Reflecting on Gregg Popovich's Remarkable NBA Coaching Career
Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke at the San Antonio Spurs' arena on November 2, 2024, and he did not return to coach the team last season, but he also did not formally step down; today, Popovich and the Spurs announced that he is retiring from coaching to become the team's President of Basketball Operations. Interim Coach Mitch Johnson will replace Popovich on a full-time basis; officially, Johnson's 32-45 record last season counts toward Popovich's career statistics, so Popovich finished with a 1422-869 regular season record in addition to a 170-114 playoff record, which included five NBA titles (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014). Popovich earned the NBA Coach of the Year award in 2003, 2012, and 2014; the only other three-time winners are Pat Riley and Don Nelson, while Larry Brown received the award three times in the ABA plus one time in the NBA. Popovich ranks first in career regular season wins, third in career playoff wins, and tied for third (with John Kundla and Pat Riley) in championships won, trailing only Phil Jackson (11) and Red Auerbach (nine). Popovich
was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023
alongside (among others) his former players Tony Parker and Pau Gasol. Popovich's first two championship teams featured Hall of Fame big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan, while his next three championship teams included Hall of Famers Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. The NBA Finals MVP for Popovich's last championship, Kawhi Leonard, will be inducted in the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible.
Popovich played basketball for the Air Force Academy and later became Air Force's coach before coaching Pomona-Pitzer from 1979-88, taking one season off to be an assistant coach under Larry Brown at Kansas. The connection with Brown proved to be critical, because Brown later hired Popovich as his lead assistant with the San Antonio Spurs from 1988-92. After the Spurs fired the entire coaching staff, Popovich landed in Golden State as an assistant coach under Don Nelson. The Spurs changed ownership and then brought back Popovich as their general manager. Popovich replaced coach Bob Hill with himself after the Spurs started 3-15 without David Robinson in 1996. Popovich took over the day that Robinson returned to the lineup. The timing did not look great, but Popovich had so much subsequent success that the circumstances of him hiring himself are forgotten by most. Robinson suffered a season-ending injury just six games into Popovich's tenure as coach, and the Spurs finished with a 20-62 record; they used the number one overall selection in the NBA Draft to pick Tim Duncan, who became the franchise's cornerstone player, leading the team to five championships while winning three NBA Finals MVPs and two regular season MVPs.
During his prime, championship-winning years, Popovich deflected any praise directed toward him by declaring that he was just fortunate that Duncan let him coach him. That sounded like a funny, self-deprecating line, but like many jokes it contained more than a bit of truth: Duncan retired in 2016, and since that time the Spurs advanced past the first round just once; in the first post-Duncan season, Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs to a 61-21 record and a Western Conference Finals appearance. Two first round losses followed, and then the Spurs missed the playoffs each season from 2020-25. The last era of Popovich's coaching career was forgettable; the Spurs
tanked to try to get the draft rights to Victor Wembanyama, finishing 22-60 only to then go 22-60 the next season with Wembanyama in the fold. The Spurs have not won more than 34 games in a season since 2019.
Gregg Popovich's FIBA coaching career was up and down--he was an assistant coach on Team USA's disastrous 2002 and 2004 squads, and Team USA failed to medal under his direction in the 2019 FIBA World Cup--and at one point Team USA lost five games in an eight game stretch while he was at the helm, but he led Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 2021 before his protege Steve Kerr took over the reins for Team USA.
Popovich's demeanor during press conferences and in-game interviews became a much-discussed topic. I sympathized with his impatience for ridiculous questions, but I would say that in recent years he behaved boorishly in response to legitimate questions about the poor performance of his team; he was past his prime, and probably sensitive about that.
I interviewed Popovich when the Spurs were in the midst of their most dominant years, and I did not find him as intimidating as some reporters did for the simple reason that I prepared for all of my interviews (not just my ones with Popovich); a prepared reporter is ready for any situation, and is also generally going to be treated with more respect than a reporter who spouts cliches while betraying a lack of even the most basic understanding of the topic at hand (this does not just apply to basketball); during one interview, I asked Popovich which statistic he values the most, and he told me that he focuses on defensive field goal percentage. Popovich also admitted that he coaches more by feel than by statistics: "I would depend more on what I see and feel than on overdosing on stats." In more recent years, Popovich's demeanor became more arrogant and condescending, and this was not just in response to stupid questions; like many NBA stars (and he became as big of a star as any player), he developed an unseemly sense of entitlement reflected not only in rude answers to legitimate questions but also by providing social and political commentary that has not been sought and is not grounded in deep research.
Overall, Popovich's legacy is tremendous and enduring; he won at an elite level for a long time, and he is highly respected by both his players and by his opponents. Hopefully, he will make a complete recovery from his stroke and be able to work in the front office as long as he would like to do so.
Labels: David Robinson, Gregg Popovich, Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Victor Wembanyama
posted by David Friedman @ 11:55 PM
Boston Versus New York Preview
Eastern Conference Second Round
#2 Boston (64-18) vs. #4 New York (50-32)
Season series: Boston, 4-0
New York can win if…the Knicks use their physicality to wear down the Celtics, run them off of the three point line, and force them to play a grind it out game; in other words, if the Knicks use Orlando's anti-Boston blueprint but execute it more efficiently because the Knicks have better players and more playoff experience than the Magic. The Knicks have a defensive-minded coach, Tom Thibodeau, but this season's Knicks are not as good defensively as a typical Thibodeau-led team.
Boston beat Orlando 4-1 in the first round, but Orlando held Boston to 109 points or less in five of the six games while limiting the Celtics to 59 three point field goals made (just under 10 per game); in the regular season, the Celtics scored 116.3 ppg (ranking eighth in the league) while making 17.8 three pointers per game (first in the league). Even though the Magic held the Celtics to 106.4 ppg, they lost in a rout because they only scored 93.6 ppg versus the Celtics.
In contrast to the Magic, the Knicks averaged 115.8 ppg (ninth in the league) in the regular season, and they scored 108.0 ppg versus Detroit's tough defense in a 4-2 first round win. At least on paper the Knicks should be able to match up better with the Celtics than the Magic, but the Celtics' 4-0 regular season sweep of the Knicks included three wins by at least 13 points each.
Jalen Brunson averaged 31.5 ppg, 8.2 apg, and 4.0 rpg in New York's 4-2 first round series victory versus Detroit as all five New York starters averaged at least 11.7 ppg. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 19.7 ppg and a team-high 10.0 rpg in his first playoff series as a Knick; acquiring Towns has made the Knicks a more potent and versatile offensive team at the cost of weakening their defense: the Knicks ranked second in points allowed and 15th in defensive field goal percentage during the 2023-24 regular season, but slipped to ninth and 25th respectively in those categories during the 2024-25 regular season.
Boston will win because...the Celtics enjoy too many matchup advantages. The Knicks' defense may cause some problems for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but over a seven game series Tatum and Brown will have their way; during the regular season, Brown did not put up great numbers versus the Knicks--a trend which will likely not continue during the playoffs--but Tatum averaged 33.5 ppg, 7.0 apg, and 6.8 rpg versus the Knicks with shooting splits of .535/.478/.800. It will be a tall order for the Knicks to contain one of them, let alone deal with both while also contending with Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday.
The Celtics are not only tough to guard; they are also tough to score against, ranking second in the league in both points allowed (107.2 ppg) and defensive field goal percentage (.450). The Celtics can throw multiple individual defenders at Brunson, and they have enough size to deal with Towns.
Usually, when the reigning NBA champion wins 60-plus games the next season that would be headline news, but the Celtics have flown under the radar as Oklahoma City and Cleveland posted even better records while Golden State and the L.A. Lakers grabbed attention by trading for Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic respectively.
Other things to consider: The Knicks are a very good team that did not play well this season versus many of the top teams. The Knicks not only went 0-4 versus the Celtics during the regular season, but they also lost every game that they played versus the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-4), Oklahoma City Thunder (0-2), Golden State Warriors (0-2), and L.A. Clippers (0-2). The Knicks consistently play "good" basketball but rarely do they play "great" basketball, and it will likely take "great" basketball to eliminate the Celtics, a perennial championship contender with perhaps the NBA's most potent starting five.
Boston will defeat New York in five games.
Labels: Boston Celtics, Jalen Brunson, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
posted by David Friedman @ 11:03 PM
Cleveland Versus Indiana Preview
Eastern Conference Second Round
#1 Cleveland (68-14) vs. #4 Indiana (50-32)
Season series: Indiana, 3-1
Indiana can win if…the Pacers' high octane offense overwhelms the Cavaliers, and if the Pacers get enough timely defensive stops. During the regular season, the Pacers ranked third in the NBA in field goal percentage (.488) and seventh in scoring (117.4 ppg) but just 17th in points allowed (115.1 ppg) and 23rd in defensive field goal percentage (.474); in their 4-1 first round victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers maintained their typical offensive production (117.8 ppg, .499 FG%) while holding the Bucks to 110.2 ppg on .453 field goal shooting.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers in regular season scoring (20.2 ppg on .519 field goal shooting), and he led the Pacers in scoring versus the Bucks as well (19.8 ppg on .556 field goal shooting). Tyrese Haliburton is the engine that makes the Pacers' offense go, averaging 17.6 ppg and a league-leading 11.6 apg in the first round. Myles Turner averaged just 4.8 rpg in the first round, but he scored 16.8 ppg on .509 field goal shooting while leading the Pacers in blocked shots (2.2 bpg). Andrew Nembhard is a pesky defender (team-high 1.4 spg during the first round) and solid scorer (15.0 ppg on .492 field goal shooting).
The Pacers are not consistently great defensively, but they have some good individual defensive players, so they are capable of getting key defensive stops.
Cleveland will win because...the Cavaliers are more talented, deeper, and have better offensive/defensive balance. Collectively, the Cavaliers have no weaknesses: they led the NBA in scoring (121.9 ppg) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.491), third in defensive field goal percentage (.454), sixth in rebounding (45.4 rpg), and 12th in points allowed.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers in scoring (24.0 ppg) during the regular season and during Cleveland's first round sweep of the Miami Heat (23.8 ppg; Darius Garland averaged 24.0 ppg but only played in two games)--but the best thing that he did this season went beyond the boxscore: he enthusiastically embraced the notion that for the Cavaliers to reach their potential it is important for Evan Mobley and other players to have larger roles. Mobley scored a career-high 18.5 ppg and he became the first Cavalier to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Darius Garland averaged 20.6 ppg and earned his second All-Star selection, joining Mitchell and Mobley. Jarrett Allen led the NBA in field goal percentage (.706) and he topped the Cavaliers in rebounding (9.7 rpg).
The Cavaliers' point differential (9.5 ppg) not only ranked second in the league this season, but it is on par with the point differentials of all-time great championship teams such as the 1986 Boston Celtics, the 1991 Chicago Bulls, and the 1997 Chicago Bulls. There are three reasons that the Cavaliers are not compared to such teams:
1) The Oklahoma City Thunder performed at an even more dominant level this season.
2) The Cavaliers have not validated their regular season productivity by winning a title.
3) All-time great teams almost always have at least one player 6-6 or taller who is a dominant individual performer. The 1986 Celtics had Larry Bird leading a roster stacked with Hall of Famers. The 1991 and 1997 Bulls had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The Cavaliers' best player is Donovan Mitchell, who is listed at 6-3 but is probably closer to 6-1. Mitchell has never made the All-NBA First Team or finished higher than sixth in MVP voting (though it is possible that he may check off both of those boxes this season).
The Cavaliers may prove to be an ensemble championship team like Seattle in 1979 and Detroit in 2004--but until the Cavaliers win a title they will not be discussed alongside championship teams even though they have the statistical profile of a dominant championship team.
One important step toward gaining such recognition is beating an Indiana team that is very good, but not great.
Other things to consider: Indiana won the season series between these teams 3-1, but the Pacers at full strength barely beat the Cavaliers 114-112 on April 10 when the Cavaliers rested all of their starters except Jarrett Allen; the Pacers' 126-118 double overtime win on April 13 happened on the last day of the season when both teams rested their starters. With both teams at full strength, the Pacers' offensive firepower may be enough to win a couple games, but over the course of a seven game series the Pacers cannot match the Cavaliers.
Cleveland will defeat Indiana in six games.
Labels: Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Indiana Pacers, Jarrett Allen, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton
posted by David Friedman @ 3:56 PM
Gobert Dominates Paint as Timberwolves Eliminate Lakers
Facing elimination at home, the favored L.A. Lakers fell behind 6-0 to the more physical and more focused Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Timberwolves led most of the way en route to a 103-96 game five win in L.A. that left Lakers' fans with more questions than answers about their highly touted team. The Timberwolves built their biggest lead of the game, 29-15, late in the first quarter, but led by single digits for most of the game; in the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves never led by more than eight points or trailed by more than one point, but despite keeping the margin within a three possession band the Lakers could not save their season.
The Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 56-40 in the paint while outrebounding the Lakers 54-37. Rudy Gobert scored a team-high 27 points on 12-15 field goal shooting while grabbing a game-high 24 rebounds and blocking two shots. Former Laker Julius Randle contributed 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Anthony Edwards scored 15 points on 4-19 field goal shooting (including 0-10 from three point range), but he had 11 rebounds, a team-high eight assists, and a team-high three steals.
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 28 points and dished for a game-high nine assists, but he shot just 7-18 from the field, and with the game up for grabs he scored just three points in the fourth quarter. Rui Hachimura added 23 points on 9-16 field goal shooting. LeBron James finished with 22 points on 9-21 field goal shooting, seven rebounds, six assists, and a game-worst -14 plus/minus number. James scored five points on 2-7 field goal shooting in the fourth quarter.
During this series, the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers in the paint in four of the five games; not surprisingly, the Lakers' only win (in game two) was the only game when the Lakers held their own in the paint, tying the Timberwolves 46-46 in a 94-85 victory. Another key statistic for this series is fourth quarter scoring; although the Lakers outscored the Timberwolves by small margins in the first quarter and the third quarter, in the fourth quarter they averaged 17.0 ppg, shot just .293 from the field, and got outscored by 8.4 ppg.
I will say more about the the Timberwolves in my preview of their second round series, but this is a good time to take a closer look at the state of the Lakers.
The Lakers' late collapses versus the Timberwolves can be explained at least partially by coaching. It is important that a coach understand matchups, time and score, the rhythm of the game, and the fatigue level of his players. The Lakers had the two best individual players in this series--four-time NBA champion LeBron James, and Luka Doncic, who led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals last year--but the Timberwolves exploited their matchup advantages in the paint while keeping James and Doncic reasonably under control without creating openings for the Lakers' supporting cast to make an impact.
The Timberwolves enjoyed a significant coaching advantage: Chris Finch versus J.J. Redick may have been the biggest mismatch in this series. Redick established multiple records in his playoff coaching debut: no coach had ever played the same five players for every minute of the second half of a playoff game until Redick did that in the game four loss, and no Lakers team had ever lost in the first round of the playoffs while seeded at least third. Redick set an unofficial record for the fewest times that a coach ever took responsibility for his team's loss.
Finch led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals last year, and he is now the first coach in franchise history to advance past the first round in back to back seasons. In contrast, Redick is a first year NBA coach with no prior coaching experience beyond the youth level, and his NBA playoff coaching resume now shows a 1-4 record while coaching the third seeded team versus the sixth seeded team. When a reporter asked Redick a reasonable question about his substitution patterns, Redick arrogantly scoffed, "Weird assumption" before storming out of the press conference. Redick's combination of arrogance with lack of knowledge is not likely to lead to sustained success.
After the Lakers made the stunning trade with Dallas to acquire Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, I wrote, "Even if Doncic and James both average 30 ppg the rest of the way, the
Lakers may not be able to score enough points, get enough rebounds, and
get enough stops to win consistently; they desperately need to add at
least one competent defensive big man before the trade deadline to have
any hope of getting past the first round of the playoffs." I should have heeded my own words when I made my 2025 Playoff Predictions, but I somehow convinced myself that the Lakers would squeak by the Timberwolves before losing in the second round. The overarching point of my initial analysis was correct: the Lakers will not be a legit championship contender until they beef up their frontcourt, much like the Mavericks did last season by adding Daniel Gafford. The Lakers have a multi-year timeframe to build around the 26 year old Doncic, who is already one of the NBA's five best players and should be just entering his prime years.
It is not clear how the Lakers can reconcile Luka Doncic's long term timeframe with the year to year timeframe of 40 year old LeBron James. In The Paradox of LeBron James, I wrote, "LeBron James baffles and mystifies me more than any other great player
who I have observed and/or studied, so it is only fitting that as he
enters the final stage of his career he continues to be baffling and
mystifying." James is without question one of the greatest players of all-time; anyone who suggests otherwise is biased, foolish, or both. James is also without question the most productive 40 year old player in NBA history. This season, he averaged 24.4 ppg, 8.2 apg, and 7.8 rpg while shooting .513 from the field; those would be career-best numbers for many Hall of Famers, but overall this was a below average season for James. It is not reasonable to blame a 40 year old for not being able to lead a team on a deep playoff run when no other 40 year old has been able to do that--but James is not being paid like a 40 year old player who cannot carry a team: he is the 14th highest paid player in the NBA.
How can the Lakers methodically build around Doncic with the idea of having sustained long term success while at the same time dealing with James on a year to year basis as one of the league's highest paid players? This is not just about salary cap space, either. With the exception of his four years in Miami--the most successful four years of his career from the standpoint of team success--James runs the show when he joins a team, meaning that he picks the coach and he picks the roster; that is why his former podcast partner Redick is the coach, and that is why the Lakers drafted his son Bronny instead of filling that roster spot with a veteran player who could contribute now. One would expect that a team with a highly paid 40 year old would be in win now mode, hiring an experienced championship-level coach and stacking the roster with proven veterans, but this particular 40 year old has different ideas.
The reality is that even though James is more productive than any player his age has ever been and even though he is more productive right now than all but a handful of current players, the Lakers are not going to win another title as long as he is not only on the team but running the show. In James' seven years with the Lakers, they won one "bubble title" in 2020 (James' second year in L.A.), made one fluky run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals, lost in the first round three times, and twice did not even make the playoffs. The Lakers knew that their most recent trip to the Western Conference Finals was fluky, and that is why in short order they fired the coach and remade the roster, which are not steps that management takes if that team is built for sustained success. The Lakers won the "bubble title" with a 35 year old James and a huge frontcourt that dominated the paint; now, James is five years older, his team lacks size, and his one L.A. title looks more fluky each year that he keeps getting bounced in the first round despite playing alongside first Anthony Davis and now Luka Doncic.
It will be fascinating to see the moves that the Lakers make--and don't make--prior to next season. If they are truly thinking about how to build a perennial contender around Doncic then they will hire an experienced NBA coach, they will get rid of James, his son, and other players who are unlikely to be rotation players on a championship team for the next several years, and they will use the open salary cap space and roster spots to acquire players whose skills mesh with Doncic's. Mind you, it is almost inconceivable that the Lakers will do any of those things, which means that they have not yet shifted their thinking from "LeBron runs the show" to "This is Luka's team."
Labels: Anthony Edwards, Chris Finch, J.J. Redick, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Minnesota Timberwolves, Rudy Gobert
posted by David Friedman @ 1:31 PM
Nuggets Sink Clippers to Take 3-2 Series Lead
Jamal Murray poured in a game-high 43 points, Nikola Jokic had a modest (by his lofty standards) triple double (13 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds), Aaron Gordon scored 23 points on 7-11 field goal shooting, and Russell Westbrook had 21 points off of the bench as the Denver Nuggets dismantled the L.A. Clippers 131-115 to take a 3-2 series lead. Westbrook showed no ill effects from the foot injury that forced him to miss Denver's game three win. The Nuggets jumped out to a 17-6 first quarter lead, never trailed, and were ahead by as many as 22 points before settling for a 16 point victory margin.
Ivica Zubac scored a team-high 27 points on 11-15 field goal shooting, Kawhi Leonard had a near-triple double (20 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds), and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points off of the bench for the Clippers, who melted down in front of their fans who thought that they showed up for a party, not a funeral.
All of the main players for both teams showed up--except for one: James Harden, a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, was his team's sixth leading scorer in this game. This is deja vu all over again for the Clippers, who are learning that there is at least one other certainty in life besides death and taxes: James Harden disappearing in game five of a 2-2 series. Last year, the Clippers entered game five versus the Dallas Mavericks tied 2-2, and they exited game five trailing 3-2 after a 123-93 loss during which Harden had a triple single (seven points, seven assists, four rebounds) while shooting 2-12 from the field (a frigid February "concert tour") and delivering his trademark "Harden" (a game during which a player has more turnovers than field goals made) with two field goals made and four turnovers. This year, Harden scored 11 points on 3-9 field goal shooting with five assists, four turnovers, and a game-worst -16 plus/minus number, achieving the rare (except for him) feat of logging a "concert tour" field goal percentage and a "Harden" in the same game.
Game five winners in a 2-2 series go on to win the series 81.3% of the
time, so it is fair to say that game five of the Denver Nuggets-L.A.
Clippers series was the biggest game of the season for both teams. Of course, game six is an even bigger game for the Clippers, because if they lose that game then their season is over with a first round exit, a sad finale for a squad that many "experts" lauded as a potential Western Conference Finals participant before the playoffs began.
Daryl Morey compared Harden favorably to Michael Jordan, but in fact Harden is the anti-Jordan: when Jordan played in a pivotal playoff game you knew that he would be very efficient and productive and his team would most likely win, but when Harden plays in a pivotal playoff game you know that he will be inefficient and unproductive and his team will most likely lose. Harden's elimination game resume provides a blueprint for what the Clippers should expect in game six; last year in game six, Harden scored 16 points on 5-16 field goal shooting as the Mavericks ended the Clippers season with a 114-101 defeat.
Labels: Aaron Gordon, Jamal Murray, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, L.A. Clippers, Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook
posted by David Friedman @ 2:09 AM
Reflecting on Dick Barnett's Legacy
Dick Barnett, who passed away in his sleep yesterday at the age of 88, leaves behind a rich legacy not only as a basketball champion and Hall of Famer but also as an educator. Barnett was one of several stars from historically black colleges who told their inspiring stories in the must-see movie "Black Magic."
When the Tennessee A&I team that won three straight collegiate
national championships (1957-59) was inducted in the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame, Barnett--the team's biggest star--narrated the video that put the team's accomplishments in historical context. By the time that Barnett was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame individually in 2024,
he was in a wheelchair and unable to speak; his Knicks teammate Bill
Bradley spoke on his behalf, and Bradley praised Barnett as a two-way
player who was a key member of the Knicks' championship teams in
1970 and 1973. Barnett's trademark shot was his "Fall back, baby" jumper during which he curled up his legs underneath his body while saying his catchphrase, which meant that his teammates could fall back on defense because he knew that his shot was good.
Barnett began his NBA career with two solid seasons with the Syracuse Nationals before jumping to the American Basketball League (ABL) to play for his college coach John McClendon with the Cleveland Pipers, who won the 1962 ABL title. The ABL was the first professional basketball league to use the three point shot (the ABA was founded in 1967-68). After one ABL season, Barnett returned to the NBA as an L.A. Laker, and he played three seasons for the Lakers before being traded to the New York Knicks for Bob Boozer.
In his first season with the Knicks, Barnett averaged a career-high 23.1 ppg to rank sixth in scoring average (he finished seventh in total points, which is the method the NBA used to determine statistical leaders prior to 1970). He bounced back from an Achilles injury to earn his first and only All-Star selection in 1968. In the famous "Willis Reed game"--game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals, when Reed limped onto the court and scored four points despite being hobbled a painful leg injury--Barnett scored 21 points while also guarding Pantheon member Jerry West, the L.A. Lakers' star guard. Barnett's performance was overshadowed by Reed's heroics and by Walt Frazier's magnificent 36 point/19 assist/seven rebound stat line. Barnett averaged at least 12.2 ppg in each of his first 12 NBA seasons before his production dropped in his last two years.
After his playing career ended, Barnett earned a doctorate in education and communications from Fordham, and he wrote more than 20 books. He was an energetic and charismatic speaker, and a great role model not just for athletes but for all people.
Labels: Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, John McClendon, L.A. Lakers, New York Knicks, Syracuse Nationals, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed
posted by David Friedman @ 4:57 PM
A Glance at Each First Round Series
The 2025 NBA playoffs started with quadrupleheaders on Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20. A little more than one week later is a good time to examine what we have seen so far in each of the eight first round series.
Eastern Conference
#1 Cleveland leads #8 Miami, 3-0
The Heat are the first team to finish 10th in a conference during the regular season but qualify for the playoffs via the NBA Play-In Tournament, and they are playing about as well as one might expect the 10th best team to play against the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland won the first two games at home, 121-100 and 121-112, before handing the Heat their worst playoff loss ever, a 124-87 shellacking in Miami.
Although the best team will almost always win a best of seven series--barring unusual circumstances such as injuries or suspensions--it is often forgotten that each game in a series is a separate entity; the Heat will not be trailing by 37 points at the start of game four, and they may even eke out one win to send the series back to Cleveland. However, this series will end in five games at most.
The Cavaliers are playing well in all phases of the game, and they are featuring a balanced attack with seven players averaging double figures in scoring, led by Donovan Mitchell (24.3 ppg in three games) and Darius Garland (24.0 ppg in two games).
#2 Boston leads #7 Orlando, 3-1
After Boston won game one 103-86, the next three games were each decided by nine points or less, but Boston took a commanding 3-1 series lead with a 107-98 victory yesterday. The Magic have made a concerted effort to limit Boston's vaunted three point shooting; in game four, the Celtics shot just 9-31 (.290) from beyond the arc but still prevailed behind a monster game (37 points, 14 rebounds) from Jayson Tatum. The Celtics are averaging 11.5 three point field goals made per game in this series with a .348 three point field goal percentage after making 17.8 three point field goals per game with a .368 three point field goal percentage during the regular season. This series is providing a great example of why it is important for a championship-caliber team to be able to score effectively from other areas of the court in addition to three point range: three point field goal shooting is high variance, so teams that rely too heavily on long range shooting will not be as effective in the playoffs as they were during the regular season. The Celtics have a multifaceted offensive attack, so they can counter Orlando's defensive schemes.
The Magic are a gritty and physical defensive-minded team, but they lack sufficient offensive firepower to beat the Celtics in a seven game series. The most interesting storyline from this series other than Boston's ability to win without high volume three point shooting is that several of Boston's players are banged up now, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday. How much will the Celtics have in the tank for the next series?
#3 New York leads #6 Detroit, 3-1
This is another physical series, but the unfortunate headline for this series so far is that the NBA admitted that a foul should have been called on Josh Hart as Tim Hardaway Jr. attempted a three point shot with .3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of yesterday's pivotal game four. If the foul had been correctly called then Hardaway Jr. would have attempted three free throws with his Pistons trailing, 94-93; if he had made at least two then the Pistons would have almost certainly won the game and tied the series at 2-2, instead of facing a 3-1 deficit and the tough task of winning game five in New York.
Much like the Boston-Orlando series, the favored team won the first game by a double digit margin (123-112) but the next three games were close as the Pistons won 100-94 to take homecourt advantage before losing 118-116 and 94-93 in Detroit.
New York's Jalen Brunson has been the best player in the series, averaging a series-high 33.3 ppg, 8.8 apg, and 4.3 rpg with shooting splits of .460/.355/.833. Karl-Anthony Towns has been very good in his first playoff series as a Knick (22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, shooting splits of .530/.500/1.000). Cade Cunningham leads the Pistons in scoring (25.8 ppg) and assists (series-high 9.0 apg) while also averaging 8.8 rpg.
This has been a tremendous season for the Pistons, but the game four no-call has put them on the brink of elimination in an otherwise competitive series.
#4 Indiana leads #5 Milwaukee, 3-1
Damian Lillard entered this series questionable due to a blood clot in his left calf, and he exited the series with what has preliminarily been reported to be an Achilles injury to his left leg, a devastating setback that has implications not just for this series but for next season and for the future of the Bucks' franchise. The Pacers would likely have eliminated the Bucks anyway, but after Lillard went down yesterday the disheartened Bucks did not put up much of a fight in a 129-103 loss.
The Pacers' high octane offense is led by Pascal Siakam (22.3 ppg), Myles Turner (15.8 ppg), Tyrese Haliburton (15.5 ppg, playoff-high 12.3 apg), and Andrew Nembhard (15.0 ppg). The Pacers are not great defensively, but they are good enough against a Milwaukee team that only has one serious offensive threat; as expected, Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting up monster numbers, leading both teams in scoring (33.8 ppg) and rebounding (14.3 rpg) while shooting .622 from the field and averaging 5.0 apg, but he does not have enough help on offense while the Bucks' defense has not been good enough, either.
Since winning the 2021 NBA title, the Bucks have fired Coach Mike Budenholzer and gotten rid of starters Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday (who played a key role on Boston's 2024 championship team). In game four, Middleton's replacement Kyle Kuzma scored three points on 1-6 field goal shooting; he is averaging 6.0 ppg in this series while shooting .333 from the field. Lillard is Holiday's replacement, and he averaged 7.0 ppg on .222 field goal shooting in three games in this series; that is a small sample size, but the reality is that it is expected for a small guard's body to break down in his mid-thirties--and Lillard is such a defensive liability that even if he had stayed healthy it is unlikely that the Bucks would have won a title with him as the second option logging heavy minutes.
Western Conference
#1 Oklahoma City beat #8 Memphis, 4-0
Remember all of the "experts" who told us that Memphis is not an ordinary eighth seed, and that Oklahoma City is vulnerable because of their inexperience? The Thunder tamed the Grizzlies 131-80 in game one and never looked back, although the victory margins decreased in each subsequent game.
The Thunder forced 77 turnovers while committing just 42 turnovers, which should not be surprising because during the regular season they led the league in both turnovers forced (17.0 tpg) and fewest turnovers committed (11.7 tpg). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not have an exceptional series by his lofty standards, but he still led both teams in scoring (27.8 ppg), albeit with an uncharacteristically bad .402 field goal percentage. His All-Star teammate Jalen Williams averaged 23.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 5.3 apg. Chet Holmgren was the only other Oklahoma City player to average more than 10 ppg (18.5 ppg), but three others scored between 8.5 ppg and 9.5 ppg.
Memphis' star guard Ja Morant missed game four due to injury, but that was actually the closest game of the series, with Oklahoma City winning 117-115. The Grizzlies have a lot of decisions to make, starting with whether to remove the interim tag from coach Tuomas Iisalo, and then extending to what to do with a roster that just does not seem good enough to win a playoff series.
#7 Golden State leads #2 Houston, 2-1
Houston started this series on a bumpy note with a 95-85 home loss to Golden State, bounced back with a 109-94 game two win as Golden State's Jimmy Butler left the game with a pelvis contusion after playing just eight minutes, and then lost game three 104-93 even though Butler did not play. The Warriors outscored the Rockets 35-22 in the fourth quarter of game three in what may turn out to be the pivotal 12 minutes of the series; prior to that point, the Rockets' physical defense had caused problems for the undersized Warriors.
Stephen Curry is having a sensational series, leading both teams in scoring (29.0 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg) while posting gaudy .526/.452/.929 shooting splits. Butler is the only other Warrior averaging more than 11 ppg and the Warriors are getting outrebouned 50.0 rpg to 38.0 rpg, but the Rockets cannot overcome their abysmal team shooting splits of .413/.330/.641. With all due respect to Golden State's defense, the Rockets are missing a lot of open shots and they are also exercising questionable shot selection at key moments.
The Rockets need more production and consistency from Jalen Green, who is averaging 18.0 ppg on .392 field goal shooting in this series after scoring 21.0 ppg on .423 field goal shooting during the regular season. Green's game by game scoring totals in this series are seven, 38, and nine; he should be in the 18-25 point range every game, and if he does that the rest of the way then the Rockets still have a chance.
It is easy to write off the Rockets as a team that is too young and not good enough offensively to beat the veteran Warriors, but the saving grace for the Rockets may be that their size and physicality wear down the Warriors, particularly if the Rockets win game four to extend the series to at least six games.
#6 Minnesota leads #3 L.A. Lakers, 3-1
The story of this series is that Minnesota has dominated L.A. in the paint. Minnesota outscored L.A. in the paint 44-32 in a 117-95 game one win to seize homecourt advantage. L.A. tied Minnesota 46-46 in the paint to win game two 94-85, and then Minnesota won points in the paint 56-26 in a 116-104 game three win and Minnesota again dominated the paint (48-30) in Sunday's 116-113 win. The Lakers gave up size and defensive presence when they traded Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic; that deal will likely be great for the Lakers' long term future because Doncic projects to be an All-NBA First Team caliber player for the next decade, but in the short term the Lakers lack size in the paint and they are not consistently good defensively.
I picked the Lakers to win this series because I thought that the scoring and playmaking of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves combined with having homecourt advantage in game seven would be just enough to get by a Minnesota team that does not always exploit its matchup advantages, but thus far the Lakers' perimeter play has not been sufficient to make up for Minnesota's size, and the series does not appear to be on track to even reach game seven in L.A. My series preview emphasized that Minnesota would enjoy a coaching advantage with Chris Finch versus J.J. Redick, and that has proven to be the case; as just one example, Redick used the same five players for all 24 second half minutes in game four, an almost unprecedented situation of not making a single substitution in a playoff game. At times, it seems like the Lakers are playing without coaching, or at least without competent NBA level coaching; they just give the ball to Doncic, James, or Reaves, and hope that whoever has the ball either scores or draws a double team that opens up a shot for another player. Redick has received largely favorable coverage from his media buddies all season, but up to this point he has one playoff win in four tries as the coach of the higher seeded team that, at least on paper, has the two best players in the series.
Doncic is putting up his typical numbers (30.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg), James is playing at a high level for any player, let alone a 40 year old (26.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.5 apg), and Reaves is doing as much as can reasonably be expected (17.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.0 apg), but the Lakers' lack of size and the defensive liabilities of Doncic and Reaves are damaging.
Anthony Edwards is leading Minnesota in scoring (29.8 ppg, including a game-high 43 points in the pivotal game four win) and assists (5.8 ppg). Julius Randle has been very good (22.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg) in his first playoff series with the Timberwolves, and Jaden McDaniels (19.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, series-high .579 FG%) has had a big impact offensively and defensively.
#4 Denver tied with #5 L.A. Clippers, 2-2
This series looks like it will be remembered as an all-time classic, with the signature moment so far being Aaron Gordon's buzzer-beating tip-in dunk to win game four for Denver, 101-99. This is apparently the first game-winning, buzzer-beating tip-in dunk in NBA playoff history. Three of the four games have been very close, with Denver winning game one 112-110, L.A. winning game two 105-102, and Denver walking off with a dramatic two point win in game four. The only outlier is the 117-83 drubbing that L.A. delivered in game three, and that game skews the overall statistics for an otherwise closely contested series.
Nikola Jokic is leading both teams in scoring (28.5 ppg), rebounding (13.5 rpg), and assists (10.8 apg); media accounts portraying Ivica Zubac as some kind of "Jokic stopper" are bizarre, even though Zubac is having a good series (18.8 ppg, team-high 11.5 rpg). Jamal Murray (20.0 ppg, 6.0 apg) and Aaron Gordon (17.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) have played at their usual levels, but Michael Porter Jr. (10.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is struggling.
Kawhi Leonard is the Clippers' leading scorer (26.5 ppg, .562 FG%) and he has had a big impact on both sides of the court. The only cautionary note with him, as always, is health/durability; he is a big, strong player who plays with force at both ends of the court, and his body tends to break down. James Harden has been solid so far (21.3 ppg, team-high 9.5 apg, .453 FG%) but--as is usually the case--he is trending downward as the series progresses: 32 points/11 assists in game one, 18 points/seven assists in game two, 20 points/nine assists in game three, and 15 points/11 assists in game four. Harden has been uncharacteristically efficient in the fourth quarters of these games, totaling 12 points on 4-7 field goal shooting with eight assists and just two turnovers, but vintage Harden often does not show up until game five; last year, the Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks were tied 2-2 before the Clippers lost 123-93 as Harden had a Draymond Green-like triple single (seven points, seven assists, four rebounds) including both "concert tour" field goal shooting (2-12) and a "Harden" with more turnovers (four) than field goals made (two).
It is reasonable to expect greatness from Jokic and Leonard in game five, along with a typical Harden performance as well, which should add up to Denver taking a 3-2 series lead.
Labels: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, L.A. Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder
posted by David Friedman @ 2:02 PM
