So ... What Did I Miss?

While NBA games happened, I was cruising around the Caribbean.

I have never been a parent, to my knowledge.

But I think I had my first true paternal moment. For the past week, I indulged in hedonistic heaven on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship: stuffing my face with food, glazing in the sun, ATVing in St. Kitts, and other activities that made me feel like I could be invited to Mayor Pete's wine cave.

In this scenario, the NBA is my teenage son who I left at home while I was away. The games went on, and I would occasionally check scores, the equivalent of texting to make sure everything is okay. But when I got back, it was as if I walked into my home to find it tattered and torn. The toilet is clogged with socks. Solo cups are strewn about. There is spray paint on the wall.

But ultimately, the snapshot of the league looks about the same. The NBA's movers and shakers did what they were supposed to do and, if anything, offered more clarity to the playoff picture. The basement-dwellers remain in the basement. I don't want to rehash news you probably already know, so I will try to offer a little extra insight to some of the week's biggest stories:

The most ground-breaking news is Luka Doncic's ankle injury that has sidelined him for the near future. The Raptors completed a 30-point comeback over the Mavericks on Sunday, if any more evidence was needed to how his absence has impacted them. Doncic is everything for this team and exactly what they're missing — a facilitator and an efficient scorer.

The second biggest story was the proposal sent to every team by the league office for an in-season as well as a play-in tournament prior to the playoffs. The regular season would be reduced to 78 games, and the in-season tourney would showcase a group stage that would parlay into the bracket, with a $1 million prize per player. The play-in tournament would allow the No. 7-10-seed finishers in each conference to compete for a playoff start. Inhale, exhale. Where do I start? I feel unpleasant saying this, but a million isn't really enough for these players to care about this tournament in which they still may play 82 or 83 regular-season games. The reduction in games need to be considerable, like the 59-64 range, but the governors would never consider that. The prize pool needs to be bigger, because the players would never consider that. At the end of the day, players play because they want to, but this current proposal really does absolutely nothing for anyone.

Other various things that lead to a singular eye brow furl:

-That Ja Morant-Kevin Love poster pic will forever live in Morant's Hall of Fame journey, and it shouldn't. I say this because one, he missed the dunk. Two, he clearly used his arm to elevate himself over Love. And three, I respect Love too much to have his name sullied for a failed dunk.

-Anyone who picked the Hawks as the 8-seed is looking silly now. They are so, so young and putting John Collins back in the equation won't change their poor performance much at all. It's Trae Young' platform to put up berserk performances and walk off with a loss.

-The Lakers have lost 3 straight but I still know they are the best team in the West. LeBron was out against the Nuggets, and close losses to the Bucks and Pacers aren't a cause for concern.

-The Bucks are really scary and should be the perennial championship favorite until any material change.

-Spencer Dinwiddie is an All-Star.

-The Bulls are the most confounding team in the league. To go from losing 83-73 to the Charlotte Hornets in a game out of 2002, to beating the Clippers (Kawhi was out but that is truly beside the point) the next game. Topping the injury-ridden Wizards and the Pistons, who they have stymied three times already, makes their record better than it is. They need a combo guard-type guy like Anthony Edwards or Cole Anthony which makes me think the tank should be on a little more aggressively.

-It hurts to say, but I agree with Stephen A Smith on something: Zion Williamson should sit out this year. The NBA doesn't need a lifeline just yet despite the ratings dip. The Pelicans are hapless, and should be looking to trade Jrue Holiday. Why risk anything for a team in the gutter? I think there may be some cloudiness from New Orleans regarding Zion's injury as a measure of extraordinary, superfluous caution. I'm obviously not privy and don't know how he feels at this moment, but if he isn't ready to play in his current condition then I don't see how the Pelicans can justify a "right" time this year.

-The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor had the most fiery basketball take I have seen in a while, in which he said of Ben Simmons:

Sad to see Ben Simmons turn into Jahlil Okafor crossed with Michael Carter-Williams in the fourth quarter. Sixers fans should be furious about his lack of offensive development. Simmons is still a cowardly shooter, a half-court liability and a detriment to Philly's playoff odds.

It was a statement of awesome gravity, and one I fully support. Comparing their time in Philly, MCW and Simmons share near-equal slash lines, and MCW is 6 inches shorter and not remotely as athletic. Of course, Simmons' all-NBA defense doesn't make him a throwaway. But if you're the No. 1 overall pick of a preseason NBA favorite, you should be a LOT better. Right on, Kevin.