NBA Notebook: Steph Curry leads MVP race

It was yet another wild week in the Association. Let's get you caught up on everything that happened in the latest edition of NBA Notebook.

David Griffin's job in jeopardy?

Speculation is growing league-wide about whether or not David Griffin, executive vice president of basketball operations of the New Orleans Pelicans, will be fired in the near future.

The Pelicans are off to a horrendous 1-11 start, and many of their losses were high profile because they were nationally broadcast games.

This follows Griffin misleadingly claiming that Zion Williamson would be healed from his foot injury in time for the regular season.

In a report by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the latest black mark on Griffin’s tenure is him apparently getting into a physical altercation with former Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, and the two had to be separated.

If there is any doubt in ownership's mind about Griffin’s future, they’re better off making the move now, because the history of lame-duck general managers making costly win-now moves at the trade deadline to save their jobs is a long one.

Scottie Pippen bitter over Last Dance portrayal

Scottie Pippen’s new memoir, Unguarded, was released this week, seemingly written in response to Pippen’s dissatisfaction with his portrayal in The Last Dance.

One of the more popular excerpts making the rounds this week has Pippen taking umbrage with the popularity of Jordan’s “Flu Game,” as Pippen feels he didn’t receive similar credit for playing on his injured back.

I guess I find it amusing that despite how much resentment Pippen feels toward Jordan, he still refers to it as the "Flu Game," when presumably he knows the truth of what happened.

And no, I don’t mean the poison pizza theory.

Ultimately, it’s sad for Pippen to consistently insert himself into the public discourse this way.

Pippen’s legacy as a player — maybe one of the 30 best ever — is completely secure. While his statements will never diminish that, it is just sad that all these years on, with all the success he’s had, he can’t just let it go.

Nikola Jokic suspended after on-court altercation

Nikola Jokic was suspended one game by the NBA for his role in an on-court altercation with Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris.

Morris was also fined $50,000 for first taking a shot at Jokic’s ribs, which led to Jokic charging and knocking Morris to the ground while his back was turned.

Jimmy Butler was later fined $30,000 for trying to escalate the incident.

It looked for a moment that it might be a scary injury, as Morris has a history of neck problems and the stretcher was brought out.

Luckily, he seems okay.

Shaq and Charles Barkley both defended Jokic’s decision to retaliate on Inside the NBA, though Jokic himself was extremely apologetic in his post-game press conference.

Amusingly, Jokic’s infamous brothers registered a Twitter account (literally @jokicbrothers) to enter the fray. And the one account they chose to follow? Jamal Murray.

More players enter health and safety protocols

More players are entering health and safety protocols due to positive COVID-19 diagnoses.

This week, both Joel Embiid and Nikola Vucevic entered protocols, and notably, Vucevic guarded Embiid just two nights before he tested positive.

Many NBA players opted for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because it is a single-dose vaccine, but it appears that the J&J vaccine might lose effectiveness more quickly than the other vaccine.

Unfortunately, many players that were vaccinated are now getting COVID-19 and are symptomatic.

There is a drive among the general populace, as well as among NBA players, for those who took the J&J vaccine to get a booster shot. If team-wide outbreaks, like the one the Sixers are experiencing, become commonplace again, the NBA will need to reintroduce rules to ensure player safety and league continuity.

Steph Curry at the head of the MVP table

The MVP race is officially on. And with many of the contenders not looking like themselves yet, that leaves Steph Curry of the 10-1 Golden State Warriors firmly at the head of the table.

While Jokic has been brilliant, the Nuggets have failed to find a consistent offensive rhythm. Same for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, whose teams have faced early-season struggles.

Curry now leads all players at +300, and his 50-point, 10-assist game stands out from the rest of the crowd as the only such performance of the year so far.

But don't sleep on Paul George. The Warriors' schedule has been cake, including an eight-game homestand against the likes of the Pelicans, Rockets, and Thunder.

Meanwhile, George just led the L.A. Clippers to their sixth straight win and has been almost as brilliant.

While Steph is the favorite, there might be more value backing Paul George at +2500.