Showdown looms large on calendar
It’s looking like a breeze until Christmas. No forecast is safe in the NBA, but the way the Warriors played without Stephen Curry on that road trip, it’s easy to envision their winning streak continuing against Portland, Dallas, Memphis, Denver and the Lakers (twice), all but one of the games at home.
That’s when it gets interesting. Just as it’s OK to start thinking about Christmas trees, outside lights, gifts and festive gatherings, that Dec. 25 matchup against Cleveland, at Oracle, looms as one of the league’s better showdowns.
The Cavaliers haven’t finished fine-tuning their roster with Golden State in mind. They’re obsessed with the Warriors — particularly Cleveland’s LeBron James, who would love to rack up one more hometown title before thinking about another free-agent adventure. Look for a trade or two to shore up the Cavs’ ever-suspect defense, and don’t figure on seeing Derrick Rose. The Cavs went on a 13-game winning streak without the guard who never really fit, and now Rose says he might need surgery to repair a bone spur in his left ankle.
The big story of late has been the Cavaliers’ reconfigured bench, featuring a content Dwyane Wade, Kyle Korver (finally the catch-and-shoot machine they’d been expecting), Channing Frye and Jeff Green. There’s a ton of offense there, and with Kevin Love starting at center — a boon for the team’s halfcourt spacing — the starters are flourishing, as well.
Meanwhile, LeBron’s evolution continues. He remains unstoppable and indestructible (“I can’t believe that’s he’s in his 15th year and still playing like this,” Shaquille O’Neal said on NBA TV), but his outside shot has taken on a new dimension.
Two years ago this month, James was identified as the league’s worst shooter (28.5 percent) from outside the paint. Heading into Saturday night’s game against Philadelphia, he was shooting 58.5 percent from the floor and 42.1 from threepoint range, each topping the best full-season numbers of his career, and 76.2 from the freethrow line after slumping to a career-worst 67.4 last year.
He says the turnaround started over the summer, when he developed a swollen elbow and had to change his shooting motion in order to continue working out. “Once the elbow got back to normal in September, I stuck with it,” he told reporters. “Right up to now. As well as I’ve played in my career, I always feel like I haven’t reached my potential.”
Not that this resurgence is entirely new. During one stretch of the 2012-13 season, LeBron had an astonishing streak of 60-for-80 from the floor, shooting 64 percent for the month of February. “He’s playing at a level rarely seen, and it’s scary,” Steve Nash said at the time. All these years later, about to turn 33this month, LeBron’s still the king.
Pure speculation, but it sure would be fun: Curry returns to the Warriors’ lineup that Christmas night, and it’s also Isaiah Thomas’ debut with Cleveland. That’s right about the time he’s scheduled to return from the torn labrum in his hip.
As the speculation goes on regarding James’ destination next season, the 76ers have been prominently mentioned, linking LeBron with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the rest of that talented young team. The Houston Rockets are reportedly figuring out ways to make it happen. And then there’s Southern California, where James wasn’t content with a single, $21 million home in Brentwood. He recently bought another house in the area for $23 million. It features eight bedrooms, an elevator, a home theater and a wine cellar.
When Celtics general manage Danny Ainge gave up the No. 1 overall pick to trade down into the No. 3 slot, he had confidence that Jayson Tatum would prove to be as star-worthy as Markelle Fultz, taken first by the 76ers. He was right, but even Ainge couldn’t have imagined the disparity.
Tatum has shown himself to be a smart, all-court player who can shoot from anywhere, rebound, defend with intensity and take big shots in the fourth quarter. As of Friday, his 51.8 percentage led the league from three-point range. Nobody knows what to make of Fultz. The 76ers say his shoulder injury (minor to begin with) has healed, but he still needs three more weeks of strength and conditioning before he can take the floor. The only real knock on Fultz in college (Washington) was his inconsistent body language and apparent lack of motivation. Now the 19-year-old point guard is on the verge of being called a bust, and the 76ers are running their offense through the 6-foot-10 Simmons as a point forward. When Fultz does return, he’d better do so with passion and commitment. The mystery act is getting old.
The Rookie of the Year conversations always begin with Simmons and Tatum, but don’t forget Utah guard Donovan Mitchell, who played two seasons at Louisville, starred in the Summer League and has been nothing less than sensational, including a 41-point game against New Orleans. The loss of Gordon Hayward via free agency has been easier to accept as Mitchell scores at will: on the drive, from long range and with thunderous dunk shots in traffic. Over the years, Utah has been routinely successful with solid, unspectacular play. There hasn’t been anyone this explosive on the roster since Darrell (Dr. Dunkenstein) Griffith in the 1980s.
Right about the time Curry sprained his ankle, ESPN’s Zach Lowe noted, “The Warriors have never quite figured out their offense with Curry on the bench. They’ve never really locked on a non-Curry identity. They move around without purpose, in cluttered space. Draymond Green shoots and distributes more, and can get a little wild. Klay Thompson shoots more and a little less accurately.” He had a point, but the dynamic seems to be changing — quickly and emphatically.