Yes, he made a promise to his mother that he’d make the All Star team and felt as if he let her down when he didn’t.
Rudy’s mom cut off all contact with her entire family because of how racist they were to Rudy for being black so she’s very important to him beyond a typical mother-son relationship.
For starters, I don’t think their record last season will be indicative of how good or bad they’ll be this season. They played at a 14-win pace in the first half of the year and a 30-win pace the second half after lineup adjustments.
They added CP3, Barnes, and Castle so their spacing, decision making, and defense got better. I think 36 wins, give or take a few wins should be the expectation.
No, they just have to do more besides shoot spot up 3s and guard on the ball. Specialists aren’t viable in this era anymore.
Guys like Caruso, Jrue, and D. White can guard the best creator but they’re also elite team defenders/rim protectors for their position.
Guys like Mikal, KCP, and OG can make C-&-S 3s but they can also attack close-outs, make pull-ups, and cut off the ball.