Enjoy “February free agency” while it lasts, folks. After Metta World Peace and maybe even Danny Granger get bought out and waived, you know what awaits?
The dark days. March Numbness … or Sadness … or Badness. If you think the Sixers are bad now, allowing 130 points to the Bucks on Monday night, just wait. It will be mind-numbing.
The six weeks after All Star Weekend is the part of the schedule that players dread. It’s the part of the season that is too far from either the beginning or the end. No matter what your team’s situation is, this stretch sucks. Nobody likes this part. Not the fans. Not the coaches. And certainly not the players.
Even the reporters struggle.
It is “suck it up” time, willpower time, grind-it-out time. Certainly not excited or inspired time.
You have already played more than 50 games, often with no playoffs in sight.
Let’s look at a few situations and you will see what I mean.
Ten teams are “no hopers” and are playing out the season. The playoffs are out of reach. Practices are executed with little enthusiasm. Days are being crossed off the calendar as summer plans are being made. But there are still 30 games with empty stands to play. And the days draaaag by.
Another 10 are fighting for the chance to get bounced out of the playoffs in the first round. Many are on the bubble of making it or not. Even if they do slip in to the seventh or eighth spot, they know that all they get for their trouble is an extra week of practice and a quick exit. On some level they think that maybe a shot at the lottery is a better solution.
Note: The teams in the playoffs at the All Star break are almost always the teams in the playoffs at the end. It is rare for a team to make a late run and leap over other teams. Yes, I am talking to you, Kevin Love.
The top 10 teams are looking for something to motivate them. The playoffs are still 30 games away, so the fight for home court advantage by way of higher seeding isn’t real yet. That doesn’t kick in until about there are about 10 games left.
The stars are tired and banged up, and their one break was used up with All-Star Weekend.
The rookies have hit the wall. They have already played almost two college seasons worth of games and are realizing that they don’t have the stamina or reserve to keep up this pace.
The coaches have spent too many sleepless nights watching film, analyzing stats, writing scouting reports and making game plans. They are grumpy and tired.
Even the season ticket holders are looking for someone to buy their tickets to the next seven games. They realize that going to 41 live games a season is a lot.
And the intrepid reporters. What the hell is there left for you to write or talk about? You have already featured every player and coach. You have exposed every weakness that the team has. You have used up all of the trade rumors. It’s time to dig into the bag of tricks for your go-to move when you need some filler. You speculate about which coach is going to get fired next.
And to top it all off, the college conference tournaments and March Madness is about to start. For the next four weeks, the NBA will have its biggest competition for media and fan attention. Even the players would rather watch the Final Four than play a game.
So suck it up, gut it out, and turn on the willpower.
If the commissioner sees his shadow, a playoff game is only six short weeks away.
Danny Schayes is a retired 18-year-veteran of the NBA, a professional broadcaster and soon-to-be-published author now penning NBA columns for SheridanHoops. Follow him on Twitter.
MORE FROM DANNY SCHAYES:
WHERE IS THE LOVE? SAG LAWYER AMONG CANDIDATES TO REPLACE HUNTER
ARE NBA PLAYERS GETTING PLAYED AGAIN AS UNION HUNTS FOR NEW CHIEF?
IN THE NBA, SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
ARE TODAY’S GREAT SCORERS BETTER?
WHEN STARS GET HURT, IT’S BAD FOR THE LEAGUE
PARDON ME, BUT INDIANA-MIAMI MEANT NEXT TO NOTHING
WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO BE TRADED
HAZING: IT’S A LOCKER ROOM, NOT AN ENCOUNTER GROUP
ADAM SILVER NEEDS TO EMBRACE THE NBA’S LIVING PIONEERS
These neuroses can take many different forms, such as
a phobia of a couple kind. Crowd Control (CC)
was a major problem in DAo – C, and they eventually had
to tone it down and give people abilities to break out of
it. Do you know of any other bad habits that can damage or break a microphone.