December 23, 2020 - Rohan Nadkarni

The Late Night Happy Hour with Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

The NBA has its first COVID-19 interruption of the 2020-21 season, and it's not James Harden's fault! Well, it's sort of his fault, but not for the reasons some might think. On a night where the Rockets/Thunder game was postponed, we welcome Rohan Nadkarni, NBA writer at Sports Illustrated, to the show.

We start on Harden's mess, the Rockets' mess, and what might soon spill into the NBA's mess if players across the league don't stay vigilant about protecting themselves. Meanwhile, how is Harden's violation of league protocols and general thumbing of his nose at Houston's management is making it harder for him to actually get what he wants?

Then, it's on to the Opening Night Battle of LA... won by the Clippers. It's the first game, but what might have been instructive, insofar as matchups later in the season are concerned? Were there any clues on how a playoff series between these teams could go?

From there, it's on to Rohan's outstanding feature story on Davis. How did Kobe play a role in his development? What about Lakers assistant coach Mike Penberthy? We talk Jimmy Butler (based on another excellent story from Rohan) and why so many people missed the mark with him.

Finally, a game of Rob Pelinka Trivia, in honor of Rob Pelinka's birthday.