November 5, 2018 – DownToBuck

D’Angelo Russell 21 Points/6 Assists Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

I feel like D’Angelo Russell is slipping into obscurity with the Nets. Even though he’s in a big market and his draft position hasn’t changed (he was taken second overall in the 2015 draft and that isn’t likely to change), the expectations that were on him in Los Angeles don’t seem to be there anymore….

D.J. Augustin 18 Points/7 Assists Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

The pattern that’s emerged through D.J. Augustin’s long and peripatetic NBA career is that he’s either a really good backup PG who fans are thrilled to have…or he’s a mediocre starter who is just good enough not to destroy the team’s winning chances, but not good enough to get excited about. He’s constantly getting traded…

Dillon Brooks 17 Points Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

Dillon Brooks doesn’t seem to be reacting well towards having his minutes and opportunities reduced this year. He was a surprise for the Grizzlies last year, and ended up playing a ton as they entered ultra-tank mode. He was one of their best players, somehow, during the final stretch of unwatchable basketball Memphis was plopping…

Pascal Siakam 16 Points/2 Dunks Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

Masai Ujiri must still be really salty over having Giannis Antetokounmpo snatched up in front of him, because he’s seemingly trying to turn Pascal Siakam into a similar player after the failure of Bruno Caboclo to do the same. I mean, there’s no other reason for Siakam to be bringing the ball up the court,…

Mo Bamba 12 Points Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

If the Magic want to avoid being stuck in 11th seed purgatory forever, they need Mo Bamba to turn into their next Shaq. Starting right now. There are other paths forward, but most of them are not feasible (praying for Giannis to come save you is not really a valid path), this one is the…

Meyers Leonard 15 Points Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

I would like to share with you a statistical tidbit that has been making the rounds on social media lately: Meyers “Seven-Foot-One” Leonard’s last blocked shot came in the 2016-17 season. He played all of last year and so far all of this year without rejecting a single field goal attempt. You’d think that, eventually,…

Kyle Kuzma 24 Points Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

The Lakers are still under .500 10 games into the season, so that means it’s time for LeBron’s favorite time of the year: trade season! As GM of the Lakers, he gets to decide which players stay and which players go. He also gets to handpick a new coach if he wants, but that’s not…

Mikal Bridges 14 Points/4 Threes Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

It’s time to take Ryan Anderson out behind the arena, gently lower him into a dumpster as he weakly protests, close the lid, put a tire on it, and wait for the elements to do their thing. That might take a while in Phoenix, so if they want to borrow a Milwaukee dumpster so that…

Shelvin Mack 21 Points Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

If someone (it would have to be me, wouldn’t it) were to compile a list of least-relevant-but-not-terrible NBA players, Shelvin “The Macksturbator” Mack would have to be way up at the top. He’s for sure a competent backup PG, not a starter at all, but a guy who you feel kinda comfortable having on the…

Serge Ibaka Career High 34 Points Full Highlights (11/4/2018)

Those who were watching this game were doubtlessly aware of how Serge Ibaka was taking a whole bunch of shots and making them all. He didn’t miss a shot in the first half on 11 tries, if I remember right. Eventually he ended up 15-for-17, which is good, but it’s not perfect. Hard to blame…