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Inspired by Rory Smith’s work on soccer at The New York Times, I want to first reflect on the (more likely than not) possibility that the Milwaukee Bucks do not win the championship this year, before offering a loosely related and more compassionate take on Ben Simmons.
The NBA lionizes hardware, where the accomplishments of franchises and individual players are measured by the yardstick of trophies. This makes sense given our desire to find simple quantifications of success. However, it can obscure qualities of success that are more meaningful. Consider a scenario where the Bucks make the NBA finals every year for the next five years. If they came up short of the title each year, they would be written off for not being clutch, rather than being lauded for their consistent level of success. Each season would involve a relatively boring but successful regular season and the vanquishing of three teams in the playoffs, but would ultimately be a failure for losing the last game of the season. I want to instead argue that there is joy in placing second. We would still get to watch Giannis, Khris, Jrue, and Mamu perform their best both on and off the court and enjoy the community of fandom that comes with it.
With a roughly similar mentality, I want to turn to Ben Simmons. There has been a long slog of rough news in recent weeks, which I won’t review for the sake of brevity. I do not disagree that, in isolation, that each of these incidents has been risible. But, in aggregate, they seem to suggest a young man having very real challenges with his mental health. After a year in which Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles prominently advocated for the importance of athletes’ mental health, it is intriguing that Simmons does not receive an iota of empathy. Instead of taking him for his word, the 76ers apparently believe he is faking mental health troubles. I am sure they know things that we do not, but regardless, it is high time that we put mental health on the same plane as physical health. Being paid millions obviates neither torn ACLs or mental health issues, and both physical and mental health are crucial to high-level performance (not to mention, you know, athletes’ well-being). Although the ongoing situation in Philadelphia remains delicious and directly benefits the Bucks, I wish Ben Simmons well.
Without further ado, good luck on today’s trivia! The answers are in the comments below.
Question #1
Poll
The Bucks are currently rocking a solid slew of foot-adjacent injuries. Which of the following Player / Injury combos is FALSE?
This poll is closed
-
32%
A: Rodney Hood / Foot
(61 votes) -
10%
B: Donte DiVincenzo / Ankle
(20 votes) -
9%
C: Jrue Holiday / Heel
(17 votes) -
47%
D: Bobby Portis / Calf
(87 votes)
Question #2
Poll
Due to the aforementioned spate of inquiries, the Bucks’ first-round pick Sandro Mamukelashvili (aka Mamu) has received minutes in several games thus far. The big man is originally from the capital of Georgia. What is it?
This poll is closed
-
2%
A: Atlanta
(4 votes) -
24%
B: Yerevan
(45 votes) -
62%
C: Tbilisi
(117 votes) -
10%
D: Baku
(20 votes)
Question #3
Poll
Grayson Allen has been dubbed by some as gRay Allen, likely owing to the myriad similarities between them. Which of the following is FALSE?
This poll is closed
-
15%
A: They were first round draft picks.
(28 votes) -
31%
B: Their height and weight are almost identical.
(58 votes) -
1%
C: They played for the Bucks.
(2 votes) -
51%
D: Their playoff 3P% are almost identical.
(94 votes)
Question #4
Poll
The Bucks lost to Old Friend PJ Tucker and the Dawgs that are the Miami Heat last week. On the bright side, several of our young Bucks got off the pine. Which of the following did NOT outscore washed-up Kyle Lowry?
This poll is closed
-
19%
A: Justin Robinson
(35 votes) -
2%
B: Jordan Nwora
(5 votes) -
62%
C: Georgios Kalaitzakis
(112 votes) -
15%
D: Sandro Mamukelashvili
(27 votes)
Question #5
Poll
In the famed 2001 Bucks bop "Light It Up," how many times are the words "Light It Up" actually said?
This poll is closed
-
21%
A: 0
(37 votes) -
12%
B: 7
(22 votes) -
34%
C: 14
(59 votes) -
31%
D: 21
(55 votes)
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