Paul Rudd might be People‘s 2021 Sexiest Man Alive, a long overdue honor, but apparently, the never-aging actor isn’t the best person to turn to for career advice. Sure, he’s a Marvel star thanks to his role in Ant-Man and can be currently seen next to Will Ferrell in Apple TV’s latest prestige series, The Shrink Next Door, but back in the early 2000s, Rudd warned Steve Carell against starring in a small little show called The Office.
According to fellow cast member Brian Baumgartner and executive producer Ben Silverman’s new book, Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office, Carell’s beloved stint as Michael Scott on the hit NBC sitcom would’ve never happened if he listened to Rudd. Via Mashable:
“I remember, before I auditioned, I was talking to Paul Rudd,” Steve Carell said. “I’d never seen the original one and he asked what I was up to. This was right after Anchorman. I told him I was going to audition for the American version of The Office and he said, ‘Ugh, don’t do it. Bad, bad move. I mean, it’s never going to be as good.’ Like what everybody was saying.”
In Rudd’s defense, the first season of The Office was unfavorably compared to its British counterpart, and the show didn’t fare well right out of the gate. Fortunately, it found its footing in the second season, and The Office went on to become such a massive hit that it spent years being the top-streamed show on Netflix. Granted, Carell leaving the show could’ve been handled better, but had he listened to Rudd, his portrayal of Michael Scott wouldn’t still be drawing in new fans today.
It’s already mid-November and the holidays are right around the corner. Colder, frigid weather is on the horizon for much of the country. This means the season of cold-weather yet warming beers is (almost) upon us. Specifically, it’s winter beer season.
And while “winter beer” isn’t technically a category, it encompasses styles like winter warmers, white IPAs, Christmas ales, and literally any beer someone enjoys sipping from the days of December’s frost to April’s thaw. That makes the seasonal style both interesting and very broad, which means pretty much every beer drinker can find something they’ll like.
To find the best wintry brews, we turned to the experts who spend their days brewing and tasting beers. We asked a handful of brewers and beer experts to tell us the one winter beer they’d drink forever. Keep scrolling to see their selections.
I would always reach for this brew to get me through the bitter Midwest winter. Each year’s release gets better and better and it’s always a great and sloppy time to try this imperial coffee stout with its vanilla and bourbon barrel-aged variants. The notes of dark chocolate, dried cherries, and fresh coffee are so well constructed that it never gets too sweet. It’s totally worth blitzing through Chicago’s wind chill.
I just bought myself a 12-pack! Sierra Nevada knows how to brew a good beer. It’s hoppy. It’s malty. It reminds me of craft beer from 20 years ago. It’s nostalgic. It’s become a tradition for me. As soon as it’s available, I immediately go out to buy a 12-pk and then drink it way too quickly.
Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Great Lakes
Brad Bergman, director of brewing at Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina
I’m not a big spiced beer guy, but this one hits all of the notes for me while still being drinkable. It has just enough cinnamon, ginger, and floral honey notes to complement the elevated malt sweetness, caramel, bready, and toasty flavors. It’s not intensely sweet or cloying, which is a big thing for me in any beer.
I like this beer’s seasonal spice and herbal aromas. It has a deep rich brown hue, but what I really admire is that they change the recipe every year. It’s a holiday present that’s not fully realized until you crack open that bottle, pour it into a glass, and take in the wonderful holiday beer. It’s also the inspiration for the 21st Amendment’s Fireside Chat, our winter seasonal beer.
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
Anderson Valley
Jerry Siotte, co-owner and director of brewhouse operations at Lone Tree Brewing in Lone Tree, Colorado
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice is my pick. It’s spicy, malty, and filled with caramel malts. Overall, it’s one of the best, most warming winter beers on the market.
I’m going with Moonlight Brewing’s Boney Fingers Black Lager. It’s like their classic Death & Taxes, but even more warming, more roast, more heft, and yet still absolutely crushable. Brian Hunt is a grist god.
Hibernation Ale from Great Divide has an incredible malty character reminiscent of freshly baked cookies and its ABV is sure to warm anyone up on a cold winter day.
Odell Isolation Ale
Odell
Adam Lawrence, head brewer at Left Hand Brewing in Longmont, Colorado
I like this beer because it can be called a winter warmer, however it doesn’t have spices or high ABV. The malt aromas are enjoyable and complex. However, the beer doesn’t finish overly sweet. It’s a great skiing beer too.
This is my go-to winter holiday beer. It has such a great balance of chocolate and coffee with just the right amount of roastiness. It is the perfect accompaniment to talking shit while playing board games with family during the holidays.
Jubilale starts with a rich caramel body that evolves into treacle and slightly burnt marshmallow. Just as it threatens to overwhelm you, a bright light of floral and mildly tangy hops come to right the world and breathe life into the day. Each draught leaves me wondering what just happened.
I love Christmas, and I love Breckenridge Christmas Ale. Locally, you can find it almost everywhere during the holiday season. The spice and easy drinkability will keep this beer in my fridge for years to come.
Death and Taxes from Moonlight Brewing is my pick. This beer drinks like a pilsner but has the depth of flavor a stout would present. It’s perfect for all of the holiday drinking sessions.
It was a surprise to see Miles Teller in the Blake Lively-directed music video for Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me,” considering the last time we heard about the actor, he was reportedly refusing to get vaccinated. His stubbornness led to the Paramount+ series The Offer shutting down production after he tested positive for COVID-19. But there he was in the music video, playing a groom who’s haunted by Swift.
What’s the deal?
Hey guys, I don’t usually feel the need to address rumors on here but I am vaccinated and have been for a while. The only thing I’m anti is hate.
“Hey guys, I don’t usually feel the need to address rumors on here but I am vaccinated and have been for a while,” Teller tweeted, adding, “The only thing I’m anti is hate.” If someone doesn’t do a mashup of “The only thing I’m anti is hate” and Adrian Grenier’s iconic “Haven’t been posting cause I’ve been too present, distracted by the moment. Sorry but thank you” tweet by the end of the day, I’ll be very disappointed.
It’s unclear when the “I Bet You Think About Me” video was filmed, but it’s hard to imagine Swift and Lively working with Teller if he was still unvaccinated. Outside of The Offer (which has since resumed production, although the shut down reportedly resulted in a $6 million loss), Teller will also appear in Top Gun: Maverick.
This week in pop music saw the release of buzzworthy music. Taylor Swift dropped her re-recorded version of Red including some never-before-heard tracks, Silk Sonic finally shared their groovy debut album, and Rosalía teamed up with The Weeknd for a sizzling tune.
Taylor Swift’s re-recorded Red album features an extended version of her fan-favorite track “All Too Well,” turning it from a short heartbreak ballad to a tear-jerking epoch. Swift recently said in an interview on The Tonight Show that the 10-minute version of the song is actually how it was originally written before being parsed down for her 2012 release. “I was just really upset and sad and everyone could tell, it was really not fun to be around me that day,” she recalled. So she picked up a guitar and ad-libbed the full 10-minute track.”
Silk Sonic — “Fly As Me”
After picking up steam with the funk-forward singles “Leave The Door Open,” “Skate,” and “Smokin Out The Window,” Silk Sonic‘s Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak drop their much-anticipated album An Evening With Silk Sonic. The bass-heavy song “Fly As Me” is an example of the shimmering melodies, dance-ready rhythms, impeccable percussion, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics heard throughout the project.
Rosalía — “La Fama” Feat. The Weeknd
For her latest single, Rosalía goes full femme-fatale. The singer once again teams up with The Weeknd for “La Fama,” a subdued number about the pitfalls of fame that beautifully showcases both singers’ tender vocals. “I wanted to write, in my own way, a bachata with a little story around ambition,” Rosalía said about the track. “Taking as a reference the lyrics of Ruben Blades or Patti Smith and the songs of Aventura, I ended up writing a story of romance with fame.”
Holly Humberstone — “Friendly Fire”
This week saw the release of UK singer Holly Humberstone‘s emotional EP The Walls Are Way Too Thin. The 21-year-old singer’s track “Friendly Fire” encapsulates the project, boasting relatable lyrics and comforting instrumentals alongside Humberstone’s captivating voice. “I wrote this song on a very confusing holiday in autumn of last year,” she said of the song. “Prior to leaving I was going through a lot of big changes in my life (most of which unplanned and unwanted) and it all came to a head with a family loss.”
Amber Mark — “Softly”
Offering another taste of her upcoming album Three Dimensions Deep, Amber Mark fires off another fluttering single with “Softly.” The soft-spoken tune features a clapping beat and Mark’s honeyed vocals, crafting a heavenly tune that builds anticipation for her upcoming project. “Can’t wait for you to blast this one in your boo-thing’s face to make sure they treating you right,” she told her fans about the track.
Tate McRae — “Feel Like Sh*t”
Building off the momentum of her multi-Platinum single “You Broke Me First,” Tate McRae shows off her talent for heart-wrenching songwriting with the pensive breakup tune “Feel Like Sh*t.” The song slowly builds from a sullen piano into a room-filling ode to picking yourself up after a painful end to a relationship.
Anitta — “Evolver”
Brazilian superstar Anitta is fresh of her club-ready collaboration with Saweetie, but with her new track “Evolver,” Anitta takes things in a more loved-up direction. The sizzling tune features a rhythmic beat and Anitta’s empowered lyrics about her self-worth in a relationship.
Gracie Abrams — “The Bottom”
Following up her on her 2020 debut EP, Gracie Abrams has graced her fans with her new project, This Is What It Feels Like. To celebrate, the singer shared a video to her sparkling pop number “The Bottom.” The song combines an upbeat tune with self-effacing lyrics that show off Abrams playful side.
JP Saxe — “Soft Landing”
Not only has JP Saxe written music with the likes of John Mayer and Maren Morris, but he also has a solo career of his own. This week, Saxe shared the deluxe version of his album Dangerous Levels Of Introspection, which featured the brand-new anthem “Soft Landing.” The song has sparse instrumentation that’s inflected with a slight thumping beat, but it mostly leaves room to show off Saxe’s heart-tugging lyricism and comforting vocals as he sings of the aftermath of a relationship.
Ericdoa — “Strangers”
Hyperpop artist Ericdoa has been building recognition with the release of several successful singles as well as co-signs from the likes of Trippie Redd, Young Nudy, and Addison Rae. Now returning with the new track “Strangers,” Ericdoa fires off an atmospheric and wildly catchy tune which was originally inspired by hearing a revved-up pop song by Bruno Mars.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Harrell, in particular, has stood out from that group, as the former Sixth Man of the Year has returned to the form that made him a fan favorite in L.A. with the Clippers. The big man hasn’t been shy about saying that it’s as simple as him getting opportunity, something he felt was lacking during his year with the Lakers, but it’s also clear that there’s a comfort and fit in Washington that goes beyond simply being on the floor.
With his high-energy play, Harrell has quickly become a beloved figure for Wizards fans, which is great…most of the time. However, Harrell has one request for Wizards fans: stop chanting “M-V-P” for him at the free throw line, at least until he makes the first one.
PSA to Wizards fans, Montrezl Harrell hates MVP chants at the FT line
“Let me get that edge off of getting that first free throw down because it definitely plays in my head like, ‘damn, what if I miss this free throw, they chanting MVP.’ Every time I done fucking missed it.” pic.twitter.com/OODrCRRTw7
I love the honesty from Harrell, who says he “hates it” when fans start chanting “M-V-P” before his first free throw because he feels added pressure to make it and it gets in his head. He notes that he loves that he’s getting that love from the fans, but wants them to let him get that rhythm at the line by making the first, and then they can chant all they want for his second. We’ll see if Wizards fans get this message. If so, expect a lot more quiet when Harrell’s shooting his first at the stripe.
Adele is only a few short days away from the release of her highly anticipated album 30. So far, the singer has only released one single in an official capacity, “Easy On Me,” but the singer did give a preview of her upcoming release with a showstopping televised concert over the weekend on the steps of LA’s Griffith Observatory. Fans weren’t the only ones excited to see the filmed show. Lizzo and Oprah bonded over their love for the singer from the sidelines of the concert.
As Adele took the stage to perform her most popular tracks and also help a fan pull off a heartwarming proposal, Oprah and Lizzo were having the time of their lives in the crowd. As soon as Adele broke into a rendition of her hit song “Hello,” Oprah and Lizzo were on the same page about their love of the track, belting out the lyrics in unison. “@adele had us at hello! @lizzo what concert are we going to next?!” Oprah wrote alongside a video.
Of course, the entire reason for Adele’s concert was in part thanks to Oprah. The Adele: One Night Only special aired alongside an interview with Oprah where the singer got real about some of the things she struggled with after her divorce.
Watch Oprah and Lizzo sing along to “Hello” at Adele’s concert above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.
While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.
Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time
Courtney Barnett stormed onto the scene in 2015 with her debut album Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. A lot has happened since then, including a few more solo releases and a collaborative release with Kurt Vile. Things Take Time, Take Time feels like some of Barnett’s most focused work to date, sure to satisfy fans who fell in love with tracks like “Avant Gardner” or “Depreston.”
Idles – Crawler
Crawler, the latest release from political punks Idles, “immediately sets itself apart from the rest of Idles’ catalog on the album-opening track “MTT 420 RR,” in which Talbot for the first time on record actually … sings,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx. It sets the stage for a record that continues to expand the walls of what Idles are capable of, showing a new sense of dynamics that haven’t been present on previous efforts.
Damon Albarn – The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows
Originally conceived as an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland, Damon Albarn‘s sophomore solo album, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, was borne of the pandemic. During lockdown, the Blur/Gorillaz mastermind returned to the orchestral music and transformed it into 11 narrative tracks that each tell a store and explore themes of fragility, loss, emergence, and rebirth.
Makthaverskan — För Allting
It feels like just yesterday that Swedish power pop outfit Makthaverskan were announcing their new album För Allting. Now, the album is suddenly here, delivering twelve tracks that are equal parts dreamy and driving. “For our previous albums we have written the songs in our rehearsal space and pretty much recorded them the way they were,” the band explained in a statement. “For this album we intended the songs to be finalized in the studio in a different and left some more room to work with.”
Jon Hopkins — Music For Psychedelic Therapy
Jon Hopkins is back with his first new music since 2018’s Grammy-nominated Singularity. It was around this time that Hopkins embarked on an expedition through a huge cave network, living underground with a group for four days. Music For Psychedelic Therapy is an amalgamation of drone, ambient, and classical arrangements, making for a truly unique sonic experience (that sounds just as good when you’re sober).
Sega Bodega — Romeo
Sega Bodega has spent almost a decade perfecting the craft of indie-electronic music, and while his debut solo album Salvador might have been difficult to dig into at first, its follow-up Romeo is a much more approachable affair. However, the album’s high-concept narrative revolves around a fictional character named Luci that serves as an illuminator that brightens the world around them. Even if you don’t want to dig into the concept of Romeo, it’s still a pretty damn enjoyable listen.
Mitski – “The Only Heartbreaker”
Mitski broke her lengthy silence earlier this year with the release of “Working For The Knife,” which she quickly followed up with “The Only Heartbreaker,” alongside the announcement of her new album Laurel Hell. “The Only Heartbreaker” is more upbeat than its predecessor, an indie pop number anchored by driving percussion and Mitski’s gorgeous reverb-soaked vocal. “Sometimes you are just the bad guy in the relationship,” Mitski said of the track in a recent interview with Zane Lowe. “Sometimes you’re the one who keeps making mistakes, who’s breaking your favorite person’s heart, and there’s nothing you can do about it because you can’t just suddenly be a better person.”
Camp Cope – “Blue”
Melbourne trio Camp Cope made waves with their 2018 LP How To Socialise And Make Friends, and are now setting the stage for a new release in 2022. The first taste of what’s to come is “Blue,” a new song about depression, that is built atop a clean guitar, light percussion, and beautiful backing vocal harmonies.
Claud – “Tommy”
A little over a year ago, Claud signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ ever-growing label Saddest Factory, releasing their debut album Super Monster through the imprint. Now, they are following up the success of Super Monster with “Tommy,” which Derrick Rossignol calls for Uproxx an “evocative new single.”
Let’s Eat Grandma – “Two Ribbons”
Three years since the release of their sophomore album, I’m All Ears, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth are finally back with a taste of new music. With little more than a solo reverberating guitar, “Two Ribbons” is a song that “plays on both singers’ heart-tugging songwriting as they deliver lyrics about fraying edges, friendship, and memory,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.
Charlie Hickey — “Seeing Things” (MUNA’s Version)
The second of two signees to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory is Charlie Hickey, who is back with another remix of a song from his EP Count The Stairs. “Seeing Things” (MUNA’s Version) takes on a more pop-forward approach, building upon a basic electronic bass-snare beat before dropping into a full-blown electronic dance number.
Shamir – “Cisgender”
Shamir has been incredibly prolific over the last few years, releasing two records in 2020 alone. With no full-length releases in 2021, Shamir is now prepping a new record called Hetereosexuality, which is due for release early next year. The album is previewed by “Cisgender,” a spacey guitar number that Shamir says is the first part of “finally acknowledging my trauma. Everyone knows I’ve been through so much shit and I kind of just rammed through, without really acknowledging the actual trauma that I do feel on almost a daily basis.”
PUP – “Waiting”
After taking much of 2021 off, Toronto punks Pup are finally back with some new tunes to get us in the mosh pit. “Waiting” is what Adrian Spinelli called for Uproxx “an expectedly loud track,” which arrived alongside a B-side called “Kill Something.” The song came about by “smashing the heaviest riff [bassist] Nestor [Chumak] could write with the simplest, most uplifting chorus I could write, just to see what would happen,” Stefan Babcock said in a statement.
Vundabar – “Devil For The Fire”
Vundabar have been one of the most underrated and consistent bands in the indie rock scene, releasing impressive record after impressive record. Now, the Boston trio is prepping Devil For The Fire, previewed by its title track. The song starts out like a classically angular Vundabar song, before building into a noisy outro that almost evokes the distorted shoegaze of the most recent Diiv record.
Proper – “Red, White, And Blue”
We’ve had our eye on Proper since catching their set at South By Southwest a few years back. Now, the band has teamed up with artist/producer extraordinaire Bartees Strange for “Red, White, And Blue,” which brings a whole new depth to the trio’s sound and allows them to set their sights on the highest echelons of the punk scene.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
As the hype machine for Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into high gear (Sony has confirmed a new trailer will drop Tuesday evening), Tom Holland is opening up more and more about the film’s impact on Spider-Man’s future as the film concludes the trilogy that started in Spider-Man: Homecoming. While No Way Home is primed to rock Peter Parker’s world thanks to a favor from Doctor Strange going sideways and cracking open the Multiverse, audiences already got a sneak peak at some changes to come thanks to Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
In the end-credits scene for the Venom sequel, Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock is seemingly transported into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the Venom films, until now, operated in a separate film universe) and Venom takes an immediate interest in Holland’s Spider-Man whose seen on the TV. In fact, it almost seems like Venom knows him.
Keeping to Marvel’s notoriously secretive tradition, no one will definitively say what that scene means, but for the first time, Holland has addressed its existence in a new interview with Total Film. Although, he claims to not know if Venom and Spider-Man will finally meet.
“It was really exciting to be a part of that film,” he continued. “Obviously, Tom Hardy is one of the greatest actors in the world. I’m happy to say he’s a lovely bloke.
“But I haven’t really given it very much thought.”
Obviously, Holland is being deliberately coy as the signs of a Venom and Spider-Man colliding on-screen have been mounting. Marvel fans are convinced Venom can be seen in the No Way Home trailer released back in August. Meanwhile, Let There Be Carnage director Serkis has flat-out said that a crossover film is in the works. Considering No Way Home is throwing the kitchen sink at Holland’s Spider-Man, we wouldn’t be surprised if the two iconic rivals clash sooner rather than later.
Spider-Man: No Way Home webs its way into theaters on December 17.
Expectations were modest for the 2021-22 Washington Wizards, particularly after the team moved on from Russell Westbrook. Down the stretch of the 2020-21 campaign, Westbrook turned on the jets in helping Washington make the postseason and, given his statistical prowess, the absence of that kind of do-it-all guard next to Bradley Beal left some wondering what was next for the Wizards. However, Washington received a solid package of quality players in exchange for Westbrook, invested in a high-ceiling guard in Spencer Dinwiddie, added a fresh perspective in new head coach Wes Unseld Jr., and generally stocked the cupboard to the point where the roster has few dire weaknesses.
As a result of that plan, the Wizards are 10-3 to begin the 2021-22 campaign, and that mark is the best for the franchise in 47 years. Famously, the Wizards haven’t enjoyed top-end success, and the 47-year distance between 10-3 starts is another reminder of that. Still, Washington is putting a quality product on the floor and, at the moment, the Wizards are riding an active five-game winning streak. The most recent performance wasn’t a flawless one in a narrow win over the Zion-less New Orleans Pelicans, but the Wizards overcame a 19-point deficit (without Bradley Beal) and won a game that good teams usually win, even when they don’t have their fastball.
For the season, Washington boasts a top-four defense, allowing just 102.7 points per 100 possessions, and that mark dips to 96.7 points allowed per 100 during this five-game winning streak. Admittedly, the level of competition has not been sterling, and that should be taken into account. Even so, the Wizards are guarding at an impressive level, with increased buy-in from Beal, a newfound commitment to the defensive end team-wide, and a general flexibility and competence.
At this stage, it is too early to declare that Washington is a no-doubt playoff team, with a few outlier statistics to wade through and a schedule that will stiffen in the near future. From an overarching standpoint, though, this has been a tremendous start for the Wizards, with Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma recapturing peak form, Dinwiddie providing much-needed shot creation and a rotating cast of characters well-deployed by Wes Unseld Jr. from the bench.
Where do the Wizards land in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s find out.
1. Golden State Warriors (11-2, Last week — 1st)
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After seven straight wins and an 11-1 start, the Warriors did lose their last game on Sunday in Charlotte. Golden State still leads the NBA in defensive rating and net rating, though, and the top spot really isn’t up for debate at this point.
2. Phoenix Suns (10-3, Last week — 3rd)
It was a rough start for Phoenix after a run to the 2021 NBA Finals, with the Suns losing three of the first four games. Phoenix hasn’t lost since, winning nine straight games, outscoring opponents by 11.4 points per 100 possessions during that run. The schedule wasn’t exactly treacherous, but racking up wins will help a team rise in this space.
3. Washington Wizards (10-3, Last week — 10th)
This week will be interesting for Washington with four division games against Charlotte (twice) and Miami (twice). If nothing else, we’ll learn more about how real this start actually is for the Wizards.
4. Chicago Bulls (10-4, Last week — 6th)
Chicago is one of the brighter stories this season, and DeMar DeRozan is riding high. In his first season with the Bulls, DeRozan is averaging 26.9 points per game with a 60.5 percent true shooting mark, and it is hard to think anything other than this marriage between player and team started better than most imagined.
5. Brooklyn Nets (10-4, Last week — 7th)
This might be too low for the Nets, particularly after eight wins in the last nine games. The only loss came to the Bulls by a wide margin, explaining the placement, but Brooklyn has been throttling opponents. Encouragingly, James Harden looks more like himself, and the Nets are starting to fire on more cylinders on the offensive side.
6. Miami Heat (9-5, Last week — 4th)
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As many teams find out, going to the West Coast early in the season can derail progress in a hurry. That looked to be happening for Miami with three straight losses to begin the trip, but the Heat bounced back to win the final two games. This is still a top-five team in net rating, and the schedule is pretty friendly over the next two weeks. As noted above, Miami does play Washington twice, though, and that could be interesting.
7. Utah Jazz (8-5, Last week — 2nd)
Utah remains No. 3 in the NBA in net rating, including the No. 2 offense, and there isn’t much reason to worry. The Jazz have lost four of the last five games, however, and the last two losses came at home.
8. Denver Nuggets (9-5, Last week — 12th)
Despite myriad injury concerns, the Nuggets have won five of six and Nikola Jokic is playing at an MVP level again. Denver did lose on Monday night, but that loss came without Will Barton, on top of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., and the biggest concern is reaching the point of no return from a roster standpoint.
9. Dallas Mavericks (9-4, Last week — 8th)
No one knows what to make of Dallas. The Mavericks have been outscored for the season, but they are also 9-4 and 5-1 in the last six games. At a certain point, winning games will cure just about anything. Kristaps Porzingis put up a 29-point, 11-rebound game on Monday that provided encouragement as well.
10. L.A. Clippers (8-5, Last week — 11th)
The Clippers suffered a loss in their last game, but it came to the red-hot Bulls. Before that, Ty Lue’s team won seven in a row, and Paul George is making a first-team All-NBA case through 13 contests. At the moment, this is also the No. 2 defense in the NBA.
11. New York Knicks (8-6, Last week — 13th)
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New York rising in the rankings this week isn’t a product of strong play. The Knicks are 3-5 in the last eight and, generally, New York’s starters are struggling in a big way. They also happened to win on Monday and benefit in this space from other teams scuffling.
12. Milwaukee Bucks (6-8, Last week — 16th)
The Bucks are 3-7 in the last 10 games. This might seem quite high as a result, but Milwaukee has earned the benefit of the doubt. They’ve also been missing Brook Lopez basically all season and Khris Middleton has been out just as Jrue Holiday returned. We have to wait and see what a reasonable facsimile of Milwaukee’s team actually looks like.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-6, Last week — 9th)
We touched on Cleveland extensively last week, and the Cavs continue to play solid basketball. They drop a bit after two home losses this week but, in zooming out, Cleveland is 6-2 in the last eight games and there is a lot to like.
14. Philadelphia 76ers (8-6, Last week — 5th)
Much like the Bucks above, the context surrounding the Sixers is necessary. Philly has lost four in a row, but Joel Embiid missed all of those games. When he returns, Philadelphia is a top-10 team, even without Ben Simmons on the floor.
15. Charlotte Hornets (8-7, Last week — 23rd)
It’s been a wild ride for Charlotte. The Hornets have won three in a row after losing five in a row. They bounce back in the rankings as a result, but Charlotte has still been outscored for the season. It’s tough to get a read on how good they are right now.
16. Los Angeles Lakers (8-7, Last week — 14th)
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The Lakers are 4-2 with LeBron and 4-5 without him. Los Angeles hasn’t fall off completely, to their credit, but the schedule has been loaded with home games and it isn’t as if the Lakers are lighting the world on fire. Of note, Russell Westbrook has a 49.8 percent true shooting mark right now, and that’s not going to work.
17. Boston Celtics (7-7, Last week — 19th)
Jaylen Brown hasn’t played in almost two weeks and the Celtics have stayed afloat and more. Boston is 5-2 in the last seven, and Brown’s return can only help when it occurs. Boston’s profile is basically of a .500 team right now, but there isn’t great shame in that.
18. Atlanta Hawks (6-9, Last week — 22nd)
Atlanta’s schedule is at least partially responsible for the slow start. The Hawks lost six in a row early in November, but all six losses came to quality teams, and Atlanta just rebounded with two wins at home. The loss of De’Andre Hunter for eight weeks may hurt the Hawks, but they are better than their current record.
19. Portland Trail Blazers (7-8, Last week — 17th)
Portland is 6-1 at home and 1-7 on the road. The Blazers also play 18 of the next 25 games at home, so perhaps they can improve on a 7-8 overall record through 15 games.
20. Memphis Grizzlies (7-7, Last week — 15th)
Seeing Houston cures a lot of ills. The Grizzlies lost four of five but returned home and blasted the Rockets by 34 points on Monday. The record may not show it, but Memphis is 24th in net rating and really struggling on defense.
21. Toronto Raptors (7-8, Last week — 18th)
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Toronto has dropped five out of six following a strong start. The Raptors have been better offensively than defensively this season, which defies their personnel, and Toronto allowed 127 points to Detroit over the weekend. That might be a warning sign.
22. Indiana Pacers (6-9, Last week — 20th)
After a 1-6 start and a bunch of narrow losses, the Pacers are 5-3. That is probably closer to the true talent level of this Indiana team, and they picked up nice wins over Utah and Philadelphia this week.
23. Sacramento Kings (6-8, Last week — 21st)
The Kings have been brutal in close games, and that was part of the reason they lost four in a row last week. Sacramento did defeat Detroit, in lopsided fashion, on Monday, and that helps the profile look better. There was also reported pressure on Luke Walton, and perhaps that effort was a coach-saving response.
24. San Antonio Spurs (4-9, Last week — 24th)
San Antonio’s four wins haven’t come against great competition. San Antonio also hasn’t suffered many (any?) blowout losses. That’s the recipe for a +0.6 net rating and a 4-9 record. It remains to be seen if the Spurs are more tied to their record or point differential.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-8, Last week — 27th)
The odds of Oklahoma City winning four games in a row at any point this season seemed to be off the charts, but it happened. Granted, the Thunder are 0-2 since then, but OKC has been league-average defensively and that helps in avoiding the absolute basement of the league.
26. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-9, Last week — 25th)
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Minnesota’s hot start seems far away now. The Wolves were 3-1 but are just 1-8 since then with a bottom-five offense during that nine-game swoon. It remains bizarre that the Wolves are better on defense than offense right now, but the whole package isn’t working at the highest level through 13 games.
27. Detroit Pistons (3-10, Last week — 30th)
The Pistons are 2-2 in the last four games. That was enough to force a three-spot bump. Detroit is still a bottom-three offense and the team with the worst shooting efficiency in the league, but there is a reason the Pistons weren’t supposed to be quite as bad as Houston and Orlando.
28. Orlando Magic (3-11, Last week — 26th)
Orlando has been out-scored by 10.0 points per 100 possessions. It’s not good. The Magic did score well against the Hawks on Monday, even if they couldn’t get stops, and Cole Anthony’s 29-point effort pushed him above 20 points per game for the season. That’s a bright spot, if nothing else.
29. New Orleans Pelicans (2-13, Last week — 29th)
The Pelicans (still) have the excuse that Zion is out, and the New Orleans did get a win over Memphis this weekend. In a less positive view, the Pelicans are the league’s worst defensive team, but Brandon Ingram is back and that should help the Pelicans be more competitive overall.
30. Houston Rockets (1-13, Last week — 28th)
On Oct. 22, the Rockets smashed the Thunder by a 23-point margin. Houston hasn’t won since, losing 12 straight and posting a -13.6 net rating during that skid. It’s really, really ugly right now for the Rockets, even if they still have some talent.
Don’t Look Up is one of the most star-studded films in recent memory. The cast begins with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence (in her first movie since Dark Phoenix) as “two low-level astronomers who must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.” But there’s also Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi), Cate Blanchett, Himesh Patel, and Meryl Streep as the president.
If Meryl Steep is the “and,” that’s a pretty good cast. You can watch the trailer above.
Adam McKay, who wrote and directed the apocalyptic satire, called working on the screenplay “one of those strangest experiences I’ve ever had. The strangest thing about this movie was writing it, casting it, and then seeing a lot of the elements come true, and then wondering: do you even make the movie?” He added, “There was this moment where I realized it was all about how we’ve befouled, broken, profitized, pornographicized our lines of communication, the way we actually talk to each other. That was the moment where I was like, Oh, we definitely have to make that and I wrote all the cast and they were all like, ‘Oh, yeah – Now more than ever.’”
The Netflix film comes out on December 24.
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PSA to Wizards fans, Montrezl Harrell hates MVP chants at the FT line
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