The Debut of Laker Luka…
The biggest story of the week was the debut of Luka Dončić in his new Lakers colours. Going up against the struggling Utah Jazz, Dončić looked solid with 14/4/5 in only 24 minutes. He had a couple of great plays, including a full-court heave to LeBron for the easy layup and a classic step-back three, which was undoubtedly a welcome sight for Lakers fans. LeBron James had 24 points in the contest, as well as Austin Reaves with 22 and Rui Hachimura with 21. Despite the loss to the Jazz two nights later, Dončić had 16/4/4 in 23 minutes. Luka seems to be rapidly gaining comfort in LA; however, a loss to the Jazz is directly emblematic of the Lakers' new biggest enemy—defensive ineptitude.
The Lakers are currently the 5th seed in the West with a 32-20 record, and since the trade, they are 5-1. Meanwhile, in Dallas, the Mavericks have caught the injury bug, with Anthony Davis out for several weeks with an abductor strain and Daniel Gafford out for at least two weeks with a knee issue. The Mavericks are 4-3 since the trade, and while fans are still reeling, Kyrie has comfortably put the team on his back and is keeping their playoff hopes alive.
The Warriors Find New Life
Following the trade for Jimmy Butler, the expectation for the Golden State Warriors was explosive offence and a reinvigorated passion and form for the game. Now, following the first week of Bay Area Butler, the Warriors are 3-1, including a win over the 4-seed Rockets. Butler has been spectacular in his first four games, averaging 21/6/6 on 40% shooting. Months ago, he mentioned that he wanted to get back his joy for basketball—well, it seems that may have happened alongside Stephen Curry.
The Warriors are currently tied with the Kings for 9th and 10th place in the West with a 28-27 record, and they have a comfortable schedule for the next two weeks. The important thing for the Warriors is not to rush any major building steps. There are going to be teething issues with a star player in a new place, and the team needs to be patient, allowing Butler and Curry to establish their own rhythm. The Warriors could sneak into playoff seeding within the next few weeks, and if they do, they’ll likely remain there and continue to climb the rankings.
All-Star Weekend Reaction
This past week saw the debut of the brand-new All-Star Weekend, and it was almost a complete disaster. I empathise with the league, as the first attempt at a new format is never likely to be a complete success, but this was worse than anyone might have imagined. I actually thought the idea was solid—four teams, three compiled of NBA All-Stars, then one other Rising Stars team facing off in a round-robin tournament. Quick, energetic matches that don’t take too much time or exhaust players. However, defence, as per usual, was completely non-existent, so a game that is first to 40 points takes only 5-10 minutes.
Another major issue was the blatant force of advertising. Ernie Johnson even acknowledged this in the post-game press conference, remarking, “I need to keep our sponsors happy,” before launching into a 30-second ad read for KIA. Another extreme failure was the tribute to Inside the NBA—a touching concept in theory, yet it lasted about 15-20 minutes and was started halfway through the game.
The key word for this All-Star Weekend is messy. While Mac McClung and Stephon Castle did their best to keep us all entertained, the glaring lack of interest from every other party completely shattered the illusion. I believe the NBA All-Star Weekend should just go back to East vs West, with players wearing their own jerseys, and integrate elements from the 2020 All-Star Weekend, where the winner of each quarter donates funds to a charity of their choice.
The new format was practically a complete failure, and I would be very surprised if we return to the same structure next season.
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