SPANISH HARLEM – When the NBA Play-In Tournament was announced, I didn’t know what to think. Was it a good idea or was it a bad one? Now, having watched these games the last two seasons, I think I kinda like it. There is a sense of urgency you feel when watching the games… that the game is the most important game of the year. We debate whether the teams ranked 9th and 10th should be worthy enough to play these type of games but the round is here to stay. With that, here are some NBA Play-In Tournament Observations…So Far.
Kyrie Irving
It baffles me how Kyrie Irving can seem like one of the smallest guys – in stature – you will find in any game, yet he cannot be stopped from scoring when he is in the zone. He can get to the rim at will and shoot it from anywhere on the court. Even with Kevin Durant on court, Irving can look like the best basketballer in the world. I know he can be frustrating on and off the court but that kid is special with the basketball.
Anthony Edwards is Something
I can’t say I didn’t know about him because I did. But I never really watched him play – who goes out of their way to watch Minnesota Timberwolves’ games? Sorry, Angry Ward… But watching Edwards is different. His game is unique. Not in a way that you never saw before but in a way where you don’t see athletes like him very often. He is a young man with the body of someone that has been in the league for years. Dare I say a smaller LeBron James? Even among other NBAers, he looks bigger than most at his position. That makes him unstoppable at getting to rim and he will dunk on you any chance he gets.
Miles Bridges Could of Been A Knick
While watching the Charlotte Hornets vs Atlanta Hawks, I couldn’t stop thinking about Miles Bridges. In 2018 the New York Knicks selected Kevin Knox with the 9th pick overall. You know how that turned out but another name that came up in my pre-draft research for the Knicks was Bridges. The crazy thing is that I supported the pick of Knox at the time but I don’t get paid to find future NBA stars. This makes me sad… let’s move on.
The NBA Play-In Doesn’t Count
Okay, now hear me out on this. Yes, if you win you advance – but did you know that the stats don’t count? Yup, they don’t fall under regular season stats nor do they fall under post-season stats. There is no category for them and that just feels weird.
That’s it for now, come back tomorrow for Cam James, who’s full of stats… among other things.
Until next time…
