New rule: Let Nuggets-Thunder Game 7 determine NBA MVP
Good morning, Winners! This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here's Mike Sykes.
Those janky basketball gods, man. They're at it again.
On Tuesday, I cursed them. Rightfully so. They did me dirty. There's no way the Dallas Mavericks should've won the NBA Draft Lottery. I stand by that.
By Friday, they blessed us with the gift of a Game 7. Not just any Game 7 — the Game 7 of Game 7s in the NBA so far this year. The Denver Nuggets pulled off a win against the Thunder at home to set us up for one final game between these two sides for all the marbles in this series.
THE THUNDER DONE MESSED UP: Kenny Smith said a Game 7 is the one thing Oklahoma City needed to avoid.
But it's not just any final game — it's a final game between the two players who are front-runners for the NBA's MVP award this season.
Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been the two leaders in the conversation for MVP all season long. It's the classic set-up of the best player on the best team in SGA vs. the best player in the overall NBA in Jokic. These two have been awesome all season long. Voters have already decided which one should win with NBA awards ballots having been submitted at the season. The NBA almost certainly knows who the MVP is right now, despite not announcing the award yet.
So since we're waiting, I have a proposal: Let's throw those ballots out and let them play for it.
Just hear me out! Not only does the Game 7 winner advance to the Western Conference Final, but they also take home the MVP. Have the MVP trophy sitting courtside on a table for everyone to see. Remind Jokic and Shai what they're playing for here. This is basically the Hunger Games, NBA style.
Is this ridiculous? Yes. Absolutely. It makes no sense. A small sample of a seven-game series in the playoffs should not determine who wins the MVP trophy. But let's be real — if the loser of this series were to win the MVP, we'd all have something to say about it. It won't take folks on X very long to start the #NotMyMVP posts. The postseason has no bearing on this award, technically, but it matters to the public. We do this every single year the MVP doesn't win a championship.
This is a solution. A silly one, yes, but a solution nonetheless. And who wouldn't want to watch this game with stakes like that? Come on, people. Get creative.
The basketball gods are terrible, but they've given us an opportunity. Adam Silver, step in. This is your chance to finally win the people over again. Make this happen.
The WNBA is back
The WNBA season finally returns today with three games:
The Washington Mystics take on the Atlanta Dream at home in D.C. (7:30 p.m. ET)
The Minnesota Lynx start their season on the road against Paige Bueckers and the Wings in Dallas (7:30 p.m. ET)
The Golden State Valkyries make their franchise debut at home against the LA Sparks (10:00 p.m. ET)
This will be such a fascinating season. We're heading into year 2 of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's careers — the two stars who have more eyeballs on the league than ever before. But there's also a pretty interesting rookie class coming into the fold led by Paige Bueckers in Dallas. Personally, I think Paige has a chance to be one of the best players in the league fairly quickly.
DON'T SLEEP: Three WNBA future stars you shouldn't sleep on.
The decks shuffled a ton in the W this offseason. The Phoenix Mercury retooled, adding Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to the mix while losing Britney Griner (Dream) and Diana Taurasi (retirement). DeWanna Bonner is on the Fever with Clark and Aliyah Boston now. Jewell Loyd is on the Aces. Kelsey Plum is on the Sparks. Dominique Malonga is going to dunk on someone at some point.
This season is setting up to be loads of fun. Tap in. Let's watch some great basketball.
Trouble in Chicago?
Caleb Williams never wanted to be a Chicago Bear. At least, according to the latest from ESPN's Seth Wickersham. Here's Blake Schuster with details from Wickersham's new book, "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback":
"According to ESPN's Seth Wickersham in his new book "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback", Williams father Carl described Chicago as "the place quarterbacks go to die" while Caleb Williams told his inner-circle before the draft "I don't think I can do it with [former Bears offensive coordinator Shane] Waldron."
...
Wickersham reports Williams was sold on NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings and hoped to work out a plan to land him in Minneapolis. The Bears refused to budge with general manager Ryan Poles reportedly telling Williams "We're drafting you no matter what".
A pre-draft meeting with Chicago appears to have given Williams the confidence he could turn the franchise around, but Wickersham's excerpts show a lot of the family's fears coming true early on"
Yikes, man. None of that sounds great. It's been more than a year since Williams was drafted to Chicago and, obviously, he's a Bear now and will be for the foreseeable future. So it doesn't really matter where he wanted to be drafted. But to hear he had reservations about the organization that have ultimately come to roost is not great.
Chicago has to fix this. ASAP.
Photo Friday: 3...2...1...BLAST OFF
Rory McIlroy smashing a ball out of the bunker at Quail Hollow. The sand makes the shot look like a rocket. How fun.
Quick hits: WNBA bold predictions ... Bill Belichick's happiness ... and more
— Here's Cory Woodroof with 10 bold predictions for the upcoming WNBA season.
— Bill Belichick had a short, 1-word answer on if he's "happy" with where he is right now. Charles Curtis has details.
— Here's Robert Zeglinski on the Bears not giving Caleb Williams help with film study. That's wild.
— Michelle Martinelli says it's possible for every team in the Women's College World Series to be from the SEC.
— Speaking of which, here are some predictions on the Women's College World Series for you.
— Texas is trying to end the Ted Cruz curse. Hilarious.
-Sykes ✌️
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