In this weeks 13 Rules: Random NBA Thoughts Steve Purciello dives shares more random NBA thoughts. 13 Rules: Knicks Struggles, Lakers Dominance, and Key Injuries Impacting Series and more. Make sure to listen and add the 13 Rules: NBA Random Thoughts podcast the Shot Clock Pod to your list!
Knicks Struggles and Fan Reactions
The New York Knicks are now 2–1 and could make everything right with a win in Atlanta. After losing two games by a point each, blame has been spread around—Mikal Bridges, who was non-existent in Thursday night’s loss; head coach Mike Brown for questionable substitution patterns and timeout usage; and Jalen Brunson for dribbling too much. Knicks fans are funny in that when the team is winning, everybody is great, but once they lose, it’s time to line up the culprits. I still think the Knicks will rebound and win the series.
Jonathan Kuminga is an interesting player. He’s very athletic, high-energy, and can be a problem for opposing teams. However, he is not a consistent shooter and can sometimes be out of control. He just doesn’t bring it every night. It’s the old adage: when he’s good, he’s very good, but on other nights when he’s off, he can hurt his own team. So far, he has helped his team in this series and has been a problem for the Knicks.
Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Concerns
The Denver Nuggets have a few problems. The biggest is Aaron Gordon’s injury because he does so many important things for his team. The other issue is solving the Timberwolves’ defense. It seems the Wolves are everywhere defensively, and Rudy Gobert has done a great job on Nikola Jokić. Without Gordon, the Nuggets will have a difficult time advancing, but with him healthy, the series becomes more interesting—though even if he plays, I doubt he will be completely healthy.
Cavaliers’ Inconsistency
The Cleveland Cavaliers are an interesting team. Just when you start to believe they have a shot at reaching the Finals, they lay an egg like they did in the fourth quarter Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors. They were outscored by twenty points, turning a tight game into a blowout. They gave up forty-three points in that quarter.
Lakers Dominance and Leadership
The Los Angeles Lakers have a 3–0 series lead, and LeBron James deserves a ton of credit for being the main cog in his team’s success at 41 years old. LeBron has trusted and encouraged his teammates, and they have delivered in ways not many people thought possible. Thus far, LeBron has been the runaway MVP. Marcus Smart also deserves a lot of credit for turning back the clock to 2022. Lastly, JJ Redick and his coaching staff deserve recognition as well. It’s hard to believe JJ is in just his second year as a head coach with no previous NBA coaching experience.
Rockets Facing Tough Questions
As for the Houston Rockets, there are a lot of questions. Somebody has to pay a price for this disappointing showing. They would have been underdogs if Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves were healthy. Without them, it seemed like a foregone conclusion the Rockets would win the series. It’s either Rafael Stone or Ime Udoka who will pay for this. From the outside, it looks like it will be Stone; however, internally, we don’t know if Udoka’s criticism of his team has reached the point of no return. Not acquiring a point guard after Fred VanVleet was hurt this summer falls on Stone, as does drafting Reed Sheppard over Stephon Castle in the 2024 draft.
Spurs Show Resilience Without Wembanyama
The San Antonio Spurs displayed a great deal of character in beating the Portland Trail Blazers without Victor Wembanyama. Luke Kornet played well in Wemby’s place, finishing with fourteen points and ten rebounds. The aforementioned Stephon Castle had thirty-three points to lead San Antonio.