You’ve Got NBA Mail: World Premiere

Welcome to a new feature at Crossover Chronicles: You’ve Got NBA Mail.

The best way to explain the shenanigans ahead is to simply say that our staff sometimes emails each other, as staffs tend to do. Well, we decided to publish some of what was said because we want to run for President, and transparency is key.

A few things worth pointing out before moving forward: CC’s managing editor, Matt Zemek, will usually appear in these threads, but last night was a two-man game with Jared Mintz and myself talking about basketball… and occasionally some other topics. Email threads can and will venture in all directions, so while the transcripts will always be real-time reflections of what we discussed while watching a night of NBA basketball, they are of course edited (truncated) versions of what a few CC staff writers talked about.

This is a way of giving you our staff’s reactions to a night of NBA basketball on a consistent basis throughout the season. Every few days, you’ll get some “NBA mail” in your Crossover Chronicles inbox.

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I will leave some little recaps of what the hell is exactly going on in the thread. We don’t want you to feel lost if there’s too much “inside baseball.” Also, all times stamps are Eastern.

Okay… let’s basketball.

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Jared Mintz (7:49) What are you most excited about tonight? I know they’re getting step-child treatment, but I might be more pumped for this Atlanta-Detroit game than anything. Can’t wait to see how SVG’s squad looks a year-in, very pumped for Andre Drummond, and I think they have a few guys who could really make big leaps this season. Also, Atlanta won 60-games last year, and I think they’re still going to destroy worlds this year, maybe to lesser extents

Sent from my iPhone

Hey, we are off to a normal start. Jared acted all professional. He knew we were posting this, which explains him being on the all-human being first team.

Joseph Nardone (7:51) Hoiberg. I am excited for Fred Hoiberg. I want to know if the reclamation project — also known as “Save a White Guy” narrative — of Doug McDermott will happen. Rather excited to see if it is as up-tempo, three-point heavy as it was when he was with Iowa State.

Games start soon. Real soon. So soon that I can feel the regret already settling in for all those who picked Detroit as a sleeper team.
I am one email in and I ruined it.
Jared Mintz (8:00) Ok, I lied, we’re minutes from tip off and I cannot wait to see what LeBron has in store this year. I don’t think he’ll be the league’s MVP but there’s no way he doesn’t win a couple of Player of the Months, and finish near the top of voting.
Sent from my iPhone
Jared is emailing me back from his iPhone. That much is clear so far.
Joseph Nardone (8:10) Richard Jefferson still plays basketball…
Who knew?
Jared Mintz (8:31) I really hope this year brings us a Matthew Dellavedova revenge tour. Not where he flourishes, but where he becomes the new Brandon Knight and consistently gets dunked on and hit with the nastiest of crossovers. Id settle for video of Kyrie or J.R. embarrassing him in practice.
Sent from my iPhone
Joseph Nardone (8:33) What if Delly dunks on Noah tonight, then dances like Drake, though?
We dove more into Delly dunking on people (including Reggie Miller), but this isn’t a website based on fiction. We will let someone write that on The Onion.
Jared Mintz (9:13) Was eating dinner/watching the Mets. So are the Cavs a huge disappointment or is Chicago the eventual champs based off this first half of basketball?
Sent from my iPhone
Sarcasm from Jared, and we are barely over an hour in. He is still emailing from his iPhone. We went on to discuss the Mets, albeit vaguely, and I only made one Marty Jannetty reference.
Joseph Nardone (10:07) I’m a horrible friend. What did you have for dinner?
Jared Mintz (10:17) My old lady made lasagna actually, it was ballin’.

Kevin Love is not clutch.
Sent from my iPhone
Jared went on to say he was kidding about the Love comment, yet I truly wanted to leave it with no context.

Jared Mintz (10:27)  Skip and Screamin A are gonna sleep well tonight knowing they can talk about LeBron not being clutch tomorrow.

Also shout out to you, Joe, on your boy Hoiberg’s first professional win.
Sent from my iPhone
I have no idea why the iPhone feels the need to stamp itself in Jared’s emails. I am growing tired of its bullshit.
Joseph Nardone (10:59) It’s 11 Eastern and this game has yet to start. Thanks, Obama.
I am clearly no good at clocks.
Jared Mintz (11:18) Obligatory Kendrick Perkins comment. Maybe this is the year he reaches his full upside. Maybe not.
Sent from my iPhone
For some context; Mintz sent me this email as Twitter was running through all its Kendrick jokes. All of them. We have run out. There are no more for the rest of the season. Great job, humans.
Joseph Nardone (11:21) He’s on pace for more than a 100. IDC if it’s unrealistic. IDC IDC IDC
In reference to Steph Curry, obviously. Curry scored 20 points in the first eight minutes of the Golden State-New Orleans game, which isn’t normal.
Jared Mintz (11:36) It’s unreal that Ish Smith hasn’t been able to stick around with a team. I really think this is gonna be his year, and New Orleans/Gentry is a good fit for him.
Sent from my iPhone
I could not tell if that was sarcasm or not. I never spoke of that email again.
Joseph Nardone (11:58) Random thought: AD’s development of his three-point shot has him going all Sheed. Needs to realize that new talent is a luxury for him, not his bread & butter.
Jared Mintz (11:59) #Gentryfication
Sent from my iPhone
Jared then shot me three more emails. They were all about the game. I, however, didn’t respond until…
Joseph Nardone (2:10 am) I fell asleep. I’m old. I failed us all. Going to the bathroom, then back to bed.
The entire day of excitement got to me. I prematurely basketball-jaculated(?). Stamina is important, kids.

About Joseph Nardone

Joseph has covered college basketball both (barely) professionally and otherwise for over five years. A Column of Enchantment for Rush The Court on Thursdays and other basketball stuff for The Student Section on other days.

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