Weekly Round-Up: Should Derrick Rose Be On The Greatest 75 List? And more…
Here are the most crucial NBA news (based on my opinion) from the week
Hey all,
Welcome to the Weekly Round-Up on the Old Man Game Newsletter, where I share with you the best and most crucial NBA stories from the week, plus some other cool stuff.
A lot went down this week, so let’s get right to it:
Get the Old Man Game Newsletter delivered directly to your inbox by subscribing.
Featured
This past Monday -Oct. 4- was Derrick Rose’s birthday.
Seeing this on social media, I immediately went to watch some of his old highlights because, ya know, he’s an exciting player to watch (especially back in the day before he injured his knee).
After watching him break a few dozen ankles, I got curious about his stats. So, I headed over to the trusty Basketball-Reference.
I’m sure many of you have gone through this sequence before.
Anywhoo, I noticed that Rose didn’t receive many accolades. But the ones that he did get were pretty major.
He was an MVP, All-NBA, ROY, All-Rookie, and 3-time All-Star.
Now, this got me thinking: Even though Rose only had two great seasons and one outstanding season throughout his NBA career, should he be considered as one of the greatest of all time (in the modern era)?
I understand that there have been a bunch of other players who did more than him.
Some won championships. Some were voted in as All-Stars more than three times. Some were on All-NBA teams more than once.
Some players accomplished a combination of achievements.
But none were deemed the Most Valuable Player (I’m referring to the players that aren’t locks to make it onto the list; players who aren’t the LeBrons, KDs, and Steph Currys of the world).
What are your thoughts on this? Is Derrick Rose an all-time great?
Featured Blog Post
The 4 Best Basketball Drills to Quickly Improve Defence
If you’re looking for drills to work on your defence, this blog post shares four of the best ones.
The Wire
Pau Gasol Announces Retirement
Two-time champion and six-time NBA All-Star Pau Gasol announced that he is retiring after a storied 18-year NBA career.
I share my thoughts on him and his career in this article.
NBA star Jimmy Butler launches his Bigface coffee brand
Looks like Jimmy Butler is turning his joke into an actual LLC. While in the NBA bubble, he launched a coffee shop, where he sold coffee to his compadres from his hotel room. Now, after a year of research and paperwork, Butler’s Bigface coffee is a real business on Shopify.
“In an interview with CNBC, Butler admitted he isn’t aiming to be ‘the best at making coffee’ but added he’s taking the business seriously.
‘I wake up in the morning excited to train and go work out,’ Butler said. ‘Then I want to hurry up and get home so I can practice my bartending,’ he said, referring to making coffee drinks. For now, he’ll sell branded merchandise in Shopify like coffee mugs and NFTs. He plans to sell the beans later.”
Canadian NBA player Andrew Wiggins receives COVID-19 vaccine after initially refusing
The Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins is now eligible to play in all home games. Initially, his eligibility was at risk because he wasn’t vaccinated against COVID-19. However, he recently got his dose and will be available to play, according to Head Coach Steve Kerr.
“The NBA had said it ‘reviewed and denied’ Wiggins's request for a religious exemption and that he would not be able to play in Warriors home games until he fulfilled the vaccine mandate. Anyone 12 or older is required to show proof of vaccination to attend indoor events at Chase Center, and that message is on the Warriors' website for fans.”
Diana Taurasi Scores 37 Points on 13 Shots in Game 2
In Game 2 of the semi-finals, Diana Taurasi helped the Phoenix Mercury even the series against the Las Vegas Aces. To do so, she took 13 shots and scored 37 points. Additionally, 11 of those shots were 3-pointers.
In the post-game interview, she hilariously gave this response:
"I only shot 11?!"
Blazers broadcast trolls Steph Curry for failed flop attempt
The Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry was the first player to test out the new unnatural movement rule changes. However, he failed miserably and was mocked by the Portland Trailblazers’ broadcast.
“Not this year. Not this year.”
Russell Westbrook Reveals His Mentality on Triple-Doubles (And More) on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Russell Westbrook made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Tuesday and discussed a myriad of things. He talked about how he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, how he’s getting along with the team, and how gets triple-doubles. He also told a story about a pickup game against Kobe Bryant.
“Sometimes throughout the game, you kind of can feel you’re getting close. You have nine or ten assists, points, and stuff; rebounds. And like the arenas they see the stats, so you obviously see them. But for me, when I’m playing, I try not to get triple-doubles that are like 10, 10, and 10. I like to just get outrageous and go 20, 20, and [20].”
Old Man Game of ‘Da Week
Randomness
Final Thoughts
Well, that was, once again, a jam-packed week.
Anyway, hope you all have a great rest of your week and I’ll see you all again next week!
Nam