Month: August 2020

There’s a lot of new Star Trek content coming our way, partly because its home streaming service CBS All Access needs plenty of content to fill its coffers. But arguably the most unusual is the one called Star Trek: Lower Decks, an animated series from Rick and Morty writer and Solar Opposites co-creator Mike McMahan. The show launched on August 6, with 10 episodes released at a very non-Netflix-y one week at a time. And though you do have to be a CBS All Access subscriber to see them, they did make the maiden episode available to everyone by dropping it on YouTube.

As evidenced by the Rick and Morty connection, Lower Decks isn’t a typical all-ages show. Its humor is decidedly adult, and the mayhem a lot wilder than you expect from any Trek iteration. It doesn’t even follow the usual heroes. Instead, it’s about crew members at the bottom of the food chain, hoping for promotions they’ll likely never get yet still getting involved in wild adventures. The reviews have been mixed-to-positive, but now everyone, and not just those shelling out for the umpteenth streamer, can judge the show for themselves. Alas, if you wish to watch other Trek programs, like Discovery, Picard or the forthcoming Strange New Worlds, you’re gonna have to fork over some more cash.

You can watch the first episode of Lower Decks in the video above.

(Via /Film)

On August 10, The Weeknd saw his debut album Kiss Land rise back to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes R&B chart, some seven whole years after the album’s release. The rapper took to Twitter to celebrate the rare feat, writing, “xo’s legacy is full of surprises. discography turning timeless. can’t thank you guys enough. XO #kissland.” Not long after, on a recent episode of his Momento Mori radio show on Apple Music, The Weeknd then took fans back to the Kiss Land era by playing a number of unreleased tracks.

Describing it as a “special thank you episode to the fans for showing so much love to kiss land this week,” the rapper played a remix of Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence song “Money Power Glory” and a demo of his Juicy collaboration, “One Of Those Nights,” from the Memphis rapper’s deluxe Stay Trippy album, among others. Other demos tracks heard on the episode included “Angel Face,” “For Your Eyes,” “Heavenly Creatures,” and “Another One of Me.”

The episode arrived after The Weeknd made a $300,000 donation to aid relief efforts in Beirut following the port city’s terrifying explosion.

You can listen to the songs on The Weeknd’s latest Momento Mori radio show here.

After a disappointing showing in the Bubble seeding games, the New Orleans Pelicans have parted ways with head coach Alvin Gentry, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

The Pelicans went 2-6 in Orlando and in their first day home, the team has decided to do what had been rumored for some time, dismissing the head coach who has led the team since 2015. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin will — despite having a previous connection with Gentry dating back to their time together in Phoenix — now have the opportunity to hire his own coach for the first time since taking over in New Orleans.

The Pelicans confirmed the move shortly after in a release.

“I’m grateful for and appreciative of Alvin’s commitment to the organization and, most importantly, the local community,” said Griffin in a statement from the team. “The City of New Orleans is richer because of his presence here. These types of moves are often about fit and timing, and we believe now is the right time to make this change and bring in a new voice.”

Under Gentry, the Pelicans had long struggled to defend consistently, even dating back to the previous era with All-NBA big man Anthony Davis anchoring the middle, when they never ranked higher than ninth on that end. It’s a reputation and difficulty that has followed the 65-year-old Gentry throughout his career.

“I want to thank Alvin for his contributions to the Pelicans and the New Orleans community,” added Pelicans Owner Gayle Benson in the team statement. “We believe that making a head coaching change is necessary at this time. I truly appreciate Alvin’s leadership, dedication and perseverance through some challenging circumstances over the past five seasons. He will always be a part of our Pelicans family, and we wish him and his family all the best in the future. Our intention moving forward is to find the right head coach that will guide this Pelicans team to compete for championships. That is what our fans deserve.”

According to multiple reports shortly after Gentry’s reported dismissal, the Pelicans are expected to follow suit with Brooklyn and pursue both Ty Lue and Jason Kidd as replacements for Gentry.

In a story at ESPN, Wojnarowski and Lopez also noted New Orleans would be interested in Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn should Brooklyn replace him at the end of the season. Vaughn has led his team in quite the opposite manner in Orlando, pushing the depleted Nets to a 5-3 record.

With a very promising young core that includes All-Star Brandon Ingram and 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, the Pelicans will have a big opportunity to take a step forward in 2020-21 under Gentry’s replacement.

Click to download here.

Hi again, it’s that time of week again where Matt and Vince take a break from their life of isolation with their significant others and talk to each other about wet ass p*ssies in perfect Irish accents and release the conversation for public consumption. Now that I’ve explained what podcasting is to you fine people, I think it’s best that I tell you what we talked about this week. On this week’s Frotcast, we invited comedian Jason Webb to the virtual Frotquarters to talk about the upcoming Apple+ documentary Boys State which follows a group of high school teens as they take a crash course in running a political campaign. We also talk Cardi B’s hot new single WAP as well as the Ben Shapiro remix. Plus, there’s a brief update on the life of Jordan B. Peterson and much more. It’s a good pod. Please listen. Please, please listen.

Additionally, over on the premium feed this week we have an extended interview with the directors of The Swamp for HBO, a doc about our broken political system. Subscribe today and listen to it! No refunds.

Here’s that thread on Jordan B. Peterson:

And the Ben Shapiro remix:

EMAIL us at [email protected], leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030.

SUBSCRIBE to the Frotcast on iTunes.

SUPPORT at Patreon.com/Frotcast. You can add the bonus feed to regular podcast app!

In October 2019, Lizzo was accused of plagiarism over her hit song, “Truth Hurts.” In response to the accusations, which were made by Justin Raisen, Jeremiah Raisen, and Justin “Yves” Rothman, Lizzo filed a lawsuit in a California federal court for “a judicial declaration” against her three accusers, claiming they “did not co-author ‘Truth Hurts,’ and have no right to co-own that work or to share in its profits.” Nearly a year after that lawsuit was filed, a judge has sided with Lizzo and her claim, as per Pitchfork.

The decision, which was made by U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee, comes after the trio of accusers countersued Lizzo in February claiming that Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” came from a single they worked on together titled “Healthy.” Judge Gee agreed with Lizzo’s claim that “a joint author of one copyrightable work does not automatically gain ownership of a derivative work in which the joint author had no hand in creating.” Judge Gee also pointed out that “Healthy” was a completed “standalone” track and not a demo version of “Truth Hurts.”

Despite granting Lizzo’s motion to dismiss the Raisens and Rothman’s initial counterclaim, Judge Gee is allowing the trio to amend their suit with new and different evidence. The trio has until September 4 to amend their suit or notify Lizzo and her team of their decision to withdrawal the amendment.

The court win comes a week after she inked a deal with Amazon to begin work on an upcoming TV series.

(via Pitchfork)

Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.

Through a nine-year run on SNL, getting married, having a kid, and navigating life as an actor, Bobby Moynihan kept his little weed dealing manatee dream alive. And now, Loafy has been realized, first as a series of digital shorts for Comedy Central (with new eps dropping Saturdays at noon), but maybe someday something more. Plush ganja slinging sea cows? A Funko Pop? Anything is possible. But it all started with an idea.

We spoke with Moynihan about the origins of this story, how he’s lost touch with his sea mammal muse, used Comedy Central’s money to set up improv play dates that drive the bonkers comedy at the heart of Loafy, paying a right and full tribute to Mindy Cohn, and getting past the angst of leaving SNL to find peace during a pandemic.

How far back does this idea go?

I don’t know, a bunch of years. I’ve always loved manatees because my wife adopted a manatee for me for Christmas. And it’s been an ongoing joke since then. And I did UnMade for IMDB, I think. And they asked if we had any projects that we had been thinking about. And I pitched them that idea and made a video and then people found it there and here we are.

Are you still doing the manatee adoption thing?

Unfortunately, I don’t know if we resubscribed. My manatee’s name was Chessie. He was named Chessie because he was the first manatee found in the Chesapeake Bay. And you could go online and follow his whereabouts. He didn’t move a lot. But yeah, I think I have lost touch with my son Chessie.

That’s terrible. It’s sad… which is why we brought him out here today to talk to you! A nice Maury moment. [Ed. note: Chessie lived a hell of a life.]

[Laughs] Yeah, right.

I did one of those for my wife for Christmas a couple of years ago. The initial thing is like, “Oh, cool.” But they never call, they never write.

You could never tell if it was the same manatee in any of them. They all look different. But I will protect all the manatees.

I appreciate your heart.

Thank you.

So, the idea of putting him in a zoo, where does that come from?

I just thought it would be funny if he was a weed dealer and then it just started making me laugh. That he couldn’t leave his tank — he would be a terrible weed dealer. But then it was just like, his weed was so good and weed is still illegal in New York, so he can still work in New York. And I just love the idea of people breaking into a really shitty zoo that’s next to the Central Park Zoo that no one knows about. And they go there to get their weed from this manatee. And it’s funny and I was definitely stoned when I thought of it.

How do you sell the show to non-stoners?

In reality, the true reason why I did this show was because I missed improvising with my friends and I love animation, and I wanted to mix the two. So I thought it would be a fun idea because it’s very hard to do improv in animation. It costs so much. But going in from the start, we knew that we were like, “This episode is about Loafy trying to get a musical instrument for his son.” You don’t know what it will be. We just knew that going in and started improvising and kind of made the episodes from there.

So for someone who doesn’t smoke weed, if you just like comedy and improv and lots of fun comedians and amazingly talented people, that’s one reason to get into it. The animation style alone, I really enjoy. It’s a little offbeat and silly and weird on purpose. If you don’t smoke weed, it’ll be fine. And if you do, I think it’ll help tremendously.

So do you think it would be a gateway drug? Will Loafy turn me to the dark side of drugs and alcohol and womanizing and manatees?

I certainly hope not. And if it does, I’m going to go ahead and say that’s not true. Loafy shouldn’t be taken that seriously [Laughs].

You don’t want the controversy? You don’t want to see Ted Cruz tweeting about Loafy?

I don’t want Ted Cruz anywhere near Loafy.

Good answer. So this cast: how do you get Tom Green involved?

A lot of these guys are very, very close friends of mine that I just wanted to improvise with and wanted to play with. And then Gina Gershon and Tom Green are just people I kind of have met along the way. And went, “You know what?” Why don’t I call them? That would be interesting. I met Tom Green at a party and we just started talking and I remember thinking I want to see him do funny stuff again and thought, “Why don’t I give him a call and ask him if he’ll do this”? And he said, “Yes”. It was random. He was absolutely hilarious. One of the things he improvised, it ended up becoming like the end of the episode. It’s the Dungeons and Dragons episode coming out. And he’s the end of that. He was just fantastic. He knocked it out of the park.

I was thinking about one of the weed strain names. Mindy Cohn’s attorney. I’m curious what it takes to kind of find the exact right strain name because that’s so perfect.

I’ve always found it extremely fun just to make up dumb weed names. It’s just fun. And it’s especially fun to do on the spot. And I love a Mindy Cohn reference and she’s absolutely wonderful.

How many episodes do you guys have in the can? What are the plans for the future?

We’re writing a pilot for Comedy Central and we have eight episodes for Comedy Central Digital. With Loafy, it was something that I got to create and direct them and have my friends come do. On that level, I was looking to learn. I wanted to learn. So to get to do it on any level, I was almost happy to do it on a smaller level and only have shorts to worry about. And now we’ve kind of figured it out, figured out the world and what we wanted to do with it. And it definitely gets weirder as the eight go along and it evolves into something that I’m really happy with.

How is your relationship to expectations… from when you first left SNL to where you are right now and what you think you should be doing. How much is that a part of your thought process when you’re looking for your next project?

I mean, I think it’s different for everyone at SNL. I think SNL is a very specific journey for each person who goes through that place and comes out on the other end. I got married, had a baby. I had a lot of stuff in my life happen right afterward and was lucky enough to get work. And then the pandemic happened and now we’re waiting. So everything’s cool. [Laughs] I think I was a lot more nervous when SNL was ending. I was like, “Oh my God, Oh my God. SNL‘s ending. What’s going to happen? What’s going to happen?” And now I’m like, “Well, I’ve got a three year old. SNL was fun. I’m glad I’m alive and healthy. And I’m going to use this time to spend with my family because I’m not up until seven in the morning writing skits.

I can’t even imagine how one would be able to do that with a kid and a relationship. From everything I’ve ever read and anyone I’ve ever talked to, it is your kid. It is your relationship.

Yeah. I met my wife a week before I got SNL.

Oh, wow.

And we got married right as I was finishing because we couldn’t. It was like, I was married to SNL. And then she was on Broadway. It was like, my day off was Sunday. Hers was Monday for nine years. Then the second we were done, we were like, “Let’s get married.”

Pre-SNL, were you involved in the whole Human Giant MTV 24-hour takeover thing that they did back in 2007?

I was not. I just watched it all unfold. I knew those guys from UCB and from the UCB touring company. Me and my friend/writing partner at the time, Charlie Sanders, we tried to write some sketches with them for one episode or something. We just went in for punch ups. It wasn’t like a thing or anything. I knew them very little.

What was the feeling at the early point in your career… You did some of the Late Night with Conan stuff, which I imagine is more like a day player kind of gig. It’s not like you’re in the writer’s room with those, right? It’s just like an acting assignment.

Yes. It was very much like, “You’ll take a hundred bucks to dance around in your underwear?” Please. It was very much of that. [Laughs]

So there are no deeply rewarding mentor relationships that are being formed with that, it’s just, “Here’s a job. Go get it.”

Yeah. I would’ve paid them to do it.

Can you talk a little bit about the community in that era? Pre-SNL in terms of just support and leaning on people.

It was beautiful! I mean it was the place where I met my wife and all my friends and we stayed there every night till the morning because we loved it and because we loved comedy and we all met people that we liked. And that was when it was wonderful.

Do you have hope that it’s still going to be able to be that for people going forward post-COVID?

Yeah. I mean, I think comedy communities will always pop up. There’s always going to be comedy nerds. They’re always going to find each other.

‘Loafy’ is streaming on Comedy Central’s YouTube channel with new episodes dropping Saturdays at noon ET.

If you’re shopping for a bottle of tequila, you could approach it one of two ways: 1) you buy a bottle blindly, maybe the label draws you in or the hue of the spirit itself, or 2) you take a targeted approach and zero in on the exact type of tequila you want/ need. We highly recommend the latter, because if you’re drawn to the bright and natural sweetness of blue agave, and you’re looking for an expression that’s going to make a great base for your cocktail, for the love of all that is holy reach for the top-shelf plata or reposado and not the extra añejo, despite the beauty of its deep amber hue. On the flip side, if sipping tequila is your jam, you reach for that Añejo bottle of Corazon De Agave over the bottle of joven more often than not.

Knowing the exact type of tequila you need will make your cocktails better and keep your wallet fatter, so we’ve pulled each of the top-rated tequilas in every category from this year’s Ultimate Spirits Challenge. The Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC) is one of the most well-respected spirit tasting organizations on the planet right now. For 10 years, their judges have been convening in a state of the art tasting facility in Hawthrone, New York, and ranking the best of the best spirits in every category they can dream up. From whiskey to rum and vodka to tequila — if it gets you drunk, the USC tests it.

So let’s dive into the top-rated tequilas in every category from this year’s Ultimate Spirits Challenge — with tasting notes from the judges. This way, you’ll know what you’re looking for and be sure to find the best of the best next time you’re thirsty.

Best Blanco/Plata Tequila: Tequila Ocho Plata (96 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: La Alteña
Average Price: $49.99

The Tequila:

Winner of the USC’s highest honor, the Chairman’s Trophy, Ocho Plata is known for its vibrantly intense and clean flavor — a testament to Tequila Ocho’s slow and methodical tequila making process. Tequila Ocho harvests their blue Weber agave at peak maturity, between 7 to 10 years, before slowly cooking the piñas in brick ovens for a full 48 hours, letting them cool for 24, and fermenting the juice in pine barrels before double distilling it in stainless steel and cooper pots. This bottle of Plata is the purest representation of that process, completely unaged, resulting in a hue that almost sparkles.

Tasting Notes: (From The USC)

Refreshing aromas of grass, granite, limes, and white pepper are classic and clean. A gentle sweetness opens up the flavors, followed by layers of spice and earthy pineapple core. The minerally backbone stays strong throughout each crisp and bright sip.

Bottom Line:

Reach for this bottle when you want to bring that bright natural taste of agave to the forefront of a cocktail.

Best Cristalino Tequila: Herradura Ultra Añejo (82 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Herradura Distillery
Average Price: $59.99

The Tequila:

Cristalino is a bit like the goldilocks of Tequila. It’s aged like a good Ańejo, but then purified — usually through charcoal — to bring forward the fruity and floral notes of agave. Before Herradura filter’s their añejo, pure agave nectar is added into the mix, which brings forward flavors of vanilla, caramel, honey, and toasted almonds for an expression best enjoyed neat in a rocks glass.

Tasting Notes: (From Drizly)

Full-bodied yet with subtle hints of agave nectar, caramel, vanilla, wood, and dried fruit, it has a distinct flavor that’s sure to elevate any high-energy occasion.

Bottom Line:

If you love the rich flavors of aged tequila and the fruity and bright characteristics of a top-shelf plata, then Herradura Ultra Añejo is for you.

Best Etra Añejo Tequila: Avion Reserva 44 Extra Añejo (95 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Avion Distillery
Average Price: $119

The Tequila:

Avion’s Reserva 44 is aged for 43 months in oak barrels before spending 1 month in petite barrels, which are then rotated daily, resulting in a rich, scotch-colored expression that pulls together flavors of luscious fruit and American oak. This Extra Añejo was the winner of the USC top honor, the Chairman’s Trophy and comes in a sleek bottle that really shows off its rich amber hue.

Tasting Notes: (From The USC)

Pungent aromas of sandalwood, cantaloupe, mesquite-smoked meats, and sage are softened by sweet notes of vanilla and coconut. Robust flavors of sweetgrass and milk chocolate dominate the palate before green vegetables, reminiscent of asparagus, and pepper take over the finish.

Bottom Line:

At $119 a bottle, the Extra Añejo is a bottle you keep for special occasions, enjoying just a glass at a time with someone who truly enjoys the complexities of an aged tequila.

Best Flavored Tequila: 21 Seeds Valencia Orange Infused (87 Points)

ABV: 35%
Distillery: Undisclosed distillery in Mexico
Average Price: $39.99

The Tequila:

When the founders at 21 Seeds were discussing how they wanted to approach tequila, their mission was to create something that was smooth, simple, and casual, to reposition tequila as an option right alongside a glass of wine or a nice cold beer on a spring afternoon. The result was their fruit-infused line of tequilas, and their best bottle seems to be the Valencia Orange, a mix of Blanco tequila infused with real Valencia oranges. What sets 21 seeds above other flavored tequilas, is their dedication to using natural ingredients, infusing each of their tequilas with real fruit and botanicals.

Tasting Notes: (From Drizly)

The juicy, delicious essence of hand-sourced Valencia oranges lends itself beautifully to the natural smoothness of the blanco tequila.

Bottom Line:

There is flavored tequila, and then there is fruit-infused tequila. Reach for the infusion every time, with a more natural process you’ll find that it still feels like you’re actually drinking tequila.

Best Joven Tequila: Viva XXXII (84 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Undisclosed distiller in Jalisco, Mexico
Average Price: $30.99

The Tequila:

Remember when we said if you want to sip tequila, don’t opt for the joven? Okay, well that’s usually the case, but Viva XXIII’s Joven is the exception. Designed to be sipped, Viva XXXII’s Joven takes Blanco tequila and blends it with 3-year old extra Añejo and goes through a 4-stage filtration process that results in a crystal clear liquid. At just $30 a bottle, this is likely the best Joven/Gold tequila you’ll find at a decent price point.

Tasting Notes: (From Drizly)

With an agave forward aroma, the flavor features notes of vanilla, lemon peel, and white pepper. The taste is crisp and clean with an exceptionally smooth finish.

Bottom Line:

Get this bottle to prove to your snobby tequila or whiskey sipping friends that joven can hold its own in the dram department.

Best Reposado Tequila: Storywood Speyside 7 CS Reposado (95 Points)

ABV: 53%
Distillery: La Cofradia
Average Price: £33

The Tequila:

Storywood Tequila has an interesting… er… story. Made from agave harvested in the lowlands of Jalisco, this tequila is then locked away in Scotch oak casks from Scotland in an effort to make the finest sipping tequila in the world, able to hold its own alongside the greatest Scotch Whiskeys. For the bottle of Speyside 7 CS Reposado, Storywood aged the tequila for 7 months in Scotch Speyside barrels, which help to bring out caramel flavors and hints of oak, vanilla, and honey against an agave base. Unfortunately, this is yet another bottle not available in the states.

Tasting Notes: (From The USC)

A golden yellow in the glass, the aromas of this aged agave spirit stay true to the category with plenty of grassy and roasted pineapple notes. Gently sweet on the palate, spice and woodsy flavors are bold, yet continue to let agave shine through.

Bottom Line:

If you happen to be quarantined in Europe (where things are way more open than here), definitely grab a bottle of this fine Reposado — whether you’re into sipping or mixing it up in a cocktail.

Best Añejo Tequila: 818 Añejo (96 Points)

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Undisclosed distiller in Mexico
Average Price: $59.99

The Tequila:

Ahh, the ever-elusive 818 Ańejo. Best in its class, winner of the Chairman’s trophy, receiving a near-perfect score of 96 points in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, sharing a spot with Tequila Ocho as the greatest tasting tequila of 2020 and yet we don’t know what it looks like, who makes it, or how to get our hands on a bottle. It’s not even listed on Tequila Matchmaker, which is a sort of Wikipedia for tequila. We hope a bottle of this stuff will make its way stateside soon, but for now, we’ll have to defer to the other highest-scoring añejo tequilas if we want the best of the aged expressions.

Tasting Notes: (From The USC)

Earthy aromas of pine and yellow fruits mix with vanilla. Sweet on the palate with brown sugar, vanilla syrup, and spicy cinnamon, the rick texture coats the palate. Hints of roasted agave come through on the long spicy-sweet finish.

Bottom Line:

By all means, if you can get your hands on a bottle, definitely do. Then slide a glass our way.

For the first time in a while, we enter the NBA Playoffs without a true favorite. The oddsmakers have the Bucks somewhere in the realm of +240, with the Lakers and Clippers just behind. But there is no Golden State dynasty in Orlando this year, nor is there a clear-cut favorite like the Heatles or the Big Three Celtics.

That means these playoffs will hinge on a few teams’ ability to clean up their biggest weaknesses, overcome mistakes, adjust on the fly, and outthink their opponents. As always, health will play a big factor, too, especially with the lingering effects of a months-long hiatus looming over the postseason and many veterans dealing with various maladies already.

Will a surprise team like Boston break through? Might Portland keep its hot streak alive and make some noise? Here’s what every team (in alphabetical order) is facing heading into next week’s postseason.

Boston Celtics: Will Kemba Walker be healthy?

Walker has been dealing with arthritic symptoms in his left knee since as far back as February. Toward the end of the seeding round, Walker was back to relative normal, busting out the types of dribble moves that make him impossible to contain off the bounce. If the Celtics want to finally break through into the Finals, it’s going to take a peak Walker performance — not only overcoming his injury, but getting back to how he looked at his best in Charlotte.

Boston this year has been more of an isolation team than they have in the past. Some of that is because Jayson Tatum improved dramatically as a one-on-one scorer and Jaylen Brown became a better shot creator in his own right, but it’s also because Walker was out. But in the Bubble, the Celtics played something a lot closer to a Brad Stevens offense, driving and kicking repeatedly in the same possession. In order for the Celtics to pull this off consistently in their quest for 16 postseason wins, they’ll need the dynamism of Walker off the bounce.

Brooklyn Nets: Can the young guns keep this up?

The Nets are 7-3 under Jacque Vaughn. They were one of the only teams to put up a real fight against Damian Lillard on Portland’s quest for a playoff berth, and they seem to have rediscovered the energy that made them so fun in 2018-19 under Kenny Atkinson.

Without many of their star players and a generally undersized roster, Brooklyn has gotten back to its original young core of Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris and Caris LeVert. They play through the post more than they did under Atkinson, and mostly seem to just be catching teams off guard with the amount of shooting and play-making they’ve pulled out of this squad. If LeVert can keep it up and the offense keeps working, the Nets can steal a game or two from Toronto.

Dallas Mavericks: Is there any hope for the defense?

Only Denver’s B team and Portland have been worse than the Mavs defensively in the Bubble, and the absence of Dwight Powell, who went down with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon in the spring, has really dampened the Mavs hopes of being a fun playoff team. A matchup against the Clippers is a worst-case scenario, as Los Angeles can score at all three levels and has an experienced team that can wear down a defense with ball movement and elite shot-making from every position.

When Powell was on the floor with Kristaps Porzingis this year, the Mavs limited opponents to 107.7 points per 100 possessions, per PBP stats. Just about every other big man duo has struggled. The Mavs aren’t getting Powell back any time soon, so they need to figure something out in a hurry.

Denver Nuggets: Will everyone be healthy in time for a deep run?

The Nuggets, despite a lack of typical star talent for a top seed in the Western Conference, outperformed expectations in last year’s playoffs, beating back a deep Spurs team before taking Portland to their limits in a fun series. Despite a looming matchup with the Clippers in the second round, Denver’s offense looks like it could be pretty scary with all its pieces in place this postseason.

The question is whether that happens. Head coach Mike Malone didn’t sound optimistic about starters Will Barton and Gary Harris coming back any time soon when asked this week. Without them, Denver is not as deep or as versatile on the wing as we’ve come to expect. That will hold them back a bit against Utah, but especially against a Clippers team with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Marcus Morris.

Houston Rockets: Is Russell Westbrook the balance Houston needs to break through?

The road to the Finals should have been easier for Houston this year. But even with the Warriors out of the way, Houston shuffled the deck again, adding Russell Westbrook to the mix. While Westbrook is expected to miss the start of the first round, the Rockets shouldn’t truly need him to beat Oklahoma City. But later on, his energy and ability to put pressure on the rim could be the difference for a Houston team that has relied on James Harden’s isolation scoring too much late in playoff games over the years.

The Rockets’ most promising win of the seeding games was on Aug. 2 against Milwaukee, as Westbrook and Harden combined for 25 free-throw attempts and Houston was able to overcome being out-rebounded by 29 to scrape out a four-point victory. That’s the recipe: Let Harden and Westbrook’s individual talents control the rhythm of the game and find a way to win one game at a time.

Indiana Pacers: Is Victor Oladipo ready?

Head coach Nate McMillan has done his best to get Oladipo in rhythm, often playing Oladipo with bench units so the offense can run through the All-Star, who missed most of the season with a ruptured quad tendon. But nights like Oladipo’s 7-for-26 performance against Houston are all too regular at this point. T.J. Warren has been an awesome story so far, but the Pacers are too depleted for Warren to win them a series all on his own. Indiana needs Oladipo to get back to normal, which just might be too tall of an order at this point in his recovery.

Los Angeles Clippers: What will they get from Montrezl Harrell?

The Sixth Man of the Year finalist has weaknesses, especially in help defense, but he’s turned himself into a player who is pretty perfect for how the Clippers want to play. Harrell is a smart screen-and-roll player who has great chemistry with Lou Williams off the bench. His size makes it hard for opposing defenses to switch screens when George or Leonard are handling the ball. And he’s turned into enough of a face-up scorer that defenses can’t just dare him to create his own shot.

Most importantly, Harrell has turned himself into a decent enough one-on-one defender. That makes the Clippers’ switching defense work, and allows them to put out terrifying lineups like Patrick Beverley (still out of the Bubble)-George-Leonard-Morris-Harrell. The Bball Index’s player profiles show Harrell has defended top opposing creators more often than most centers and tends to contest shots more consistently than thanks to his athleticism and energy. The Clippers need Harrell to be at their best, but due to his absence during seeding games while tending to a family matter, it may understandably take Harrell a while to rediscover his form.

Los Angeles Lakers: Who exactly is in the rotation?

The Lakers, simply put, need to figure out who’s going to play. The experiments with Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith didn’t go particularly well in the seeding games, and it’s still unclear when and if Rajon Rondo will be available. Right now, it looks like L.A. has eight trustworthy players: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, JaVale McGee, and Dwight Howard.

We know the star power of James and Davis can carry them, but one or two other guys need to earn minutes for the Lakers to make it through four straight playoff series.

Memphis Grizzlies: How valuable will playoff experience be?

The examples are numerous — the 1986 Bulls, the 2010 Thunder, the 2018 Celtics — of teams that end up making noise in the playoffs ahead of schedule and get something real and meaningful out of it. This year’s Grizzlies should be aiming for that.

There are a bunch of lessons to be learned about this team as they face elite competition. What does Ja Morant look like against a set defense that’s geared entirely toward stopping him in the playoffs? Is this Dillon Brooks season for real? Can the structured randomness of new head coach Taylor Jenkins’ offense work with his young roster in a postseason environment? The Grizzlies have to win a pair of play-in games first, but a test against the Lakers could be a huge jumping-off point for the team’s future.

Miami Heat: Will we see Jimmy Butler again?

Miami retained the fourth seed in the East even while playing pretty poorly in the Bubble, largely because they played it safe with injuries. Butler has played in just four games, though Miami did pull of 20-point blowouts in two of those. A run to the conference finals is within reach, but for that to happen, Miami needs Butler to be the guy we saw put the Sixers on his back last summer. They need the guy Brett Brown infamously nicknamed “James Butler.”

Butler should be ready for Game 1, but while the Bam Adebayo-Duncan Robinson two-man game is fun, the Heat need Butler to grind out possession after possession of shot creation in the half court to win this postseason.

Milwaukee Bucks: What’s up with the offense?

Considering the Bucks faltered in last year’s conference finals because they couldn’t overcome Toronto’s swarming half court defense and Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled mightily to read the aggressive help the Raptors sent his way, offensive struggles are the last thing the Bucks need right now.

The Bucks are 14th in offensive rating in the Bubble, where their offense has been nearly three points worse per 100 possessions than the regular season overall. Some of this is Antetokounmpo missing two of the games, but overall, the Bucks just don’t look like the Bucks. They are among the Bubble leaders in turnovers, but they’ve also gotten unlucky shooting the ball. Will all this even out, or is there something bigger going on with Milwaukee’s offense again?

Oklahoma City Thunder: Can the three-guard lineup make magic?

Dennis Schroder is back in the Bubble quarantining after the birth of his child and is expected to be back for the start of the playoffs. When he returns to the lineup, the Thunder’s best weapon comes with him. With Schroder, Chris Paul, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor this season, Oklahoma City outscored opponents by nearly 29 points per 100 possessions. TWENTY-NINE! Paul’s ability to dictate tempo coupled with Schroder’s improved decision-making and Gilgeous-Alexander’s versatility made for a trio that caught opponents off guard night after night.

Houston’s small-ball prowess could neutralize that, though. In particular, the presence of Harden could force the Thunder out of their comfort zone. The last time these teams played back on Jan. 20 (when Clint Capela was still Houston’s starting center), Luguentz Dort matched Harden’s minutes almost exactly, but when Dort was out, it was Hamidou Diallo who defended Harden and Westbrook. The way Oklahoma City tried to counter the Rockets was playing ultra small, with Danilo Gallinari at center and Dort at the 4. The Thunder clearly don’t want any of their three top guards having to deal with Harden all night, but when push comes to shove, they will likely have to.

Orlando Magic: What comes next?

It’s just hard to imagine the Magic, without Jonathan Isaac on the floor, competing this year. But there is plenty of opportunity to evaluate two important pieces for the future. How Aaron Gordon (who is dealing with a hamstring issue) and Markelle Fultz play in the playoffs will help the Magic chart the course for the future. Last year, it was Isaac who took his game to another level in the first round and gave the Magic more promise for the future. Could it be someone else in 2020?

Philadelphia 76ers: Will Joel Embiid be healthy?

The latest on Embiid, who is dealing with ankle and wrist injuries, is that neither injury is serious. But the big man is clearly battered, and the Sixers are already without Ben Simmons. This postseason could be an opportunity for Embiid to show out without Simmons, but most likely, the difference between Embiid being healthy and not is Philly winning one round versus none.

Portland Trail Blazers: Will the youngsters contribute?

This one isn’t off to a great start, as Gary Trent Jr. struggled to defend Caris LeVert as the Trail Blazers clawed their way back to take a must-win final seeding game. Zach Collins still can’t stop fouling and struggles all-around with his decision-making, while stud scorer Anfernee Simons is suddenly out of the team’s rotation. Unless the Trail Blazers get something from those guys, their Cinderella run in Orlando will be taken from us far too soon.

Toronto Raptors: Can Pascal Siakam create consistently in the half court?

All season, this has been the question that would separate a true title defense from Toronto and a return to their pre-2019 playoff fate. Per Synergy play type data, Siakam remains 275th in half court points per possession at less than 1 point per chance. Low-usage players will always exceed in this category, but even a player like Karl-Anthony Towns is up at 1.12.

This is where Toronto misses Leonard most, and it’s the one area where Siakam, despite improving his pull-up shooting and play-making, hasn’t shown himself able to replace Leonard. Unless the playoffs bring the most out of Siakam, the Raptors will run up against late-game situations where their elite transition offense gets bogged down and no one is able to score for them when the court shrinks.

Utah Jazz: Is this the last chance for this core?

The rumors about the relationship between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert growing stale may have been overstated, but regardless, this will be Utah’s third go-round with the Mitchell/Gobert tandem in the playoffs, and there’s been little to show for it. Denver is the pretty solid favorite against the Jazz in the first round, and though Mitchell looked pretty good in the seeding games, Mike Conley has been pretty ordinary, and the backcourt partnership has not had the intended effect on the team.

This is still Mitchell’s offense, and Conley hasn’t been the type of secondary creator who can take the team over the hump, at least not yet. It’s time for these guys to show their potential, or it might be time to change things up in an even bigger way this offseason, with Gobert heading into the final year of his contract.

Gucci Mane broke ground on his own label imprint last month by sharing the 24-track compilation record So Icy Summer. The rapper now has another exciting announcement, and it’s not about music. Mane has revealed his wife of three years is expecting a baby.

Mane and Keyshia Ka’oir tied the knot back in 2017. Both had children from previous relationships, but the pregnancy announcement marks their first child together as a couple. Sharing the big news to social media, the rapper wrote: “My wife pregnant my life is great.” Neither Mane nor Ka’oir has revealed how far along she is but it seems as though they still have several months before the birth.

The rapper’s big news arrives following an apparent dispute with his record label. The rapper had referred to Atlantic as “polite racist” and asked his followers if he should go independent in a series of since-deleted tweets. The rapper later backtracked on his statements, apologizing for his “rude harsh language” and announcing he was taking his career with Atlantic to the next level by partnering with the company to create his own label imprint, The New 1017.

So Icy Summer is out now via The New 1017/Atlantic. Get it here.

Gucci Mane is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Happy Friday, Bubble bloodhounds, and welcome back. Things heated up in the Bub this week, there were losses and triumphs as teams faced elimination and stared down into the shrinking doorway of the Western Conference’s 8-seed. If only they were trapped in the geographical representation of the place that had come up with the potion Alice had to drink to shrink herself, that would be something.

The biggest surprise of the week? Not much fishing! The other surprise? Jaylen Brown loves to be a spicy little rascal. The other surprises? Not telling, that’s what the rest of this professional report is for.

LeBron James

James has been on the quiet side of the sharing spectrum since arriving in Orlando. First, the guy is busy. He’s got More Than A Vote ramping up its work with the U.S. election draws closer, work with his I Promise school, and a lot of regular media. And then, well, it’s tough to be in the mood to lounge poolside with your guys if those same guys are not really delivering where it counts? Nobody wants to judge an underwater handstand contest just to discover it’s been the laws of gravity making a fool of them all along, and then multiply that by your entire roster. Anyway, James gave an up close look of his mask this week featuring none other than fellow artisan and all-timer, the painter Bob Ross.

Rating: Maybe he’s also been busy in his room, quietly painting???

Russell Westbrook

Here we go, the weekly heartbreaker, spirit lifter and shatterer, you knew it was coming. Westbrook FaceTimed his son Noah and both help up their Sheriff Woody dolls with a lot, a lot of earnest and total joy. Sorry if you keep thinking you’re going to get through this column unscathed, this is just what happens when you ride the lighting.

Rating: Now picture Westbrook packing that doll in his bag before he left home and take an additional moment of privacy.

Luka Doncic

Maybe you heard Hot Girl Summer was last year, and that was true, right until Luka Doncic got in this pool and decided to bring it the hell back.

Rating: Hot Girl Summer also lives in your mind, you can have it whenever you want it.

Jaylen Brown (ft. Donovan Mitchell and Enes Kanter)

You already knew Jaylen Brown was a passionate, outspoken, extremely intelligent dude when it came to his politics and activism, but did you know he was all of those things when it came to being a rogue? Brown is not your average, lackadaisical prankster, this guy is as committed to remaining relentless to riffs as he is to aptly shattering Raptors records on court.

First, he kept “running into” Donovan Mitchell one afternoon this week. In the hotel ballroom where the guys go to eat, and then outside at the pool, with Brown popping up over a natural fence feature to menace Mitchell from afar. Brown first just stared and smiled in the way you do when you know you’re really annoying somebody, then he started to literally flex upon the flabbergasted Mitchell who pleaded for Brown to “Get outta here, bro!”

Proficiently charged up, Brown then took to the pool for a race alongside Enes Kanter. Kanter won, but I really think it comes down to the angle this was being filmed. In any case I’m going to need to see several rematches, because this was great.

Rating: It’s comforting, to know you share a fixation for annoying your friends with someone as talented as Jaylen Brown.

Tacko Fall

Fall hit the links with Mo Bamba this week and for a novice dinger he was looking pretty comfortable out there! Remember, I know nothing about golf but ran this by our resident expert, Robby Kalland, who said “we’ve got some things to work with, but lots to work on” and is now here to tell us where Tacko should start:

Let’s start with the positives. For a guy his height, Tacko’s posture in his golf swing is surprisingly good. Tall guys tend to get too hunched over which makes it hard to turn properly and they end up swinging with all arms — part of this is not having the right size clubs, which it appears the Disney Bubble came prepared for with some longer options for the NBA players. Fall, instead, has pretty nice posture and a good, full hip turn (key to getting power out of the swing). Now, we need to work a bit on the footwork as he looks like he might be sliding around a bit and we could use a little more stable of a base. The position at the top of the swing is actually pretty nice. He’s got the club at parallel, but that left arm is too bent and that’s going to make it tough to stay on plane. If we can get Tacko to be a little quieter with his foot movement and keep that left arm straightened out so when he pulls down he’s staying on plane, we will have ourselves a serious talent on our hands.

Rating: The consensus among our colleagues at Dime is that the NBA brought tall clubs into the Bub for guys who didn’t bring, or don’t have, their own. Open to further expert insight here.

P.J. Tucker

Tucker continues to live a life of exceptional taste, great notoriety and utmost courtesy, an example to us all.

Rating: You know he tipped whomever delivered this well.

CJ McCollum

Look, McCollum posted this before we knew he was literally playing basketball with a broken back. Which is, obviously, incredibly tough but out of control! So when I first saw this I was like, geeze, CJ, I hope not. But now it seems like he was just literally telling the truth?

Rating: I would say this was taken from inside an ice bath if he wasn’t in a robe. But even then!

Marc Gasol

Gasol has set up his own bubble within a Bubble, a little bio dome of miniature cuttings and seedlings. The big plant to the right is basil, but I’ve simply no clue what these tiny, precious little buds are he’s tending to so tenderly. Is one a geranium?

Rating: The Raptors have CULTURE and HORTICULTURE and IT’S A PROBLEM!

Danny Green

Even if this is an endorsement, go get it Danny! You’re gonna be cooped up in that room for a while yet, make it your own. Picturing this coming down the hall and wondering whether any of Green’s teammates saw it is a pretty fun exercise in reverse team building.

Rating: The Lakers have LUMBAR support but no BACKCOURT support and IT’S A PROBLEM!

Josh Richardson

It was revealed this week that not only does Richardson mix his cereals — no big whup, right? Like, this only offends children who are purists about which benevolent sugar mascot they identify most with? — but he has set up a toaster oven and microwave on top of his mixer. Just really thinking about the outlet situation here, how many things are plugged in at any given time.

Rating: And there’s a lamp atop the microwave too? Please, get him another night table or dresser to space this whole situation out.

Hassan Whiteside

Quickly, for the sake of context, may I draw your attention to this photo:

Whiteside like this phrase immensely. For him, it’s as applicable to the ups and downs of an NBA career as it is to inclement weather, but it has probably never been as applicable as it was this week seconds before he stepped into the ice bath being prepared for him.

Rating: This must be how Mozart felt seconds before ‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ dropped live.

Dion Waiters

Waiters is undertaking something huge in the Bubble. No, not a new training regime: He’s started Game of Thrones. Dion my dude, I know it seems like smiles and plans and promises now but you better steel yourself for a whole fantasy world of hurt.

Rating: You know it’s really early on too because Jon is still smiling.

Aaron Gordon (through the eyes of Evan Fournier)

Fournier filmed the back of Aaron Gordon’s head for quite a while over breakfast this week, asking the question on anyone’s mind who saw this clip once it was posted.

Rating: And potentially the question many are asking of the Magic, in general.

Malcolm Miller

When you think of how Disney may portray the entire experience of the NBA Bubble in a few years time, do you picture it with a literal rainbow sprouting from the swamp, encasing the entire thing?

Rating: It’s in the golden hour, there’s a dramatic, flinty-silver sky?

Jordan Clarkson

And it connects on the other end, just perfectly? There’s even some blue sky showing at the horizon, reminding us that nothing so bad can last forever?

Rating: And James Earl Jones is reading all of this out loud, inside your head?

Patrick Patterson

2Pats can get some guff for the amount that he spends relaxing vs. the time that he contributes on court, and man is that absolutely true.

Rating: Good mint-lime ratio in that mojito.

Kyle Guy

Well, the Kings are officially out but do you know what’s always in? Celebrating milestones. Kyle Guy got a really nice Bubble birthday, this cake has a basketball protruding from it, it’s in Kings colors, this is nice.

Rating: Just like a classic vanilla slab cake in the middle of a pandemic for what ails you.

BONUS: The Grand Floridian Mallard Duck

Huge news! The Grand Floridian Mallard Duck, the one that Luka Doncic has become obsessed with, that intrigued Malcolm Brogdon to no end, has become a mother. She was spotted waddling away from Terrence Ross with two little ducklings in tow. I hope these guys are looking out for her.