel draped over his lap, rising to applaud his mates a few times but to be fair there wasn’t often a lot to applaud.
Playoff Steve turned up, that much was true. With the Blazers copping a massive blow to their chances in the playoffs a few weeks back when Jusuf Nurkic was hurt, that meant a Stache Bros reunion as starting centres opposing each other in the playoffs
When Sean Marks left the warm and nurturing bosom of the San Antonio Spurs, there was talk. Of course an NBA GM’s gig is one that would be almost impossible to turn down. But not every GM’s gig is like the rest and the job he inherited at the Nets provided a team left reeling from one of the worst trades the NBA has ever seen.
Ask anyone at UVA and they’ll absolutely rave about Jack Salt. Sometimes he’d have a prominent role in games - setting screens, guarding the rim, and grabbing rebounds – other times he’d only play a few minutes.
Keep it quiet, don’t want get ahead of ourselves here or anything… but the last few games have seen a big boost in the statties for a certain Steven Adams. The Thunder overall… not as much… but let’s bookmark that one for now.