Alright, so the Nets playing the Suns was on the schedule. Usually, I just kinda half-watch these games, you know? Have it on the TV while I’m doing other stuff. But this time, I thought, nah, let’s actually do something with it. Like, really pay attention.
Getting Set Up
First thing, I figured I needed a focus. Just watching the ball bounce around isn’t much of a ‘practice’. So, I decided I’d track the main guys, Durant for the Nets and Booker for the Suns. Not like super detailed stats, just simple stuff. Like, when were they guarding each other? How many points did they score when the other guy was directly on them? Seemed simple enough.
So, I got my stuff ready:
- Grabbed a plain old notebook and a pen. Nothing fancy.
- Made sure the TV was positioned right, no glare.
- Got my drinks and snacks sorted beforehand. Didn’t want to miss anything running to the kitchen.
- Told the family I was gonna be locked in for a bit. Needed concentration, haha.
The Watching Part
Okay, game starts. It’s actually harder than it sounds. You gotta keep your eyes peeled. Is Durant guarding Booker on this play? Or did they switch? Okay, Booker drives, scores. Was KD on him? Gotta make a quick note. Then the action flips to the other end. Same deal with Durant. Did Booker stay on him?
My notes started looking like chicken scratch pretty quick. Stuff like:
- Booker score (KD guard) – 2 pts
- KD miss (Booker guard)
- Switch – KD score (not Booker) – 3 pts
It wasn’t perfect, obviously. Sometimes the camera angle wasn’t great, or the switch happened too fast. And I definitely missed some plays when I was busy scribbling. It takes way more focus than just casually watching. My brain felt kinda tired halfway through, not gonna lie.
After the Buzzer
Game finished. Suns won, I think? Honestly, I was more wrapped up in my little tracking project. I looked back at my notes. It was a mess, but kinda interesting. You could sort of see the flow, who was getting the better of the matchup at different times. Booker seemed to score more when KD was directly on him early on, then maybe KD adjusted? Or maybe Booker just got tired. Who knows for sure without fancy tools, right?
But it wasn’t really about getting perfect stats. It was about the act of watching differently. Actually engaging with it, not just letting it wash over me. It felt more active, like I was participating somehow, even just sitting on my couch.
It’s funny, I probably remember less about the final score than usual, but I remember the effort of watching those specific plays. Kinda weird, but also kinda satisfying. Definitely different from just having a game on.
