Trade Talk: Brown vs. George + Draft Picks

I'm writing this post while neglecting other trades that recently occurred, because I'm tired of people making it sound like trading Brown for George + a couple of prime picks is like some historically bad deal.  In fact all things considered, outside of Boston now having to pay Paul's contract, this actually looks like a good trade.

WHAT WENT WRONG IN BOSTON?

Of course I don't know what exactly went wrong with the Celtics, but based on what I've observed, I can speculate.  As far as this past season goes, it all started with the team overachieving and looking more or less like contenders, even without Jayson Tatum.

Now I don't really want to get too deep here.  But there can be confusion - for lack of better word - if a successful team is able to achieve even without its franchise player.  We've seen it happen before, with the 1990s' Bulls for instance.

So the season is winding down, and Boston is like what, the second seed?  This is despite virtually no one, when it all began, expecting them to be competitive without Jayson.  So why rush him back once he did become (briefly) playable?

This is something I recently wrote about, and it's not an easy fix, because no one can see the future.  For instance, a couple of months ago I was arguing that Cunningham should just take the rest of the (post)season off instead of coming back immediately after suffering a "collapsed lung"(!).  But he came back anyway and proved instrumental in the Pistons at least not being totally embarrassed in the playoffs.

Tatum came back, and I remember he had one really heroic game against the 76ers in the postseason.  People were actually predicting, when he returned, that the Celtics would make the Finals.  That foretelling didn't age well at all.

So what I'm imagining, when Boston did get eliminated, is Brown, who had like his best regular season ever, was like 'did they really have to bring him back so soon?'  You know, dude coming into the lineup - starting even - and then getting re-injured at the time it matters most.  Is that actually good for the on-court chemistry of a team that was overachieving without him?  Considering that they had a better regular season record than Philly, is it possible that could have beat them without the distraction of Tatum's unpredictable health?

To be totally honest no, I don't think the Celtics would have beaten the Sixers, and the series might have been even worse for them without Tatum.  But I'm trying to make a point.

JAYLEN BROWN VS. COLORISM

Also, as I've been noting for years, Brown is a regular victim of colorism.  Dude is unapologetically Black yet plays for the only team in the NBA with a White male mascot.

The Celtics are an 'Irish' organization, and their most-popular iteration of the modern era was with a core of White players.  So who do you think is going to get more love, not only from Boston but the NBA at large - Jaylen Brown, or yellow-ass Jayson Tatum?

So you see, this isn't a Jordan vs. Pippen kinda of comparison.  As for Scottie, yes, I believe he'll never be truly recognized for how great he was.  He was more versatile than Michael, and he almost led the Bulls to the Finals - if not for a controversial call in favor of the Knicks - without Jordan.  But you'll never ever - ever, ever, ever - hear anyone argue that Pippen was actually a better player.

The same is not the case with Brown vs. Tatum.  I've been saying for years that they're just as good or, if anything, Jaylen is better, if even only slightly.  He may not be as marketable or popular, but he isn't an inferior player, even if Tatum gets more love.

So what all these people who're criticizing the trade are saying under their breaths is something like 'wow, these guys actually traded away their best player'.  And the further implication is that if anyone were to be swapped in a major trade, it should have been Jayson instead.

PAUL GEORGE ≠ BUM

Paul George may be overpaid AF, but he isn't a bum.  Under his current contract, PG13 is making $50+mil/year(!).  He signed that deal as recently as 2024, not way back in the day, when he was considered a potential MVP.

As of the mid-2020s, we're now later in George's career, whereas has never led a team to the Finals and is regularly injured, to the point of him being out is disappointing but not unexpected.  So why give him so much money?  Remember that the Clippers, aka Steve Ballmer, also gave dude like $200mil back in 2020.  And I'll just leave it at that.

This past postseason, Paul managed to suit up for all Philly's postseason games and averaged an admirable 16p.  He may not be the PG13 of old, but he can still score prolifically, as displayed in a couple of those playoff contests.  He's still a threat that opposing defenses have to acknowledge or, you know, ignore at your own risk.

AND DON'T FORGET THE DRAFT PICKS

Also the Celtics got what, two first-rounders and two second-rounders out of the deal?  So they traded one future HOFer for another, albeit the latter aged.  On top of that, they got draft picks which, to my understanding, are unprotected.  So Brad Stevens and co. gave up a disgruntled two-way star for a palatable one-way star and got some strong future security in the process.

When trading a superstar, there's really only two options.  You can swap him straight-up for another superstar.  Brown for Giannis may have been fair and square.  But TF wants to go to the Bucks, an organization not only in the boondocks but also one that doesn't look like it's going to win anything soon?

Or you can trade him for a lesser player(s) or/and some picks.  PG13 is still an offensive A-lister.  Meanwhile, Tatum, White, etc. are around, and Boston also acquired Mitchell Robinson, i.e. teammates who can help mitigate George's defensive deficiencies.   Is that really a bad trade?

Brown + Tatum have been together what, eight seasons, but only produced one championship.  So yes, it's possible that maybe now, all things considered, having both of them around is overkill.  We need to finally prove who's the superior player.

And that's the best part about it, imo.  Now we're finally going to see Brown vs. Tatum, head-to-head, in meaningful, competitive games - not some Lebron Era allstar BS - while both are still more or less in their prime and on teams with championship aspirations, not aged and symbolic, like Jordan was when he competed against Pippen later down the line.

CONCLUSION

After all this time, Jaylen Brown needed to go to a 'Black' team.  He won Finals MVP a couple of seasons ago and also just made a strong case for regular-season MVP, on a team that no one expected to do shit.  But as you can see, Tatum is still Boston's favorite, so apparently there's nothing Jaylen can do to change that.

It may all sound petty, you know, when dudes are getting paid gazillions of dollars.  But we're all still human, i.e. emotional beings, nonetheless.

2026 Elimination Ruminations: Celtics, Magic, Raptors

BOSTON CELTICS (3-4)

This was a really odd season in Boston.  The Celtics, without Tatum, were supposed to tank or at least be mediocre but instead, as happens sometimes (reference the 1993 Bulls), retained their championship pedigree even without the face of the franchise.  Then Jayson returned sooner than expected.  In hindsight, even though he regained form quickly, that was mistake number one.  The way dudes were playing, you shoulda let them finish the season out as is.  You see how they almost beat the Sixers, at full strength, in Game 7 without Tatum.

And while we're crying over spilt milk, let it also be known that I'm strong advocate of continuity.  Age factors, salaries, injuries, etc., you don't breakup a proven championship-level team prematurely, just because the star of the show is unable to play or whatever, taking for granted that your braintrust will promptly recuperate.  That's akin to quitting, besides betraying fans, and it's like the whole conclusive lesson of The Last Dance.  I'm not saying that still having Holiday, Porzingis and Horford around would have made a difference. But we'll never know, will we?

You can't tell a team that it's better to just play a season out without a star if he misses important segments and then suddenly at the last second, emerges playable.  Squads like the Sixers and Pistons also took such risks, and for them it paid off.

Embiid, hobbled he may be, emerged as the x-factor against Boston.  So I guess the ultimate lesson in all this, as has been the case for seasons (even when they did recently win a championship), is please Celtics, try to acquire a consistent, playable, above-average big.  Why they decided not to play Vucevic in Game 7, who knows?  And I'm not taking anything away from Queta, who's an overachiever.  But it's time to start taking the paint seriously again.  You can't have like rookies and shit running all roughshod over you during the playoffs.

ORLANDO MAGIC (3-4)

I'm not convinced that the Pistons are the better team.  Deeper, yes.  But what I rather believe is that if Franz Wagner remained playable, the Magic would have took it in five or six.  There really isn't much reason, based on this series, to believe otherwise.

Maxing Wagner out was a controversial decision, one of the main reasons (besides the fact he isn't a superstar) being his unpredictable health.  Health-wise, he's like a typical European in the NBA - an exceptional offensive force, but you wouldn't want to overplay (or overpay) him.

I'm also having a hard time understanding Orlando's fascination with Wendell Carter Jr.  I've been saying for year and years, even back when the Warriors were still formidable and everyone was still on this smallball shit, that the Magic needed to upgrade in the post.

Instead, they went out and acquired Bane.  I'm not going lie - that move panned out a lot better than I expected, if you consider barely making the playoffs and taking the number-one seed to seven games in the First Round an accomplishment.  Now, Orlando is just a couple of moves away for real.  They need to add a big who's actually effective and figure out a way to mitigate offensive deficiencies during those inevitable times when Franz can't play.

And ideally, they won't lose anyone in the process of rectifying those woes, as what ultimately did the Magic in against Detroit, more than anything, was lack of depth.  About midway through Game 6, dudes just ran out of steam and never fully regained it, outside of Banchero and his skinnier, less-talented yet still effective clone, Anthony Black.  Games 6 and 7, you could see Orlando came out hot (as usual).  The Pistons really couldn't do shit about it, but the Magic couldn't maintain the pace.

And by the way, whatever happened to Jonathan Isaac?  Remember that dude, a defensive specialist?  If he wasn't all banged up, the Magic would've won.

TORONTO RAPTORS (3-4)

As usual, despite their winning ways, the Cavs have failed to instill confidence in their fans.  They're one of the top 5, if not top 3, deepest teams in the NBA.  Yet they struggled to best an opponent with two of its starters missing the entire series.

Let's not forget that besides Ingram, who's a reigning All-Star, Quickley also isn't playable.  So instead, we have dudes starting who I never heard of before, like this cat Shead, proving heroes against one of the most-talented rosters in the league.  This series had sort of that Minnesota vs. Denver quality to it.

Right before Game 7, I stumbled across a video arguing that the Beard is 'the worst-performing superstar in NBA history'.  Until watching that clip, I didn't really know it was that bad.  In Game 7, if you look at the box score, he didn't really fare well at all, as the only reason he got near 20 pts was due to freethrows.

I know this isn't supposed to be about Cleveland, but in hindsight, that Harden trade looks sorta like one step forward, two steps backwards.  I won't go as far as to say that Mitchell is better at the point.  Harden is a lot better at getting his teammates involved.  But like his cohort, Donovan needs, indeed deserves the ball in his hand.  And that's the dilemma - having two deserving, ball dominant points (similar to when Garland was around) - on top of James' tendency to fizzle out.

That said, out of all the teams eliminated in the First Round, I would say that Toronto is the one that least needs a major roster change (outside of maybe acquiring a Giannis or something like that).  Their team is set, but damn those injuries, especially when it comes to the likes of Ingram. 

If I Could Send One Player to Any Team (Atlantic Division)

 Now that the season is winding down, I want to go into full fantasy mode and play a game of 'if I could send a player to any team'.  In other words, if there's one player I could send to any team in the name of instantly making them a contender or champion, all contract considerations be damned, who would that be?

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS - NIKOLA JOKIC

I probably said at least three years ago that, due to injury, Joel Embiid needs to retire.  I no longer feel that way.  But due to health issues, he's a classic example of why some max players aren't worth the percentage of the salary cap they consume.

So in the name of having mercy on Maxey and co., I would give them the only C who's unanimously better than Embiid - Nikola Jokic.  But even Rudolph wouldn't be able to solve all of Philly's problem, as they doubled-embiided themselves by adding Paul George for whatever reason.

BROOKLYN NETS - KEVIN DURANT

It feels like a punishment recommending that any star player goes to Brooklyu.  The Nets are rebuilding in such a way that it's hard to tell when, if ever, the process will be complete.  They made a number of notable mistakes in the past when it came to starchasing.  So I guess now, the best thing to do is just stand pat.

But the reason I'm recommending Durant is on some finish-what-you-started type shit.  Remember it was he who initiated (with Kyrie) and then led that disastrous Big 3 that Brooklyn recently put together.  Then, instead of accepting his administrative shortcomings, KD started lambasting teammates as if they weren't good enough to be on the same team with him.  Damn.  But he didn't get away with that shit at all, as the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns were arguably the worst NBA superteam in history.

TORONTO RAPTORS - STEPH CURRY

Like the Sixers, another organization I sorta forgot exists is the Toronto Raptors.  And also like the Sixers, another organization that seldom seems to perform up to the talent of its rosters.

The Raptors recently acquired Brandon Ingram - a major trade that totally slipped under the radar.  That can be huge, if both Ingram and Barnes stay healthy.

If I wanted to instantly turn this team around, I'd send them someone like Steph.  Toronto isn't particularly strong in their backcourt, and they need someone marketable who knows how to win.

NEW YORK KNICKS - GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

Remember that this is "all contract considerations be damned".  This is if I could send anyone to the Knicks  with their current roster remaining more or less intact.  Having Anunoby would be somewhat redundant if Giannis was around, unless there's an injury.  But most of the other guys would still be needed.

KAT likes to shoot from the perimeter and isn't known as a defensive force.  Giannis, on the other hand, loves to drive and is an exceptional, even if waning, defender.  I would say that, all things considered, he's definitely a better defender than Mitchell Robinson.

This would be really fantastical, if, say, NYK were able to get Giannis for Anunoby + Robinson.  I would totally feel sorry for the latter two if something like that happened.

BOSTON CELTICS - GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

Imagine if the Celtics were able to trade Porzingis straight up for Giannis?  That's the fantasy that I'm envisioning.

I wouldn't feel sorry for Porzingis because he already has a championship, and his health, simply put, is a liability.  When Kristaps is strong, he's one of the best players in the NBA, no debate imo.  But the consistency of his strength isn't ideal on a team trying to win another championship with him as a centerpiece.

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 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 11)

NEW YORK KNICKS (2) vs BOSTON CELTICS (1)

The Celtics drubbing of the Knicks in Game 3 was, imo, the biggest win of any series in the Playoffs thus far.  Yes, Cleveland pulled off same thing in Indiana after falling into a 2-0, home-based hole.  But the difference, this is in fact BOS vs. NYK, with the Celtics being considered the opponent the Knicks must overcome to reach that next level.  Indiana beat NYK last postseason, not Boston, but still, everyone knows that beating the Celtics is the true mark.  Meanwhile, NYK failed to do so in four attempts during 2024-25 Regular Season, including having their asses handed to them, at MSG, back in February.

It was that February embarrassment when all of the pundits were like 'damn, these Knicks are stacked, but they still aren't ready to topple the Celtics'.  So it's like dudes really need to win.  If they don't, there's going to be more questions than answers.

One thing I'd probably suggest, if it weren't this late in the season, is starting Miles McBride, most likely over Hart.  McBride is sort of a one-trick pony who I wouldn't expect to be able to really defend any guard in Boston's rotation.  But he plays hard and appears to be really proficient at scoring, i.e. making threes.  So if given more of an opportunity, maybe he can counter some of the Celtics' shooters.  And as for Hart, maybe his energy will be more beneficial, in this series, coming off the bench.

All things considered, I don't think it's sustainable for Boston to continue shooting like 50% from three for the rest of the series.  But going back to the point I was trying to make earlier, it's like now they've reasserted their dominance over the Knicks, like some confidence, bully type shit, like 'you only won because I let you' type shit.  It sucks, from a New York fan's perspective, that they couldn't take Tatum & co.'s heart when they had the chance.

The Knicks won those first two games on last second plays, and obviously that type of luck, if you will, isn't sustainable either, not against a champion.  So the thing they need to worry about is not allowing themselves to fall into a big deficit early on, as has happened in all three games thus far I think.

DENVER NUGGETS (2) vs OKC THUNDER (1)

I'm sure I said even way back when this season began that if any team in the West was likely to give OKC serious issues in a series, it would the Nuggets.  I don't know if Jokic + Gordon would classify as a twin towers, but they have the size to counterbalance OKC's bigs.  Aaron Gordon has the bulk of a traditional PF yet the athleticism and shooting ability of a SF.  I can't think of anyone else in the NBA who fits that description besides Lebron and maybe Tobias Harris.  Besides those two or three, I can't even think of anyone else who's big like PFs from the 1990s, period.  It definitely ain't these tall, lean "unicorn" types.  When I hear the word "unicorn", I think of My Little Pony and shit like that.

By this point, I'm convinced that the mainstream media has something against Russell Westbrook, since they refuse to show him ample love, i.e. give him credit, consistently as due.  Every once in awhile they'll mention him, maybe.  He's getting like the DeMarcus Cousins treatment.  So with this being NBA Inception, the next step is to theorize on what it is they may have against him, though that's a post for another day.

The thing that's really fuckin OKC up is that all of the Nuggets' starters - surprise surprise - are both healthy and effective.  I, at least, didn't see that coming, especially not this deep into the Playoffs.  Let's hope it remains that way, so it won't be one of those series like 'the only reason this team won is because an integral player on the other squad was injured'.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1) vs MIINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (2)

Speaking of which, the T-wolves are the luckiest team in Playoffs thus far, as even without Steph, they had to go almost down to the wire to beat GSW in Game 3.  So if Curry were around, you already know.

Minnesota came out arguably better from that KAT deal, but, I mean idk with this squad. They've had issues maximizing rosters for like the past decade, now even post-KAT.  Well, I guess I can't really say that until they maybe beat the Warriors and then face whoever it is they'll be facing in the WCF.  But beating the overrated Lakers and then maybe GSW with an injured or hobbled Steph, like those shouldn't be counted as major accomplishments for a squad of this caliber.

I'm starting to respect the coaching stylings of Steve Kerr.  He's been doggedly loyal to the team's (star) vets, even as they've aged, yet at the same time makes bold, unexpected roster moves.  But by this point, if Steph must come back next season, then they really need to start exercising the option of him coming off the bench for a number of reasons.  None of us (outside of Minnesota) want to see him hurt at this point in the season.

INDIANA PACERS (2) vs CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (1)

I guess the implicit lesson of Game 3 is Darius Garland being more important to the Cavs' success than a lot of us assume.  Cleveland is stacked, but apparently they need all of their stars to win against a quality team or whatever.  That may come back to haunt them if they go on to face the Celtics.

The way Haliburton fizzled out of Game 3 reminds me of Myles Turner unexpectedly doing the same against Boston during one of those pivotal games during last season's Playoffs.  I don't know what to make of these types of occurrences, especially for someone who's a perennial allstar, like Tyrese is supposed to be.  Maybe the Cavs' defense is really that good?  Anthony Edwards sometimes does the same thing, i.e. disappearing during big games.  So I guess shit happens or whatever.  But now you see why dudes be calling Haliburton overrated.

Speaking of Edwards, earlier I forgot to mention the way he banged on Looney in Game 3.  Golden State's interior D is atrocious - as it's more or less been for the past few years - so there were a number of times it looked like "Ant-Man" could've banged it if he really wanted to.  Btw, "Ant-Man" is the most nonimaginative, unapplicable nickname in the NBA.  But that said, the 2025 Playoffs have featured some of the illest dunks ever.  Remember what Gordon did to Holmgren in Game 1, what Nesmith did to Spida in Game 2?  And there's at least one or two other ones from this postseason I'm forgetting at the moment.

2024-25 NBA Offseason Grades (Atlantic Division)

As I always say when it comes to these ranking/prediction posts - basketball guru I may be - take from them what you will.  There are too many variables - health, roster retention, roster compatibility, rigging, etc. - for someone like me to know who's going to end up where by the end of the day.  Also, there's so many dudes coming in and out of the NBA that after following the league for some decades, your brain sorta starts to blur.

So the assertions I make are based on how things appear on the surface, albeit using a critical eye, taking into consideration all information at hand and not just going along with what the public or media may say.  Also, I don't play favorites.  If there's a particular team I want to win, then I'll just say so.  But I'm not going to predict they're going to win just because I want them to.

That said, here are my preseason grades, based on notable transactions that may or may not have been made thus far.  And I'm going to do this division by division so that hopefully, I can eventually get to all 30 teams:

BOSTON CELTICS: B

The Celtics didn't make any additions and by the looks of things didn't particularly need to.  But the one thing that concerns me, in terms of why I didn't give them a higher grade, is because they're once again banking on the health of Kristaps Porzingis.  Well, kinda sorta.

The same thing can be said when they acquired him last season.  But by the end of the day, all things considered, it was like they didn't even need him.

I'm not dissing Kristaps.  His exceptional skillset and effortless adaptation to Boston's style of play helped the team dominate the regular season and secure home court advantage, which I guess did matter.  But there no reason to believe that he'll be able to ever like make a full playoff run.

The good news is that, it doesn't appear any team in the East  upgraded to the point of being able to dethrone the Celtics, except maybe Philly or maybe the Knicks, if they're lucky enough to be healthier come playoff time.  And that's kinda my thing.  Players like Tatum, Brown, Holiday and even White are incredibly sturdy.  But it ain't like the Celtics got any younger.  So they must really feel confident in this unit to run it back.  And well, that disposition did payoff last season.  But still, it ain't like they should be applauded for having achieved anything this offseason, unless you consider paying Tatum a gazillion dollars as an accomplishment.

BROOKLYN NETS: F

The Brooklyn Nets are like the team time has forgot.  They have like the most famous arena in the NBA, albeit coupled with what is perhaps the least-exciting roster this coming season.

I didn't give them an F because they had a bad offseason per se.  For instance, it's cool that the underappreciated Nic Claxton finally scored a payday.  Also, I'm glad that Mikal Bridges was able to get himself out of there.  But that F is more along the lines of like who even really gives a F*ck about the Nets anymore?

Again, this is an organization with a world-famous arena, representing what's arguably the most famous city (or borough) in hip-hop.  They're also supposed to have this like multi-billionaire majority owner, and that's the best they can do?  And the icing on the cake is still having Ben f*ckin' Simmons on the roster.  Oh well.  You never really know until the whistle actually blows.

NEW YORK KNICKS: B+

The reason I give the Knicks a B+ isn't because they signed Mikal Bridges, but rather because they weren't stupid enough to throw a bunch of money at Isaiah Hartenstein, who's overrated.  I'm not trying to diss dude, as I think OKC is in a position to capitalize on his attributes a lot more than NYK.  Personally, I believe that the departure of Bogdanovic was a bigger loss, because the Knicks were absolutely destroying opponents from deep.

Even with Bridges, they're basically in the same position they were last season, keeping their fingers crossed that dudes remain healthy which, all things considered, may not be particularly likely.  At least Mikal, as far as I know, doesn't have any type of troubling injury history.

But the two players you have to particularly keep your eyes on are Anunoby and especially Randle.  Like you already know that Mitchell Robinson is going to unavailable at one key time or another.  So now with Hartenstein gone, it becomes more imperative that Julius can make the playoffs.  But that said, whatever happened to Jericho Sims?

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: C

I'm not impressed by the acquisition of Paul George for two reasons.  One is that, there really isn't any reason to believe that both he and Embiid will be healthy enough to play throughout an entire playoff run.  And second, throughout the last decade the Sixers have been able to perennially maintain more impressive rosters than any other team in the NBA.  There were a couple of seasons in the recent past where I would even argue that they had the best roster, in terms of depth + talent.  That was true pre-Jimmy Butler, post-Jimmy Butler and even post-Simmons.

But none of those iterations ever resulted in championship success, and there's really isn't much reason to believe it will now.  In fact their current roster may even be too talented, esp on the wings.

But the biggest issue currently facing this squad is its unwillingness to move on from Embiid, you know, while dude is still tradeable type sh*t.  He may arguable be the best C in the league when healthy, but a lot of times he isn't.  By this point, I think it's safe to say that he'll never be 100% again, at least not over a lengthy timespan, like an entire playoff series.  Also even when healthy enough to play and contribute (for three quarters), he sometimes acts like a brat.

I predict that by the middle of this season, other people may finally start to that it's time for Philly to move on from Joel and enter the Maxey era, so to speak.  They really need to focus on making sure that Drummond gets ample playing time and familiarity with his new teammates, like just in case.  Forcing Joel to run himself into the ground, even if he is a max player, is not the ideal strategy.     

TORONTO RAPTORS: C

I recently came across an article, I believe on Yahoo!, which criticized the Raptors for behaving like they don't know what TF they're doing.  I more or less agree, but at least their roster is such that if they make one key addition (whoever that may be), the squad could be like really formidable.

My main criticism I guess is it appearing that Toronto is building around Scottie Barnes.  Barnes is an exceptional player though one who has always been, at least imo, overrated.  But now he's been handed the keys to the car, so we'll see if he really is an NBA superstar.  That said, he doesn't strike me as being better than Siakim or even really Anunoby for that matter.

And I guess that's why Toronto deserves the type of criticism as highlighted above.  They seem to have this tendency to give up more than they gain or even when pulling off sound trades (like Anunoby for Quickley and Barrett) still appearing as if they haven't made any progress.

CONCLUSION

It looks like the Celtics will once again prevail, as they only have one injury-prone star as opposed to their main competitors (the Knicks and Philly) having at least two.

Trade Talk: Mikal Bridges (to Knicks) vs. 5 First-Round Draft Picks (to Nets)

I agree with those pundits who argue that to Knicks going all-in to win a championship is the right thing to do.  All things considered, if you have roster of contenders on your hand, time is not to be taken for granted anymore.  There isn't anymore of that taking five to six years to build a core into champions, unless maybe they're young, like the Thunder (who I will get to later).  The potential for injury and player salaries no longer allow such luxuries, and injuries in the NBA are real, pretty much across the board.  For instance, the Celtics just managed to win a championship even though their starting C was hurt throughout most of the playoffs and like during half of the Finals.

So I don't particularly agree with the Knicks acquiring Bridges to fill the void, because once again, their roster is health dependent.  Yes, if Mikal was with NYK last offseason and actually playable, they prolly would have beaten the Pacers, even with Anunoby, Robinson, Bogdanovic, Randle, etc. on the injury list.  But that's in part illustrative of just how suspect Indiana is.

It appears that the Pacers are pretty much going to be bringing back their entire roster, i.e. the one that just made the conference finals.  But I have yet to come across a pundit mentioning them as potential contenders in 2024-25.

That said, the way the Knicks roster currently looks, they'll really be banking on Julius Randle staying well or at least healthy enough to make it through a postseason.  I would say Randle and Mitchell Robinson, but we can already take for granted that the latter will have injury issues.  In other words, NYK has assembled this roster full of quality guards and wings which, by default, now makes their bigs more valuable.  That is to say that if a G or F goes down, there's others to replace him.  But such is not so much the case with their Cs.

And I know what you may be saying - 'hey, the Celtics just won a championship with guards and forwards and their premiere big injured'.  That's something that we will touch on later.

I guess that's part of the reason why people were considering Isaiah Hartenstein to be such an important cog in NYK's wheel, but I didn't.  He had one sorta good postseason and was instantly overrated.  In fact, based on what I observed, he became worn down and even proved to be a liability as the series against the Pacers wore on.  Like it isn't that extraordinary for the tallest dude on the court to average 9 points and 8 rebounds.  That's another thing about last season's Eastern Conference Finals, that even if only Mitchell Robinson were around to backup Hartenstein, that could've made a major difference for the Knicks.

That said, I think Isaiah, whether playing behind Chet Holmgren or starting alongside him, is an excellent addition for the Thunder.  There, the expectations on him won't be unrealistic.  I personally envisioned someone like Clint Capela going to Oklahoma City instead.  But it appears that the Hawks, whatever the hell they're doing at the moment, plan to keep him instead.

CONCLUSION

My biggest complaint against the acquisition of Bridges though is that, instead of being more creative, the Knicks are trying to beat the Celtics at their own game.  It's going to be difficult, it not impossible for another squad to assemble a better group of all-around guards and wings than Boston currently has.  The way NYK is strategizing reminds me of all those teams who, in vain, tried to fashion themselves after the Dubs.  But again, if Randle stays healthy (and Porzingis doesn't), the Knicks may well make it out of the East.  But then again, perhaps the same thing could have been said about last season.  Oh well.

As for the Nets, they're sorta like the team that time forgot.  Remember that, around the time they first moved to Brooklyn, they went into win-now mode and gave up their future (i.e. draft picks) for veteran players, kinda like the Knicks just did for Mikal.  So now, there isn't even like a single star on the Nets' roster, unless you're still looking to Ben Simmons to represent.  Also, it's hard to imagine that any veteran who actually wants to win would go to Brooklyn, even if they do have like the best arena.

I guess the person I feel sorry for the most in all of this is Nic Claxton.  Like I would really like to see him on a quality team with committed stars, even if it's one like the Magic who, oddly enough, prioritized a wing player in free agency over acquiring a more-needed post-playing big.

Shoutout to the Celtics

I'll be honest and admit that last offseason, when the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, I wasn't overly thrilled about either of those moves.  Boston's style of play is more or less position-less, so I thought that a traditional PG along the lines of Holiday would get lost in the sauce.  As for Porzingis, I always knew that he was one of the better players in the league.  But he's also regularly injured, besides being reluctant to capitalize on his size by playing more in the middle.

But now, I see that Boston's braintrust knew what they were doing.  That's not to say that the Celtics are the best team in the NBA.  But they have lucked out in terms of being in the East and then facing a squad  like the Mavericks in the Finals.

BEST TEAM IN THE NBA?

The NBA - and perhaps most professional sports' leagues - isn't so much that there's a hands-down best team.  It's more like a matter of matchups.  In fact, even most NBA dynasties weren't always the best teams per se, at least not in every season that they've won a championship.

For instance, it did seem that the NBA powers-that-be helped the Jordan Bulls here and there, and did so even more blatantly with the Shaq + Kobe Lakers.  The only dynasty I've seen that was hands-down better than every other team was the Dubs in their prime, especially with KD.

In other words, the Celtics should consider themselves fortunate that they didn't facing the Timberwolves or Nuggets in the Finals, i.e. a squad with enough size to potentially counteract their speed and athleticism.  Dallas has done a good job of respecting height more than they have in recent years, but they're still an undersized team by conventional standards.  And as far as undersized teams go, it's obvious that none are better than the Celtics.

A NEW CHAMPIONSHIP STANDARD?

It seemed that, with the Lakers (2020), Bucks (2021) and Nuggets (2023) winning championships in recent years, that the NBA has started trending back towards teams that dominate through size.  However, the Celtics just managed to win championship with their starting C, Porzingis, being more or less a non-factor throughout the playoffs.  Let me repeat that - the NBA champions' starting, allstar-ish center was more or less a non-factor throughout the playoffs.  Kristaps made his presence briefly felt against the Heat, and he also represented big-time in Game 1 of the Finals.  But it felt like, by the time all was said and done, Boston didn't really need him against the Mavs.

The Celtics are smallish and shoot well, similar to the Dubs.  But the difference is Boston placing a very high premium on defense.  They have at least three players - Holiday, Brown and White - who have established themselves as above-average defenders who usually play between the 1 and 3.  And it showed in a league where teams have now, sometimes against logic based on their rosters or the defensive weaknesses of their opponents, come to rely on three-pointers.

KYRIE IRVING SHOWS HIS IMMATURITY

If nothing else, those statements Kyrie made about the Celtics' organization being akin to a "cult" were mistimed.  If anything, he should've at least waited until the series was over to let that out.  Boston had already established themselves as being a better team than Dallas, regardless of what may go on behind the scenes.  And for all we know, those statements may have inspired them to play even harder in Game 5.

RACISM IN BOSTON?

I understand that Jayson Tatum is the face of the franchise, but it was blackass Jaylen Brown who won Finals MVP.  Yet, the Celtics took Brown out of the game (seconds before) they did Tatum, knowing that the latter would then be due the bigger round of applause.

I also just read on NBC Sports that after Boston's bigwigs got to hold the championship trophy, and "soon (it) was in Jayson Tatum's hands".  I don't know if maybe Jaylen, who again was Finals MVP, got to hold it first, like before Tatum.  But if nothing else, NBC made sure to point out that Tatum (and Horford) got to hold it.

Jayson Tatum is blantantly black but also very light-skinned.  Now the reason I'm bringing all of this up is because recently, I watched an interview with Benzino, a Boston native, who was talking about the time Paul Pierce got stabbed.  Throughout that interview, he kept mentioning how racist the city of Boston is.  And as an example, he was talking about how the city has incarcerated the black guys who stabbed Pierce, way back in the year 2000, to this day.  But contrastingly, they love blackass Paul.  And his argument was that, if you're a black athlete playing for the city, they love you.  But if you're just like an average black dude, then, you know what I'm saying?

So yeah, I think there is some colorism involved here on the part of the Celtics, if not the NBA at large.  Brown was actually drafted (a year before) Tatum, and he also played better than Jayson throughout 2023-24.  And you know, I'm not trying to start no beef or anything but just a reminder that, you know what I'm saying?

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

In Round 1, the Celtics faced a Heat team without Jimmy Butler, arguably their best player, as well as Terry Rozier, who I'm sure wanted the opportunity to face his old team.  Meanwhile, Bam Adebayo neglected to exploit the middle, i.e. Boston's weak spot defensively.

In Round 2, they faced the Cavs without Jarrett Allen, who plays exclusively in the middle, which again is Boston's weak spot.  Also during the last couple of games, Cleveland's best player,  Donovan Mitchell, was hurt.

In the Conference Finals, there was at least one game when the Pacers' allstar-ish center, Myles Turner, appeared as if he decided to be a non-factor.  He also seemed to reject the idea of attacking the middle.  And before the series was over Indiana's franchise player, Tyrese Haliburton, was too injured too play the final two games.

Then, Boston lucked out once again by not having to face one of the bigger teams from the West, such as Minnesota.  All of that considered, I don't know if this classifies as an asterisk championship.

As I've said a million times on this blog, NBA players of today are weaker than their forefathers.  So I don't think you can't fault the Celtics if their opponents are falling left and right.  After all, it's not like they didn't have their own major injury to contend with.

WAS GAME 4 OF THE FINALS RIGGED?

The Playoffs, and let's say the final eight teams especially, are supposed to represent the cream of the crop of the NBA.  Yet, every other day there were teams losing by like 20+ points in the postseason.  That standard is even more eye-popping when it occurs during the Finals, like when the Mavs beat the Celtics by 38 points.  You would think with with that type of dominant performance, Dallas would've at least won more than one game in the series.

I believe either one of two things happened.  Either the NBA told Boston to throw that game, to prolong the series a bit and perhaps save face, since Dallas sorta looked like they didn't even belong out there with the Celtics.  And/or, the Celtics themselves decided to lose so that they could rather win the championship in their hometown.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? (DALLAS MAVERICKS)

Off the top of my head, I want to say 'hey Dallas, y'all need a dominant big'.  But it ain't like there's a bunch of those floating around these days.  Also, it ain't like the ones they already had are really that bad.

Daniel Gafford has always been an overachiever, though more of an complementary player.  Derrick Lively at times looked out he was more or less taking up space during the Finals, but he is a rookie.  And as for PJ Washington, to me he's a prime example of the downside of a big developing a viable outside shot.  When that happens, they tend to forget how to play in the middle, which again is where Boston is weakest at defensively, you know, if you actually post them up.  That said, the Mavs' big performed damn well in the West.

The same goes for Kyrie.  He was absolutely dazzling against the West but, upon facing a team more familiar with his style and designed to defend guards, he sorta fizzled.  You could tell he was expending a lot more energy scoring on the Celtics than he was against, say, the Timberwolves.

Luka faced a lot of criticism, but I don't really think it's his fault.  He's the main reason Dallas got this far to begin with.  Also, they should've expected, given his history, that he would weaken sooner or later, especially against a team like Boston.  The contingency plan, when Doncic isn't effective, is supposed to be Irving.  But they were exposed playing against a team that's built to defend guards and wings.

Boston also did a damn good job taking away the alleyoop game that the Mavs have come to depend on (and were embarrassing teams in the West with).  It's been a long time since we've seen an NBA team, you know, actually like win a championship with defense.

It's difficult to predict how to fix the Mavericks.  Kyrie is getting older, with his age showing in the Finals.  Also, whereas Luka may become more skilled, he isn't likely to get any stronger or more athletic.  But the good thing is that, at least now they're Western Conference Champions, i.e. a more-attractive squad for a star player to join.  Also, Dallas has a lot of trade chips, if they decide to go there.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 1, Conference Finals Ruminations

CELTICS 1, PACERS 0

This is yet another series which Indiana, despite not having homecourt advantage, should be able to win as the result of facing an injured opponent.  They're saying that Porzingis may be back by Game 4, if the series goes that long (which it looks like will).  But then, you know what I'm saying?  You see how pitifully your boy Anunoby looked prematurely forcing his way, in vain, back onto the court.  Like we NBA fans really don't need anymore of that shit.

With Kristaps out, the Pacers have the clear advantage of size.  Myles Turner, based on his performance this postseason, may finally garner enough recognition to be an all-star next year.  He should be feasting in the post with Porzingis out.  But instead Siakim, who's pretty long himself, seemed to take advantage of the Celtics more inside.  If both of those dudes attack the middle, I really don't see how Boston has much of a chance, unless their threes are really dropping like that.

And that's no disrespect to Al Horford.  I've always had a lot of respect for him, being one of the pioneers of the "stretch 4" position.  I still remember when Horford was on that Atlanta squad that sent four players to the All-Star Game.  But you can't look at a dude who's almost 40, see that he's averaging 9pts and 7rpg and assume he can be relied on defensively.  It's moments like these that the Celtics could use Robert Williams III, perhaps even more than Jrue Holiday, who he was traded for.

Also, it's like where TF is Xavier Tillman?  Now they're saying, unfortunately, he had a death in the family and may be back for Game 2 or maybe not.  But it ain't like Boston was really using him anyway.

That said, I can't close without giving a shoutout to Jaylen Brown for that three he made at the end of regulation.  Imo, he single-handedly saved Boston's season with that shot.  The Pacers should feel good about themselves after their Game 1 performance.  But if they had actually won, then it's like they'd be super confident, and the mood in Boston would probably be a lot different.

MAVERICKS 1, TIMBERWOLVES 0

I was surprised that Dallas won this game.  Earlier on, it appeared as if Minnesota had the athletic advantage.  But as it wore on, the Mavs rather prevailed.

When they first acquired Irving, I criticized that move in large part because I felt Dallas needed help (at that time) in the frontcourt more.  But as time progressed, I also recognized the potential genius in pairing him with Luka in that if one is hurt, the other could take his place.  Or if they're both healthy, as luckily they are now, then you know, Kyrie may be cold, or Luka may be cold, but they're not going to be cold at the same time.  That's nearly impossible, given their talent.

And speaking of Luka's talent, imo he's the best scorer in the NBA.  So it doesn't look like this dude Jaden McDaniels is going to cut it trying to defend him.  And that's a big problem, because I'm presuming he's the go-to perimeter defender for the Wolves.

But it's not like I'm writing them off.  During Game 1, there was this announcer who said something like 'Anthony Edwards needs to be more aggressive on offense'.  That's actually something I was thinking since they almost blew Round 2 to Denver.

Edwards has the Jordan potential, but he doesn't have the Mamba Mentality.  MJ was drafted onto a team which, after a couple of seasons, gave him the keys to car.  He wasn't playing alongside any other discernible stars, unless you consider Orlando Woolridge to be one.

Meanwhile Kobe, during his first few years, even if you surrounded him with two or three all-stars, he was still going to chuck regardless.  Neither is the case with Anthony Edwards.  He plays with a couple of perennial all-star level players, one of whom has been loyal to the Timberwolves for his entire career.  Also, Anthony does not appear to be consumed by a desire to obliterate the enemy.  Sometimes, it looks like he may even have health issues which start to nag somewhere around the late-third quarter.

But the Timberwolves need him to take it up a notch, like mentally.  Even if he's not injured, this isn't likely to happen anytime soon because again, there's no clear leader of this team.

KAT is the past, Edwards is the future, but both of them are the present.  So it's like Minnesota needs to have that LBJ + Wade + Bosh moment where dudes are like 'okay Anthony, you're the alpha', because the double-alpha thing may not work, and KAT already had enough leadership opportunities in the past.

And speaking of KAT, I'll admit that a few years back, when he decided he'd rather play on the perimeter than the post, I was very, very, very much against that decision, as well as Minnesota allowing him to do so.  But now, they have Gobert to cover the middle, and KAT may well be the best three-point shooting bigman in the NBA.  And in Game 1, at least the Mavs weren't able to put on an alleyoop exhibition like they did in the first two rounds.

NBA Reflections (2023 November 6)

I haven't been following the NBA super-hard for these first couple of weeks, sorta besides the Warriors and the Spurs.  So there are still a number of teams I haven't seen play yet.  But I do have a few observations I wanted to share, albeit nothing, as for now, that probably hasn't been stated in one way or another before:

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

As long as they're around as a tangent, Steve Kerr is going to start the Splash Bros. + Draymond, a decision which, all things considered, I've come to respect.

Green may not be as agile as days past, but he still has a defensive presence.  Meanwhile, Steph has never been a stopper.  And whereas I do sorta remember a time when Klay was applauded for his defense, that time definitely isn't now, the way Donovan Mitchell recently ran roughshod over him.  In other words, the Splash Bros. can be considered akin to defensive liabilities.  But in most cases, they're able to counteract that reality with their historically-unparalleled offensive output.

That said, if those three are going to start no matter what, then Kerr should perhaps be considering adjustments elsewhere, lest the Dubs have serious problems with younger teams that actually have their shit together (i.e. the Thunder).  I'm a strong advocate of experimenting with starting Jonathan Kuminga over Andrew Wiggins.

Neither, to my knowledge, are known for their defense.  But I can envision Wiggins making more of an impact coming off the bench than as a starter at this point.  And maybe having the lanky Kuminga start over him will make their starting five more intimidating defensively, kinda like how Victor Wembanyama is able to intimidate offensive players solely with his length.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Speaking of Wembanyama, anyone who's been reading this blog knows that I'm a strong advocate of the traditional strategy of the biggest guy on the team playing in the post.  But one of the issues in that regard with Victor is that even though he's hella tall, he really isn't that big.  Also, his current skillset is more akin to a 2 than a 4 or 5.

I don't know if Tim Duncan is still lingering around, but what Wembanyama really needs is someone of a similar stature to himself, like Duncan or Olajuwon, to teach him post moves.  If he learns how to play with his back against the basket, it's hard to imagine any defender in the NBA getting up high enough to block his shot attempts.

That said, the Spurs almost recently beat the Raptors, which would have been an impressive win, even if in San Antonio.  But ultimately, their lack of depth showed.

BOSTON CELTICS

I have to give it to the Celtics that they've started off a lot better than I thought they would be.  From what I've seen, Jrue Holiday is not playing a traditional PG role.  But he's so good of an all-around player that he's had the desired effect nonetheless.  And I have to tip my hat because the way I've seen him exploiting defenders all around the court has caught me by surprise.  Like he may actually be Boston's best post player.

I also have to give it up to Kristaps Porzingis.  There are certain teams in the NBA (Jazz, Mavericks and esp. the Celtics) who I believe are more conducive to the development of White players than others.  And it may just be all in my head, but Kristaps now looks happier than I've ever seen him in his entire NBA career.

He's no longer burdened by high expectations - as he was in New York and, to a lesser extent, in Dallas - because there are at least two or three other guys in Boston who are generally considered to be better than he is..  Also, for the first time ever, he's on a contender.  So here's to hoping that his health keeps up, and maybe I'll no longer look like a fool for once predicting that he may one day be better than Lebron.

NEW YORK KNICKS

The success of last season was sort of a fluke - for lack of a better way of putting it - for the Knicks.  With that in mind, you have to wonder why they traded Obi Toppin (for a couple of second round picks?!).  He wasn't putting up major numbers but was visibly a key cog in the team's unexpected success.  Oh, the fukin Knicks.

Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson is still averaging 24ppg but obviously isn't a number-one option.  Even back when he was overachieving in Dallas, still everyone knew that the true alphadog was Luka, even if he was injured.  So it wasn't necessarily like the onus was on Brunson, sorta like it is now.

Julius Randle, when in his stride, is the most-impactful player on this team.  But it's now becoming increasingly evident that he too isn't an alpha per se, at least not on a night-in, night-out basis.

So what the Knicks need now is an exceptional strategy.  This team is still relatively, even if not intimidatingly, deep.  And Thibs running dudes into the ground or whatever isn't going to solve the problem.

Philly Still the Best Team in the East

The NBA season is going to officially start in three weeks, meaning that between now and then I have to write my 2023-24 predictions.  And I can already tell that this time around, it's going to difficult for a number of reasons.

As it currently stands, I'm sorta leaning towards predicting the Warriors as the 2024 champions.  That's not to say that I actually believe they're the best team in the NBA, and I'm not convinced that Chris Paul will prove as valuable to the Dubs as Jordan Poole did.  But what they do have is Steph Curry and a longer continuity than any other contender.

This past week, there's been a couple of monumental acquisitions in the East.  The Bucks got Dame, and the Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday.  Both of those moves sound really exciting on paper, but the caveat is that neither were acquired as free agents.  Instead, there were players who also had to leave both of those teams to make those acquisitions possible.  So that's why, as exciting as it is to finally have Giannis + Lillard, I'm not getting all gassed up and shit.  The Bucks may now have the best two-man combination in the East, if not the entire NBA, but Philly is deeper, even if the Beard were to bounce.

THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Dame is one of only two players, besides LBJ, Steph and sometimes Doncic, who I would say is a viable offense in and of himself.  In other words, you can rationalize constructing a roster around Lillard consisting of like only role and utility players, though with one drawback, that being his inconsistent health.  A couple of those years Dame played with McCollum and Nurkic, the way I see that iteration of the Blazers didn't make the Finals not because they weren't good enough per se but rather they just happened to coexist in the Warriors Dynasty.

Since that combination didn't work out, i.e. Dame alongside another high-scoring G, then what I wanted to see was him rather team up with one who's like all-defense.  I thought it was going to happen when Payton II went to Portland, but it didn't work out that way.  Now that the potential once again existed, for whatever reason the Bucks decided to ship Holiday out, as opposed to, say, Middleton.  Who knows why they did so.  Maybe the owners like Khris better or something like that, or maybe they have their own vision of what Dame + Giannis is supposed to look like.  It's an exciting trade nonetheless, but one that makes you wonder what type of starting five they're going to roll out.

I'm presuming it's going to be something like Dame + Khris + Giannis + Porter + Lopez.  With that backcourt chucking up shots, and the frontcourt focused on rebounding/defense, they could make a case for best starting five in the league.  But then, who's coming off the bench?

Arguably, the best bench player the Bucks currently have, if they use that lineup, would be Jae Crowder, who more ideally would be a starter himself.  I thought Jevon Carter was still around, a G who, in theory, may fit well alongside Dame, but he's now with the Bulls.  They also have Malik Beasley, who isn't a scrub, but.  I guess it would probably make sense, all things considered, the start Crowder and let Porter come off the bench.  Either way, this is an interesting squad up to about the 7th man.  But considering all of the above, I'm not in the rush to jump on the bandwagon and proclaim them the best in the East.

THE BOSTON CELTICS

My heart almost stopped for a second when I learned that the Celtics traded Robert Williams III, furthermore to the Blazers, a team that may now even really need him like that.  I can imagine how some Boston fans may feel.  The other day I was reading an article on NBC which claimed that Holiday + White + Brown + Tatum + Porzingis + Horford is the best six-man combination in the league.  And yes, the Celts really did need a G like Jrue, i.e. a non-chuck who is a +defender and clearly above-average offensive player.  But his effectiveness is likely to minimized by playing alongside Tatum, who's a chuck, as well as Brown, who's developed a chuckin habit also.  And even though Porzingis + Horford is nothing to sneeze at, who are they going to use in games where they're being tortured (inside) by an opposing big?

THE PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

Even if Harden were to be traded, the Sixers arguable have the deepest roster in the East, and like it's not even really that close.  So if he rather sticks around, then they definitely have the deepest roster, even if other teams' starting five may be more formidable.

The simple-minded think that starters win championships.  That's not exactly true, especially in today's age of the tender, load management, mental health, diva NBA player.

By the looks of things, the entire 2023-24 Sixers roster, from 1-12, will have some type of above-average name recognition.  In other words, if you were to look at the rosters of most NBA team, once you get to like the 7th of 8th man, you're not likely to know who dudes are unless you really watch a lot of NBA games.  But Philly has an entire roster of guys that you know can play, i.e. have at least have heard of before.  They have more rotation-level bigs (Embiid + Bamba + Dedmon + Montrezl) than they are likely to have playing time for, and idk if any other team in the association can currently make that claim.  Besides that Tyrese Maxey may be the most-underrated player in the NBA, and Oubre Jr. can play a Harden-like role, i.e. chuck, if the situation demands, so on and so forth.  They obviously have a level of flexibility that neither Boston or Milwaukee can boast of.

For almost like an entire decade now, Philly has had one of the best braintrusts when it comes to roster construction.  Yet this offseason, they still managed to outdo themselves.  But you know, with Lillard and others bouncing around and with the Beard demanding a trade, and all the other headlines it's like no one is recognizing the Sixers' genius.  So now, the onus is really on Nick Nurse to figure out how to beat teams like the Celtics, Bucks or Nuggets who may have a more talented starting lineup.  At least, unlike other coaches, he actually has the pieces to do so.

CONCLUSION

That brings me to my conclusive point, which is my belief that the reason the Sixers have yet to make to the Finals, esp a couple of those seasons when they really should have, is because of image issues.  Look, you already the deepest roster in the East and arguable the best team in the NBA.  So now, the challenge becomes image rehabilitation.  No Joel getting into petty squabbles, talking shit to the media or, you know, coming on the court like a wrestler or some dumb shit.  No more trade demands from the Beard.  And yes, fuck it, he may also consider getting a shave also.  After all, promotion in the world of business, if that's your goal, isn't always only about talent.  If that was solely the case, then I'm sure Philly would've already made it to the Finals a couple of times in the past 5-6 years.

2023 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 29th)

LET'S GO, CELTICS?

It's cool to see the Celtics come roaring back after I sorta predicted it, but it's hard for me to imagine either of them or the Heat beating the Nuggets.  Then again, stranger things have happened of late.

Boston v. Denver may be the more exciting, big name matchup, but the Celtics just don't look as formidable as in times past.  Maybe Ime Udoka, even if he's not someone you would want to leave around your wife, really did make a difference.

Miami v. Denver may be a better matchup, maybe.  It's so strange because if you asked me at the beginning of the playoffs, I could foresee the Nuggets making it all the way (esp after dealing with the Suns), but I would have never predicted a Heat vs. Celtics ECF.  But now, it's almost at a point where I'm convinced Miami, the 8th seed, may in fact be the better, or at least more versatile, team.

SHOUTOUT TO GABE VINCENT

Recently I felt bad for kinda dissing those unknown players on the Heat and ended up doing research on Gabe Vincent.  I learned that his pops is Nigerian, and he came from like a family of intellectuals, and, get this - despite apparently growing up in the States, he plays for the Nigerian national team.  Reading that bio instantly made him like one of my favorite players.

SCOTTIE DISSES JORDAN (AGAIN)

Scottie called MJ, aka the G.O.A.T., "a horrible player" because Jordan used to chuck, and the Bulls didn't start winning until Pip (and Horace Grant) showed up.  And I mean, that type of argument is a matter of perspective.

Ballhogs do cost games sometimes.  A few months back I was watching this old Nuggets playoffs game on YouTube, and AI shot his own team out of the possibility of winning, and the coach just sat back and watched him do it.  It can also be disheartening having a teammate that doesn't pass.  But the other side of the coin is that no one would likely give a rat's ass about the mid-1980s Bulls if they didn't draft Jordan.  And he also taught Scottie how to play, or at least how to play like a superstar.

Also, I mean I can't realistically put myself in Pippen's shoes watching The Last Dance, but His Airness did say, straight up, 'there would be no Michael Jordan without Scottie Pippen'.  So I mean, what else does he want?

WHO'S GOING TO BE DUMB ENOUGH TO GIVE KYRIE A MAX CONTRACT?

If Kyrie goes to a team like the Rockets or Magic, then I would say yes, give him the max.  But as for any squad that's actually like trying to win now, especially contenders, I don't know about that.  And the thing is that of course he's gonna wanna go to a contender.  I don't even support the idea of the Mavs offering Irving the max, but I know they're going to do so anyway.

Speaking of the Mavs, you see how they totally flunked this season, but Jason Kidd still got to keep his job?  Meanwhile, there's coaches out here there that have won deadass championships, fukedup once and got the boot.  And also remember that the Mavs received Irving with open arms when he was going through all of that drama.  And now, it's like he's entertaining other suitors or some shit.  That's the thing about some of the transient superstars, like their sense of loyalty or lack thereof.

2023 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 24th)

LET'S GO CELTICS!

Do I believe the Celtics can beat the Heat four times in a row?  Yes.  Do I actually think that will happen?  No, not really, since they're already pretty deep in a hole.  Also, Boston's interior defense - especially when Robert Williams is on the bench, which he seems to be a lot - absolutely, positively sucks.  And on that note, I'm hoping that this offseason teams around the NBA will once again realize that shotblocking, or at least the threat of being able to do so, really is a thing in basketball.

SHOUTOUT TO NIKOLA JOKIC

I knew this was going to happen.  The NBA was dickridin Nikola Jokic so hard the last couple of seasons, giving him MVPs he didn't really deserve (as compared to other players), that when it finally did get around to him actually deserving it they'd have to give to someone else, i.e. Joel Embiid, who got flunked out of the Playoffs.

I've had my eyes on Jokic for awhile, ever since back in the day when the Nuggets were debating whether to trade him or Jusuf Nurkic.  Obviously, their braintrust made the right decision.  And that's one thing I've been saying about Denver for the longest, that they have one of the better braintrusts, even if they haven't won a championship yet.  For instance, when was the last time the Nuggets were actually garbage?

And on that note, just like you can't mention Jordan without Pippen, you also can't mention Jokic without Murray.  Holding on to Jamal Murray is another bold move the Nuggets made, one that a year or two ago I definitely didn't support.  The Nuggets, upon staying healthy, are finally about to prove  that they're the best team in the NBA.

SHOULD LEBRON RETIRE?

Lebron may be acting emotional, but I believe that by this point he must be accustomed to the Lakers getting their asses bust.  Post-bubble, LAL has been one of worst and arguably most-disappointing team in the NBA.  So it ain't like them losing is really anything new, though it is a stark contrast from earlier in LBJ's career, when he was able to lead a team of nobodies to the Finals.

I've been advocating for Lebron to retire for the longest, but now, I don't really know.  Imo he's one of only four players - besides Dame, Mitchell and especially Curry - who can score 40 points on any team at will.  The problem with Lebron though is that at this age, he doesn't play defense for shit.  And the fact that no one in the mainstream media seems ever mentions that, that LBJ doesn't even make semi-consistent defensive effort these days, is like a coverup or something.

Another problem is that, as I've also been pointing out for at least 2-3 months now, he and AD don't play particularly well together.  This is in part because AD has his own issues in terms of being able to effectively play defense.  But here we have the Lakers giving arguably the two most important defensive positions in basketball, C and PF, to one player who's (relatively) old AF and another who has a number of injury issues.

The Lakers' braintrust is like the opposite of the Nuggets.  LAL relies more on luck than strategy or effective roster construction.  For instance why now, after all this time, they suddenly decided that LBJ shouldn't run the point?  Now that they finally have the type of players - like Hachimura, Beasley, Vanderbilt, Walker and even Austin "Sound White" Reaves - to surround PG King James with wings, why now do you insist to have Russell and Schroder bringing the ball up the court and having one of them on the floor at all times?  It became obvious after Game 1 that the small-guard strategy was not going to work against the Nuggets.

So in terms of Lebron retiring, I don't know.  But the Lakers have to do a better job of recognizing and accommodating his aged, though still offensively-great, skillset.

2023 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 22nd)

DAMN, THE CELTICS ARE GETTING THEIR ASSES BUST

From what I've been able to gather, there's been more blowout losses during this year's playoffs than close games.  That would imply that the NBA's parity thing isn't working, or something like that.

I'll give it to the Heat that they're obviously a tough out.  But it's still hard to believe that they truly went from barely making the playoffs to now being the most formidable team in the East.  Or if that is the case, and if it's also true that the Lakers got to the WCF by merit, then maybe I should take a step back and say to the contrary, parity is working, as now any seed can make it to the Finals.

One issue I see with the Celtics roster which I'm sure I mentioned last season also is lack of interior presence, besides for Robert Williams of course.  They need someone that can block shots when these fearless Miami scab players come driving into the lane.  Some of these teams that have been neglecting size for the past few years, like the Kings and I guess you can Warriors also, are now suffering due to their folly.

SHOUTOUT TO CARMELO ANTHONY

I still think it's kinda grimey that no team picked up Melo this season, but I guess they had their reasons.  Today he finally retired from the NBA - you know, might as well type shit - meaning that he may still head over the China and average over 20ppg.

I was recently doing research on Anthony and discovered that there was a time he was actually considered a better basketball player than Lebron.  And he appears to be a true phenom, i.e. someone who nobody even thought of as a potential NBA player until like his senior year in high school.

SHOUTOUT TO THE NUGGETS

This is what I always pictured the Nuggets to be if they were actually healthy - a championship squad.  If Miami proceeds to beat them also, then I'm calling it quits.

My only gripe with Denver is that at 6-feet 10-inches tall, Michael Porter Jr seems to spend all of his time lurking around the perimeter on offense.  But he is their third-leading scorer, so something is working right.  And to illustrate just how good the Nuggets are, they've only been running an eight-man rotation during these playoffs.  Meanwhile other teams who were forced or chose to do the same, like the Suns and Warriors, fumbled.

2023 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (4 May 2023)

If nothing else, one positive thing I can say about the 2023 NBA Playoffs is that it is very exciting.  In the past, even some of semifinal matches werre like boring.  But this time around, all of the current matchups are exciting and watchable.

That said, quite a few of my predictions have been wrong, and if I were a betting man I probably would have lost a lot of money by this point.  So I don't want to do too much predicting henceforth, because sh*t is just too unpredictable these days.

If this were, say, a decade or two ago, you can count on maybe one or two pivotal superstars being injured during the playoffs, maybe.  Nowadays, there's so much of that going on that it's becoming impossible to keep count.  For instance, when was the last time you heard of Zion Williamson?  But his absence alone greatly affected the playoff picture, because you have to believe that the Pelicans would have at least gotten to the second round if he was active, even if they did have to qualify through the play-ins.

Then there are these other guys - like Kawhi, Giannis, Randle, Butler, Embiid, etc. - who all season were supposed to be conserving their strength for this very moment, but on any given night can end up missing a game(s) for health reasons.  And of course, none of us can predict like when a player will get injured, no matter what.  But now, let's just say it's no mere coincidence that for example the four teams currently remaining in the West are also all healthy.

But again, I don't really want to harp on that kinda sh*t.  I just want to enjoy the moment for what it is.  Like watching James Harden go off a couple of nights ago was one the most-thrilling NBA experiences I've had in a long time.  And yeah, it sucks when like during every game of a series some star player may be injured.  But maybe both Butler and Randle will play in Game 3.

HEAT VS. KNICKS

I've been saying for a couple of years now that the Knicks have a complete roster, even before going out and getting Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, which has only made them better.  I really like Brunson's game because even though he chucks sometimes, he tends to do so while driving inside, which is a lot wiser than chuckin from the 3-point line.  He's the type of rare scoring PG who is able to score points yet still keep his teammates in the game, an art that even Luka himself has failed to master.

But you can't sleep on the Heat either, even if their current roster is relatively aged and mediocre.  It's sorta like, say, Mike Tyson coming out of retirement to fight.  You know that at this point he's too old to really be competing like that.  But at the same time, if given the opportunity, you also know that he's very much capable of knocking an opponent out.

LAKERS VS. WARRIORS

I believe that the NBA wants the Lakers to win this series for a number of reasons.  First, I do think that 'Curry fatigue' is a real thing.  This is kinda what I warned about awhile ago when half-jokingly suggesting that the NBA shouldn't allow Steph to shoot from certain distances.  After awhile, it's almost like him being able to consistently make those complicated three-pointers starts to feel unfair.  And my theory is that you have to be a really, really, really likeable superstar, like Michael Jordan, for the NBA to allow you to keep winning championships.

So, enter LBJ.  He may not be a Jordan per se, but he is the closest thing to His Airness in terms of overall popularity that the NBA currenlty has to offer.  And outside of breaking Kareem's record, it's been awhile since we saw Lebron win anything.  So when you look at how LAL basically won Game 1 due to being given more free throws, in Golden State and in a game where players were getting floored left and right, you know, maybe it wasn't hard riggin', but it can be taken as a potential sign.

SUNS VS. NUGGETS

I feel kinda bad for the Suns, because they're clearly outmatched.  Both Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray were off in Game 2, and the Nuggets still won.  Meanwhile, CP3 was kinda off for Phoenix, and they had to take the L.

This is why I feel the NBA should have given Paul the MVP award a couple of years ago, when he first came to Pheonix and completely turned the franchise around.  He has that type of PG game that ages well, but you know, there's only so much you can do against Father Time, when all of your opponents are younger than you are.  Also, I would imagine that he's not fully allowed to play his game with KD around, who also likes to play point, as well as Booker.  Chris Paul isn't a combo guard; he's a point guard.

But I would still argue, even if they do lose, that Phoenix has to best starting five in the NBA.  But it's like sometimes you need a consistent offensive strategy that you don't deviate from also.

CELTICS VS. SIXERS

The Celtics lost Danilo Gallineri before he was even able to put on a Boston jersey, but right now the rest of the pack looks pretty healthy, Robert Williams and all, which imo is their biggest strength, talent + health + youth.

I still believe Philly is the better squad tho, perhaps the best overall in the NBA.  But number one, they should have kept Matisse Thybulle specifically out of respect for the possibility that they would eventually face the Celtics, whose strength is in their backcourt.  (Like who did they trade him for anyway?)  Number two, a friend recently suggested to me that maybe Harden + Embiid isn't compatible.  I personally don't feel that way anymore but kinda understand where he's coming from, something I expressed way back when the Beard first went to Philly since, as far as centers go, Joel can be sorta of ballhog, and two chucks don't make a right.  But if any of these semifinal series goes down to the wire, it'd probably be this one.