A Totally Unprofessional Review
and Other Thoughts
by Graham Walker
A very Happy, if belated, Thanksgiving wish to you, my friends! I hope the food was wonderful and the drama was minimal. I think I managed to eat my weight in mashed potatoes and that is what I’m ultimately thankful for. Now, onto the next part of the holiday season, which ultimately means more food. Not that I’m complaining.
I am going to complain, however, about the absolutely ridiculous behavior exhibited by the Ohio State football team this past weekend. Ohio State lost to their biggest rival, Michigan, 13-10 in what is commonly referred to as ‘The Game’. This loss was the fourth straight the Wolverines have dealt the Buckeyes and Michigan won despite the odds having them as a three touchdown underdog. After the game, Michigan players were going to plant the flag in the Ohio State logo in the middle of the field. A sign of disrespect, perhaps, but this is College Football and this is one of the most celebrated rivalry games in the country. Disrespect is expected. Ohio State players having something to say about the disrespect is expected.
What’s not expected, however, is a full on brawl. The Ohio State players showed more fight after their loss than at any point during the actual game. Their coach, Ryan Day, stood around and watched the fray, apparently not aware of the fight happening right in front of him, which isn’t surprising at all, since it didn’t seem like he ever understood that a football game was happening in front of him all day. The absolute cherry on this clown show was the Ohio State University Police breaking up the fight by spraying Michigan players, some who weren’t doing anything but standing around, with pepper spray. This is an embarrassing incident for Ohio State, and it shows a lack of leadership or discipline. I expect some punishments will be handed down this week, and we will see how this affects Ohio State’s playoff chances.
Ok, enough about Ohio State. It’s time for my
Totally Unprofessional Review
4 observations of the first quarter of the 2024-25 NBA Season.
Team Rocket is Blasting Off Again!
Speaking of being thankful, I am so thankful for the apparent success of the rebuild that my Houston Rockets have gone through. James Harden left in 2020 after eight straight years of making the playoffs. After the Beard’s departure the Rockets would go on to post records of 17-55, 20-62, and 22-60 in the next three seasons. The team picked Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson with the lottery picks they earned and found several gems outside of the lottery in Tari Eason, Alperen Şengün and Cam Whitmore. Last offseason they added veteran players Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. These additions to the team, and the hiring of head coach Ime Udoka, improved the teams overall record to 41-41. Udoka brought a defensive mindset to the young team, demanding that every player buy into the team or they would find themselves sitting on the bench. This year, the Rockets have started off 15-6 and are currently second place in the Western Conference. It’s a good time to be a Rocket’s fan. If you aren’t already on the bandwagon, don’t worry. I'll make space for you.
The Alien has Landed
Of course the Rocket’s current upward success has to coincide with the arrival of one of the league’s most touted prospects. Yes, the alien has landed. He’s French and he’s living in San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama is a 7 '3'’ defensive monster with the ball handling and shooting skills of a guard. Victor can shoot from anywhere and, on defense, it’s almost as if he can guard the entire floor at once. Ball handlers are regularly stymied by him. If they drive to the lane to shoot a layup, he will block their shot. If they pull up for a three, he will block their shot. If they are being guarded by him on the perimeter and they manage to get past him, he will block their shot. Wemby has the length to get from the three point line to the rim in about two steps and he uses that length to average almost four blocks per game. ‘The Alien’, as Wemby is often referred to, has led the San Antonio Spurs to ten wins in their first 19 games, almost half of their total of 22 wins from the entire 82 game 2023-24 season. San Antonio has their centerpiece and the rest of the league is going to have to deal with it. Like Tim Duncan before him, I predict Victor Wembanyama will regularly make me mad and eventually be one of my Reluctantly Respected players.
The Spida’s Web
If you’ve been reading my Wranting’s you’ll remember Donovan Mitchell from my Reluctantly Respected List. I have always respected the Spida, and he is currently leading the surprising 18-3 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs lead the league in Points Per Game at 122.4, led by Mitchell’s 24 and Darius Garland’s 20. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley lead the team’s defense, combining for 2.5 blocks per game, while Mitchell, Garland, and Mobley add 4 steals. The team is first in the Eastern Conference, but they have dropped two in a row to Atlanta as I’m writing this blog, and their third loss is to the second place Boston Celtics, the reigning NBA Champions, however they are 1-1 against the Celtics on the season. There is 75% of the season remaining, but the Cavaliers look like the real deal. The players have bought into first year head coach Kenny Atkinson’s message and he is the early front runner for coach of the year. I’m going to enjoy watching this Cavs team this year and I won’t be surprised to see them in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics. (Way Too Early Prediction Alert!)
Joker’s Wild
Jokers are wild indeed. When you have that Joker card in your hand you can play that bad boy in any way you need it. The same can also be said for Nikola Jokic, the Serbian big man that plays for the Denver Nuggets, more commonly known as ‘The Joker’. The nickname is more than a play on Jokic, however. This three time and currently reigning MVP is making a strong case for his fourth, and he is making it look easy. His Nuggets are 10-7 after a rocky (mountain) start, but the big man has continued his domination of the league, averaging 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. He is an offensive swiss army knife - making the correct pass to the cutting dunker or the wide open shooter, posting up, or just throwing up an impossible three ball and draining it. Add in 2.5 Stocks (steals + blocks) and Jokic is showing the Association why he deserves to remain the league's MVP.
Walker’s Weekly Wrecommendations
Each week I’m gonna review and recommend random things - TV shows, music, or a restaurant. Whatever I feel like. This is my blog.
This week's Triple W is HBO’s show “The Franchise”. The first season just concluded, with 8 episodes. The Franchise follows the fictional “Maximum Studios” in a satirical take on the movie industry. The story focuses on Daniel, the first assistant director (played by Himesh Patel) as he tries to corral the crew, the cast, and the director and attempts to placate the studio while working on the studio’s next movie; ‘Tecto: Eye of the Storm’. A very funny look into the chaotic and extremely demanding day to day life of a film studio, The Franchise is definitely worth a watch.
NEXT WEEK: Walker’s Wranting’s presents “Emirates NBA Cup: Preview and (Probably Wrong) Predictions”