Author: Aimee Stiegemeyer

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Bash Bulls 110-90, Bounce Back From Two-Game Losing Streak

Ja Morant dunks from *behind* the backboard. via Grizzlies Twitter

The Grizzlies faced off against the Bulls Monday night and secured their first win over Chicago since 2017. Coming directly off a Sunday night loss against the Pacers, the young bears showed they took a lesson away from that loss. After a dismal defensive performance Sunday night, the Grizzlies turned around and held the Bulls under 100 points on Monday.  

Three-point shooting continues to be hit or miss for the Grizzlies, who shot a collective 9 of 28 from beyond the arc. Fortunately for them, the Bulls are even worse at the long ball, shooting 5 of 31. Woof.  

In brighter news, the Grizzlies continue to lead the NBA in paint points. In an era where outside shooting is seemingly prized over everything, the Grizzlies will still drag their opponents into the paint and beat them there. Long live the post-up game.  

By the Numbers:  

Jonas Valanciunas led all scorers with 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Fun fact: Jonas Valanciunas has totaled 60 points and 36 rebounds while shooting 70.0 percent in the past two games (Pacers and Bulls) in just 66 minutes of playing time. Since the all-star break, JV has led the league in rebounding and second-chance points. 

I’m not saying that he’s the most criminally underrated player in the league right now…wait, yes, I am saying that. Fight me.

<in my Pete Pranica voice> JEGAAAAAA! 

Dillon Brooks finished with 17 points and 7 rebounds and Grayson Allen closed out with 14 points and 6 rebounds.  

Ja Morant had 13 points and 11 assists. Morant might have had a lower than usual offensive production night, but he more than made up for it by setting his teammates up to score. 

Don’t worry, he still gave us a highlight play, showing off his dunking prowess.  

He dunked this from *behind* the backboard.

Morant is one of the most explosive players in the NBA right now, doing things that seem outside the laws of physics. And this is only Year Two.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will face-off against the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night at home before embarking on a 7-game road trip. The tip-off is at 8:30 PM.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131-113 in Epic Win

Kyle Anderson celebrates - via Grizzlies twitter

The Grizzlies dominated the Atlanta Hawks behind the power of an unlikely hero. Let’s talk about it.

Pretend this eagle is a hawk. Thank me later.

This victory over Atlanta was a group effort. The Grizzlies starting lineup combined for 101 of 131 total points scored. Every player in the starting five scored in double digits and they played some of their best basketball of the season.  

Is Grayson Allen the greatest heel in Memphis basketball history?  

Grayson Allen popped off for a career-high 30 points against Atlanta, showing perhaps that he takes the matchup between him and Trae Young to heart. 

By the Numbers 

Grayson Allen – 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, on 10 of 18 shooting and zero turnovers. Clearly, he remembered the previous meeting with the Hawks and that dustup with Trae Young, Atlanta’s budding star point guard. (There was some chatter via Twitter, it was a whole thing. )

Allen’s career night in the rematch was a masterful performance as he embraces the heel role. Memphis AF, y’all.  

Dillon Brooks – 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. The Villian continues to frustrate opponents on both ends of the floor.  

Ja Morant – 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Ja Morant continues to awe and amaze with his incredible court vision and high basketball IQ.

Morant sees the court in a way that us mere mortals do not, and this is evident watching him play.

When Morant isn’t contributing on the offensive end, he’s still using his skills to set up opportunities for his teammates. Feed him, and everybody eats. It is one of the many reasons why he’s the perfect leader for this franchise – you can always count on 12 to give you something.

Jonas Valanciunas – 19 points, 11 rebound, and 4 assists. JV now holds the title of player with the most consecutive double-double games in Memphis Grizzlies history, surpassing hometown favorite Zach Randolph.  

Kyle Anderson – 16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Can we talk about Kyle Anderson and how freaking valuable he has been this season? I don’t know who needs to hear it but Anderson has been a top-3 player for the Grizzlies this season. He’s criminally underrated this year, and his impact on the team’s success deserves some recognition. 

Paging NBA Top Shot:  

This sequence involving Kyle Anderson and Ja Morant and the after celebration is the perfect distillation of a new era of Grizzlies basketball – flashier than grit and grind and at least as much fun. For best results, watch this on repeat. 

So good there’s already a remix on the TL: 

Who Got Next? 

Closing out a four-game road trip, the Grizzlies will be visiting the World’s Most Famous Arena Friday night to face the New York Knicks. Note the earlier than usual start – tip-off is at 6:30 p.m. CST.  

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature

Grizzlies Rout Sixers 116-110

The Grizzlies kicked off the first game of a four-game road trip Sunday night with a win in the city of brotherly love against the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference. 

The Sixers were missing their star big man Joel Embiid, and while the remaining players put up a valiant effort, they were vastly outmatched against the Grizzlies. For their part, the Grizzlies played some of the best team basketball they have played all season.

Catching Philadelphia on the second game of a back-to-back was a bonus for Memphis. 

Dillon Brooks Things – via Grizzlies Twitter

By The Numbers 

7 players scored in double figures:  

Dillon Brooks – 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists 

Ja Morant was the only starter to score in single digits finishing with 8 points, but his 10 assists were a sign of the kind of unselfish play that contributed to his teammate’s offensive success.  

Jonas Valanciunas – 16 points and 12 rebounds 

Kyle Anderson – 10 points and 6 rebounds 

Grayson Allen returned to the starting lineup after missing two games due to injury. It’s good to see him back on the court, but I question the allotment of minutes between Allen and Melton. Allen closed out the night with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, but did so over roughly 27 minutes on 5 of 14 shooting.   

Meanwhile, De’Anthony Melton put up 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists on 5 of 8 shooting and in only 15 minutes of playing time. 

Maybe De’Anthony Melton could have some of those Grayson Allen minutes, as a treat? 

Brandon Clarke – 15 points on 6 of 10 field goal shooting 

Desmond Bane – 14 points and 5 rebounds, including 3 of 6 from distance 

Tyus Jones – 5 points and 5 assists 

SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS 

As a team, the Grizzlies shot 42% from beyond the arc (16 of 38) against the Sixers. Combined with their 48% three-point shooting against Minnesota (19 of 39), Memphis is shooting just over 45% from behind the three-point line for the month of April. If they can hold fast to this higher level of outside shooting, the odds of making a successful push for the playoffs will go up considerably.  

The Grizzlies currently hold the 8th seed in the Western Conference and with the win over Philadelphia the team moves above .500 on the season.  

Who Got Next? 

The Grizzlies are taking their talents to South Beach to face off against the Miami Heat. Tuesday night April 6th, with tip-off at 7 PM.  

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Beyond the Arc Sports Sports Feature Uncategorized

Grizzlies Get Swept in Season Series Against the Jazz

Dillon Brooks, Tyus Jones, De'Anthony Melton, and Xavier Tillman Sr. Source: https://twitter.com/memgrizz

Brooms out.

The Grizzlies met the Jazz for the final time this season Wednesday night and lost 111-107. Even with the loss, watching the budding bears hold their own against the top-ranked team in the league was anything but boring.

Utah won in large part thanks to a 4th quarter surge from Mike Conley, who scored 13 of his 26 points in the final frame. Conley continues to do Captain Clutch things, but this time he was wearing the opposing team’s colors.  

Despite it being against a team that this Memphis team has played now three times in the past week, the final matchup was possibly the most exciting. But I think I can speak for everyone when I say thank Bob we don’t have to see the Jazz again this season.

There were some intense battles between Jonas Valanciunas and Rudy Gobert, and several epic exchanges between Ja Morant and Mike Conley. 

Gobert’s flop makes this even funnier.

#GrzNxtGen is in good hands

Ja Morant drilling a three in Mike Conley’s face from damn near half court felt like the passing of the proverbial torch between the former generation to the present-day star point guard. It’s the circle of life, Simba.

The circle of life – point guard edition:

part one:
part two:

Memphis was missing Grayson Allen, Justise Winslow, and Brandon Clarke which gave the opportunity for some less familiar faces like Killian Tillie and Xavier Tillman Sr. to get some playing time. Desmond Bane even found his way into the starting lineup.

Sadly the bench mob was more like the warm body squad, combining for a collective 13 points. Woof.

Last and least — I almost forgot two-way player Sean McDermott who played a very forgettable four minutes. And now I would very much like to go back to forgetting he was on the roster.

On the bright side, the Grizzlies continue to dominate in the paint, with 60 points to the Jazz’s 42, and feast on turnovers, scoring 25 points off 15 Utah turnovers.

By the Numbers:

Ja Morant led all scorers with 36 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Kyle Anderson logged in 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jonas Valanciunas closed out his 32nd double-double of the season with 16 points and 14 rebounds. JV’s current streak of 15 consecutive double-doubles leads the league. 

Dillon Brooks totaled 17 points and 3 steals but on a less than stellar 8 of 17 field goal shooting.  

Head coach Taylor Jenkins commented postgame about adjustments against the Jazz since their last meeting:

“You can’t dig yourselves holes against any team in this league, and especially a team of this caliber. So, a lot better job. I definitely still think we had a number of breakdowns in that first quarter, so despite being down one, I felt like we could’ve even had the lead. They shot the ball really well in the first quarter. We had some breakdowns there, but we were able to fight through and make it a one-point ball game going into the second.”

On to the next one.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Friday night. Tip-off is at 7PM, and for the folks watching the local broadcast, don’t forget the channel is now Bally Sports Southeast.

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Drop Close Game Against the Jazz

Jonas Valanciunas had 18 rebounds. (Grizzlies PR)

The Grizzlies kicked off a four-game road trip Friday night against the top-ranked Utah Jazz. Ultimately, Memphis would lose the contest 117-114, but not until after cutting down a 21-point lead by Utah. 

There isn’t a lot of negative things to say about the way the Grizzlies played, quite the contrary. But there is a reason that the Jazz are currently sitting at the top of the NBA rankings, and it was on full display Friday night.  

In position-to-position matchups, there was a familiar face squaring off against Ja Morant, former Grizzly Mike Conley. 

Morant would easily win that matchup against Conley, but the real power player for the Jazz was guard Donovan Mitchell. Like most teams, Memphis didn’t have an answer for Mitchell who led all scorers with 35 points. Whatever the answer is for Mitchell, it very much isn’t Grayson Allen. 

The loss to the Jazz snapped a three-game Grizzlies winning streak. Utah currently leads the league with 18 consecutive wins on their home court. The Grizzlies will get another chance to upset that streak as they face off against the Jazz for the second night in a row.  

Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins had this to say in the postgame interview:  

“Hope we can bounce back, fill our cup, learn from this one. Guys competed great, heck of a ball game. Let’s go have another good one tomorrow.” 

By the Numbers:  

Ja Morant finished with a team-high 32 points and 11 assists. Morant made a little franchise history, becoming just the fourth Grizzlies player to record multiple 30 + point, 10 + assist games.  

Dillon Brooks had a good scoring night, closing out with 22 points. Brooks managed to stay out of foul trouble as well, something he has long struggled with. 

Jonas Valanciunas made his presence felt on the glass more than the scoreboard, scoring 14 points and racking up a game-high 18 rebounds. 

Grayson Allen played his fifth consecutive game in the starting lineup and finished the night with 17 points and 5 rebounds, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. 

Brandon Clarke led the bench in scoring with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. 

Who Got Next?  

The Grizzlies will run it back against the Jazz Saturday, March 27th, with tip-off at 8 PM CST 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall to Nuggets 103-102

The Grizzlies faced off against the Denver Nuggets Friday night at home but were unable to close out in the final quarter. Memphis had the ball with a chance to win on the final play but came up short on a controversial no-call.  It was the most frustrating kind of loss — a very winnable game that should not have come down to the last seconds. 

Memphis led by as many as 9 points in the first half and came back from being down 12 points in the third quarter. Still, it wasn’t enough to secure a win, who have now lost their last 5 games against the Nuggets, dating back to 2018.

There was some confusion on the last play of the game. Ja Morant had the ball with seconds left and the Grizzlies trailing by a point. On his drive to the bucket, the Grizzlies thought Morant was fouled. There was no call and Morant missed the shot. In postgame interviews, Brandon Clarke and De’Anthony Melton commented on the final play.

Clarke: “It was a great play. Ja [Morant] had a great drive. Ja is obviously one of the best players at getting in the paint and finishing. At first I thought that [Nikola] Jokic did a pretty good job. I watched the film afterwards. He might have just gone down with his arms. That is a foul. That always gets called on us. Obviously, it was a pretty physical game tonight. There were calls that were called and there were calls that weren’t called. I think it was a great play and that is a shot that Ja has made. It could’ve been a foul but it wasn’t called tonight so we just have to move on.”

Ja Morant

Melton: “I felt like almost ninety percent of people saw [Nikola] Jokić jump and swipe down. I don’t think he hit the ball because Ja [Morant] still got it up. He had to hit something else. It was a great play drawn up and Ja attacked the basket driving hard. It was a fifty-fifty call. It is what it is. We can’t let that stop our pride and ambition. We just have to keep attacking and just know that even though we fell short one time, it was against a pretty good team. We are going to just get better from here.”

Here’s a bit of good news:
Even in a loss, Ja Morant continues to shine.

Grizzlies Fall to Nuggets 103-102 (2)

Morant hit a ridiculous 42-foot buzzer-beater to close out the third quarter and somehow manages to make it look effortless.

Grizzlies Fall to Nuggets 103-102


Still going hard in the paint…

The Grizzlies had 46 points in the paint against Denver, and extended their streak to 82 games with at least 40 paint points, the longest such streak on record since the NBA began tracking play-by-play data in 1996-97. Memphis leads the league in paint points for the second season in a row.

By the Numbers:

Dillon Brooks and Brandon Clarke led the Grizzlies in scoring with 20 points apiece. Clarke is the only player from the Grizzlies bench who scored in double figures. Morant finished the night with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, shooting 2 of 2 from beyond the arc. Jonas Valancuinas put up a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Rookie Desmond Bane was moved into the starting lineup and contributed 10 points and 4 rebounds.

Kyle Anderson struggled offensively and finished with only 2 points, a very uncharacteristic performance from him this season. 

De’Anthony Melton had 9 points and 6 assists, all coming from behind the three-point line, and Justise Winslow put up 5 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies are hitting the road for the next two games. Sunday they will face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This one has an early start, with tip-off at 1 PM

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Split Two Game Homestand Against the Clippers

CREDIT: Grizzlies PR


Thanks to the overall weirdness of the NBA regular season schedule, the Grizzlies and the Clippers just played back-to-back games at FedExForum.

The outcome of those two games could not have been more different, despite being played exactly 24 hours apart, on the same court. 


The old Grizzlies/Clippers fan rivalry has for the most part died off since all the involved players are no longer with the team. But in the second game — particularly Kawhi Leonard — gave very distinct vibes like late Grit and Grind era games against the Spurs.


There are a few things that remained constant across both games, such as less than stellar three-point shooting, and struggling to get second chance points.

Grizzlies Split Two Game Homestand Against the Clippers

On the flip side, Kyle Anderson remains the unlikely hero that the Grizzlies need, and keeps doing a little bit of everything. Justise Winslow has been showing promise in the brief amount of time he has spent on the court.  

Grizzlies Split Two Game Homestand Against the Clippers (3)

It was the best of times …

Game one – Grizzlies over Clippers 122-94

The Grizzlies scored 72 points in the paint, extending the team’s streak of scoring 40+ points in the paint to 76 straight games. Per Grizzlies PR it is the longest streak on record since the NBA started tracking such play-by-play data in 1996-97.

All five starters for Memphis finished the night in double figures. Dillon Brooks had 19 points, Kyle Anderson had 13 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 16 points and 15 rebounds, Grayson Allen had 10 points and Ja Morant had 16 points. 

The bench provided 48 points, with 20 of them coming from Tyus Jones.

Grizzlies Split Two Game Homestand Against the Clippers (2)

The Grizzlies 28-point win represents the team’s largest margin of victory ever over the Clippers. Memphis committed just seven turnovers tonight, tying a season low.

Even better – Los Angeles finished with just a single point off the Grizzlies turnovers.   

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end…
 

It was the worst of times …

Game two – Clippers over Grizzlies 119-99

Watching this game was like watching basketball on Opposite Day. The juxtaposition of how well the Grizzlies played in the first game versus their very unfortunate play during the second game was striking enough to be scary. 

If Thursday night’s game made you excited for the future of the franchise, then Friday night’s game was a very humbling reminder of how far this young Grizzlies team still needs to grow. 

Memphis scored just 54 paint points, and continued to struggle from beyond the arc, finishing just 9 of 28 for the night. It would be safe to say that the Grizzlies just plain struggled during this second game. The Grizzlies are the best paint scoring team in the league. Why they don’t drive the basket more is a mystery to me.

Kyle Anderson had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and tied a career-high with five steals. Jonas Valanciunas provided 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Ja Morant finished with 20 points. However, it was not enough to lead the Grizzlies to a second victory in as many days. 

 

Out-rebounded, out-blocked, outshot. 

The Clippers dominated the Grizzlies in several key areas – rebounding (47 to 37), assists (34 to 24) and blocks (8 to 4). And it isn’t as though Memphis did not have ample opportunity to improve their chances of winning. They quite literally threw away their shots. The Clippers shot 44 of 80 in overall field goals, while the Grizzlies shot a ghastly 39 of 97 for the night.


Losing by 20, after having nearly 20 more shot attempts is such a Grizzlies thing to do.  

With this victory over Memphis, the Clippers are now 6-0 in games played on the second night of a consecutive game stretch. These teams will meet again once more on the Clippers home court in the second half of the 2020-21 season.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies go back on the road, where they will face off against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Tip-off is at 7 pm CST.  

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Shut Down Pistons 109-95

It might be cold in Memphis, but the Grizzlies are currently on a hot streak. Friday night’s win over Detroit gives them their first consecutive victories since the seven-game winning streak back in early January.   

 

One thing the Grizzlies have been struggling with lately is outside shooting, and Friday night was no exception, with Memphis closing out the night just 5 of 20 from three-point range.  This is less than ideal, to say the least. On the flip side, it has been a good inside game which has helped carry the Grizzlies to recent victory. 

 

They Go Hard in the Paint

Memphis outscored Detroit 66-38 in points in the paint and has outscored its opponents 118-62 inside during this two-game winning streak (52-24 in Wednesday’s victory over Oklahoma City).

Scoring inside and scoring off turnovers are two things that this Grizzlies team is doing extremely well this season. Per NBA.com, the Grizzlies lead the league in points scored off turnovers and are second in percentage of points scored in the paint. 

Interestingly, the Grizzlies shoot one of the lowest percentages of free throws in the league, despite being near the top in paint scoring. Friday night against the Pistons was a rare instance where the Grizzlies shot more free throws than their opponent. 

Ja Morant – Point God

 

Ja Morant was the leading scorer for the Grizzlies with 29 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, including 9 of 10 from the free throw line. 

Kyle Anderson continues being whatever is needed for Memphis and finished the night with 16 points and 6 rebounds, on 2 of 2 three-point attempts and 4 of 4 from the free throw line.

De’Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane both returned to action for the Grizzlies after missing the past several games. The pair combined for 15 of 31 points off the bench.

 

Morant had a few things to say after the game:

On attacking the basket and setting season highs for free throws made and attempted (9-10 FT):

“That was just me reading the defense. I feel like we are having guys knock down shots now so teams have to choose what they want to give up when they are guarding us. I feel like tonight there weren’t as many shifts so I was able to get downhill and in that midrange area and just shot my floaters.” 

 

On having Desmond Bane and De’Anthony Melton back in the lineup:

“We are happy to have both of those guys back. They bring a lot to this team defensively and offensively. Being able to guard multiple positions and being able to make plays on the other end and knock down shots. It just opens up the floor for us and like I said the other team has to make a decision on what they want to give up. Having those guys out there, there’s not much room you can give them or it will result in a three. Two special talents and two special guys who mean a lot to this team. We are just going to continue to work and push as a unit.” 

 

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will close out this four-game homestand tonight against the Phoenix Suns. Tip-off is at 8 PM CST. 

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 115-105

The Memphis Grizzlies embarked on a two-game road trip Friday night, facing off against the reigning NBA champions, the Los Angeles LeBron James Lakers.

 

It started out great, with the Grizzlies coming out strong in the first quarter and going on a 22-2 run. They were able to hold the Lakers to just 16 points in the first quarter, a testament to good Grizzlies defense and bad Lakers shooting. 

Unfortunately, it was mostly downhill from there. Los Angeles outscored Memphis by 2 points in the second quarter, so the Grizzlies carried a strong 13-point lead into halftime. One might think this would bode well for the Grizzlies, but one would be wrong, very wrong. The Lakers outscored the Grizzlies 41-23 in the third quarter, and 28-23 in the fourth. 

 

Here are a few places it went wrong for the Grizzlies:
  

Free Throw Disparity – The charity stripe was not so charitable to the Grizzlies, who attempted just 19 free throws compared to the Lakers 33. Lebron James should be in the running for an Oscar nomination after his performance. The greatest basketball player in the world shouldn’t need to flop like he did, but here we are. Note: This isn’t even me being salty, James was issued a warning on Saturday for flopping Friday night. 

Grizzlies Fall to Lakers 115-105

Turnovers – Good ball security was clearly not on the agenda, as the Grizzlies gave up 29 points off 17 turnovers. 

Rebounds – The Grizzlies lost the battle of the boards, 47-33. Particularly disappointing was how badly the disparity was in offensive rebounds (13-6) which predictably led to a glaring disparity in second-chance points (21-11). 

 

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies continue on to the second stop on this two-game road trip, where they will be facing off against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night. Tip-off is at 9 PM CST, so caffeinate accordingly.  

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Ja Morant Should Be An All-Star … But We Don’t Need an All-Star Game
Today in “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” News: 

 

Per CBS Sports: The NBA and the NBPA have announced that there will be an NBA All-Star game, scheduled for March 7th in Atlanta. Details about the schedule of events are still undisclosed.

Clearly, the league decided this was a stupid idea at one point, because they initially canceled the annual showcase of top league talent back in November. Given the fact that cases and deaths have surged since then, it is truly puzzling to hear of this new decision.

Three thousand people in the U.S. died of COVID-19 …  YESTERDAY. Couple that with reports of a new, more easily transmitted strain of COVID-19 being discovered in the U.S? No one enjoys the All-Star game *that* much. 

How many people associated with the league need to die before the fact that we are still experiencing a global pandemic and potential super-spreader events such as the All-Star Game are both dangerous and unnecessary? How many more unnecessary cases of the ‘rona need to be spread around the league, not just to players but their families as well?

This is a bad look, particularly when the NBA has already acknowledged that bringing together the top players in the league to play a meaningless game that has no bearing on the standings was a spectacularly bad idea. If there absolutely must be All-Star content in 2021, broadcast some of the games from years past and call it a day.

Let’s have an All-Star break without an All-Star Game this year. Because it’s the right thing to do.