Good Vibes Only: NBA Edition

With enough bad going on in our country, let’s focus on the good in the NBA this week.

Courtesy: Arizona Sports

The Suns are awesome.

• While the first clip is a master class in the pick-and-roll by Chris Paul, the second clip demonstrates Phoenix’s simple efficiency. Paul draws two defenders and kicks to Jae Crowder, who has a better angle to find Deandre Ayton for an and-one.
• It’s a simple yet effective play; 3-on-3 in the middle of the court as shooters in each corner hold the help defenders hostage.
• Phoenix is 6–2 and sits atop the Western Conference. The success stems from plays like these, ones that won’t blow you away but consistently produce quality shots:

• The Clippers send two to the ball, forcing Kawhi Leonard to rotate from the corner and leaving Paul George to defend two Suns. Mikal Bridges smartly flashes to the elbow to occupy George, freeing Crowder in the corner. Devin Booker patiently extends the defense, waiting for the passing lane to open before taking advantage.
• There is no wasted motion in Booker’s game. That, plus his striking handsomeness, makes him one of the most aesthetically pleasing players to watch. He has been markedly better this year than Donovan Mitchell, to whom he is often compared.
• Booker is the offensive bellwether, but six other Suns average double figures, and everyone is a threat from distance. Their depth is a major factor in Phoenix’s fourth-ranked offense.
• Crowder (39.6 percent from 3), Cameron Johnson (42.0), Bridges (45.8) and Saric (43.8) have been lethal snipers to begin the year, and Booker’s (34.8) and Paul’s (33.3) percentages will likely rise.
• It’s worth noting that seven of Phoenix’s top nine players are 26 or younger.
• One of the most captivating aspects of basketball, aside from the highlight-reel dunks and crossovers, is when a team operates at a higher level than the opposition. Phoenix is doing that this year.
• So is LeBron James:

• LeBron knows he has Talen Horton-Tucker open. But he also knows if he drives baseline, he can draw Keldon Johnson and buy THT an extra half-second to get the shot off.
• (I continue to buy all the Keldon Johnson stock.)
• That kind of subtle genius separates LeBron even from other superstars. I would normally make a joke about a certain stat-stuffing MVP winner lacking the nuance to make this play, but this is a Good Vibes Only space.
• Watch how LeBron eyes Alex Caruso to manipulate Tim Hardaway, knowing the whole time he wants to laser a pass to Markieff Morris in the corner:

• According to Cleaning the Glass, the Lakers are 20.4 points better when LeBron is on the floor versus when he sits, one of the biggest discrepancies in the league.
• LeBron shares the savant gene with Nikola Jokic, the greatest passing big man ever:

• Jokic recorded single-digit assists for the first time this season in that Minnesota game, but he made up for it with a season-high 35 points. He’s clearly the best center in the league.
• Jokic is 0.4 rebounds per game away from joining Wilt Chamberlain (twice), Oscar Robertson and Julius Randle (yes, Julius Randle) as the only players to average 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a season.
• We expect that from Jokic. Obviously it’s still early and those numbers can change, but Randle is surprisingly playing at an All-Star level for the shockingly 5–3 Knicks.
• Randle is one of the most unique players in the NBA. He’s 6–8 and weighs 250 pounds yet his assist percentage ranks better than Damian Lillard’s and his 3-point percentage is higher than Trae Young’s.
• Brandon Ingram, Randle’s former teammate, has taken another step forward this season after winning Most Improved Player a year ago.
• He is posting 5.5 assists per game, a far cry from the career-high 4.2 he set in 2020, thanks in large part to plays like this:

• With Zion Williamson back in the fold, Ingram has seen an uptick in playmaking duties, but his scoring numbers are also up from last year. He is averaging a career-best 24.9 points per game this campaign.
• After his jumper came and went for the first three years of his career, Ingram in the last two seasons has become a reliable weapon from the perimeter.
• Most notably, Ingram has grown as a shooter off the dribble, an important development given his size and high release point. He is shooting 40 percent on pull-up 3s this year, per NBA.com.
• He will never be Kevin Durant, but unlocking new levels of off-the-bounce canny allows Ingram’s shooting and scoring prowess to really sing.
• While Ingram is long and lanky, Jalen Brunson is short and stocky. Brunson remains an effective shot creator, however, because of moves like this:

• Brunson isn’t quick enough to scoot past Coby White and he isn’t big enough to power through him, but his creativity makes up for it. Brunson showed his knack for navigating to his spots en route to 31 points and seven assists against Chicago.
• The degree of difficulty in the NBA is much bigger for smaller guys, but smart players like Brunson find ways to compensate.
• The same is true for unathletic players like Kyle Anderson, whose plodding ways earned him the nickname “Slo Mo.”

• Anderson knows LeBron must split difference between him and Brandon Clarke, so he knifes behind his back for a layup. Smart play by a smart player enjoying the best start to a season in his career.
• Finally, two referee notes that I know everyone is interested in:
• Almost every game I’ve watched this year has had a woman official. It’s a good step in the right direction toward equal opportunity and inclusion for women in sports.
• Referee Phenizee Ransom might have the coolest name in league history.
• Let’s make this week better than the last one.