No. 1: Harden continues his torrid start to season — When asked recently who is the best point guard in the NBA, Rockets guard James Harden — now the new de facto point guard in Houston — said it was himself. Heading into last night’s showdown against the San Antonio Spurs, Harden had logged four straight games of 30-plus points and 10-plus assists, the longest streak since Michael Jordan did it in 1988-89. Harden followed that up with a triple-double (24 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists) that turned heads once again, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com:
Two years ago, James Harden said he deserved the MVP award that went to Stephen Curry. The following season, Harden said he felt like he was the best player on the planet, and he finished second in the league in scoring and led everyone in minutes and free throw attempts. But Harden didn’t receive any postseason awards, and he didn’t make any of the first three All-NBA teams.
So when Harden told a reporter in Washington, D.C., the other night that he was the best player in the league again, it was just a case of him reiterating previous claims.
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Harden recorded his first triple-double of the season, and the 10th of his career, finishing with 24 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds against the Spurs. He became the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double with 15 assists.
Nearly every night, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni says that Harden had a monster game. He has recorded 20-plus points in a career-high 23 consecutive games dating to last season and has done so in 261 of 322 games with the Rockets.
Harden said last week that he just shrugs at the numbers he has been producing and tries not to think about it.
Against the Spurs, Harden played a season-high 40 minutes. When asked whether he ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, Harden exclaimed, “What?!”
It seems OK, and the Rockets will take it from their best player, who is making a case for being the best player in the league.
“We ask so much from him, and he was playing some great defense,” D’Antoni said. “I wanted to keep him out for three or or four more minutes. But I thought the game was getting out of hand. We had to have some kind of lead, and I brought him back earlier than normal.”
No. 2: Griffin brushes off OKC free-agency talk — The LA Clippers are off to their best start ever and lead the NBA with a 7-1 mark after last night’s blowout win against the Portland Trail Blazers. Star forward Blake Griffin has been solid all season and a catalyst to the Clippers’ fine start. He is also, however, able to opt out of his contract come the summer of 2017 and speculation has started the Oklahoma native could have eyes to sign with his home state team, the Thunder. After last night’s win, Griffin dismissed that talk, however, writes Andrew Han of ESPN.com:
As the Clippers prepare to depart for Oklahoma City and try to avenge their lone loss of the season, Blake Griffin brushed aside notions that those close to him would be recruiting the star power forward to play for his hometown team after the season.
“People that I talk to and my friends and family from back home, I think they’re … I would say true friends and family, where they know that my main focus is this season and this team,” Griffin said after the Clippers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 111-80 on Wednesday night. “And they know that I enjoy playing here and I love this team, coaching staff, everybody. So they know that that’s my main focus. So I think they pretty much know not to bring that up.”
The five-time All-Star was born and raised in Oklahoma City and attended Oklahoma for two years, where he was the national college player of the year in 2009. Griffin was drafted first overall in 2009 by the Clippers and has spent his entire NBA career in Los Angeles.
The former OU star had his college jersey retired during the 2015-16 season, and he affirmed before this season that he had not considered the prospects of free agency.
“It’s honestly nothing I even really think about,” Griffin said to SiriusXM NBA Radio during the preseason. “Haven’t had a conversation with anybody. That includes friends, family, agents, coaches, teammates. … It’s not a conversation I have. I got a lot of basketball left to play this year. I got a full season, postseason, still got some preseason. So that’s on the back on my mind. I’ll deal with that when the appropriate time comes. But right now isn’t the time.”
No. 3: Wall explains why he got 2nd straight ejection — On Wednesday afternoon, Washington Wizards star John Wall was assessed a $25,000 fine by the NBA for interaction with an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected from Monday’s loss to Houston. Then came Wednesday night’s home game against the Boston, in which Beal was ejected for a Flagrant 2 file on Celtics guard Marcus Smart. After the game, Wall tried to unpack why he reacted in the way he did, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com:
For the second day in a row, there will be a John Wall suspension watch. The league office will review the Flagrant 2 he was charged with in Wednesday’s blowout of the Boston Celtics when he thumped Marcus Smart for what was deemed by the letter of the rule intentional and excessive contact.
“Just getting frustrated. My finger was bleeding the whole game. Got stepped on on purpose. Drove to the basket a couple times, didn’t get calls,” Wall said of being tossed with 5:24 left and the Wizards ahead 106-86. “The play before I (drove) and got smacked right across the face. On my ear. So I just let my frustation get the best of me.”
He took it out on Smart, but pointed out that Avery Bradley was the primary culprit. On Monday, Wall was ejected after two techincal fouls in a loss to the Houston Rockets with less than a minute left of a 114-106 loss.
After having a career-high 12 technicals last season, Wall appears to be at wits’ end for what he believes is lack of respect from game officials who don’t award him or backcourt mate Bradley Beal the free throws they deserve compared to other players.
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When Beal had his nose broken and received a concussion last season, Smart delivered the elbow to the face. Wall said the history of his rivalry with Boston, which swept the Wizards 4-0 in the season series a year ago, didn’t factor into what took place.
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“Whenever we play this team they’re being the most physical team against us. I think for the first time we were the more physical team,” Wall said. “Nothing in the past led up to anything that happened. It was just me going through the game, not saying anything to the refs, not getting a couple calls, trying to play through it. Just got frustrated at the end.”
Beal only lasted 11 minutes after injuring his right hamstring. He was back in the locker room early with Wall.
“He’s a grown man at the end of the day. He’s going to make his decisions. I guess you could say he could’ve afforded (an ejection) tonight,” Beal said with a laugh. “We can’t be mad at him. He knows how valuable he is to the team. We all know how valuable he is. I guess he felt Marcus was out there just being a hack so he wanted to give him a taste I guess.”
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“It is frustating at times. We’re all busting our butts and trying to draw fouls and get hit a lot but we dont get calls,” said Beal. “It’s 30 other players out there saying the same thing (to officials). It’s coaches, players, everrybody. Players on the floor. Players off the floor. Everybody wants to pull the refs and say something to them. Some listen, some don’t. ..It’s tough on them too.”
Flagrant 2 fouls are reviewed by the league and Kiki Vandeweghe, vice president of basketball operations, will make the call. He can downgrade it, levy a fine against Wall who was hit with $25,000 for his previous ejection and/or suspension.
Wall already has a Flagrant 1 (one point) for a hard foul on Vince Carter in the second game of the season in Memphis when he struck him across the head on a fast break to stop a dunk.
No. 4: Bogut takes shots at ‘fake’ people around league — In order to create the next version of their juggernaut squad, the Golden State Warriors had to make some key offseason moves last summer. One of those moves involved dealing center Andrew Bogut to the Dallas Mavericks in a salary cap-clearing effort to create space for new addition Kevin Durant. Bogut, when asked about that deal, took the high road and credited it as one he’d make if he were a GM, too. In a chat with USA Today’s Sam Amick, Bogut talks about that and, more pointedly, the culture at large in the NBA in his view:
In a conversation with USA TODAY Sports that took place after the Mavericks’ win over the Lakers, he discussed the disappointing nature of his departure, the way his name was soiled on the way out after a Game 5 knee injury in the Finals ended his season early, his observations of the Warriors’ early struggles without him (while they’re 5-2, they’re also ranked 19th in defense), and the question of what it will feel like to be back in the building he called his basketball home for the past four seasons.
Q: So what are the odds of getting some candid perspective from you on seeing the Warriors again? I know you’ve been tempered with your comments about their decision to do what they did, but I’ve wondered all the way through deep down how you really saw it.
A: “I mean there’s no doubt it’s disappointing to leave one of the best teams – record-wise, those last two years … you leave a team like that and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was bitter in a way. I wasn’t mad at anybody about it. I understood it completely. I’m not stupid.
“But yeah, you’re disappointed leaving guys who you battled for a championship with, and guys where everyone understood their role and it was just fun to play and be a part of that team, because every day you came in to work and everyone kind of knew their role and accepted it. It was just cool to be part of that every day. It was just automatic. You didn’t have to do any extra (expletive). That was probably the (most fun) part of it, was it was just so automatic for two years.”
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Q: You took some hits on the way out of town, though. Your durability was questioned …
A: “Oh, who cares? I don’t care.”
Q: Even though it seemed like it was coming from the inside (of the Warriors)?
A: “But that’s how it is. I don’t buy into the sources thing. I don’t buy into all that (expletive), because this league is so two-faced and everybody is so fake. The same people who made those comments will see me tomorrow and shake my hand and ask me how my family is. This league is full of people who are full of (expletive) and shallow, and that’s what you figure out in pro sports. It’s very hard to meet a genuine person who you can call your friend in this league. That’s just the reality, and I understand that.
“People can take parting shots. I didn’t have a great Finals series obviously, with the injury, and finish off the way I wanted to, but that’s the way it goes. I’m not bitter about it. I could have played better definitely, especially on the offensive end. But I think defensively that I provided something for them that really helped that team win games.”
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SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: DeMar DeRozan continues to look unstoppable this season … Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle thinks his former player in Indiana, Metta World Peace, could be a good coach someday … Klay Thompson appears to be getting back on track shooting-wise for the Golden State Warriors … Bradley Beal’s injury and John Wall’s potential looming suspension may have the Washington Wizards looking to their youth in the short term … Should the New York Knicks stagger Kristaps Porzingis’ minutes more? … Speaking of the Knicks, Brandon Jennings gave rookie Willy Hernangomez a lesson on NBA protocol last night …
