Press Break: Scoot Henderson Can "Slow Down" by Speeding Up
Also: Clippers, Cavs, and more.
Oh shiiiiit new segment alert, turn me up a little!
Welcome to Press Break. Every Monday, I’ll recap five (maybe six, maybe seven) NBA games/trends/storylines that stood out to me from the week prior. Don’t worry— I’ll still be writing the semi-regular, semi-sensical essays you’re getting used to, as well. I’m just increasing how much Broken Press will be in your life. You’re welcome/I’m sorry.
Okay! Enough business. Ride with me, beautiful freaks, into the land of hoop.
1. Speed Up, Scoot
If you tune into a Blazer game right now without knowing anything about Scoot Henderson, you won’t come away thinking “woah, that guy is fast.”
But he is fast… so what’s the problem?
Analysts love saying “the game is slowing down for him” when a rookie starts to improve his feel for the NBA. Well, I think Scoot is taking that phrase too literally. I think he’s physically slowing his game down so much that he’s making it nearly impossible to showcase his explosiveness—which is potentially his best attribute.
Henderson isn’t blowing by anyone off the dribble yet; I don’t think that’s because he can’t, I think it’s because he thinks he’s not supposed to. Too often, he looks scared to attempt a hard drive to the hoop so he hesitates, which leads to either a pass that barely advances the offense or a tougher shot than one he’d create if he put his head down like he’s capable of.
My solution? Buck all traditional rookie wisdom. Don’t slow down, speed up. Don’t think more, think less. Be a little reckless. No thoughts. Just fast. Portland ranks 25th in pace. Scoot should raise that himself.
This. More of this.
2. They Tryna Play Craig (?)
By they I mean the Cleveland Cavaliers, and by Craig I mean Craig Porter Jr, of course.
And yes, they should be tryna play Craig. Because he’s good.
Porter Jr played spot minutes when Darius Garland was injured, and by god he was a revelation! CPJ averaged 14.4 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 stocks per outing in those five games. Then DG came back and our man Craig basically goddamn dropped off the face of the Earth… until Friday, when injuries forced CPJ back into the lineup and he balled out again! (8/3/4/2/1)
JB Bickerstaff, you’re a good coach, but you’ve confounded me with the decision to bury Craig on the bench. Do you not think someone named Craig can be a good NBA player? Do you hate rock and roll music and thus hate Wichita, Kansas, where the first ever electric guitar was played in 1932, leading you to hate Craig by proxy? That is, frankly, unfair. He wasn’t the man who played the guitar. Put him back in the nightly rotation.
Note: you have to say “They tryna play Craig” like Playboi Carti says “they tryna be cray.” And, yes, I *am* genuinely sorry this song will be stuck in your head for the next eight months.
3. Clip It
Clippers over the past 11 games:
107.6 defensive rating (1st in NBA)
+6.6 net rating (5th in NBA)
They really have looked phenomenal on defense, too. Moving well, communicating, all the buzz words.
Terance Mann… oh yeah, that’s the good stuff.
Ivica Zubac, uhhhh I didn’t know this is possible:
SWARMING:
Offensively, the Clips are still kinda just OK. They’re protecting the ball well (10.4% turnover rate, second in NBA) but that’s because they don’t pass it that much (30th in passes made during this stretch.) They’re 22nd in true shooting in the last 11, so they’re not even really making their shots, either! This team obviously has enough all-time offensive talents to bail out a lot of bad possessions, but there are still too many bad possessions.
I have no idea what this team is, but this version of the Clippers becoming a defensive behemoth while struggling to score consistently would be the funniest outcome possible, I do know that much.
Also (please don’t beat me up) I often find myself rooting for the Clippers to succeed. I have no idea why. I need a shrink.
4. I Am an Indiana Pacer
Not in the literal sense, I suppose. Though I would be in the league if I were actually as tall as my Hinge profile says. OH, what? Stop making that face. I guess you’re the one perfect human being. Sorry the system made me this way. Sometimes my wit and charm aren’t enough.
Anyway, I think Indiana, as a collective, understands that playing basketball for a living is kind of silly and should be treated as such. They act exactly how I’d act if I were in the NBA (which, again… I should be.) They have so much fun. They get it. They lost the IST championship, but they get it nonetheless.
Look at the catharsis from the semis. They are quite literally jumping for joy. When was the last time you jumped for joy?
5. Brow Goes Ballistic
I think I’m done saying “If only AD could….” or “AD just has to do more…” or “Why doesn’t AD do this every night?”
Here are the frigid, rock-hard, throbbing facts: Anthony Davis is a top-five defender every night. Sometimes—like Saturday— he’s the best defender in the NBA. Fully, totally, utterly dominant. He essentially removes opposing bigs from games and makes the entire paint uninhabitable for offenses.
Offensively, he will wear you down with hook shots, tip dunks, quick spins, P&Rs with LeBron, whatever. There’s no ceiling to what he provides, and 40-pieces are never shocking.
Some nights, he’s less aggressive than he should be. That’s, in short, fine.
Can he be frustrating? Yes. He’s also a 24/10/2 BLK per game guy during his career with the Lakers. He was the best player on a Finals team, whether you think that championship counts or not. He was the best player in the IST Championship on Saturday, whether you think the In-Season Tournament means anything or not.
You can think neither of those counts (live your truth, king/queen) but you must still acknowledge that AD is the reason LA won both of those championships. LeBron is the foundation, always. But Anthony Davis is the best player on the court in huge moments, enough, for me to ween off the (still mostly fair, I think) criticism for the time being. He’s goddamn great.
6: Writing Feels Wrong
Palestinian journalists are being murdered every day. Sitting comfortably and writing in the United States, a country that is funding and supporting these murders, feels wrong. I don’t know what to do, but my heart hurts. Free Palestine today, tomorrow, forever, until it’s free. Every journalist working in Palestine knowing they could be killed any day is a real-life hero. Incalculable bravery.
Talk soon. Love ya.