Lebron Joins Elite Company:
This past Saturday night LeBron James went to work on the Warriors to cap off a historical performance. Only four players in NBA history age 37 or older have scored 50 points. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Jamal Crawford, and now LeBron James. James scored 56 points against the Golden State Warriors, leading the Lakers to a win. LA has been struggling, but James was able to put on a special performance Saturday night. Will this performance help spark the Lakers? I’m not sure. They still have a lot of issues within that team, but for one night LeBron was able to get them over the hump – reminding people not to take him for granted. Enjoy him while he’s still here. He only has two, maybe three more seasons left.
Kevin Durant Returns:
This past Thursday the Slim Reaper, Kevin Durant, returned vs Miami. Durant can sit out for months, come back on the court and drop 30. Durant put up 31 points on the Miami Heat and 37 points on the Boston Celtics. Durant’s return, however, hasn’t helped the Brooklyn Nets with their recent struggles. Brooklyn lost both games vs the Heat and the Celtics. On Christmas Day the Nets were 1st in the Eastern Conference, now they are in 9th place – having lost 17 out of their last 20 games. Ben Simmons is still ramping up and won’t be playing in the anticipated matchup between Brooklyn and Philly (Simmons is ducking the smoke from Philly fans). With only five weeks left in the season the Nets won’t have much time to figure things out and get in sync.
Jason Tatum Goes Off:
Speaking of the Celtics, what Jason Tatum did on Sunday was special. Tatum, at the age of 23, tied the great Larry Bird with the most 50-point games in team history. Tatum went head-to-head with Kevin Durant and got the better of him and the Brooklyn Nets – dropping with 54 points. Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and rookie coach Ime Udoka have the Celtics surging. Boston has won 22 of their last 30 games. The Celtics have also won 10 straight games vs teams in playoff contention and in 2022 has the #1 defense in the NBA (their offense has looked more fluid as well). Boston is a team that has entered the contender category in an already loaded East.
Warriors are Struggling:
What is going on with the Golden State Warriors? The once title favorites have lost 8 out of their last 10 games. The Warriors have several issues right now. Defensively, they miss Draymond Green. The Warriors allowed LeBron James to score 56 points on them Saturday night while also giving up 41 points to Luka Doncic this past Thursday. Green is the quarterback of the Warriors’ defense who facilitates much of their offense with his passing and screen setting. Offensively, the Warriors have looked out of sync, with fans questioning some of the rotations by Steve Kerr, and it looks like complacency has set in. Maybe the return of Draymond will light a fire under the Warriors as they still have five weeks to get him back up to speed and continue to work Klay Thompson into rhythm.
Nikola Jokic Makes a Statement:
Nikola Jokic made a loud statement on Sunday night, putting the reigning MVP in a position to contend for the honor in back to back seasons. Jokic scored 30 points in the fourth quarter and overtime versus a Pelicans team that has played good ball coming out the All-Star break. Jokic finished with 46 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and four blocks. Even better news for Jokic and the Denver Nuggets is that both Michael Porter Jr and Jamal Murray could return soon. If those two players are close even 80% of their normal selves they will make Denver a very dangerous team in a western conference that now looks more open with Chris Paul’s injury and the Warriors’ struggles.