What I'm Thankful for this 2019-20 Season

The NBA has given its fans a lot to be thankful for so far.

I have something to say that may sound sacrilegious: not everything about the NBA is great. Politically speaking, that's obvious. Socially, it's geographically dependent. Operationally, definitely not. I say this especially after Woj and Zach Lowe reported on a new proposed schedule for the NBA season. First, it reduces the season to 78 games, an arbitrary number that won't negate "load management" and is purely just lost revenue. It also mentions a re-seeding for the playoffs, which has logistical hurdles but ultimately seems like a positive. More notably, the solution suggested a mid-season tournament, which is an even more worthless idea. Kawhi Leonard will sit out of the regular season in pursuit of improved health and a championship. No way in hell is Leonard suiting up for the First Annual Meaningless Mid-Season NBA Tournament. This isn't English soccer and it never will be.

So why bring this all up? Because there are some things in the NBA, undisturbed by the surrounding noise, that continue to make the league as awesome as it. And I am thankful for so much of it.

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1. Luka Doncic

Teams expect even their top draft picks to take 3-4 years to develop fully. The best draft picks can be surprising All-Stars before that time frame. But Doncic is transcendent. He is rightfully in the MVP discussion early on, especially after besting James Harden's Rockets with 41 points and 10 assists. If the season ended today he would boast the highest PER in league history. The Mavericks have the best offense in the league and are undoubtedly the most obvious League Pass team. And Doncic is nonplussed about it all. What's not to love?

2. The LA Superstar Duos

Four of the top nine players in the league are in the same city. Come on! Someone help out the little guy! Despite the West tipping the scales, the LeBron-AD and Kawhi-PG duos have been nothing short of spectacular, the embodiment of what fans could have hoped for. I am thankful that the duos like these can exist and that we can also say that these teams are not guaranteed to make the finals, besides the fact that they are both in the Western conference.

3. Ja Morant

If he isn't already, Morant will be the most electric player in the league real soon. He can change directions unlike anyone else in the league. He is deceptive, quick, and smart with the basketball. Perhaps most important of all, he has made a basement-dwelling Grizzlies team exciting to watch. Zion was the obvious pre-season ROY choice before his injury, but I think Morant would have been in the conversation either way. (*Mid-writing Morant was helped off the court after a hard fall, please be nothing serious).

4. The craziness in the West

In terms of talent, the West is, yet again, more competitive than the East. But the parity in the Western conference has made its sister conference nearly equal in terms of records. If you had the Timberwolves, Suns, Mavericks, and Kings fighting for playoff spots, and the Spurs, Trailblazers, and Warriors as bottom-feeders, I would like to know tomorrow's lottery numbers.

5. James Harden (and his interviews)

One thing I love about Harden is that he makes it very obvious that he thinks he's the best player in the league. After a close loss to the Clippers, he went to the media carping about getting double-teamed, which is also a hilariously unfortunate indictment of Russell Westbrook's shooting ability. Harden has at least 3 "are you kidding me?" moments a game, and now he sometimes has one post-game, too, and for that I am thankful.

6. The New York Knicks

Even as good as NBA basketball can be, it is still healthy to have a good laugh. This team has no future and there is a hefty amount of schadenfreude that comes with that. I'll say one nice thing: I'm sure a lot of the Knicks roster would be decent individually on other teams.

7. Jim Boylen

Zach Lavine explicitly called out Jim Boylen after a loss for not trusting him, then he dropped 13 triples, including a game-winner, in a 49-point effort over the Hornets. Like the Knicks, Boylen has been a sideshow as a head coach but somehow it motivates his players. It's not the most orthodox way of doing things, but it certainly is a great content.

8. Woj

The way Woj has embedded himself as a recurring NBA character is incredible. Every league has it's own Woj-type, but none of them even come close to emulating the influence he has on NBA social media (including the memes), how much players respect him, and how rock-solid he is in his reporting. Everyone should be thankful for Woj!

9. Devin Booker getting a chance to be on a team that isn't bad

I was always a Booker believer. Critics dogged him for his lackadaisical defensive effort, but I don't blame someone for not trying on defense when they are playing for such a historically futile team. Now, he has a true facilitator to ease some of his workload in Ricky Rubio. He has a front court willing to play defense. He has wings in Kelly Oubre, Mikal Bridges, and a developing Cameron Johnson that can shoot. It's not a perfect roster, obviously. But Booker has continued to be a star and his team is winning, hopefully surprising no one.

10. A season as advertised

What do we want? Parity! When do we want it? Well, um, uhhhh (*scratches head*), we already have it. Besides a few teams off to surprise starts and a handful of unfortunate injuries, we are getting exactly what this season was slated to be — star-studded, competitive, dramatic, chaotic. The stars have been prolific. Second-, third-, and fourth-year players are materializing into their long-awaited potential. The season so far has been a thing of beauty, and the display of talent should only get better.

Happy Thanksgiving!