The issue is just that we’ve seen this game play out over and over again for various NBA teams. There are too many dudes who are like Big Dog Robinson. They’re not bad players, they typically make multiple All-Star teams, but you are forced by the system to pay them like a star no matter what and it makes things more difficult to build around them if they are “just” very good players. Not impossible, of course, but just more difficult. If RJ become a star star, then fine, but he sure seems like he’s more likely to be Big Dog Robinson 2.0 than he is to become, like, Paul Pierce 2.0 or whatever.

That’s obviously why the correct move over the last few seasons was to try to add high draft picks to pair with RJ, to add multiple shots at a star, instead of being, like, “Okay, RJ, time to carry the team whether you can or not!”

But now that they’re here, that is their best bet, pay RJ and just hope that he turns into a star.

Fucking finally, Atlanta. 4 out of the play-in.

The Hawks will never win another game, I guess.

Like JK said, it sure would be nice if he could ease up on the former a bit. Still, I like him and enjoy rooting for him. Wouldn’t mind him breaking the Charlie Ward curse at all.

Raven:
Said it during the game, but really impressed with Sims’ defense out on the perimeter. He still gets faked out with step-backs, but who doesn’t. He was moving like a guard though, while guarding guards on switches, and stayed in front of them. There’s an interesting player in there.

However, 48 minutes of Mitch and Sims and going 0-1 combined is a really embarrassing stat. Bam’s a great defender, but he’s not that great.

It’s uncanny how well Sims can move on the perimeter for guy his size.

Nothing has changed for him. His whole thing is that RJ Barrett is the future of the team and everybody else needs to get out of the way. So he’s just taking a victory lap because Barrett scored a lot of points, even though Andrew Wiggins, in his third year, had games where he scored 47 points, 41 points, 41 points, and 40 points, and everybody here still laughed at the max extension he got at the end of that season.

Max: Luca Vildoza’s finally back on the floor.

So will he be on our roster for the play-in game?!?!?

Luca Vildoza’s finally back on the floor.

He did play 26 minutes in Argentina stunning loss at home against Venezuela in World Cup Qualification.

His stats line: 6 points, 2-6 FG (2-3 2FG, 0-3 3FG, 2-5 FT) 8 REB, 2 AST, 5 TO.