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But for the Charlotte Hornets, who have those three characteristics in spades, the downside may be inconsistency.Ĭharlotte's schedule has been brutal, and we should credit it for emerging from the season's first month with more wins than losses. Youth, supremely creative talent and confidence are all assets. But the Nets will still be a diminished version of themselves and undeserving of title-favorite status as long as Irving is absent. Durant is great enough to put the fear of God in opponents on his own. No one will want to see Brooklyn in a playoff series-even if Irving is out of the picture and even if Harden continues to post his worst box plus/minus and PER in a decade. What about the potential for frustration from teammates who, understandably, might feel as if Irving abandoned them? He and James Harden only played 27 games together ditto for the Irving-Durant pairing. If/when he plays again, Irving will have to integrate himself into a team that has changed from last season-and one he wasn't even all that familiar with to begin with. It's an open question whether he ever will. Kyrie Irving's absence has everything to do with that. Unvaccinated against COVID-19 and still therefore away from the team, Irving has yet to contribute this year. They rank 29th in attempt frequency at the rim. The Nets aren't running roughshod over the competition like they did in the rare moments their three-superstar core shared the court last season. But "fine" registers as a disappointment for a squad that carried championship expectations into the season. The Brooklyn Nets are doing fine, perched near the top of the East with one of the league's top-10 point differentials (plus-3.8) behind an MVP-level performance from Kevin Durant. Whatever the cause, Tatum isn't playing up to expectations. Undisclosed injury? Unfamiliarity with new head coach Ime Udoka's system? Perhaps his habit of shoving off with his elbow to create space is too easy for defenders to anticipate. Maybe Tatum's drives are less effective because he, like many other call-seeking attackers, isn't hearing whistles as often as last year. It's no surprise that Boston's offensive rating is firmly entrenched in the bottom 10. For all the growth Tatum has made during his brilliant young career, it's jarring to note that his rim-attempt frequency has declined every season since he was a rookie. The 23-year-old two-time All-Star is posting the lowest effective field-goal percentage of his career and is getting to the rim less often than ever. It's had to be that good to offset the absence of Jaylen Brown (hamstring) and, just as critically, Jayson Tatum's alarming slump. As encouraging as this diversity may be from a human interest standpoint, it shows why the Mavs are not quite the country superstars they should be - their appeal is too diverse for the slender range of tastes dictating what happens in Nashville.The Boston Celtics defense has been among the best in the league since surrendering 128 points to the Chicago Bulls on Nov.
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Like the band’s repertoire, the crowd was an eclectic mix, with bikers, punk-rockers, rockabillies, country music diehards in Stetsons and middle-aged housewives filling the audience. Malo admonished the audience for applauding the gaffe, asking them not to “encourage my bad behavior,” and then sent the group offstage for three solo songs, including a poignant version of the Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Hot Burrito #1.”īack they came with a vengeance, set peaking with “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” their biggest hit, followed by a pair of Cuban traditionals that set the house afire. When Malo forgot an entire section of the song “Foolish Heart,” he and the band nearly doubled over in laughter onstage. top five single “Dance the Night Away” and following it with a two-steppy version of the Cat Stevens-penned Tremelos oldie “Here Comes My Baby,” the band lifted the room up into musical potpourri heaven - and stayed there.īand was loose and funny as well. The ultimate feel-good bar was in Los Angeles to promote a greatest hits package, “Super Colossal Hits of the ’90s.” Propelled by Paul Deakin’s expert drumming and fronted by Raul Malo’s amazingly powerful set of pipes (Malo recalls Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, Roy Orbison and Garth Brooks all rolled into one package), the Mavericks were augmented by a four-piece horn section and keyboards on this night.