🏀 Lost Cause

February 22, 2023

Good morning BTP family! Now that another boring All-Star Weekend is over it is time to lock in for the NBA Playoffs. There are just over 20 games left for teams to prove themselves that they are a serious contender in this wide-open playoff push. After an extremely exciting trade deadline there are tons of new faces all across the entire league that will look to push their team to the next level and get them into the playoffs.

Today we break down that terrible All-Star Game and how we should fix it, how Russell Westbrook will elevate the Clippers to the next level, and where will Derek Carr end up with a long off-season ahead?

Happy Humpday!

LOST CAUSE

The NBA All-Star Game is Broken

If you missed this past Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game, don’t worry, you didn’t miss much! Even though Jayson Tatum set an ASG new scoring record with 55 points, pretty much everyone agrees that this All-Star Weekend was one to forget.

Denver Nuggets/Team LeBron coach Mike Malone is one of those people. Malone was frustrated by the non-competitive nature of the game and called it “the worst basketball game ever played” while adding, “I don't know if you can fix it.”

It wasn’t just the All-Star Game itself that struggled, but the rest of All-Star Weekend. While Mac McClung lit up the Dunk Contest and was one of the few highlights of the event, McClung is currently in the G League, and the rest of the competition wasn’t exactly big names. This sentiment was echoed by Kevin Durant who respectfully said: “it used to be sacred to be a part of All-Star Weekend” while on his podcast.

While it’s easy to criticize the players for their lackadaisical effort, can you really blame them for looking after their well-being with the playoffs coming up? Today’s NBA is so championship-driven that oftentimes, teams don't take the regular season seriously, so how can we expect that they’ll show up for a game that doesn’t count? Malone is right that there’s no easy solution for this, but it's hard not to see the connection between this new era of rings culture with the decline in the effort and importance of the regular season and All-Star Weekend.

NEW BEGINNINGS

How Russell Westbrook Landed on the Clippers

NBA teams just can’t quit Russell Westbrook! In signing with the Clippers, Russ joins his fifth team in five years, as both sides hope for a different result than the last. Usually, adding a future first-ballot Hall of Famer and former MVP is good business, but with Russell Westbrook, it’s never so simple.

Why did the Clippers do this?

The Clippers are firmly in win-now mode, and while they aren’t the favorite, they have what it takes to win the championship, provided they figure out the point guard position. Coach Ty Lue has always preferred deploying a point guard in his rotation, and while they’d hoped John Wall would be the answer, injuries prevented him from filling the role they needed.

In theory, Russ’ playmaking and ability to push the pace would fill that need to a tee, provided he’s ok not getting many shots up. Another reason they made this move has to do with Paul George’s familiarity and fondness for Westbrook. In what seems like a lifetime ago, the two sides were partners in OKC that saw PG13 put up a career year. The Clippers will be banking on that relationship to help Westbrook avoid the kinds of problems he’s run into on these other teams.

Why did Westbrook do this?

Westbrook was a Sixth Man of the Year favorite before the trade, and despite all the turmoil that seems to follow him, he had plenty of suitors willing to bring him into the fold, especially at the veteran’s minimum, but the Clippers had a few things working in their favor.

As previously mentioned, the Clippers have an exact need for the kinds of things Russ can do, and Westbrook very much wants to play. Just as importantly, based on the teams interested in him, the Clippers also offer far and away the best chance at winning a title. Time will tell if it’ll work out, this was the best-case scenario for Westbrook, but it might also be his last chance.

FUTURE IN QUESTION

Derek Carr’s Free Agency Takes a Turn

After being released earlier this year by the Las Vegas Raiders, the 31-year-old quarterback has become one of the hottest names on the free agent market. Carr has already had positive meetings with the Saints and Jets but is expected to visit with the likes of the Commanders, Panthers, Colts, and more.

Carr’s brother told the media that free agency is going to “be a long process” and that Carr wants to be thorough with his decision-making. Unlike other free-agent quarterbacks, because Carr was released, he has a head start on other pending free agents, which allows him to be a little pickier. However, one has to think the Saints and Jets have the best shot at winning his services. Carr has a relationship with Saints head coach Dennis Allen, as Allen drafted Carr to the Raiders in 2014, while the Jets are the most complete team in need of a quarterback.

Earlier this offseason, the Jets made the confounding decision to bring in former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, a move that many saw as a precursor to an eventual Aaron Rodgers trade. Considering the hard sell they're giving Carr, a Rodgers move might be a thing of the past. Reportedly, the Jets told Carr he could be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he signs with them and wins.

While Derek Carr is a four-time Pro Bowler, he doesn’t exactly have a Hall of Fame resume. Carr hasn't lit the world on fire these last few years, nor has he ever won a playoff game. Only one other quarterback since 1960 has made the Hall of Fame without a playoff win, former MVP Y.A. Tittle. But while Carr's Hall of Fame pitch might be a stretch, among the QB-needy teams, the Jets can offer him the best shot at pursuing a championship, and barring a Rodgers trade; it'd be surprising not to see Carr in green and white next year.