20 Second Timeout

Doncic Drains Game-Winning Three Pointer as Mavericks Take 2-0 Lead Over Timberwolves

Luka Doncic led both teams in points, rebounds, and assists (32/10/13 respectively) and hit the game-winning three pointer as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-108 to take a 2-0 Western Conference Finals lead. Doncic joined Nikola Jokic (2023), Magic Johnson (1982) and Wilt Chamberlain (1967) in the select group of players who posted four triple doubles in a five game span during the playoffs. Jokic, Johnson, and Chamberlain each won championships during their special triple double playoff campaigns. Kyrie Irving added 20 points and six assists. Daniel Gafford (16 points on 8-10 field goal shooting) and Dereck Lively II (14 points on 6-6 field goal shooting) led the way inside as Dallas outscored Minnesota 54-42 in the paint. Doncic (16 points), Irving (15 points), and Gafford (10 points) nearly matched Minnesota's second half scoring total (48 points) as Dallas outscored Minnesota 61-48 overall in the second half while holding the Timberwolves to .389 field goal shooting.

The series shifts to Dallas for games three and four with Minnesota crashing down from the high of eliminating the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets and now trying to avoid being swept.

The Timberwolves had a horrific offensive performance, shooting just .414 (35-85) from the field. Naz Reid scored a team-high 23 points on 8-13 field goal shooting, including 7-9 from three point range. Mike Conley was his usual steady, dependable self with 18 points on 7-14 field goal shooting, five assists, and five rebounds. Rudy Gobert--everyone's favorite scapegoat lately--had 16 points on 6-10 field goal shooting plus a game-high 10 rebounds (tied with Doncic). He had a plus/minus number of +1. Those three players each did their jobs. In contrast, Minnesota's two All-Stars fell well short of reasonable expectations. Anthony Edwards had 21 points and a team-high seven assists, but he shot just 5-17 from the field and had a game-worst -9 plus/minus number. Edwards shot 6-24 from the field as Minnesota beat Denver in game seven, and he shot 6-16 from the field in game one versus Dallas. He looks worn down, and he is playing like he is worn down, which is puzzling for a young player who seems to be in great shape and who is being promoted as the next big thing. Karl-Anthony Towns was even worse than Edwards, scoring 15 points on 4-16 field goal shooting; he was not in his usual foul trouble, but he played only 26 minutes.

The relevant storylines from this game are (1) Luka Doncic is great, (2) Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns are playing well below All-Star level, and (3) the Timberwolves are not playing efficiently or intelligently on offense.

The media driven narrative from this game is that everything is Rudy Gobert's fault; leading the charge of the intellectually-light brigade is Draymond Green, who is available to provide TV commentary because his Golden State Warriors lost in the Play-In Tournament. Watching Green's Moby Dick-like obsession with bringing down Gobert, one is forced to conclude that Green either does not understand basketball, or that he cannot speak rationally about this series because he is so jealous that Gobert has won four Defensive Player of the Year awards. 

An intelligent, unbiased commentator would talk about Anthony Edwards--crowned by some as the next Michael Jordan after winning two playoff series--playing passively and shooting poorly throughout the game before throwing the ball away with 12.8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter; that miscue set up Doncic's game-winning shot when the Timberwolves had an opportunity to take a two possession lead.

An intelligent, unbiased commentator would talk about Towns playing so poorly that his coach benched him for most of the second half.

An intelligent, unbiased commentator would talk about the final possession of the game when Dallas gave up an open three pointer to Naz Reid even though Reid was the hottest three point shooter in the game. Reid's shot barely missed, but just as it could be argued that Minnesota should not have given up a three pointer to Doncic with a two point lead it could also be argued that Dallas should not have given up an open shot to Reid, one of the few Minnesota players who shot well in this game.

Instead, Green focused his attention on Gobert, sounding like a little kid on the playground teasing another kid as opposed to sounding like an intelligent, unbiased commentator analyzing what happened. It is valid to question why Minnesota left Gobert in the game for the last defensive possession instead of going small, switching everything, and forcing Dallas to shoot a two point shot--but it is silly to act as if Gobert is personally responsible for Doncic hitting the kind of shot that he has hit many times before against many other players.  

Gobert has one of the best plus/minus numbers overall during the 2024 playoffs, and the Timberwolves have outscored the Mavericks during his minutes this series while being outscored when Gobert is out of the game. I would not be surprised if "Screamin' A" Smith acted as if an entire 48 minute NBA game can be boiled down to one shot, but intelligent commentators understand that the last play is not necessarily what decided the outcome. Here, the Timberwolves enjoyed a 16 point third quarter lead before their offense fell apart; are we supposed to pretend like all of those empty offensive possessions had nothing to do with the final result?

Green is either an idiot or a buffoon: he either does not know what he is talking about, or he does not care how foolish he sounds. It is interesting that Kenny Smith was the only person on the TNT set who was willing to even tentatively challenge Green's nonsense both before and after the game. Smith noted that the Timberwolves have outscored the Mavericks during Gobert's minutes, and Smith emphasized that Doncic could have made that last shot over anyone, not just Gobert. Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal did not contradict Green, but they correctly focused on Towns' shortcomings and they made the valid point that if the Timberwolves are going to play big then their big men must play with force in the paint. The Timberwolves' problem is that they are not attacking the paint offensively--and that problem must be fixed by Edwards and Towns. The problem is not drop coverage or Rudy Gobert or any other nonsense spewed by Green. If Green keeps lying about Gobert it would be great if someone had the guts to tell the truth about Green, and his triple single exploits on .389 field goal shooting for the 15-50 Warriors during the 2019-20 season when Green did not have Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Andre Iguodala to do the heavy lifting. I'll double down on what I said before: Green will be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame primarily because he was lucky enough to play alongside those four players. 

It is also worth mentioning that Green went 0-3 versus Minnesota this season, and 1-2 last season (Golden State beat Minnesota once in 2022-23 when Green did not play, an example of addition by subtraction). If Green is so smart, maybe he should use that big brain to figure out how to do better than 1-5 versus the player and team that he keeps mocking.

The NBA and TNT should have been embarrassed to put Green on the air in the first place after his numerous violent incidents, and they should be even more embarrassed by how he is doing his part-time job. When David Stern was the NBA's Commissioner, he took the consistent position that it was important to promote the game and uplift the players. How does it promote the game to uplift a violent and petty person like Green to a position of prominence so that Green can mock the league's Defensive Player of the Year? If Gobert is as bad as Green suggests, then either the league is trash, or the media members who do the voting are idiots; neither scenario is a good look for the league. 

Green's laser focus on Gobert not only demeans Gobert specifically and the NBA product in general, but it diminishes Doncic's greatness. Unlike Green's buddy LeBron James, Doncic does not complain about his teammates or whine about his injuries. Doncic gets the job done without making excuses. Doncic's greatness is the story, and that should be the focus, not Green's weird vendetta against Gobert.

Labels: Anthony Edwards, Dallas Mavericks, Karl Anthony-Towns, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert

posted by David Friedman @ 1:45 AM

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Celtics Overwhelm Pacers, Take 2-0 Eastern Conference Finals Lead

The Boston Celtics barely survived game one of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Indiana Pacers, but in game two the Celtics demonstrated clear superiority en route to posting a 126-110 win. The Celtics did not trail in the second half, and led by as many as 20 points; they have enjoyed a 20 point lead in 47 of their 94 games (regular season and playoffs). After the game, ESPN's Tim Legler mentioned that this game highlighted the significant "talent disparity" between these teams--and that is without Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed the last eight games due to injury but may be able to return as soon as game four in this series.

In his postgame media availability session, Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle said, "The bottom of the stat sheet is ugly." Boston outscored Indiana in the paint 54-34, outrebounded Indiana 40-37, and forced 16 Indiana turnovers while committing just 10 turnovers. The Celtics attempted 37 three pointers, not the 50 that they aspire to attempt each game. If the Celtics consistently play this way then they will win the 2024 NBA championship. They don't necessarily have to match each of those numbers; they have to maintain the mindset of attacking the paint and not just chucking up the first available semi-open three pointer--which is the flawed approach that doomed Minnesota in their game one Western Conference Finals loss to Dallas. The Pacers shot 44-84 (.524) from the field but lost by double digits because the Celtics dominated the paint and the possession game. The well-worn cliche is repeated so often because it is true: offense wins games, but defense wins championships. The Celtics are a great team that can make three pointers; they are not great because they make three pointers. As long as they don't get that twisted it will be difficult to beat them.

Jaylen Brown--whose three pointer tied game one near the end of regulation to set up Boston's overtime victory--poured in a game-high 40 points on 14-27 field goal shooting, authoring an All-NBA Team caliber performance a day after the announcement that he was not selected to the 2024 All-NBA Team. Brown denied that not receiving that honor served as an extra motivation, declaring that his focus is on the fact that Boston is two wins away from going to the NBA Finals. Brown joined a select group of Celtics players who scored at least 40 points in an Eastern Conference Finals or Eastern Division Finals game; that list is topped by Sam Jones (47 points) but, surprisingly, that list does not include Larry Bird, John Havlicek, or Paul Pierce. 

Jayson Tatum started slowly with two points on 1-6 field goal shooting in the first quarter, but he finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Derrick White added 23 points, six assists, and four rebounds. 

Jrue Holiday contributed 15 points and a game-high 10 assists. When Jrue Holiday is your team's fourth option--and he is the fifth option when Porzingis is healthy--your team is very, very talented; he was the third option for Milwaukee's 2021 championship team. 

Brown, Tatum, Holiday, and White each have good size, good speed, and good length, enabling them to have a major impact at both ends of the court while playing multiple positions. 

Pascal Siakam scored a team-high 28 points on blistering 13-17 field goal shooting, but no other Pacer scored more than 16 points or attempted more than 12 field goals. He is doing his part, but it will take more than one All-Star caliber player to slow down Boston's well-oiled machine.

The biggest story for the Pacers--which could turn into the biggest story for game three--is that Tyrese Haliburton injured his left hamstring, received treatment at halftime, and then gave it a go in the third quarter before missing the final 15:44 of the game. The Celtics led 82-71 when Haliburton left the game for good, but he had a +1 plus/minus number during the 28 minutes that he played. Haliburton's boxscore numbers were modest in this game (10 points, eight assists), but he makes the Pacers' offense go by pushing the ball up the court to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. It is difficult to picture the Pacers winning a game in this series--even at home, where they are undefeated in the 2024 playoffs--if Haliburton is out or even limited.

Labels: Boston Celtics, Derrick White, Indiana Pacers, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton

posted by David Friedman @ 12:08 AM

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Tag Team: Kyrie Scores Early, Luka Dominates Late as Dallas Downs Timberwolves to Take Homecourt Advantage

Kyrie Irving scored 24 first quarter points and Luka Doncic scored 19 second half points--including 15 in the fourth quarter--as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-105 to seize homecourt advantage in the Western Conference Finals. Doncic (33 points, eight assists, six rebounds) and Irving (30 points, five rebounds, four assists) were the game's top two scorers and most dominant players, but some of the overall team numbers are eye-opening: the Mavericks won the rebounding battle 48-40, and they outscored the Timberwolves in the paint 62-38. During the regular season, the Timberwolves ranked 23rd in the league in three point field goals attempted (32.7 per game), but in this game they jacked up 49 treys and that is just not the optimal way for them to play even though they shot a respectable .367 from beyond the arc; when a team takes more than half of its shots from three point range it is not attacking the paint, it is not getting the opposing team in foul trouble, it is less able to set up its halfcourt defense, and overall it is engaging in a high variance approach that has repeatedly been proven to not lead to championship success. The Mavericks shot terribly from three point range (6-25, .240) but they won the game in no small part because they shot half as many three pointers as the Timberwolves; the Mavericks relentlessly attacked the paint and were so successful in that regard that they survived their poor three point shooting.

Jaden McDaniels led the Timberwolves with 24 points, but the Timberwolves need more from Anthony Edwards than 19 points on 6-16 field goal shooting. Edwards led the Timberwolves in rebounding (11) and assists (eight), but after the game he explained away the loss by asserting that his team was tired. That may be true, but he is a young player who has been favorably compared to Michael Jordan; being tired is not an option and not a valid excuse in the Conference Finals: the Timberwolves follow Edwards' lead, and the correct approach is (1) for Edwards to be more aggressive attacking the hoop and (2) for Edwards to take responsibility after the game instead of providing any excuses. 

Karl-Anthony Towns had just 16 points on 6-20 field goal shooting, including 2-9 from three point range. He must challenge Dallas in the paint and stop settling for long jumpers. Edwards and Towns combined to attempt 21 three pointers, which was nearly a fourth of Minnesota's field goal attempts. Edwards is the team's best driver and Towns is (or should be) the team's best post up threat, so when both players are settling for three pointers they are letting the defense off the hook. After the game, Towns acknowledged that Minnesota's "three big lineup is our biggest advantage" and he said that the Timberwolves must be tougher in the paint than they were in game one.

Rudy Gobert will almost always be the scapegoat after Minnesota loses, particularly when biased or uninformed people are given microphones on national broadcasts. Gobert had 12 points on 4-8 field goal shooting, plus seven rebounds and two blocked shots. He is supposedly "unplayable," yet he had a team-best +10 plus/minus number: the Timberwolves won his 38 minutes by 10 points and were outscored by 13 points in the 10 minutes when he was off of the court. At that pace, if the Timberwolves had cut his minutes then they would have lost by double digits. The more one listens to Draymond Green insult Gobert during TNT's telecasts the more one realizes that (1) Green is very biased and petty, (2) his basketball IQ is not nearly as high as advertised, and (3) he is blessed that he rode alongside Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, and others to four championships instead of spending his career racking up triple singles for a losing team, as he did during the 2019-20 season when Durant, Curry, Thompson, and Iguodala were not available to rescue him. It is true that Green's defense and passing contributed to Golden State's success, but the reality is that Green is a hotheaded and violent role player who complemented the great players around him, and not the great player that he is purported to be.

During his postgame media availability, Minnesota Coach Chris Finch made two very pertinent observations: he criticized his team's "terrible offense down the stretch," and he noted that Dallas attacked the paint with impunity when Gobert was not in the game. The boxscore numbers cited above support both points. Finch claimed to be OK with the quality of the three pointers that his team took, but I doubt that in game two Minnesota will jack up 49 three pointers while being dominated in the paint.

In my series preview, I picked Minnesota to win this series in six games because "their size will enable them to control the paint at both ends of the court, and because Anthony Edwards will play Luka Doncic to at least a draw." In game one, Dallas dominated the paint, and Doncic outplayed Edwards. The natural overreaction would be to assume that game two will be just like game one, but the reality is that momentum does not exist in a playoff series. Doncic and Irving may very well combine for 60-plus points again, but that should not be enough for Dallas to win if the Timberwolves use their size advantage effectively at both ends of the court.

Labels: Anthony Edwards, Dallas Mavericks, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert

posted by David Friedman @ 2:00 AM

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The Sporting News Acknowledges the ABA in All-NBA Team Announcement

For over 20 years, I have insisted that ABA statistics, records, and honors should count. In a 2007 NBCSports.com article, I discussed which players had been selected most often for All-League Teams--meaning All-ABA and All-NBA. The NFL acknowledges AFL statistics, records, and honors, and it is long overdue for the NBA to do the same regarding the ABA. 

It is refreshing to see that The Sporting News--which has had some difficulty getting its facts straight about ABA honors--listed Julius Erving as a 12-time All-League selection in its article about the 2024 All-NBA Teams. Erving is one of just a dozen players in pro basketball history who earned at least 12 All-League selections; the others are LeBron James (20), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (15), Kobe Bryant (15), Tim Duncan (15), Karl Malone (14), Shaquille O'Neal (14), Bob Cousy (12), Dirk Nowitzki (12), Hakeem Olajuwon (12), Dolph Schayes (12), and Jerry West (12).

Regarding this year's 15 All-NBA Team members, I don't have any major criticisms of the selections. I very much like the Player Participation Policy that stipulates that players who fail to play in at least 65 games cannot be selected for various postseason awards, including All-NBA. I am not a fan of positionless voting, which debuted this year; the All-NBA Team historically honored two forwards, two guards, and one center, and changing that format will make it even more challenging to make comparisons across eras. There is value in being recognized as one of the best players at each designated position, and positions still matter: no team--at least no good team--is regularly trotting out lineups with five guards or five centers. Basketball may be more position fluid than it used to be, but it is not really positionless.

One could quibble about the rankings among the 15 All-NBA players, but--other than Jaylen Brown--there is not a very strong argument that anyone who landed outside of the top 15 belonged in the top 15. I would argue that Brown should have made one of the three All-NBA Teams based not only on Brown's individual play but also his role as the second best player on a Boston team that lapped the rest of the NBA by a country mile during the regular season. It is difficult to justify placing both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the All-NBA Team, regardless of how gaudy their individual numbers may look at first glance: how valuable were they when their combined efforts landed the L.A. Lakers in the Play-In Tournament? We need one of those Elias Sports Bureau statistics about how often a team with two All-NBA players barely qualified for the playoffs. I am also not convinced that this season Kawhi Leonard was better or more impactful on winning than Brown.

However, of more concern than any specific player who made or did not make the All-NBA Team is the reality that--because of incentive-laden contracts--these votes have a multimillion dollar impact for many players. In 2021, I noted the inherent conflict of interest when media members' votes play a significant role in determining how much money players make:

It is not an exaggeration to say that media members have significant influence over how millions of dollars will be distributed; I am not sure what the best solution is to change that situation, but there is something wrong with a player's compensation potentially being determined by whether or not a media member likes him (and if you don't think that personal bias affects awards voting then you do not understand human nature and you are willfully ignoring many overt examples of media bias for or against certain players).

Even if the media members who vote make the right selections 100% of the time--and that is demonstrably not the case--millions of dollars should not be allocated based at least in part on how popular certain players are with nationally prominent media members. LeBron James has a contingent of reporters who are little more than glorified members of his public relations team; the biggest break in their careers was tagging along with James, so they are disinclined to upset the golden goose that birthed (and sustained) their careers. There are other players who are very popular with media members, and the flip side is that there are players who media members do not like very much. Three years after I raised this concern, I still am not sure what the best solution is, but the combination of huge financial incentives for making the All-NBA Team with media members doing the voting creates an unhealthy dynamic--and another wrinkle is that there is legalized wagering regarding who will win awards, so media members are also determining how much money is won and lost by bettors (and by the sportsbooks).

Labels: All-NBA Team, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Julius Erving, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

posted by David Friedman @ 12:37 AM

2 comments

Pacers Squander Late Lead, Celtics Win in Overtime to Take 1-0 Eastern Conference Finals Lead

Jaylen Brown saved the Boston Celtics by drilling a game-tying three pointer with 6.1 seconds remaining in regulation, and then Jayson Tatum poured in 10 points in overtime as the Celtics escaped with a 133-128 win over the Indiana Pacers in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown and Tatum stepped up when the Celtics needed them the most, but they only had those opportunities because of two disastrous miscues committed by the Pacers, who fumbled away a great chance to win on the road against the Eastern Conference's number one seeded team: the Pacers had two turnovers in the final 27.7 seconds of regulation while clinging to a three point lead; first Tyrese Haliburton dribbled the ball out of bounds near midcourt, and then after the Celtics missed two field goals Andrew Nembhard threw the inbounds pass out of bounds to set up Brown's shot. After the game, Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle said, "This loss is totally on me. With 10 seconds in regulation, we should've just taken the timeout, advanced the ball, found a way to get it in, made a free throw or two, and ended the game."

Tatum scored a game-high 36 points while also grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, passing for four assists, and swiping three steals. This was Tatum's fourth career playoff game with at least 35 points and at least 10 rebounds, tying John Havlicek for second in the Celtics' storied history behind only Larry Bird, who had 10 such games. Jrue Holiday added 28 points (his high game since joining the Celtics), eight assists, and seven rebounds while playing a game-high 48 minutes. Brown had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Al Horford and Derrick White scored 15 points each.

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 25 points and 10 assists. Pascal Siakam contributed 24 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Myles Turner had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Haliburton's fast pace, timely shooting, and deft passing caused major problems for Boston's highly regarded defense.

The Pacers outshot the Celtics from the field (.535 to .475), and they outrebounded the Celtics 44-43, but they committed 23 fouls to just 15 fouls by the Celtics, which led to Boston attempting 30 free throws while Indiana had just 10 free throw attempts. The Pacers had 21 turnovers while the Celtics had 14 turnovers.

After the Celtics stormed to a 12-0 lead in less than three minutes, the Pacers steadied themselves and cut the margin to 34-31 by the end of the first quarter. The Celtics built a 10 point second quarter lead only to settle for a 64-64 halftime tie. The third quarter was the same story as the first two quarters: the Celtics built a double digit lead--92-79 with 3:23 remaining--only to give away their advantage and cling to a 94-93 lead heading into the final stanza. The fourth quarter was much more closely contested, as neither team led by more than five points. Nembhard's stepback jumper at the 1:57 mark put the Pacers ahead 115-110 and pushed the Celtics to the brink of yet another home playoff loss (a puzzling trend for a squad that has enjoyed so much playoff success in recent seasons). 

Indiana's turnovers, Brown's three pointer, and Tatum's overtime dominance are the obvious headline stories from this game, but during the telecast Doris Burke pointed out a key matchup that the Pacers exploited: the Pacers ran their late-game offense in a way that forced Horford to guard a smaller player in the open floor, and Horford struggled when placed on an island in that fashion. The cliched response in today's NBA is too often to simply bench an "unplayable" big man, but I would suggest that the Celtics would be better served by trapping those screening actions and then rotating (instead of consenting to switches that leave Horford isolated against smaller, quicker players). The Celtics must figure out some counter to this action for at least the next two games, and then hope that Kristaps Porzingis not only returns for game four but that he is mobile enough to impact the game at both ends of the court. Porzingis was a major part of Boston's regular season success, and it would be silly to pretend that his absence has no impact.

During ESPN's pregame show, Bob Myers declared that this series will be closer than many expect; if game one is any indication, he may be correct. He also noted that no matter what happens in game one the media will overreact, as if the winning team will never lose again and the losing team will never win again; I made the same point recently: The NBA playoffs are about matchups, not momentum.

Labels: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton

posted by David Friedman @ 1:33 AM

1 comments

Minnesota Versus Dallas Preview

Western Conference Finals

#3 Minnesota (56-26) vs. #5 Dallas (50-32)

Season series: Minnesota, 3-1

Dallas can win if…Luka Doncic averages a 30 point triple double, Kyrie Irving averages at least 23 ppg and at least 7 apg, and Dallas' big men hold their own against Minnesota's big and versatile frontcourt. Doncic averaged 24.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg, and 8.7 apg as Dallas upset the number one seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 in the second round, and during the 2024 playoffs Doncic is averaging 27.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, and 9.1 apg (first in the league). Doncic, who won his first regular season scoring title this year (33.9 ppg), is consistently great, but his 2024 playoff scoring is lower than his playoff scoring in 2021 and 2022 when he led the league in that category (35.7 ppg in 2021, 31.7 ppg in 2022); the decrease in Doncic's scoring is partly because he has more help around him, and partly because he has been slowed at times by a host of nagging injuries. It is unlikely that Doncic will ever be a defensive stopper, but he has improved at that end of the court to the extent that opposing teams target him less often and have less success when they target him.

Kyrie Irving had some good moments versus Oklahoma City, but overall he barely played at an All-Star level, let alone at the level of the all-time great that he is supposed to be; he averaged 15.7 ppg, 6.2 apg, and 2.3 rpg, numbers that are below his overall 2024 playoff statistics (21.1 ppg, 5.4 apg, 4.0 apg). Many TV commentators gush over Irving's ballhandling skills, but of greater importance to Dallas' winning chances are (1) his improved defensive effort this season and especially during the playoffs, and (2) his proven ability to be the second option on a championship team (2016 Cleveland Cavaliers).

The difference for the Mavericks between missing the playoffs last season and reaching the Western Conference Finals this season is the play of their midseason acquisitions P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, two players who provide size, rebounding, and toughness. Washington was Dallas' second best player in the Oklahoma City series, averaging 17.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg while leading the team in three point field goals made (23) and three point field goal percentage (.469). Gafford led the team in blocked shots (2.0 bpg) versus Oklahoma City while also averaging 11.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg.

Gafford, Washington, and rookie Dereck Lively II give the Mavericks a much-needed paint presence at both ends of the court, but they face a significant challenge matching up with Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid.

Minnesota will win because…their size will enable them to control the paint at both ends of the court, and because Anthony Edwards will play Luka Doncic to at least a draw. The Timberwolves can throw a host of long-armed, rangy defenders at Irving--and Edwards has already publicly relished the opportunity to guard Irving. Oklahoma City's younger and bigger perimeter players gave Irving problems at both ends of the court, and Minnesota is a better defensive team than Oklahoma City. The Timberwolves will not shut down Doncic, but they have enough wing defenders and enough paint presence to prevent a steady diet of 40 point explosions.

Minnesota's big man trio earned a host of awards this season, and they overpowered the big, physical Denver Nuggets in the second round. Towns made the All-Star team for the fourth time, Gobert won his record-tying fourth Defensive Player of the Year award, and Reid won the Sixth Man of the Year award. Towns is a three level scorer, Gobert is an elite rim protector who scores efficiently in the paint, and Reid provides an athletic and energetic presence at both ends of the court. 

Edwards is being prematurely crowned as the next Michael Jordan--Jordan won six Finals MVPs and six championships, while Edwards has won two playoff series so far--but if you ignore the hype and just watch his game then you will like what you see. Edwards is a three level scorer who is a deft and willing passer, and he is also an enthusiastic and effective defensive player. It is fair to say that he looks like a player who could be a perennial MVP contender, but it is ridiculous to compare a young player who is just starting his NBA journey with Jordan, who had no skill set weaknesses and who utilized his superlative skills to transform the Chicago Bulls into a dominant team. 

Other things to consider: While other franchises try to "tank to the top" or assemble "super teams," the Timberwolves built their roster organically. Tim Connelly, who laid the foundation of the Denver Nuggets' championship success before becoming Minnesota's President of Basketball Operations, assembled the Timberwolves' roster with the understanding that size matters in the NBA at both ends of the court. "Stat gurus" mocked Connelly's trade for Rudy Gobert, but Connelly did not panic after the Timberwolves lost 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 playoffs. Connelly ignored the noise about Gobert being unplayable in today's "pace and space" NBA--noise that could still be heard during the second round of this year's playoffs before the Timberwolves won games six and seven to send the Nuggets home for the summer. The Timberwolves have Mike Conley's veteran, stabilizing influence at point guard, Anthony Edwards' superstar potential on the wing, and the big man trio discussed above. Their bench is excellent, and the biggest difference this season is that the team's maturity level has risen dramatically; there is no internal strife, and they have vastly reduced their bonehead plays that once inspired Charles Barkley to declare that they are "dumb as rocks."

In contrast, Mark Cuban has publicly embraced tanking--a disgraceful stance for which the NBA has fined him twice--and it is interesting to observe the favorable media coverage that he continues to receive despite (1) the Mavericks not being particularly successful on the court for most of his tenure and (2) the Mavericks' well-documented dysfunctional workplace culture that Cuban implausibly claimed that he knew nothing about. Cuban prematurely cast aside much of Dirk Nowitzki's supporting cast after the Mavericks won the 2011 NBA title, and as a result of that blunder--and other personnel miscues while Cuban ran the team's basketball operations--the Mavericks did not win a playoff series again until 2022. Then, Cuban responded to that success by letting Jalen Brunson walk away in free agency, and the Mavericks missed the playoffs in 2023. Therefore, it is perhaps not surprising that the Mavericks' success this season coincides with Cuban selling his majority interest in the team and taking a step back from controlling basketball operations. Cuban placed himself in the enviable position of remaining the public face of the franchise while enabling smarter people to make basketball decisions for which many media members will still give him credit.

Minnesota will defeat Dallas in six games.

Labels: Anthony Edwards, Dallas Mavericks, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Mike Conley, Minnesota Timberwolves, Naz Reid, P.J. Washington, Rudy Gobert

posted by David Friedman @ 10:26 PM

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Boston Versus Indiana Preview

Eastern Conference Finals

#1 Boston (64-18) vs. #6 Indiana (47-35)

Season series: Boston, 3-2

Indiana can win if…Tyrese Haliburton pushes the pace to the extent that Indiana scores 115-120 ppg while shooting efficiently. The Pacers led the league in regular season scoring (123.3 ppg) and regular season field goal percentage (.507), and they averaged 115.3 ppg on .532 field goal shooting in their second round victory versus the New York Knicks. They rewrote the NBA record book with their 130-109 game seven victory at New York, shooting .671 from the field overall and .763 from the field in the first half. Haliburton led the Pacers in scoring (21.3 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg) versus New York. 

Midseason acquisition Pascal Siakam has been more up and down than one would expect from a two-time All-NBA selection/two-time All-Star who was a key player for the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors; in 13 playoff games this year his scoring has ranged from 12 points to 37 points, but he averaged 20.0 ppg and a team-high 6.4 rpg versus New York with scoring totals in between 14 and 26 points. It may not be realistic to expect him to win his matchup versus Jayson Tatum, but for the Pacers to have a chance in this series that matchup must not be a landslide in Tatum's favor.

Boston will win because…the Celtics are too talented and too big for the Pacers. Jayson Tatum has finished in the top six in MVP voting in each of the past three seasons. This season, Tatum averaged 26.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and 4.9 apg; his scoring has dipped in the 2024 playoffs (24.3 ppg) but his rebounding (10.4 rpg) and assists (5.8 apg) have both increased. Tatum led both teams in scoring (26.8 ppg), rebounding (10.4 rpg), assists (6.2 apg, tied with Darius Garland), steals (1.6 spg) and blocked shots (1.0 bpg, tied with Evan Mobley and teammate Al Horford) as Boston defeated Cleveland 4-1 in the second round. Tatum joined Julius Erving (1976 ABA Finals) and LeBron James (2016 NBA Finals) as the only players to lead both teams in all of those categories in a playoff series since steals and blocked shots have been official statistics (1973 for the ABA, 1974 for the NBA).

Jaylen Brown is a strong second option for Boston, averaging 23.1 ppg on .554 field goal shooting during the playoffs. Third option Derrick White (18.2 ppg during the playoffs) has led the Celtics in scoring twice in 10 playoff games while also playing tough defense. Jrue Holiday has championship experience with Milwaukee and is a steadying influence at both ends of the court.

Holiday, White, and Brown can take turns guarding Haliburton, using their size and quickness to cut off driving angles and contest shots.

Kristaps Porzingis has missed Boston's last six playoff games with a strained left calf. The Celtics are cautiously optimistic that he can return to action during the Eastern Conference Finals. During the regular season, he ranked third on the team in scoring (20.1 ppg), second in rebounding (7.2 rpg), first in blocked shots (1.9 bpg), and first in field goal percentage (.516) among players who attempted at least four field goals per game. His playoff production was not nearly as good, but he poses matchup problems at both ends of the court. If Porzingis can play, this would enable the Celtics to manage the playing time of soon to be 38 year old Al Horford, who had a flashback performance in the series clincher versus Cleveland (22 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots) but could wear down if forced to play heavy minutes.

Other things to consider: The Celtics have reached the Eastern Conference Finals six times in the past eight years. That is a rare feat in the 53 years since the NBA realigned into a two conference format, but the Celtics have not won an NBA championship since 2008; the only other teams to reach the Eastern Conference Finals or Western Conference Finals at least six times in an eight year span each won at least one championship:

Philadelphia 76ers: 1977-78, 1980-83 (won championship in 1983)

L.A. Lakers: 1980, 1982-89, 1991 (won championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88)

Boston Celtics: 1980-82, 1984-88 (won championships in 1981, 1984, 1986)

Chicago Bulls: 1989-93, 1996-98 (won championships in 1991-93, 1996-98) 

Detroit Pistons: 2003-08 (won championship in 2004)

Golden State Warriors: 2015-19, 2022 (won championships in 2015, 2017-18, 2022)

Four of those six teams had at least one member of my pro basketball Pantheon (Julius Erving from the 76ers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson from the Lakers, Larry Bird from the Celtics, and Michael Jordan from the Bulls). One of the least talked about and most underrated aspects of Erving's underrated career is that his teams played in pro basketball's version of the "Final Four" 10 times in the first 14 seasons of his 16 year career (and he was indisputably the best player on eight of those 10 squads while serving as a strong second option on the other two). 

Consistently reaching the Conference Finals is special because the NBA is designed to create parity based on the structuring of the Draft, the free agency rules, and the salary cap rules; that preference for parity means that it is common for a team to reach the "Final Four" at least once every 15-20 years, but it uncommon for a team to repeatedly go that far in the playoffs. Daryl Morey served as Houston's General Manager for 13 years and has been Philadelphia's President of Basketball Operations for the past four seasons. His teams have never reached the NBA Finals, and have advanced as far as the Conference Finals just twice. He is touted--and touts himself--as someone whose use of "advanced basketball statistics" gives him an advantage, but the reality is that since 2008 10 of the 15 Eastern Conference teams and 11 of the 15 Western Conference teams have reached the Conference Finals at least once. The NBA's built-in parity spreads the wealth (literally and figuratively). Morey's 2015 and 2018 Houston teams, the 2019 Portland Trail Blazers, and the 2021 Atlanta Hawks are examples of teams that made fluky, unsustainable playoff runs to the Conference Finals; they each benefited more from the league's built-in parity than from anything specific that they did, and that is why none of those teams enjoyed sustained success. The Boston Celtics stand in marked contrast to those teams; it is a significant accomplishment to defy the league's built-in parity and rise above the pack to consistently advance to the "Final Four."

However, an NBA team's historical reputation hinges on winning at least one NBA title. If the Celtics win a championship then they vault themselves into the select group of teams listed above; otherwise, they remain in the same tier with the 1994-2000 Indiana Pacers, who reached the Eastern Conference Finals five times and the NBA Finals once, but never won a championship.

Boston will defeat Indiana in six games.

Labels: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton

posted by David Friedman @ 4:20 PM

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Timberwolves Stun Nuggets in Denver With Biggest Second Half Comeback in NBA Game Seven History

The Denver Nuggets led the Minnesota Timberwolves 53-38 at halftime and 58-38 early in the third quarter in game seven at Denver, but the Timberwolves closed the game with a 60-32 run to eliminate the defending champions, 98-90. The Timberwolves thus pulled off the biggest second half comeback since the NBA began tracking play by play data 25 years ago. The Timberwolves prevailed in a roller coaster series during which they won the first two games in Denver, then lost three games in a row--including games three and four at home--before winning game six at home and game seven on the road. One might think that it would be uncommon for the defending champion to lose game seven at home, but the Nuggets are the ninth NBA defending champion to be eliminated at home in game seven. Some defending champions, such as the L.A. Lakers in 2021, were eliminated by a home loss even earlier than game seven in the second round; those Lakers lost game six at home in the first round.

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota in scoring (23 points) and rebounding (12), while Jaden McDaniels matched Towns with 23 points. Anthony Edwards had 16 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high seven assists, but he shot just 6-24 from the field--including four points on 1-7 field goal shooting in the first half. The much-maligned Rudy Gobert made his presence felt with 13 points, nine rebounds, and two blocked shots, while Mike Conley was a steadying influence with 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a game-best +14 plus/minus number. Naz Reid added 11 points off of the bench, and his defense and energy provided a big boost.

Jamal Murray scored a game-high 35 points on 13-27 field goal shooting, but the Timberwolves pressured him in the second half and held him to 11 points on 5-12 field goal shooting in the final 24 minutes. Nikola Jokic had 34 points on 13-28 field goal shooting, plus a game-high 19 rebounds, and a game-high seven assists. He shot poorly from three point range (2-10), but other than that it is difficult to find much to criticize about his performance. Road wins in game seven used to be rare in the NBA--the home team won 21 straight game sevens from 1982-1995--but this is the second time that Jokic's Nuggets have blown a double digit lead at home in game seven: they squandered a 17 point lead to Portland in 2019.

Murray dominated the first quarter, scoring 13 points on 5-10 field goal shooting as Denver led 24-19 after the first stanza. Murray added 11 second quarter points as the Nuggets seemed to be pulling away for good, but the Timberwolves used a balanced attack to outscore the Nuggets 28-14 in the third quarter while also winning the rebounding battle 15-8. Jokic scored 14 fourth quarter points, but only two other Nuggets scored at all while six Timberwolves combined to score 32 points. The Timberwolves took the lead for good when Conley's three pointer at the 9:26 mark made the score 75-72. The Timberwolves enjoyed at least a two possession advantage for the final 4:10.

TNT's Kenny Smith made an excellent point in the postgame show when he noted that the narratives about star players are often shaped by team results: Edwards' poor shooting will be forgotten, Smith asserted, and the narrative will be that Edwards was poised down the stretch and that he trusted his teammates. I don't base my analysis and commentary on narratives promoted by others, but it is legitimate to ask how to distinguish Edwards' play from how James Harden typically performs in an elimination game.

There are several differences between Edwards' inefficient game seven performance and James Harden's pathetic elimination game resume: Edwards led his teammates instead of separating himself from them, Edwards played hard on defense, Edwards played aggressively on offense in a way that tilted the defense toward him to open up opportunities for his teammates, and even with his errant shooting Edwards still easily avoided the dreaded "Harden," which refers to accumulating more turnovers than field goals made (Edwards had just one turnover).

Speaking of narratives, three-time regular season MVP Jokic will likely be criticized for "failing" to lead his team to a repeat championship, as if this is a significant shortcoming. It is easy to forget that only a few players led their teams to repeat titles:

1. George Mikan--voted the best basketball player of the first half of the 20th century--led the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in six years (1949-50, 1952-54). 
2. Bill Russell--the greatest winner in the history of North American team sports--led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships in 13 seasons (1957, 1959-66, 1968-69).
3. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy led the L.A. Lakers to back to back championships (1987-88).
4. Isiah Thomas led the Detroit Pistons to back to back championships (1989-90).
5. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led the Chicago Bulls to a pair of threepeats (1991-93, 1996-98).
6. Hakeem Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to back to back championships (1994-95).
   
7. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant led the L.A. Lakers to a threepeat (2000-02).
8. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to back to back championships (2009-10).
9. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led the Miami Heat to back to back championships (2012-13).
10. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to back to back championships (2017-18).

Labels: Anthony Edwards, Denver Nuggets, Jamal Murray, Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert

posted by David Friedman @ 12:57 AM

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Hot-Shooting Pacers Rout Knicks in New York to Advance to the Eastern Conference Finals

The Indiana Pacers could not miss and the New York Knicks could not stay healthy: that was the story as the Pacers defeated the Knicks 130-109 in game seven at New York, earning the right to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers set an NBA playoff single game record by shooting .671 from the field (53-71), while the Knicks set an unofficial record by having five of their top eight rotation players unavailable by the end of game seven: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic did not play at all in game seven, OG Anunoby played less than five minutes after coming back too soon from a hamstring injury, and Jalen Brunson missed the last 15 minutes after breaking his left hand late in the third quarter. The Knicks won the first two games of this series at home, but lost four of the next five games as Anunoby missed three full games (and 43 minutes of game seven) and iron man Josh Hart suffered an abdominal injury that limited his effectiveness in games six and seven.

The Knicks define themselves by their physicality, defense, and rebounding, so it must be particularly galling for them not just to lose to a finesse-oriented team but to be outdone in both points in the paint (52-38) and rebounding (33-28) in game seven at home.

Tyrese Haliburton led the way with a team-high 26 points on 10-17 field goal shooting, but he had a lot of help as all four other Indiana starters scored in double figures: Pascal Siakam (20 points, 8-15 field goal shooting), Andrew Nembhard (20 points, 8-10 field goal shooting), Aaron Nesmith (19 points, 8-8 field goal shooting), and Myles Turner (17 points, 7-11 field goal shooting). T.J. McConnell provided a spark off of the bench with 12 points (6-8 field goal shooting) and flypaper sticky defense. 

Donte DiVincenzo scored a game-high 39 points, Alec Burks scored 26 points off of the bench, Brunson had 17 points and a game-high nine assists, and Hart added 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists before fouling out. However, Brunson candidly admitted after the game that he had not played well before breaking his hand, as he shot just 6-17 from the field. 

Although it would have been interesting to see these teams battle it out with the Knicks at full strength, the Pacers deserve full credit for how well their offense performed in game seven; this was not just about making shots: the Pacers pushed the ball up the court, made crisp passes, and hunted mismatches. The Knicks looked a step slow at both ends of the court, which is another way of saying that the Pacers looked very fast at both ends of the court; the undersized Knicks are at their best when they are scrambling around so fast that opposing teams cannot find any holes to exploit, but in game seven the Pacers adroitly identified when Siakam was isolated in the post against a smaller defender, when Turner was cutting to the hoop behind the defense, and when three point shooters were open as the Knicks tried in vain to shut down the Pacers' paint attack. New York Coach Tom Thibodeau asked his team to make multiple efforts--"one is not enough," he said during one of the their timeout huddles--but the Knicks just could not keep up with the Pacers. 

Despite all of the attention paid to "clutch time" statistics, the reality is that the NBA is often a first quarter league. Haliburton (14 points) and Siakam (11 points) combined for 25 first quarter points as the Pacers outcored the Knicks 39-27 in the opening stanza. Anunoby scored five points on 2-2 field goal shooting in five minutes, but he also had a -6 plus/minus number as he dragged his left leg up and down the court, unable to move well enough to play defense. The Pacers shot 16-21 (.762) from the field in the first quarter, including 7-8 from three point range.

The Knicks never cut the margin to less than six points the rest of the way, they trailed 70-55 at halftime, and they trailed by at least 15 points for most of the second half. The Pacers shot 29-38 (.763) from the field in the first half, the best field goal percentage in any half in the 25 years since the NBA has kept such records. 

It would have been logical to assume that the Pacers could not maintain such a lofty field goal percentage in the second half, but their 60 second half points on 24-41 field goal shooting (.585) proved to be more than sufficient. The Knicks made their last stand when Hart's layup cut the margin to 73-67 with 8:03 left in the third quarter. The Pacers answered with four straight points before Brunson assisted on a DiVincenzo three pointer that trimmed the deficit to 77-70 at the 6:43 mark of the third quarter, but the Pacers had already pulled away to a 92-74 lead by the time that Brunson left the game with his broken hand.

This is the Pacers' eighth trip to the Eastern Conference Finals (1994-95, 1998-2000, 2004, 2014) after winning three ABA championships (1970, 1972-73). It will be interesting to see these young Pacers contend with a veteran-laden Celtics squad that is making their sixth Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the past eight years.

Labels: Donte DiVincenzo, Indiana Pacers, Jalen Brunson, Myles Turner, New York Knicks, Pascal Siakam, T.J. McConnell, Tyrese Haliburton

posted by David Friedman @ 9:31 PM

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Mavericks Come Back From 17 Point Deficit to Silence Thunder, Advance to Western Conference Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder jumped out to a 13-4 lead and were up 77-60 at the 8:25 mark of the third quarter, but the Dallas Mavericks won the fourth quarter 34-26 to take the series, 4-2, and eliminate the Western Conference's top seeded team. Luka Doncic scored a team-high 29 points, dished for a game-high 10 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds in a game-high 45 minutes; the only blemish on his stat line was a game-high seven turnovers, but in the second half he had 14 points, seven assists, and just two turnovers. He led the Mavericks in scoring (24.7 ppg), rebounding (10.5 rpg), and assists (8.7 apg) during this series.

Kyrie Irving and Derrick Jones Jr. each scored 22 points. Irving did not shoot well (9-23 from the field), and he was just the team's third leading scorer during this series (15.7 ppg), but he led the Mavericks with 18 second half points (albeit on inefficient 7-18 field goal shooting). P.J. Washington was Dallas' second leading scorer in this series (17.7 ppg), but he was silent for most of this game before scoring a very loud nine fourth quarter points, including the game-winning/series-clinching free throws with 2.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Dereck Lively II added 12 points and a game-high 15 rebounds off of the bench as the Mavericks won the bench scoring battle, 25-15.

The Mavericks outrebounded the Thunder 47-31 but squandered many of those extra possessions, committing 17 turnovers compared to just eight by the Thunder. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 36 points on 14-25 field goal shooting. He is not flashy, but he is consistent, and he plays hard at both ends of the court. Jalen Williams had an excellent all-around game with 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Chet Holmgren added 21 points, but did not have much of an impact in any other phase of the game (three rebounds, one assist, no blocked shots).

The Thunder led for most of the game, but there are no prizes for leading at halftime or for leading the most minutes overall; in my recap of Dallas' 105-101 game three win, I noted, "[T]o win a championship a team must be able to withstand physical play, rebound and defend the paint; those three areas are weaknesses that will be difficult for the Thunder to overcome versus the Mavericks." The Thunder did a solid job defending the paint in this game, but the Mavericks took over the game in the second half primarily because of physical play and rebounding. Size still matters, defense still matters, and rebounding still matters, no matter how much "stat gurus" keep bleating about "pace and space." In the second half, Dallas outrebounded Oklahoma City 26-14 while the Thunder shot 5-17 (.294) from three point range. The Thunder led the NBA in three point field goal percentage this season while ranking eighth in three pointers made, but three point shooting alone does not win NBA titles--and relying too much on three point shooting is a high variance strategy that often leads to early playoff exits. The Mavericks attempted more three pointers than the Thunder during this series, but they got away with that not just because they shot a higher percentage from beyond the arc but because they did not rely on three point shooting: they played with a level of physicality that put pressure on the Thunder and that provided extra possessions because of their rebounding advantage.

The Mavericks are making their second Western Conference Finals appearance in the past three years. They will face the winner of Sunday's game seven between Denver and Minnesota. The Mavericks will not enjoy a size or physicality advantage against either of those teams, nor will the Mavericks have homecourt advantage against either of those teams; they won two games at Oklahoma City, but it is not likely that they will win two road games in the Western Conference Finals. 

As for the Thunder, there has been much talk that they are the youngest team to win a playoff series--but, as usual, such statistics do not take into account the ABA: the 1974 New York Nets, led by Julius Erving, won a championship with a starting lineup just as young as the Thunder's starting lineup. It is true that the Thunder became good faster than anyone expected, but they will not start next season with homecourt advantage in the second round as the number one seed; they will start from scratch and have to navigate the 82 game regular season as the hunted, not the hunter. Joel Embiid led the Philadelphia 76ers to the second round of the playoffs as a 24 year old, but six years later he still has not advanced past the second round.

Nothing is given, and nothing is promised.

Perhaps the Thunder will build on this season's success, but there is no guarantee that they will reach the second round next year, let alone advance to the Western Conference Finals or the NBA Finals. Injuries, complacency, and roster moves--both by the Thunder and by other teams--could impact the Thunder in unexpected ways.

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

posted by David Friedman @ 12:32 AM

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