Starting this thread in the spirit of reminding ourselves what we love about basketball, and why the NBA playoffs are so great.
The question at hand: For each of this year’s playoff teams, not including the Celtics, who is the one player you most enjoy watching?
So, not which player(s) you think are the best, or the most skilled, or the most important. But the players, when they’re on the court, that make you the happiest to watch basketball?
Who brings you closest to yelling something like Tommy’s old “I LOVE WALTA!”
…
Here’s my first cut
Makes Disco Happiest
Makes Disco Happy
OK, I’m Stretching Here
Anyway, that's me
Who do you love?
The question at hand: For each of this year’s playoff teams, not including the Celtics, who is the one player you most enjoy watching?
So, not which player(s) you think are the best, or the most skilled, or the most important. But the players, when they’re on the court, that make you the happiest to watch basketball?
Who brings you closest to yelling something like Tommy’s old “I LOVE WALTA!”
…
Here’s my first cut
Makes Disco Happiest
- Miami - Jaquez Jr. He’s got a certain amount of the rookie yips, and it’s not just his hair that makes me think of my puppy when he runs all over the court. That said, he’s one of those scrappy guys who does stuff on play after play that I’m a sucker for
- Indiana - young Nesmith. I feel some uncle-esque pride at watching him getting starter's minutes for a team that’s about to go to the second round of the playoffs. In part because he’s turned himself into a very different kind of useful rotation player than what people thought he’d be, coming out of Purdue. Honorable mention: Halli
- Oklahoma - Giddey and SGA [tie]. I’m sympathetic to the folks who think that Giddey is going to look at lot better if he were in an offense where he didn’t spend so much time camped out in the corner.
- New York - Josh Hart, Brunson [tie]. Brunson gives me at least one moment every game where he triggers some emotional memory of the joy of watching Sherman Douglas back in the day. Hart is probably a love him or hate him player, depending on how you feel about shooting. Me, I love ‘em.
- Minnesota - Ant, Slo Mo, Conley [even bigger tie]. Ant has been unreal. I continue to love watching someone with Slo Mo’s… athletic limitations… making one Derrick-White-esque good play after another. As for Conley, I’m always a sucker for a good vet PG who knows what they’re doing
Makes Disco Happy
- Denver - Aaron Gordon. I love it when a player finds their niche. He was constantly mis-cast in Orlando as either their next wannabe-alpha-scorer, or else their small-ball center of the future. The ways he gets to play off Joker in Denver is such a good fit for the things he does well. Honorable mention: Joker. The closest thing to Bird since Bird.
- New Orleans - Larry Nance. Will never stop trying to figure out how to get him to Boston.
- Orlando - I think I’m slightly more of a Wagner person than a Banchero person. But I enjoy watching both of them, since they have a certain ‘younger Tatum and Jaylen’ vibe, only I’m not anxious about their team underperforming.
- Milwaukee - This is tough. Probably Pat Connaughton, partly because he makes me remember how much Rocco loved him. I’m tired of a bunch of Milwaukee’s rotation, who are in the period where they’re all somewhat less than they were 48 months ago.
- Cleveland - Probably Darius Garland. I’ve been wanting Mobley to turn into a top ten player for the last couple years, which hasn’t happened.
OK, I’m Stretching Here
- The Lakers - I like Anthony Davis’ defense. I appreciate the hell out of LeBron, and am fully prepared to never see his like again. I’m know I’m going to talk about him for the rest of my life the way my dad talks about John Havlicek
- The Clippers - Maybe Norman Powell? I don’t watch the Clippers much, and never felt the love for Harden or Westbrook. I know I go to bed early, but I feel like I haven't seen healthy Kawhi for a long time. If he ever played I'd say Theis, so help me god.
- Philadelphia - Batum? I have always liked Nic Batum. Although I’d be lying if I said watching him made me particularly happy.
- Phoenix - Yee gads. Maybe Bol Bol. There's not been much joy in Mudville to pick between.
Anyway, that's me
Who do you love?
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