This is the world in which the NBA is trying to relaunch itself. Twenty-two teams are all gathered in three hotels in Walt Disney World, prepared to play eight games plus a traditional length playoffs. Everything is different outside the game, but the rims are still ten feet off the ground and the game is comprised of four twelve minute quarters. So while acknowledging that social, political, and health issues are very important and need to be discussed, we at Head In The Game will be taking a look at the on-the-court action of the NBA Bubble to take a short break between dealing with all the stuff surrounding it in the world and instead talk about the love of joy that comes from sports, in this case basketball.
8th Seed In The East
Troy: The Eastern Conference is in a very different situation than the West. In reality, the Wizards don't have a great chance at making the 8th seed. They would have to gain a couple games on either the Nets or the Magic and then win a play-in game against them. That means it's actually a contest of who drops to the 8th seed rather than gains it. I think between injuries and opt-outs, the Brooklyn Nets are going to be the ones to drop just enough games to fall to the 8th seed, even if they have the best merch possible.
Grant: The Washington Wizards are technically in the bubble, but their chances of making the playoffs sit well outside the bubble. Even with the Brooklyn Nets fielding a skeleton squad, Washington has too much ground to cover in just eight games to get into the top eight. However, the hometown Magic should be able to surpass the ravaged Nets for the seven seed.
Grant: The Washington Wizards are technically in the bubble, but their chances of making the playoffs sit well outside the bubble. Even with the Brooklyn Nets fielding a skeleton squad, Washington has too much ground to cover in just eight games to get into the top eight. However, the hometown Magic should be able to surpass the ravaged Nets for the seven seed.
8th Seed In The West
Troy: The Western Conference is going to be much more competitive than the East at the bottom of the playoff seeding. It seems like it's going to come down to the Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Trail Blazers for the final spot. Regardless of who it is, I believe this will come down to a play-in game for the 8th seed. I'm picking the Memphis Grizzlies based on them being the best team during the regular season and having the added motivation of everyone assuming that the Pelicans will catch them.
Grant: The fight for the eight seed in the West is a lot more compelling than the East, as there are five teams withing five games of each other. The Grizzlies currently hold the eighth spot, but the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, and Spurs are hot on their tail. I am part of the "everyone" assuming that the New Orleans Pelicans will catch the Grizzlies. The Pellies have a healthy Zion and play the easiest schedule of any team in the bubble.
Grant: The fight for the eight seed in the West is a lot more compelling than the East, as there are five teams withing five games of each other. The Grizzlies currently hold the eighth spot, but the Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Kings, and Spurs are hot on their tail. I am part of the "everyone" assuming that the New Orleans Pelicans will catch the Grizzlies. The Pellies have a healthy Zion and play the easiest schedule of any team in the bubble.
No, this is not a shot from a low-budget horror film
Which Mascot Would You Want To Quarantine With
Troy: Call it blind fandom or nostalgia, but I want to be quarantined with Boomer from the Indiana Pacers. The panther(?) seems friendly but not too friendly, which seems important when you're stuck with someone for an indefinite amount of time. Congrats on making the Mascot Hall of Fame, by the way. Also, there's a Mascot Hall of Fame.
Grant: I thought about picking Boomer as well, because he is one of the few mascots I have been in the same room as. But I'll go with a mascot from a different country. That's right, I want to be quarantined with The Raptor (of the Toronto Raptors, of course). I've always wanted to hang out with a dinosaur. There should be some kind of island or park people can go to and hang out with dinosaurs. It would be great. No way that idea could go wrong in any way.
Grant: I thought about picking Boomer as well, because he is one of the few mascots I have been in the same room as. But I'll go with a mascot from a different country. That's right, I want to be quarantined with The Raptor (of the Toronto Raptors, of course). I've always wanted to hang out with a dinosaur. There should be some kind of island or park people can go to and hang out with dinosaurs. It would be great. No way that idea could go wrong in any way.
Which Player Would You Want To Quarantine With
Troy: Call me a homer, but I'm sticking with the Indiana Pacers and taking Myles Turner. He's into LEGOs, Star Wars, and Spider-Man, which makes him ideal to be stuck with. He might even teach me yoga, who knows. Again, no one can tell how long we'll be stuck inside except for maybe every other country on Earth.
Grant: As fun as it might be to drink with J.R. Smith, eat gummy bears with Dion Waiters, go fishing with Ben Simmons, or break quarantine with Lou Williams, I can't choose anyone other than my guy Giannis Antetekounmpo. He seems like a fun-loving dude. Also, Grant and Giannis has a nice ring to it.
Grant: As fun as it might be to drink with J.R. Smith, eat gummy bears with Dion Waiters, go fishing with Ben Simmons, or break quarantine with Lou Williams, I can't choose anyone other than my guy Giannis Antetekounmpo. He seems like a fun-loving dude. Also, Grant and Giannis has a nice ring to it.
Just look at that smile
Team Of Destiny
Troy: There is no other team that has more experience with destiny than the Toronto Raptors. From the time Kawhi Leonard's shot to beat the 76ers in last year's playoffs, it was clear that they were the team the universe wanted to win the championship. The Raptors lost a player that had one of the greatest playoff runs in history and yet they actually are entering the bubble with a better winning percentage than they had last season. If any team is going to win this wacky and wild situation, it'll be the team that got its name because of the success of a Jeff Goldblum movie.
Grant: I don't really believe in destiny, and if things are predetermined, none of these teams scream DESTINY to me. But since I need to provide an answer, I'll come up with one. I would side my colleague and say the Raptors, but they were last year's Team of Destiny. The way 2020 has gone, this year's Team of Destiny has to be a team that needs a miracle to win it all. One team that would fit that description is the Orlando Magic. They are also playing in their home city and are literally called the "Magic".
Grant: I don't really believe in destiny, and if things are predetermined, none of these teams scream DESTINY to me. But since I need to provide an answer, I'll come up with one. I would side my colleague and say the Raptors, but they were last year's Team of Destiny. The way 2020 has gone, this year's Team of Destiny has to be a team that needs a miracle to win it all. One team that would fit that description is the Orlando Magic. They are also playing in their home city and are literally called the "Magic".
Please follow
Who Wins The East
Troy: Bucks. In. Six. The universe obviously wants the Toronto Raptors to win every game they play, but the Milwaukee Bucks employ a man named Giannis. I just don't think anyone is going to be able to figure out how to get past the Greek Freak down in Orlando.
Grant: What Troy said. The Bucks were one game away from the Finals last year, and this time they don't have to worry about Kawhi Leonard.
Bucks
Grant: What Troy said. The Bucks were one game away from the Finals last year, and this time they don't have to worry about Kawhi Leonard.
Who Wins The West
Troy: The battle for LA is heading to Orlando. I keep going back and forth between the Clippers and Lakers. I like them both a lot and particularly like the Clippers bench, but I think when the situation gets weird you go with the go to guy. That's why I'm picking the Lakers to win the West. The grey in his beard and the sparkle in his eye leads me to believe that LeBron James is going to do everything that the laws of science allow to be done to win games.
Grant: What Troy said. The two Los Angeles teams are definitely the favorites, and I could see either getting to the Finals. But only one of those teams has LeBron James, which is why I'm going with the Lakers to win the West.
Grant: What Troy said. The two Los Angeles teams are definitely the favorites, and I could see either getting to the Finals. But only one of those teams has LeBron James, which is why I'm going with the Lakers to win the West.
Somebody's been hitting that Touch of Grey
Bubble MVP
Troy: To be clear, this is just for the 8 seeding games and not the playoffs. That being cleared up, I'm taking Damian Lillard. I know, I know. I picked both the Grizzlies and Pelicans ahead of them for the 8th seed. Yet I think the only reason the Trail Blazers will be breathing down everyone's neck is because Dam is going to go off in these games. If he averages 35+ points and 8+ assists, I will not be surprised. If anyone is going to put up video game numbers, it might as well be Lillard.
Grant: In an eight-game sprint, the MVP race is wide open. I could go with the player who'll probably win the actual MVP (Giannis) or the player who might've won it had the season not been halted (LeBron), But since this is an eight-game crapshoot, I'll take a shot in the dark and go with Ben Simmons. He has taken a lot of heat, but he's a strong defender and can go for a triple-double any night. I'm also going to make a bold prediction and say that he makes at least two three-pointers in the bubble. He'll be key in regards to how well the 76ers do.
Grant: In an eight-game sprint, the MVP race is wide open. I could go with the player who'll probably win the actual MVP (Giannis) or the player who might've won it had the season not been halted (LeBron), But since this is an eight-game crapshoot, I'll take a shot in the dark and go with Ben Simmons. He has taken a lot of heat, but he's a strong defender and can go for a triple-double any night. I'm also going to make a bold prediction and say that he makes at least two three-pointers in the bubble. He'll be key in regards to how well the 76ers do.
When he threw this fish back, he missed the ocean. The entire ocean.
Which Player Would You Want As A Cornhole Partner
Troy: CP3 actually stands for Cornhole Points 3 because all Chris Paul is going to do is get it in the hole. Paul is both an excellent passer and a great bowler, which leads me to believe he'll be a great cornholer. I'd also like to take this point to say that it has come to our attention at Head in the Game that some people have been referring to the fine backyard game of cornhole as "bags". This kind of foolishness will not be tolerated on our blog and our official stance is that anyone that call it "bags" is a big fat poopoo head.
Grant: To find a bubble cornhole partner, I did some research. I discovered that the Spurs held a team cornhole tournament and the winners were Tyler Zeller and athletic development coach Kelly Forbes. Zeller grew up in Indiana, so it probably wasn't the first time he had thrown a bean bag at a wooden board. I feel confident that he would be able to carry us to victory (or at least a close loss).
Grant: To find a bubble cornhole partner, I did some research. I discovered that the Spurs held a team cornhole tournament and the winners were Tyler Zeller and athletic development coach Kelly Forbes. Zeller grew up in Indiana, so it probably wasn't the first time he had thrown a bean bag at a wooden board. I feel confident that he would be able to carry us to victory (or at least a close loss).
Chris's partner would actually be Jake from State Farm
NBA Champion
Troy: Bucks. In. Six? Yes, I'm saying that Brandon Jennings' prediction way back in 2013 was not about their, at the time, current series against the Celtics but rather about the 2020 NBA Finals. The Milwaukee Bucks are a well constructed team around the current best player in the league. The biggest question mark is if Khris Middleton or someone else will be able to step up and be the second guy in late game situations.
Grant: BUCKS. IN. SIX. Okay, it might take seven games for the Milwaukee Bucks to topple the kings of the West, but I believe this is the year Giannis gets his first ring. The Bucks are a well-built team. They have a superstar, a good coach, and quality role players. The key, as Troy touched on, will be how guys like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Brook Lopez perform in crucial moments.
Grant: BUCKS. IN. SIX. Okay, it might take seven games for the Milwaukee Bucks to topple the kings of the West, but I believe this is the year Giannis gets his first ring. The Bucks are a well-built team. They have a superstar, a good coach, and quality role players. The key, as Troy touched on, will be how guys like Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, and Brook Lopez perform in crucial moments.
Giannis and co. have their eyes on the prize
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