Between the 2K Tourney, the H.O.R.S.E. Competition, and the Drafts, There is a Ton Going on with NBA Basketball
COVID-19 is supposed to shut down everything, and frankly, it has been doing one hell of a job at just that. NBA Basketball is like Freddy Krueger in your worst nightmare, though. The league just won’t go away! Between Steph Curry owning social media and Adam Silver coordinating some league sanctioned events, basketball is far from out of the public consciousness, let alone truly shut down.
NBA 2K Tournament: Devin Booker is the Champion we Need, Not the One we Deserve!
The smart play by sports leagues has been to invest in E-Sports. That’s not just a thing that has sprouted from the ‘Rona. Leagues have invested in gaming for decades. Belly Up has been all over gaming for as long as I can remember.
In this time of quarantine, the NBA jumped on board with an NBA 2K tournament, featuring star players like Kevin Durant and Trae Young.
We’ve learned a few things from this tournament:
- Harrison Barnes sucks at 2K. Trae Young beat him in the first round 101- 59. Seriously, if you’re over 25 and you aren’t staying up on video games then don’t play in this. Trae Young snatched Barnes’ soul like Shang Tsung. (Harrison Barnes probably gets this reference, which is how I know he is too old for this damn tournament.)
- Kevin Durant really can’t win a championship without Steph, Klay, and Draymond. KD went out in the first round of this tournament, losing to Airplane Mode, Derrick Jones Jr., 78-62. This wasn’t even a dunk contest, KD! There is no excuse, considering you were the one seed. KD disappointing in the playoffs as if he was back in Oklahoma City.
- Devin Booker took the crown, beating Montrezl Harrell in the final. That should be no surprise, as Kentucky Wildcats basketball alumni are used to beating Louisville Cardinals basketball alumni this time of year.
The NBA has us Head Over Heels for H.O.R.S.E.
The next event to cure our basketball Jones is the NBA H.O.R.S.E. competition.
What, you aren’t familiar with H.O.R.S.E.? What the hell kind of childhood did you have?
H.O.R.S.E. is the ultimate trick-shot game of “anything you can do I can do better!” Your competition takes a shot and you must recreate it. If you can, you get control of the game. If you can’t you get a letter added to your score. The first person to score H.O.R.S.E. loses.
Here is the H.O.R.S.E. bracket:
If you need some action, Las Vegas has odds for the tournament. Trae Young and Chris Paul are co-favorites to win while the newly minted Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings is the longest shot at +1200 to win. Of course, if you can’t socially distance yourself from an online casino during the quarantine, that might be a sign you have a problem- or some inside information (in which case, slide into my Twitter DMs).
The WNBA Draft is Basically Going to Happen Like Franchise Mode on Your Favorite Video Game
Our friends in the WNBA are jumping head first into the 21st century with a virtual draft. The draft is scheduled for Friday, April 17.
While there are still some questions as to whether games will be played this summer, the league will have the annual event, welcoming a new crop of fresh players into the best women’s basketball league on the planet.
Besides, the New York Liberty has the first pick and they can socially distance and still pick Sabrina Ionescu. Heck, they won’t even have to spell her name right if the draft is done via Zoom!
No One Really Knows When the NBA Draft Will Happen
One thing we learned this week is that the NBA isn’t sure when they will do their draft.
The NBA Draft postponed?
— Dan Lust, Esq.? (@SportsLawLust) March 20, 2020
Currently scheduled for June 25th, teams have been expressing concerns of limited access to players given CDC guidance. The NCAA’s June 3rd deadline to declare for the Draft seems to be forcing the issue.
Something’s gotta give…https://t.co/h2hTmOskFf
The uncertainty hasn’t stopped top players from declaring for the Draft, though. Vernon Carey, LaMelo Ball, James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Maxey are all players that were among the top high school senior prospects a year ago. All have declared for the NBA Draft in 2020.
The league is scheduled to have their draft on June 25, but with uncertainty when the league will return to play it would seem that the draft will have to be pushed, with August being mentioned as a reasonable expectation as to when the draft might be held.
If the NBA Draft goes digital, do you think guys will still rock their drip on Facetime interviews?
I’m here to ask the hard-hitting questions!
Continue to check out the best basketball content on the web at Belly Up Sports NBA page. Follow me Twitter @ChakaCummings and check out my podcast “F” in Sports.
