VROOM! VROOM VROOM VROOM!! Tomorrow is the annual WWE PPV between the February show and WrestleMania. Fastlane began in 2015 and is a show that the company airs to build storylines heading into Mania. I have attended two of these shows in 2016 and 2019 (because when I think of racing, I think of Cleveland, OH!). It is easy to dismiss these shows as a placeholder show but storylines can be built for WrestleMania, i.e. Shane McMahon turning on the Miz in 2019 to set up their WrestleMania match.

My goal for this piece is to rank the matches in order of which I am most excited to watch. One thing I pride myself on is being able to find excitement out of even the smallest things. Every night when we watch Jeopardy, my fiancée has the fortune (misfortune?) to watch me hit my chest like I just made a game winning three pointer when I get several questions in a row correct. When I wake up in the morning, I think it’s automatically going to be an outstanding day because I get to walk my dog at sunrise and then run eight miles on the treadmill. That’s not to say everything in the world excites me, as you will see when I get to the bottom of this list. But I try my best to hope for the best in everything.

I hope that you can enjoy this piece no matter what sort of WWE fan you are. Maybe you watch nearly 10 hours of a programming a week. Maybe that used to be you but you have since become a lapsed fan. Maybe you’re just watching wrestling right now because we are on the “Road to WrestleMania.” Or maybe you don’t watch at all and don’t plan on watching but just wanted to check out my writing!

I also wanted to note that this is the first PPV that is going to be available on the Peacock app. It will still be available on the previous WWE Network but that will end come WrestleMania. I personally will be watching on Peacock because I want to get used to it prior to WrestleMania.

1.) ROMAN REIGNS (C) v DANIEL BRYAN for the Universal Title with Edge as the “Special Enforcer”

This is a rematch from the first Fastlane (2015) when the WWE thought that by beating Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns would earn the respect of fans and they would start to cheer him. The opposite happened, with fans booing Reigns with even more intensity. It’s something that Roman Reigns, as a babyface, never really escaped from until he turned heel in the summer of 2020.

Well, we don’t have that problem here, mainly because there aren’t any actual fans in the Thunderdome to cheer or boo! But also because Roman Reigns finally turned heel and has been on the best run of his career. Constantly delivering great matches in the main event, Reigns has become the star of pro wrestling since August. When Reigns is on TV, coupled with Paul Heyman as his manager, it automatically becomes a big deal. This man screams WORLD CHAMPION. He is so amazing at playing a man that has an aura that he is better than everyone else around him. His promos are solid, his ring work is terrific, and his presence is great as well.

Daniel Bryan, pushing this as maybe his last opportunity at the Universal Title, is everything you want out of your babyface challenger. While certainly not having the bravado of a Steve Austin or The Rock, Daniel Bryan is the best promo in the company and maybe all of pro wrestling. His promos are concise and to the point, always getting his desired messaged across. More importantly, when Bryan delivers a promo you BELIEVE in him. To give a sports example, when Bryan talks, I have the same feeling as when one of my sports teams is down in a game but is about to stage a comeback. I can feel the excitement and feel the energy of my team and that they have a chance to succeed and win a game. Very few wrestlers in history have had the ability to do this.

Edge will serve as the “Special Enforcer” of this match after beating Jey Uso last night on Smackdown. I really don’t get the point of this to be honest. Edge is in the main event of WrestleMania no matter what because he won the Royal Rumble in January. Yet he is so angry that Daniel Bryan is trying to win the title against Roman Reigns. Who cares, Edge? You’re in no matter what! Look, I love Edge and he is one of my all time favorites, but if there were actual fans in the audience, Edge would start to get booed out of the building. Just let it go, Edge!

Oh, and besides being a great promo, Daniel Bryan’s matches always deliver. He is so talented at putting together a match, especially as a babyface. He has vowed to make Roman Reigns tap out Sunday night. It should be an absolutely incredible match and will be the match of the night. Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan are the two best at what they do right now. I expect an incredible match and do not see any way that it is not a great contest.

MIKE’S EXCITEMENT LEVEL: 10/10

2.) BIG E v APOLLO CREWS for the Intercontinental Championship

A month ago, I would have been really surprised to have this ranked as high as I do for excitement level. Apollo Crews, while a good wrestler, had been pretty bland as a character. He would have good matches. He would win some. He’d lose some. He was just kind of there. He was even the United States Champion last year, but no one really cared until he lost to Bobby Lashley.

Within the last month, however, Crews finally turned heel after several unsuccessful attempts at beating Big E for the IC title. He has taken on a character that is embracing his Nigerian ancestry. He has even taken on an accent for the character and his promos are way more intense. Apollo has given Big E some severe beat downs in recent weeks that make you take him seriously as a wrestler.

Big E as Champion has done a really good job. He has kept some of his jovial New Day presence but can also pick up his intensity, especially in this feud. While watching Smackdown the last couple of weeks, you get the feeling that he is really, really angry at Apollo. He wants to kick Apollo’s ass and is going to do everything within his power to do so on Sunday.

What’s also nice is that both men WANT the Intercontinental Championship and value it as an important belt. In many instances for the non-World Title feuds, the belt is seen as nothing more than a worthless prop that some guy just so happens to have. Not this time around, and for that I am thankful. Expect a good brawl for this match:

Mike’s Excitement Level: 8/10

3.) SHAYNA BASZLER and NIA JAX (C) v SASHA BANKS and BIANCA BELAIR for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

This is more about storyline than the actual match. Bianca Belair won the Royal Rumble match in a really incredible performance and has elected to wrestle Smackdown Women’s Champion, Sasha Banks, for the title. Sasha Banks is an incredible wrestler. Paired with Belair (maybe the best athlete on the main roster,) we should have a great match at Mania.

But back to Fastlane. Banks in recent weeks has been met with infatuation by Reginald, Carmella’s former sommelier. That has distracted Banks which has annoyed Belair in their feud with Jax and Baszler. Jax, in turn, has taken a fancy to Reginald in what is likely to play more mind games with Banks and Belair. I expect that this comes into play on their match on Sunday and somehow Reginald costs Banks and Belair the match, allowing them to intensify their feud heading into WrestleMania.

I think all the women have done a great job in their roles heading into their match. Belair has respect for Banks but that isn’t going to change her goal of becoming World Champion. She frequently calls out Banks for not being focused. Banks, in turn, has added a bit more of a heelish edge for this feud. Look for an okay match but a potentially great angle.

Mike’s Excitement Level: 7/10

4.) DREW McINTYRE v SHEAMUS

McIntyre and Sheamus apparently have a friendship that goes back 20 years. Sheamus in recent months turned on McIntyre and they have since wrestled in a series of match. McIntyre is the man (not “The Man” though) and has been a really excellent world champion in the last year. Sheamus is a good brawler and is perfectly capable of having good to great matches.

I honestly would be okay with either guy winning here. Drew is eventually going to be the world champion and is going to likely defeat current WWE Champion Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania. So if he loses tomorrow, maybe it does look kind of weird heading into WrestleMania. But also, by having Sheamus win, he can be Drew’s first challenger post Mania. I guess I would not be upset by either outcome. While with the Women’s tag match, I am most looking forward to the storyline, with Drew and Sheamus, I’m most looking forward to the potential of the match quality.

Mike’s Excitement Level: 6/10

5.) SETH ROLLINS v SHINSUKE NAKAMURA

Seth Rollins recently returned to WWE television after taking time off for paternity leave after the birth of his and Becky Lynch’s child. I was hoping he would return to his old music and go back to being a babyface. Well, we got the old music back, but he’s still a heel. He has since started a feud with Cesaro, who called Rollins out on his BS and was tired of hearing about how highly Seth thought of himself. Rollins beat up Cesaro two weeks ago. Cesaro’s friend, Shinsuke Nakamura, wants to stand up for his buddy and is going to be wrestling Seth in what should be a decent match.

Even though the match should be good, I really am not very excited for it. Rollins as a heel annoys me to no end (and not in a way where I want to see him get his comeuppance.) I would just rather see him as a babyface where his wrestling style is better fitted. His promos are whiny in a way I don’t take seriously. He just comes off as a dork when he can do a lot better than being a dork. In over eight years, the only Seth Rollins promo that I have enjoyed was when he turned babyface in 2016-2017 and told HHH that he started to finally like himself again. It was what you want when you root for a guy. But it was one promo in eight years. Not a great ratio.

Mike’s Excitement Level: 4/10 (Bret Hart nods in approval)

6.) RIDDLE v ALI for the United States Championship

I honestly don’t have much to say for this match. I don’t really enjoy the “Bro” character that Matt Riddle has. I reserve the right to change my opinion, but it just isn’t for me. Ali is a terrific wrestler but they have saddled him with the Retribution stable, which is one of the worst stables that I can think of. It’s like Aces and Eights from TNA but only the bad part of it. Ali is also a great promo. He deserves a lot better than this.

It should be a good match, and I expect Riddle to win.

Mike’s Excitement Level: 3/10

7.) RANDY ORTON v ALEXA BLISS

I know you see this match and are confused by why a man is wrestling a woman. The reason is that they are involved in one of the worst feuds in company history.

“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt, the worst main eventer in the history of WWE, was set on fire and killed by Randy Orton in December. In the meantime, his partner in crime, Alexa Bliss, plays mind games with Randy. In recent weeks, Orton has magically thrown up ooze during matches and promos. If that sounds really stupid to you, it is because it is really stupid.

I really do not expect these two to wrestle. I would imagine The Fiend returns from the dead and sets up a match with Orton at Mania. Wyatt and Orton delivered probably the worst ever WrestleMania world title match at WrestleMania 33. And that time, they actually had a great feud behind it! This time around, they have an all time bad feud.

Bray Wyatt as a main eventer just doesn’t work for me. His matches are terrible, his character is pretty stupid, and he just wastes time on tv that can be devoted to other talented wrestlers on the roster.

For this match, I would recommend turning down the volume and set an alarm for ten minutes. Read a book, fold some laundry, call a friend or family member. Do anything but watch this “match.”

Mike’s Excitement Level: 0/10

So there you have my first “Excitement Level Rankings” of which I hope to make a regular piece. I hope you enjoyed and hope you check out (most) of the show on Sunday.

Last evening, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the struggling Houston Rockets have dealt veteran forward/center PJ Tucker to the Milwaukee Bucks. Tucker, headed to Milwaukee along with little used Rodion Kurucs, is being traded for a pair of DJs, Augustin and Wilson. Included in the deal are the always confusing NBA draft picks. I’ll get to this in a bit (maybe).

Tucker is the center piece of this deal and I would imagine that he plays a big part of the Bucks’ second half of the season. He has struggled this season. Maybe it is due to his age (will be turning 36 prior to the 2021 playoffs) or a lack of James Harden getting him open corner three looks that he had become so accustomed to. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. The Bucks are counting on him regaining his previous reputation as one of the most consistent and steadfast players in the NBA.

Tucker, as I mentioned, will be turning 36 in the coming months. Yet this has only been his 10th season in the NBA. He was drafted with the 35th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors and played sparingly there, appearing in only 35 games. He would spend the next five seasons overseas before returning to the United States. I was really surprised he did not get more of a chance in the NBA the first time around. He was a really good player for the University of Texas and I was certain his talent and hard-nosed style would get him a rotation spot for a team. Well, he did end up getting back in the NBA, it just took until 2012. He spent four and a half season in Phoenix before being traded at the deadline, back to Toronto. Following the season, he joined the Houston Rockets where he has become a household name for NBA fans who know of his love for tough defense, corner threes, and sometimes playing Center despite being just 6’5”.

I expect that Tucker comes off of the bench and that coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t alter his current lineup of Donte DiVincenzo, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez. And I think that works to the team’s favor. I really think the most important thing for Milwaukee to do at the deadline was to bolster their bench. I like Pat Connaughton playing 15 minutes instead of his current 21. Bobby Portis has been a great add this season, but can he play like this the rest of the season. He is currently shooting 53% from the field overall (46% career) and 48% from three (37% career). History would suggest that these first 40 games have been an outlier. Tucker will also greatly bolster their defense if he can regain his 2017-2020 form.

DJ Wilson rarely played and DJ Augustin did not have much of a fit for this current Bucks team. I am not sure if Augustin ends up playing any games for Houston and he ends up on another contender. With Wilson, Houston gets to take a flyer on a former first round pick who has seen his playing time drastically reduced since he started in the league. Houston has gotten a good season from Jae’Sean Tate and Kevin Porter has averaged nearly 20 points per game in his five thus far for the Rockets. Maybe Wilson can add to Houston’s front court of the future with Christian Wood.

In the trade, Milwaukee also sent Torrey Craig to Phoenix. I like Craig but he didn’t have a role on the Bucks and struggled to find playing time. I expect that he finds that same situation for Phoenix. He is, however, a great 10-12th man to have on the bench should injuries occur.

I did say I would (maybe) get to those draft picks. Per Woj, Houston will push back the 2022 first round pick that Milwaukee already owes it and it will instead be a 2023 unprotected first round pick. Unless injuries happen, I expect Milwaukee to be good in two years so I don’t know how much value that pick will have. The Rockets also get the right to swap their 2021 second round pick for the Bucks 2021 first round pick. It should allow the Rockets to jump up a few spots in the overall draft. Houston is going to be picking at the beginning of the second round while Milwaukee will be selecting in the high 20s. The caveat is that Houston cannot do the swap if Milwaukee’s pick falls in the 1-9 slot. It won’t.

The Bucks are taking a gamble that Tucker can regain his previous play with Houston and not this current season. They gave up enough where it is a bad trade if Tucker doesn’t pan out. If it does pan out, it gives the Bucks a better chance of making the NBA Finals. Covering Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden is not going to be a funk task for any team. Tucker has always played above his height on defense and can be an option to cover Durant if needed. He will also take a burden off of Giannis in the playoffs on defense. It’s a risk worth taking.

This week, Blake Griffin had his contract bought out with the Detroit Pistons and agreed to join the Brooklyn Nets. Just two years ago, Griffin joining the Nets would have given Brooklyn a “Big Four” of Griffin, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. However, Griffin is far from the player that he was two years ago and in no way would have Detroit bought out Griffin’s contract when he was an All-Star and eventually named to Third Team All-NBA.

Multiple injuries and surgeries have me doubting whether Griffin can be a valuable addition to Brooklyn. In 20 games this season, Griffin is averaging a career low 12.3 points a game. He is shooting just .315 from three (not very good) and .429 from two (really bad, especially from a power forward). The 2011 Slam Dunk Champion has attempted zero dunks all year. I don’t mean to spend too much time slamming Griffin’s season, but he just hasn’t been very good.

Brooklyn’s supporting cast has been very interesting thus far. Griffin’s former teammate in Detroit, Bruce Brown, has transformed himself into a 6’4” Power Forward/Center in what has been a fascinating player transformation. Griffin’s former Clipper teammate, DeAndre Jordan, has not been great but is their current Center. Jeff Green has been a good small ball Center and Joe Harris is maybe the best shooter in the NBA. Nic Claxton, who did not play at the beginning of the season, has played well in five games. Where Griffin gets playing time is something I am not sure of at this point.

While walking my dog this afternoon and thinking about Blake, one player who popped into my head was Bob McAdoo. McAdoo was a star for the Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers) for much of the mid 70s, averaging 28.2 points per game during the five seasons he played there. After being traded to the New York Knicks during the 1976-77, his career floundered. McAdoo would bounce from the Knicks to the Celtics to the Pistons to the Nets. His career appeared to be in shambles prior to being traded to the Lakers during the 1981-82 season. It was here, in a much more limited role, that McAdoo flourished. Coming off the bench, he was an integral part of two Laker title teams in 1982 and 1985. He was no longer an All-Star but because he had other stars around him, his game was allowed to flourish.

This is the best case scenario that I see for Griffin. Like McAdoo, he will have other stars to play around him. He will also no longer need to play 30 minutes per night like he was in Detroit. If the Nets can find 15-20 minutes per game for Blake, maybe he will find something of a career rejuvenation in Steve Nash’s offense. The days of jumping over cars in dunk contests is long gone. He cannot regain his youth that led to so many highlight reel dunks. But maybe he can find some of his 2019 self in a limited role. Maybe not. The best case scenario is Blake Griffin is a signing that gives them a small boost in their quest to win a championship. At worst, it doesn’t work and the Nets still have a terrific offense and a great shot to make the NBA Finals.

Last night’s road victory against the Los Angeles Lakers was a statement game that the Suns have to be taken seriously in the Western Conference. Yes, the Lakers were missing significant players (Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, and Kyle Kuzma all out). But the Suns were also missing Devin Booker for almost the entire second half after he was bizarrely ejected from the game after two quick technical fouls. They are now 23-11 and sit alone as the second seed in the superior Western Conference. After a decade of mostly disastrous basketball, Phoenix is once again a threat to make the Conference Finals. And maybe even further. It’s a shame that they took this long to get here.

The last time the Suns were the in the Conference Finals (or the playoffs at all, for that matter) was 2010. They lost to the eventual NBA Champion Lakers, four games to two. This 2010 team was not the same “Seven Seconds or Less” team that many think of. Mike D’Antoni had been fired in 2008 (replaced by Terry Porter who was quickly removed from the position in favor of Alvin Gentry); Shawn Marion had been traded in 2008; and the man they received for Marion, Shaquille O’Neal, had since left to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nonetheless Nash, Amare` Stoudemire, and solid supporting cast of Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, Channing Frye, and Jason Richardson still got this team to 54 wins.

After 2010? Things have been a disaster! Stoudemire left that summer to play for the New York Knicks. 2010 would be Nash’s last great Suns team before he eventually was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2012. From 2012 until 2019, they went through five head coaches. Rosters were often bleak and the Suns were nearly always written off even before the season began. Their owner, Robert Sarver, deserves his own article for how he stifled the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns from achieving their true potential.

In 2019, however, the Suns hopefully found coaching stability with the hiring on Monty Williams. Their second year coach (after a previous stint in New Orleans) has the Suns playing at the second slowest pace in the NBA right now. A combination of a good offense and good defense have given them a point differential of +6, the second best in the West and the third best in the NBA.

The slower pace has a lot to do with this offseason addition of Chris Paul. Considered to be one of the greatest point guards of all time, Paul is always an incredible player to watch. The way he controls the game and makes sure it’s played on HIS terms is something very few in the league can do. Even in year sixteen, CP3 still is impressive with 16.2 points and 9 assists a game. LeBron James deservedly gets credit for being so successful this late in his career. Paul deserves similar accolades.

To go along with Paul, Devin Booker leads the team in scoring at 25.2 a game. Booker, in his sixth year in the league, frequently has had doubters that he could score at an elite level on a great team. His doubters, well, were right up until last year. Booker has been great as both a scorer and facilitator when he has his minutes staggered with Chris Paul.

Mikal Bridges is having a breakout season in his third year in the league. The 76ers deserve more flak for trading Bridges, a standout from nearby Villanova, for Zhaire Smith. Smith has played in thirteen career games and is not currently on an active NBA roster. DeAndre Ayton needs to improve his post game but he has still played very well. He was the number one pick in a draft that featured Luka Doncic. That should not reflect poorly on Ayton. He didn’t draft himself to the Suns and is still averaging 14.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. Jae Crowder proved to be a great signing. Crowder has been good wherever he has gone, outside of his bizarre stint with the Cavaliers.

Take the Suns seriously. They are going to be good and maybe great for the rest of the season. As long as Chris Paul goes, the Suns go. Will they make the NBA Finals? Right now, I would say no. The West still runs through the Los Angeles Lakers and I would be hard pressed to choose the Suns to take out a team led by LeBron James. As long as Anthony Davis is healthy and joins with LeBron again, I don’t see a formidable challenger. Not even the West leading Utah Jazz. The Suns are very good though. They are going to likely win a first round playoff series. As long as the do not meet the Lakers in the second round, I like their chances there as well. No matter the final outcome in the playoffs, the Suns are once again relevant.

February is FINALLY over. 28 days felt like 28 months in Greater Cleveland, especially during the first three weeks of the month. I cannot complain today though, as I am currently writing in a t-shirt and khaki shorts. We have March to look forward to with longer days, more sunshine, and more NBA ACTION. Onto why you are (hopefully) reading.

NIGHT GAMES ON SUNDAY ARE STUPID

Today’s slate of NBA Games begin at 3:30 PM EST. Every other game is 7:00 PM EST or later. Who on a Sunday is thinking “Oh man, people are going to be busy today when a majority of the working class is off of work. We better make sure we wait to start that Grizzlies and Rockets game at 8:00, yeah?” Unless you count on fans that really love the NBA and are a League Pass subscriber (I had to stomach a Wolves-Wizards game last night while my better half baked cookies), no one is going to go out of their way to watch these games. Why not start more NBA TV games on at 1:00 PM EST on a Saturday or Sunday? This is the time when fans watch the NFL and College Football. College Basketball has plenty of big games on during the day. I’m not of the belief that this is going to dramatically change the popularity of the National Basketball Association, but I would think it would do more help that harm.

THE EASTERN CONFERENCE IS MEDIOCRE

This isn’t necessarily a deep observation here, you can see yourself in the standings even. Only one game separates the 4th seeded Toronto Raptors and the 10th seeded Charlotte Hornets. Of those teams, the aforementioned Raptors have the best point differential (+2.5) and the Heat have the worst (-1.9). I do think the Raptors are better than a .500 team and feel good about them keeping the four seed (assuming a Kyle Lowry trade doesn’t happen). I also think the Heat are going to be okay as well. They lost Jimmy Butler for a solid stretch before he returned and became a triple-double machine. I expect them to finish as the five seed.

The Celtics are receiving incredible seasons from Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. After that…scoring is tough to come by. Kemba Walker no longer appears to be an All-Star. The man they got rid of to sign Walker, Terry Rozier (Shaker Heights, gotta rep the local guys!), might be a better player at this point. A lot of the picks that they required from trades haven’t panned out 100%. I would not say they’ve had a lot of busts, but a lot of their mid first round picks turned out into what mid first round picks turn into: rotation players, not stars. I know most of this leaned negative for the Celtics, but I think with Tatum and Brown, they finish 6th.

The Knicks have been a pleasant surprise after most (me included) expected them to be bad. But coach Tom Thibodeau has them playing hard. Their point differential of +0.5 suggests that they really are a .500 team and not due for a huge crash. Julius Randle is a deserved All-Star. Currently averaging 23.4/11/5.5, Randle is a really fun player to watch thus far. If you have the chance to watch League Pass, please do check out the Knicks. Like I said, they play hard and they have star power. Mike Breen, most famous as the ABC/ESPN lead announcer, serves as play-by-play announcer for the Knicks and is the best in the business. Clyde Frazier not only give you great analysis as color commentator, he will help add a word or three to your vocabulary as well. My (possibly bold) prediction is for the Knicks to finish 7th.

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the most exciting teams to watch. LaMelo Ball is going to be the Rookie of the Year and has quieted any doubters that he would be an amazing talent just 32 games into his NBA career. He meshes well with the previously mentioned Terry Rozier who while maybe not an All Star, has turned into a very good NBA player. Malik Monk looked to be en route to getting minimum or 10-day NBA contracts from the rest of his career. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, that will no longer be the case. Monk is currently shooting 46% from deep after shooting just 28% last year. I have the Hornets as the 8th seed.

While the Hornets are exciting, the Pacers are once again boring. I’m not even saying that’s a bad thing, but it’s the same Pacers, during their yeomen-like work and ready to gear up for another quick playoff exit. No disrespect to current coach Nate Bjokgren but the Nate McMillan firing is still puzzling. I have them finishing 9th.

Rounding out the mediocrity are the Chicago Bulls. Zach LaVine is an offensive juggernaut and makes the Bulls a very fun League Pass team. He is currently averaging 28.7 points a game to go along with five rebounds and five assists. The Bulls have other talented players in Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter, Jr and Coby White. But none of these three feel like a star and that has been the Bulls biggest problem. Their draft picks have mostly been far from busts. But they’ve been more like a solid single or a double and not a home run. And in order to be a contender in the NBA, you have to hit home runs. I have them finishing 10th.

One might find the mediocrity in the Eastern Conference boring. I find it exciting. These next forty or so games are going to be a lot of fun. With the addition of the play-in games, there are now two more available opportunities to make the playoffs. No one in the east is outright tanking right now. That’s the way it should be.

The NBA All-Star teams have been announced. That means that there are going to be plenty of complaints about players who were snubbed. These complaints are never met with a follow up of who should be taken off of the team in place of the snubbed player. Anyhow, before I get too worked up about talking heads in the media yelling about nothing, I want to get to a more important aspect of All-Star rosters being announced and that means that we are getting to the prime part of the NBA season where we can start to accept teams for what they are and players for who they are.

Here are some thoughts I have thus far about the 2020-2021 NBA Season:

JOEL EMBIID IS THE NBA MVP

The Sixers, after an incredibly disappointing season, are currently the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. I don’t expect them to stay in the one seed. The Brooklyn Nets are scorching (without Kevin Durant) and I think that they end up taking the number one seed. However, even if the 76ers finish in the second seed, that has to be considered an enormous success. Most of that success can be credited to Embiid’s improved play. This is the player that everyone envisioned in 2014 before an untimely injury prior to being the expected number one pick. He is averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. These are prime David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon numbers.

I hope that Embiid can continue to play at this pace throughout the rest of the NBA Season. In a league that seemed to get further and further away from the Center position having relevance in the league, it is great to see Embiid star. Conditioning has always seemed to be a worry for Embiid. Thus far, it doesn’t seem to be an issue.

TOO MANY GUYS ARE HOGGING THE BALL

The recent influx of three pointers in the NBA has not bothered me as much as many whom I speak to. But the rise of threes appears to have led to a rise in usage rate across the league. Usage rate, per basketballreference.com, is defined as “an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while they were on the floor.” I consider 30% to be a very high usage rate. In 2015-2016, there were ten players at 30% or higher. This season, that number is at 16. Now, a jump of only six might not seem that large, but dig a little deeper. That increase in six means that there are teams that are adding a high usage player that dominates the ball. That is 1/5 of the league. The Washington Wizards, one of the worst teams in the NBA (though on a nice little streak as I right this), have two of them in Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook. Westbrook was the innovator of showing how hollow a triple double can be. We are expounding on his 2016-2017 NBA Season. It’s a lot easier to put up great stats when the ball is in your hand all the time. Teams that share the basketball make the game a lot more fun to watch.

ENOUGH WITH INSTANT REPLAY

When I first heard that instant replay would be a larger factor in the NBA, I was excited. It was a chance to right calls that could potentially swing a play, a game, maybe even an NBA Finals. But goodness, it’s been a disaster. The last few minutes of an NBA game are already long enough with the constant fouls. We do not need to add another five to ten minutes of watching refs stare at a tiny TV to see if they made the right call or not. Don’t turn the NBA into something boring. We do not need another baseball!

Welcome to Lofton Scores from Second! This is my blog on basketball, baseball, and pro wrestling. These are my three favorite pastimes.