The NBA Last season was not what we all expected, and that’s due to the pandemic. This year I thought things maybe a little bit different, but the season is still off. We are halfway through the season, and there are three things that I believe are making the 2021 NBA season lackluster to me.
Klay Thompson
The last time we saw the entire Golden State Warrior on the floor was against the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Klay tore his ACL during the NBA Finals; this injury would have him out for the 2019-2020 season. The Warriors had one of the worse records during that season due to Klay being out, Steph Curry being injured, and even Draymond Green was out most of the season with injuries. The Golden State Warriors poor record allowed them to get a second-round draft pick in the 2020-2021 season. The Warriors picked 19-year-old James Wiseman from the Memphis Tigers. With a number two draft pick, Steph, Draymond, and Klay healthy, the Warriors were about to make their return but not so fast. During a Warriors practice game, Klay Thompson did a pull-up jumper and tore his Achilles tendon. Klay would be sidelined again for the 2020-2021 season. This was highly disappointing because we have not seen the entire Golden State Warriors team together since 2019. Even though the Warriors have Steph and Draymond, you know that Klay is that missing piece they need. Many others were hoping to see the entire team back together this year, and it was unfortunate not to.
Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose has been plagued with injuries since his time with the Bulls. After leaving the Bulls, Derrick went to play with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavilers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and back to the Knicks. Derrick Rose’s 2019-2021 season with Detroit Pistons was great because Derrick showed he still had it. Derrick Rose and Andre Drummond put that team on their shoulders. During this season, Detroit was plagued by many injuries; for example, their top star Blake Griffin was out.
Detroit, in their 2020-2021 season, decided to go into rebuild mode. They got rid of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose was traded to the New York Knicks. What was disappointing about this was the Los Angeles Clippers were in the market for a true point guard. I think Derrick Rose could have been that guy. He showed that he still has a lot left to give, and being on a team that was built for a championship, he would have been a great ensemble piece. Remember Derrick Rose got injured with the Chicago Bulls because he was a driving force. He didn’t have the pieces around to help him, and unfortunately, he tore his ACL in 2011, worked his way back in 2013, and end up tearing his meniscus. A talent like Derrick Rose is a waste on a team like the New York Knicks, and, unfortunately, he will not be on a team that is working towards a championship.
Blow Outs
When you have teams stacked with two to three all-stars, they are considered a super team. The Los Angeles Lakers have Lebron James, and Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Clippers have Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and the Brooklyn Nets have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. With this talent, you would think the teams they go against would blow them out at least by 30. However, that is not the case, and that is a serious problem. How do you have that much talent on a team and can’t even blow out the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Chicago Bulls? I remember back in the day the Bulls would blow out teams so bad Michael Jordan, Scott Pippen, Ron Harper would go and get in their street clothes and watch the rest of the game because they blew the game out. I haven’t seen a blowout yet. I have seen teams like the Nets, Clippers, and Lakers get taken to the brink by teams who are the bottom ten in rankings like the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and Cleveland Cavilers. That is insane.
(L-R) Lebron James and Anthony Davis (L-R) Kevin Durant, James Hardin & Kyrie Irving (L-R) Kawhi Leonard & Paul George
Conclusion
The Warriors without Klay Thompson, Derrick Rose not being a starting point guard for the Clippers, and the lack of blowouts by the top three super teams in the league have made this season lackluster at best. The only thing I am genuinely looking forward to at this point is seeing which team will topple the Lakers and prevent them from repeating.
Matt C Bennett here, I have been an NBA fan since I was a little kid. My father was a huge Chicago Bulls fan, and I remember him putting on Michael Jordan jersey and watching the game and explaining to me what was going on. I even remember the Bulls winning their ninety-seven championship. I love the energy and excitement of the NBA. Feel free to reach out to me with your comments about this blog and other suggestions for me here.