Five NBA Things I may or may not have Liked: Dueling Rookies, Bucked, 12, Climbing Clippers, Game Winning Design

Dueling Rookies

The 2025 NBA Draft has more than lived up to its billing, and Thursday night provided the ultimate showcase. Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, the first and fourth overall picks, went absolutely berserk in Dallas and ended all doubt over who will finish first and second in Rookie of the Year voting. Flagg dropped 49 points on 20 of 29 shooting, while Knueppel scored 34 points to lead the Hornets to a 123-121 win. Not only did the former Duke teammates play like stars, but they were massive down the stretch. With under a minute left and down three, Flagg hit an off-the-dribble three to tie the game.

Unfortunately, with the game knotted at 121, Flagg coughed up an ugly turnover that allowed Knueppel win the game with a pair of free throws. Granted, Flagg’s contest, despite the foul, was pretty impressive. Still, he’ll want that one back.

Totally Bucked

The inevitable has come for the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite incredible feats of phrasing, has demanded a trade. Whether or not he gets moved before the deadline or in the offseason, this is officially the end of an era in Milwaukee. The Bucks, to their credit, moved heaven and earth for an eight-year stretch to build championship-caliber rosters around Antetokounmpo, securing the ultimate prize in 2021. Unfortunately, maxing out the proverbial franchise credit card year after year will come with some pain, and that painful process begins now.

The near-future may be bleak in Milwaukee, but if they’re prudent in how they handle Antetokounmpo’s trade, there’s a glimmer of hope for a relatively swift turnaround. However, as of today, January 30th, they’re totally bucked, which is a good thing. When the stakes are as low as NBA basketball, it’s better to go down with the ship than scramble for the lifeboats. Now, cue the clip.

Pentagram of 12

The race for the top draft lottery odds is shaping up to be a fierce contest. As of this moment, five teams have 12 wins. While the loss column is most important when chasing the playoffs, the win column takes the cake in the battle to the bottom. Forming the NBA’s 12-win pentagram of suck are the Nets, Wizards, Pacers, Kings, and Pelicans. The Kings and Pelicans are in pole position with 37 losses, but the Pacers are hot on their heels with 36, while the Wizards and Nets have work to do at 34. I’m not sure what lengths these franchises will go to secure the best lottery odds possible, but should they delve too greedily into the dark arts, they may just summon the wrath of Cthulhu.

I’m not a tanking basher, and as such, I find entertainment in watching franchises go the extra mile to come up short. I can’t wait to learn what new and mysterious injury Trae Young suffered, or how Michael Porter Jr is suffering from a season-ending case of brain worms. I’d be remiss if I did not mention that the Pelicans don’t own their pick, which is its own form of morbid entertainment.

Climbing Clippers

I wrote about the Clippers earlier this month, but guess what? They just can’t stop winning. When I last checked in on the Clippers, they were in the midst of a six-game winning streak, and Kawhi Leonard was absolutely cooking. In the four weeks since, they’ve gone 10-3 and Kawhi, despite missing a few games to the always mysterious “knee discomfort,” has continued to play at an MVP-level. Look, I always knew the Clippers were better than their 6-21 start, but no one thought they had this in them.

Since December 20th, the Clippers have gone 16-3 with an offensive rating of 121.5, a defensive rating of 112.6, and a net rating of +8.9. They’ve been the best team in the league for over five weeks, and looked like the team everyone thought they were capable of being in the offseason. Now, for the season, they have a +5.6 net rating with Kawhi on the court, and a -5.87 without him. For as excellent as they’ve been, this is still a fragile team.

The Clippers got a ton of flak for so unceremoniously dismissing Chris Paul in his final NBA season, but the decision appears to be the right one. Since his dismissal on December 3rd, the Clippers are 17-8 with a net rating of +5.5. Which sounds very much like what we thought they’d be from the get-go. I have no idea how long the Clippers can keep up this level of performance, but they’re firmly in the playoff conversation, and I wouldn’t rule out them catching the Lakers for the sixth seed.

Game Winning Design

Since this is a video-heavy edition, my final blurb is a four-minute breakdown of the Sixers game winning play against the Kings. Enjoy!

For any inquiries about work, discussion, and the like, you can email me at nevin.l.brown@gmail.com.