NBA Takes…with Teresa: Unnecessary ASG, Cuban, Kyrie rants and more

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Feb 11, 2021
NBA
Derrick Rose, New York Knicks, NBA.

An unpopular All-Star weekend is on, but it’s now All-Star day. Some top players are unhappy. Kyrie Irving makes a pledge, and Mark Cuban is not playing the national anthem. Another eventful week.

The NBA and the NBAPA have agreed to a one-day All-Star Extravaganza with all attractions held on March 7. I guess it doesn’t matter that some of the league’s top players don’t agree. Kevin Durant was pulled out of a game for contact tracing quarantine; for the third time. The Knicks brought back a former player, and Mark Cuban decided not to use the national anthem. Let’s get to it.

The All-Star Game

LeBron James, the NBA’s top player, stated that the All-Star game would be a “slap in the face.” Other players complained as well but to no avail. The league and the player’s association forged ahead. The All-Star Game, Slam Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, and whatever else they do on that weekend in February takes place on one day.

There are more questions than answers.

What criteria did the NBA and NBAPA use to convince themselves that this was a good idea? Don’t they know this is a super spreader type of event? Kevin Durant received the second-most votes, and he is currently in quarantine.

What will it take? When will player safety outweigh the money? Does the game bring owners enough of a return to risk their biggest investments? The players had a choice, so why did they agree to the ASG?

MSG Surprises

Things are looking up for the New York Knicks of late. Here are four quick reasons.

  1. The New York Knicks traded Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 second-round pick to the Detroit Pistons to bring Derrick Rose back to New York. At first, I wasn’t with it until I saw the latest re-Knick work with Immanuel Quickley Tuesday night against the Heat. Rose and Quickley could be a very nice pairing.
  2. Julius Randle is currently number eight in frontcourt All-Star voting with 387,114 votes, while Rose has 342,177 votes and is in eighth place in backcourt voting. Is it possible two Knicks could go to the All-Star game?
  3. Could the Knicks actually make the playoffs? They are currently in ninth place but only a game and a half behind the sixth-place Indiana Pacers. Should I have given Tom Thibodeau more than an “honorable mention” in last week’s rating?
  4. One more thing about the Knicks, Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said that Tuesday’s game against the Knicks reminded him of their 1990’s rivalry.

This and that

  • In the very tough western conference, the Portland Trailblazers are 13-10 and have moved up to number five. Hmmm, CJ McCollum and Jusef Nurkic are out. Curiouser and curiouser… I wonder.
  • On Tuesday night, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Brooklyn Nets 122-111. Here is part of Kyrie Irving’s statement to the media in a zoom call:

“We’re the team that is literally battling against so many odds that at this point, [there’s] not even a reason to comment on them. They are what they are. As a warrior that I am, and the energy that I have alongside my teammates, we just have to turn that corner. We haven’t done it yet, but we will. I’m telling you, the league’s going to be on notice when that happens. Just got to take it day-by-day.”

Just…ugh! Stop complaining, Kyrie! You are on the only big-three team in the league.

  • The Utah Jazz is steaming hot! They were the first team to get to 20 wins this season. That’s good for star Donovan Mitchell, the team, and their coach, Quinn Snyder!
  • Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuba has not played the national anthem before any of his home games this season. And? Things are not a problem until someone makes it a problem. Leave that man alone. His team is currently 11th in the Western Conference. He says he’s started playing the anthem and will continue.

Okay. That’s it for this week. I got some great feedback about my rating of the top ten coaches after 20 games. Thank you. Until next week, stay safe.

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