MADRID — I know, know. Right off the bat you're wondering: Why is the Tuesday Newsletter Extravaganza printing on a Wednesday?
There is a worthy explanation.
My time in Spain with my son Alexander The Greatest is too short and was too harried Tuesday to get stationary long enough to post something until late at night. We flew in from in England, gratefully attended Real Madrid's unexpectedly nervy 3-2 La Liga win over Deportivo Alavés and have been running around before and after to see as much of the city as we can before we have to relocate again.
It was thus decided that this had to be a Tuesday Shortie written on my phone ... and then shared on a Wednesday.
It's an important one nonetheless given today's topic and group assignment below.
The reigning champion Boston Celtics have already held their Media Day festivities (video below) and the 2022-23 champion Denver Nuggets will do the same Thursday, giving us an immediate opportunity to hear Michael Malone's response to inevitable questions about recent rumbles of friction between the coaching staff and front office in the Rocky Mountains.
LA Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank revealed in his own press availability Tuesday that Kawhi Leonard still hasn't fully healed from the right knee woes that limited him to just two playoff games in April. The Lakers' Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick are scheduled to meet the Los Angeles press Wednesday and various GMs and coaches around the league -- like the Golden State duo of Mike Dunleavy and Steve Kerr on Thursday -- are also sitting for press conferences this week to get a jump on the Media Day activities that 28 teams will stage Monday.
It is really starting to feel, as a result, like the 2024-25 season has arrived, which prompted me to pose this query to the community:
What is the one NBA question you most want answered between now and Tuesday when all 30 teams will be back to full-steam practicing?
It can be directed to any player or any coach or any GM from any team. Please register your suggestions below. (Hopefully, if it was Celtics-related, someone asked it for you already.)
What is the most burning NBA question you want to hear a reporter pose on your behalf in coming days?
I figure that a strong array of suggestions from the group will give us all a good idea of the storylines leaguewide that should be classified as the most interesting.
So please weigh in here in the comment space. Tell me what NBA topic has you most curious/intrigued with season No. 79 in #thisleague about to get underway.
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You can ask Jimmy Butler any question with the words future and heat in the same sentence…. I want to see if he goes off like in Minny. I think he has too much respect for Spo but i would have said the same for Thibs
I want some Lakers reporter to ask about if we could see Jarred Vanderbilt in the preseason, and if not, do they anticipate he will be ready for game 1. I also would be interested in knowing what on-court activity Vando has been cleared to do, as well.
The frustrating lack of transparency leads me to think he will not be ready to start the season. And then, I wonder how long that absence will linger. Oooof. 😳😵💫😣
How do the Knicks address their lack of a starting center? JR didn't want to play center when he played in L.A., so why would he be amenable now? Will an (undersized) "center by committee" be sufficient?
I would also ask Lebron if the timeline/opportunity of buying an expansion team in Las Vegas will influence his retirement timeline.
You can ask Jimmy Butler any question with the words future and heat in the same sentence…. I want to see if he goes off like in Minny. I think he has too much respect for Spo but i would have said the same for Thibs
Why did it take until Sept for the Nuggets and Murray to agree to an extension? And how much of it is guaranteed money?
What needs to happen this season in Dallas to make sure Luka signs the supermax extension next summer?
USAB did the rest of #thisleague no favors in accidentally motivating Boston’s top two players.
What will Doc Rivers do differently to maximize the Giannis-Dame partnership?
Are the Warriors providing Kerr with a protective detail when he travels to Boston for the first time this season?
😂
I want some Lakers reporter to ask about if we could see Jarred Vanderbilt in the preseason, and if not, do they anticipate he will be ready for game 1. I also would be interested in knowing what on-court activity Vando has been cleared to do, as well.
The frustrating lack of transparency leads me to think he will not be ready to start the season. And then, I wonder how long that absence will linger. Oooof. 😳😵💫😣
How do the Knicks address their lack of a starting center? JR didn't want to play center when he played in L.A., so why would he be amenable now? Will an (undersized) "center by committee" be sufficient?