Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash
And just like that – to steal a line from play-by-play guy Mike Breen – Thanksgiving Day is here and the 2017-18 NBA season is already about 20 percent complete. Many teams have struggled to find their groove, but every team is blessed with talented players and every player has the ability to survive in a league that only a select few people on the planet can say they’ve ever played in.
And as basketball fans, we’re thankful for being able to see these players display their gifts.
So on this Thanksgiving Day, here are just a few of the many things each of the NBA’s 30 franchises can be thankful for:
ATLANTA HAWKS – their 2018 1st Round draft pick, likely in the Top 3, and their 2017 1st Round draft pick, John Collins, who looks like a steal at number 19.
BOSTON CELTICS – former Nets’ General Manager Billy King, who gifted them with several unprotected first-round picks in exchange for several players on the downside of their great careers. Two of those picks -Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, selected after swapping one of those picks with Philly – are starting for the Celtics, who have the league’s best record. Oh, and Brad Stevens.
BROOKLYN NETS – ownership wise enough to abandon the “quick fix” approach and rebuild by siphoning brains from successful organizations like the San Antonio Spurs, bringing General Manager Sean Marks aboard. Also Spencer Dinwiddie, more than capable of filling in while Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell recover from injuries.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS – Kemba Walker, that Dwight Howard is having a little basketball fun again, the expected return of Nic Batum and the expectation that rookie Malik Monk is a better shooter than he’s shown to date.
CHICAGO BULLS – the courage to go into full rebuilding mode, 2017 first-round pick Lauri Markkanen and the preseason scuffle that opened up starter’s minutes as a rookie
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS – that Lebron James still has something left and the map that has them in the Eastern Conference. Isiah Thomas when he returns.
DALLAS MAVERICKS – that several teams passed over Dennis Smith, Jr. in the 2017 NBA Draft, and, at least at this point, that Nerlens Noel rejected their $70 million offer this summer.
DENVER NUGGETS – that Paul Millsap enjoyed the Denver part of his childhood enough to sign there as a free agent, and Jamal Murray’s ability to play point guard while Emanuel Mudiay sharpens his game.
DETROIT PISTONS – the Avery Bradley trade, bringing over a more consistent scorer and at least as good a defender as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the huge jump in Andre Drummond’s free-throw percentage.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS – still being the best team in basketball, even when bored.
HOUSTON ROCKETS – A healthy Chris Paul, who will make it less likely that James Harden will run out of gas in the 2018 playoffs. The three-point line.
INDIANA PACERS – that they got a really nice return in the Paul George trade bringing back Victor Oladipo, averaging a career high 23 points per game, and Domantis Sabonis, who was a more-than-capable fill-in during Myles Turner’s absence.
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS – that the last few years have gone far to shed the negative connotation of the Clippers’ name, and that the Atlanta Hawks were on their schedule, enabling them to snap a nine-game losing streak after a fast start
LOS ANGELES LAKERS – 27th pick Kyle Kuzma, who has helped lift some of the unreasonable expectations off fellow rookie Lonzo Ball until the latter finds his shooting stroke, and gives the Lakers another young asset after dealing away 21 year old D’Angelo Russell.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES – that Marc Gasol attended high school in Memphis and felt enough loyalty to the city to re-sign there in 2015 when he could have gone anywhere else as an unrestricted free agent.
MIAMI HEAT – an East Coast address. They’re flailing, but will be able to climb in the Eastern Conference standings once they get it together as expected.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS – Giannis Antetokounmpo, having enough time to adjust to Eric Bledsoe and still not fall too far behind the pack, the expected February return of Jabari Parker and the continuing development of Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES – veteran leadership like JImmy Butler and Taj Gibson, who are accustomed to coach Thibodeau’s driving defensive style. Top-level young (22-and-under) talent as well.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS – that Jrue Holiday was able to hold down the point guard slot AND provide a third scorer until Rajon Rondo’s return.
NEW YORK KNICKS – an unleashed Kristaps Porzingis, the schedule maker who set them up with 18 of their first 27 games at home, and finding an unemployed Jarrett Jack, whose insertion into the starting lineup coincides with the Knicks’ improved play. A rookie (Frank Ntilikina) who actually likes playing defense.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER – that the Western Conference evidently has as many bad teams as the Eastern Conference does, giving the Thunder some time to work out their chemistry issues. And they still have Russell Westbrook.
ORLANDO MAGIC – marginal improvement in 2017-18 so far, still being young enough to improve more, and the potential of Jonathan Isaac.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers – a healthy Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the patience to trust a multi-year process that appears close to paying off, with Markelle Fultz still to come.
TORONTO RAPTORS – in addition to their stars, unsung players like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby give them much-needed aggression on the front line.
UTAH JAZZ – that the injury to their most important player, Rudy Gobert, wasn’t as serious as it could have been and the early showing of rookie Donovan Mitchell.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS – a lethal backcourt combo, Kelly Oubre’s emergence as a two-way player off the bench, recognizing clipboard issues after the 2015-2016 off-season.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!
