It’s that time of year again! When the alarm clock sounds for the NBA to awake from the snoozefest that is the Slam Dunk Contest. And as it rises from the doldrums of All Star Weekend, the NBA conversation inevitably turns to how to fix the event before remembering there’s a 4th quarter of the regular season left to play. First, a few words on All Star Weekend. The NBA commemorated it’s 75th anniversary with a top 75 Players tribute and it was kinda pretty cool to see those NBA greats bro’ing out together. Here’s a touching speech on it from Shaq:

And yes the slam dunk contest was yawn-inducing when it's supposed to be awe-inspiring. And the 3-point contest is just a matter of who’s feeling it most on that day. But a new format for the Skills Challenge is actually promising. It celebrates the fundamentals of the game for all the old school nerds and gets creative on who can team up. In its inaugural run this year, the Antetokounmpo brothers went up against a team of top rookies and the Cavs new Big 3. Once the players figure it out, this could be a fun one in the years to come.

Fixing the Slam Dunk Contest is much more of a challenge. How many dunks can a dunker dunk when all the dunks have been dunked? The only hope left might be getting the most athletic superstars to participate like a Ja Morant, if ever healthy Zion Williamson, and surprisingly still LeBron (in his 19th year!). But how many more types of dunks and ‘never saw it coming’ pop culture references are left for them to try? The All Star Game itself has probably been improved as much as it can be with the addition of the Elam Ending rule in the 4th quarter. Each quarter is played for charity but the 4th quarter comes down to bragging rights too, and you actually see relatively intense defense and effort as the teams vie to reach the winning point total. But enough about something that was actually better 30 years ago (#MagicForever).

The Play In Tournament starts on April 12th so there’s just about a month and a half left for teams to make their final push for that spectrum between decent and elite that will determine playoff seeding.  Here’s a look at all the goings on of import to keep you in the know and ahead of the buzz of the peanut gallery (looking at you Stephen A.).

The Beasts in the East

No one thought it would be happening this quickly but just 4 years after the Cavs last played for a title, they find themselves 2.5 games out of the top spot in the East and right in the heart of it all.  This team is not a fluke. They do it not with superstars but rather up and coming young players acquired via hitting in the draft and astute trades.  The latest one being Columbus native Caris LeVert acquired a few games ago from the Pacers. This last quarter of the season should really flesh out what his role on this team will be and how much better he’ll make it.  If he fits in as an unselfish scoring wing, he may stick around town and the Cavs future is even brighter. Where Cleveland lacks big names and playoff experience, they have promising young pieces plus a resurgent Kevin Love striving for a 6th Man of the Year award.  But the defense and the effort is what’s got these Cavaliers the talk of the town up in Northeast Ohio.  They’re a serious team that’s not being taken very seriously by the star-studded contenders in their midst or the national media but that’s exactly what the city of Cleveland and these Cavs thrive on.

A Trade of Two Cities

After appearing to quit on yet another team, James Harden was finally traded from the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons who has yet to play a passed up shot for the 76ers this season.  A quick note about Simmons. It’s not fair or appropriate to speculate on someone’s claims of mental health issues, especially publicly (sorry, that’s just me wagging my finger at social media).  There were smaller pieces involved including 2 first round picks to Brooklyn which gives them the edge in winning the trade long term but really both teams just got better.  The Nets because they get a dynamic playmaker and defender that should drastically improve their defense and the Sixers cause a motivated Harden is one of the best shooters and scorers around.  And with rumors that New York City is working to end it’s vaccine mandate soon, Kyrie Irving should triumphantly return to turn the 8th place Nets into contenders once again. The saddest thing from all of this is that the Big 3 of Kyrie, KD, and Harden only played 16 games together after it was all said and done. Just one full season together and they’d have most likely won a championship. 

Best Actor in a Drama

And the Espy goes to LeBron James of course.  Or should it be ESPN and other media that really deserves the award for crafting such a melodrama of nonsense around LeBron’s every action?  But James remains the biggest American sports star and clicks are still king and haters will click on anything.  So due to some not out of the ordinary comments LeBron made over the All Star Break, there’s been much speculation about his happiness with the Lakers and him wanting out, including a possible return to Cleveland.  I would not put stock into any of that.  He’s chosen Los Angeles as his home and I think it’s clear he’s going to stay there until/unless he has a chance to play with his son who would be draft eligible in 2024 (if he’s good enough).  As for the Lakers, the bells of Anthony Davis tolled yet again as he’s expected to miss at least a month with a mid foot sprain, his 7th different injury of just this past year! Amid growing calls to trade him, the Lakers, who have not been completely healthy all year, have played really well recently and just may be turning the corner.  It seems too little, too late to contend this year but it also never seems a good idea to count out LeBron.

The Rest of the Best

Chris Paul is set to miss 6-8 weeks with a thumb fracture for the best record in the league having Phoenix Suns which could open a late path for a run at the first seed in the West.  The Bulls and Heat are currently tied for the top seed out East but both are dark horse contenders for actually making the finals.  With the Celtics coming on as of late and the Raptors still hanging around, there’s maybe 7 or 8 teams with at least a shot in that conference.  The number seems a little lower in the West but come playoff time, if the Clippers have Kawhi back and the Lakers are healthy, just on talent alone, both those teams would move ahead of others for odds to come out of there.  

It will be worth watching how the seeding in the East pans out because there will be some real battles come playoff time.  Also worth watching will be how Harden meshes with MVP favorite and league leading scorer Joel Embiid because the Sixers might finally be poised to make the Finals.  With the Paul injury, the Suns will fall closer to the pack but don’t be too quick to just hand it to the Warriors out West. The Nuggets are slated to get Jamal Murray back sometime in March and although that gives little time to get the team in optimal shape, experienced, star laden squads like Denver and the LA teams may be tough outs for the cream of the regular season crop in the Suns, Warriors, and upstart Grizzlies.  In the meantime, if you want to check out teams that might make you fall in love with the NBA again, give the Cavs and Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies a shot. Until next time! Follow on Twitter @bengalli33