Five Daily Thoughts: Firings, suspensions and Lowry, oh my

Busy morning yesterday meant I couldn’t get the thoughts up, but absence only makes the heart grow fonder, right?

It’s another off day for the Raptors today so let’s catch up with the NBA and see what’s happening... oh. Oh no. Not an emotional Kyle Lowry profile. I’m not ready...

1. Marc Spears interviews Kyle Lowry

The Undefeated caught up with Kyle Lowry and talked all things Toronto and Miami an everything in between. It hits all the beats you’d expect, Kyle says all the things you’ve heard him say already, and there’s nothing revelatory. But it’s still bittersweet to read it.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to read Lowry stories without getting bummed out. Probably when he retires, at this point.

2. Fight night

So a one-game suspension for LeBron James and a two-game suspension for Isaiah Stewart? Sounds about right, I guess; maybe I’d have given Stewart four or five games. Not because I blame him for being upset about the hit from James, but what bothers me about the whole thing is he’s running over team personnel and tossing them aside, potentially injuring them as badly or worse than what James did to him. And these are not world class athletes being paid millions of dollars. Just regular people trying to keep Stewart from doing something he’d regret.

Props to Cade Cunningham, though, for doing everything he could to keep Stewart in check.

3. Walton done

Luke Walton never gets another coaching job, right? That run with the Golden State Warriors clearly had much, much more to do with the players and with Steve Kerr’s system than anything Walton did. His Lakers were a laughingstock. The Kings were a laughingstock before he got there, sure, but nothing’s changed. Then there are the assault allegations which the Kings and the NBA just brushed aside. He’s done, right?

Oh, who am I kidding. We all know he’ll fail upward. I’m sure he’ll be coaching the Magic by next season.

4. Healthy roster incoming

Both Yuta Watanabe and OG Anunoby practiced yesterday, according to those in the know, which means it’s possible both play on Wednesday and the Toronto Raptors have a full roster for the first time all season. (Of course it’s also possible they sit out again, or that someone else sits. You never know with the ever-cautious Raptors!)

It will be great to see the team healthy, but I also must express some caution here; we’re all waiting on Yuta like he’s gonna turn the team around, when it’s much more likely he’s just another role who’s not appreciably better than the guys who are currently playing, and who’s got six weeks of rust compiled. I mean, I hope he plays well and has a big role— I hope the improvement trajectory is real. But I think we’d better keep our expectations in check!

5. Kuz, what the...?

Look, I know not everyone can be Serge Ibaka, but Kyle Kuzma, WYD??

Yeah, I get it, it’s November, we all want to be cozy and warm. But how is this thing even functional? Like who puts on a sweater that renders your arms and hands useless? Has Kuzma not heard of gloves? And Kuzma is 6’10”! Imagine this thing on Fred VanVleet. The sleeves would be at his feet!

Kuz, this is not art.