A Collection of Random Observations From Opening Night in the NBA

Now in convenient bullet form!

• Manu Ginobli's head now reflects light with more radiance than the moon.
• Umm, the Magic are really freaking good. Even with Rashard Lewis suspended for the start of the season Orlando is legitimately 10 deep, no seriously they are. Brandon Bass, Jason Williams, Marcin Gortat, J.J. Reddick, and Matt Barnes all came off the pine last night. Once Lewis is back you can add Ryan Anderson to that group. The Magic's bench could be the 8th seed in the East.
• It only took 2 games for the Celtics to become bored with the regular season.
• Someone (Chris Mullin) needs to fire Don Nelson immediately, he has two of the most exciting young scorers in the NBA, and he's decided to bring them off the bench. The Anthonies (Morrow and Randolph) both absolutely set the Summer League on fire and need to start and play 40 minutes a night. Sit down Cap't Jack and Turiaf and allow the kids to shoot you in and out of every game. The Warriors aren't making the playoffs either way, they might as well trot out the most explosive offensive lineup they have and keep the fans entertained.
• Shaq's plus/minus rating against the Raptors last night in 25 minutes on the floor was -25. Teams with a pick and pop big man like Andrea Bargnani are going to kill the Cavs all year.
• With all the talent consolidated at the top of the East this year, LeBron going 1 on 5 every possession isn't going to win Cleveland a championship. The clock has now started on Mike Brown's career.
• Rasheed Wallace has now officially entered the old man "F U" mode of his career. Through two games Sheed has attempted 17 field goals, 14 of which have been 3-pointers. He's like that old guy who still plays men's league but is too old and lazy to do anything but drift around the perimeter and chuck up 3s. Anyone who thinks he is somehow a suitable replacement in the event that KG's knees fail him again is crazy. Sheed is past the point where he can be counted on as a starter on a championship contender.
• NBA refs are back! Ughh.

-Jesse

A Quick Note on the NBA Ref Strike

In the entire history of organized labor has there ever been an organization with less bargaining power than the NBA referee union? Last night as I watched the Jazz and Bulls playing a preseason game in London, I was struck by the fluidity of a game that wasn’t bogged down by constant whistles. The new refs were letting touch fouls, and a lot of body-to-body contact go, essentially forcing players to earn their buckets, instead of promoting flopping, acting and complaining like their whistle happy predecessors. The level of competence displayed by most NBA refs in the past few years has hovered somewhere between what you should expect in a JV girls game and the over 40 league at your local YMCA. Minimum wage would be too much to pay these guys.

On-court deficiencies aside, the old guard of NBA refs have also been marred by the Tim Donaghy scandal, Joey Crawford’s Tim Duncan outburst, and Dick Bavetta’s kissing bandit routine. Listen Dick, just because we let Isiah and Magic get away with this routine for so long, doesn’t mean I want to spend an entire All-Star weekend watching you awkwardly try to wrap your crusty old man lips around everyone within arm’s reach. Plus how does a "professional" referee lose a foot race to Chuck? But seriously the NBA’s on-court product has often compromised by their official’s incompetence. This strike is a chance to wipe the slate/roster clean and start fresh.

-Jesse