Shabazz Napier’s near month-long string of DNP’s and low-minute appearances coincided with his Nets unexpected winning streak. That winning streak ended last game; Napier’s DNP streak ended tonight in startling fashion, with him scoring a career-high-tying 32 points, drawing tons of free throws like he was some sort of good player who has earned the respect of the refs, and throwing some nice passes as well.
“Why do scrubs always go off on us?” is the cry from Bucks fans tonight, but it is muted, since they won in the end. Napier and Kenneth Faried led the way for an injury-depleted Brooklyn team, two players who usually don’t get to play at all. They scored over 50 points combined. That is outrageous. I was getting pretty mad at points in the fourth quarter, luckily, Giannis came in and saved the day so I don’t have to sit here steaming while trying to think of words to type about Napier that aren’t “screw off”.
Since when does a player like D’Angelo Russell need “rest”, anyway? That’s the main reason Napier got to play as much as he did, but I don’t imagine a young person like Russell needing as much in-season maintenance as a Tim Duncan or a Kobe Bryant. I’m suspicious; my best guess is that Russell spent the night partying too hard in Milwaukee, drank way too much, and drunkenly fell into the river where he had to be rescued by a boat full of equally drunk police officers.