Around the League: Week 22 3/12-3/18

[carey]

Nationally televised games this week

Monday: San Antonio @ Houston 8:00 PM EST ESPN, Miami @ Portland 10:30 PM EST ESPN
Tuesday: Minnesota @ Washington 7:00 PM EST NBATv, Denver @ L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM EST NBATv
Wednesday: Washington @ Boston 8:00 PM EST ESPN, L.A. Lakers @ Golden State 10:30 PM EST ESPN
Thursday: L.A. Clippers @ Houston 8:00 PM EST NBATv
Friday: L.A. Clippers @ OKC 8:00 PM EST NBATv, Miami @ L.A. Lakers 10:30 PM EST NBATv
Saturday: Minnesota @ San Antonio 8:30 PM EST NBATv
Sunday: Houston @ Minnesota 7:00 PM EST NBATv, Portland @ L.A. Clippers 10:30 PM EST NBATv

NBA News

D.A. columns for the week.

• NBA, NBPA taking steps to further address mental wellness issues for players: http://www.nba.com/article/2018/03/12/m ... aldridge#/
• Morning Tip Q&A: Dwyane Wade: http://www.nba.com/article/2018/03/12/m ... aldridge#/
• Morning Tip Mailbag: Your questions on NBA Draft Lottery reform and more - http://www.nba.com/article/2018/03/12/m ... ion=news#/

Other stories.

• Anthony Davis blocks 10 shots en route to first career triple-double: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2272 ... ined-ankle
• Rockets streak ended by Toronto: https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2018/3/10/ ... mes-harden
• Memphis has lost17 straight: https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/2018/3 ... lon-brooks

[Mori Chu]

Thanks for the links, carey! I enjoy reading the mailbag each week.

[Split T]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

[In2ition]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

Memphis is making a mockery of the league. Why am I deathly afraid of this coming lottery?

[Hermen]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

Memphis is making a mockery of the league. Why am I deathly afraid of this coming lottery?

Don't hate the player...

[Superbone]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

Memphis is making a mockery of the league. Why am I deathly afraid of this coming lottery?

I'm not afraid whatsoever. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm embracing whatever happens. When you let go is when it comes to you. Rarely does the top team get the top pick. It's our turn. Phoenix has never had the #1 pick. This is OUR YEAR!

[Cap]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

Memphis is making a mockery of the league. Why am I deathly afraid of this coming lottery?

I'm not afraid whatsoever. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm embracing whatever happens. When you let go is when it comes to you. Rarely does the top team get the top pick. It's our turn. Phoenix has never had the #1 pick. This is OUR YEAR!

Even if we do end up at #4 or #5, I don’t think we’re coming away with another Bender or Len. There are some guys to get excited about no matter where we land in the top 5.

[Superbone]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

Memphis is making a mockery of the league. Why am I deathly afraid of this coming lottery?

I'm not afraid whatsoever. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm embracing whatever happens. When you let go is when it comes to you. Rarely does the top team get the top pick. It's our turn. Phoenix has never had the #1 pick. This is OUR YEAR!

Even if we do end up at #4 or #5, I don’t think we’re coming away with another Bender or Len. There are some guys to get excited about no matter where we land in the top 5.

Agreed. Might as well relax and hope for the best and not stress.

[In2ition]

What's the longest losing streak of all time? If Memphis loses out, they'll hit 33 straight losses. They'll have gone winless in February, March, and April.

Memphis is making a mockery of the league. Why am I deathly afraid of this coming lottery?

I'm not afraid whatsoever. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm embracing whatever happens. When you let go is when it comes to you. Rarely does the top team get the top pick. It's our turn. Phoenix has never had the #1 pick. This is OUR YEAR!

Even if we do end up at #4 or #5, I don’t think we’re coming away with another Bender or Len. There are some guys to get excited about no matter where we land in the top 5.

This is true.

[Split T]

What I've learned is that I'm really not that good at determining how good college players will be in the NBA. Therefore, I should temper my opinions and wait to cast judgement. I may have Ayton and Doncic at the top of my board, but that doesn't mean they'll be the best players.

Basically, I'd be more optimistic if we land Ayton or Doncic, but I'll maintain an optimistic viewpoint on anyone we draft. It'll just be easier to be optimistic about some rather than others.

[Split T]

New Orleans has a 5 games in 6 nights coming up. Due to a postponed game with Indy, New Orleans goes Houston and Boston on 17th and 18th, gets the 19th off and then goes Dallas, Indy, LAL on 20-22nd. Back to back to back is so brutal.

[O_Gardino]

losing 2 could knock them out of the playoffs.

[O_Gardino]

The Wolves won a nice game against the Wizards last night. It was a battle of teams missing their best player, but performing well in his absence. KAT somehow carried the team on 17 FGA.

The Jazz just murdered the Pistons last night. Griffin and Drummond were owned by Gobert, Favors, and Jerebko. The pistons are now in position for the 11th pick. Are they tanking now, too?

Dallas beat the Knicks to move 3 wins ahead of us. It's nice to have a little breathing room, I guess? It's also embarrassing to be worse than the Mavs, who are a genuinely bad team.

The Lakers continue to play very well with a win against Denver, knocking the Nuggets out of the 3-way tie for 8th place in the west. Will the Lakers keep IT this offseason if they don't get the 2 max guys they want? Will IT stay and play off the bench to win and live in LA?

The Clippers also won, and they are % points ahead of Utah and the Spurs for the 7th playoff spot. I would love to see them in the playoffs sans Blake.

[Hermen]

New Orleans has a 5 games in 6 nights coming up. Due to a postponed game with Indy, New Orleans goes Houston and Boston on 17th and 18th, gets the 19th off and then goes Dallas, Indy, LAL on 20-22nd. Back to back to back is so brutal.

Damn, that's terrible.

[The Bobster]

New Orleans has a 5 games in 6 nights coming up. Due to a postponed game with Indy, New Orleans goes Houston and Boston on 17th and 18th, gets the 19th off and then goes Dallas, Indy, LAL on 20-22nd. Back to back to back is so brutal.

Damn, that's terrible.

I was doing some research on the original Denver Nuggets (1949-50) a while back because they started the season 0-15. Among that streak was six games on six consecutive nights in six different cities. Granted, they were all along the East Coast, but they also traveled by train back then.

New Orleans' 5 games in 6 nights is pretty unusual nowadays, and includes a couple of fairly long overnight trips (Houston to Boston and Indianapolis to Los Angeles). I'd guess maybe they win maybe 2 of the 5.

[O_Gardino]

New Orleans has a 5 games in 6 nights coming up. Due to a postponed game with Indy, New Orleans goes Houston and Boston on 17th and 18th, gets the 19th off and then goes Dallas, Indy, LAL on 20-22nd. Back to back to back is so brutal.

Damn, that's terrible.

I was doing some research on the original Denver Nuggets (1949-50) a while back because they started the season 0-15. Among that streak was six games on six consecutive nights in six different cities. Granted, they were all along the East Coast, but they also traveled by train back then.

New Orleans' 5 games in 6 nights is pretty unusual nowadays, and includes a couple of fairly long overnight trips (Houston to Boston and Indianapolis to Los Angeles). I'd guess maybe they win maybe 2 of the 5.

There's a pretty good chance they beat Dallas, but I don't know if any of those other games are winnable.

Boston has been struggling (by their standards), but I still don't know if the Pels beat them on the second of b2b games on the road. Lets say NO beats Dallas. Great. Indy and the Lakers are both playing very well. We could see some crazy games from AD trying to stay competitive, or that stretch of games might sink the ship.

[Split T]

The Jazz just murdered the Pistons last night. Griffin and Drummond were owned by Gobert, Favors, and Jerebko. The pistons are now in position for the 11th pick. Are they tanking now, too?

Do they even have their own pick? I think they may have given it to LA on the Griffin trade

[The Bobster]

The Jazz just murdered the Pistons last night. Griffin and Drummond were owned by Gobert, Favors, and Jerebko. The pistons are now in position for the 11th pick. Are they tanking now, too?

Do they even have their own pick? I think they may have given it to LA on the Griffin trade

It is protected for the top 4. And they have a very remote chance of ending up 1-3 via the lottery.

[INFORMER]

Can Dwight Howard still help a team contend?

Statistically, he is having a fine season, and over his last five games he is averaging 22 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.8 bpg, and shooting 68% from the FT line.

The issues, though, with Dwight have been:

1. Doesn't run the court hard
2. Insistence on post touches that stymie his team's offense
3. Turnover prone
4. Unwilling to pick and roll
5. Unwilling/incapable of defending the pick and roll

And despite the stats, the Hornets are losing. Granted, there are a lot of problems with the Hornets and these do not begin and end with Dwight.

With his seemingly stellar play, a part of me wonders if he can still be a viable, key piece to a team trying to win it all.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

Can Dwight Howard still help a team contend?

Statistically, he is having a fine season, and over his last five games he is averaging 22 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.8 bpg, and shooting 68% from the FT line.

The issues, though, with Dwight have been:

1. Doesn't run the court hard
2. Insistence on post touches that stymie his team's offense
3. Turnover prone
4. Unwilling to pick and roll
5. Unwilling/incapable of defending the pick and roll

And despite the stats, the Hornets are losing. Granted, there are a lot of problems with the Hornets and these do not begin and end with Dwight.

With his seemingly stellar play, a part of me wonders if he can still be a viable, key piece to a team trying to win it all.

I think he suffers from Penny Hardaway’ syndrome (funny that both started in Orlando): The inhabilty to evolve from Alpha to complimentary player. Grant Hill or Andre Iguodala are examples of players that pulled off a beautiful transition to role players, and you can see how the Warriors are a different team when Iguodala is underperforming, he even got a Finals MVP without being an featured player.

If Howard could take a page out of Andre’s book, he could be such viable piece. Big IF (see O’Neal, Shaquille)