The Oklahoma City Thunder came to town recently. It is always interesting to see Shai Gilgeous Alexander play because he is from Hamilton, and my uncle says the air in Hamilton makes you stronger. Shai is very good at basketball, but sometimes the Raptors decide to play hard, which is a confusing choice for a team in our position.
RJ Barrett spent some time out-hustling Shai during the game. It was the kind of effort that makes you wonder what else RJ could do if he really wanted to, like maybe folding a fitted sheet on the first try. We won some moments, lost others, and generally existed in that space between a rebuild and a deep sigh.
The Logistics of the Spine
Josh Lewenberg is reporting that there is growing concern about Jakob Poeltl and his back. A back is a very important part of a person, especially if that person is seven feet tall and required to jump near other large men. Without a functional Jakob, the front office might have to look at the trade deadline differently.
It is strange how a single vertebrae can dictate the future of a multi-million dollar franchise. If his back hurts, we might sell. If it does not hurt, we might stay exactly where we are, which is tenth place. My back hurts most mornings, but nobody is checking the trade deadline to see if I should be moved to a different apartment.
Moving Parts and Mamu
Lu Dort spent some time getting acquainted with Sandro Mamukelashvili, or as the kids say, he hitched a ride on the Mamu Express. It was a physical game. Everyone seemed to be running into each other for reasons that were probably clear to them at the time.
We also saw someone yell about getting an MVP out of here. It is nice to have goals. Sometimes the best thing you can do on a Sunday night is block a shot and pretend the rest of the season is going according to plan.
- Jakob Poeltl’s back remains a mystery of modern science.
- RJ Barrett is still playing like he has something to prove to Hamilton.
- The trade deadline is coming, whether we feel like participating or not.