QUARANTITLE - 8/11

1. Nets (108) vs Magic (96)

• Name Three Active Nets Players - You can't. I know you won't be able to. It doesn't matter if you're the most passionate Brooklyn fan there is, the guys playing big minutes are absolute nobodies in the basketball world. I'm not saying they're bad or playing in lackluster games, Brooklyn's 5-2 in the bubble after all. I'm just saying that I'd rather get those extra hours of afternoon sleep than wake up and watch this team play. Sorry.

2. Spurs (123) vs Rockets (105)

• Pour One Out for San Antonio - After today's events, it's become close to impossible for San Antonio to continue their 22 year long playoff streak. It's not for lack of effort, the Spurs are 5-2 in the bubble without their best player and have utilized everyone to the best of their ability.

3. Suns (130) vs 76ers (117)

• Devin Booker Bubble MVP - I'd like to retract my previously made point about not being sold on Devin Booker as a player. The man has proved me and many others wrong as Phoenix stands at 7-0 in Orlando. With the recent announcement that the NBA will be giving out 'Bubble Awards', Booker seems like a shoo-in for MVP. He's the best player on the best team with the added bonus of a great narrative. My abrupt turnaround on Booker is the second time I've changed my mind about the Phoenix Suns in the bubble. We can only hope that they continue to disprove their doubter. Here's what I said about D-Book from my article, Phoenix Rises from the Ashes:

"I'm still not totally on board with Devin Booker as a player yet, but I'm confident that he'll be around the league for 15+ years based on the direction the game is moving towards coinciding with his own playstyle."

4. Celtics (122) vs Grizzlies (107)

• Unstoppable Tatum - Contrary to my stance on Devin Booker, I've been all-in on Tatum since Day 1. Every game he plays only reinforces my investment in him. Today he scored 29 points while missing just 3 shots total. It seemed like he would score any time he touched the ball. While this performance in particular could be attributed to the Grizzlies' lack of a consistent perimeter defender, that type of efficiency is still impressive regardless of the context around it.

• The Memphis Three Point Problem - When looking at certain stats of this game, you'd be led to believe that Memphis dominated. They had four less turnovers and committed a whopping twelve less fouls than Boston. I'd reasonably assume that they won the game by looking at those numbers but it turned out to be a fairly decisive win for the Celtics. Why? The lack of consistent 3pt shooting that has plagued Memphis since the Vancouver days. They shot an abhorrent 24% from beyond the arc and most of their 22 misses led to transition scoring from Boston. This is a problem that has needed to be addressed since 1995, we can only hope that new Memphis management leans in that direction.

5. Trail Blazers (134) vs Mavericks (131)

• Is Dame a Top 5 Player in the League? - I already know that 90% of sports media outlets will discuss this exact topic in the coming days and I don't blame them. It feels like we're witnessing the ascension of the league's next transcendent star, except we're not. Does Dame have the ability to be a Top 5 player in the NBA? Absolutely. I'd even say that he's already there talent-wise. Unfortunately for him and Portland fans, he'll never be seen as such. Just look at Portland's conference finals run last year without Jusuf Nurkic. This would be seen as a defining moment in the career of almost any other player but yet we've all seemed to forget it so quickly. The combination of playing for a small market team along with his low marketability makes for a life of being overlooked. Let me clarify my point on his marketability. I don't mean to say that Dame is boring or somehow not relatable to a mass audience. But his personality on and off the court makes him a tough player to push to stardom. To put it in wrestling terms, he's a heel. Dame plays the bad guy in most situations with his unapologetic nature and trash talking antics. While that edge to him is appealing to some, he'll never be fully recognized for his talent because of it. Don't believe me? Look at the legacy of Allen Iverson and notice how closely it mirrors Dame's in his success on and off the court.

6. Bucks (126) vs Wizards (113)

• Send Giannis to Anger Management - Listen, I enjoy NBA fights and altercations as much as everyone else does. I don't enjoy watching the best player in the league compromise his future and his team's future by letting irrelevant benchwarmers get in his head. Let's take a look at some of the players Giannis has engaged with just in the past season and you tell me if any of them will make an impact on the league. Bruno Caboclo. Donta Hall. Moe Wagner. I wish Giannis would be more aware of his stardom and superiority over these scrubs. Why waste time, money, and a potential suspension with guys who'll be out of the league within 3 years? Get better Giannis.

7. Kings (112) vs Pelicans (106)

• Tough Timing - In a perfect world for Adam Silver, this nationally televised game would've served as the coronation of Zion leading his Pelicans to the playoffs in the most heroic fashion. It should've been an easy win for New Orleans, setting up a battle against LeBron James and the Lakers. Unfortunately for some, that isn't what happened. New Orleans underwhelmed at every turn during the Orlando Bubble and has been eliminated from playoff contention days before it even starts. Not only are they eliminated, they still lost this game to another underperforming team in the Sacramento Kings. I don't hold the same resentment for Sacramento as I do for New Orleans because if anything they're underrated rather than underperforming. Nobody expected Sacramento to make a play for the 8th seed and their expectations proved to be correct. What bothered me was everyone's worship of New Orleans and the overhyping of their talent. I'm not saying it's a bad roster, but it's nowhere close to a reliable playoff entrant. If I were to bet on it, I'd say Sacramento will have a more successful season in 2020-21 than New Orleans, barring any massive additions or injuries.

Listen to The Basketball Beeswax Podcast exclusively on Spotify!

IMAGE CREDIT: Steve Mitchell