Bobblehead Nation 2019

The NBA season starts October 22 so that means it's pretty much time for some excellent bobblehead giveaways over the next seven months or so, right? Well it does if you are (a) in the right location where your local NBA team is actually handing out bobbleheads, (b) are willing to travel somewhere on bobblehead night or (c) know when to check eBay for the latest bobbles that someone's looking to make a couple of bucks on. Either way (or if it's something different) you need to read this annual post.

Over the last month or so, NBA teams have been putting their promotional schedules up on their websites and we've about reached a critical mass where there is enough information to actually write a meaningful post with multiple dates and multiple teams. And this year there are no preseason bobble giveaways (we see you, Golden State Warriors) so everything in this post this year is actually in the future. Very excited about that last part.

This year's schedule is packed full. It features bobbles from some usual reliable sources like the Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Hornets but there are also some shockers on here. Every year I've been writing this post (this is year six), the San Antonio Spurs haven't published one promo schedule with a bobblehead. This year they have three on their calendar. Who'd have thunk it? For those of us Wizards fans, yeah we got the one and only one as usual. Keep reading way to the bottom of this post.

I'll give a spoiler alert and save folks in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles (at least Lakers fans, anyway) Memphis, Minnesota and Sacramento from having to read this whole post. There's nothing for you in this one. The schedule's out and there are no bobbles to be found. Although the Lakers do have two nights just labeled TBA so maybe there's some hope for you there.

Without further ado, here's this year's post.

October 

30 Stephen Curry Popcorn Edition (Golden State Warriors)

Over the last four seasons, the Golden State Warriors have, by my count, handed out six Stephen Curry bobbleheads at pre and regular season games. Yep, for those of you who can do math, that's right...two years in there they gave away two. So it seems right that we would see yet another one this year. The Dubs did not disappoint, not even making it out of October, without a Curry bobble. I gotta tell you though, they are kind of running out of ideas. After multiple regular Steph bobbles, one wearing a San Jose Sharks sweater and even an MVP edition, there's this year's offering which is Steph standing behind a giant thing of popcorn. I got nothing here.

By the way, the Trolley Car in the picture above? Preseason giveaway. You'll probably need to find one on eBay at this point.

November 

20 Lou Williams Underground GOAT (Los Angeles Clippers)

If there's a must have on this year's NBA bobblehead schedule, this (shown above) has to be it. Sweet Lou shooting a J with his three Sixth Man of the Year trophies sitting on a shelf behind him. Are you kidding me? I should find a way to get out to L.A. right before Thanksgiving.

22 Spider-Man (Brooklyn Nets)

Something good is going on in Brooklyn. In the last few years they have been extremely bobblehead focused. This year they enter Warriors territory and have five on the schedule. Good for them. And for Nets fans. As if it weren't great enough getting KD and Kyrie to go to Brooklyn, they also get five bobbleheads. Brooklyn, it seems, is taking a bit of an unorthodox approach to this whole thing. There's a lot of Marvel tie-ins. Either that or the Nets had way more cap space than I thought and managed to sign Spider-Man with the Mid-Level Exception or something.

25 Draymond Green San Francisco Edition (Golden State Warriors)
There's a storyline this offseason that the Warriors decided to tear it all down and rebuild for a year. Gone is Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala was traded and Shaun Livington retired. But they still have Steph Curry, an injured-but-soon-to-return Klay Thompson (just wait two days for the bobble on that one) and of course Draymond Green. Doesn't sound like any sort of rebuild to me. I'd love to see this team playing in Washington wearing the red, white and blue. Apparently the bobblehead version of Draymond Green this year is a San Francisco edition. Whatever that means. Show up November 25 to find out I guess.

27 Klay Thompson Headband Edition (Golden State Warriors) / DeMar DeRozan (San Antonio Spurs) 

While I have no ideas on the San Francisco Edition bobblehead on the Warriors' calendar, I'm pretty sure the Klay Thompson Headband Edition bobblehead is Klay Thompson wearing a headband. I could be off base on this one but I think I may actually have this right. I didn't remember Klay actually ever wearing a headband while he played. I found one picture: on ESPN on an article about him dropping an NBA record 14 threes in a game en route to scoring 52 against the Bulls. Maybe there's something there.

On the same day, the NBA stunner of bobblehead announcements kicks off with a DeMar DeRozan bobblehead in San Antonio. Who knows...maybe they give away bobbles in San Antonio every year and I just miss it but for me right now this is huge. Maybe it's because the Spurs' stock is dropping slightly? Who knows? If I'm a Spurs fan, I'm circling this and two other dates on my calendar a can't miss games.

December

3 Austin Carr (Cleveland Cavaliers)

I can't stand the Cleveland Cavaliers. I don't like what they did to the Wizards in three straight playoffs, I resent the fact that the NBA kept handing them number one overall pics, and I really really detest their owner. But, man, do they hand out some bobbleheads. Six this season. SIX!!!! 

It's the Cavs' 50th anniversary and they are pulling out all the stops bobble-wise. They are releasing bobbleheads as voted by the fans representing each era (as defined solely by the team itself - I'm debating attaching the name "era" to some of these) in team history. Austin Carr (ANOTHER first overall pick by the Cavs) starts the party off on December 3 representing what the Cavs are calling "The Early Years Era". Seems like they could have omitted the "era" from that one.

6 Giannis Antetokounmpo MVP (Milwaukee Bucks)
The Milwaukee Bucks haven't had a league MVP since 1974 (Kareem; he won three in Milwaukee if you must know) so it seems natural that they'd celebrate by casting Giannis in resin along with a pretty detailed MVP trophy. If the actual item looks like the picture (see cover photo of this post), this one's going to be worth showing up for,

11 Kevon Looney Stormtrooper Edition (Golden State Warriors)

In recent years, the Warriors have been a bobblehead collector's dream, not just for handing out plastic likenesses of their All-Stars but for celebrating success in bobblehead form deep into their rotation. This year is no exception as December 11 sees breakout star in the making Kevon Looney get his very own likeness in bobblehead form. It's the fourth of five total bobbles being handed out in San Francisco (remember they moved...) this year. Stormtrooper Edition too. Thinking Star Wars there.

20 Whammer (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Two and a half weeks after handing out bobblehead number one, the Cavs are back on the schedule with a Whammer bobblehead. Yeah, I had to look it up too. Apparently he's a polar bear who was the Cavaliers' mascot back in the day. Who knew? Whammer represents the "Gund Arena Era" in the Cavaliers 50th anniversary celebration. He's got to be wearing one of those top 10 worst unis in NBA history that they wore back in the day, right?

21 DeAndre Jordan Star Wars Night (Brooklyn Nets)
Somehow the Nets have managed some Marvel and Star Wars tie-ins this year. I hope they got a package deal from Disney. Bobblehead #2 in Brooklyn drops just before Christmas (these things make great presents, folks!) and one day after the ninth and final Star Wars movies. They get closer than Golden State did to the actual date but somehow I still feel they should have been out in front of this a bit.

22 Bango Snow Globe (Milwaukee Bucks)
I love mascots bobbleheads. Heck, I love anything associated with mascots at all. But a mascot bobblehead that's also a snow globe? Oh! My! God! And it's Bango too, who topped out at number four on my mascot rank (back when I used to do such stuff in the summers) before Hugo's return in Charlotte knocked him down to the five spot. Bango Snow Globe bobblehead? I'm there. Not really, though, since I'd have to go to Milwaukee right before Christmas. Nothing against Milwaukee (in fact, lots FOR Milwaukee). Just not going right before the holidays.

23 Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns)
Only in a world occupied by Kelly Oubre, Jr. can there be a bobblehead series called the Valley Boyz Bobblehead Series. Unfortunately for Wizards fans, that world is no longer Washington, D.C. Fortunately for Suns fans, Kelly is now re-signed in Phoenix and bobblehead fanatics in Arizona are the beneficiaries. Deandre Ayton is up first in this trilogy. That's two years in a row with an Ayton bobblehead. There's got to be something in Phoenix to make up for all that losing.

31 Terry Rozier Star Wars (Charlotte Hornets)
Michael Jordan may not like spending money on free agents, but he sure does love handing out bobbleheads. There are four on the calendar in Charlotte this year, starting with the third (and so far to my knowledge, last) Star Wars themed bobblehead this season. Freshly acquired point guard Terry Rozier gets things kicked off in the Queen City.

January

4 Mark Price (Cleveland Cavaliers)

The Cavs celebrate the "Richfield Coliseum Era" (the third questionable "era" celebrated so far in Cleveland) just after the turn of the new year. I'd definitely show up for a Mark Price bobble, who I assume will be wearing the Cavaliers blue jersey with the orange CAVS logo where the V is a basket. But...since I don't live in Cleveland and they aren't playing the Wizards, I'll be passing.

14 D'Angelo Russell (Golden State Warriors)

Mid-January ends the Dubs' bobblehead run for the 2019-2020 season with their newest All-Star in cast resin, D'Angelo Russell. They swapped Russell for Kevin Durant in the offseason from the Brooklyn Nets (where Russell was an All-Star). There are more plenty more goodies later in the season for Warriors fans but not in the bobblehead department. Have to wait until next year for another five or half-dozen or so.

18 Spencer Dinwiddie as Iron Man (Brooklyn Nets)
Marvel bobblehead #2 in the NBA is available for the taking (or the picking up) at Barclays Center in mid-January two days before the annual Dr. Martin Luther King holiday. After Spider-Man in November, you get Spencer Dinwiddie as Iron Man after the new year. What exactly is this going to look like? I assume he's not fully helmeted, right? Otherwise, it's just an Iron Man bobblehead, right? I should note this one is not on the Nets' promo schedule page on their website but was part of their Instagram promo night announcement. Trusting Insta is right here.

19 Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs)
Bobblefest in San Antonio contines in late January with Patty Mills in bobblehead form. I'm telling you, if I'm in San Antonio, I'm not missing this stuff. I love that the Spurs are doing one of Mills, who is super valuable but will likely never get to All-Star game level. Wish the Wiz could honor more steady players like the Spurs.

31 Notorious B.I.G. (Brooklyn Nets)
I don't know what to say about this one. Bravo, Nets! This has nothing to do with hoops and it doesn't matter at all. Awesome!

February 

5 Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
This summer the Clips pulled off the biggest splash signings and trades of the summer, signing Kawhi Leonard on the open market and trading about a million draft picks to Oklahoma City in exchange for Paul George. Now they gotta win. The Clips have never even been to the conference finals before. Seems like this year might be the year. This is the second and final Clippers bobblehead of the year. So in other words, no Kawhi. I would bet that Kawhi has a clause in his contract that the Clips NOT make a bobblehead of him. Note this is not on the giveaway schedule on the Clippers' website but it was in the press release regarding the promotional schedule. I'm counting on the press release being right.

7 Kelly Oubre, Jr. (Phoenix Suns)
I have never ever ever bought a bobblehead off eBay or some other website. I'd consider breaking that fast for this Kelly Oubre bobble. Yes, I know, I've already got one in a Wizards jersey. I'm still bitter about that stupid trade last year.

22 Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets)
Miles Bridges got 25 starts and averaged 7.5 points per game as a rookie in Charlotte. With the Hornets being essentially completely irrelevant this year, he gets his first team-issued bobblehead. Good luck with all that.

28 Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Bobblehead number three in the Valley Boyz Bobblehead Series is Devin Booker. Makes sense to me. Booker's been the only bright spot on the directionless Suns team the last few years. Can't wait to see what this set looks like together.

29 Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Apparently the Gund Arena Era was so awesome in Cleveland that they are handing out two bobbleheads representing those 11 or so years, including one of former Washington Wizard Zydrunas Ilgauskas on February 29. I'm making fun of the Cavs' "eras" a lot here I realize but it's probably deserved. The Cavs still play in Gund Arena to this day, it's just that owner Dan Gilbert has re-named the place after his Quicken Loans and now Rocket Mortgages businesses.

March

1 "Dwayne" Bacon (Charlotte Hornets)
OK so honestly, I'd never even heard of Dwayne Bacon but apparently he's entering his third season with the Hornets. Maybe I'm completely out of touch with non-superstars in the NBA and if that's the case, I'm OK with that. Charlotte (for lack of a better choice) is riding a youth movement this year and I guess someone feels Bacon is a rotation guy. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the Hornets issued a schedule with Bacon's first name in quotes. From everything I can tell, his first name is actually Dwayne. I'm matching the Hornets website however.

4 Daniel "Booby" Gibson (Cleveland Cavaliers)

When I first started researching this post this date was pencilled in as a fan-voted bobblehead representing the New Wine and Gold Era in Cleveland. Apparently between the time I first saw the promotional schedule and the time I wrote this post, the fans voted for a Booby bobble. There wasn't much competition here. Some of the alternates were Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and Ira Newble. I mean, really? Ira Newble? I would have voted for Larry Hughes. LeBron was NOT on the ballot.

6 Dr. J as Black Panther (Brooklyn Nets) / Benny the Bull x Hebru Brantley (Chicago Bulls)
The Nets are the best. At least in the bobblehead department this year. I can't wait to see this one. How's Doc's afro gong to fit in here. Makes me jealous of Brooklyn fans. Almost. This is the last one in Brooklyn this season. What a run!

Over in Chicago on the exact same day, the Bulls are handing out a Benny the Bull bobblehead for at least the third consecutive year (last year's is shown above). This is also the only bobble handed out in Chicago this year which is quite the indictment of the Bulls' roster although if it were me, I'd be all over the Satoransky bobblehead. I'll confess, I had to look up what or who Hebru Brantley was or is (showing my age, I get it...). He's apparently a Chicago hip-hop artist. After the Lou Williams Underground GOAT bobble, I'd circle this as the most intriguing of the year.

7 Mystery (Charlotte Hornets)
Not much to say here. Watch this space I guess. Awesome that the Hornets are going four deep in the bobblehead department this year.

22 Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs)
If I'm a Spurs fan, I'm a bit puzzled here. I mean I know Rudy's been a solid contributor the last couple of years but he gets a bobble over LaMarcus Aldridge? Or even Dejounte Murray? Still, they are getting three bobbles this year. Don't be picky. I wouldn't be.

30 Fan-Voted Championship Era & Beyond (Cleveland Cavaliers)

The sixth and final bobblehead to be handed out in Cleveland this season will be determined by fan vote starting November 4 and ending a week later. It's gotta be LeBron, doesn't it? Two reasons why it might not be: (1) Cavs fans still hate LeBron and vote for Kevin Love or J.R. Smith or someone like that just to spite him or (2) owner Dan Gilbert doesn't even put him on the ballot. Number 1 is unlikely; number 2 is very likely and Gilbert also omits Kyrie from the ballot too.

April

15 Thomas Bryant (Washington Wizards)

If I'm a Wizards fan (and I am) I've been sitting around the entire NBA season to finally get a bobblehead handed out to me and my fellow fans at the doors of Capital One Arena. On the VERY LAST day of the regular season, we finally get one. And it's not (thank God) a Bradley Beal or John Wall default bobblehead. This year's offering is breakout star (from last year) Thomas Bryant who went from the waiver wire to a three year, $25 million contract in one year. I'm honestly a little surprised Rui Hachimura didn't make it here but lately it seems that rookies get about as much consideration for a bobblehead giveaway in Washington as they get in Scott Brooks' rotation.

As usual with this post, this list may not be comprehensive. As of the writing of this post, I'm missing schedules from Boston (no surprise there), Indiana, Miami, New York (also no surprise), Orlando, Philadelphia and Toronto in the East and Dallas, Denver, Houston, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Portland and Utah in the West. Seems to me that Toronto (to celebrate their 2019 Championship) and Portland (50th season) would want to do something bobble-wise to celebrate this season. I'm also shocked that the Rockets haven't released a schedule; they are usually one of the first to chime in. Maybe there's a second post in the wings in the next month or so.

There are some other interesting non-bobble giveaways out there. Golden State is handing out some All-Star Voting Nesting Dolls and a Stephen Curry Action Figure. The Bulls are also getting into the nesting doll game with a Benny the Bull Nesting Dolls giveaway. If gnomes are your thing, both Milwaukee (Giannis Antetokounmpo) and the Brooklyn Nets (Jarrett Allen) have gnome handouts this year. 

The last thing I'll point out is that this year, there are only two days where multiple  bobblehead giveaways are scheduled on the exact same day. So theoretically, you could get them all in person (except two) given enough time and money. Happy bobble hunting, NBA fans!!!

BROOOOOOK-LYYYN!

This is my last Wizards blog post of the year. I need some time off from writing about this team. What is it that I keep needing time off from writing about them by the way? It's not good. After this weekend, I'm completely exhausted by Ted Leonsis, Ernie Grunfeld and the rest of the Wizards' so-called brain trust.

I went to Brooklyn Friday for a very very quick weekend getaway. It's not the shortest Wizards road trip I've ever planned, but it was close. All told, this was the 16th different opponent I've seen the Wizards play on the road. 13 to go, I guess. Before this game, my road record was a surprisingly good 8-8 (while I'd seen the Wiz play 15 opponents not the road prior to this one, I'd seem them lose to the Clippers twice in L.A.). Now it's below .500 again.

Let's cut to the chase here, shall we? Below is a list of the three best things that happened Friday night in Brooklyn:

3. The Subway is way better than Metro. I love that train system.

2. They have Brooklyn Brewery beer at Barclays Center.

1. Kelly Oubre made a heart sign with his hands for Sophia when he saw her wearing his jersey.

Not so good, right? Now let's look at the worst three things that happened Friday in Brooklyn.

3. The Wizards played another uninspired game and lost to another team with zero All-Stars like they have done countless times in the last two or three years.

2. During the game, the Wizards front office orchestrated a three way trade to send Kelly Oubre to Memphis only to have the trade news leak and Memphis blow the whole thing up.

1. OK, so there were just two worst things that happened in Brooklyn Friday night but number 2 above once again emphasized for me that staying under the salary cap is more important to ownership than long term strategy or winning even while season ticket prices continue to increase.

Definitely not so good.

Brooklyn East India Pale Ale. One of my favorites. 

I like going to Wizards road games. I love traveling and I love cheering on my team on the road. So the results are not always what I want but hey, if I can get to an even record over the years that I've been heading all over the country to see the Wiz, that's honestly better than the team's overall winning percentage over that same span. One day, maybe, I'll make it to all the other arenas in the NBA for a Wizards game. Hopefully this team doesn't kill my spirit before that happens.

This was not my first NBA trip to Barclays Center. I came here twice before during All-Star Weekend in 2015. This time I had better seats. Like 10 or 15 feet from the edge of the Wizards' bench kind of seats. Totally different perspective than sitting where I've sat before in the building. Basketball is a completely different game when you are close enough to hear the dialog between players and coaches and when you can see the eyes of the players. Those were some pretty good seats. I won't say much about the actual game other than the Wizards fell behind in the first quarter but recovered for a lead at the 12 minute mark then fell behind in the second the exact same way and never really decided to recover. 11-18 and behind the Nets. Might be called an off-night if there weren't so many just like this already this season.

Obligatory "I was at the game" picture.

One of the things I love about traveling to road games is checking out the other team's arena, especially with so many new buildings out there. From an architectural standpoint, Brooklyn's Barclays Center has to be one of the best out there. While other buildings make an effort to fit into their surroundings or go the generic downtown sports arena route, Barclays dares to be different.

It starts with their curved, video streaming iconic entrance that reveals itself as you emerge from the Subway and extends inside the arena to a lobby that flows right into the main space. You can actually see the scoreboard when you walk in as the walls between the main entry and the arena space were intentionally left off to create this effect. The concourses that make their way around the court space are pretty wide, way wider than we find at Capital One Arena. The more road arenas I see the more this fact hits home that our home building would have benefited so much from an extra 20 or so feet in the north - south direction and it's not a function of the street grid since G Street was eliminated to make way for then-MCI Center.

If MCI Center was one of the first downtown arenas to incorporate some of the character of the surrounding blocks by integrating Chinese motifs into the exterior skin of the building (and I think it was one of the first FWIW), it didn't go much further than that. Barclays does. While it may seem like a minor gesture, they have integrated large photographic displays of some of the early Brooklyn basketball teams into the concourse walls. Fed Ex Forum in Memphis had similar graphics when I was there earlier this year. It provides a great tie to the basketball history of the city. Basketball didn't just arrive on Long Island when the Nets moved from Jersey in 2012. It has been there for a more than a century since just after James Naismith invented the game in the late 1800s.

The front entrance of Barclays Center.

One of the early Brooklyn basketball teams with a beer vendor selling Brooklyn beer.

So let's talk about this whole trade thing. When it was clear that the Wizards were not going to win this game (or more accurately when it was mathematically impossible for that to happen), we headed for the exit. As we did, Kelly Oubre punctuated the loss with an emphatic dunk, leading one of our fellow Wizard fans (our row was ironically full of Wizards fans) to say something to the effect of he probably dunked that hard because he just found out he was traded. 

Hold up! What?

So sure enough a quick check of Twitter got us the news. Trevor Ariza back to the Wizards; Kelly Oubre to Memphis; and Austin Rivers to Phoenix. Oh and the Wizards got a second rounder out of the deal and a very very very very protected second second rounder. Initial reaction: the team is giving up on Kelly, getting a second round pick that they don't value at all and hoping the few years older version of Trevor Ariza gets the Wizards back to where they were when he was in Washington the first time. And of course, there has to be some cash savings, right?

About a half an hour later, that deal was dead. The initial scuttlebutt was that Memphis and Phoenix seemed confused about which Brooks from the Grizzlies (Dillon or MarShon) was headed to the Suns. Later it came out that the Grizz were upset about the deal being leaked  before it was finalized and torpedoed it. Whatever the reason, it was dead and the Wizards had two guys in the locker room who knew damn well the team had just given up on them. Couldn't be long before they got back on the trading block.

Coach Brooks furiously scribbling out a play. As bad as the Wiz were Friday, this happened a lot.

Sure enough by Saturday afternoon there was a different deal done, one that got the Wizards the same two players out of Washington and got less (that's right you read that correctly: LESS!) in return. Second rounders? Forget about it.

I have two takes on this trade. First, before I get to either opinion, let me say that the Wizards are in some sort of salary cap hell and likely will be for a while if they don't make some moves that reduces their cap number going forward like now. They are over the cap this season and have an 11-18 record. Next season, they already have $112 million committed to just five players (Wall, Beal, Porter, Mahinmi and Brown) against a cap expected to be around $123 million. Throw in Dwight Howard's $5.6 million player option and they are about capped out with just six bodies. How do you win with six players and no track record of being able to attract good free agents on discounted deals? You don't. You need more flexibility in a big big way. If the Wizards intend to trade their way out of this situation this year (and I think they have to) then they have lots of work to do. This deal ain't it.

First Take: This is one of many moves to transform this team.

There is a possibility here that the Wizards have a larger plan that nobody outside the organization fully understands (nor should they be privy to that lest it tips the league to the Wizards' hand). I know I'm giving a lot of benefit of the doubt here but stay with me just a bit.

On the surface of things, Ariza on an expiring deal does not seem like the fix the Wizards need, even for a team in desperate need of defense. If there's a plan to keep him, there better be a plan which is pretty darned solid to move Otto Porter and that move better come with a future first round pick coming back to Washington. Ariza is also clearly in demand, if rumors around the league are true; if the intent is to use him as trade fodder for another deal then I can get on board with that. But that trade better return some young talent and a first round pick because it's likely the team interested has some sort of championship aspirations this year and whatever pick comes back ain't going to be that great. 

In this scenario, the team is willing to part with Kelly Oubre because they just traded for Sam Dekker, who effectively becomes the Wizards' replacement draft pick from the 2015 NBA Draft. Dekker was picked three spots behind Kelly that year, is a year and a half older, is probably steadier right now but has nowhere near as much upside. He's also probably easier to retain on a reasonable deal because guys with little upside don't get big contracts unless they are really really really good (or Ian Mahinmi if Ernie Grunfeld has anything to do with it, I guess). Dekker ain't.

Kelly Oubre in his last game as a Wizard. Probably.

Second Take: The Wizards are trying to do whatever it takes to get below the luxury tax.

This take is way easier to execute and way more short sighted and has the capacity to cripple to team for years to come. And since it is the easier and more obvious take, it's the scariest because as fans, the primes of John Wall and Bradley Beal (who has already allegedly asked out of Washington and will no way re-sign) have been completely wasted. It's also scary because even if the plan is to go with Take 1 and it doesn't work no matter how well planned, you have achieved nothing to solve the short or long term issues with this team which means you end up with Take 2 anyway and have completely failed. Completely.

Before we get to the salary cap stuff, let's start by addressing the arguments that Kelly Oubre wasn't that good for the team now or in the future anyway.

I'm sure there are some folks out there who think Kelly Oubre will never be as good as he should be. Now, I'm not pretending that Kelly is the best player on the floor most nights or even most minutes right now but here's what's good about Kelly: (1) he plays hard; like with more energy and effort than anyone on the Wizards, a team noted for not playing hard at all most nights the last season and a half, (2) he's got a ton of upside; sure he may not pass the ball as much as he should and he commits some poor fouls sometimes (he is getting way better) but he's likely to be better than Trevor Ariza will be in three years or so and he's likely to be better than Sam Dekker ever will be. Or not; there's some risk there. Kelly's a swing for the fences type of prospect. You might also strike out.

For those out there who say there's no way we will be able to re-sign Oubre in the offseason, I say why not? First, the Wizards can match any offer if they really wanted to; maybe Kelly gets not much interest and the offer is reasonable. Second, if he gets an offer that you are not willing to match, then sign and trade may be an option. If he gets a great offer and you let him walk, he's not here next year. Guess what? Neither is Ariza. If there are no more plans to move Ariza, then you've traded away flexibility for a shot at glory this year. Ariza ain't the difference maker the Wizards need so you really traded Oubre for nothing. There won't be any glory this year based on this trade.

So if it's a salary cap move, what's wrong with that? Isn't ownership allowed to save money if they want to? Well yes sure, but the fact that the Wizards are choosing to save money and sacrificing competitiveness short term without having a long term vision that's attainable (that point is very important) should be important to every fan of the team and especially those who pay for season tickets every year. My lower level seats increased in price 20% this year and the owner of the team gave the front office an A grade for the offseason and here we are trying to dump salary in December. Again, all this assumes future moves don't materialize. Not future moves are not intended; intent gets you nothing here.

Can we take a look at that offseason A grade just for a paragraph or so? The big moves since the 2017-2018 season were trading Marcin Gortat for Austin Rivers (who the team just traded again); drafting Troy Brown (who hardly plays); and signing Jeff Green and Dwight Howard (who has played in nine of the team's 27 games this year). Doesn't look like an A to me.

Part of the pennant wall at Atlantic Social across from Barclays. Not relevant maybe but too good not to post. 

I left Brooklyn upset on Friday night. Upset at another poor showing on the court but more upset about what I see as trading away a young player with lots of promise who plays hard and is likable as strictly a salary cutting move. My patience is wearing thin with this front office. It might be absolutely done. If we as Wizards fans think trading Kelly Oubre for Trevor Ariza thinks this makes the Wizards good enough to compete this year or better long term we are absolutely fooling ourselves. It does neither of that. I can't see any argument that will convince me of that.

The pressure should be on this front office. Not to deliver millions of dollars of tax savings by cutting salaries short term, but to produce a winner that is more than a failed promise of competing in the Eastern Conference year after year after year. So far, there has been nothing delivered in that regard. If they can't do it, then someone else needs a shot for the fans' sake. For the sake of the people who spend millions of dollars collectively to go watch the Wizards in person at Capital One Arena.

I realize I've said nothing about Austin Rivers in this whole narrative. You can take that silence as my opinion of the relative value of him on the Wizards.

When it became obvious to the Brooklyn faithful that the game was in the bag Friday night, we started to hear long choruses of BROOOOOOK-LYYYN coming from the crowd behind us. Why can't we get that sort of enthusiasm from our crowd at Capital One Arena. Maybe if we got that kind of enthusiasm on the court or from our front office we would. Here's hoping my next Wizards road trip gets me back to even.

Bobblehead Nation 2018 Update

It's been about a month and a half since I published my annual post detailing the bobbleheads available as in-game giveaways around the NBA. Since that time, a few more teams have revealed their promotional schedules so we now know (1) where there are some additional bobbleheads for the taking and (2) which franchises are passing this year. Time for an update!

First the bad news. If you are a Timberwolves or 76ers fan, looks like you are out of luck in the bobblehead department this year, although the Sixers did produce a Joel Embiid bobblehead to hand out at their G-League team's game in Philly on November 20. Yes, I realize that was last month but I did make it clear in my post two months ago that this one was on the slate. With no bobbleheads on the schedule, the most exciting item on Philadelphia's promotional schedule is the free mittens on December 12. I'd definitely be there early for that one.

There's also some bobblehead uncertainty out there for me right now. The Atlanta Hawks have a graphic of a throwback Harry the Hawk bobblehead on their website (and shown below) but it appears nowhere on their schedule that I can see, although it does appear to be tied to the purchase of tickets like the Dominique Wilkins bobblehead that they made available last month. And in a surpise, the Dallas Mavericks have not released a promo schedule on their website; Dallas has been a great source for bobbleheads over the last couple of years with at least 10 in each of the last two seasons. Doesn't mean they are sitting this season out, just that I can't find it.

But enough about who's not giving away bobbleheads, let's get to the supplement to my original post.

January

12 Gus T. Bull & Benny The Bull Bobblehead (Windy City Bulls)

How awesome is this double mascot bobblehead? Very awesome is the only reasonable answer. The Bulls' G-League franchise is taking the safe route here by not issuing a player bobblehead (who knows who's going to be around in January on a  G-League team) but I don't care. This thing is fantastic. I assume Gus is a younger version of Benny? There's a striking unibrow resemblance but what color is Gus exactly? Not sure about the ochre colored hair any more than I'm sure about how Benny came to have red hair.

25 Julius Randle (New Orleans Pelicans)

2018 was a big year for the New Orleans Pelicans. They not only made it to the playoffs for the second time since they drafted Anthony Davis number one overall out of Kentucky but they also made it out of the first round. But late in the season, DeMarcus Cousins tore his achilles tendon and both he and Rajon Rondo left in the offseason. Julius Randle was probably the team's best shot at re-loading in the offseason since the Lakers seemed to be focused on other folks filling their roster this summer. The Pels reward Randle for his commitment here by getting him his own bobblehead in January.

February

12 Nikola Mirotic (New Orleans Pelicans)

Apparently the Pelicans are into handing out bobbleheads of players who might not be in New Orleans next year. Julius Randle has a player option for next year and Nikola Mitotic is an unrestricted free agent. Maybe the team hopes that making a bobblehead of each will help them to stay in the Crescent City. On the other hand, their tens of millions of dollars of cap space might do the same thing. The only thing I'm curious about with the Mitotic bobble is: beard or no beard?

21 Black Panther (Brooklyn Nets)

Yes, the Nets, after their disastrous first attempt at a mascot with the BrooklyKnight are getting back into the superhero game. This one, though, seems way safer than the mascot they invented. Who isn't going to show up in Brooklyn for a free Marvel Black Panther bobblehead? 

The Nets, by the way, are not the first professional sports team located in Brooklyn to give away a Black Panther bobblehead. The minor league baseball Brooklyn Cyclones did it this summer. The picture above is the Cyclones' version, not the Nets' version.

27 Caris LeVert (Brooklyn Nets)

Last year was not a good year to be a Nets player who was also on the bobblehead schedule. Allen Crabbe was just fine but D'Angelo Russell missed almost half the season with knee issues and Jeremy Lin missed the entire season (well, minus 25 minutes...) with a ruptured patella tendon. How's this season going for the Nets' bobblehead players? Well, LeVert, after a strong early season showing, had a horrendous ankle injury in November. It looked way worse than it might actually be but suffice it to say, I'd be worried if the Nets had my bobblehead on their giveaway schedule. 

If you are a Wizards fan looking to collect an opponent's bobblehead when you are on a roadie, February 27th's opponent is the Wizards.

I love the Harry the Hawk throwback bobble. It's just not entirely clear how to get one.

March 

11 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Brooklyn Nets)

How nervous should Rondae Hollis-Jefferson be about making it through this year fully healthy with the Nets? Depends on if you believe in the Nets bobblehead curse or not. Either way, assuming he's still on the team, it looks like March 11 will get you your third of three Nets bobbleheads for the year.

April

5 TBD (Washington Wizards)

Finally my beloved Washington Wizards announced the date for their (one) bobblehead giveaway of the year but just like some previous years, they are refusing to disclose who that might be. My early money was on Dwight Howard but with his mysterious back/butt injury requiring early season surgery, I'm not sure any more. Maybe ownership knew there was disaster coming and couldn't commit to keeping anyone on the roster this late in the season. Nah...that can't be it, right?

That's all I'm going to say about bobbleheads this season until the mystery Wizards bobble gets handed out on April 5. Unless something major happens in the meantime, that is.

One final note on a past bobblehead and a reason why I used the cover photo above. The Kevin Love bobblehead game in Cleveland is passed, as might be Kevin Love's time in Cleveland (we'll have to see about that one). As it turns out, the Cavs gave away two versions of the bobblehead that night: one wearing the Cavs' (awful) wine-colored jersey and one wearing what looks like a Goodyear company jersey (what else could it be?). Apparently they only made 100 of the Goodyear version and handed them out randomly. Head to eBay, Cavs fans.

Bobblehead Nation 2017 Update

So we are a couple of months into the NBA season and about that same length of time since I posted my Bobblehead Nation post for this calendar year, my annual roundup of all the bobbleheads I can find advertised as in-arena giveaways on various NBA teams' websites. I've written a post like this each of the last four years and I always miss some because some teams just don't roll out their promotional schedules on a timeline convenient to me. Imagine that, right?

So this year to be more of a bobblehead completist I have decided to post an update to my original post based on some new intel from some teams around the league. Turns out I was just missing a couple of teams and there have been some TBDs clarified since my initial post. The Milwaukee Bucks lead the way here with a ton of throwback bobbleheads. Let's get right to it, starting with some that have already come and gone.

Well, before we get to that, let me say just how awesome the James Harden bobblehead the Rockets gave away earlier this month is. OK, now let's get to it.

November

15 Bob Dandridge (Milwaukee Bucks)

In my first bobblehead post of the season, I covered in detail the Phoenix Suns' plans to celebrate their 50th season in the NBA with a series of five bobbleheads this year, one for each decade that the team has been playing ball. There's another team celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and that's the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the most creative teams out there when it comes to giveaways. The Bucks' reaction to turning 50? Well, I thought based on their initial promotional schedule that it was pretty much nothing. Turns out the Bucks were waiting on the announcement of the good stuff and are actually rolling out seven bobbleheads to celebrate their half century, starting about a month ago.

The Bucks have won just one championship in their 50 years in the league and they did it in 1971, just three years into their existence. Bob Dandridge was the starting small forward on that team after being drafted by the Bucks the prior season. Dandridge played a total nine seasons in Milwaukee (his first eight plus his last year in the NBA). In between? He was a Washington Bullet and picked up a second championship in Washington the very first year he played here in D.C. Many credit Dandridge with being the guy who pushed the Bullets over the edge and got them a title. Maybe it's about time for a Dandridge bobble in D.C. too? Wishful thinking, I know...
 

December

6 Sidney Moncrief (Milwaukee Bucks)

It's been so long since the Bucks were really good that it's easy as a fan of today's NBA to imagine them as a perennial doormat or middle of the pack team for their entire 50 year history. Sure they got that one title in 1971 but that was so long ago (I was two years old) and they almost made it to the Finals in the early aughts (lost in the Conference Finals to Philly in 2001) but what about the rest of the 48 years?

Here's the news: the Bucks had a couple of eras where they were really good. They won five division titles in the early and mid 1970s back when they won it all. They also won seven straight division titles from 1980 to 1986. And this was when division titles actually meant something. There were only four divisions back then after all. The guy anchoring most of those teams in the 1980s? Sidney Moncrief.

Over those seven seasons (including his rookie year in 1979-1980) Moncrief started a minimum of 72 games per year. He made the All-Star game five times. He made the All-NBA First Team once and the second team four more times. He flipped that script for the NBA All-Defensive team, making the first team four times and the second team once. Oh, and he was also the Defensive Player of the Year twice en route to getting his number 4 retired in Milwaukee. Earlier this month the folks in Milwaukee got him in bobblehead form.

January

3 Bob Lanier (Milwaukee Bucks)

After single bobbleheads in November and December the Bucks crank up the heat a bit in January and hand out three. First up? Bob Lanier, who got to the Bucks the same year Sidney Moncrief did. Well, almost.

Lanier was likely already a hall of famer before he got to Milwaukee, posting seven All-Star appearances (including the 1974 All-Star Game MVP award) in his first nine and a half seasons in Detroit before being traded to the Bucks during the 1979-1980 season. In Milwaukee he became part of the core that won the first five of those seven straight division titles. Lanier's number 16 is retired in both Detroit and Milwaukee. In 2006, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Three down, four to go in Milwaukee.
 

6 D'Angelo Russell (Brooklyn Nets)

After a violation of the bro code with Nick Young (bye, Iggy!) and (more likely the reason for his L.A. exit) the Lakers drafting Lonzo Ball, former number two overall pick D'Angelo Russell found himself shipped off to Brooklyn and the worst team in the NBA this past offseason. Worst team last year anyway.

 

So how are things in Brooklyn this year? Well, record-wise about the same as things are for the Lakers? And Russell? Well, up and down. Up because he was putting up good numbers in the beginning of the year and he gets himself a bobblehead in early January. Down because he hasn't played for the Nets since early November with a leg  injury. No timetable for recovery right now but at least he gets a bobblehead, which apparently is some sort of ongoing curse this season for Nets players. Read on...

 

8 Jeremy Lin (Brooklyn Nets)

As bad as D'Angelo Russell has it with a leg injury and no schedule for getting back on the court, he's got it good compared to Jeremy Lin, who gets his own bobblehead just two days after Russell gets one. Lin's fate this year? One game and 25 minutes played, one ruptured patella tendon in his right knee, gone for the year. Terrible. Awful luck. I'm sure a bobblehead helps this situation in no way.

10 Brian Winters (Milwaukee Bucks)

To this point in the season, the Milwaukee Bucks have celebrated players who played on their early 1970s and early 1980s teams. With the rollout of the Brian Winters bobblehead on January 10, they celebrate both. Winters arrived in Milwaukee as part of a trade for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, after making the All-Rookie First Team with the Lakers during the 1974-1975 season.

If you are thinking being traded for Kareem is kind of a tough act to follow, you'd be correct. Winters was not anything close to the player Kareem was. But he did manage to make a couple of All-Star teams in 1976 and 1978 and did enough I guess in Milwaukee's eyes that they retired his number 32 jersey.
 

12 Charles Barkley (Phoenix Suns)

No, this is not a new bobblehead giveaway date, but at the time I wrote my initial post, the Suns hadn't yet revealed the player to be honored in bobble form this date. All bobblehead dates for the Suns' 50th anniversary season were determined by fan vote. January 12 is 90s night at Talking Stick Resort Arena and of course the fan choice HAD to be Barkley. For the record, I nailed the Suns yet to be announced results in my first post. See March and April below.

17 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks)
So if you are the Bucks, there had to be a dilemma here, right? Do you go with a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bobblehead or a Lew Alcindor bobblehead? Kareem played six seasons in Milwaukee after being drafted by the team in 1969 out of UCLA and while he had already converted to Islam, he was still known on the basketball court as Lew Alcindor, a name he continued to use publicly until after his second NBA season, the same year the Bucks won their one and only championship.

So...two seasons as Alcindor and four as Abdul-Jabbar but the championship came as Alcindor. What to do? The Bucks, apparently, are choosing Kareem over Lew. I'm not sure I'd make the same choice here but it's probably what Kareem wants. So be it. Regardless, Bucks fans get the best player to every suit up for the team on January 17. I'd be there early that day if I was a Bucks fan.

February

10 Allen Crabbe (Brooklyn Nets)

If I'm Allen Crabbe, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. The third and final Nets bobblehead recipient this year has so far escaped major injury, unlike D'Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin. I'm sure he's hoping there's no connection between bobblehead nights and injuries in Brooklyn. If there is, he can kiss his season goodbye soon.
 

Crabbe took the long way to Brooklyn. He was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers out of school who sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers that same night. After his third year in the league, the Nets signed him to an offer sheet that was matched by Portland. About a year later they decided Brooklyn could have him anyway, sending him to New York for Andrew Nicholson who they ended up waiving instantly. The Nets are obviously thrilled enough to make sure he has a bobblehead night this year. Let's hope there's no curse. For his sake.

15 Jon McGlocklin (Milwaukee Bucks)

Bob Dandridge won a title in Milwaukee in 1971 and gets a bobblehead this year. So did Lew Alcindor / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bucks are handing out a third bobblehead celebrating that team in the form of Jon McGlocklin. McGlocklin is way less celebrated than the other two, having made just one All-Star appearance in his career and winning no significant postseason honors. But he's spent the longest time of any of the three around the Bucks team, serving as a member of the Bucks' broadcasting team for the last quarter century. His number 14 hangs in the rafters of the building where he calls home games.
 

March

1 Kyle Korver (Cleveland Cavaliers)

If I nailed the bobbleheads that the Suns would be giving away, I totally whiffed on the Cavs' choices. You just traded for an All-Star (Isaiah Thomas) in the offseason and you go with Kyle Korver and (spoiler alert for March 19 here) Derrick Rose? Sure each of those guys have been on the All-Star team in the past and yes, Thomas is currently injured but he's playing at some point this year, right? Otherwise you traded Kyrie Irving for Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic. I'm stunned there's no Isaiah Thomas bobblehead in Cleveland this year. Show up March 1 for your Korver bobble, Cavs fans.

 

2 Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns)

I predicted Barkley in January for the Suns' 90s night and I was right. I predicted Nash in March for the Suns' 00s night and I was also right. No flies on me. At least not here. Cleveland's another story. I guess I understand the fan mentality more than I do that of Cavaliers' ownership. Thank God for that!

7 Junior Bridgeman (Milwaukee Bucks)

Six down, one to go for the Bucks. The last Legend of the Rafters bobblehead giveaway in Milwaukee features Junior Bridgeman. Bridgeman (who's full name is Ulysses Lee Bridgeman) came to Milwaukee in 1975 along with Brian Winters in the trade for Kareem and spent 10 years with the Bucks in two separate stints, spending time on the rosters of both the great 70s and 80s teams a la Brian Winters.

 

In their 50 year history, the Bucks have retired a grand total of eight numbers. Their series this year is called the Legends of the Rafters bobbleheads. But there are only seven giveaways. The missing player with the eighth retired number? Oscar Robertson. What gives?

 

19 Derrick Rose (Cleveland Cavaliers)
So I've already expressed my surprise about the choice of players to receive bobbleheads from the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in this post. My only other question here is does your new Derrick Rose have doubts about his suitability to be a bobblehead? Is he going to take unexpected absences every so often to contemplate whether he really should be standing with the rest of your Cavs bobbles? I'd still go with Thomas. Just saying.

April

6 Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)

The Suns' 50th celebration wraps up with a bobblehead of a player on their current team on April 6. Who else could it be but Booker? Three for three on Suns predictions. Congrats on your five bobbleheads this year Phoenix fans. It's about all you got this year.

That's it for me this year in the league-wide bobblehead department. There may be some schedules out there yet to post but I'm done searching these things out. All told, there are a ton of bobbleheads for fans to collect this year. For me, I'm waiting for the Wizards solitary bobble in March. Patience...