Rating the NBA: Game 1 Duds, Jersey Ads, LeBron’s Elbows

The Rev reviews and rates the latest NBA news, including a bad opening weekend of playoff hoops, ads on jerseys and LeBron James throwing elbows.

Most Utah Jazz fans would probably agree that it’s been a tough weekend. With the NBA Playoffs beginning on Saturday, the Jazz on the outside looking in and the next date of consequence for the team being the draft lottery, which is more than a month away, now is not the best time to be a blue, green and gold diehard.

It’s been so rough that I, for one, just spent 20 minutes reading something entitled “35 Celebs Who’ve Aged Horribly.” This was preceded by a steady stream of Jake Lloyd’s most awkward line reads from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

Hardwood Paroxysm’s Matt Moore said it best–

Nevertheless, the league marches on and I’m here to catch you up by reviewing the latest NBA news. I’ll also react to it by assigning a totally arbitrary rating of each story’s impact, awesomeness and/or effect on my psyche/ability to pry me away from the YouTube rabbit hole on a one to 10 scale.

So, now that you’re wise to the concept, let’s get ready to rumble!

NBA Playoffs Begin with a Whimper

The postseason is in effect and four of the eight games to begin the first round were total dumpster fires (with a fifth being pretty bad). Without question, the worst of these atrocities for Jazz fans was Game 1 of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets series, a match-up that our own Jared Woodcox lamented in his most recent piece.

Houston trailed by 27 points at halftime, and even though Stephen Curry left the game early in the third quarter and never returned, they still lost by 26 points to the defending world champions.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder dumped Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in a 38-point win, the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets by 32 and the San Antonio Spurs beat what remains of the Memphis Grizzlies by 32 as well.

We were treated to some vintage Vince Carter in the latter contest. The future Hall of Famer turned back the clock in his 19 minutes of play, scoring 16 points on six of seven shooting. Still, the game was horrible.

Rev’s Rating: 5/10. There were a couple of interesting games, but when we’re all but breaking the brooms out for half of the match-ups, it’s bad times. Bring on the second round.

More from The J-Notes

• With the FIBA World Cup over for Simone Fontecchio, it’s clear he deserves minutes for the Utah Jazz
• Best, Worst and Most likely scenarios for the Utah Jazz this season
• Hoops Hype downplays the significance of the Utah Jazz’s valuable assets
• 3 Utah Jazz players who have the most to gain or lose this season
• Former Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay is a free agent still and it shouldn’t surprise anyone

NBA Approves On-Jersey Advertising

On Friday, the NBA’s board of governors approved a program that will allow teams to sell ad space on the players’ jerseys. According to an announcement from the league, the three-year pilot program will enable company’s to purchase a 2.5-inch-by-2.5-inch space on uniforms for the display of their corporate logos.

The program will begin in 2017 and makes the NBA the first of the United States’ four major sporting leagues to allow sponsorships on jerseys.

Rev’s Rating: 6.5/10. As an avid follower of international competition with FIBA, FIFA, the English Premiere League and Euroleague hoops, I’m pretty accustomed to big corporate logos splashed across the chest of many of my favorite athletes. Having said that, I’ve always felt a little weird about the same happening in the NBA.

However, a 2.5 by 2.5 patch is pretty innocuous and if the league can take big money from corporations to slap their logo on a barely-visible patch, more power to ’em. I can’t wait to see an LDSsingles.com patch on my Kyrie Irving jersey when I get it. Since, you know, Kyrie is obviously coming to Utah in a blockbuster trade this summer.

Next: Golden State Should Be Glady Jazz Missed the Playoffs

LeBron James Getting Away with Murder Because He’s LeBron James.

The Detroit Pistons actually put up a pretty good fight against LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers to tip-off their first-round series, losing by just five points at the Q. This coming despite the Cavs having an eight to five advantage on the floor.

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy’s thoughts about the officiating during the game–

So what’s got Stan the Man so hot and bothered aside from the usual calls King James gets the benefit of? Probably things like this–

Andre Drummond just got Malowned.

Rev’s Rating: 1/10. I’m probably one of the bigger defenders of LeBron James you’ll find, but his elbows are weaksauce and the officials did a terrible job of keeping things in check in the game.

I know the playoffs are a more physical brand of basketball and, for that, I’m thankful. What LeBron is doing is something else entirely and the way Game 1 between the Cavs and Pistons was called is a total mockery.