3 NBA Hot Takes (8/11/22)

Dejounte Murray and Trae Young Will Not Mesh Well

Pairing two extremely ball-dominant guards has often resulted in immediate short-term success with long-term consequences. The most recent examples of this were the Houston Rockets’ attempts to pair James Harden with Chris Paul, and then Russell Westbrook. Last season, Trae Young ranked 4th in the league for usage percentage at an absurd 34.4%, with Murray ranking 28th (27.3%). Obviously, playing alongside each other should reduce their workload, but it is difficult to determine who will take the role as the main facilitator.

It is true that teams like the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks were successful in incorporating multiple primary playmakers in the Stephen Curry/Draymond Green and Luka Doncic/Jalen Brunson/Spencer Dinwiddie combinations, but these examples illustrate the clear discrepancy of having a decided superstar as the squad’s true leader. Even though Young’s reputation is certainly more established than Murray’s, Murray is a blooming star in his own right.

The Memphis Grizzlies Will Become the New Utah Jazz

I know it’s early to make this claim considering the Grizzlies’ are coming off their best season in years after finishing 2nd in the Western Conference and making the Semifinals, but it’s a hot take for a reason. As I watched every single one of their playoff outings, I was reminded of the Jazz, a team who has made the playoffs for 6 straight seasons without surpassing the 2nd round. The most glaring similarity that I see between the two is a lack of veteran leadership.

Think about the past 5 champions, the Warriors, Bucks, Lakers, Raptors and Cavaliers. Think about their leaders, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard. It is arguable that Leonard and Antetokounmpo do not qualify as veterans, but Kawhi already had an extensive playoff pedigree before his run with the Raptors, and Giannis’ individual accolades precede his team’s, effectively establishing him as a force to be reckoned with, regardless of the Bucks’ accomplishments. It took Giannis about 5 seasons before developing into the monster we now know him as, but Morant has already taken his next significant step in only his 3rd year. While this is seemingly a positive sign for the Grizzlies, often when a prospect develops this rapidly into a superstar, there starts to become a disheveled urgency to win. We saw this with Anthony Davis, who quickly became disgruntled with the Pelicans, effectively leveraging his acclaimed status to divorce from the squad. Going back further, Shaquille O’Neal’s stardom quickly began to outshine his Orlando Magic roots, subsequently finding him in Los Angeles only after a few years in the league. The Memphis Grizzlies have an incredibly strong young core, but it is possibly only a matter of time before budding personalities and egos begin to clash as a result of their expedited progression.

LaMelo Ball Will Request a Trade This Season

Continuing with the theme of frustrated young stars, I believe LaMelo Ball will follow in the footsteps of the many elite players who have attempted to force trades. The Charlotte Hornets have remained in “no man’s land” since Kemba Walker led them to the playoffs multiple times. They are constantly in contention for the playoffs, but never good enough to progress, and they never perform poorly enough to see the draft lottery as a feasible solution (excluding their single post-Kemba and pre-LaMelo season).

There were short-lived rumors of a trade that would land LaMelo on the Los Angeles Lakers, but rumors like this should become more frequent throughout this season. In a summer where he has lost his co-star, Miles Bridges, to criminal charges, Gordon Hayward trade gossip is heating up, and Terry Rozier is LaMelo’s true 2nd-in-command, it should be another season of disappointment.