Welcome to Glass Slipper! College football is closer than you think; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Here are my 10 biggest takeaways midway through Round 1 of the NBA playoffs.

1. A disastrous pairing.

There are over 8 billion members of our species roaming this Earth. You mean to tell me that TNT couldn’t create a better broadcast duo than Spero Dedes and Greg Anthony?

When those dudes are calling a game, I’m legitimately rooting for a bad finish. I don’t want them to hear them ruin an exciting moment. They haven’t earned the right to live on in highlight reels and compilations for decades to come. A lot of non-diehards become interested in the league during the postseason, and it’s downright humiliating that this is what we’re feeding them. Meanwhile…

2. Jay Bilas is still awesome.

He essentially got added to ESPN’s NBA coverage team out of necessity, and is already its best color analyst. I could quite easily make the argument that Bilas is the most talented employee at the whole company.

3. Claps for Jonathan Kuminga.

For the entirety of his career, Kuminga has been told by Golden State that he’s not reliable enough. Whenever it’s crunch time on a big stage, the Warriors always manage to find five dudes that they trust more. In desperate need of a spark, Steve Kerr came crawling back; Jonathan has responded with 48 points in the last two contests, while hitting 66% of his attempts from the floor.

No matter what happens for the rest of this series, that’s special resilience from a 22-year-old kid. Well done.

4. A message to New York’s forwards.

Hello, OG Anunoby. You’re on a $212.5 million deal, and there’s a ring on your finger. Hi, Mikal Bridges. Your organization sent its entire future to the rivals across town, just to bring you on board.

I wanted to display a quick Game 3 comparison; on the left is the two of you combined, and on the right is the Celtics’ 6-foot-1 backup point guard.

In no world should that ever happen. Ever. Shoot the ball. If you miss, take another one. What is Tom Thibodeau going to do? Bench you for Precious Achiuwa?

We all know that Jalen Brunson isolations aren’t enough to conquer Boston. This war hinges on your assertiveness. Go deliver.

5. Mark Daigneault’s mistakes.

In Game 1 - with Denver out of timeouts and Nikola Jokic at the scorer’s table - he intentionally fouls while up by three, and loses. Daigneault then inexplicably leaves Jaylin Williams on an island with the three-time MVP for long stretches of Game 4, and very nearly paid the price again.

Come on, Mark. You’re a smart coach, and this is elementary stuff.

6. Inexcusable.

Pathetic. Laughable. Disgusting. All are acceptable words to describe Cleveland’s performance yesterday.

An opportunity to rescue your season, and you give up a 67-29 run full of I-actually-don’t-feel-like-rotating defensive possessions. Gross.

7. In plain sight.

When New York’s offense is stuck in the mud and Jrue Holiday switches onto Karl-Anthony Towns, does the seven-footer understand that he’s allowed to post up? Like, does he know that it’s legal?

Perhaps catching the ball closer to the rim will help KAT shoot better than 4-13 from two-point range. It’s just a thought.

8. Sloppy.

Julius Randle has been a pleasant surprise in these playoffs, but the man has zero confidence in his ball handling. You saw it late on Saturday evening; when someone gets in his jersey, it’s panic time. He either tries to recklessly scurry past them, or he picks up his dribble and desperately scans for a teammate. Randle is not the only member of the Timberwolves with this issue, either. Only Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards seem comfortable against pressure.

To me, this is a clear adjustment opportunity for Steve Kerr. Unless Minnesota’s starting guards are on the floor together, tell your guys to pick up full-court. Create some chaos, make things ugly, and let your home crowd feel the momentum.

9. Where is Jayson Tatum?

You can’t publicly lobby to be considered the next face of the NBA, then miss 41 of your first 59 shots in a playoff series.

Let’s see if Tatum gives the doubters more ammunition, or silences them for good.

10. Tune in.

The Knicks are about to play their most important game in a quarter-century. Even if you totally despise the sport of basketball, I am pleading with you to watch tonight. I think whoever wins this contest is going to advance, and those rabid fans in Madison Square Garden are going to do everything possible to fuel their squad. Atmospheres like this are rare; don’t miss out.

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Spin It

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA. Time to push through another week.