13 Takes: What's the NBA Vibe Right Now?
NBA Substack on how things feel at the moment
We asked 13 leading NBA voices on Substack:
One month in: What's the NBA vibe right now from your point of view?
Check out their answers and subscribe!
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I wish I wasn't a world-class worrier. But I am what I am at this point in Season No. 32 on this beat.
So instead of marveling at the Cavaliers' 15-1 start β¦ or the Pistons' surprising competence β¦ or the 16th (Jared McCain) and 17th picks (Dalton Knecht) from an oft-mocked rookie class putting up some wow numbers already ... or the sudden reprieve that appears to have given TNT's βInside The NBAβ new life, I tend to focus on those blaring sources of concern.
Like: An Eastern Conference awash in sub-.500 teams, Philadelphia's full-blown crisis mode before we even reached Thanksgiving, my long-running annoyance with numerous aspects of the NBA Cup and ALL THOSE DAMN INJURIES.
So, yeah: My vibe would probably best be classified as worried. Can't help it.
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Iβm not the first and wonβt be the last to say it: The NBA has a spectacle problem.
Games donβt feel like events. Itβs starting to feel like the MLB regular season. Even the dumb Paul x Tyson fight had real buildup. It was something to talk about!
People donβt talk about NBA games. I'm sorry! Joel Embiid not playing is discussed more than him playing. Roger Goodell gets this, which is why heβs hijacking Christmas Day from Adam Silver β¦
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My vibe is bewilderment. I've had so much funΒ watching so many teams this season, but every conversation I see or hear is about what's wrong with the league. I don't understand why nobody talks about the awesome basketball we see every night, instead of complaining about teams shooting 3s. It makes no sense to me.
Basketball is good and fun and we should talk about that instead.
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I'm paraphrasing, but I once heard Brian Windhorst say that the NBA regular season mirrors an NBA game. TheΒ first couple of weeks of the season and the first couple minutes of a game are equally exciting and competitive. But we've reached the point of the season (game) where the stars have checked out and the backups have checked in.
I'm still having fun, but I can admit it's not as thrilling to watch the Hospital Hawks and the Injury-Plagued Pelicans. I'm already starting to itch for the starters to check back in at the scorerβs table.Β
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The vibe is trepidatiouslyΒ optimistic. Like holding an ice cream cone in each hand on a hot July day, trying to make it to the friend you bought one for before it topples or melts down your wrist like hot candle wax even more. Like being at karaoke and realizing a quarter of the wayΒ into your song that you don't, in fact, "know it by heart,β but the room is really into it. Like no hands-ing it on your bike down a hill as the speed wobbles kick in.
In the NBA season so far there is hope, pride, big expectations, but there are nerves and there is a lot ofΒ confusion.Β
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I guess it's mixed? There's nothing unusual about teams playing better than we all thought they would, or would-be contenders scuffling out of the gates. That happens every year.
But there is something striking about this year's return to the East-West gap. The West is pretty loaded, but the East is rough. After the Celtics and Cavs, you wouldn't point to anyone over there as especially impressive. The Knicks have been underwhelming, the Bucks have been flat-out bad, and the Sixers have the worst record in the NBA.
And how's this for an illustrative example? The Spurs β you know, the mid-rebuild Spurs, who are accordingly 12th in the West β would currently be 5th in the East. The vibes on this coast are decidedly top-heavy.
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The NBA is projecting a βfirst season of a prestige TV showβ vibe. Weβre all confident this thing will hit its stride, but right now weβre laying foundations and learning the characters' backstories.
Boston is the A-lister who will clean up at the award shows. Cleveland and Oklahoma City are the hot young stars that everyone adores but also worries might die before the finale. The Lakers and Golden State are the older stars who are looking for just one more job β but end up having a career renaissance. And Philadelphia is the weird secondary character with a disturbing screen presence.
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Outside of all of the injuries to major players β which has been a real downer β the NBA season is off to a great start. I love that every night features multiple close games and exciting finishes. The ever-increasing rise of the 3-point shot means no one ever really out of a game.
I also like that there are new stars and teams emerging in smaller markets like Orlando and Oklahoma City. And we still have a lot of the old standbys around, including Stephen Curry and Golden State and LeBron James and the Lakers gearing up for one more run. Thatβs led to a wide-open and very fun feel to the season so far.
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There's a peculiar hate toward these Celtics that feels different from the '08 championship era.
No? When Golden State rained 3s, we praised the Splash Brothers' artistry. But Boston? "Too mechanical, boring." They claim Jayson Tatum lacks charisma, and keep him from Olympic glory. Nike and Stephen A. side-eye Jaylen Brown's indie spirit. Meanwhile, the Lakers finally hit some 3s and we're throwing confetti.
If Iβm overlooking context here, please share β because this longtime Celtics fan is in her feelings.
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The vibes are anarchistic, and thank goodness for that.
On Tuesday night, I was rapt watching the conclusion of Nets vs. Hornets. Do I have issues? Maybe. But in my defense, these are two teams in the thick of the playoff race, and not just because the East is a mess. Brooklyn and Charlotte, like nearly every team in the league, offer a high probability of being at least frisky on any given night.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, most of the better teams arenβt running away with games from the opening tip. The more competitive and potentially meaningful games, the merrier. Keep βem coming.
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Am IΒ the only one who feelsΒ like there are not very many great teams?
Everyone seems to be injured (though that doesn't justify the Sixers' TWO wins so far), but also, many teams with high hopes have started much slower than we all anticipated. None of the Nuggets, Wolves, Knicks, Mavs, Suns, Bucks, or Sixers have reached 10 wins.
Maybe this is just a personal lesson to be more willing to adjust my priors, or it could be a signal of our new 3-point reality where no team is safe in any one game.
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If the vibe this season were a dish on a menu, itβd be a poorly constructed mishmash of uncertainty, topped with some finishing salt of singular focus.
Only a handful of teams have clear identities: the Warriors, the Celtics, the Thunder, the Magic, and the Cavs. (JokiΔ is the Nuggetsβ identity, but that roster is full of questions.) The rest of the league feels like teenagers struggling to find their personality.
While injuries have clearly played a part in altering the early course for several franchises, there seem to be far too many teams that feel messy and undefined. That being said, while all those sloppy side missions play themselves out, the Celtics continue on their main story of being the clear-cut favorites to repeat.
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Honestly, this season has been a bit more muted than most, mainly due to the injury bug. On top of that, the Eastern Conference doesnβt even feel like a real conference at this point, the Western Conference is a bloodbath, and thereβs an overall sense that no team β minus the Cavaliers βΒ is quite yet at full strength.
By January 1st, I expect us to have a clearer picture, but right now thereβs an overall sense of uncertainty.
The Boston/Cleveland rivalry is low key but goes back to the 1970s when they played in the EC Finals in '76. We know about the Pierce/LeBron years too. So it's kind of cool to see the new iteration of the rivalry.
The NBA has to get fantasy to work equitably each week so people get engaged with other players besides the drama kings.