Issues in the NBA at a Glance

Posted by on Feb 10, 2020 10:51

Disappointed But Not Done

It didn’t work out for former No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota, but he, as well as the Warriors, believe a change of scenery will prove to be a world of difference.

Wiggins had an extremely high ceiling coming out of the draft, something that fans took advantage while they enjoyed their leisure at Tuanpoker Situs Poker Online Terpercaya, due to his length and athleticism, but he never developed into anywhere near the player he was projected to become. He had issues with his work ethic, and also struggled big-time on the defensive end of the floor, getting exploited nearly every game.

But the Warriors still see untapped potential in Wiggins, and that’s why they traded D’Angelo Russell for him (and a few draft picks) on Thursday. Wiggins shared his thoughts on joining the Warriors, and took a shot at the Wolves’ losing ways in doing so.

Wiggins looked good in his debut against the Lakers, dropping 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting, but it’ll be interesting to see how he develops on defense.

Dogging With Durant

There was a time when Kevin Durant indicated that he wanted to play the entirety of his career in Oklahoma City, but he still has a number of years left in the tank, and he’s already suiting up for his third team.

Durant got into it with Draymond Green during a game against the Clippers last year, which was a big part of why he ended up leaving the Bay Area during the summer. And after he left for Brooklyn, he took some shots at the Warriors’ culture as well.

He has, however, remained fairly quiet about his time in Oklahoma City, aside from some past beef with Russell Westbrook — until now, that is.

Durant appeared on the popular All The Smoke Podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, and he went in on his former Thunder teammates, throwing Westbrook under the bus as well.

“In OKC, I played with a lot of athletes,” Durant began. “I didn’t play with a lot of skill guys, not like shooters, ball-handlers. So after a while, my game started to grow and I was like, ‘I need a change.’ This was before the [2015-16] season even started. I was tired of being the only guy that could make threes, make jump shots, and consistently make them.”

“Consistently make them” sure appeared to be a reference to Westbrook, who is known for being hot and cold. It is bizarre, however, that KD would come out and say this now, roughly four years removed from OKC.

 

I Mean, They Are Only Human

The officiating in the NBA has actually been pretty good across the board this season, but what happened during Friday night’s Jazz-Blazers game was so abysmal — costing one team the game — that it’s been a huge topic of discussion.

It happened with just over 10 seconds remaining, as Damian Lillard went up for a layup, looking to tie the game at 116. Rudy Gobert attempted to block it, and got a piece of the ball, but it was clear that it had already touched the backboard.

The “block” was a clear example of goaltending, as the ball was on its way down, but there was no call, somehow. As such, the Jazz went on to win, 117-114, because the play was not reviewable.

Damian Lillard and other Blazers, were, understandably, furious about it. Here’s what Lillard had to say.

Even Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had a lot to say about it. He teed off on the officials over the blown call.

He’s certainly not wrong. That simply can’t happen at the professional level.

About Marcelo Villa

Marcelo is an associate editor at The Sports Daily, and has covered the San Diego Chargers for Bleacher Report. He also writes for Sportsdirect Inc.

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