2026 NBA Offseason Grade (Pacific Division)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: C

Some people say that the Warriors had the worst offseason of any fan favorite, but I don't wholly feel that way.  They're not lying when they say that if Butler is healthy, he would make a huge difference.  If he returns in form, that should instantly thrust the Warriors up to the same consideration of at least the Rockets.  This is the most 'what if they were healthy' team in the league.  Remember that Porzingis is an all-time injury great.

Their rookie, Yaxel Lendenborg, won the most notable summer league.  Those kinds of accomplishments don't really tend to make a difference in the long run, but better some good news than none.

The above grade does not take into consideration that the Dubs (if they're still called that) quote/unquote 'missed out on Lebron James'.  The "C" represents the fact that they're already a good team (on paper), who have decided to stand pat.  But they need miracles of sports science type shit.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: B

All things considered, the Clippers should dedicate at least one entire season to testing Kawhi as the undisputed alpha.  In a way, it's like he never truly had that position in his entire career.  The sad thing though, if they are forced down that route, is that the braintrust didn't use this offseason to specifically build a team around him.

One thing you have to respect about this franchise is that they never tank.  Even when it looked like Leonard was leaving, they were dedicated to competing in the present.  The roster may be mediocre and nonprogressive, but they aren't approaching the season like pushovers.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: B+

In terms of roster additions, the Lakers' offseason hasn't been inspiring at all.  I'd rather pair Jaxson Hayes with Luka than Walker Kessler.  But they did the best they could, I guess.

But if they had known, for an entire year and a half, that the plan was for Lebron, their best all-around player, to leave town, why weren't they better prepared?  'Oh, but we did prepare. We've been working on the Walker Kessler deal for the last 18 months'.  That sounds like an executive who wants to be replaced by AI.

But this is what I want you to also to keep in mind.  During the Trump era, the Lakers have now become the whitest team in the NBA, besides establishing a familial relationship with the White House.  You do the math.

They still need to work on star power though, which makes keeping Bronny around, despite whatever, more logical.  And if they get to flunking again, the 'Re-Trade Luka Movement' is going to start soon.

PHOENIX SUNS: C

Miles Bridges is a fine addition who should make this team more entertaining, but he doesn't solve their problem of too much iso.  Replacing Chris Paul with KD fuked Phoenix up in more ways than one because now, they don't even know how to play team basketball anymore.  But even if they did, with this roster it wouldn't make a whole world of difference.

Ideally, an organization would be one that players want to play for, even if you don't bribe (i.e. overpay) them.  That's what the Suns lack.  They have the best graphic designs in the league and something like a winning history but can never establish themselves like the big dogs, the types of franchises that old, valuable vets believe they can win a championship with.

SACRAMENTO KINGS: C-

The Kings are easily the most obscure franchise in the NBA.  They're so bad that even lineups that look almost perfect on paper end up falling to the bottom of the standings.

It's so bad that now the keys of the car are being handed to a #5 draft pick even though, you know, guys like Sabonis - arguably the best pure PF in the league - are still around.  And I'm like, don't put too much pressure on the kid.  In order to turn this sh*tshow around, he'd have to be an all-time great.  Lebron could come to this team, and they'd still suck.

CONCLUSION

There doesn't appear to be much noteworthy going on here.  The Pacific boasts an admirable level of celebrity.  But I mean, if the closest you appear to having a contender is the Lakers, that's not really anything to brag about.

Lebron and the (Forced) Waiting Game

I understand why Lebron is waiting things out, even more than usual.  Despite the fact that he's likely going to get paid around $10mil - i.e. more than most people earn in their entire lives - for a single season, he's 'no longer playing for the money'.

Even more than when he teamed up with D-Wade, now he wants an instant championship, as time is no longer on his side.  So instead of chopping some team's financial reserves and forcing them into a position where they can't properly flesh out the roster (i.e. what happened with the Lakers?), sit back, let the braintrusts prove their own worth and then, after the smoke has cleared, choose the team that best looks like it will win with your (aged) presence.

WHAT ABOUT THE KNICKS OR SPURS?

The media, including Rich Paul, makes it sound like the ball is all in King James's court, but idk. And the reason I say that is because, if he wanted to win a championship now-now-now, the best bet would of course be going to one of the two teams that just made the Finals.

That's the beauty of Lebron's game, in theory.  (Offensively) he can play any position, 1 through 5, at a superstar, impactual level. But the reason I say in theory is because even though he can still, to this day, dominate the post, he seems reluctant to go down there on a regular basis.  So a lot of times, you have LBJ chucking up threes like he's a little guy, despite there being actual little guys on the team (who can't play in the post like he can).  Though, in Lebron's defense, he's definitely clutch.

The Knicks just lost Mitchell Robinson, so they actually have space for another big.  That's not to say LBJ can defend Wemby or anything like that.  But now, out of all NYK's notable bench players, none of them are frontcourt - no disrespect to Drummond, who can average 10rpg in his sleep, but you know what I mean.  And that's going to be an interesting alternate look anyway, i.e. the times KAT can't play, and NYK starts Andre instead(?).

The Spurs would make even better sense.  When they lost to NYK, even before Lebron made himself available, I was saying that what they needed is another low-post presence besides Wemby (and Kornet).

Champagnie is an amazing shooter but, for a 4, appears as if they can't really do shit in the post.  Players like Castle and Harper make more noise downlow than Julian does.

San Antonio went out and got Harris, which is a sound move, i.e. potentially starting him alongside Julian.  You know, the two of them together makes sense rather than having one or the other, as Tobias also, given his size, is a shooter who's more or less a nonfactor downlow.

Lebron would be perfect because he shoots just as good as Champagnie(?) or Harris but furthermore can dominate in the post, while Victor is out on the perimeter.  His presence would free Wemby up to truly play like a guard sometimes, without having to worry about the consequences of not being in a position to get a rebound (i.e. that last-second play against the Knicks in Game 4),

But the way I see the situation, it reminds me of a saying one of my mentors used to have - "familiarity breeds contempt".  From the outside looking in, we all love Lebron.  But the people who actually know him, i.e. his colleagues, maybe all of them don't feel the same.  In other words, I find it interesting that the Spurs especially never seemed to entertain the idea of bringing the King in.

DETROIT PISTONS

The one team I've been pushing for Lebron to join, even before the offseason began, has been the Pistons.  At this point in his career, he's exactly what Detroit needs - "a secondary scorer" as the media puts it, i.e. someone who can put up points at will, but playing defense is a bonus.  It sucks that they got rid of Isaiah Stewart, but the Pistons, with Ausar Thompson may still have the defensive weapons to mitigate elder Lebron's deficiencies.

That's also presuming that Duren actually comes back.  Of late, the media has been bemoaning the idea that restricted free agents are powerless in negotiations, but I don't know.  Any contract where you can get paid tens of millions of dollars whether you're able to take the court or not sounds like a definite win on the part of the employee.  That's like being a don't-give-AF CEO of a big corporation.

But this appears to be another case where both sides aren't particularly interested.  Lebron didn't put Detroit on his list of preferred destinations, nor have they expressed an interest in having him.

And that's the interesting thing about those teams he did list.  Going to the Sixers (now with Brown) or the Heat (now with Giannis) may result in an instant championship, but neither is really guaranteed.  Philly may have depth issues (in light of the less-than-ideal health of Embiid), and Miami lacks shooting.

The teams that could more visibly slot LBJ in and instantly win - the Spurs, Knicks and Pistons, interestingly aren't even on his list (and vice versa).  Dude is feening but apparently ain't feening like that.  And the reason I didn't mention the Cavs, to reiterate, is because even though having the King buttressing Allen + Mobley would be ideal, I'm still having a hard time envisioning him and the Beard(?) playing together.

TORONTO RAPTORS

Toronto is a team which, even though they lost in the First Round, it was apparent that Cleveland wasn't necessarily better squad, and the Raptors are only one player away from being contenders.  Ideally that player would be a big, someone who could potentially play the 5 instead of Barnes, now that the NBA is embracing tallness again.

Quality, traditional-like bigs, as I foresaw years ago, are now in high demand but short supply.  So the next best thing, if you want a 4 who can play elite defense (keeping Scottie at the 5), would be to bring in Kawhi.  We were almost there, and shoutout to Steve Ballmer, who's always one step ahead in the game. Like you see how he tried to get Leonard out of there quick.

And after Kawhi, the next best available option may be Lebron.  He may not be an elite defender anymore.  But the thing about the King, besides being a giant, is that he also has a presence.

There's not many players, including some superstars, you can say that about.  LBJ may fall asleep, like a grandpa on his rocking chair, sometimes.  But when he's really vested, he always makes an impact.  James just getting a steal or dunking these days makes the crowd go crazy, even if he's away.  And all of that said, imagine if the Raptors somehow managed to get him and Kawhi(?).  Yet another reason for the King to sit back and wait.

HONORABLE MENTION: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

I haven't really been pushing the idea of James going to Golden State, but I'm not hating either.  If that's where he really wants to go, to finally compete in the NBA besides Curry, then the implication would be that even when they lose, you know, he won't really be vexed, since that's something they both want to do (and both have already won numerous championships).  And the only reason I remembered the Dubs is because just yesterday, Steph made some comment about wanting Lebron to come over.

The King would really have to want to be there also because, even though their roster doesn't suck, like dudes are old AF.  And this isn't even about the league trending young or anything like that.  It's about, oh shit, Butler and Porzingis?  The way Golden State's roster is designed, if they lose Jimmy again, that would be more or less akin to the Sixers losing Embiid.

It's really sad when you think about, how with some players, you can't really enjoy watching them for fear injury.  Players like Draymond, Butler and even Porzingis would help mitigate Lebron's defensive deficiencies.  But besides Green, long-term injury is more or less inevitable.

So on nights when, say, neither Jimmy or Kristaps can play, or the latter is playing but a nonfactor due to his plethora of ailments, how would this team look?  Imagine Lebron + Steph + Draymond, sans Jimmy (not to mention they recently lost Looney and Post), against a team like OKC or SA?  Like I don't even wanna see no shit like that, and they better re-sign Payton Jr.

The best way for a superstar to age is like Kareem, surrounded by younger stars, on a team that can win without always demanding too much out of him.  Lebron has been an allstar forever and probably will be this coming season also.  But still, at this point you don't want to force the onus on him.

CONCLUSION

King James is one of the few players in the NBA who could literally help any team on the court, due to his variety of styles.  And what he now lacks in defense, he makes up for in offense and ticket sales.

But that doesn't mean every team actually wants him.  It ain't like dude is some humble G-Leaguer trying to make it big.  He's the best player ever.

So yeah, it's understandable, since he's dealing with a shortlist instead of picking one specific squad and since he's willing to play for relatively nothing, that Lebron waits to see what his preferred destinations can put together without him.  None, as it currently stands, are definitively champions.  And none, as it currently stands, would have all of their shortcomings solved simply by bringing in the King.

Lebron in the Mix

It’s pretty amazing that Lebron “Rushmore” James is still demanding this much attention as a free agent.

I’ve been advocating the idea of him going to the Pistons.  Yes, there are a lot of teams out there that could use LBJ.  When I made that suggestion for instance, that was before the Sixers acquired Brown.

Still, I can totally see Lebron helping Detroit win a championship, because more than anything last postseason they needed another superstar scorer.  More than on any other true ‘contender’ in this conversation, King James’s defensive deficiencies would have been mitigated in the Motor City, you know, before they lost Stewart

That’s why it’s kinda hard for me to envision him on the Nuggets or Timberwolves.  If this was prime, still-interested-in-playing-defense Lebron, him + Jokic would definitely win a championship.  And I guess with Watson around and moving James to the 3, it might work.  But then, what’s going to happen to Cam Johnson?  And you have to presume that Christian Braun isn’t particularly exuberant about sticking around.  You helped dudes win a championship, but now they’re more interested in signing a former rival.

With the T-Wolves, taking nothing away from Gobert + McDaniels, but the defensive burden, as a starting 4, would be too much.  Remember that the Spurs and Thunder are still out there.  You wouldn’t want, for instance, “the Highlander” being stuck in a situation where he has to defend Wemby during a history-defining possession.

LEBRON A SIXER?

That’s one of the reasons why, out of the teams he suggested, the Sixers may make the most sense, because he’ll not only be in the East but playing alongside Jaylen Brown.  It remains to be concluded, but Brown may be one of those Kawhi types who can elevate an entire team’s defense.  Lebron + Embiid being tasked with defending the box isn’t ideal and may not happen consistently anyway given Joel’s health.  But I think inspiration + talent can carry this squad through.  The Sixers haven’t won anything of late but still are one of the most respected franchises in the league.

It isn’t only about if James can still play at a high level.  It’s about, at his age and with his résumé, what would inspire him to play defense every time he’s on the court?

Son is in his 40s.  He can just forget shit for a couple seconds like ‘oh shit Lebron, dude just ran right by you’.  So you don’t want to put him on a team where he might get bored halfway through the season.

You wouldn’t want to put him on a squad, like the two aforementioned, where there’s a possibility that they could still be mediocre.  You know what I’m saying?  He’s going to take a below-average contract.  So you don’t want December rolling around and dude is like ‘man, I’m not getting paid anyway, so fuck it’.

SHOUTOUT TO DAVION MITCHELL

I also like the Heat, and this is something I would really like to point out in this post.  Notice when Lebron, via Rich Paul, was giving a shoutout to Miami’s roster, the first player he mentioned wasn’t Bam or Giannis but Davion Mitchell.  That, my friend, is inspiration.

Also, even more than the Pistons were last season, we have to now presume that Miami is a defensive juggernaut in the post.  Andrew Wiggins is another above-average defensive player I think.   The way dudes’ G core got gutted these past couple of seasons isn’t ideal.  But defensively, remember that Bam and Giannis can also play the perimeter.

A NAKED FACE

The reason I don’t think a reunion with the Cavs would work comes down to two words - the Beard.  There’s no reason to have both Lebron and Harden on the same squad, because both are (divas and) best on the ball.  It also kinda puzzles me sometimes how the Beard is still demanding near-max money, while Westbrook and CP3 can’t even get a contract.  I’m thinking maybe it’s because of his passing ability(?).

On paper, Lebron (and Bronny) back in Cleveland would work, but they would have to shave the Beard.  And I don’t even mean forcing him to play the 2 or come off the bench or anything like that.  I mean not even like having dude on the roster, because it’ll just be a distraction.

Lebron could help mitigate the fact that even though Cleveland has twin towers, they’re not necessarily a team that’s known for its ability to dominate the post offensively.  Allen is a defensive player, and Mobley plays more like a 3.  And you know, I’m tired of Evan bashing already.  Maybe that’s what he actually needs - unc.

It’s kinda strange how the Cavs have never just entrusted Spider with the point.  But that being said, having Lebron by his side makes more sense than Harden, even if they did make (and got embarrassed in) the Conference Finals.

OLD BUT SPRY

One of the reasons GM Lebron hasn’t been as successful in recent years is due to embracing these sorta nostalgic, dream team movements instead of thinking more logically.  He and D-Wade won Olympic gold in 2012, immediately became NBA teammates and proceeded to win a couple of championships (or something like that).  Well, they were both in their prime then.

Lebron and Carmelo have won a number of golds together, but by the time they teamed up stateside, both were in like twilight years type shit, besides having another relative agemate, Russell Westbrook, around.  That didn’t work at all.

Lebron recently won a highly-competitive gold medal alongside Curry.  Despite being surrounded by a bunch of younger players, it took Rushmore’s heroics - besides Steph’s magic - to emerge victorious.  So the first thing we as NBA fans were thinking is like ‘wow, what if they played on same the team?’  And yeah, I believe Lebron thinks like that also, like he doesn’t have common sense sometimes.  But the moment has passed.

The Warriors are the quintessential example of why you can’t embrace the geriatric movement in the modern NBA.  Or let me say that if they’re insisting on staying old, then they shoulda just kept Klay around (instead of doing him dirty).

Jimmy Butler isn’t the problem per se but more like the scapegoat.  Some of these dudes, when they get hurt like that, you sometimes kinda wonder like why don’t you just retire already?  You know, you’re a sportsman, and you have to think about how your ridiculously-large contract is going to affect the team if you can’t play.

Meanwhile, you’re a journeyman type shit.  You know what I’m saying?  Once it becomes like every time you’re watching a dude play you’re afraid he’s gonna get hurt, like Paul George or some shit, then maybe it’s just time to retire or at least take a pay cut.   Having Lebron in town isn’t such a bad idea if Butler were replaced by a younger star.  And as for Kristaps, don’t even get me started.

CONCLUSION

Nothing is written in stone, and Philly has taken some (non-Brown related) losses this offseason, losing Grimes and Oubre.  But out of every squad on Rich Paul’s list, they seem the most logical as they currently stand, if LBJ wants to win an instant championship.  They’re still not a perfect match though, and that shows how much James's expectations may be unrealistic, at least in a single season.  You don’t want to put him in a situation where your team’s fate is up to his defense - unless he’s really, really inspired - night after night.

Has Golden State Become the Dumbest Braintrust in the NBA?

There's a couple of reasons why it's hard to appreciate just how ass-backwards the Warriors' braintrust has become.  First is that Steph, when he's actually active here and there, remains a MVP-caliber player, at least offensively.  Also, if you compare GSW to the other older teams, like the Lakers or Nuggets for instance, it's like 'oh, these guys ain't that bad'.  It's only when you compare them to a team like the Thunder can you truly appreciate this braintrust's inability to transition into the current decade, even though it's already halfway over.

LITTLE RESPECT FOR YOUNG, DEVELOPING PLAYERS

It all started, of course, with the trading of Jordan Poole.  I'll admit that dude has his flaws, even back during his stint in Cali.  I'll also admit that he hasn't proven as good as I thought he would since leaving.

But trading away Jordan was like, say, a father trying to trade away his son.  The organization proved more committed to getting rid of than developing him like they should.  And this is something you probably can't fully appreciate unless you go back and revisit the 2022 season, like watch every game pass January.  The Warriors were facing some key injuries (like they are now) and sucked (like they do now), but man, were they putting up some admirable fights (like they are now?).  And it proved worthwhile in the long run, as those increased minutes for role players - learning how to live without Steph, if you will - paid off and eventually contributed to the Dubs winning an unexpected championship.

Besides Poole, the other key young player - the other budding star, if you will - was Jonathan Kuminga.  There were a lot of unknown dudes who stepped up in 2022, some since losing their place in the NBA even.  But Kuminga was someone you could look at and be like 'yeah, this team has a future'.

You have Poole and Kuminga and the Gauntlet and Moody, etc., hanging in games with contenders even with Steph or Klay absent - some of those guys really young or just rookies - and you could feel confident as a Warriors' fan, that Curry and co. would be able to age disgracefully.  Instead, it's become sort of a lebronesque situation where you have older divas, if you will, exerting so much financial control and overall influence over the braintrust that limited attention is given to younger players, totally neglecting the fact that you need someone to hold your hand once you're forced to walk with a stick.

So like the Lakers, the Warriors also suck at player development.  Beside Andrew Wiggins, they haven't drafted an all-star or turned a into an all-star since the acquiring big 3, well over a decade ago.  

Let's further go on to say, for the sake of argument, that GSW, in effect traded Poole and Kuminga for CP3 and Butler.  The latter two, it's safe to say, are future HOFers.  They are also the two most-notable additions this team has made since 2022, with Jordan and Jonathan being the two most-notable subtractions (besides Klay, who left in free agency).

That should help illustrate just how intelligent this braintrust is.  Paul wasn't a good fit, period.  I knew that from the jump and undoubtedly noted it in this blog but was also thinking like 'okay, if Steph and them want him, maybe they know something I don't'.  But now in hindsight, I realize no, they may be geniuses on the court but not basketball gurus.

Butler fit a lot better in the grand scheme of Dubdom.  But then there's the age factor of course, you know, dude being in his mid-30s and all, in the modern-day injury-ridden NBA, besides Butler having already established a notable injury history.  The logic should have been like okay, grab your Jimmy, but don't go as far as to like prioritize him over a younger, healthier and at this stage more-promising Kuminga.

STEVE KERR vs JONATHAN KUMINGA

The latter is someone who, since his rookie campaign, I've always been convinced was a potential star.  Like you could see it, but his name got lost in the sauce.  a couple of reasons.  A number of dudes drafted higher than him were generating more headlines.  Also, it's like Steve Kerr wasn't giving Jon ample playing time, compared to his draft classmates.

Steve Kerr is someone who, as a coach, I've always questioned his aptitude.  He's had his moments here and there and is tougher than he looks.  But he more or less inherited a championship-ready roster from previous head coach Mark "Selfie" Jackson.  Then, going on to win a couple more with KD, i.e. GSW fielding arguably the best offensive team in history, isn't anything to pat yourself on the back about as a coach.  It's the dude in the background, who drafted the big 3 and arranged for KD's acquitistion, who deserve more credit.

But that said, 2022 was once again amazing is definitely something Keer should be proud of.  The mistake he and the braintrust made was afterwards not reading the graffiti on the wall, that you need to really start having mercy on the Splash Bros' legs.

The argument was that as time progressed, Kuminga would inevitably get more run.  And he did but was never truly appreciated for what he brought to the table.  Coaches these days, more or less NBA-wide, are unable to properly strategize with different players' attributes.  So it's like if a dude can't shoot 3s, then he's instantly a liability.  Come on, man.  So Jon became more like a scapegoat.

Another theory I have is that Steve Kerr is intimidated by big black dudes.  Perhaps we all are.  But in the Kuminga case, I'm thinking more along the lines of hatin' then intimidated per se.

CONCLUSION

Steph is destined to go the way of Lebron.  Some aged superstars make too much money and have too much influence for a contender to be built around them during the latter years.  The Warriors make a little bit of noise here and there, but Al Horford and them ain't intimidating nobody.  So next year, we're going to have another season of Steph + Dray + Butler?  Okay.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 8)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zero nigga, lol.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (May 3)

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

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

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

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

WHO NEEDS BIG MEN NOW?

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

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

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

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

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS

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

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

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

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

DETROIT PISTONS VS. NEW YORK KNICKS

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

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

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

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

THE THOMPSON BROS.

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

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (April 25)

HOUSTON ROCKETS VS. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Amen Thompson has the most ironic name in the NBA, because he is in fact a dirty player.  I never knew how much I felt about Jimmy until seeing him going down like that.

Outside of the pain or discomfort he must be experiencing, it also sucks what some teams have to do to win.  If Butler cannot resume his duties and the Rockets go on to win the series, there's really nothing to be proud of or gloat about, like in Game 2.

I'm now officially rooting for the Warriors to win the series, though that's going to be kinda impossible without Jimmy.  Without Butler and with Green looking like he's out taking up space, I mean I may be wrong.  But these aren't vintage Dubs, and they don't stand much of a chance without Jimmy "the Eraser" Butler.

NEW YORK KNICKS VS. DETROIT PISTONS

The Knicks are in fact the better team.  So it isn't particularly wise for Detroit to get them riled up, even if KAT is the one instigating the beef.

The way Brunson exploited Shroder down the stretch of Game 3 reminds of this pivotal Playoff game way back in the 90s when Mark Jackson (Indiana) did the same to Charlie Ward (New York).  You're sitting there, and you know Shroder/Ward is trying their best, so you can't really be mad at them for failing.  Rather, you have to conclude that the defensive squad needs to make adjustments instead of letting the same player get beat every time, or the offensive squad is really good at isolating defensive players.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS VS. DENVER NUGGETS

There was a time when I though Michael Porter Jr. would be an MVP candidate, like the West's version of Tatum, but not anymore.  It's like if he ain't out there making threes, then he really ain't doing like shit else, you know, in comparison to how tall and slim he is.

Also, let's not forget that the Nuggets are in fact an older team.  The Clippers at least have a somewhat better mixture of veterans and youth.  Denver looks like they can't really turn it up a notch, even if they wanted to.  All of this Nikola Jokic 'is the best player on the planet' dickridin, like damn announcer, at least let him win the game before talking that shit.  Back when people were calling Jordan or Lebron 'the best player on the planet', they were out there winning championships, like with an S on the end.

As for the Clippers, I think they more or less entered the Playoffs hotter than any other team.  They were lucky to peak late in the season and in a way that showed it wasn't a fluke.  Kawhi + Harden - George is a better combination than with George.  I still think this team lacks size, but otherwise I guess the sky's the limit, especially with Leonard playing.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

Mitchell + Garland looks like the best backcourt in the NBA.  When Darius is hot, it's impossible to stop them.  Remember when everyone was criticizing Cleveland's roster construction, due to basically having two starting Cs?  It makes more sense when you have a dynamic backcourt like they do.  So kudos to the braintrust for standing their ground.

OKC THUNDER VS. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

I'm not glad that Ja Morant got hurt, but I am glad that the Grizzlies lost, because the Thunder are obviously the better team, and the sooner we get this over with, the better.  At the beginning of Game 3 OKC looked disinterested, if that's the way you want to put it.  That's the only reason Memphis was able to build a big lead like that.

As for Morant, you  know, it's one thing when you behave in questionable activities that may threaten your career trajectory, and it's another when you're the victim of bad luck that's out of your control.  Unlike Thompson's clipping of Butler, I don't think Dort did that purpose.  But still, you know what I'm saying?  Morant understandably remains one of the most-popular players in the league, but outside of that popularity, in the grand scheme of things he hasn't achieved that much more on the court than Zion Williamson.

2025 NBA Playoffs Ruminations (April 22)

 NEW YORK KNICKS

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

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

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

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

DENVER NUGGETS

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

MIAMI HEAT

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

BOSTON CELTICS

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

HOUSTON ROCKETS

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

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

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

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

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

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

Trade Talk 2024-25 Deadline Chaos

You'll notice that out of all the teams to make powermoves leading up to the 2024-25 NBA Season trade deadline, none of them were considered true contenders beforehand.  The squads that are already in the top tier, like the Rockets, Cavs, Celtics, Knicks and Thunder - stood pat.  That, to me, represents good governance and maybe a shift in thinking of contemporary braintrusts.  Maybe they're looking at a team like Cleveland, who didn't do shit this past offseason yet currently have the best record in the NBA, and are like, 'yeah, Jah Iteh is right - continuity is a good thing'.

There are a couple of teams, like the Bucks and Mavericks, who I believe increased their (on-court) fortunes with recent transactions.  As for the rest, I guess in their cases it was like some transaction is better than no transaction.  Better to face the storm in strange waters than continuing across the peaceful seas of mediocrity.

KYLE KUZMA VS. KHRIS MIDDLETON

Kyle Kuzma has been sorta slacking off, as far as stats go, but that may well have something to do with him having been stuck on the damnation of the NBA, the Washington Wizards.  You won't hear no more of that 'I believe in Jordan Poole' shit from me.  With the worst record in the NBA, the conclusion is that the Wizards genuinely suck.  So hopefully, Kyle will be rejuvenated now that he's back on a team with an actual chance.

It sucks that Middleton, after having a stellar career with the Bucks, landed in that sh*tstorm.  His is a cautionary tale of being grossly overpaid in the NBA.  It's like 'yo, go out and get that money' type shit.  But then, if you become ravaged by injuries while playing for a team that actually wants to win, they may want to keep you but, in the grand scheme of things, cannot rationalize it.

Like I'm sure Milwaukee would love to have, you know, like Kuzma and Middleton.  Bring Khris off the bench, even if only, at times, for inspirational reasons.  But damn, niggas want to win, and you're making a gazillion dollars.  So, you have to go in the name of bettering the team.  In other words, their decision to trade Khris for Kyle wasn't nearly as controversial as Dame for Holiday.  I feel sorry for Khris, you know, if he had any feelings attached, but I've also been advocating such a move for like three or four years, even prior to the acquisition of Lillard.

Both teams came out pretty good in this deal.  The Wizards now have more star power and someone who can occasionally get red hot, like Khris did during one of those playoff games last season.  He obviously, unless being bought out or whatever, isn't going to participate in the playoffs.  But then again, he'll likely be re-injured by then anyway.  You know what I mean?  Give your knees a rest, my nigga.

As for the Bucks, yes, I do believe the acquisition of Kuzma may once again make them contenders.  The roster still isn't exactly built around Giannis.  But unlike Dame, Kyle is more of a role player who won't demand like taking the ball from Giannis in order to win.  He may be the much needed glue guy, so to speak, between Giannis and Dame that the Bucks long for, and we may finally see that pair live up to their potential.

LUKA DONCIC VS. ANTHONY DAVIS

In the wake of the Luka Doncic trade, pundits are dicriding the Lakers in ways we haven't seen for at least a couple of years.  But there's a number of reasons, such as compatibility and injury history, that I'm still not convinced.

If LAL would have at least gotten Doncic and Gafford, you know what I'm saying?  But trading an allstar, injury-pronce C for an allstar, injury-prone PG, that doesn't really make sense.  And all things considered, I wouldn't be surprised if AD is still playing even after Luka eventually retires from the NBA.  That said, the Lakers now have even more star power, meaning that the powers-that-be will be even more inclined to favor them.

I imagine that must've been a tough decision for Dallas' braintrust, but I understand why they pulled the trigger.  Luka can get you to the Finals, but he can't win it for you.  So going a different direction, putting the focus more on bigs, like Cs are how championships were traditionally won in the NBA.

The Mavs always seem to be rich in terms of G depth.  A couple of seasons ago, I was evenlike what TF is wrong with these dudes, like they didn't have any bigs. Remember that not too long ago, the most formidable big on their roster was the fearless-yet-overmatched Dwight Powell, who I don't even think gets burn these days.  My, how things have changed.  But I don't want to get ahead of myself because, besides being younger, the Thunder are also built better, and so are arguably the Rockets and Grizzlies.  Kyrie + AD are going to have to turn back the hands of time to pull this one off, but at least it's possible.

JIMMY BUTLER VS. ANDREW WIGGINS

The Warriors apparently traded four players (including a draft pick) for Butler, but the only one of them really likely to suit up for the Heat appears to be Andrew Wiggins.  I would have rather seen Miami get Kuminga, but I'm sorta glad that Wiggins is finally gone.  He feels like someone who's only playing in the NBA because, you know, like why not, he can.

I'm excited to see Jimmy go to Golden State, but their braintrust seems to be stuck on stupid in ways reminiscent of LAL.  For instance, a couple of seasons ago, after they won their most-recent championship, it was like unanimously concluded amongst pundits that the Dubs should start focusing more on their future.  But instead, since then, they traded Jordan Poole, who was the face of their younger generation.  And there two biggest acquisitions have been Chris Paul - who was 37 at the time - and now Jimmy Butler, who's 35.

One thing I've learned in all the years writing this blog though is don't sleep on Steph.  However, I'm sorta starting to believe that he may not be able to relive the magic without Klay.  

DENNIS SCHRODER TO THE PISTONS

Dennis Schroder is also in the mix somewhere, having eventually landed with the Pistons.  If they actually keep him, and he can play the 2 instead of the 1, he may be the type of scoring SG that Detroit has needed to play alongside Cunningham.  With the Magic falling off, the Pistons are now, out of nowhere, the most imposing young team in the East.  And in the world of athletics, youth can and often does (in non-rigged situations) trump talent.

FOX VS. LAVINE VS. ETC.

Although I think the move may be a bit overrated, I don't see anything wrong with bringing De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs.  One thing Wemby never had in his early NBA career, up until now, is an allstar level scorer as a teammate.  The problem with these tall, multi-talented players though is that they often play out of position.  You know, you're the tallest dude on the court, yet you're out on the perimeter shooting threes.  That can and has worked in the NBA, but you need to flesh the roster out with the right type of players, those who can for instance outrebound whoever's defending them.

Meanwhile, didn't we already have LaVine + DeRozan in Chicago?  But the thing is that now, they have better quote/unquote supporting players around them.  I could actually envision the Kings winning, if not for the fact that there's more-rounded and arguably more-talented teams in the West.  But I also still believe that Sabonis is the best PF/C in the league.  Remember when the Sixers could have gotten him, and they went after (if I remember correctly) the Beard instead?  So, let's see what happens.

And speaking of the Bulls, like no disrespect to anyone, but who did they get in this trade anyway?  I guess they've decided to embrace the Cooper Flagg sweepstake also.

CONCLUSION

If I'm remembering correctly, last season like jackshit happened at the trade deadline.  But in 2025 there's been a couple of thrillers, including that Doncic trade, which caught everybody offguard.  And hey, divas (like Butler) may be nightmares as far as organizational chemistry goes, but they make for good drama and unexpected trades.  So, let's embrace the chaos.  Rig me a Laker game, okay.  But please Commissioner Silver and co., let everybody else get their asses bust fair and share.

Jimmy Butler to the Warriors or Suns?

By the looks of things, I may be writing yet another "Trade Talk" article in the near future about Jimmy Butler.  I'm sure I've chimed in the past before about how Butler is a noncommitted star.  He's fully a product of the player-empowerment era, and it's still a few of those dudes lurking around the league.

Now there's two things about Butler that must be remembered as he demands a trade from the Heat.  First is that a few years back, he was more or less considered to be the best two-way player in the league.  Whether or not that was true is a matter of debate.  But the thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of players never enter that conversation, at all.

Second is, oh shit, Jimmy is making a whopping $50mil this year(!).  I'm not going to even get into whether he's overpaid or not.  The point is that in the NBA, the higher a player's salary, the more difficult it usually is to trade him.

I haven't really been following the Butler trade rumors, but when I do come across such headlines, they're usually in relation to the Warriors.  Do I support the idea of Jimmy going to Golden State?  Yeah, why not.  Do I think his presence will make them contenders?  No, but with the Dubs (and Steph) you never know.

BUTLER NO LONGER IN MIAMI'S TIMELINE

There's been a lot of drama, and we may even say embarrassment, associated with Jimmy demanding a trade from the Heat.  This isn't the type of organization that usually goes through such ordeals.  But maybe Butler's sudden, unexpected display childishness is a blessing for them in disguise.

Bam Adebayo has pretty much emerged as the man in Miami.  I don't know if I'd actually say he's better than Butler, but he is younger and healthier.

Meanwhile, Tyler Herro has just been named an All-Star reserve.  This is the same Tyler Herro who I was clamoring for the Lakers to acquire a season or two ago.  Instead, as far as jump-shooting whiteboys go, they've committed to Austin Reeves (and Dalton Knecht) - not a bad decision, but I doubt if he'll ever be an all-star.

Bam is 27, Tyler is 25, and Jimmy is 35.  So, you do the math.

KUMINGA WOULD BE A BETTER FIT IN MIAMI

Meanwhile, over the Dubs' land, we have perennial underachiever Jonathan Kuminga.  Readers of this blog know two things.  One is that I am, or was, a big Kuminga fan.  And secondly, I feel that, at least up until recently, his development has been stunted by the Warriors.

Kuminga is only 22 years old but still fits more into the Miami's current timeline than Butler does.  I'm calling him an underachiever, even though he's the third-leading scorer in Golden State at approx 17ppg.  That's because when I do come across his name in articles, half of the time his game is not being spoken of favorably.  He's developed into sort of an Andrew Wiggins himself.

Also, Kuminga doesn't appear to be much of a defensive force (for his size).  But all things considered, I would still be down for trading him for Jimmy Butler, like straight up.

But again, there are obstacles.  Jonathan is only making about $8mil this year, compared to Butler's $48mil.  Also, oh sh*t, it appears that Steph (and Steve Kerr) don't even want Jimmy like that to begin with.

BUTLER A BETTER FIT FOR THE SUNS

What that same report puts forth is it being most likely that Jimmy is traded to the Suns for Bradley Beal.  Both teams are reportedly interested in bringing that transaction to past.  Beal, at 31 and given his injury history, can also be considered an old-timer compared to Bam and co.  But if Miami actually wants a player, like you don't question their braintrust.

As for the Suns', there own has proven less than impressive of late.  Putting together a roster of incompatible stars is bad enough.  But then, failing to make things work between them is even worse.

Honestly speaking, I don't see why any team would be 'aggressively' pursuing Butler.  When he becomes disgruntled he quits, and he's had injury issues of late.  Also, I don't quite see how he'll fit in next to KD + Booker.  What those guys need are the type of support players who can make an impact without taking shots.

Jimmy Butler is one of the biggest names in the NBA, but all things considered, I don't feel excited about him being on the verge of changing teams.  If he goes to the Warriors, by Steph's own admission things aren't likely to change much in terms of their ability to compete.  And if he goes to the Suns, it would probably make their current 'how did they fail' season that much worse.  Even though I'd rather see him Golden State - or more specifically Kuminga in Miami -, it'd make more sense for Jimmy to go to Phoenix, since they've adopted a build-a-roster-on-the-fly type of mentality anyway.  That's perfect for transient stars like him and KD.

2024-25 NBA Mid-Season Grades

I've been neglecting this blog and in large part the NBA itself.  I haven't watched an actual game this entire season, and I only watched highlights once, of a Lakers' match a couple of months ago.  So as usual, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt.  Some of my predictions are more or less spot on, prophetic even.  Others, not so much.  In fact, instead of ruminating on teams outright, I'm going to go back to the predictions and gradings I made before the season began to see if they have or appear to be on the verge of coming true.

Back in August and September, I gave every team a offseason grade, based on the transactions they did (or didn't) make over the summer.  This was besides making predictions on how they would fare this season.  I don't mind gloating when I'm right, so I can't be afraid to take it on the chin when I'm wrong.  With that said:

ATLANTA HAWKS (19-19): B

OFFSEASON GRADE: F

The Hawks have come out a lot better than I expected them to, and on some nights, the media even talks about them as if they're formidable.  Most of the news coming out the ATL still centers around Trae Young.  He's another player who I can kinda imagine on the Lakers.

'Hey, I'm making a gazillion dollars a year - f*ck a championship'.  If that's his disposition, then by all means, stay in Atlanta.

Otherwise, it may be time for a scene change.  The way ATL is like constantly flipping their roster, it may get more interesting but never actually better.  Letting Collins go was more significant or symbolic than a lot of people realized, because was he even actually the problem?

BOSTON CELTICS (27-11): B+ 

OFFSEASON GRADE: B

The Celtics aren't invulnerable, and their record, as impressive as it may be, reflects that.  But one thing they do have going for them, obviously, is favoritism from the powers-that-be.  And it's also clear that certain media organizations are pushing the idea of Tatum as MVP, whether he actually deserves it or not.  I remember predicting a couple of years ago myself, even before Boston won a championship, that Tatum may one day win MVP, but it shouldn't be because of some colorism, dickridin type shit.  He may not even be the best player in Boston.

BROOKLYN NETS (13-25): B

OFFSEASON GRADE: F

The Nets suck, but the way the NBA is currently designed, they may make the play-ins and who knows, even the playoffs.  But they're supposed to be tanking or something like that.

Recently, the Nets re-acquired D'Angelo Russell.  Readers of this blog know that trading him to begin with was a move I strongly criticized.  Brooklyn, instead of being patient and building on the foundation Russell helped establish, instead decided to go star chasing.  They've smarted for it and now stand as a warning to other teams that decide to take the feening route.  Bringing Russell back now feels like too little, too late.  But this team deserves a B because with their current record and the hand they'd be dealt this season, they're actually overachieving on the standings.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS (8-27): B

OFFSEASON GRADE: D

The Hornets suck, like as bad as they've ever been.  But they have reason to celebrate because it appears that the team's star, LaMelo Ball, may actually be an allstar starter, if it were up to the fans at least.  This is despite Charlotte having a woeful .229 winning percentage, and Ball, though relatively healthy, missing like a third of their games thus far.  The Hornets should also be officially patting themselves on the back for not giving in to the pressure to draft Scoot Henderson last season, even though it's appearing that Brandon Miller may not necessarily be a model of health either.

CHICAGO BULLS (18-20): B 

OFFSEASON GRADE: B+

It feels like the Bulls are better than last season and not only that but are generating more interest.  That may in large part be due to Coby White, who honestly I thought at one point was overrated.  His emergence makes the idea of parting with Zach LaVine more tolerable.

Speaking of which, I'm still hoping LaVine somehow makes it to the Lakers this very season.  I believe in Cinderellas and shit like that, I guess, but expecting Chicago to make any type of noise in the postseason feels like a stretch.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (33-4): A+

OFFSEASON GRADE: A-

The Cavs are a team who I felt suffered from lack of NBA favoritism over the past couple of seasons.  If that is in fact the case, their current record doesn't reflect it, though we won't really know until playoff time.

Evan Mobley, whom readers of this blog know I always strongly believed in, is finally representing.  With Embiid more or less being washed, there's no other team in the East I can think of with that type of long, skinny, semi-traditional big type of player.  Evan doesn't appear to have the athleticism of a Giannis or Wemby.  But being a more stationary player, esp when you're a big, has it's advantages also.

The way I see it, the only team really standing in the way of Cleveland making the Finals is Boston.  The best thing about this squad is that as their young star rises, on any given night a number of their other stars, i.e. Mitchell or Garland or even a sixth man, can take the lead.  And remember that this roster is also youthful in general and furthermore one that doesn't really have major injury issues, at least not like some other teams. 

DALLAS MAVERICKS (22-16): B+

PRESEASON GRADE: C

The Mavs making the Finals last season, imo, was a fluke, and they were ultimately exposed by a team who for the most part didn't even have their starting C available.

Thus far, they've more or less performed as expected (by me) this season, being an above-average WC team but not one of the elite.  Then again, wasn't that the same story last season, until playoff time came around?

I'm starting to lose hope that Luka Doncic will ever win MVP.  In terms of actual skills, he's arguably the most naturally-talented player in the NBA.  But he doesn't have the durability.

That said, Dallas has done a pretty good job in terms of assembling a roster to try to mitigate that issue.  There's other braintrusts out there, employed by teams with a regularly-injured star, who never seem to figure out a way to cover those inconsistencies.  Kyrie simultaneously has his health issues, but this squad has remained respectable.  So that B+, imo, is really a testament to their braintrust.

DETROIT PISTONS (20-19): A

OFFSEASON GRADE: C-

In the world of professional sports - or let's say the NBA in particular - once a team develops a losing standard, like there's no telling when they'll overcome it.  Usually, things change after they draft that special someone.  Whether or not Cunningham is that one, like I don't think the world is wholly convinced.  But he does put up stats and has proven to be a player Detroit can build around, so to speak.

For a couple of seasons, I've been recommending, as difficult as it may be, that they try to land a star vet.  Instead, dudes went out and basically acquired a bunch of veteran role players.  And that strategy has paid off.

The Pistons have come to realize, sooner than a lot of other teams would, that youth movements don't work unless you draft a number of star rookies like in succession.  So kudos to their braintrust for not suffering the fans any longer with a young-yet-promising team that wasn't winning.

DENVER NUGGETS (22-15): A- 

OFFSEASON GRADE: A

The Nuggets may not be as intimidating as they have been in recent years, but I would still imagine this is a team that no one really wants to face in the playoffs.  They have two of the top five players - if not the top two - when it comes to the ability to produce triple-doubles.  And their record isn't that bad, considering the injury issues and all.  With Westbrook around, this squad has more versatility than perhaps any other in the league. 

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (19-19): B 

OFFSEASON GRADE: C

The Warriors aren't that good but earned a B for at least being competitive.  Like I still don't think any team can look at the Dubs as an easy out, not with Steph still around, and Hield occasionally repping at the 2.

The loss of Slo Mo, from way back in the beginning of the season, like we never got to see how well he would mesh in Golden State, but I have to presume it was a major loss.  That said, even though you may not be able to take Warriors ability to win for granted, by the looks of things they'll be lucky to even make the play-ins.

HOUSTON ROCKETS (25-12): A+

OFFSEASON GRADE: C

Out of all of the teams to prove my preseason predictions wrong, the Rockets are at the top of the list.  I not only saw issues with their roster but also a lack of favoritism from the powers-that-be.  But there they are, currently standing at second in the West. 

I was clearly wrong about their roster compatibility and owe Fred VanVleet - for what it's worth - an apology.  But in terms of how far the NBA will allow them to go, that remains to be seen.

INDIANA PACERS (21-18): C

OFFSEASON GRADE: B

It's been months since I heard of the Pacers, another fluke team from last season's playoffs.  You know dudes are a fluke when the following season they fail to represent, even though they're not old nor had any major roster losses.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (20-17): A

PRESEASON GRADE: B

One thing about the Clippers, even if they are stuck in time with Kawhi, is that at least they play up to their talent level.  The biggest name on the team is the Beard, who will likely never make an all-star team again.  But you can't sleep on these guys.  And I guess if Leonard did come back, though I'm not expecting him to for any significant duration, that would send them to another level.

Back in the old days, teams always made sure they had a serviceable, big-bodied C.  Now, it's like you have a few squads with exceptional centers, and the rest trying to play really fast.

LAC is another team that, since the De'Andre Jordan era, don't seem to really care about securing an exceptional big, taking nothing away from anyone they already have rostered.  But with teams like Minnesota, Denver and OKC out there, it's hard to imagine the Clippers going far without more size and without Kawhi.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (20-16): B

PRESEASON GRADE: D

Man, do I love/hate the Lakers.  I want to say something awful about them, but oh shit, they're actually at 20 and 16 (against my expectations).  Like their record is better than their roster is.

One thing I always say about LAL is that, at least they have the powers-that-be on their side.  I don't know how true that may or may not have been this season, but it's like when the Lakers win, we all win.

That said, I'm presuming it's going to take a miracle, or some really rigorous fixin', to get them anywhere near the WCF, unless --- oh shit, Zach LaVine!  Maybe with someone like that on the roster, perhaps Lebron "Rushmore" James will finally feel comfortable enough to focus more exclusively on  playing to his size rather then chuckin' to his team's detriment.  He recently criticized dudes' style of play, but he was one of the main players who ushered in the too-many-threes era, and the last time I remember seeing him play, King James was still chuckin.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (25-14): A

OFFSEASON GRADE: F

The Grizzlies had what appeared to be an underwhelming offseason, which caused me to give them an F in that regard.  However, what's now become evident is that the team didn't really need major upgrades (in terms of trades or free agents).

Ja Morant is still doing his thing, I guess, but his popularity has taken a nosedive since all of the scandals.  Idk who's currently the favorite for ROY, but Zach Edey appears to be the only rookie on my radar who's actually making a winning contribution to his team.  And as far as recent free agents go, Pippen Jr. has proven to be a solid signing.

That said, it's hard to imagine Memphis coming out of this season as champions.  This team still looks like they could use another star or above-average player.  But who knows?  Maybe Marcus Smart will finally prove to be the one, and the Grizzlies' braintrust will come out looking like geniuses.  The drafting of Edey now looks like a masterful move.

MIAMI HEAT: C-

PRESEASON GRADE: D+

The Heat are doing pretty good, all things considered.  It's unusual for this team, with its solid and respected braintrust, to have a star publicly demand a trade.  But Jimmy is one of those transient, noncommittal types, so it was only a matter before he got tired of like not winning.

If there's any team who could pull off a Cinderella, it's the Heat.  So one thing I always ask in these situations is will the team Butlerr eventually land on be any better?  Or will it be one of those ugly Kawhi situations where dude is like benched or at home indefinitely, until his organization figures things out?

Either way, the Heat are not stupid, nor are they known for being hasty. If they do move Butler, chances are they'll be just as good, if not better, than they currently are.  It isn't like Jimmy has necessarily been making headlines in terms of winning them games this season.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (20-6): B

OFFSEASON GRADE: B-

Slowly but surely, it feels like Dame + Giannis are figuring things out.  But this doesn't feel like a roster that can take time granted.

I just discovered Kris Middleton is back and obviously working his way back into form, as usual type shit.  Dame + Giannis is a dream pairing, but the rest of the roster for the most part leaves something to be desired.

You can't really call Milwaukee a superteam, even though they're sorta built like one.  These situations are complex, increasingly so due to the way the league stipulates things like trades and the money involved.  Even though I was a strong advocate of the above pairing, bringing Dame over now feels like too little too late.  Or let me say that whereas the Bucks' braintrust was savvy enough to land him, they failed in terms of adjusting the rest of the roster to his presence.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (20-17): C+ 

PRESEASON GRADE: D

The Timberwolves have their franchise player in Anthony Edwards, but it's like they don't have a set identity yet.  It's like they held onto KAT longer than they should have.  So now it sorta feels like they're trying to figure things out without him being around.

Mike Conley, I'm not trying to scapegoat him or anything, but his presence feels sorta anachronistic. Or let me say if anything, given the talent around him, dude should be averaging more assists.  But it's like I haven't seen Minnesota play this season.  And based on what I observed last year in the playoffs, they don't really play a traditional PG style anyway, like at all.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (8-31): F

PRESEASON GRADE: B-

I wanted to give these dudes an F minus, like an H or some shit.  There's no way you could have convinced me that a team with Zion + McCollum + Ingram + Dejounte would be at the bottom of their conference(!) midway through the season.

Maybe the time has come to put the Ingram trade rumors to rest.  The last thing an organization this disappointing needs is further distractions.  He's arguably been their most consistent star of the decade, but dude keeps getting scapegoated.

Sometimes, the way I see it, these problems of being over-talented can be mitigated by a respected, pass-first PG.  But I don't think there's anymore of them around besides maybe Ben "the Pariah" Simmons.

The one good thing about New Orleans is that, at least in theory, they have more quality trade chips than any other team.  But again that's in theory, because as we speak, three of their Big 4 are on the injured list.  They have four players who are like borderline allstars, but the best player currently on their team is arguably the relatively-unknown Trey Murphy III.

Is there actually such a thing as a losing culture, when an organization is so accustomed to missing the mark that they continue to do so, even when, on paper, they shouldn't?  If there is, I would have to say the Pelicans exemplify that standard.  Either that, or they have like really bad luck.

NEW YORK KNICKS (25-14): A

OFFSEASON GRADE: B+

I really didn't approve of the Knicks trading for KAT at the last moment, especially considering that they gave up what's his name, DiVincenzo in the process.  That really sucked, because he was a hero for NYK last season.  So I'm still looking forward to that decision coming back to bite NYK in the ass.

I won't go as far as to say that KAT is overrated, but I didn't feel he was the type of center NY needed.  That said, I was apparently wrong.  Or in the very least the Knicks got their own version of Kristaps Porzingis and now appear to be more or less equal with the Celtics.  Too bad though that now it's looking like the Cavs may be better than both of them.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (31-6): A+ 

OFFSEASON GRADE: A

The Thunder are generally considered to be the best team in the NBA.  I was sorta shocked that they lost to the Mavs last postseason.  But now, whether true or not, it feels like the West is theirs to lose.

ORLANDO MAGIC (22-18): A-

OFFSEASON GRADE: B

It may be a long time coming before the Magic are once again a national TV team, but these guys continue to impress.  Their two main scorers are out, but they've managed to maintain a respectable record and currently first place in their division.

I'm not anticipating any of that translating into postseason success beyond what they achieved last year, but who knows.  If there's any team in the East who can pull off some dark horse shit, I guess that would be Orlando.  And that fact is pretty impressive in and of itself, considering that just a couple of years ago they were like garbage.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (15-21): D

OFFSEASON GRADE: C

It feels kinda unfair giving the Sixers a D, because with a big 3 featuring Embiid and George, two always-injured stars, who like no one should have expected them to go far with.  And when I say no one, I especially mean Philly's braintrust, who should have known better.

Maybe their banking on that increasingly common hopefully-they'll-be-healthy-for-the-playoffs strategy.  I tend to refer to the Clippers as the Sixers of the West, but now it feels more like Philly is the LAC of the east(?).

PHOENIX SUNS (17-19): F

PRESEASON GRADE: F

Looks like I may have been spot on with this one, champs.  The Suns' current record ain't that bad, and there's still time to turn things around.  But their showing thus far is not becoming of their talent level.

Crying over the split milk is a recurring theme in this blog, and Phoenix should have never given CP3 up.  If you have a superteam, the most important player is arguably the PG and/or glue guy.  Think Rondo on the '08 Celtics.  You have these chucks, KD and Beal and, oh my gosh, Booker, so who's responsible for distributing the ball between them?

Oh well, at least it looks like Durant will once again be an all-star starter.  In other words, at least the Suns are an interesting watch.

PORTLAND TRAILBLZERS (13-24): D

OFFSEASON GRADE: C

The Blazers were expected to suck this season, and sure enough there they linger, near the bottom of the (Western) standings.  I don't really know what's going on with this team, because they rarely get a mention on news sites.

I like beating dead horses, so let me say that their current complete lack of relevancy all goes back to the Damian Lillard trade of last year.  The Bucks are now appearing as if they're finally getting their shit together.  Contrastingly, I think it's now been more or less proven, as I argued all the way from the get-go, that even if Scoot didn't enter the NBA too early, he had too much responsibility thrust on him - being expected to fill the shoes of Dame - too soon.  Like who knows if he'll ever be that good even if they had exercised patience with him?

SACRAMENTO KINGS (19-19): D+

OFFSEASON GRADE: B

Most of the time when the Kings make the headlines, it isn't anything particularly good, like an injury.  There's been talk of De'Aaron Fox bouncing soon or whatever.  Things like that don't really excite me because if there's one position the NBA in general is most-talented at, it's prolly PG.  Someone like Fox, as good as he is, has only made the all-star team once, as an injury replacement.  That's how many quality PGs there are out there.

This squad was expected to fare better than their current record shows.  The thing about the Kings is that there's always that feeling they can turn things around.  Their roster is above-average, and I think the color of their uniforms also have something to do with it.

That said, the NBA has once again become such that the West is the dominant the conference.  And it's like hard to imagine these dudes suddenly standing out amongst the rest of the conference.  This is a team that would have done really good in the 90s.

I'm still imagining Sabonis being paired with a dominant C, like what almost happened in Philly.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (18-19): B+

OFFSEASON GRADE: A

I was surprised that Wemby isn't closer to the top of allstar fan voting, that KD and Jokic remain more popular than he is.  All things considered, that would likely change if like the Spurs were more competitive.  They've definitely progressed, but dudes need to at least like make the play-ins type shit.

That would embarrassing to other, more established and respected teams, if the less-talented Spurs knocked them out of a play-in spot.  But it would be a testament to Wembanyama's basketball greatness. And who knows?  Make the playoffs with a player like that, and anything can potentially happen.

TORONTO RAPTORS (8-29): F 

OFFSEASON GRADE: C

The Raptors are another disappointing team, albeit one that no one really had high expectations for this season anyway.  I always felt that Scottie Barnes was overrated, no disrespect to him, because it ain't like he overrated himself.  I believe that Toronto went into this season at least expecting to make the playoffs.  I would presume doing so is still possible mathematically but not likely.

Remember when the Raptors used to be like perennial borderline contenders?  Their braintrust isn't half bad, but it's like it's going to take them a solid decade to get over the departure of Kawhi.

UTAH JAZZ: (9-26): F

PRESEASON GRADE: F

The Jazz really suck, in a way that's not to expected from a Danny Ainge team.  The general belief is that they're tanking in the name of landing Cooper Flagg.  So it would really suck ass if they still don't land in the draft position to get him, or if Flagg is not as good as some as predicting.

That said, I think fans in Utah have more or less grown accustomed to being home of a underachieving NBA team, or one led by whiteboys who can't compete with the upper echelons of the league.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (6-30): F

OFFSEASON RANKING: B+

We all knew the Wizards were going to suck, but having the worst record in the league is like a new low type shit.  Their roster isn't as bad as their record.  And as for my boy Jordan Poole, he's playing consistently and averaging almost 22pts/game.  But, let's just say he's not as popular as LaMelo Ball.  And if dude wants to raise his status, the team has to start winning also.  Oh well, at least he got that one championship with the Dubs, who never should have traded him to begin with.

CONCLUSION

I'm wary of putting too much faith in OKC, considering how they kinda disappointed me last season.  But they're a young team that actually made a couple of wise roster moves over the offseason, one in which a lot of lesser squads weren't making wise decisions at all.  And as expected, they look even better than they did in 2023-24.  Like it'd be a shame if they flunk out once again, though there is quality competition out West, with the team they should perhaps be worried about most being the Nuggets.

Out East, remember that the Cavs started off 15-0, and it was the Celtics who ended that streak.  So Cleveland, as good as they may be, can't take things for granted.  But also remember that the Cavs have continuity which, though not much respected these days, is still a major factor.  The Knicks are also stiff competition.  But as it currently stands, I'd likewise be disappointed if Spider and co. fail to take the East.

2023-24 NBA Playoffs Game 3 Ruminations

TIMBERWOLVES 3, SUNS 0

The T'wolves are a better all-around team than the Suns.  But I presumed Phoenix would perform better than this, with the series being a clash between two different playing styles - wings v. size.  In fact, I heard one announcer say that the Suns swept the season series against Minnesota, which is in fact true.  You'd never know that looking at the way the Wolves are currently dominating them.

Phoenix made two major roster mistakes going back to last season.  One was, when KD arrived, not forcing him to cede the point to CP3.  Second, which is only really becoming obvious now, was parting with Deandre Ayton.  I'm not saying if he was still around they'd win the series, but you have to presume they'd at least fare better against for instance a slashing Anthony Edwards.  Beal, one of the most overrated superstars in the league (nothing personal), isn't really doing anything.  And I'm sure I said before that teaming him up KD + Booker felt sorta like overkill.

But that said, again, I had some pretty high hopes for the Suns.  Too bad their 1st round opponents are the team that's likely to take the West.  I feel bad for KD, but this is what happens when you prioritize instant super-teaming over gradually building a complementary roster.

KNICKS 2, SIXERS 1

In Game 3, Embiid shot more free throws than the entire Knicks' roster.  Prior to that, in Game 2 at the Garden, Philly complained about the officiating.  So this looks like a series where home court matters, you know, in that sorta way, like college basketball if you will.

With that in mind, the Knicks should take the series.  Furthermore, I would argue that they are the superior team.  I criticize Thibs a lot and also enjoy making fun of NYK's braintrust, but this team they've constructed is like some real guru sh*t.

The Sixers' roster is not inferior to the Knicks.  Currently, their main problem, the way I see it, is Joel having basically lost his defensive efficacy.  That's more or less to be expected given his injury woes.  Superstars with these battered bodies can still score, but their defense tends to suck.

MAVERICKS 2, CLIPPERS 1

I made a big mistake claiming that Dallas doesn't have any interior presence based on their Game 1 performance.  But I have been rightfully arguing for a long time that the Clippers' main problem was lack of depth at the 5.  And that really hurts when you're starting someone as small as Kawhi Leonard at the 4.

When LAC acquired Mason Plumlee, I thought that he may be answer.  What I'm imagining now is that they should start Mason at the 4 and move Terrance Mann out of the starting lineup.  That may not be a perfect fit, considering the speed of Dallas's bigs.  But they can't just be letting dudes highlight reel them at will.

CAVALIERS 2, MAGIC 1

The way the Cavs got their asses bust in Game 3, despite being the better team, connotes one of two things.  Either they were really off that night, or, you already know.

I've been saying, since the conclusion of last season, that the NBA powers that be do not favor Cleveland.  I won't go as far as to speculate that Orlando will take the series.  But either way, I'm not expecting the Cavs to really go far in these playoffs.

NUGGETS 3, LAKERS 0

Aaron Gordon is the best PF in the NBA.  There are other players at that position who are more talented, but none better at holding down the innate responsibilities of being a 4 than he is.

When Gordon first came to Denver, he was shooting threes, and the team was losing.  Since then he got incepted, got his ass back in the post, and now Denver is virtually unbeatable.

The reason Jokic can play like 2 and Porter Jr., as tall as he is, can lurk around the three-point line is because of the efficacy of Aaron inside.  While other teams were out trying to build their own version of the Dubs, the Nuggets' braintrust, which has always been better than average, was like 'wait, better to fight fire with water'.

So starting Lebron at the 4 and expecting him, at his advanced age, to hold Gordon is borderline comical.  It's almost judgment time for Darvin Ham.  But it isn't really his fault.  The Lakers' roster feels like one with more problems than solutions, and some things they do are inexplicable.  For instance, Jerrod Vanderbilt is probably the second-best rebounder on the team, you know, if you actually give him playing time.  So why is he riding the bench?

Hopefully, LAL will follow my advice and get Zach LaVine during the offseason.  He may not solve their defensive woes, but at least it'll have the team feeling like the Lakers once again.

Also, as King James ages, you know what |I'm saying?  He shouldn't be eating up an inordinate amount of the team's salary.  If dudes want to win, he has to give up a little so they can afford the types of players they need.  Besides Austin Reeves, every Laker outside of LBJ and AD feels expendable.

CELTICS 2, HEAT 1

I don't mean to sound racist are anything, but Miami is fielding too many white players to hope to contain Boston.  Whiteboys are excellent shooters, and on rare occasion you may come across one, like Alex Caruso, who is a plus defender.  But that's more of the exception than the rule, especially when it comes to wings.  And the best Caucasian player of the series, Kristaps Porzingis, happens to belong to the Celtics.

I criticized Kristaps in my last post, in terms of his reluctance to play inside, but he's effective enough against the Heat.  The only real advantage Miami has (on offense) would be playing Adebayo in the post (against Porzingis).  Jacquez is also good at penetrating and scoring.  But the Heat have become so reliant on three-pointers that asking them to re-strategize at this point is apparently out of the question, even though they're up against a team that shoots better than they do.  Duh.

I also want to give Kristaps additional props, because now I see the value of having a 7+ footer who's good at shooting threes.  It's like he's so tall that it doesn't really matter if a defender is in his face, unless the defender also is really tall.

All of that said, the Heat are without Jimmy Butler, their franchise player who also happens to be one of the best playoff performers.  I believe in miracles, but without Butler and against a better team with a similar playing style, it doesn't appear that Miami truly has a chance unless maybe, as a team, they're hitting at least 40% from three.

PACERS 2, BUCKS 1

The Bucks have a lot of heart.  They're aged, and their roster isn't that deep.  But still, they're giving a younger and more talented team a run for their money.

Or let me clarify that - Indiana is deeper and definitely more talented than Milwaukee with Giannis not playing.  It is that injury, imo, which has the Pacers the advantage.  But you have to give them credit for also appearing poised enough, against a really good team, to capitalize on it.

THUNDER 3, PELICANS 1

Of the 16 teams currently in the Playoffs, three of them - Milwaukee, Miami and New Orleans - are without their franchise player.  And in the case of NOP especially, the question must be begged: what value is a superstar, if he's injured when you need him most?  (The answer = ticket sales).

One thing I like about OKC's offensive game is that they appear to be patient.  It isn't like watching teams such as the Heat where, if their three-pointers aren't going in, they aren't going to win.  The Thunder play like they have strategic options on offense.

Also, I'm increasingly becoming appreciative of Holmgren's defensive game.  As for Josh Giddey, he needs to learn how to at least jump on defense.