- So this was odd. ESPNs Brian Windhorst reports on some apparent acrimony between former Heat teammates Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Lebron James, with the two holdovers presumably harboring some resentment towards the league’s best player. It’s understandable that Wade and Bosh may be hurt a bit by how things played out, with James leaving, but…really? This is where self-awareness is invaluable. Wade reportedly stated in a recent interview that “he didn’t have fun last season”, leading one to wonder if that might not have been the case had he actually suited up for a majority of the team’s games. As for Bosh, this gives rise to an interesting question. Would he have preferred James stay, causing him to sign for just $10mill-$13million, or would he prefer the rich $120million extension he landed upon James’ departure?
- We touched a little on the Kevin Durant injury in this week’s podcast (which, as will be the case with all future podcasts, is embedded into the sidebar to the right of the page), unexpectedly finding ourselves in stark disagreement over the ramifications. I think the Thunder toil along at .500 until Durant returns, digging a hole for themselves that will ultimately prove insurmountable. My esteemed colleague felt OKC wouldn’t really miss much of a beat, except against the league’s elite. Regardless of how things ultimately play out, the gap between Houston and the Thunder is larger than most around here believe, and that gap has only widened since the departure of key players this summer.
- As excited as I am for the season, it’s a bit discouraging to realize we again are back at the “waiting game” we thought would be over by this point in time. Any honest observer knows this team, as currently composed, cannot compete for a championship, without some significant addition. Most feel that addition will eventually come, but developing chemistry with that missing piece will also take up valuable time.
- For the progress Houston has purportedly made on the defensive end, due to this summer’s transactions, one underestimated consequence which is not getting enough pub is the increased offensive burden on James Harden. Things should even out upon the acquisition of the mythical “third star”, but in the interim, Houston will need to look to Harden to generate an even greater majority of its offense. Because he couldn’t create, its easily forgotten just how many plays Chandler Parsons served as the primary playmaker last season: while he can’t beat his man off the dribble, he can set the table nicely for others when using a pick.
- The big question from preseason at the moment appears to be the matter of backup point guard where a) Nick Johnson really isn’t a point guard (at least yet) b) Ish Smith can’t shoot and c) Isaiah Canaan can’t defend. However, that far deep on the bench, you’re not looking for warts but rather virtues. No backup will be a complete player. If they were a complete player, that guy would be a starter somewhere. So the question becomes “which one of these guys can do something better than the other guys can do something, and enough to offset his warts?” Initially, I think the answer is Ish Smith, especially given the overall lack of playmakers on this team.
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