Welcome back to The Weekly 4-Point Play, our new weekly column highlighting four of the biggest and most exciting stories in the association. In case you missed it, Volume 5 is HERE. I have to start this out by saying the IST is a massive success.
I consider Haliburton to be too good for the concept of a future superstar (he’s a current superstar) but I’m glad people are starting to see how special he is. A team like the Pacers who I still don’t think have what it takes for a long postseason run, getting the spotlight on them for a week is why I am loving this In-Season Tournament.
There might be a trade to help the Pacers in the postseason that we will get to, we also take a look at a young guy earning a bigger role for Golden State and have a look at a potential future star in the Windy City. We can’t forget about the Block Party of the Week either! Let’s dive into it. Take us away Steph Curry!
Role Player Spotlight: Moses Moody is stepping up for the Warriors.
The Warriors entered the season with seemingly a lot of options ahead of Moses Moody in the wing rotation. They have since unfortunately lost Gary Payton II to an injury and Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson are having a hard time getting going this season. In some ways, Moody has been their most consistent option at wing. He has developed into a really solid 3 and D wing for the Warriors.
Moody has been hitting shots from deep and has played solid defense as well. If the Warriors want to make another run at a championship with Steph Curry, they need Moody to keep this play up and they will need the rest of the supporting cast to step it up as well.
Trip to the trade machine: The Pacers add to their forward rotation
I apologize to OG and to Raps fans who are hoping to keep him, he has been a regular in the trip to the trade machine. It’s just because a lot of teams could use a player like OG! The Pacers need some defense and some more consistent play from their forward rotation. OG could play either forward position for them and provide them with elite defense. OG is capable of guarding many different types of players. This is the type of trade that could make the Pacers very dangerous in the playoffs.
Future Star Watch: Coby White is shooting the lights out
In Zach LaVine’s absence, Coby White has stepped up and has showcased how his all-around game could easily be expanded into a larger role.
The Bulls lack young players with a ton of upside, but it looks like Coby White might be able to fill the void. He recently broke the Bulls’ record for most games in a row with 3 or more 3-pointers with 9. This is easily the best stretch of basketball that Coby White has played in his NBA career.
He is doing it for the Bulls, scoring, rebounding, passing, taking charges, and of course, hitting big shots over some of the best defenders in the league. As the Bulls seem to be moving into their next era of basketball, Coby White might be the brightest part of their future.
The Block Party of The Week: Brook Lopez is eating people up at the rim
Brook Lopez has one of the most interesting careers in the NBA. When he played for the Nets of New Jersey and Brooklyn, he was known as a low post scorer who wasn’t the best defender. He is now one of the best defensive players in the league and also has plenty of perimeter skills.
He and Giannis are one of the best rim protection duos in history at this point. I wrote about this some last week too, but if the Bucks can get their perimeter defense up to par either organically or by some kind of trade, this team would become very hard to beat.
The Bucks have a solid record but still don’t seem to be clicking on all cylinders. They still have to be considered one of the most scary teams in the NBA, especially since they haven’t hit their stride yet. They will look to make it further than their final four appearances in the IST when the postseason begins.
Reilly McDonnell
Reilly is from Naperville, IL and is a big Bulls and Michigan State Spartans fan. He enjoys spending time with loved ones, watching movies, and coaching Water Polo when he isn’t watching basketball or deep diving Basketball-Reference and Stathead.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McDReilly97!