2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 5)

SGA is MVP.  The reason I'm pointing that out is because he received the MVP treatment at the end of Game 4 - so much so that even the opposing coach had to defend the refs.  But he is MVP.  Out of all the players in the league, Shai is entitled to that treatment, so to speak.

The thing tho is that Game 4 shifted the momentum of the series.  Of course, I can't say that the Pacers would've won if Shai wasn't receiving somewhat generous calls or non-calls down the stretch.  I don't like playing what if.  But let me just say that, up until Game 5, OKC never definitively established themselves as the dominant team, as everyone, including myself, was expecting.  I wasn't expecting them to dominate Indy like they did Minny, but still, niggas was struggling.

Shai was once again magnificent in Game 5, but the man who really led the charge, who was also instrumental during crunch time in Game 4, was Jalen Williams.  SGA recently made a comment where he said he understood the value of a second fiddle when it comes to winning a championship.  Williams is like the second coming of Scottie Pippen.  And what people don't say is that there were times, even if not so often, when Pippen played better than Jordan.

As for Tyrese Haliburton, I sorta see him becoming like a Ben Simmons.  But that's not to say the series is over - far from it.  During these Finals, it's like you can feel the homecourt advantage.  Look at how Haliburton shrinks in OKC.  But in Indy, it's a different story.  And as for Pascal Siakim and even T.J. McConnell, you know, those types, dudes don't give AF.  Try to tell them they don't belong on the big stage or that the Thunder are flatout better.

SHOUTOUT TO AARON NEISMITH & CHET HOLMGREN

Also shoutout to Aaron Neismith, who once again had a ridiculous dunk, this time on Chet Holmgren.  Remember that Aaron Gordon banged it on Chet also.  The 2025 NBA Playoffs have been no joke.

I like Holmgren, because even though he's young and skinny, he's not afraid of the post or playing defense.  It's players like him who are reminding the rest of the NBA that size does matter.  And you know, he's like the Kukoc of the team, so to speak.  But wait until Williams or SGA go down, and then you'll see how valuable he is.

All things considered, that's probably the biggest advantage the Thunder have over Indy - depth.  I can't even call Myles Turner overrated, because I never really heard anyone big him up anyway, at least not in the last five years type shit.  And unless dude turns into Shaq during these last two games, I'm really interested to see how much Indy is going to offer him this summer.  Yeah, let him go to Detroit or whatever team is dumb enough to throw a shitload of money at Myles.

KEVIN DURANT IN "THE DIVA BLUES"

Speaking of Detroit, if there's one team in the NBA I'd like to see KD go to, without them giving up too much in return, it's the Pistons.  Talk about instant contenders.  And it's interesting that there doesn't seem to be any team out there, not even the lowly Spurs or the starchasing Knicks, that seem overly interested in him except, based on reports, Minnesota which, if I were them, I wouldn't give up Randle for Durant.  Giving up Randle or Reid or any of those guys would sorta defeat the purpose.  Gobert, if they can get rid of him, would make more sense, even though that would leave a big gaping hole in the middle.  And now, looking at the way OKC is dominating the paint, you remember the value of interior D.

NBA teams have been incepted and are no longer enamored by divas.  They know that KD has now been at the center of two failed superteams, the latter more disappointing than the first.  They see how trying to placate an over-the-hill Lebron has destroyed what has traditionally been the best braintrust in the NBA.  So, good luck KD.  If you haven't already, learn how to concede the point.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 4)

I finally got around to watching the highlights from Game 4, and I would say the biggest mistake the Pacers made down the stretch, with about 30 seconds left in the game, down by 4 with approximately 10 seconds on the shot clock, was having Turner shoot a three instead of Haliburton.  But it wasn't all Myles's fault, because Tyrese, if he really wanted the ball like that, would've bolted out to the perimeter, away from defenders, after passing the rock to Turner.

The media has been making it sound like SGA was the big hero of the game.  He made some tough shots, as usual, but it wasn't really like that.  But I guess that's how it is when you're MVP, like your name always has to be mentioned in the headlines.  Meanwhile, Jalen Williams proved just as important down the stretch, not to mention Chet Holmgren and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Lu Dort.

The Thunder basically won on fouls and free throws.  I would further go on to say that the officials were on their side but not go as far as to proclaim, based on the small sample I've seen, that the game was rigged.  The NBA powers-that-be probably don't favor either team, but I would presume that a longer series benefits the league financially.

Everyone thought Indiana were just going to get their asses kicked, but it hasn't been like that, at all.  These victories have been down-to-the-wire affairs, to the point where I can no longer definitively say that OKC is the better team.  They have a superior or better-rounded roster but don't have that type of offensive firepower the Pacers have become known for.  Indiana's offense has really impressed, matching up with the best defense in the league.

Speaking of which, another pivotal play was when Andrew Nembhard, with about 2:30 left in the game, for whatever reason decided to drive to the basket, even though he was being firmly defended by Alex Caruso, and Holmgren, the best shotblocker in the series, was lingering right there under the rim.  That was a very poor decision in a contest of this magnitude, even though the other four Pacers on the court, all of are noticeably taller than Nembhard, were lingering behind the three-point line, as if they didn't really want the ball.  Maybe the Pacers actually called an isolation play for Andrew, which again, all things considered, would be stupid.

SHOUTOUT TO ALLEN IVERSON

I intend to write an article in the near future the about most-influential NBA players of the last five decades, of which I only intend to mention like three or four, not the most-popular or winningest per se but those who actually changed the way the game is played.  One of the handful of people to make that list, the only one who didn't win a championship, is Allen Iverson.  And I was thinking about him because you see a couple of players on OKC wearing those forearm braces.  That's a style that AI brought to the NBA, not to mention the cornrows which, due largely to his influence, went on to become a society-wide cultural phenomenon, not just one practiced in the NBA or basketball circles.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 3)

Everybody's been talking about how it isn't a good idea for the Pacers to allow the Thunder to build up a big lead early in the game.  But it also isn't wise to be down by anything close to 10 points in the fourth quarter against Indiana at home, complete with a confident Tyrese Haliburton.  You're not likely to overcome those odds.

Chet Holmgren once again showed why he's perhaps the most-unique player in this series, and the Pacers' interior defense, like most teams in the league these days, sucks.  But also like most teams these days, the Thunder play like they don't know how to capitalize on a size advantage.

That said, if the Pacers themselves play a more versatile game, i.e. using their bigs in the post more during Game 4, they may be able to deliver a knockout punch.  They've re-established control of the series, but honestly it still kinda difficult to declare them forthrightly as the better team.

One thing I say about the NBA is that, in theory, any team can beat any other team.  "You have to be in it to win it", as the saying goes, and you know, you can't actually beat Lebron unless you first on the right of being on the court with him.  The way the Pacers have been winning this offseason, now facing their third opponent in a row who is, all things considered, superior, kinda gives the impression that their winning was meant to be.

SHOUTOUT TO T.J. MCCONNELL

Besides for Haliburton, Turner, Siakim and Toppin (and to a lesser degree Thomas Bryant), the only other Pacer I'm sorta familiar with is T.J. McConnell.  And again, an overachiever.

The biggest fantasy of any basketball nobody, even those of us reading this blog, is to one day make an impact in a big, championship-level game.  You can't really ask for more as a C-lister.  And at the end of the day, that may be the one biggest advantage Indy has over OKC.  Their role players like really-really step up.  There are stretches when Indiana's big three aren't really doing shit, but the team is being carried by someone you like never heard of.  And that includes Obi Toppin.  The only reason I really know who he is because he used to play for the Knicks.  Meanwhile, OKC's role players also step up from time to time, but they don't like takeover games.

Meanwhile, you have dudes like Mathurin, like whodafuk is that nigga?!  Dude's first name is deadass "Benedict".  And then, remember that time Neismith dunked on Mitchell?  I don't like using the term 'catching a body' in reference to someone getting dunked on, but Neismith deadass bodied Donovan Mitchell during Round 2.  When you look at Neismith and Mathurin, they have like average NBA player height, build and color.  But again, overachievers.

All things considered, it's hard to make suggestions on how OKC can right their ship, if such is actually necessary.  Again, Indy winning a couple of games doesn't instantly make them the better team.  Me being the type of analyst I am, I would say that the Thunder need to focus more on their height advantage.  But again, teams don't even know how to do that these days.

I BELIEVE IN 'THE GREAT WHITE HOPE'

As a longtime fan of the NBA, I know that No. 1 draft busts are a lot more common than outsiders may think.  So I understand, all things considered, how there's a significant amount of skepticism surrounding Cooper Flagg.  I would like to think, in part due to this blog, that the days of blind dickridin are over, or at least they may be as far as draftees are concerned.

But I believe Flagg is going to make an immediate impact and may thrust the Mavericks back into contender status.  The reasons I believe so is because:

#1 - The NBA powers-that-be more or less gave him to the Mavericks.  The way I see it, Cooper was too popular to let him go to some middling organization.  You know, live and learn.  I think the NBA now understands that a popular draftee who is chosen by a poor organization may result in irreparable damage to that player's standing, and that's not good for business.  All because Flagg is good doesn't mean he'll prove to be a franchise player like out of the gate.  He doesn't come off as being a Shaq or a Duncan, but he reads like exactly the type of player this roster needs, even more than a PG.

Most No.1 picks come into the league with a significant amount of pressure.  Remember how Cade Cunningham was expected, at least by fans, to instantly turn the Pistons around.  That's not the case with Flagg.  From the jump, he's going to be protected by AD, arguably the second-best C in the league, besides being backed by future HOFer Klay Thompson and a Dallas roster overall that's above average.  If they suck this season or otherwise disappoint (which I doubt, since they have favoritism from the NBA), there's bigger names of the list to serve as scapegoat than Cooper.

# 2 - He's White.  In fact, having now followed the NBA for 30+ years, I can't remember even once that a White American player was a consensus No.1 pick.  Off the top of my head, I can't even recall a White American player being a lottery pick.  So again, the league wasn't about to let this one go to waste, you know, being drafted by the Wizards or some other organization that doesn't excel at player development.  And also, if he were drafted onto the Pelicans or some shit, you know, do they even have any nationally-televised games scheduled for next season?

# 3 - Cooper Flagg is classified as a wing, but he has the size of a PF, and the way things are sounding is that Dallas intends to use him as a big.  I would say it's a lot easier to excel in the frontcourt than the backcourt, so long as you can rebound and shoot, both of which he's apparently exceptional at.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 2)

 IS TYRESE HALIBURTON OVERRATED?

How a professional basketball player is ultimately "rated" is outside of his control.  If a team decides to pay a player more than he's worth, yes, the player's agent undoubtedly had something to do with it, but it was the organization who willingly signed the contract.  Like I've never heard of Haliburton going on TV and saying 'I'm one of the best players in the NBA'.

And as for these NBA accolades, yes, some players are overrated in the sense that most of the big awards don't really take defensive prowess into consideration.  But as it currently stands as of this writing, I don't even think it's possible for Haliburton to be overpaid, as I have to presume, due to his ability to successfully facilitate comebacks, he's one of the hottest draws in the NBA.  With him around, in theory, you can never take for granted that Indiana will lose.  Even in Game 2, you know what I'm saying, it wasn't until Rick Carlisle pulled the starters - kinda early if you ask me - that OKC fans truly felt safe, even though the Thunder convincingly led all the way.

To answer the above question, I thnk Tyrese is both overrated and underrated.  He's obviously the best PG in the East, even better apparently than Jalen "Bonk" Brunson, who is, as an all-around player, overrated.  If I were personally assembling a team and could chose any starting five I'd prolly pick Derrick White over Haliburton, but that's not saying he's actually better.  You have to at least give that Haliburton, that now he's the bigman of the Eastern Conference.

But he's also obviously overrated, to some degree.  Shit is complex.  I've learned that it's better to embrace players for who they are.  Yes, you always hope that they develop and become better players, if not people overall, but it isn't ideal to try to change a person into someone they're not.  So on one hand, you could say something like I wish Haliburton had more of 'the Mamba Mentality'.  But at the same time, he and most other stars not having it just make you appreciate Kobe more for the type of athlete he was.

That said, yes, I have to agree with every other pundit and say that Haliburton needs to be more aggressive.  I more or less said the same thing after Game 1, you know, if you actually expect Indy to beat OKC in a series without relying on lucky comebacks.

There comes a point in the life of every underdog trying to make it big that they just have to let it all hang out.  It'd be better for Tyrese if he were super-aggressive and turn the ball over every time he drives to the basket rather than playing the role of passive superstar.  He's already "overrated" anyway.

I'm not going to go as far as to say he has nothing to lose, but this is the kinda shit that happens when you shine.  It's arguable whether or not Haliburton is even the best player on Indiana.  But hitting all those big shots and all that kinda shit, besides the NBA accolades, he sorta put this pressure on himself.

It reminds me of that phrase 'if you can't stand the heat, stay out the kitchen'.  I have no idea what's going on in that young man's mind, heart and soul.  But it's better to just flat-out quit than not assert yourself after climbing all the way to the top of the ladder.

...AND SPEAKING OF OVERRATED

I really want to see if the Pacers are going to dumbout and throw a shitload of money at Myles Turner this offseason.  Unless he leads the team to victory over the Thunder - which he arguably should since he's the Pacers' senior star - there's no way they should be offering him some super-ridiculous contract.

If the Pacers lose this series, then it's pretty safe to say that they're literally one star away from winning a championship.  So win or lose, it wouldn't be ideal to let Turner walk.  But let me explain to you how I feel about Myles.

He was already a borderline all-star prior to everyone trying to imitate the Splash Bros.  Once that happened, when teams en masse concluded that relying on the three was the path to a championship, traditional bigs across the board were devalued.  At least one player who fell victim to that trend, Andre Drummond, is actually better than Turner.  But unfortunately for Andre, he doesn't have a jumpshot.

It's all well and good when you have a 4 or 5 who's threatening from three.  Logic dictates that the more versatile talents the players on your roster have, the better.  But what happened is that a lot of bigs started playing out of position, like they became lazy on offense.  And to this day, I contend that it's strange when the biggest guy on your team is always lingering around three-point line.  Or rather let me say that's only a good strategy when the other four guys are able to outrebound whoever is defending them.  And the Pacers aren't built like that.

Myles did have that ridiculous dunk in Game 2, one so powerful that even the opposing crowd was like 'oh shit'.  It's like he reminded us, if only for a second, that he actually is a formidable big.  But he also has what I would call a history of passivity.  The good thing tho is that at least if the Pacers lose, obviously he won't be the scapegoat.

THE BATTLE OF THE BRAINTRUSTS

It's arguable whether or not the Thunder and Pacers, especially the latter, are actually the two best teams in the NBA.  I'm no longer minimizing Indiana's achievements, at all, since they went straight through two teams this postseason with clearly more-talented rosters.  But that said, they are from the East, and you have to wonder if either the Cavs or Knicks adequately prepared them for the the Thunder.

But what's interesting is that these Finals feature the two teams with clearly the best braintrusts.  On one side, you have a squad basically made up of rookie contracts led by a player who, just a couple of seasons ago, no one would have ever imagined would become MVP.  On the other end, like even as I write this having watched all the highlights this postseason, I can't definitively name all five of Indiana's starters.

These two teams have beautifully-constructed, cost-efficient rosters whereas, instead of blindly starchasing, they've found diamonds in the rough.  That's the mark of truly proficient braintrust - finding diamonds in the rough.

Ultimately, OKC has the advantage when it comes to depth, youth, compatibility and all-around talent.  Of course, none of that means shit when your opponent can perform miracles.   But it remains to be seen if those types of Pacers' comebacks are only norms against East teams.

2025 NBA Finals Ruminations (Game 1)

FUK IS CHET?

While watching the highlights from Game 1, the thing that kept playing in my mind is 'where is Chet Homlgren?'  Like why aren't the Thunder going to him more?  They de-factored him, basically.

Either Indiana outsmarted OKC, or OKC outsmarted themselves. They got sucked into sort of a fast-paced, athletic game.  The Thunder can run with the best, but still, downsizing their strategy to match the Pacers' speed wasn't particularly smart, almost like they forgot what got them here in the first place.  Holmgren may be hell of a basketball player, but he isn't necessarily fast and athletic.  The Pacers' win wasn't overly convincing, in terms of them proving that they're actually a better team, but they did win the mind game.

To my knowledge, Isaiah Hartenstein has been starting throughout the entire Playoffs.  So why now all of a sudden they decide to bring him off the bench?  Are the Pacers truly that intimidating, that you have to change what works, and then still lose?  At least lose a game with the proven starting lineup before making changes.

THE SIZE FACTOR?

The one clear advantage OKC has over Indiana, all things considered, is their size.  The Pacers aren't exactly small themselves, but since Myles Turner doesn't play like a traditional C, nor Obi Toppin like a standard big, still there's a size advantage.

It may be debatable how much size is truly advantageous against a team that not only favors the three but also tends to make them.  But again, let the Pacers actually beat the bigs before concluding that the starting lineup needs to change.  Now, if OKC does roll out the starting bigs in Game 2 and lose again, oh my goodness, confidence shaken.

The thing about the Pacers is that there's so many guys you have to keep your eye on.  You have these long stretches where like Tyrese Haliburton doesn't really seem to do shit.  Sometimes, it looks like he's even hiding. like 'please don't pass me the ball'.  But when they need him most, he shows out and succeeds.  If Indiana also wins Game 2, you know, on some last-second play type shit, the "miracle" implications are going to reach a whole new level.

SHOUTOUT TO OBI TOPPIN

Of all the players in this series, the one I would like see win a championship most is Obi Toppin, not saying I necessarily want Indy to win, but still.  He was one of the first players, upon the Knicks recently going into GM Lebron mode, who ended up being devalued and eventually 'traded to the Pacers for two future second-round picks', despite being a NY fan favorite.  Damn, the disrespect.

SHOUTOUT TO PASCAL SIAKIM

Pascal Siakim isn't necessarily what you would call a superstar.  Like he seemed, after a hot start, to sorta fade away as Game 1 wore on.  But that hot start was exactly what the Pacers needed, like 'yeah, it is possible to beat OKC in the Finals on their homecourt'.

Pascal is aging, but he's always been more or less a supporting star anyway.  And that's the thing about Indiana, like their entire roster is made up of (overachieving) supporting players.  Even Haliburton, you know, he may be "Steph of the East", but he isn't like a deadass Steph, like he hasn't reached (prime) Curry's level of consistency yet, if ever.

These guys all like compliment each other well.  The mark of a good team isn't when all players are perfect but rather when they mitigate each other's deficiencies.  OKC is also like that, to some degree, but they need to stick to the gameplan, win or lose, that got them here.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 19)

DENVER NUGGETS (3) vs OKC THUNDER (4)

It was obvious from the get-go that Aaron Gordon shouldn't have been playing.  The fact that he was forced or compelled to do so anyway, even though it was a Game 7, is indicative of how thin Denver's bench is or how little faith they have in their backup players.

Speaking of David Adelman, it also shows a lack of creativity on the part of the team's coaching staff.  Steph went down, and they told him not to come back 'til Game 6, and he didn't try to force himself back, even though his team got their asses bust.  I still believe, if Curry were healthy, the Warriors would have won.

But anyway, the point is that sometimes you just have to man-up and take the lost, if it's like that.  At least the younger dudes, like Peyton Watson - who would have most logically replaced Gordon in the starting lineup - would have gotten invaluable playoff experience in the process.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0) vs OKC THUNDER (0)

Speaking of the Timberwolves, I know that they're a formidable, even if lucky, team.  But I totally expect OKC to dominate them in the next round.

NEW YORK KNICKS (4) vs BOSTON CELTICS (2)

It felt like Boston threw Game 6, maybe not intentionally per se, but it was clear, at least to me, that they didn't really-really try.  The Knicks were dominating, and very early in the game the Celtics gave up.  They're saying something now like Brown was playing through injury, so that probably has something to do with it.  What's the use of making the Conference Finals when you already know that Jaylen needs rest also?  Chasing those championships, some NBAers finally get the trophy but can never make it back again.

The Knicks destroyed the Celtics, at MSG, in Game 6.  But that was something to have been more expected than celebrated.  NYK has the most-stacked starting lineup in the league, and they're all healthy.  Boston, at full strength, is not as talented as the Knicks but have more of a winning culture.

They're saying that Tatum's injury is so serious that the Celtics should more or less initiate a rebuild in the name of saving money, or something like that.  I was saying since before last postseason ended that Boston needed some upgrades, most specifically to cover for the fragility of Porzingis who, ironically enough, did manage to play in Game 6.  In hindsight, maybe they should have went after a Jimmy Butler type , like a third superstar.  That's what they need instead of just gutting the team, but obviously they can't afford it.

I've also been critical of Boston from the get-go for more or less forcing Jrue Holiday to become one of those solely-defense type of players, like Matisse Thybulle, if you will.  Jrue is a traditional PG, stuck in league where old-school, pass-first PGs no longer exist.

Teams are built these days whereas virtually anyone from the 1 to the 5 can bring it up the court.  But reportedly, he's like the player most likely to move, and I guess logically so, since being forced to play that way limits Holiday's overall effectiveness.

But it'll be interesting to see if BOS or anyone else lets him play traditional point next season.  There are certainly teams, like the Magic, who could use a traditional point, if the stars are actually willing to conceded ball handling.  And speaking of Holiday, is it just me, or does he look like he's grown a couple of inches?

INDIANA PACERS (0) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (0)

Both the Knicks and Pacers have had lucky breaks during the 2025 postseason.  But n all honesty, I'm more impressed with Indiana.  The way they dominated the Cavs, even when Cleveland was more or less at full strength, was more impressive than they way NY beat BOS.

But that said, congratulations to NYK.  I would assume that most NBA fans don't want opposing players, especially stars, to get hurt, even if they party like 1999 if their team beats a limp opponent.  So regardless of how the Knicks may or may not have made it, at least they're there.  But it'll still be a disappointment if they can't get pass the Pacers.

HAS PARITY BEEN ACHIEVED?

These Playoffs have been pretty exciting, but we're once again met with a postseason where dudes are being commonly and let's say randomly beat by 20 or more points.  Has parity been achieved, Mr. Silver?  I guess we won't really know until the next round.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 16)

DENVER NUGGETS (3) vs OKC THUNDER (3)

At this point to be honest I'm kinda hoping that the Thunder win, because I'm just sorta tired of seeing Denver.  I heard one of the commentators say that Murray + Jokic have now been teammates for eight (consecutive) years, and I mean, who does that in the NBA anymore?  Are we now going back to the old days, before videogame GM mode?

If the Nuggets are out there straight dominating dudes, okay.  But if they have to struggle, you know what I mean?  They won a championship just a season ago actually, and you know, whereas dudes are old, they ain't old like that.

But it's like if they wanted to keep the world's interest, then they should have won or at least made it to the Finals last season also.  Besides having Michael Jordan, the 1990s' Bulls were able to say popular because they kept winning.  Now I see that when a team falls off and someone else comes up and take the top spot, it's like they lose some popularity points.  Jokic is arguably "the best player in the world", but he isn't particularly marketable.  Dude needs to drop like a rap video or some shit.

I like watching Rudolph play.  He's like a really big PF or a point-center, as I like to sometimes call him.  You see teams like the Cavs and Knicks and even to some degree OKC running two Cs at the same time.  That's the point I'm trying to make.

I hope this offseason, Denver finally makes some like major roster changes, whether they win a championship or not, because the clock is ticking, if not already expired.  Westbrook is a spark of energy, but sometimes I see why people say he's too erratic.  So I mean more of that Draymond type of swag, dudes who can like bang with Jokic in the post while not sacrificing their own game.

Man do I love me some Chet "Deadpool" Holmgren.  "White Wemby" looks like someone took Ryan Reynolds and stretched him out by a foot.  Remember that, two or three seasons ago, Wembanyama was actually drafted before Chet, but the latter was lucky enough to land on a team on the rise with an exceptional braintrust .  He's had more opportunity, so to speak.  That said, I intend to write something soon about the Spurs, i.e. them being 'lucky' in the 2025 Draft; Trump forcing Popovich to retire, etc.

BOSTON CELTICS (2) vs NEW YORK KNICKS (3)

When Tatum got hurt and I said that now it's almost inevitable the Knicks will win the series, let me reiterate that I wasn't predicting that NYK would win Game 5, even though they were quote/unquote supposed to.  And with that said, it wouldn't be all that mind-blowing if they did go on to lose the series, because this is, after all, the New York Knicks.  That's a statement you prolly wouldn't understand unless you were unfortunate enough to grow up in New York and thus be a lifelong Knicks' fan by default.

Being a Knicks' fan is not like, say, rooting for the Wizards.  With the Wizards, you already know to expect like failure and mediocrity type shit.

Contrastingly, the Knicks are or were the most-valuable team in the NBA.  That's another way of saying that they're not short on money and furthermore, as us fans know, aren't afraid to spend it.  So most seasons they're able to field exceptional rosters, just for us to sit back and watch them flunk in one way or another.  Lauren Hill was talking about that shit way back in 1996, and to this day, almost 30 years later, they still haven't brought home the Larry O'Brian.

Let me also reiterate that there has never been a consensus on who's better between Brown and Tatum.  Jayson is more marketable within the context of, let's say Western culture.  But remember that last season, when they won a championship, Jaylen was better throughout and won Finals MVP.  I theorize that's why last summer with Team USA, Steve Kerr was like f*k Tatum, not that Brown is better, but he did deserve to be there more.

These dudes are the best SG-SF tandem since Jordan + Pippen, but one is not convincingly better than the other.  And my point is that, the Knicks can choose to fall asleep if they want.

The NY Post is reporting that, you know, there's a lot of energy in NYC right now, in hopes that dudes put the Celtics to bed tonight at the Garden.  To some degree I understand that anxiety, because remember that, Tatum or not, they do have homecourt advantage, and if this series goes back to Boston, smh.

If the Knicks do win this series, you know, they need to blow Boston out.  Otherwise, considering how difficult a time they're having, it's not really anything for NYK to celebrate imo, winning two games on last second plays and then struggling to beat dudes with their star player out.  The Knicks never give their fans an opportunity to relax.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) vs MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (4)

As far as I'm concerned, even though we're now two years after the fact, all things considered - such as them since going after aged players like CP3 and Jimmy Butler - when Golden State traded away Jordan Poole a couple of seasons ago, they also traded away their future.  I like Jonathan Kuminga, but the idea of him, Podz and Moody leading the next generation of Warriors, given this team's standard of like the winningest of the last decade, that prospect doesn't really make me feel comfortable.

Poole, he may not be as good as I thought he was, but he did have that magic while in Golden State (i.e. "the Ewing effect") and was the on-court senior, the leader, amongst all the young dudes.  Who's their young consensus leader now?

Trading him away because Draymond punched him and all that shit, why is everyone so afraid of Draymond?  Either discipline Green or forget about the incident, but in any event move on.  Butler is a better player than Poole, but that doesn't mean he fits better in the Dubs' run-and-chuck system.

And going back to this idea of seeing aged cores play together over multiple seasons, I mean I'm not super exicted about the prospect of Steph and Draymond once again teaming up.  Grabbing Butler, on the surface, was a masterful move.  It's not far fetched to believe that since they do have Curry, if he didn't injure himself or whatever, like dudes could've made it all the way to the Finals.

But who is it that actually believed or gambled that the older timers would endure like that?  That's the problem with teams like Golden State and to some degree even the Cavs, lack of contingency plans.  Meanwhile you have a team like Boston who's most popular goes down, but their opponent is still nervous lol.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 14)

SHOUTOUT TO NICO HARRISON

What if I told you that I'm a member of the Sam Hinkie Fan Club, or that I have a poster of Danny Ainge, in a shirt and tie, hanging on my bedroom wall?  I'm what you call a fan of GMs and other types of executives who make NBA decisions behind the scenes.  I'm not going to act like I can name a bunch of them.  But the organizations that are really good or alternative really stupid, I try to keep an eye on their braintrusts.

I didn't really know who Nico Harrison was until niggas started giving him the Luigi Mangione treatment.  When he traded Luka for AD, of course I was like 'wow, that's unexpected'.  But otherwise, you know what I mean?

I said from the jump that, all things considered, it more or less seemed like fair trade to me.  In fact, I even thought Dallas got the best of the deal, more or less.  Their roster is deep enough that could instantly insert AD into the starting lineup and proceed from there.  But as for the Lakers, since Davis has arguably been their anchor over the past couple of seasons, trading him away for Luka - as the rest of the world, including Lebron, is slowly starting to realize - means that now they have to initiate a rebuild around him.

Then, from a business perspective, let's just say that Luka would have had to sell a whole lot of jerseys and tickets to rationalize Dallas re-signing him for $350mil(!).  Meanwhile, the Mavs were retrogressing from last season.  And even if Doncic was able to lead them back to the Finals in the future, given his endurance issues, what's the chances that they would win?  Rebuilding - as the world is starting to see now that the lesser teams got shitted on in the draft - isn't as easy as it sounds, and it shouldn't be something an organization does unless it really has to.  Some teams, like the Nets, have been rebuilding for like 15 years now.

Sam "the anti-Stern" Hinkie exploited a loophole like no other GM before him.  He was akin to a guru, though one who's methodology was crude.

Though breaking, let's say unwritten ethical codes - you have to remember that the Sixers were garbage between the time Iverson left and Hinkie taking charge.  They were also garbage last season, but look, managed to land the third pick, over a number of teams that were even worse.  I believe that's an acknowledgement of their popularity and thus importance to the NBA landscape, with Philly still benefitting from that standing into the 21st century in large part due to Hinkie's efforts.

But Sam exploited the system so blatantly that now, it's f*cked up for those trying to imitate him a decade later.  Of all the teams that had their hopes dashed, the one I'm laughing at the loudest is of course the Utah Jazz.  They began tanking from like last season type shit and still got the short end of the stick.  That's why I don't advocate intentionally losing.  I think they still have a decent roster and, who knows, may land a gem in the draft.  But now they also have to overcome a self-imposed, fan-betraying, fruitless losing culture, besides being embarrassed, if you will.

Anyway, my point is that everyone thought Nico Harrison was a dumbass up until yesterday.  But now, we're reminded that he's a businessman, and the NBA is a business.  Even if Kyrie isn't around, imo this team has more hope heading into next season than they did coming into the current one.

DENVER NUGGETS (2) vs OKC THUNDER (3)

There isn't much to read here.  As a collective, the Thunder have arguably every advantage over the Nuggets except experience.

The ScapeGOAT fouled out of Game 5, so he couldn't play down the stretch even if David Adelman maybe wanted him to.  But based on the precedent that's already been set, he probably would have went with Braun anyway.

A couple of seasons ago, when KCP was around, I argued that Denver had the best starting five in the league.  To this day, their starting unit remains one of the best, not only in terms of talent but also compatibility.  Skill-wise, their starters are arguably better than OKC's.  But damn that lack of depth, and also the age factor.

Before all that Ja Morant shit started happening, I thought the Grizzlies were going to be the youth movement to dethrone the old dogs.  Instead, it's proving to be the likes of the Thunder and Timberwolves.

INDIANA PACERS (4) vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1!)

I read some shit like Donovan Mitchell was "emotional" after the Game 5, lol.  As a Cavaliers' fan, I was kinda emotional myself, though I don't know exactly what emotion that was.  That said, save the emotions for Jayson Tatum, my nigga.

I remain one of the skeptics who considers the Pacers "lucky", even if they've now made it to Conference Finals two years in a row.  In the First Round, Damian Lillard was injured (as was Giannis last postseason).  Then, they were fortunate in the Second Round by facing a superior opponent, albeit one who is unable to beat them.  The Cavs only lost 18 games in the regular season, and four of those were against Indiana.

What really amazes me is how Tyrese Haliburton not only plays better in Cleveland than he does at home but also outperformed the Cavs' players in Cleveland.  He's like a Steph, in a manner of speaking, though for now he lacks (young) Curry's consistency.

LEBRON (BACK) TO THE CAVS?

As for the Cavs, I mean yeah, something has to change.  As pathetic as it may sound, going into next season they need to make upgrades specifically in the name of overcoming the Pacers.  It would also help if, you know, since they have twin towers, if they learned how to play big.  Kenny Atkinson was recently named Coach of the Year, but maybe that decision was a bit hasty.

As much as I sorta hate to say it, the Cavs could really (re-)use some Lebron in their lives right now.  There aren't any superstars on this team except Spida, but I think the roster is still impressive enough to entice the King.

If they can get Lebron without giving up anybody, that would be ideal.  Don't thin out the roster to the point that they can't win unless he plays well.  You know, dude is in his 40s.  By this point in his career and given his resume, he's supposed to be on a team where he's more of a rotation player, perhaps even a bench player, rather than the onus.

LBJ may not play defense for shit, and he also, despite being a giant, prefers to stay on the perimeter.  But the emotional boost alone may be able to get this organization over the hump.  And if they retain Mobley especially, there won't be much need for James to post up anyway.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 13)

 NEW YORK KNICKS (3) vs BOSTON CELTICS (1)

Non-contact injuries frighten me more than those that occur when someone is hit.  So on that note, let me say that even if Tatum is cleared to play in Game 5, I'm kinda hoping that he doesn't.

The way I've come to understand it, these professional athletes are being paid gazillions of dollars basically to destroy their own bodies.  On that note, I've been a strong advocate of key players sporting through injuries, especially during pivotal junctures in the season.  But the way your boy was on the court like that, writhing in pain in front of the entire world, shit touched me.

Remember how KAT was down there on the court, clapping for Jayson as he was carried away.  Haters are always trying to make it like Karl is soft, but he probably understands that if you're going up against somebody, if you want to truly say that you're better, then they need to be at full strength before you can really feel good about yourself.

The irony of the situation isn't only that Jayson went down when his team needed him most, but also that beforehand, he was having arguably the game of his career.  He was making an absolute mockery out of a team that has a number of above-average wing defenders.  As soon as he went down and it was clear he wasn't getting back up, NYK went from 'likely to win series because they have a 2-1 lead' to it being almost inevitable that they'll eliminate Boston.

You have to give it to the Knicks though that first of all, they did not allow the Celtics to build a big lead out of the gates, as they have in the previous games this series.  To note, Boston did win a game in the First Round without Tatum.  But you know, that was against the Magic.

Let's not forget that the Celtics also won a championship last season more or less without Porzingis.  As far as I know, winning a championship with your starting C being on the injured list during half of the Playoffs was unprecedented prior to Boston doing it.  I don't care if your starting C was fuckin Todd McCollough.  To have a chance at the Finals you still needed him, or at least that seemed to be true back in the old days.

My point is that you can't count these dudes out, even if they are devoid of Tatum.  It wouldn't be overly surprising if they won Game 5 without Jayson.  But now, it's starting to feel sorta like, let's just get this shit over already.  If you wanted a chance to win even if your franchise player got hurt, then you should've at least won at least one of those first home games.

The Knicks meanwhile, when they acquired KAT heading into this season, the way I understood it wasn't like they were trying to replace Robinson at starting C.  Rather, no one was really expecting Mitchell to be consistently healthy.  He sat out most of the regular season if I remember correctly and has this historical tendency to be injured around the times the team needs him most.  Hartenstein was able to make a name for himself last offseason due to Robinson being hurt.

But lo and behold, everybody in the Knicks' rotation is healthy.  So if they do go on to face the Pacers, as seems likely, remember both of those teams have the health advantage over their respective Semifinals' opponent.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (3) vs MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (1)

This upcoming offseason is shaping up to be an interesting one, where the teams with good braintrusts will be convincingly distinguished from those that don't.  I don't know much about the 2026 Draft, but I don't think there's any player therein who everyone is dickridin as the unanimous first pick.  So I think this coming season, every team should be trying to win instead of tank.

One of the teams that really need to put their thinking cap on is the Warriors.  Their core have had these age + injury issues for years, something it feels like their braintrust has been more or less ignoring.  Yes, now that Klay is gone, I'm talking most specifically about Steph.

If the doctor tells you 'hey, if you keep smoking you're going to catch lung cancer' and you do catch it five years from now, the problem didn't start then.  I was saying as far back as 2022 that 'hey, the Dubs are aging and need to do something about it'.  They still kept enjoying those cigarettes though, and we all partook of the celebration for awhile.  But some of the decisions they made, besides devoting so much money to an aged core, were foolhardy.  For instance they traded away Jordan Poole (instead of resolving whatever beef  he had with his teammates) who, at the time, was their most-promising young player and the face of the Dubs' youth movement.

So nowadays, GSW doesn't even have a youth movement to speak of.  Podziemski, no offense, is overrated.  Jonathan "Butterfingers" Kuminga is still a player I'm hoping will end up with a younger squad, more age-appropriate squad, preferably Memphis.  Moses Moody went from a borderline starter a few games back to now being limited to garbage time.  And as for the Gauntlet, he's older than he looks, like he isn't actually a "young" player but one who blew up late.

Am I counting Golden State out?  Yeah, more or less.  I love a good Cinderella story, but it isn't ideal if a team makes it all the way to the Finals on luck.

Speaking of which, I guess we'll see what Minnesota is really made of in the next round.  Them playing the Curry-less Warriors while OKC and Denver are dogfighting isn't necessarily ideal from a preparation standpoint.  And as for the Nuggets v Thunder, remember that's the only series in the Semifinals whereas both teams are fully healthy.  That's why it's more intriguing, and shall we say genuine than the rest.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: DALLAS MAVERICKS

I actually wrote a "Where Do We Go From Here" section dedicated to the Brooklyn Nets before realizing the draft lottery was last night and, oh shit, Dallas got the no.1 pick.  Besides Utah and perhaps Boston, no other team has had as much historical success with White players as the Mavericks.

Apparently, some people are saying that the draft was rigged, and yes, instantly teaming Flagg up with Kyrie + AD, two future HOFers, does feel suspicious.  But it isn't like this type of shit is unprecedented in the NBA.  Remember how they had draft sympathy on the Cavs after Lebron jetted.  Cooper can now be considered the luckiest draftee since Magic entered the league over 40 years ago(!).

Who I really feel sorry is the likes of the Nets, Wizards and especially Jazz.  Remember I was asking, when it became apparent that Utah was tanking, what was their backup plan if they don't get Flagg?  Danny Ainge used to be my executive hero.  But now it's like, who knows what he's doing?  Some of these guys don't realize that the era of Sam "the Antihero" Hinkie is over.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 9)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (1)

The postseason is winding down, with their only being one game per night, so we can now start talking about other things into the future.  But as for Game 2 between the Dubs and Wolves, it was sorta a there's-nothing-to-see-here type of situation.

The Timberwolves beating Golden State without Curry isn't news.  Even if Anthony Edwards couldn't return to the game, you would expect Minnesota to win, especially at home.  Evening the series must feel good, but all things considered it's nothing to celebrate about.

As for Curry, first of all remember that was a non-contact injury.  Secondly, if you read the statement he made, well, check out what Lebron said also.  LBJ basically admitted that yes, there is a benefit to being hurt during the Playoffs, which is that you get to rest early after a long season.  Dudes are successful vets; their legs are tired, and there's really nothing left to prove.  If the Warriors proceed to win the 2025 championship, it really wouldn't be any more miraculous than what they already pulled off in 2022.

NEW YORK KNICKS (2) VS. BOSTON CELTICS (0!)

Unless the Celtics win Game 3 or otherwise even the series, that exclamation mark will remain.

I also feel that maybe Jayson Tatum needs to STFU, because after talking that shit, it really won't look good if they lose Game 3 also.  He didn't really talk shit, but you know what I mean.  We live in the age of positivity thinking - okay, cool.  But here's the thing.  When you're involved in an endeavor where there's direct competition, maybe your opponent is thinking positively also.

Meanwhile, the Knicks arguably have the better roster (even if not as deep), and you have to imagine that NYK, if not the entire Big Apple, is on an emotional high right now.  The Celtics basically have to win two games in a city that wants nothing more than to see them finally fall to the home team.

Like the Timberwolves, Boston could really benefit from a major injury to the opposing team right about now.  That's one of the things shocking me the most, when you recall last postseason, that none of the Knicks are injured.

Also remember when I said that in today's NBA - where you have niggas slipping on banana peels and needing months to recover - that the healthier postseason team, no matter what, is likely to prevail.  We're witnessing that right now not only with GSW vs. Minny but also Indiana vs. Cleveland and to some extent, considering Kristaps "the Ankle Bracelet" Porzingis, even with Boston vs. NYK. 

 DENVER NUGGETS (1) VS. OKC THUNDER (1)

Yes, Nikola "Rudolph" Jokic is overrated.  I'm not saying that as a diss or any jab against his greatness. He's great, but people are trying to make it sound like he's the greatest.  That said, dude did put up 42pts(!!) and 20 rebounds in Game 1, against one of the tallest teams in the NBA.  That's like some Wilt Chamberlain type shit.

Or rather let me say that now is his moment of truth.  Nikola was allegedly roughed up in Game 2, which is how the Thunder are said to have kept him in check.  But it's not like he's unaccustomed to being assaulted on court.  Back when AD was on the Lakers, every time they played Denver, Jokic's nose would be red, like he endured a vigorous, direct, intentional socking.  If you can put up a triple-double at will, especially as a C, then of course dudes are going to try to neutralize you dirty, especially in the Playoffs.

My point is that, this is the moment of truth for "the best basketball player on the planet".  The Nuggets are in fact the underdogs.  OKC has just about every advantage over them, with the exception of not having a Jokic.  So now, let's see if he's actually worthy of all of this dickridin', if he can lead his team to prevail over an all-around superior opponent.

That means, imo, that his teammates have to do a better job holding him down.  Nikola, one thing I've always said about him - pure speculation based on surface observations - is that he doesn't seem to be like a people person.  The only teammate he appears to have a friendly relationship with Murray.  Well guess what, Rudolph?  Sometimes being stink, even when you are an all-time great, can work against you.

I like the Nuggets, and there's a part of me that wants to see them prevail, you know, as underdogs though arguably the best team in the West suited to be beat OKC.  But at the same time, they have one of the thinnest benches in the league.  Outside of Westbrook, Jordan and Watson, I can't name anyone on their bench, even though these dudes are like recent champions.  And as for Watson, I never even really heard of him until this postseason.  So it's like, if Jokic is really supposed to be better than LBJ and Steph and even SGA, well, I guess we're about to find out.  Even if his team doesn't win the series, he has to consistently represent.

LEBRON TO WHERE?

There's been reports circulating that Lebron may be leaving the Lakers soon 'to go to a contender'.  I thought the Lakers were contenders, lol.  That's what the pundits were saying just a month ago.

I always considered Lebron to have a high basketball IQ, but sometimes the way he behaves makes it look like he isn't any smarter than like your average dickridin' reporter.  He should've known this current roster, even with Luka, wasn't going anywhere unless the NBA rigged games for them, which they obviously didn't during the postseason.

If the rumors are true and King James does walk away, first of all, it'd be sorta like a slap in the face to Doncic, who has already endured being unexpectedly traded away from the franchise he was the face of, the one that made it to the Finals just last season.

Second, given the generation of superstars he's the leader of - i.e. Carmelo Anthony, the Beard, KD and Kyrie - you would totally expect LBJ to bail, though he has stuck with the Lakers through some hard times.

Third - and this is the point I really wanted to make - I wonder what contender out there is actually stupid enough to pay Lebron "the Defensive Liability" James $40 or even $50+mil/year, money that can be better spent on another player(s).  I can assure you that afterwards, they won't be contenders anymore.

Lebron may do something exceptional on defense here and there, reminiscent of the days he was banging with D-Wade.  But I mean, damn.  It's starting to get the point now where it's obvious, at least to me, that there's some type of subconscious(?) conspiracy on the part of the media not to mention the fact that James can't or won't play defense anymore.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 8)

INDIANA PACERS (2) VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (0!)

I don't have anything against Tyrese Haliburton - Myles Turner maybe, though he's reclaiming his strength of late.  Instead, there's a more practical reason I want the Pacers to lose.  If they win, they're going to f*ck up all that shit I was talking about the small-ball era being over.  Remember that shit I said about about 'the Cavs players look like they genuinely like each other, so other teams need to watch out!'  Well I guest at doesn't really matter if the other team is playing harder or smarter.

As for the Cavs, it's kinda hard to blame it on injuries because (#1) by all means at least one, if not two of their big four is likely to be hurt during any given game by this point in the Playoffs, and (#2) they have or had the homecourt advantage.

Me wanting Indiana to lose doesn't mean it's going to happen, of course.  But damn, son.  I saw some headline at NBC that at least gave me the impression that the writer thought the ending of Game 2 was rigged.  When Nesmith banged it on Mitchell, especially the first time I saw the play, it just looked like he wanted it more.  And Haliburton deciding to shoot a three on that last shot, that was a gutsy play, especially considering that the defense on him, though one-on-one (against Jerome), was pretty sound.

Tyrese appears that he may be on the verge of superstardom, if he isn't already there.  If that happens, I would argue that the party who deserves the most credit is the Pacers' braintrust.  They deadass pulled off a Kobe, believing in a player that every other organization slept on.

You also have to give Indiana credit for believing, like Cleveland, in the power of continuity.  Remember that they retained their entire rotation from last season, and the only addition they made was James Wiseman, with that experiment lasting a good game or two.   

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) VS. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (0)

Let me just get this off my chest - if Curry is healthy, I have no reason not to believe that the Warriros would beat, if not swept, Minnesota.  There's something like inexplicable about the Wolves underachievement.

There was this one play when Gobert backed down Butler I think and dunked.  Gobert is like an entire chest bigger than anyone on the Dubs' roster.  And the announcer was like, 'you'd expect to see more of that from Minnesota'.  After all, isn't the size of Gobert how they ultimately finished the Lakers off?  But that's what I mean sometimes when I say head coaches are obsolete on many teams.

Draymond is also playing like a man inspired.  And as for Buddy Hield, previously he never lived up to the marketability of his name.  But this team has a winning culture, so you would expect dudes to overachieve, or at least their achievements to shine more.  But beating Minnesota without Curry, I mean anything is possible, you know, they do have "Playoff Jimmy".  But I can't see it.

NEW YORK KNICKS (2) VS. BOSTON CELTICS (0!)

Zero nigga, lol.

Yahoo currently has a headline up about Tatum not panicking and believing Boston will still pull through.  Yeah, maybe, I guess.  I mean, it's not like the Knicks won either of those games resoundingly.

But the scary thing is like, I mean I only have a small sample to refer to.  But at the beginning of the Playoffs, it looked sorta like the Knicks didn't really know what they were doing but winning on superior talent.  Now, it's starting to look like all the guys know and accept their roles, and everyone expect Brunson I guess understands they need to sacrifice their game in one respect or another to make shit happen.  Does that make Jalen the leader?  Yeah, I guess so.

The thing about Brunson is, remember when he was Luka's sidekick?  No one but the Knicks (and myself) picked up on the fact that Jalen is actually better than Doncic in some applications.  Like there was this one game - I believe it may have been against Mitchell's Jazz - when like Luka was hurt, and Brunson led the Mavs to victory  The next game Luka came back, and they lost.  And I'm sitting there like 'does anybody else see this shit'?  Yeah, I guess NYK did.

As for the Celtics, like now that people are starting to jump on the Miles Bridges bandwagon, remember who was biggin' him up first.  I was the one who said, like two whole years ago, that he's a better all-around player than KD (at this point in his career). So why the Suns preferred Durant anyway, I guess it was in the name of selling tickets or whatever.

My point is that Brown and Tatum are studs, but so is Bridges and, let's not forget, Anunoby.  They have the athleticism to counter.  So then you have to look at the rest of the roster and ask, which team's is better, especially considering the inconsistency of Porzingis?

I believe the Celtics braintrust may be a bit cocky, but you can't blame a champion for running it back.  But win or lose, they should now know that some type of major upgrade is in order.

DENVER NUGGETS (1) VS. OKC THUNDER (1)

The Nuggets won Game 1 on a last-second clutch pay, while the Thunder won Game 2 by absolutely demolishing Denver.  You do the math.

The Nuggets are one of my favorite teams, on some days my sentimental favorite in the West.  But damn do they have a thin rotation, even in these Playoffs, when most teams are playing it tight.

The thing I'm most thankful for is at least Jamal Murray is playing and effective.  Remember that, just a week before the postseason, dudes was like he wouldn't even be suiting up.

Remember that, it was Mike Malone who made that statement, who Denver then like fired the next day or some shit.  And we have to remember also that these dudes lost their coach right before the Playoffs, though whether or not that was a good thing remains to be seen.

I believe ultimately, it everyone stays healthy or whatever, the Thunder are going to simply outrun the Nuggets.  Obviously, they can turn it up on Jokic if they want to.  And who on the bench, nay, the entire team, can alternatively take his place in terms of productivity?  Westbrook is a stud, but he isn't a C.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 3)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

I don't know if it's just me, but even though he's putting up big stats, this does not appear to "Playoff Jimmy Butler".  My theory is that he's still reeling from that Amen Thompson clip but is forcing himself to play anyway, you know, he can't afford to sit down given Steve Kerr's preferred rotation.  But even when Jimmy was the hero in Game 2 or 3 or whatever, it looked more like Houston's D fell asleep rather than him dominating per se.  So with that in mind, it's hard to definitively say which of these two teams is better, though, if I were forced, I would say the Rockets, because in actuality, the Warriors have like one of the thinnest rosters in the league.  Those guys like Podziemski and Moody and yes, even The Gauntlet, they may be phenoms in their own rights, but they're not likely to lead you to a playoff victory over a team like the Rockets.  Better organizations, such as the Warriors and Heat, tend to bring out the best in even unknown players.

Speaking of the Warriors bench, well, that's something I'll kinda get into in the next section.  But it appears that Looney has been more or less de-rotated, as has Kuminga.  And those are like the two tallest guys on their team.

Speaking of which, if you would have asked two or three seasons ago, I never would have imagined that Moody would have ended up higher on the pecking order than Kuminga.  I'm hoping that the latter's days with the Warriors are finally coming to an end.  Steph Curry, "Teammate of the Year"?

WHO NEEDS BIG MEN NOW?

For awhile there, when the Dubs were at their peak and looked unbeatable, there were a number of pundits, reporters, commentators, etc. who were arguing that traditional bigmen were obsolete in the NBA.  It became sort of a fad, to the point that I was even speculating that the whole movement was fueled by racism.  You know, 'we don't big Blacks in the NBA no more, because jump-shooting Whiteboys can win championships also'.  Well guess what?  Steph Curry ain't White.

There are still a few quality smallball teams - Indiana, Boston and yes, even New York - remaining in the Playoffs, besides Golden State.  Speaking of Golden State, yes, Fred "Mini-KAT" VanVleet is killing them, but even worse, imo, is their lack of an interior presence.  This is an issue in the Dubs' roster that I've spoken about for years and years and years, even going back to their last championship.

The Dubs reupped Looney in 2022 for a modest $23mil/3years, a move they seemed to initiate more out of respect for his contribution to that championship team than his future value.  By the way, Kevin is about to become an unrestricted free agent, and it's going to be interesting to see how that plays out, especially if the Warriors fail to get past the First Round.

Meanwhile, Playoff teams that has thus visibly suffered for lack of an interior presence include the Lakers, Knicks, Warriors and arguably the Grizzlies and Magic also.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS

Warriors vs. Rockets is more like one team or the other tends to dominate respective games.  But Clippers vs. Nuggets is more even Steven, like these two teams, all things considered, counter each other well.

Out of all the players suiting up, I'd say ultimately the x-factor is James Harden.  Yes, the Beard.  In Game 5, he sorta slid into the shadows, to the point that was even contemplating recommending his retirement.  Then boom - Game 6, and he reminded everyone that he was once the scoring leader.

I plan to write an article soon about how to manage these older players and how more of them, logically speaking, need be to on younger teams rather than surrounded by teammates as aged as they are.  But let's just sya that if LAC intends to win Game 7, Harden is going to need to be on some shit like two games in a row.

As for Norman Powell, not only does he have a very average name, but he also looks very, very normal.  Powell looks like he nightcaps as a business executive or some shit, like his looks, at least on television, don't stand out at all.  He's like too normal to be in the NBA type shit.  And that's the kind of, let's say relativey-mundane third star you need when you have two future HOFers on the roster - not that third superstar, overkill type shit.  And it's pretty amazing how the Clippers are able to make it all work, since talent-wise their roster is lopsided (towards the frontcourt).

DETROIT PISTONS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS

It was too difficult for NYK to defeat DET imo - to the point that afterwards, dudes were celebrating like they just on the championship instead of the First Round.  But I can imagine there was a lot of hostility during that series, including or especially from the crowd.

You have to give it to the Pistons for at least now establishing an identity.  There was a time when I thought Cunningham was a bust.  But now, if I were building a team, he's exactly the type of PG I'd want.

Detroit has arguably the best mix of younger players + vets in the league, but none of their veterans are A list.  Also, remember that at least two of their rotation players - Isaiah Stewart and Jaden Ivey - are hurt.  If Ivey were playable, I imagine he would've gotten a lot of those minutes that instead went to Shroder.  And Stewart especially, if they had that additional depth down low, like who knows what would've happened.

The Knicks need to get their shit together.  They're one of those types of teams that look like they aren't really coached or some shit.  Putting your best players on the floor, telling them to play hard on defense and letting them do whatever they want on offense, that isn't exactly coaching I don't think.  If this roster fails to beat the Celtics, then time for Thibs to go.

THE THOMPSON BROS.

I wanted to use this opportunity to give a shoutout to the Thompson bros., who I really enjoyed watching this postseason.  I can't say I've seen either Amen or Ausar display what I would call extraordinary basketball skills.  But they're energetic, athletic and not afraid to bang, sorta like Rodman, for lack of a better analogy.  They're the type of players who would be beneficial to virtually any roster.  Forget all these dumbasses saying that everyone on the team needs to be a good three-point shooter.  If anyone on the team is prone to chuck up a three, then how are you going to strategize?  

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (29 April)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS. HOUSTON ROCKETS

Even though GSW may go on to win the series, I don't believe they're the better team, especially when Fred VanVleet is hot.  The Rockets have one of the better braintrusts, but up until recently they spent a few years losing - a lot.  And my hypothesis is that if you put a team that's used to losing against one that's used to winning, the latter will likely prevail, until the former also gets used to winning.

Based on the limited sample I've seen, I would say another issue with Houston is that they need a consensus alpha.  Logically, that would be Alperen Sengun, not only because he's their only allstar, but also his game is very predictable, for lack of a better word.  It's almost impossible to strategize around a leader who's out there randomly chucking up threes, like Houston's other stars do.  Also Sengun, imo, has the coolest name in the NBA, if, you know, the announcers would slang it right.

Draymond is still a factor, and pairing him with Jimmy Butler is increasingly appearing like a masterful move on the part of GSW.  With Green, nobody can just come and pick on Steph.  That kind of chippiness - the threat of instant retaliation (at the hands of Draymond) - is one of the reasons the Dubs won all those championships.  Physically he isn't the most intimidating player, but I can't recall him ever backing down to anyone.

MIAMI HEAT

I think it's safe to say that the era of the Heat's dominance may really be over this time.  But I mean, you never really know.  Out of every team, I'm most interested to see what they do this offseason.  But what I really meant to say is the era of Heat's pride and strategic dominance having now come to an end.  Niggas got their asses straight-up bust, like they didn't even belong on the same court as the Cavs, like they were a CBA team or some shit.  Whoever gave them the big pep talk before the game utterly failed.  And going all the way back to when they first entered the NBA, like it's weird seeing them in the Playoffs yet unable to at least hang.  Remember that they went all the way to the Finals as the 8th seed just a couple of years ago.

The one player on Miami I feel for the most is Bam Adebayo, like he deserves better than this output.  Maybe next season, the Heat will follow my advice, make him the PC and re-construct their roster accordingly, i.e. getting more players who can defend and rebound rather than just score.

I heard one of the announcers saying some shit like 'Andrew Wiggins needs to step up and assert himself'.  How many times have we heard that before?  So many times that by this point, no one should even be expecting him to make a dominant impact on a consistent basis.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

The Cavs are a real, legitimate threat.  It isn't only about them having twin towers or Donovan Mitchell or an overachieving supporting cast or being able to more or less rest during the First Round.  The really scary thing for opponents is, they're out there having fun type shit.  Like the players appear to generally support each other, kinda like the Grizzlies from a couple of years back.  I can't say I ever heard pundits or analysts talking about it, but genuine comradery goes a long way. Then true test of mutual feelings will be when (or if) they face adversity, but I believe it's genuine.  These are the kinda results you strive for when a braintrust decides to keep a core together instead of following the musical chairs trend.

I honestly can't say I ever heard of Ty Jerome before this series.  Or maybe I did and, based on his name, just presumed he was Black.

De'Andre Hunter, when he was on the Hawks, always looked slow to me, like he had an old spirit in him.  But he appears to be fitting in splendidly with the Cavs.  Maybe he's the same ol' player, but now, seeing a nigga like winning and smiling type shit, it just feels different. 

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (27 April)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS. HOUSTON ROCKETS

The fact that the Rockets, the number 2 seed, couldn't beat the number 7 seed in the pivotal game while the latter was lacking their second-best player says it all as far as I'm concerned.  Houston may make it out of the series, but they appear to me as one of those 'built for the regular season' type of achievers.

Of course, as long as Steph is on the floor, you can never take beating the Warriors for granted.  But this was a concerted effort on the part of GSW, sorta like the days of old.  I'm glad to see Kuminga playing, though he can probably use the type of mentor to teach him how to truly take advantage of his size.

Gary Payton Jr., he's one of my top five players (when he's healthy), but you see I didn't even mention him this season and can't really remember the last time I gave him a shoutout.  Honestly, I thought those series of injuries he suffered awhile back, like his time in the NBA was done.  And yes, it does seem that he lost a step or two.  But he still has that sixth sense inherited from his dad.

One of the reasons he's a personal favorite is due to having this ability to sorta make the opposing team forget he's out there.  Payton also looks like he grew an inch or two, which I don't know if it's like physically possible.  But it doesn't really feel right calling him "the Mitten" anymore.  So now I'm thinking of a new nickname, something ninja-related, like "the Black Glove", lol.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES VS. OKC THUNDER

Speaking of sons of all-time greats, Scottie Pippen Jr. may be the best player ever (statwise) to be born to a HOF dad.  That bonehead play he made near the end of Game 4, forcing himself into the lane only to get ripped, I kinda blame that on the coaches for that.

OKC, so long as they're healthy, is too balanced for most teams to beat in a seven game series.  Outside of the 2 arguably, every player in their starting lineup is likely to be better or just as good as his counterpart on the opposing team.

If OKC goes on to win the championship, this is one of those situations, sorta like the 2004 Pistons I guess, where you really have to give props to the braintrust.  They have done the nearly impossible, i.e. building a contender that is actually affordable and therefore sustainable, at least into the near future.  And to note, they were able to do that in large part through the draft.

Now we're getting to that 'where do we go from here' moment for the Grizz.  Didn't dudes fire their coach recently?  In hindsight, that bold, borderline-stupid move didn't amount to a hill of beans.  I would presume they want Morant around, if no one else, because he's the draw, and also Bane and I guess and Pippen Jr.  You know, their backcourt is set.  As for everyone else, I mean who knows if Memphis is going to be able to ever put that type of quality and depth around Ja that they had a few seasons ago.  Remember Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, Tyus Jones, all those dudes.  In the NBA, you either have be real savvy in the draft and/or overpay to build and keep a contender.

DETROIT PISTONS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS

Ultimately, it took late game heroics from Jalen Brunson for the Knicks to win Game 3, and I don't know if that's really a good thing from their perspective.  Early in the contest, their offense did appear more inclusive of Mikal Bridges, and he proceeded to have an effective all-around game, which I do think is a good thing.

I believe what's ultimately going to do the Knicks in is either injuries (like last season) or being unable to maximize all of their pieces due to have too many good players. You sit there and say too yourself 'I'd rather have too many good players than too many bad ones', but it isn't that simple, esp, you know, if dudes lose.  But let me stop jinxing them.  The true test of whether they made progress will not only be (hopefully) getting past the Pistons but also facing most likely the Celtics in the 2nd Round and besting them also.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Like the Grizzlies, the Lakers are another team who I'm hoping will be knocked out sooner than later.  In these entire playoffs, this is the only series where the lower seed is clearly better than their opponent, at least to me.  Like Luka + Lebron would have to be really, really hot to pull this one off.

One good thing I can say about the Lakers is taking for granted Luka will stick around and Lebron will more or less be the same next season, along with Reaves they have the best 1-3 (offensively) in the NBA.  So in theory, all they need now is an above-average player in the post or a couple of those crash dummy types, those kinda bigs that Dallas surrounded Luka with.

One of the saddest things about the Mavs trading Luka like that is they actually did a damn good job building a roster around him.  Maybe they could've waited at least to the end of the season to really start worrying about his contract.  Oh well.

MIAMI HEAT VS. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

It isn't hard to imagine the the Finals will feature Cleveland vs. OKC, the only two teams with legitimate twin towers.  Where are all of those pundits now who, not to long ago, were trying to argue that size doesn't matter in the NBA, that big men are anachronisms?  There were stretches when Zach Edey looked like the most impactful player on Memphis.

At this point, Mobley is arguably better than Adebayo, but I'm not blaming it all on Bam.  I've been saying for a couple of seasons now that the Heat should use him like a PC (point-center).  That means, they need the right type of pieces to surround him with.  And yeah, they have pieces but are still missing something, even if a consistently-sound strategy.

Oh shit, what happened to Jaime Jacuez?  I'm now reading that dude is injured.  Either way, by the looks of things he didn't have to type of progressive sophomore season viewers, including myself, were expecting after that exceptional rookie campaign.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS. INDIANA PACERS

This dude Gary Trent Jr., I've always had a hard time keeping him on my radar because, well, his name is too damn common.  Like in all these years of following the NBA, how many Garys and Trents and Jrs have we come across?  It's sorta the same thing with Kevin Porter Jr., who after all these years I can finally distinguish from Jalen Green since they're now on different teams. 

I know that Trent is above-average, from his time with the Raptors.  He had a big moment in the sun in Game 3, but whether or not he proves to be the next Khris Middleton remains to be seen.

As for the Pacers, there's something about the way they play that still doesn't have me convinced.  They have that smallball playing style and are very good at it.  The thing is that there's teams out there who are better at smallball or that has size that Indiana can't counter.  We sorta seen the latter with the way Giannis has been running amok.

Kyle Kuzma is trying but looks sorta lost out there, like he still hasn't acclimated to being on this roster and perhaps never will as far as these big games are concerned.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (April 22)

 NEW YORK KNICKS

The way the Knicks fukedup, going all the way back to last summer, is like less than a week after acquiring Bridges, they proceeded to add KAT also.  They should have at least given themselves a chance to see how the addition of Miles alone would work out in and of itself.  All things considered, acquiring him made more sense than going after Karl.  Remember that NYK deadass gave up Randle and DiVincenzo for KAT.

If the braintrust was actually thinking instead of star chasing, they could have used those KAT resources to go after someone(s) who can defend and rebound, which they really needed in the absence of Hartenstein and with the unreliability of Mitchell - not another scorer.  Oh well.  Maybe they'll still beat the Pistons.  But with this type of overtalented, unbalanced roster, I mean if you're going to do it, do it right.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

When it comes to physique, playing style and overall effectiveness, there's no player past or present who reminds me more of Jordan than Kawhi Leonard.  It's too bad that he's always unavailable, thus making it difficult, if not impossible for LAC to build a team around him.  If the Knicks played with the same type of intensity the Clippers did, they would have also won Game 2.

DENVER NUGGETS

It looks to me like the Nuggets may have intentionally thrown Game 2.  If not, than they were more or less playing like bungling idiots down the stretch.  But I'm not knocking them.  It was obvious after Game 1 that, you know what I'm saying, you can't take the Clippers for granted.  And now, that point has really been driven home.

MIAMI HEAT

The Heat are a good team, but they miss Jimmy Butler.  Butler is a lot like Leonard, a player who can instantly make any team better offensively and defensively, and their probably the only two guys in the NBA (still in their primes) who have displayed that ability.  I'm not writing Miami off just yet, but it'll be really interesting to see who or what type of player they go after this summer, and hopefully Wiggins will stick around.

BOSTON CELTICS

Speaking of guys who have fit well with diverse teams, Derrick White, on the low, may be like the best or most effective all-around PG in the modern NBA.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

The Rockets have had the most surprisingly-good season imo, but now you see why still, despite being the 2 seed, no one has called them contenders.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

I feel kinda bad for the Grizzlies.  It should be obvious by this point that the core of Morant + Bane + Jackson Jr. isn't going to win a championship unless they're buttressed by the right type of supporting cast.  They actually had such a squad a few seasons ago, but then came the departure of Brooks, blazi blah. 

Remember how the Memphis bench used to be celebrating on the sideline, so much so that they generated headlines and criticism?  You don't see that type shit anymore, or at least I haven't.

It takes a real forward-thinking, well-funded, sacrificial braintrust to be like 'okay, we may end up getting taxed out the ass, but we have to try to keep the band together, because they're supportive of each other and have good chemistry'.  You know, if you have a group of guys who actually feel each other, that's invaluable, because most teams, like the Nuggets, don't have that.

Dudes play harder when they love their teammates type shit.  But in today's NBA, it virtually impossible for most organizations to keep quality rosters together.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (April 20)

There are 30 teams in the NBA and, through the Play-In system, over two-thirds of them get to more orr less participate in the Playoffs.  Whether or not that has contributed to parity, I mean you would logically think that it won't.  But it's like every matchup in this year's Playoffs is an exciting one, except maybe that Boston series, as you would very much expect the Magic to get their asses firrmly bust.

ORLANDO MAGIC

I don't particularly remember reading anything positive about the Magic this whole season.  Every headline was about like injuries or overcoming them, the latter in which is good thing, but.

Well surprise, after an injury-riddled season, these guys secured the 7th seed in the East.  So, like who knows.  But overall, being the least-popular team in the Playoffs doesn't really help your chances of pulling off an upset, besides having a similar playing style to your better-equipped adversary.

MIAMI HEAT

The Heat of course are the one organization in the entire NBA you should never sleep on.  They have a winning culture, the type in which good players get a chance to shine.  Besides that, I'm a big Davion Mitchell fan and wonder how he went from having a noteworthy rookie campaign to becoming a journeyman.

That said, they don't have the talent to beat the Cavs.  It's time like these that you need a Jimmy Butler.  But Tyler Herro, he's a beast in pretty-boy packaging.  I've been calling for the Lakers to get him for the longest, but I guess they did one better with Luka.

SACRAMENTO KINGS

Of course if you have teams with winning cultures, then their has to be those on the opposite end of the spectrum.  That would be the Kings.  On paper, they have like one of the best rosters in the league... but they're the Kings.

CHICAGO BULLS

Josh Giddey is going to have to learn to be more aggressive, like through an entire game type shit.  The ball has literally been placed in his hands, no SGA to overshadow him.  But, no offence, he probably can't because he's White and furthermore, from like Australia or some shit.

So with the Bulls, man, it's hard to maintain interest sometimes.  Now I sorta see why some teams are insistent on like having a franchise player, someone you can at least be like, you know what I mean?  At least we don't have to worry about that position anymore type shit.

ATLANTA HAWKS

More or less as expected, no one from the 2024 rookie class has stood out in terms of consistently generating national headlines.  But Zaccharie Risacher may still go down in history as one of the most underwhelming number one picks ever.

It's obvious though, at least to me, that Trae Young needs those type of linky, multi-faceted, speedy players around him, sorta like Caris LaVert but like better and more of them.  So at least the braintrust has a vision, I think.  But it's hard to believe that just like, what?, three or four or five seasons ago, this was the most-promising young team in the East.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

The Bucks got their asses soundly bust in Game 1, as to be expected.  I wonder if they wish they had Khris Middleton around now?  They're about to force Dame back from an injury which, like I don't know how serious that shit is, but if ain't, you know what I'm saying, get out there and earn those zillions my nigga, because without that additional firepower your team doesn't stand a chance.  Milwaukee has more or less retained their championship core, but Portis and Lopez are out their looking like anachronisms and shit.

INDIANA PACERS

So with that said, I'm not jumping on no Pacers' bandwagon.  They performed as expected against the one of the worst braintrusts in the NBA.  But the key to their success, imo, ultimately lies with Siakim.

DENVER NUGGETS

Sleep on Westbrook if you want.  Yeah, he does dumb shit sometimes, but so what?  He's a 6'10" unicorn trapped in a 6'3" body, so you should expect to do something stupid from time to time.

I still contend that the key to the Nuggets, the x-factor, is Aaron Gordon.  Sometimes, besides actually being one of the older teams out there, Denver looks like they may have chemistry or trust issues or whatever you want to call it.  Winning, esp against a quality team like the Clippers, may change that.  Or maybe we'll see what's really what once Murray inevitably goes down.

NEW YORK KNICKS

The Knicks are over-talented, which is why they can't maximize all of their pieces.  Also, I worry about Brunson's health, like how much A-list NBA production his body can take.

If they do go on to beat or even sweep Detroit, like, you know, dudes overachieved, but other times they still look like the Pistons we've all grown to ignore.  Plus, New York has Josh Hart, who has like a tireless, Rodman-like energy about him and is probably the Knicks' internal MVP.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Speaking of anachronisms, with Doncic around, Lebron has now become expendable.  By this point, since he's no longer sharp enough to consistently play defense in the post, you can't even say 'let him go back to the 4'.  You gotta remember, as ageless as LBJ may be, his Miami Heat days were over a decade ago.  So it seems like they're rather trying to force Luka down there more, which is stupid, because ultimately he's better at the 1 than even King James in his prime.

LAL has created a big hole in the middle that no one on their roster can fill and that they're going to have to spend a shitload of money to find someone who can (or gamble on a rookie).  In hindsight, it would have been wiser for both squads to have rather traded Lebron for Luka.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

I would say the Twolves are borderline contenders if not for their happy-go-lucky offensive strategy.  But these guys are big and relatively-sturdy at every position, if they want to field a lineup like that.  Shit like that, i.e. physicality, matters, and there's no reason why they shouldn't beat the Lakers.